Author Bio:
Meredith Hale (M. K. Hale) is a current senior undergraduate student at University of Maryland College Park. She has written four novels at the age of twenty-one and published two, SHATTER: A Boys Are Demons Novel and HATING HIM. She specializes in writing new adult as a new adult herself. Her free time is spent reading as many romance novels as humanly possible and performing comedy (improv, standup, and sketch). Her two biggest fears are snakes and procrastination.
What inspires you to write?
I’m not quite sure. I think it’s a mixture of all the books I read, having a voice inside my head that wants to play out different characters and scenarios, and an outlet for my creativity. I can be listening to a song, staring at the wall, or in the middle of a conversation and get a new idea for a novel. Sometimes it starts with a title, sometimes character, and sometimes plot. It all varies.
Tell us about your writing process.
It’s strange, my writing process changes with each novel. For SHATTER, I wrote from middle to end and then the beginning later on. For HATING HIM, I did no outlining other than general plot. For my third novel, I outlined every scene for every chapter as notes in the word document and worked on characterization before starting it. For my fourth novel, I just had an idea that led to another and another. I was completely taking the backseat as my characters drove the story. The characters became clear in the first chapter, no character sketches or brainstorming needed. It was an amazing feeling, and I wrote the 83,000 worded novel in 2 weeks and 2 days.
For Fiction Writers: Do you listen (or talk to) to your characters?
Oh, I’m a talker. Mostly, when I step away from the computer, I will hear their voices and get snippets of dialogue ideas. I’m also an actress so getting into characters helps me write them as well. While I’m literally writing, I might talk a small bit, but mostly, it’s all in my head just pouring out onto the page. I think about situations my characters would get into and I always try to add a small quirk or detail about them that I have in common so I can connect with them better.
Who are your favorite authors?
Yikes, big question. To name a few of my favorite authors: Leisa Rayven, Elle Kennedy, Kresley Cole, Gena Showalter, Richelle Mead, Penelope Douglas, Sophie Jordan, Wendy Higgins, Alice Clayton, Erin Watt, and Claire LaZebnik. Basically, any romance writer who isn’t afraid of mixing humor and heat. Some books that I love most: BAD ROMEO, THE DEAL, SWEET EVIL, PAPER PRINCESS, ONE TINY LIE, WALLBANGER, and THE TROUBLE WITH FLIRTING.
How did you decide how to publish your books?
Let us know what influenced you to publish with a publisher or self-publish your book.
It was a hard decision. I self-published SHATTER in high school, but for HATING HIM, I wanted more. I didn’t want to spend time and money on cover art, editing, and such, so I decided to sign with The Wild Rose Press. For my next two, I hope to acquire an agent and get a bigger publishing deal.
What do you think about the future of book publishing?
I’m biased as a writer and avid reader. I read at least three books a week, typically. I’ve also worked in numerous internships with publishers and literary agents, and I know that eBook is not making print disappear. It’s a pretty strong balance now that some people prefer print and others prefer digital. I think it’s less of a war and more of a new lifestyle. In my opinion, people are not into books because they haven’t found the right one. I hated books until middle school and then I became obsessed. When it comes to romance novel publishing, I think it’s one of the safer genres. Romance readers READ. A lot. And I love that about us.
What genres do you write?
Romance, New adult romance, Young adult paranormal romance, Contemporary romance, Comedic Romance, Comedy, New adult romantic comedy
What formats are your books in?
eBook, Print
Website(s)
Meredith Hale Home Page Link
Author’s Social Media Links
Goodreads
Facebook
Twitter
All information is provided by the author and is presented as it was submitted so you the reader get to hear the author’s own “voice” in their interview.
