Three Times a Charm with Author P. J. Hoover

Three Times a Charm is a weekly feature that spotlights authors, illustrators, bloggers, agents, editors or promoters from the publishing industry.

This week we are joined by P. J. Hoover. P. J. is the author of fantasy and science fiction books for kids and teens. Here’s more on P. J.:

P. J. Hoover fell in love with Greek mythology in sixth grade thanks to the book Mythology by Edith Hamilton. After a fifteen year bout as an electrical engineer designing computer chips for a living, P. J. decided to take her own stab at mythology and started writing books for kids and teens. P. J. is also a member of THE TEXAS SWEETHEARTS & SCOUNDRELS. When not writing, P. J. spends time with her husband and two kids and enjoys practicing Kung Fu, solving Rubik's cubes, and watching Star Trek. Her first novel for teens, Solstice, takes place in a Global Warming future and explores the parallel world of mythology beside our own. Her middle grade fantasy novels, The Emerald Tablet, The Navel of the World, and The Necropolis, chronicle the adventures of a boy who discovers he’s part of two feuding worlds hidden beneath the sea.

Hey, I used to work for a memory manufacturer! I wonder how many others left semi conductors to write for children.

P. J., you have a sparkling new release out in the world. Tell us about it, please.

SOLSTICE, a debut young adult novel, is an intensely romantic story set in a disturbing future of uncontrolled climate change, where, after 18 years of endless summer, the earth is dying a slow, hot death, and about a young woman named Piper who opens a Pandora's box of sorts which catapults her into a modern mythological world. SOLSTICE is the first front-list title to be independently published by an Andrea Brown Literary Agency author and is agented by Laura Rennert.

Now, for the Threes. Share with us your top 3’s to help us know you a little better.

  • Top 3 books you’ve read in the past year.

-DIVERGENT by Veronica Roth – I loved the idea of the fraternal organizations that society was divided into, and I loved the romance. Something that really makes romance work is a compelling reason why the characters can’t be together, and DIVERGENT provides it.
-THE MARBURY LENS by Andrew Smith – I adored the dystopic elements in the book that were set so perfectly against our real world. I also really appreciated the multiple story lines. And I liked that the author was not afraid to make the world gritty and raw.
-PARANORMALCY by Kiersten White – I loved the playful way this book dealt with the paranormal craze. It was just plain fun to read.

  • Top 3 pieces of writing advice

-Know the business. For writing this includes doing other things besides writing. Read books in the genre you are writing. Watch what types of books are being published. Go to events and meet other authors. Talk to them. Because when it comes time to query and work to get your story published, all that information will come in useful in helping you make the right decisions.
-Write! It may sound pithy, but it’s the most important thing to do in order to get a book out into the world. There are no magic elves that will come write your story for you, so when it comes right down to it, it’s up to you to sit your bottom in a chair and crank out words.
-Experience life. Everything you see in life will help feed your imagination. Whether it’s a field trip to the sewage treatment plant or a visit to the local art museum, it’s all going to play a part in shaping your mind. And your mind is the thing that shapes your stories. Feed it!

  • Top 3 leisure activities.

-Kung Fu. Not only does Kung Fu help me stay in shape, it makes my mind work really hard learning new katas. It gives me something to do to take my mind off writing, and gives me new goals to achieve. Plus there was Kung Fu in The Matrix. That makes it cool by default.
-Spending time with my family. Whether it’s in the form of going to the park together or watching an episode of Star Trek, my family members are my favorite people.
-Doing things around the house. I used to be an engineer, so I have this burning drive to fix anything that breaks, and if something isn’t broken, I want to remodel it. (This does result in unfinished projects around the house!) The best thing about fixing something is the amazing sense of accomplishment I get when it actually works again.

True, there are no writing elves, until you write them! P. J., where can our readers find more about you, your books and your career?

Website: http://www.pjhoover.com
Blog: http://pjhoover.blogspot.com
Tumblr: http://pjhoover.tumblr.com
Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/pj_hoover
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/pj.hoover1
Texas Sweethearts: http://www.texassweethearts.com

It was so great to have you join us on Three Times A Charm and so much fun to learn more about the person hovering over the keyboard. Hope you see great success with your career! Thank you, P. J.

Thank you!

Comments

  1. PJ HooverMay 18, 2011 at 8:30 AM

    Thank you, Kai, for the awesome feature! I loved doing it!

    ReplyDelete
  2. Kai Strand, AuthorMay 18, 2011 at 11:03 PM

    I'm so glad you did! Best of luck with your new release.

    ReplyDelete

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