Q : How many books are there in THE HOLLOW series?
A : It’s a trilogy, so three books total. Although I love getting emails from readers asking for another book, there won't be any more books in this series. There is more to Cyn's story though, and I have plans for a spin-off series involving her and someone else you met in THE HIDDEN. (Did you catch him? He was wearing leather pants and posing as an orderly...) This series is not under contract yet, so I don't have any information regarding where/when it will be released.
Q : How did you get the idea to write THE HOLLOW?
A: I heard Abbey’s voice in my head. She said the first line of the third book - "My name is Abbey. And I'm in love with a ghost." I was intrigued by this and immediately wrote it down. Then in 2006 I took a trip to Sleepy Hollow and realized it was the perfect setting for this story. Everything else came together from there.
Q : Has THE HOLLOW been translated into other languages?
A : Translation rights have sold to:
UK - Published by Simon & Schuster
Brazil - Published by Editora Rocco
Indonesia - Published by PT Gramedia Pustaka Utama
Germany - Published by Arena Verlag
Turkey - Published by Pegasus
France - Published by J’ai Lu
Q : Is Sleepy Hollow a real place? Does the cemetery really exist?
A : Yes and yes. Sleepy Hollow is located in New York, about an hour North of New York City. The cemetery exists and you can visit during the day or take a nighttime tour. (Which I highly recommend.)
Q : Will the books be turned into a movie?
A : Even though I wrote the book, I have absolutely no control over whether or not a movie will be made. This is entirely up to the film industry and my film agent. Good sales numbers can't hurt though, so the more copies you buy the better chances there are. There has been interest from a television network to possibly turn it into a series, but I can't say anything more than that. When I have new information and I'm given the all clear to share it, I'll post it here on my website.
Q : Why is there a different cover for the hardcover version of THE HOLLOW (girl with a necklace)? Will it ever match the paperback version (just the necklace)?
A : The girl with the necklace was the original cover that released in hardcover, but when it was time to release THE HOLLOW in paperback my publisher decided to change it. (You'll notice that a lot of publishers do this with paperback versions.) When covers are first printed, they overrun them - this means that they print lots of extras in case they're needed and store them in a warehouse. They have to go through all of these original covers (like the girl with necklace) before the new covers (just the necklace) can be printed. So if you want all of your books to match? I'd suggest buying lots of copies of the original version and/or telling everyone you know to buy lots of copies of the original version so that all of those overrun covers will be used up. THEN the new ones can be printed. (Complicated, eh?)
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Q : How long does it take you to write a book?
A : This generally depends on three things:
1) The Story - every book is different. Some come easily, some come slowly. Some start as fully fledged ideas - plot, characters, problems, solutions, setting - everything. While others are literally just three words written down on a scrap piece of paper. When it's just three words, the process takes more time. Like right now, in my idea pile I have a sticky note that says 'Suitcases? Found suitcases? The lost art of suitcases?' What this means, I don't know. But it's going to take a lot of time to turn those three sentences into a full book.
2) The Deadline - if it's self imposed, I'll take longer. That's just the way it goes. If I have a deadline imposed by an editor though, it helps me stay on track. I prefer it that way.
3) The Real World - stuff comes up, it happens. You can't plan for every illness, every flat tire, every odd day that comes along when no matter how hard you work, you're always ten steps behind. I've learned that the best thing to do is to not panic and just try to give yourself more time.
Q : Do you write all of your books by hand?
A : No. It's hard to explain, but it all depends on the "feel" of the story as to whether or not I'm going to write it by hand. So far I've found that character driven stories are the ones that really demand to be written by hand. There's just something about the flow of pen on paper that connects me to my characters in a way I can't describe. Plus, I do a lot of writing at night in bed and I can always tell when the writing is going really well when I have ink stains on my fingers in the morning.
Q : What are you working on next?
A : I'd tell you, but then I'd have to kill you... Actually, I'm not answering this question because every time I do I always have someone say, "Oh...(Picture a slightly sad look here)...but what about the...?" And then they mention a story idea I've briefly talked about once in the last three years that I've now pushed to the side because a) I have a deadline, b) something else came up, or c) a new shiny caught my attention. So now my answer is just, "Something new! I can't talk about it yet, but when I can, I will." (And thus the disappointment is avoided and we are all happy. The End.)
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Q : What happened to the short story Flesh Which Is Not Flesh? I can't find it anywhere.
A : FWINF was only available for a short time as an eBook on Amazon/B&N to help raise funds and awareness for the Living Beyond Tolerance scholarship in 2011. Will it ever be available again? Short answer: Not at this time. But that could change. If it does, I'll post about it here.
Q : Do you have any other short stories? What order should I read them in?
A : I have two short stories both featuring Jane, a girl who comes from a family of monster hunters that all have super powers. But she doesn't have any so she gets to be the family bait. (She still kicks ass, though!) Start with 'At the Late Night, Double Feature, Picture Show' featured in the anthology ENTHRALLED (HarperCollins - 2011), and then read 'Once Burned, Twice Shy' featured in the anthology THE FIRST TIME (eBook - 2011).
Q : What happened to Get the Goods?
A : I had to stop doing Get the Goods (a little goodies program where I sent out swag) because I didn't have time to stuff all of the envelopes and still write books. Maybe one day - with the help of a good assistant - I'll be able to start sending out swag again!
Q : What happened to the Abbey's Hollow website?
A : The Abbey's Hollow website was shut down for the same reason. Not enough time to do everything! Unfortunately, timing issues coupled with supplier issues couldn't be worked around, so it's gone for now. I really loved being able to connect with my fans and bring part of Abbey's world to life that way though, so who knows what the future will bring?
