Interview with Author Lina Hansen

Interview with Author Lina Hansen

We’re still celebrating The Dragon’s Call Giveaway Event and today Author Lina Hansen as graciously joined us. We’ll discuss her book Spirits of Gascony and listen to highlights of her writing process. Make certain to check out the interview, then head to the event and join in the giveaway below!

K.W. – Thank you for joining us. Please tell us about yourself and your works.

Hansen – I’m Lina Hansen, the author of the Magical Misfits series of cozy mysteries and “Spirits of Gascony,” a paranormal romcom mystery. If the latter sounds a bit like a mash-up, yes it is, but that’s exactly what makes it such a great story. I love this book.

K.W. – How did you get started?

Hansen – But let’s start at the beginning. I’ve been writing – in a professional capacity – almost all my life. With a career in marketing and communication, it was a given. I ended up in the Space sector, which was fascinating, but very, very technical. So, I needed something to calm my lively imagination. I started out with novel writing back in 2014 on Wattpad, an international story platform. But I wanted more, so I queried my novels – and found two publishers, one for my mysteries, one for my romance. I’ll be self-pubbing another series, the Da Vinci mysteries, in summer. The inspiration for my stories comes from my travels. “Spirits of Gascony”, for example, is set in France, which I visit at least once a year. French food, French lifestyle – it’s special, and I believe I’ve captured the essence of that in my novel.

K.W. – Can you walk us through your process of writing a new novel?

Hansen – I’ve developed a template based on the intel gleaned from various writing guides and seminars which I use to map my story outline. But starting a new novel is a bit like traveling to a place I’ve never visited before. In this stage of writing, I find it important to let my imagination run wild as far as possible. I need the structure to KNOW my story idea will work and the plot can carry to the end. But once the “scaffolding” is in place, I really go all out with painting wild and wonderful worlds.

K.W. – Who or what are your biggest influences? How do you stay inspired and creative?

Hansen – I love mysteries in any form and fashion. And I Iove urban fantasy and paranormal. I read a lot, always have been. Jim Butcher, J.K. Rowlings, Helen Harper and many more set me off into fantasy realms; Ann Granger, Agatha Christie and countless other authors did the same for me on the mystery side. Staying inspired and being creative isn’t difficult, it’s what I am. I have stories netflixing in my head all the time (well, when I’m not working, obviously. And even there, a quick escape once in a while works wonders for my brain.)

K.W. – What are some common challenges you face, and how do you overcome them?

Hansen – The biggest challenge to my writing is editing. I’ve been doing a lot of that last year, and I find it incredibly time-consuming. Actually, I enjoy editing (I’m weird that way – I find it easier to work on something that’s there, than putting out something to paper/laptop). Marketing is another challenge. As an indie author, you spend at least 30% of your time banging the drum about your books. I’m also not fast. These days, authors seem to be required to put out a minimum of four books a year, if not more. There’s no way I can do that. Well, perhaps I could, but I don’t write formula. Every novel is lovingly handcrafted, so to speak. If that makes me too slow for the market, so be it. Call me old-fashioned, but that’s who I am. This year, I tasked myself to write a short story as a reader magnet and draft the fifth of my Magical Misfits novels. I usually stick to my goals!

K.W. – How has the industry changed since you started and what new trends do you see emerging?

Hansen – I started out in 2014 when ebooks where already a thing, but that slice of the market has grown massively, with paperbacks on the wane and audiobooks expanding. That trend will definitely continue. As I mentioned before, the need for authors to write an incredible amount of words per year to at least get a chance of gaining traction is still increasing. More books, faster. Self-publishing will also expand, at least in genres like romance. What concerns me here is the lack of quality I keep seeing. Because of the need to slam out a book every second month or so, a lot of self-pubbers resort to formula, which is absolutely not my thing. Things like punctuation and grammar also seem to go out of the window more often than not, but I can’t see that changing. Well, the price of books also keeps coming down. AI is not going to change that for the better…

K.W. – What advice would you give to other authors?

Hansen – Write as much as you can, and don’t worry if it’s good or not. Then, get it edited. And beta read. And critiqued. Or learn how to edit yourself. Critique other books. Giving feedback will help you understand your craft. Read tons of writing guides and/or join writer’s workshops. Anything that helps you improve is good. Don’t ever think you’re “a seasoned author”. Never reject (constructive!) criticism. And never give up. You CAN get your words out there. These days, there are plenty of free sites. Or you can self-pub. But if that’s the way you want to go, make sure what you have meets the standards. And that takes time. Give yourself that time. You’re worth it. And don’t listen to that inner idiot trying to feed your imposter syndrome…

K.W. – What is your favorite character you’ve written and why?

Hansen – I adore Mel from “Spirits of Gascony”. She’s no spring chicken, she bears the scars of failed love affairs, even a broken engagement—and she’s paranormally challenged. Nothing big, she can taste the life energy, the “aura”, of other human beings, which tends to mess with her job as a food critic. And since aura-tasting also messes with her choice in partners—well, you get the drift. I truly enjoyed writing about her and Yvon, her true love, who’s got a challenge of his own. No, I won’t tell you what it is. That’s part of the mystery Mel has to solve. Mel encounters heartbreak, she’s getting the fright of her life, she has to confront her inner demons—and of course she gets her man. There’s history, mystery, romance, food (I’m a foodie) and a hefty dose of British humor. Oh, and a Persian cat!

K.W. – Are there any upcoming projects you’re excited about? What are your goals for the future?

Hansen – Cozy mysteries come in series, so I’ll continue writing those. I’ll be publishing the first three Da Vincis this year (the fourth is under development). But I’ll also continue the paranormal romcom line, all of which are standalone. One is written, and the third, a Paranormal Regency Romance, exists in an outline. Plenty of writing to be done!

K.W. – Give your website where people can contact your and any other additional information you want people to have in order to reach you.

Hansen – You can subscribe to my newsletter, where I post news about upcoming projects. Or you follow my blog. Both links can be found on my website: www.linahansenauthor.com

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