Interview With Hope Bolinger

I'd like to welcome Hope Bolinger to the blog for an interview! I read one of Hope's books last year and loved it!

Onto the interview!

Do you have a set routine for writing? 
I do. It's all mathematical. I tend to have a research period. And once I have compiled enough to be an "expert" in a topic, I feel ready to write. I craft a skeletonic outline and then I get going. I have a set word count I try to aim for each day, until I hit the final word count for the first draft.

What's your favourite tip for newbie writers? 
Have fun with the process. Writing is, unfortunately, the easy part. The editing, the marketing, everything afterward can be soul-sucking, so have fun with it. Write something you really believe in. 

Which genre is your favourite to write in? 
This is so hard to choose because I write MG, YA, and sweet romances. I think it depends on my mood, but the weirder, the better. Anything that stretches my imagination.

Do you have any pets? 
I do! Two very silly cats named Odin and Freya. They love each other. They tolerate me. 

Paperback or ebook? And why? 
I'm a paperback girlie. There's just something in you that feels so accomplished when you're physically flipping pages.

Where do you see yourself, and your writing, in ten years? 
I'm not sure, because I've been surprised by the last ten years of writing. I imagine I'll keep being surprised.

What's your favourite writing snack? 
I actually forget to eat when I write. It's a problem. 

You can follow Hope on Instagram.  

Join Joey here on the blog on Fridays for interviews, reviews and guest bloggers. If you'd be interested in doing any of those, you can contact Joey here  

Interview With Lisa Amowitz

I'd like to welcome Lisa Amowitz onto the blog today for an interview! I recently reviewed three of her books and loved them all!

Onto the interview! 

Do you have a set routine for writing?
Generally, I try to get in 1-2 hours of writing/revising each morning.

What's your favourite tip for newbie writers?
Focus on your craft, take criticism graciously, and don’t be in a rush to publish.

What was your experience writing your first book?
My first book was TERRIBLE. It took me three years to write and is now in a dark, dark drawer never to be seen again. My second book wasn’t much better, but it only took me a year to write. My third book got me my first agent, but was never published. My fourth book got me my second agent and became my THIRD published book, and my fifth book, BREAKING GLASS became my first published book. I still love that book and indie-published it in 2022 after getting my rights back from my publisher.

Do you have a favourite place to write outside of your usual space?
I love writing outside on the deck of the little cottage we rent every summer in upstate NY.

Do you hoard notebooks or anything else writing related?
Yes. I hoard notebooks! And books. And bookshelves.

Which genre is your favourite to write in?
Up until this year I have written only YA. This year I’m starting a new genre, cozy paranormal mystery.

Which social media do you enjoy using the most?
I don’t love social media and that’s why I’ve hired an assistant to help me with it.

What's your favourite writing snack?
I guzzle either coffee, coconut water, or tea. Not much of a snacker!

 You can follow Lisa on her website, Instagram, Facebook, Bluesky & TikTok.

Join Joey here on the blog on Fridays for interviews, reviews and guest bloggers. If you'd be interested in doing any of those, you can contact Joey here 

Interview With Hayley B Halliwell

I would like to welcome Hayley B Halliwell to the blog for an interview. I reviewed her debut novel recently and it is stellar!

 Onto the interview!

Do you have a set routine for writing?

I don't really! Each story had its own routine.

What's your favourite tip for newbie writers?

Don't discount the writing you did yesterday. I've been writing since I was seven. Sure, it wasn't good writing. But we all have to start somewhere, and we almost all start out bad. And then you get better the more you write. I have learned with every single story I've written. There are stories I wrote as a teenager that are so incredibly cringe, but I learned SO MUCH from those mistakes.

What was your experience writing your first book?

The first novel I ever finished writing was actually Lowercase. And it took me almost six years to get to this point where it's out in the world. I actually wrote a second book like halfway into it! So it's really been quite the journey. And very much a learning experience, as I self published and did all of my own editing and formatting and all of it. I think “exciting” and “terrifying” and “frustrating” are the words I'd use to describe the experience. And I'm ready to do it again!

Do you have a favourite place to write outside of your usual space?

Yes! So my usual space has been my side of the bed I share with my husband, usually at night after he's fallen asleep and I'm waiting for my meds to kick in. But I've been working on turning our spare room into my office for over a year, and I finally have a pullout loveseat in there. I did a lot of revisions in there during the end of January.

Do you hoard notebooks or anything else writing related?

All of it. Notebooks, pens, stickers, stamps, bookmarks. I have way too much of all of it.

Which genre is your favourite to write in?

Contemporary. It used to be horror, surprisingly. I almost only wrote horror during college. But I found that contemporary fiction and I really have a strong relationship. And I really enjoy it.

Would you ever use a pen name? And if so, why?

