The Lovestruck Novice Welcomes Bonnie Hearn Hill!!

"Hey, baby! What's your sign?!"

Rest at ease, ladies! There's not a lewd lord or wandering wastrel in our midst. Your corset strings are safe here at the Lovestruck Novice . . . well, at least for today. ;)

Our Featured Author is none other than the delectable BONNIE HEARN HILL. She's a well-known name around my scorchin' hot valley and can often be seen dishing about local authors and books on KMPH Channel 26.

Bonnie is a wonderful speaker and never fails to deliver staid advice to aspiring authors. GEMINI NIGHT is the newest addition to her Star Crossed Series featuring heroine Logan McRae and a magical book called Fearless Astrology.

If you've been looking for a new YA Author to get starry-eyed over, look no further! Sit back, relax and get ready to fall in love with Bonnie Hearn Hill!

1)If you were a book, what would your blurb be?

A little mystery, a little romance, a lot of action. Fast-paced and filled with unforgettable characters.

2)Using three words, describe your voice.

Nouns and verbs.

3)What's been the biggest obstacle you've had to overcome in your writing/career?

Time. 23 years from my first finished novel to a career as a novelist.

4)In your experience, what are the most common misconceptions novice writers believe about writing or the publishing industry?

1. All I need is an agent.
2. My book will succeed because there's nothing out there like it

Do you have any advice on how to avoid these pitfalls?

1.An agent can't sell a book that isn't ready. Most writers submit too soon, and most first novels are training wheels only. Learn from it and write the next one. Study your manuscript with a critical eye. Learn craft and read industry publications. Make it the best it can be, and only then start your agent search.

2.If there's nothing like it on the market, beware. Do you know your genre, your word count, and a typical number of characters (including point-of-view characters) for that genre? Is this really just a fictional version of your life? Is it your version of therapy? Writing is a business, if not to you, to the people you need in order to make your book happen. Write your passion, but only after you study the market.

5) I've had the privilege to hear you speak and really enjoyed hearing what you had to say about writing scenes. Would you mind sharing a little bit about your Scene Check List?

Thank you, Sarah. I love working with writers. No one can teach you how to write, but I believe I can save the writers with whom I work the time I wasted when I was beginning. A scene is only: I want A, and you want B. If you don't have that in the scene, paraphrase. I want to ask the bartender about the murdered girl. He doesn't want to talk. The scene is: goal, opposition, action, dialogue, resolution. If you (or anyone reading this) would like my scene checklist on classic dramatic structure, please e-mail me.

6) What's up next for you? Any news you'd like to pass along?

On Oct. 7, I'll be at Lit Scene at Scene Gallery celebrating Poe and local writers--nine of them. I'll also be speaking at San Francisco Bouchercon. On Oct. 23, I'll be signing Gemini Night at Barnes and Noble. We'll have a reception after at Scene Gallery, on the southwest corner of Palm and Nees in Fresno, CA.


I sure wish I was headed out to Bouchercon! What a fun way to spend the weekend! Of course, my voyage to the comfortably cool Bay Area would definitely include a bowl of clam chowder. I'd like to thank Bonnie for the opportunity to interview her. If you'd like to know more about Bonnie Hearn Hill and her books, please click on over to her very gorgeous website: http://www.bonniehearnhill.com/index.html

THANK YOU, TLN'ers! Here's hoping your planets are in perfect alignment this weekend! Let's get our groove on with HAIR and AQUARIUS. Enjoy and we'll catch ya back on 'Moan'day!!