The Tenerview with Janice Hardy

Sep 1, 2013 by

One look at Janice Hardy’s twitter feed and you’ll quickly realize her commitment to books … and I don’t mean just to writing them.  Granted, she’s written three awesome books of her own in the Healing Wars trilogy, but Janice has also made herself a valuable resource for other writers.  Her blog site, The Other Side of the Story, is an online library of writing, publishing, and marketing tools, in addition to being a platform where she supports other authors like herself. I like Janice. Can you tell? I know you will too!

The Janice Hardy Powerhouse

About Janice:

Janice Hardy is the author of the teen fantasy trilogy THE HEALING WARS, where she tapped into her own dark side to create a world where healing was dangerous, and those with the best intentions often made the worst choices. Her books include THE SHIFTER, BLUE FIRE, and DARKFALL from Balzer+Bray/Harper Collins. She lives in Georgia with her husband, three cats and one very nervous freshwater eel.

About the books:

The Healing Wars Trilogy: The Shifter, Blue Fire, and Darkfall

Nya is a Shifter, someone who can heal by shifting pain from person to person. She’s hunted by those eager to exploit her ability for their own purposes, determined to make her a weapon, a killer, even a symbol for the war that’s brewing.

All Nya wants is to protect her family and regain her people’s freedom, but the more she’s drawn into the plans of others, the more she realizes how key to everyone’s victory she really is.

And how much she’ll have to sacrifice just to survive.

A fantasy adventure for ages 10 and up, The Healing Wars trilogy follows Nya, a war orphan with the unique ability to heal—or destroy—with her touch

The Healing Wars Trilogy

  1. What inspired your latest book or book series?

My latest book is actually a craft book on writing (something I’ve been wanting to do for years) which should be out in October. I also have three potential novels brewing that I have to narrow down to the one to write next.
The first is a middle grade science fiction adventure that was inspired by a twist in an old sci fi trope. I love playing with tropes in a genre and coming at those cornerstone elements from a totally different angle. The second is a young adult historical inspired by my love of disaster movies. Again, I’m playing with tropes a little there. The third is a young adult fantasy idea my husband actually came up with. We were taking a road trip to see family and playing our usual “what if?” game. He tossed out an idea about an unusual society and I just loved it.
Soon as the craft book it out the door I’ll decide which of these three ideas I want to write next. It’s tough to pick just one.

  1. If I were to ask the main character of your latest book what you least understood about her or him, what would he or she say?

Since I’m still developing the books, I understand so little about all of my characters. I’m a plot-first writer, and I discover who my characters are by putting them though horrible situations and seeing how they react. If I had to pick one character, it would be the protagonist from the science fiction middle grade. He’d say I don’t get why he cares so much what the “junior crew” thinks about him.

  1. What lessons has writing taught you about life in general?

The unexpected can happen at any time. You can either roll with it and move forward, or struggle against it and stop cold.

  1. What’s your favorite quote?

If at first you don’t succeed, so much for skydiving. My favorite writing quote is: Don’t get it right, get it written.

  1. What is perfect just the way it is?

Chocolate.

  1. Prince or Michael Jackson?

Prince.

  1. In five words or less, what do you most want people to know about you?

I’m a storyteller.

  1. What song best describes your current mood?

Bruno Mars, “The Lazy Song.” It’s been a looooonnnnggg month and it’s my first day off in a while as I write this. Soon as I’m done, I’m goofing off the rest of the day. My plan is to alternate between books and video games.

  1. From Proust, which living person do you most admire?

My friend Bonnie. She has a very difficult job as an addictions counselor, and spends every day helping people who really need it and hearing the most heartbreaking stories. Yet she’s the most upbeat, joyfully and optimistic person I’ve ever met. She has a husband and two kids and a very busy life, but still manages to train for half-marathons every year. I find her terribly inspiring, because she looks for ways to inspire herself and focuses on the positive. She doesn’t let life keep her from doing the things that make her feel good about herself. That’s a rare trait.

  1. What question didn’t I ask that you wish I had and what would your answer have been?

Do you really have a yard zombie? Yes, yes I do. His name is Cadaver Dan.

Feel free to connect with Janice on Facebook or through her website!  Thanks for hanging out at the Tenerview, Janice!

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