Author Interview - Faith van Horne

Please welcome Faith van Horne to the Far Edge of Normal. She has written the horror novella All Hope Lost and the young adult fantasy novel Slideways. By day she works as a librarian, and for fun she practices karate. She lives in Ohio with her husband and dog.

How can we find you?
 My website is faithvanhorne.blogspot.com. I (very occasionally) venture onto Twitter as @fvanhorne.

Tell us about your writing - What genre do you prefer to write? What books, stories, other publications that you've written are your personal favorites? Anything new coming up?
 I write speculative fiction: science fiction, fantasy, and horror. The one subgenre of speculative fiction I’ve never dipped my toe into is alternative history; I’m not a history buff and I don’t think I could pull it off! My newest project is my young adult fantasy novel, Slideways, which is out now.

I'm not a history buff, either. You'd have to know a lot in order to figure out how to twist it to a different timeline. What about you as a person? What do you do to relax? Favorite movies or tv shows? Hobbies?
 I practice karate and received my first degree black belt last year. I love it; I’ve found that the focus and discipline required to practice karate has helped me develop the same skills in my writing.

You're the person I want with me when I venture into dark alleys. What gets your creative juices going? Do you write to a music, and do you want to share your playlist?
 I can’t listen to anything when I’m writing! I’m most productive when I have no access to the internet. As such, I scribble jumbled notes into my notebook (the paper and pen kind). When I’m ready to compose, I move to my laptop or desktop.

"All writers must have cats, especially if they write fantasy or speculative fiction." Do you have a stand on this one? Any cute pictures of your kitty or other pet?
 Not me! I’m strictly a dog person, and big dogs at that. I’d live with a St. Bernard and a Great Dane if we had the space. We have one pup, Leeloo, a Lab/Shepherd/Husky mix.

Your dog sounds like a lot of fun. What organizations do you recommend for those wanting to become writers? Any advice you'd like to share about writing?
 Get involved with other writers, preferably ones who are a little further along in their careers than you are.  Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America (SFWA) has a lot of great free resources on their website, but you have to be a semi-established writer to join. If you write speculative fiction, attend a local science fiction convention (there are tons!). Usually local groups will have tables set up, and authors on panels are usually happy to talk to you. Just don’t chase them into the bathroom!

What writers inspired you to become an author?
 When I was a kid I loved Susan Cooper’s Dark is Rising series. I also read Roald Dahl, Stephen King, and Richard Bach.

Any special appearances or events coming up that you want to mention?
I’ll be at Context, a convention for fans of speculative writing, in Columbus, Ohio, September 28-30.

Thanks so much for dropping in. It's been a pleasure getting to know you better, Faith.