Howdy!

You might remember that I helped out with a cover reveal for the book Dissonance by Mariella Hunt a while back and today she stopped by for an interview!

Howdy, Mariella, and welcome to the blog!

Hey! I’m glad to be here!

So glad to have you! First off, tell us one fun fact about yourself!

I’m an old soul. Classical novels attract me, and I’m drawn to black and white photography because the absence of color makes me wonder about the people depicted. I like that old and vintage things give an air of mystery, a layer of the unknown, and looking back on them is so moving!

Black and white photos do have a wonderful air of mystery about them. Is there anything in particular that you researched in order to help bring Dissonance to life?

I researched things like the distance from Florida to California on the road. I looked at some maps of the areas I was writing, and I visited a music shop to know how it feels in one. Most of my research was not done on purpose; it was all my life experiences coming together as a book!

The mark of a writer is using life experiences to guide stories. 🙂 Music! Everyone likes music. Do you listen to music while you write? If so, what do you listen to?

Yes! Music when writing a book about Muses is mandatory. Here are 5 tracks I listened to most:

The Sound of a Million Dreams by David Nail
Get Me Through December by Alison Krauss
Airstream Song by Miranda Lambert
Say (All I Need) by OneRepublic
Scarlet by Brooke Fraser

I’ll have to go check out those songs. Do you have a favorite quote/passage from Dissonance?

Here’s a passage I thought particularly powerful while writing it. I liked showing Allie when she finally decided to stand up for herself:

Allie wondered helplessly why Julian reacted with such horror. It couldn’t be her appearance, because he’d seen her before…even the dressmaker hadn’t behaved like this!

She spotted Mother near an elevator, waving her over. Allie could pretend she hadn’t seen his reaction, but found it difficult to walk away.

Looking at Julian, she held his gaze where others had listened in awe. However important this man might be, he wouldn’t treat her like an alien.

Allie waited for an explanation that never came. Everyone kept singing but the man who got them started. At last she hurried to join her mother in the elevator.

“I can’t hear a thing!” the woman cried. “Who started this racket?”

“I don’t know,” Allie lied, fixing her eyes on a poster. She could feel Julian’s piercing stare long after the elevator closed, wishing despite herself that he’d call her over. The urge to sing was stronger than anger or hurt.

Great passage! I already want to know more about these characters. Are you planning any follow up books for a series?

Yep! I’m not sure how long the series is going to be, but Allie’s adventures aren’t finished yet. I’m working on the sequel right now, almost done with another draft, but I’m not sure when it’ll be readable by an audience.

What is one personal goal you would like to accomplish, as an author or just in general?

As an author I want to inspire others to tell their stories. I want to have an audience that’ll know and love my characters, and I want to eventually see a shelf of my own works—because then I’ll feel I’ve expressed myself fully, and when I’m older I’ll be able to revisit some of my favorite places.

A bookshelf of your own work would be awesome. I have the same dream. 😉 If you knew you were going to leave an unfinished manuscript behind, what would you do?

Dickens left an unfinished manuscript behind. Seeing as he’s one of my literary heroes, I’d probably just let it be—then I’d have at least one thing in common with the man who inspires my writing career in so many ways!

Cool! I love seeing people answer that question. Ok, last random question. You are stuck in a magic elevator with only three buttons. Floor 1 takes you to a planet of cats, Floor 2 opens into an Indian campground, and Floor 3 opens to an underwater kingdom with a seahorse offering to be your guide. Which do you choose?

The underwater kingdom, so I can finally meet a mermaid!

Mermaids! That’s all my questions for today. Thanks, Mariella, for stopping by and best of luck with your book!

Readers, if this interview sparked your interested, keep reading to find out more about Dissonance and how you can connect with Mariella. Also, stay tuned for Mariella’s new blog serial story, The Autumn Prince, starting October 5! It will run daily until the end of October. I know I can’t wait to start reading it! 

---

Fifteen-year-old singer Allie Grant lives crippled by her illness. Though kept in isolation, she’s never alone: A spirit named Song lurks in the silence of her bedroom.

When Song reveals its dark nature on the night of her recital, the show ends in tragedy. Verging on death, Allie’s taken in by an uncle she’s never met. Julian claims to be a Muse with power over music and answers that’ll heal her.

It isn’t long before Allie suspects her uncle has a secret that’ll change her very identity. But with days left to live, she might fade without learning the truth…like the finishing chord of a song.

Amazon      Barnes & Noble

---

Mariella Hunt is a blogger and author from Boise, Idaho. She has a passion for producing written works that evoke classical style while appealing to the modern audience with clever characters and an engaging style.

When she’s not writing, you’ll find Mariella with her nose buried in the spine of a classic novel, or else researching her favorite topic–ghost stories and paranormal history!

She is a co-founder and regular contributor of the collaborative blog site, The Book Creators, and works closely alongside other bloggers and writers in independent publishing.

Twitter     Facebook     Blog