Today I have Heather Huffman author of Throwaway in the spotlight!
Welcome to the blog Heather, what Inspired you to write THROWAWAY?
It started with a dream. I still remember standing in the break room at work, telling my two best friends “I had the weirdest dream last night. It was a conversation between a prostitute and a cop. I could tell they were crazy in love.” I was fascinated with their story and spent most of my time mulling over who they were.
I remembered hearing years before about the plight of children aging out of the foster care system, and I knew immediately that’s how Jessie ended up where she was.
The event that got me to stop stewing and start writing was actually a family reunion down in the Ozarks. While there, we had the chance to tour Honeybranch cave. It was so magical; I knew it had to be part of the story. Things just fell into place from there.
Indie publishing- Why do you think its becoming so popular?
I think there are a few reasons behind the soaring popularity of indie publishing. For one, technology has made it possible to get books to the market without a huge financial investment. E-Readers and digital presses have opened a lot of doors. The second reason, in my opinion, is that the big six, the New York publishing houses, are hesitant to try anything new. It’s hard to get a fresh voice to mainstream because of the financial risk involved, so both writers and readers are choosing to bypass New York and go indie. The indie presses are also lighter weight and more agile, without the huge overheads, they can afford to charge less and still pay their authors more than the big publishing houses.
As a writer, why wouldn’t I choose to be with a publisher that gives me a higher percentage, publishes my books faster, and lets me keep more control over my work? As a reader, why wouldn’t I pay less money for something new and interesting to read? Personally, I’m thrilled to be both a reader and a writer in the current market. It’s exciting to watch it all unfold.
THROWAWAY has become a movie, who is playing your main character and why?
Funny you should ask this because my book manager and I have a running joke that we’re looking forward to walking the red carpet together!
When I first wrote the novel, I pictured someone like Hugh Jackman as Gabe and maybe Charlize Theron as Jessie. My readers often offer up their suggestions, and they have some pretty good ones. The ones that really stuck with me were Dominic Purcell as Gabe and Reese Witherspoon as Jessie. I thought those were amazing choices.
What top three Indie books would you recommend to readers and why?
It’s tough to choose; there are so many good books coming out of the smaller publishers these days!
I have to say that I’d truly recommend anything Booktrope is publishing because they’re doing an excellent job of finding quality work that’s fresh. Thank you for Flying Air Zoe, The Day the Dogs Talked, Moonlight and Oranges… my to-read list grew exponentially once I started flipping through my own publisher’s catalog. I also highly recommend Sylvain Reynard’s debut novel, Gabriel’s Inferno. He’s published by Omnific Publishing. His writing is beautiful; I was hooked from word one.
No Time to Cry was a fascinating book by Rose Campion. It’s published by a small indie publisher, Moonshine Cove. I didn't exactly fall in love with the characters; in fact, I rather disliked them at first. But they captivated me, and I couldn't help wanting to know more about them. Her writing was fresh and very entertaining, by the end, I was glad I’d withheld judgment.
Whats on the horizon for HEATHER HUFFMAN?
I’m at a terribly exciting juncture in my life; I feel like I’m on those first steps to one heck of an adventure, and there’s no telling what all is on the horizon. That’s an amazing place to be.
I can tell you there are more books on the horizon, with three books tentatively scheduled for release in 2012. I recently released Tumbleweed, a prequel to Throwaway, which tells the story of Hailey and Ethan. Look for a summer release of my seventh book, Devil in Disguise. For my Jailbird fans, you’ll get to see what happens to Conrad Langston and Rachel Cooper! Finally, Roses in Ecuador, which tells Devon McAlister’s story, is due out at the end of the year. He was first introduced in Suddenly a Spy and made an appearance in Ring of Fire. There are more to come after that, but those are the next to watch for!
I’m also doing some traveling with the Leave Your Mark tour – the purpose of the tour is more than selling books, it’s about raising awareness about human trafficking and encouraging my readers to make their own mark on this world and help those in need. Check out my events calendar for a list of upcoming stops or send me a note if you’d like to host your own Leave Your Mark graffiti party.
What do want readers to walk with after reading THROWAWAY?
Nobody is a throwaway. If you still have a breath in your body, it’s not too late to change your life. And we all have something to contribute, a mark we’re meant to leave on this world.
Oh, I love that Heather, you are right, everyone has a mark to leave on the world, no matter how small....thank you so much for being a part of this event!
GIVEAWAY
Today Heather is giving away one Ebook copy of her book Tumbleweed, this is the prequel before Throwaway. To enter leave a comment. Winners will be announced at the end of the event.
Longing for a fresh start and a place to belong, Hailey leaves behind her city life, trading her cubical for a struggling horse ranch in the Ozark Mountains. With her young son at her side and her family's skepticism echoing in her head, Hailey is faced with more work than she ever could have imagined and a troublesome neighbor. In the midst of it all, the last thing Hailey needs is romance - despite the undeniable, growing attraction for her handsome and charming boss, Ethan.
Just as Hailey finds her dreams tantalizingly within reach, her new world is devastated in a cruel twist of fate. She must find the strength to rebuild all she’s dreamed of - or risk forever drifting through life like a tumbleweed.
Find out more about Heather at:
Web~Goodreads~ Buy:Throwaway
Dominic Purcell! Yum. I would love to see him in any book to movie adaption. :)
ReplyDeleteIt seems like a lot of writers share that their book ideas came from a dream, and that always amazes me. I wish I could have dreams that were as creative or vivid. I'm glad for those that do, it leads to success. :)
"And we all have something to contribute, a mark we’re meant to leave on this world."
ReplyDeleteLOVE IT! That's such a great message:) And I'm with Missie, I'm be all about Dominic, I could watch him read the phone book and be ridiculously happy. *pets screen*
Dominic Purcell! I could watch him read a newspaper and think it was the most interesting thing ever. If you put him in something with some story, he is just amazing. Way more diverse than people give him credit for :)
ReplyDeleteI love the quote Jenny mentioned too! I think it is so true!
I also agree on your thoughts about self-publishing and why so many are going that way. I think if it is done well then it is a win/win for readers and authors :)
thanks for the chance to read this story :)
ReplyDeletekarenk
kmkuka at yahoo dot com
I own Throwaway and I haven't read it yet...so many books!
ReplyDelete"Nobody is a throwaway. If you still have a breath in your body, it’s not too late to change your life. And we all have something to contribute, a mark we’re meant to leave on this world." <--this is excellent advice!
Very nice interview. The book sounds very interesting.
ReplyDeletebn100candg(at)hotmail(dot)com
Sorry I'm so late to respond to the comments - I've been remiss with keeping up online lately!
ReplyDeleteThank you to all who commented and for the kind words. (And I agree - Dominic Purcell is pretty fantastic.)
Heather