Flicker: An A to Z Shenanigan

By - April 6, 2013

Today's A to Z post is a feature on my wonderful blogging buddy, Melanie Hooyenga, and her debut novel, FLICKER!  I had a lovely chat with Melanie about writing, her book, and more.  So pull up a chair, enjoy the interview, and feel free to ask her any questions in the comments.  And don't forget to pick up FLICKER!

 

CM:  When did you start writing?
MH:  I've been writing my entire life. I think the earliest short story I've seen was around first or second grade (we will not discuss the plot or sentence structure) but the started writing regularly in seventh grade.

 

CM:  How long does it typically take you to finish your manuscript?
MH:  I wrote FLICKER in two months. It was for NaNoWriMo, but because I was working a full-time job I knew I wouldn't be able to complete it in one month. The end of the year was my goal. My first novel took about four months, and my second one (also for NaNo). Editing… now that takes a bit longer.

 

CM:  What’s something readers would be surprised to know about you after they read one of your books?
MH:  That I'm 38 and still think like a teenager? Probably not… Ooh! I know. I'm actually quite good at sports. Biz has certain elements of my personality but I wanted some things to be completely different. Writing from the perspective of someone who would rather poke out her eyeballs than watch a soccer game was a fun challenge.

 

CM:  What’s the best book you’ve ever read and why?
MH:  I'm terrible at picking favorites. ANNA & THE FRENCH KISS by Stephanie Perkins is at the top of the list. She just nails the teenage experience and what it's like to be at that age. I finished Veronica Roth's INSURGENT this past weekend and I'm impressed with how easy she makes it seem. I dream of keeping readers on the edge of their seats the way she does.

 

CM:  If your house caught fire, what are the four things (rather than people) you’d save? (Because everyone asks “three,” and I think you should get four!)
MH:  Can my dog be number one? After him, I'd say my computer (for obvious reasons), my purse (it's got everything, and we're going to assume my phone is in there), and…. can I grab an entire bookcase?  Probably not. How about my meds from the bathroom. They're always such a pain to refill. 

 

CM:  What is your favorite time of day to write/why?
MH:  Hmmm… I seem to write best either first thing in the morning before I've logged onto any social media sites or checked email (but that's nearly impossible to do), or in the evening when I first get home from work. If I can catch myself in between work and home modes I can usually crank out a few pages.

 

CM:  What is your favorite word?
MH:  Discombobulated. If I remember correctly, that's one of your favorites too. 

CM:  It definitely is!  What is your least favorite word?

MH:  Ignorance. Not the word itself, but everything it represents.

CM:  Tell me and the Blog Club about FLICKER.
MH:  FLICKER tells the story of seventeen-year old Biz, who uses sunlight to flicker back to yesterday. No one knows about her freakish ability and she’s content to keep it that way. Guys don't stick around because she refuses to let them in, but all that changes when Cameron, her best friend, starts looking oh-so-yummy. But the butterflies come to a screeching halt when little girls start disappearing, then take a nosedive when the police link the kidnappings to Cameron's sister, who vanished years earlier. As the police grasp for clues, Biz photographs a strange man lurking in the shadows and realizes that her flickering can help more than just herself.

Light like is described in the book really messes with my head, to the point that I have to cover my eyes so I can see. One day the thought hit me: what if the flickering light made a girl flash back to yesterday? I also get migraines, so the details came fairly easily from there (especially being flustered around cute boys).

CM:  I think I did a video post about those migraine's once...

Melanie Hooyenga has lived in Washington DC, Chicago, and Mexico, but has finally settled down in her home state of Michigan with her soon-to-be husband Jeremy. When not at her day job as a graphic designer, you can find Melanie attempting to wrangle her Miniature Schnauzer Owen and kicking Jeremy’s butt at Kinect boxing.

Be sure to check out Melanie's book, FLICKER.  You can find it on Amazon or Barnes and Noble.

You can also visit Melanie on the Web at:

Melanie's Website

Melanie on Goodreads

Melanie's Facebook Page

Melanie's Twitter

So, the floor is open-- HOO has questions for Melanie?  (Get it?  Hoo?  Who?  Yeah...I'm corny.)