Nov 19 – Free Book Friday / Interview: In Conversation With Author Dani Hoots

Thank you, WordPress, for making the editing screen font really big after months of being really small. A warning or heads-up would have been nice.

NaNoWriMo Totals to Date: 13 209 words, 18 cups of coffee, one cup of Earl Grey, one cup of tea (unknown), two glasses of Rum & Coke, one glass of cabernet, and a half-pint of a Session IPA.

About the interviews:

When I published my first book, I looked for ways to reach new readers, and being a brand new author, participating in various book bloggers interviews was a good way to start. Some interviews were standard questions, while others had more individuality built into them.

I then did a twist on the author interview by interviewing myself (Leon Interviews Himself). I then thought it would be fun to get to know some of the authors I was cross-promoting with, and the Friday Conversations were born. Guess what? They are a lot of work. I look up the authors information, visit the website so I can craft a unique set of questions (OK, there are a few standard ones) to let my readership get to know these new authors. Worth the work? You bet. Here is today’s conversation:

Dani Hoots is a science fiction, fantasy, romance, and young adult author who loves anything with a story. She has a B.S. in Anthropology, a Masters of Urban and Environmental Planning, a Certificate in Novel Writing from Arizona State University, and a BS in Herbal Science from Bastyr University.

In Conversation With Author Dani Hoots

Today I have the pleasure of sitting down with author Dani Hoots. Thanks for stopping by.

Thank you for having me! I am excited to be here.

Wait till you get your parting gift… Beverage of choice?

Tea or scotch.

Nice. You have written a couple of books, like…about 50? Just a hobby for you, I guess?

Heh people like to call it a hobby but it is definitely a job. I spend about 8 hours a day writing or editings. I love creating worlds and characters and once they come alive in my head, I have to write them or they will nag me to no end.

I spend 8 hours a day trying to write…What was the first book that you wrote?

The first book I wrote was The Quest. I actually wrote it in high school, but of course edited a bunch before publishing.

When you are not writing, what are you doing?

Reading, watching anime, hiking, and making tea.

I saw that you have an apothecary. So that makes you… born 500 years too late?

Or perhaps I was alive 500 years ago and I am back now! Herbal tea is definitely big right now though, especially with Christmas coming…

If you could go back and be born at a different time, would you?

I think we romanticize the past a lot, but also the present isn’t that great so maybe? If I did, it would probably ancient Sweden. But thinking about it makes me cold…

Channeling your inner Viking?

I definitely have a full Viking Apron dress I wear at the Renaissance Faire.

Have you ever found any money?

I have found like $20 in a parking lot. I also watched $5 fly out my car window. Oh actually, I found a $200 giftcard to Safeway but I turned it in as it could have been someone’s food money. To be honest though, I sat in my car for a while before making that decision.

I think you made the right one. It would have been easy to take it, butthat choice would probably have always weighed on you.

Perhaps. But I am pretty sure that the guy we gave it to pocketed it since he didn’t write anything down.

Sigh…

What’s something you say that you think is funny, but no one else does?

Werewolf jokes

Care to share one?

How do you stop a werewolf from attacking you? Throw a stick and shout “fetch!”

Sigh…I always ask my guests about music. Any favorites?

I am really loving UNWELL/Matt Copley, Falling in Reverse, La Femme Pendu, and Melanie Martinez, but I love anime music, punk rock, and some metal. I have a western playlist going for my current series, but I claim it’s not country music.

Some country doesn’t sound like country these days. Some good stuff, though.

Care to partake in the lightning round?

Suuuurrrrreeee?

Desert or Dessert?
Desert
Rock or Roll?
Rock
Otters or Penguins?
Penguins most definitely
Favorite city?
Edinburgh
Shamrock shakes. Yea or Nae?
I have no idea
How many digits of Pi do you know?
I have dyslexia so I cannot for the life of me memorize numbers. So 3.14
At least you know the least you should know!

This has been fun, but we must wrap it up. Any links you wish to add?

My upcoming book REVENGE, which just won the Firebird Book Award, comes out November 16^th and is an LGBT Sci-fi Western. Check it out here: https://danihoots.com/books/revenge/. And check out my other 8347243927 books here: https://danihoots.com/books/

8347243927 books? Touché.

New BookFunnel and StoryOrigin Promos

The story behind Free Book Friday:

I’ve met many authors and readers during my time marketing, cross-promoting, and blogging. I think writers have a responsibility to inform readers about all the indie authors out there in the very crowded world of book publishing. You can’t do it alone, and why would you when you have a supportive group available?

Readers don’t just read one author – they stick with their favorite genres. There lies the power in cross-promotion. If one of my readers buys a book from an author I promote, then chances are there will be a reciprocal effect, or so is the hope. Do I want to boost sales? Of course I do. Do I want to boost other’s sales? Why not. It’s called karma.

Purchase Links

Leon Stevens is a multi-genre author, composer, guitarist, songwriter, and an artist, with a Bachelor of Music and Education. He published his first book of poetry, Lines by Leon: Poems, Prose, and Pictures in January 2020, followed by a book of original classical guitar compositions, Journeys, and a short story collection of science fiction/post-apocalyptic tales called The Knot at the End of the Rope and Other Short Stories. His newest publications are the novella trilogy, The View from Here, which is a continuation of one of his short stories, and a new collection of poetry titled, A Wonder of Words.

My new book page: http://books.linesbyleon.com/