I actually currently use a pen name! My first name IS Hayley, and my middle initial IS B, but Halliwell is a name I chose for myself.

Which social media do you enjoy using the most?

I really fell in love with threads. But I'm on TikTok a lot, too.

How old were you when you were first ready to start publishing?

I published my first book, a poetry collection, two years ago, a month before I turned 32. I might've thought I was ready before then, but I'm not upset that it didn't happen until my 30s.

Do you have any pets?

Yes! My husband and I have a tortie who is the Queen of the house and her name is Roswell Soup.

Do you keep good reviews and reader comments?

I do. I have screenshots saved.

Paperback or ebook? And why?

I have always preferred paperback. I'm someone who likes to see my journey with a book in the lines along the spine and creases among the pages. However, I switched to ebook for ease almost a decade ago. And I very recently switched to mostly audiobooks.

Where do you see yourself, and your writing, in ten years?

My hope–my dream–is that I'm a full time writer by then. And that I'm still putting out books!

What's your favourite writing snack?

Ooh this is tough, because I will be stuck on a snack for weeks or months at a time. But I think any snack that doesn't stick to my fingers is good. Right now, I'm obsessed with cookies and cream puppy chow, and the powdered sugar sticks to my fingers and gets everywhere!
 

You can follow Hayley on her website, Facebook, Instagram, Threads, and TikTok!

Join Joey here on the blog on Fridays for interviews, reviews and guest bloggers. If you'd be interested in doing any of those, you can contact Joey here 

Interview With Melanie Hooyenga

I'd like to welcome Melanie Hooyenga to the blog today for an interview. I've reviewed a bunch of her books recently and wanted to share more about her as an author!

Onto the interview! 

 Do you have a set routine for writing?

Lately it seems to be “guilt trip myself until I sit down to write,” haha. Launching The Quiet Unraveling of Eve Ellaway took a lot of time and energy, and in the few weeks around the publication date, everything else had to wait. Now I’m trying to get back into my routine, which consists of me bringing a cup of tea to my office first thing in the morning, settling in my chaise chair, starting the playlist for my book, and writing for 45 minutes to an hour. I have an 8–5 day job, and writing first thing in the morning before the rest of the world and my responsibilities creep in leaves me feeling satisfied because I’ve accomplished one big to-do for the day.

I should point out that this is my ideal routine. All kinds of things can disrupt that routine, and I’m very cranky when they do, but life happens and I just make sure to do my best to get back to it the following day.

What's your favourite tip for newbie writers?

Keep writing and tell the voice in your head to shut up until you’ve finished the first draft. One of the most challenging things when you first start is believing that you can actually do it. (Honestly, that doesn’t go away, but it’s especially daunting on the first manuscript.) It’s tempting to polish and edit and make that first scene/passage/chapter perfect before moving on, but the best thing you can do is keep pushing forward.

One trick I like to do is if I’m stuck trying to figure out the right word but can’t think of it, I give myself one minute, and after that I put the next best choice in brackets so I know during edits that’s not the word I wanted. More times than not I remember it’s the wrong word when I come across it, but it satisfies my inner critic while I’m writing.

Do you hoard notebooks or anything else writing related?

I own all the pens and markers known to humankind. Okay, maybe not all of them, but I have more writing devices than any one person really ought to have. In fact, I once did a giveaway asking people to guess how many I owned. People often gift me pens and markers — WHICH I LOVE — and I still can’t resist them when I stroll down the office supply aisle.

Which genre is your favourite to write in?

YA! All ten books that I’ve published are young adult, and while I don’t have any plans to deviate from that, the first two books I wrote (but haven’t published) were written for an adult audience. I may tackle an adult novel at some point, but I’m in no rush.

Would you ever use a pen name? And if so, why?

Hooyenga is technically a pen name because it’s my maiden name. I wasn’t married when I published my first book in 2012, so I planned all along to continue writing under that name.

I’m currently only writing young adult books, but I know a lot of YA authors who’ve switched to a pen name when they publish books for an adult audience, or books that are a very different genre (from romance to science fiction, for example). At the moment I don’t have plans to add a pen name, but I’ve learned to never say never!

Which social media do you enjoy using the most?

I’m on Facebook a lot, but that’s more for keeping up with friends and events in my area. I really like the vibe on Threads and have been spending more time there lately. Instagram will always have a soft spot in my heart because I love photography and have a background in design, so I’m well-suited for that platform. I’m still mourning Twitter’s demise. Bluesky hasn’t quite filled that loss for me, and TikTok is one of my least-opened apps.

Do you have any pets?

