GCC Interview with Sara Hantz

One quick thing before I introduce Sara Hantz, who’s here today to talk to us about her new book, IN THE BLOOD.  I’m so pleased to say that Faith Hunter and Chloe Neill are both up for the Goodreads Best of 2013 Award in the category of Best Paranormal Fantasy for BLOOD TRADE and HOUSE RULES respectively.  If you’re so inclined, please go vote for your favorite. So many wonderful books to choose from.  (In other news, I’m completely stunned not to see Ramez Naam’s CRUX up there for Science Fiction. There are a lot of great choices here already, but I notice you can write in votes!  I’m just sayin’.)

And now, without further ado, I’m pleased to present Sara Hantz and her latest book IN THE BLOOD (releasing tomorrow from Entangled Teen).

Blurb:

For seventeen years, Jed Franklin’s life was normal. Then his father was charged with the abuse and murder of four young boys and normal became a nightmare.

His mom’s practically a walking zombie, he’s lost most of his friends, and the press camps out on his lawn. The only things that keep him sane are his little sis; his best friend and dream girl, Summer; and the alcohol he stashes in his room. But after Jed wakes up from a total blackout to discover a local kid has gone missing—a kid he was last seen talking to—he’s forced to face his greatest fear: that he could somehow be responsible.

In a life that’s spiraled out of control, Jed must decide if he chooses his own destiny with Summer by his side or if the violent urges that plagued his father are truly in the blood…

Praise for IN THE BLOOD:

“Sara Hantz doesn’t pull any punches shaping this story of one of the toughest, most complicated family situations that a teen could face. Jed’s emotions are raw and real. I ached and raged with him and frantically turned pages to see where he would end up.”  Stephanie Kuehnert, author of Ballads of Suburbia and I Wanna Be Your Joey Ramone

“In The Blood is a gut-wrenching look inside the mind of a young man living with a nightmare. Jared has to learn to face life after his father is accused of an unspeakable crime. A ripped-from-the-headlines story that illustrates the power of unconditional love.”  B. A. Binns author of PULL, and Being God

“A dark and deliciously tense story that will make you wonder how alike our parents we can be.”  Kelley York author of Hushed.

Interview with Sara Hantz

What is your writing process like? Are you a plotter or a pantser? Do you schedule time to write each day or are you a spree writer?

I am definitely a plotter. And my writing process is very linear. I try to write each day, fitting it in with my day job – luckily I don’t mind interruptions.
What is the hardest part about the publishing process for you and how do you get through it? (For me, it’s copyediting and sour cream and onion chips.)

I’m an instant gratification person and that doesn’t work with publishing. Everything seems to take so long and demands patience – I was definitely at the back of the line when that was handed out. How do I get through it? Hmm….. a lot of muttering, checking my emails every 5 seconds and a few jelly beans!

We drop your hero or heroine on a deserted island. Quick, what are the three things he or she can’t live without?

Jed is a pretty solitary person – so probably his iPod; a book on famous bridges; a photo of Summer (the girl he’s in love with).
If your story were a film, who would you cast?

Jed: Paul Wesley (although he’s maybe a bit too old), Summer: Ellen Page

 

Author’s Bio:

Sara Hantz originally comes from the UK and is one of four children, having three younger brothers. Although she was an avid reader from a very early age, she didn’t get the writing bug until much later in life, though English was always one of her stronger subjects. She’s an avid sun chaser and now lives on the beautiful Sunshine Coast in Australia (via 10 years in New Zealand). Sara lectured for many years before deciding to devote more time to her writing and working in the family hospitality business. She has two grown-up children and when not writing, working, or online with her friends, she spends more time than most people she knows watching TV – in fact if TV watching was an Olympic sport she’d win gold. Sara’s books: In The Blood, The Second Virginity of Suzy Green and Will The Real Abi Saunders Please Stand Up (due out May 2014).