Have you always wanted to be an author?
Hi Dawn! Thank you so much for having me on
your site today! What a great question, and the answer to that would be no. J From a young age, I
always knew I wanted to do something in the arts. I love performing and being
in front of an audience and sharing a story. But I had no idea if that meant
I’d become a dancer (I went to a performing arts middle school for dance),
musician (I was a second violin for the All-City Orchestra here in Pittsburgh)
or get into acting (it is a dream of mine to one day star opposite Leonardo
DiCaprio in something…anything). But one summer day, I read Harlan Coben’s Tell
No One and I knew I wanted to tell stories like that.
Are you a plotter or a punster or combo of
both? And you explain the difference?
If a plotter plots every detail and a pantser
just flies by the seat of their pants and dives right in, I’d say I’m probably
a fair amount of both. I definitely outline – a lot – but by the time I’m in
the thick of things with the writing, I veer off so much from the outline that
it’s sort of like, why did I even draft it? But outlining helps get things in
focus and helps me start, so it’s never a waste. J
What is your most interesting writing quirk?
Hmmm, great question. I don’t know! I don’t
think I do anything very quirky, but maybe quirkiness is in the eye of the
beholder. Let’s see…I tend to write wearing this great robe my Mom bought me
for Christmas – it’s very Sherlock Holmes-esque. But then again, sometimes when
I write, I wear just a t-shirt. It’s always a fashion show with me. J
Can you please tell us about your latest
book(s)?
Sure! My latest book is called Irreversible,
book 2 in the Truth and Love series. It’s about the relationship between best
friends Sabrina James and Derek Archer. It’s a novella, but it’s packed full of
romance, suspense and drama. Oh the drama!
How did you come with the idea for this story?
I always loved the relationship between Derek
and Sabrina in Unstoppable. It’s full of such tension! Something happened
between them, something big that knocked both of their worlds out of orbit. In
Irreversible, I finally reveal that something. I call the story a gut-punch of
a novel because the final confrontation between the two best friends is quite a
doozy. (Do people still say “doozy”?)
Can you share with us your current work(s) in
progress?
Gladly! I’m working on book 3 in the Truth and
Love series. Unforgettable, fan favorite Jace Pearce’s book, is, like the other
books, full of romance, suspense and action. It’s also probably THE sexiest
book I’ve ever written. I can’t wait to share it with everyone!
Who is the one author that you would love to
meet someday and why?
I can’t just list one author! Talk about the
impossible. J I’d love to meet Harlan Coben! He’s changed my life and I’d ask him
everything from writing process to what does Win wear to sleep in. He’s one of
my biggest inspirations. (Harlan, not Win. Though Win is definitely inspiring
in other ways. J) I’d also love to meet Sherry Thomas, a woman I greatly admire whom I chat
with via email a lot and but have yet to see face-to-face. When I do, my plan
is to kiss the ground she walks on. I’d love to meet Lisa Kleypas and Julia
Quinn. You know, there’s so many authors who mean so much to me that it’d
probably take years to meet them all!
What is the best piece of advice you would
give to someone that wants to get into writing?
For the beginning writer: Just do it. Dive in,
head first. Be brave. Don’t compare yourself to others or think you’re not good
enough. If you have a story inside you, share it. And finish it. Writing The
End on a book is seriously one of the best things you can ever do and it will
change the way you look at your work.
For the writer who has finished a book: Relax.
Take a break. Give your mind a rest. Watch Chris Evans as Captain America or
something. Then…revise. Revise, revise, revise. Get great beta readers to help
you. But absolutely revise.
For the writer who has finished, revised, and
is figuring out the tricky world of publishing: Research. There are so many
authors and agents posting daily about the crazy world of publishing. People
like Hugh Howey, JA Konrath, Kristin Nelson, Courtney Milan, CJ Lyons, Barry
Eisler and so many more. Read them and learn from them because they really are
such advocates for writers. They have no hidden agendas. And remember, this is
your career. Go into it with eyes wide open.
Can you share with us something off your
bucket list?
Skydiving!
What is in your To Read Pile that you are dying
to start or upcoming release you can’t wait for?
I am DYING to get my hands on The Saint by
Tiffany Reisz. I would KILL someone to read The King by Ms. Reisz as well. Oh,
my heart fluttered just typing the title! Sherry Thomas’ The Perilous Sea is
definitely on the Can’t-Wait-To-Read List. Harlan Coben’s newest Mickey Bolitar
YA. Jeaniene Frost’s NA Beautiful Ashes. I could go on and on. J
What is one book everyone should read before
they die?
The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde. The
prose, the imagery, the wit. It’s amazing!
What is your favorite time of year & why?
I’m so lucky in that Pittsburgh has such amazing
seasons! Out of all of them, though, I adore fall time best. I just wish it
lasts longer! J
Who is your Celebrity crush? And what would
you do if you ever meet them?
Well, my heart will always belong to Leo
DiCaprio. His work for environmental causes and animal rights is just
inspiring. It’s my goal one day to have my own animal rights foundation and I’d
love to just sit down and pick his brain.
But I also really am adoring Tony Goldwyn aka
President Fitzgerald Grant II. If I met him, I’d probably just, I don’t know,
yell in his face to “earn me!”
Is there anything else you would like to add?
Just thank you! This interview was so fun!
Irreversible
Book Two in the Truth and Love Series
Sometimes,
the path you’re on is a collision course. Sometimes, you find yourself
surrounded by broken bits and pieces, shrapnel from a fall-out that you’ll be
digging from beneath your skin for years. But the most painful of all these
lessons is this: A single action can shatter everything to pieces.
Sabrina James is almost six feet tall, biracial, the butt of
many school jokes and the bull’s-eye of many cruel pranks. Her only ally is her
childhood friend—smart, beautiful and kind Derek Archer. When she overhears two
girls talking about him in the school bathroom, she can’t help but confront
them. And that’s when the bet is made…a dare that will have devastating
consequences for everyone.
What happened that night between best friends Sabrina James
and Derek Archer? It’s a question readers have been clamoring for since they
finished Unstoppable, the first book in the Truth and Love series. Now, it will
all finally be revealed. Irreversible is a gut-punch of a novel with a final
confrontation that will leave you breathless.
Teaser:
“I have a big favor to ask you.”
“What?”
Derek doesn’t glance up from his e-tab. He’s lying on his
stomach across his bed. I’m standing in his doorway, hands braced on either
side. I sigh and roll my eyes.
“Hello? Can you look up from your e-tab for a sec?”
His eyes meet mine before they go back to the tablet.
“That was nice and literal.”
“You said a second.”
I pick up a shirt from the floor and fling it at him.
Unfortunately, he easily catches it. He shakes his head and scolds, “Violence
is never the answer.”
In answer to his answer—the big idiot—I walk over
to him, raise my hand high, and slap it hard on his ass. He yelps.
I ask, “Do I have your attention now?”
Irreversible Link
Unstoppable Link
http://www.amazon.com/Unstoppable-Bethany-Hensel-ebook/dp/B00H2BNE5S/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1386079513&sr=8-1&keywords=bethany+hensel
About the Author
Since her breakthrough into
publishing in 2007, arts and entertainment writer Bethany Hensel has compiled a
vast and varied catalogue of work that includes interviews with television
personalities, bestselling authors, award-winning singers, and more; as well as
reviews of popular books, Pulitzer Prize-winning plays, and beloved musicals.
Her Truth and Love Series (Unstoppable, Irreversible, Unforgettable,
Irreplaceable) has been called “sexy”, and “sizzling”. For more information,
check bethanyhensel.com (http://bethanyhensel.com/)
.gif)
No comments:
Post a Comment