Boy, do I! I have a Miniature Schnauzer named Gus who is ALL personality. He has an Instagram (@greetingsfromgus) with over 15K followers, but most of those followers are from our previous dog, Owen. Gus is three years old, can jump three times his height, and barks at absolutely everything. We brought him home a month after I started working remotely, so he’s very attached to me. Schnauzers are very smart and pretty high energy, and Gus keeps us on our toes.

Do you keep good reviews and reader comments?

No, but now you’ve given me the idea! A lot of authors avoid reading reviews, and you’ll regularly see advice to avoid Goodreads like the plague, not because it’s a horrible place, but because it’s a place for READERS. Once a book is published, you as the author no longer have control over how people interpret what you wrote and any opinions — good or bad — that come with it. And people can be mean.

But people can also be so delightfully amazing. One of my favorite things about writing is hearing how the stories that came from my brain affect living, breathing people. Even better if I can watch them while they’re reading and store those reactions for times when I’m second-guessing myself.

I have been collecting what I think are funny reactions to TQUEE. Things like “what did I just read?!?” and “This book was a trip.” I just need a minute to sit down and put it together.

Paperback or ebook? And why?

Ebooks, definitely. I almost always buy paperback copies of my friends’ books so I do have a nice collection, but I tend to read in bed and I like the simplicity of not having to move and just clicking the button to change pages.

Where do you see yourself, and your writing, in ten years?

Hopefully on even more bookshelves than I am now! I recently signed with an agent so my plan moving forward is to be a hybrid author, meaning my books will be both traditionally- and self-published. I’m working on the first book my agent plans to pitch to editors and I have several ideas for after that. I’m really excited to see where that goes!

You can follow Melanie on her website, Facebook, Instagram, Threads, Bluesky, Goodreads, and Bookbub! 

Join Joey here on the blog on Fridays for interviews, reviews and guest bloggers. If you'd be interested in doing any of those, you can contact Joey here 

Interview with RosaLinda Diaz

I'm happy to welcome RosaLinda Diaz to the blog for an interview. I've reviewed a few of her books recently. 

Onto the interview!

Do you have a set routine for writing?

I actually don't have a routine. I figured out early that if I just sat down and said that's it, I'm writing, then I could. So, I never adopted a routine. I don't wait for inspiration. I just sit down and start. Sometimes, I write well, and other times, I write poorly, but at least I'm writing.  

What's your favorite tip for newbie writers?

The best tip I received was to write what you know. My early work wasn't great, but it allowed me to build confidence. Don't wait for a bestseller idea. Write what you want. Let the experiences you have had inform your writing.

What was your experience writing your first book?

My first book or my first published novel? They are two very different books. Bee Stings was my first published novel. It took only three months to write but many years to get published. Gray Mist Soldiers was my first novel. I had the idea but knew very little about soldiers' day-to-day life in the American Civil War. I forced myself to spend a month researching before I started writing.

Do you have a favourite place to write outside of your usual space?

Nope. Actually, that's not entirely true. I write best when I am stuck somewhere. In a doctor's office, at a conference, on a plane, or on a train. My mind can wander, and ideas flow freely. However, I am rarely in those places, so I do most of my writing in front of my computer or in a notebook.

Do you hoard notebooks or anything else writing related?

I wrote my first novel, longhand, in notebooks.

Which genre is your favourite to write in?

I mostly write in the romance genre, but I really love writing Young Adult novels.

Would you ever use a pen name? And if so, why?

I have, so my children's novel wasn't confused with my adult works. My middle-grade historical adventure novel Gray Mist Soldiers is published under RL Diaz.

Do you have any pets?

Sadly, only the pets are in my novels. I usually have a dog companion for my main character. Wishful thinking for me.

Do you keep good reviews and reader comments?

Absolutely! I have a file called good things, where I keep screenshots of nice reviews. Readers, don't underestimate the kind words you write. Us authors really do cherish them!

Paperback or ebook? And why?

Both!

I love the feel of a book and the smell, but ebooks offer ease of carry. On vacation, I can load up with several books at once.

Where do you see yourself, and your writing, in ten years? Ten years?

Goodness, I just figured out the next ten months! In ten years, I'd love to be living by the beach, with a good man by my side, with my kiddos running around, and enough money in the bank that I can focus on writing compelling novels for my fans full time. : )

What's your favourite writing snack?

I don't really have one, but when I get stuck or frustrated, I head to the kitchen for a piece of chocolate. 

You can follow RosaLina here on Instagram, TikTok, BookBub or her website. 

Join Joey here on the blog on Fridays for interviews, reviews and guest bloggers. If you'd be interested in doing any of those, you can contact Joey here 

Interview With Esther Pia Cordova

I'd like to welcome Esther Pia Cordova to the blog for an interview. I reviewed her debut novel, Convergence on the blog here. 

Onto the interview!

