An interview with Colleen Hoover

If you are connected to me in anyway socially, whether it be Facebook, Twitter, my blog, or even in real life  you probably know that I have been obsessed lately over the Slammed series by Colleen Hoover.  I have been recommending these books to everyone and anyone that will listen.

These books are the hot diggity! 
Off the Richter! 
The best thing since indoor plumbing!

As one of my friends stated in her review, "Slammed is one of those books that screws it up for ALL of the other books you read after it. Everything else seems to pale in comparison and your left wanting, needing, desiring something more and more and more. You keep picking up a new book here and there in the hopes that it will ignite your heart in the same way and it just doesn't."

But behind every great book is a great author and great describes Colleen Hoover to a T.  Not only is she a fantastic writer (a.k.a. the creator of swoon worthy Will Cooper) but she is super nice and super funny.

But I am a curious (nosey) person and I wanted to know more.  I went and did some Colleen Hoover research...ehem...stalking and found out that, although she loves to write, it is not her profession.  (At least not yet.  I predict that she will have so much success that she will be able to quit her job and write full time.)  She is married and has three boys...God help her having to live with all that testosterone!  She loves the Avett Brothers and Diet Pepsi, despises Nickelback, and it is rumored that she is a retired ninja.

But online stalking can only get me so far and I wanted to know the story behind Slammed and what inspired her to write such an addicting piece of literary art.  So I politely asked if I could interview her for my blog and she said yes!  *fist pump*  It probably has to do with that fact that she is just so darn nice but I kinda wonder if she secretly hopes I stop stalking her after this.  Sorry Colleen - you can't get rid of me that easily!

Me: What inspired you to write Slammed?
Colleen: It was a culmination of things, really.  It was December when I got the idea for it.  My 8 year old was in a community theater play and I would sit in the auditorium for a few hours each night, so I would read on my Kindle.  I was searching for a book one evening and wanted to read something about slam poetry.  I've always loved to watch slam poetry on YouTube, so I thought it would be cool to read about a character that slammed.  I couldn't find one.  I started thinking of ways I could incorporate it into a book and started making character notes that night.  I practically didn't stop writing until it was done.  I wrote all day every day (and night) for a month solid.

Me: What is your favorite part of Slammed?
Colleen: My favorite part of the book is probably the scene where Lake is avoiding talking to her mother and she's at Will's house cleaning. I love it when Will tries to calm her down and throws her in the shower.

Me: What was the hardest part to write? 
Collen: On an emotional aspect, I don't think any of it was hard to write.  I'm not a very emotional person, which may be why I was able to write an emotional book.  As far as the actual writing, I loved every second of it and never thought of it as 'hard' or 'work.'  It was a blast!

Me: How did you name your characters?
Colleen: Hmmm.  Layken would have been my daughter's name had I not had three boys. LOL.  Eddie was my fathers name.  I always thought Eddie would have been a cute name for a girl, but again I had all boys so I never got to use it.  Kel is actually a play on one of my own children's names, "Cale."  I was writing in Caulder's character and opened up a baby book, pointed to the page and it landed on Caulder.  I thought it was fitting, so I used it.  I've always loved the name "Will" so that was a given for him.  Gavin was actually the name of a young man who was in the community theater with my son.  He was sitting next to me when I was writing in his character, so I used his name.  Gavin's brother who was also in the play, Reece, got a name in Point of Retreat.  Their mother picks awesome names for her kids.  I should let her name all the characters in my next novel! ;)

Me: Was there a person in real life that inspired each of the characters?
Colleen: No, not really.  I didn't have anyone in mind while writing their characters.  Well...Kel is pretty much a spitting image of my son, "Cale."  Definitely marches to the beat of his own drum, but in the best way!  I actually got the idea for the snowman scene because my boys did that last winter!

Me: What are your favorite authors/books?
Colleen: Honestly, I don't read a whole lot at all.  In fact, until this month I've never even read a romance novel! lol.  I've got a few books going right now that people have been raving about.  I just finished Liz Reinhardt's "Double Clutch" and I've got Stephanie Campbell's "Grounding Quin" on my tbr pile.  Also on my tbr pile are Tammara Webber's "Between the lines" series and Laura Rede's "Darkride."   Unfortunately, my tbr pile just keeps getting bigger.  I'm trying to focus on my third book right now, so it's taking up all my free time.

Me: What question have you always wanted to be asked in an interview? How would you answer that question?
Collen: I'd love to be asked this question. "Do you have anything to say to the readers?"

I would answer:

I...Freaking...Love...You!!!  I love the time you take to create such beautiful reviews.  I love the emails and Facebook messages explaining what the books mean to you.  I LOVE the reviews that were fashioned into slam poems themselves.  I love the way you spread the word about the books.  Thank you from the bottom of my heart!  I...freaking...love...you!!!



See, I told you she was nice!  Thanks Colleen for taking the time to answer my questions.

But this leaves me with one question.  My 10 yr old son loves Nickelback but there are lots of people, Colleen included, that don't like them.  I want to know where you stand.  Leave me a note in the comments and let me know if you are Yay or Nay for Nickelback.  Explanations are not necessary but if you care to share, I would be curious as to your reasons.