~Devon Hartford Interview~

So I had the pleasure of interviewing Devon Hartford on my blog Facebook page yesterday and had so much fun getting to know him. So I thought I'd save the whole interview and post it on my blog so that everyone who missed the interview will be able to get to know him as well. Enjoy! And a huge Thank You to Devon for letting me interview him on my page!! <3 

*The Purple Is me :) and Blue is Devon's answers* Enjoy!

Devon~First Question is from one of your fans. She wants to know what your favorite part of your series is?

Definitely the ending of the entire series. It wraps up and pays off many story threads that I set up over the course of the 3 books. Tears and laughs everywhere! You'll need rubber boots to get through the pool of joy tears that you will gush! I know I did. LOL

Devon~ What inspired you to write your first book?

Gosh, first book? I've started so many over the years that I never finished. But without a doubt, I wanted to move readers with stories the same way good books moved me.

Devon~ Is there a message in your books that you want your readers to grasp? 

      Big time. Don't give up on your dreams. That is loud and clear in Fearless, Reckless and Painless. I think everything I write will always have that as a strong theme.

Devon~ How did you decide on the titles of your books?

    That's a good one. I want them to be something that quickly tells a story. Can you tell a story in one word? Yeah, if it's a good one. Fearless is obvious. Titles I'll never use for books: "And" "That" "Lettuce"

Devon~If you had to choose, which writer would you consider a mentor?

    I'm trying to narrow this down in my head. If there's one thing I've learned about writing, story is more important than the craft of writing. And certain stories fall out of fashion. For example, does anyone want to read another series about a teenage wizard school? It doesn't matter how good the writer is, people have already read that story enough times they want something entirely different. Enter The Hunger Games. Now everyone wants dystopian survival stories. We also got The Walking Dead. Both are great series, but if Suzanne Collins and Robert Kirkman had written about wizard schools, their work would've probably sunk into obscurity instead of capturing the imagination of millions. It's all about story.

Devon~ What books have most influenced your life most?

 Whoa, if we're talking life, that's a long list. The very first book that came to mind was Stephen Covey's The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People. I read it awhile back, but the ideas in it are good ones.

Devon~ If you had to do it all over again, would you change anything in your latest book? 

Nope. I'm always focused on the next book. My experience as an artist taught me you never finish a work of art, you just decide to stop working on it. btw, I didn't make that up. I know about a hundred artists before me who said the same thing.

Devon~Who is your favorite author and what is it that really strikes you about their work?

I've had lots of favorites over the years, but as I learn to focus more on story and less on a writer's craft, I really can't pick one. Every author tells different stories, and it's impossible to compare them.

Devon~Is there anything you find particularly challenging in your writing?

      Finding typos! How boring is that! No matter how many I think I find, I always miss 100 or more! Thank the gods for beta readers! You guys save my ass big time!

Devon~Who designed the covers?

    I do all the cover designs myself.

Devon~ Do you have any advice for other writers? 

Join a writers group and talk to as many other writers as you can, but make sure the people in your writing group write the same kind of stories as you (romance, thriller, sci fi, etc.) If they don't they won't be able to give good STORY advice. They can help you with writing craft, or the business of writing, but only a romance reader knows what makes a good romance story.

Devon~ Being a male writer, do you think their are any different hardships you face that female writer's don't?

   None so far. I seemed to have been welcomed to the world of women's romance with open arms. My readers are the coolest peeps around! I couldn't ask for things to have gone more smoothly.

Devon~What were the challenges (research, literary, psychological, and logistical) in bringing your books to life?

     Writing seems to be the easy part. It's the marketing and business aspect of selling books that is in amazing amount of effort. While I've learned to choose to stop working on a book and call it done, marketing never ends. My children's children will be marketing my books into eternity! I better get to work having some kids! LOL Not to say that writing is easy per se, but knowing there's an end in sight helps maintain my sanity.

Devon~Do you have anything specific that you want to say to your readers? 

  Yes! I'd like to thank you, Verna, for hosting this interview. Everybody, please give Verna Loves Books a hand, and show her some Like love if you haven't already.


So last question of this wonderful interview. I have loved and enjoyed having you with me tonight Devon. Lets ends with a personal note. Tell us something interesting about yourself that not many people know? 

Oh, thank you so much, Verna Loves Books It's been a pleasure to be here.
Let's see, something nobody knows? Like, not even my mom knows, or just none of my readers know?                                  

  How about mom, that'd be fun to know?

 My mom doesn't know, but soon will, that time she thought I took her car to skip school and go see Motley Crue in concert with my pals, I never made it to the show. But I made it to a girl's house, and boy did we make it! LOL

LOL!