What was your experience writing your first book?
Writing my first book was a mix of excitement, doubt, and learning to trust myself. I always dreamed of writing a novel, but I didn’t think I could commit to a full-length story—especially when my son was young. So, I put that dream on hold and focused on picture books instead.
Growth mindset is a topic that’s incredibly important to me, so I wrote I Can’t Do That, Yet, which became my bestselling book with over 90,000 paperback copies sold. Through that process, I had to learn to trust myself and believe that hard work pays off, even as an adult. But I wanted kids to grow up with that confidence naturally.

Now that my son is older and I have more time, I decided to finally fulfil my dream of writing a novel. Convergence is my first YA dystopian novel, and the experience of writing it was incredibly fulfilling. I love how a novel allows me to build entire worlds, create characters, and make them do things—I never expected to feel so attached to them! It’s like stepping into another reality, and I find that process just as rewarding as I always imagined.

What's your favourite tip for newbie writers?
My favorite tip for newbie writers is finding the balance between consistency and going with the flow. There were days when I didn’t write a single word, but my characters—Maya and Ethan—were still with me, running through my mind as I worked through scenes in my head. Sometimes this process took days. Then, suddenly, I’d have a day where the words just poured out, and I’d write two or three chapters in one sitting. Writing isn’t just about hitting a daily word count—it’s about keeping your story alive in your thoughts. Your brain is always working on it, even when you’re not actively typing.

My second tip is to make the most of ARC readers—and not just your friends and family. You need honest feedback from people who aren’t afraid to tell you what’s working and what’s not.
Be open to criticism and welcome it, but also remember that even the best books have readers who don’t connect with them. The key is to listen carefully, evaluate the feedback, and make conscious decisions about what to change. If one person dislikes something, it’s just their opinion —but if all your ARC readers are pointing out the same issue, it’s probably something you need to rethink.

Which genre is your favourite to write in?
Right now, I love writing YA dystopian. The fast-paced nature of these books reminds me of a movie—I love when a story pulls you in right away, keeps you on the edge of your seat, and constantly surprises you with twists. My goal is always to entertain, and that means getting straight into the action and keeping the reader engaged.

I also enjoy incorporating sci-fi elements, especially since my husband works in AI. We often
have deep, philosophical discussions about technology and the future, and I try to spark similar questions in my readers' minds. In Convergence, one of the central themes is consciousness—what does it really mean to be conscious? Who or what qualifies as conscious? And, more importantly, who gets to decide? It’s a fascinating and complex topic, and I love weaving those kinds of thought-provoking ideas into a fast-paced, thrilling story.

Do you have any pets?
Yes, I have a toy poodle named Baxter! I’ve always wanted my own dog—I’m definitely a dog person. I love cats too, but they don’t seem to love me back! I think it’s because I never lived with a cat, so I’m probably not great at reading their body language.

I waited a long time before getting a dog because I wanted to make sure I could care for him properly. When I was studying, I worried he’d be alone too much. But now, it’s perfect—I work from home, so I get to spend my days writing with Baxter by my side (and my son, of course). it’s exactly how I imagined it!

Do you keep good reviews and reader comments?
I read every single review and reader comment. It would be amazing to be able to reach out and personally thank the people who leave particularly great reviews—I truly appreciate when
someone takes the time to go on a journey with my characters. Reading a book is a commitment of a few hours, and it means so much to me that readers choose to spend that time with my stories.

Reviews are one of my favorite parts of being a writer and publisher. Even the not-so-great ones can be valuable—there’s often something to learn from them. I think many readers don’t realize just how important reviews are for authors. They help books find new readers, provide feedback for future writing, and remind me why I love doing this.

Paperback or ebook? And why?
I personally love having a real book in my hands. I spend so much time looking at screens throughout the day, so when I read for pleasure, I enjoy the break from digital. There’s just something about holding a physical book, flipping the pages, and even the smell of paper that makes the experience special. 

That said, I completely see the appeal of ebooks—especially if you read one or two books a week. They’re more convenient, often more affordable, and perfect for traveling. I use both, but for the books I truly love, I always make sure to have a paperback version too.

Where do you see yourself, and your writing, in ten years?
In ten years, I hope Convergence has grown into a full series—maybe a book two or three! I already have so many ideas, not just for this world but for entirely new stories as well. My biggest hope is that I’ll have the time and focus to bring them all to life.

Writing is something I want to do for the long run, so I see myself continuing to create stories that entertain, challenge ideas, and keep readers hooked. If I can still wake up excited to write and have readers who are excited to dive into my books, then I’ll be exactly where I want to be.

Thanks to Esther for joining me, and you can follow her on her website or Instagram!

Join Joey here on the blog on Fridays for interviews, reviews and guest bloggers. If you'd be interested in doing any of those, you can contact Joey here