Interview: April Wall

Today we're super pleased to host April Wall to the blog. Her interview is fabulous, and she's hosting a GIVEAWAY to help build her Twitter followers!

P&P: How did you come up with the idea for In the Midst of Monsters?

April: While my husband studied night and day in law school, I found myself with a lot of free time. I’d taken a creative writing class or two in college and it struck me that I could give writing a full length novel a shot. My inspiration for this book definitely came from my family. I’m married to my best friend and together we have two great kids and we like to have all sorts of adventures together. But those adventures do have their limits, so one night it struck me I could come up with new adventures for us through storytelling and that’s how In the Midst of Monster was hatched.  I started out thinking about how we’re a little kookier than the normal family and then it hit me. What about a family who not only believes monsters exist, but saves them, too? Told you, kooky.

P&P: What was the hardest part of writing your book?

April: My first book is a middle grade fantasy and so I would say the hardest part of writing that book would be the world building. I pulled from collective knowledge about monsters, such as the Boogey Man and Big Foot, but I had to take that information and spin it to fit into the world I was creating. Also, even though you get to make up your own world in a fantasy, that world has to have rules and coming up with those can be real brain busters.

P&P: What’s the one thing that you can’t live without?

April: Oxygen, and to a lesser degree, water and food. Also, music.

P&P: What were the last three books you read?

April: Girl of Nightmares by Kendare Blake, The Hero’s Guide to Saving Your Kingdom by Christopher Healy, and The One and Only Ivan by Katherine Applegate. I would recommend them all if you enjoy YA horror, MG adventure, and MG contemporary. My tastes are a little eclectic.

P&P: Do you read horoscopes?

April: I do! I’m a Virgo and so I’m a little OCD about almost everything. I like to read them or watch YouTube monthly horoscope predictions and then see if any of it comes true. I don’t let them dictate my life decisions, but it’s interesting when they turn out to be true.

P&P: What are your pet peeves?

April: I do not suffer fools lightly, and those who choose willful ignorance bear the full weight of my menacing stare. Also, people who spit their gum out in parking lots where my shoes happen to always find it.

Fast Facts:

Coffee or tea? Tea, hot and with lots of sugar

Morning or night? For what exactly ;)

Rivers or oceans? Oceans

White wine or red? Sweet red wine

Champagne or liquor? Champagne

Cupcakes or ice cream? Cupcakes AND ice cream

Laptop or desktop? Laptop

Casual or couture? Casual

Ponytail or headband? Ponytail

Shower or bath? Bath

Summer or winter? Summer

Motorcycle or bicycle? Bicycle

 

Connect with April here:

http://www.aewelch.com

http://facebook.com/authoraewelch

http://twitter.com/aprilmwall

 

 

*** GIVEAWAY ***

 



a Rafflecopter giveaway


Which do you prefer? Cupcakes or ice cream?

xoxo ~Marisa