Successful, young adult author of the Matefinder series, Leia Stone, has graciously offered some of her time to answer a few questions for our readers. Besides being a highly successful YA author, she’s also a really kind and fun person! Hope you enjoy the interview.
1: Can you give us a little background on yourself and your life as a writer?
Hi! I am a married mother of twins and I have a little dog named Buddha. I’m a bit of a hippie and a feminist which is probably why I write such strong females in my books =). I live in the beautiful city of Portland Oregon and I have been writing for about ten years now.
2: Where do you get your ideas? Or, which YA authors are your biggest inspirations?
I have a belief that creativity can’t be taught, you are just born with it. From a very young age I was always thinking up stories and telling stories to my family about fairies or dinosaurs. I love the fantasy classics like Harry Potter, Chronicles of Narnia, or The Golden Compass. But I also love reading books by Jaymin Eve, ST Bende, D.S Murphy, Keira Cass, Patricia Briggs, Cassandra Claire. Some of my favorite books are by indie authors.
3: What are your thoughts on Kindle Unlimited for the Young Adult reader?
I think it’s great! Most YA readers are on a budget or have a parent giving them grief for spending too much money on books. KU allows them to read as many as they want for a small monthly fee. The only downside is they miss out on a lot of books that are not enrolled in KU.
4: The second book in the Hive series that you co-wrote with Jaymin Eve comes out soon, how did the two of you hook up and decide to write this series?
Jaymin is my soul sister! We became friends on facebook and then both started talking about our favorite books or stories. I had read her series and she had read mine. I told her I had this idea for a vampire book and asked if she wanted to write it with me. I sent her a rough 8 pages and she sent it back with 10 more. We went back and forth until the book was done and it was so much fun!
5: It is very exciting that your Matefinder series has been optioned for a feature film! How did that happen and what are the latest detail on this?
OMG I know right? My life is a little magical I must admit. My brother had a business meeting with this producer’s friend and they both started talking about how well my book was doing (Selling 500 copies a day). My brother gave the friend my info and we forgot about it. A few days later this Hollywood producer is calling me saying he loved the book and wants to option it. Super amazing and wouldn’t have been possible without so many readers loving Kai and Aurora. I am working on the script now with a screenwriter. More info to come soon =) Here is the official press release.
http://variety.com/2016/film/news/matefinder-werewolf-movie-adaptation-1201702916/
6: What are your future plans for writing? Can you give us any hints on your next work-in-progress?
Yes! I can’t wait to finish the Hive series. I also have a Demon hunter series and I want to follow the Matefinder world 20 years into the future =)
Just for fun…
7: If the library suddenly caught on fire and you could only save one book what would it be?
OMG super hard question. Like panic attack inducing question. Okay, as cheesy as this sounds, the book Beach Music by Pat Conroy that has nothing to do with fantasy or werewolves or any of that, is the book that got me hooked on reading. So I would save that one in memory of my 16 year old self who would go on to become a voracious reader and hang out at Barnes and Noble at midnight waiting for the next Harry Potter.
8: If you had to choose between never being able to read another book or never being able to write again, would you be able to choose?
Easy. Never being able to read because I can’t turn this off. Lol. I HAVE to write and I could read my own books I guess. Loop hole? =)
9: Do you have any weird writing habits, rituals, or routines? If so, what are they?
Nope, just hide from my kids and write, write, write. On a perfect day, I would have a cup of hot coffee and stare out into the protected greenspace in front of my house. But most days it’s cold coffee and hide in the closet. #Momlife
10: Characters often find themselves in hard to get out of situations. When was the last time you found yourself in a situation like this and how did you get out of it?
I don’t think I have. I think my life is a bit boring compared to my characters and so that’s why I create such fanciful worlds. It’s a good escape from the mundane. I’m definitely a muggle right now.
11: Anything else you would like to mention to our readers?
Keep reading, and follow your dreams!
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