Featured Writer: Heather Haviland

Flavor of The Day: I had a Strawberry Habanero Gron Mega Gummy during my editing process of the interview.

BDL Note: Interviewing other writer's is one of my favorite things to do. I love picking their brain & finding out what inspires them. I always learn something to broaden my writing skills.

How long have you been writing & what awakened your love for writing? I’ve been writing for about 10 years. My love for writing comes from my love of reading. I had this idea that I would write a book that had everything missing that I wanted to see in the books I’ve read, which was substantial romance within an epic fantasy book.

How do you stay inspired to write? I find the magic in mundane life. The little things in life can be magical, and I try to convert everyday life into something special.

I love that you designed your own front & back cover; what; gave you the idea for the design? I tried to go based on what Fern would embody. It was challenging & I didn't get the spine of the book correct. (I didn't notice!) Now I have to flip them all when I do them. (I thought it was a good idea, her books will now stand out to people.)

How did you do the cover? I took my own photos and used a layering file in Photoshop. I got my degree in photography, so I'm always using myself as a model.

It's great to see that you self-published the book. About how long did the whole writing & editing process take before you decided it was good enough for print? I wrote the book over the course of 10 years. I worked on it on and off, taking large breaks. I never really thought it was good enough, but I published it anyway. It can always be better, but I know as an artist, the more you try to “touch something up,” the more you stray from the original design or idea. (I know this all too well, myself.)

Publishing was made super easy by Amazon; they have a process that walks you through uploading it. That part took a full week; people don't realize that there's a lot that is involved with publishing a book.

What other hobbies and talents do you have in your auxiliary? I love doing art, painting, & photography. I am a good cook too! (She forgot to say that she does beautiful makeup art, as well.)

What's your favorite thing to cook? Tacos! I love Mexican Food.

Congratulations on getting married! I love that you went against the norm & were the one to propose. What made you decide to do that instead of waiting for him to? I have been married before. I tried to take on the role of the dominant initiator. (The confidence!) I knew that I was in control of the decision-making. It took a couple of weeks to plan & I talked about it with work ladies. I talked about doing a photo shoot for Halloween, so he thought we were just going for a photoshoot. He had no idea, then all of a sudden, I got on one knee. After I asked, he said, “Well, of course, yes, but why did you have to be the one?” We hadn’t been together that long, but “when you know, you know.”

Your book is dedicated to your dad. How has he helped shape the woman you are now? He introduced me to the world of books and reading. He has been very inspirational for my love of writing.

Who/what else inspires you? My husband inspires me a lot, and my son has this ‘old soul’ understanding that constantly contributes to my self-reflective moments.

Ok, let's talk Embracing Chaos now, I love strong female characters & Fern is definitely one of them. It's exciting to see her perseverance & determination in learning the ways of this new world & not being the one always being saved. I cannot wait to see how her magic grows. Do you relate to Fern a lot? Yes, people ask me if I'm Fern, and the answer is "Yes." I put myself into that character every time I think about her. As an author, I think we have to do that, put ourselves in the shoes of the character just to convey to the reader how they view the world.

I love how sweet but dominant Kyrus is with Fern. He's supportive of her growth but also takes very good care of her & is firm in her taking care of herself. I like that he takes his time with her. I hope to see a lot more of him in the next book. What is your favorite part about his character? He has a reassuring "I'm going to take care of you" mentality, which is a very different demeanor from Brand. That side of him is what I value the most.

Pyro is such a fun side character, and I imagine him being catlike, almost looking like Luci off of Disenchantment. What inspired this little mischievous addition to Fern's new life? I thought there needed to be comedic relief in the book & I pictured a small cat. Originally, he was going to be a cat, but I changed it to fit the world. There needed to be some humor amidst the darker tones to which the series will continue to take.

I adore the love triangle that goes on, and I'm anticipating where it will go. It's nice to see an LGBTQ+ relationship in a book. I think it's brave because some people are closed-minded about relationships & it's a risk of losing a particular audience. (Stupidly so) What made you decide to have a non-traditional relationship in the book?  I wanted to do something different. I knew there would be a loss of audience when they found out, and I was ok with that because, for me, it's a personal project, and I'm not looking to gain a massive audience with this. I did want to present ideas that aren't normally in romantic things. I want what we already have. I wanted to challenge the boundaries of what had already been done before, and I feel like I’ve gained an audience as well by utilizing that type of relationship. (Very true. I know people who will specifically pick a book or a show with a queer character in it because they feel seen & can relate more to them.)

Brand is probably the character, aside from Fern, with the most growth. He's a loveable brute. What made you decide to keep his character in Fern's story? He was so important to her growth, not only Fern's character, but Kyrus as well. The trio will eventually help each other in new ways that will get them where they are supposed to be. (I cannot wait!!!)

I see you're hoping for a later summer release on book # 2, A Song For The Woods, and I'm very excited about it. Where will we be able to purchase it? Amazon, you will still be able to find my books under Heather Haviland, not my married name. It will be there as soon as possible. I'm working really hard. (She did release the book & it's just as amazing as the first!)

How many books do you plan on having in this series? It will be a 3 book series, but I also have an idea for a spin-off idea for a character introduced in the second book, a possible origin story.

Go Follow Heather to be up to date on her next adventure!

FB: FB Novel Page Heather's FB Page           

IG: Heather's IG

Thank you for reading! Please go support Heather! I would highly suggest reading Embracing Chaos. I am so excited for her sequel, A Song For The Woods; you should keep an eye out!

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