Author Interview: Kate Hegarty

Kate is the author of a recently published teen fantasy novel, Mieradome (click title to view book trailer). 

Mieradome, as stated by the author, is like a twisted Alice in Wonderland with a zing of dragons, leprechauns, faeries and doppelgangers!

Mieradome has been featured in  Girl's Life Magazine (June/July 2010 issue), Fantasy E-Zine, FaerieWorlds.com and FaerieWorlds 2010 summer event program. I (Kate) have an official website for my novel Mieradome, complete with character illustrations, reading group guide, book trailer, etc. The book is currently available through AuthorHouse and Amazon.com, Barnes & Noble, Borders, and Indiebound (among many others).

Now, time for what you visited for ... the interview! =)

LRR: I'd like to, first, get some background on you so my followers can get a sense of who you are.  Where are you originally from?

KH: I’m originally from Valentine, Nebraska. I was born in a very small county hospital where my father worked as a physical therapist.

LRR: What are your fondest memory(ies) about your hometown?

KH: My hometown became Modesto after I was born. My fondest memory is my mother telling me, when we were watching Star Wars movies on television, that the guy who created those films (George Lucas) was born and raised in my hometown. It really put into perspective that even if you come from a small town, you can do great exciting things with your life.

LRR: Do you still live there? 

KH: Yes, I still live in Modesto. I’ve been here since I was 2 and I’m turning 29 in late March.

LRR: When did you first realize you wanted to be a writer?

KH: I realized I wanted to be a writer when, during recess in elementary school, I could captivate that small audience with my stories. It was then that I found the power of words intoxicatingly fun!

LRR: Was there someone in your past who encouraged you to be a writer?

KH: My Dad and my sister. They have always been the champions of my writing, cheering me on.

LRR: What would you say is your interesting writing quirk?

KH: I alternate between typing on the computer and writing longhand on paper. If ideas aren’t coming when on the computer I switch to paper, and vice versa.

Now, let's discuss your teen fantasy novel, Mieradome, and the future:

LRR: What was your inspiration for writing Mieradome?

KH: I have a great video (click here) that tells all about Mieradome’s creation.

LRR: Did you do any research before/while writing Mieradome? If so, what type of research?

KH: Yes, I did. I went to the San Francisco Zoo and ice skating to be able to try to be as authentic about the movement and textures of landscapes as possible.

LRR: When was Mieradome first released? Has it been well received?

KH: Mieradome was released in November (2010) and it’s doing pretty well. People are really seeming to enjoy it, which makes me smile.

LRR: Can you tell us a little bit about Mieradome and, perhaps, a couple of the main characters?

KH: Sure. Mieradome is about good and evil with a twist. I wanted to play around with that very basic theme in stories and change it up a bit. I wondered what would happen if the parents did something terrible that leaks down into their offspring. How will the offspring (children) do in the world and what if the children become the evil everyone is trying to get rid of. The child in this case, is Amavia, basically the character you get to see most of, but she is more a conduit to tell the whole story, to see everything. Amavia has friends around her that help guide her to find out who she is and finally make her own choices in life, rather than be defined by her parent’s mistakes.

LRR: Do you have real-life people who inspired the characters in your novel?

KH: Yes. My character Tai Ming Kiels is inspired by my very funny paternal grandfather and Shannon Moana Hine, the dog sledder, is based on my sister who actually got to meet Jeff King in Alaska and hold some of his sled dog puppies.

LRR: What is it you want your readers to take with them once they've finished reading Mieradome?

KH: I hope that people take away the idea to create their own stories and learn to imagine big and wonderful things.

LRR: What would you like to tell future writers?

KH: Keep reading, keep writing, edit, love what you do, and always tell yourself you’re a good writer and will make it someday!

LRR: Any final words/thoughts?

KH: Live happy! : )

I want to thank Kate for participating in this interview.  Alice in Wonderland has always been a favorite story of mine and to see someone take that story and put a twist to it definitely intrigues me.  I will be reading and reviewing Mieradome at a later date so stay tuned! =)