Interview: Amanda Von Hoffmann
Born in San Bernardino, California.When she was eighteen, she brought her love for reading and writing to SUNY Potsdam where she majored in English. In 2004, she received my M.A. degree.Currently she work at a public library where she's happily surrounded by books and people that love books as much as she does. She's a mother, daydreamer, gamer geek and coffee addict.Behind Green Glass is her first published novel.
Rollie: Hello Amanda. I’m very thankful to have an opportunity to interview you. You’re working in a public library. Did your profession influence your writing?
Amanda: Yes. I work as a Patron Services Supervisor at a public library. I spend a lot of time listening to my patrons talk about books, giving and receiving recommendations. I love being part of a reading community. I certainly think of my patrons when I envision the audience that I am writing to. Also, my coworkers are very supportive of my writing. I have a wonderful job.
Rollie: You said in your blog that you’re happily surrounded by books. What are the books that influenced your writing, especially during the time you were doing your first novel?
Amanda:I read a lot of YA fantasy. Writers such as Holly Black, Libba Bray and Shannon Hale have influenced me to write YA fantasy. I have also been influenced by authors from the past such as L. M. Montgomery, C.S. Lewis and J.D. Salinger. During the time that I wrote the first draft of Behind Green Glass, I believe I was reading a few Juliet Marillier novels. She is an amazing Australian author who writes historical fantasy.
Rollie:How did you came up with the story? Was it from a dream like other authors?
Amanda:I came up with the idea for Behind Green Glass while I was daydreaming. I imagined a girl discovering fey in the woods. The fairies she met were different from the fairies that she had read about. These fairies were humble, imperfect and mysterious. The idea grew from there.
Rollie:How about the names? Were they taken from your relatives or friends?
Amanda:The last name “Richards” is my mother-in-law’s maiden name. I have a niece nicknamed “Maddy” like Matt’s littlest sister. Some of the names, like Lyric and Meredith, just came to me. Isolde’s last name, Rackham, is a tribute to the illustrator Arthur Rackham who was known for his fairy art.
Rollie:Speaking of names, who among the characters of your book do you relate yourself to the most?
Amanda:Isolde. Like Isolde I was homeschooled and grew up in a rural town. I’m also pretty shy. Instead of painting, however, I express myself through writing.
Rollie:A hypothetical question: if given a chance to time travel, do you have any plan on changing the story?
Amanda:I would make the ending a little longer. In retrospect, I believe I could have added more to the final chapters.
Rollie:There are people out there who are really fond of quotes from a certain book. Would you like to give us a quote from your book that we might never forget?
Amanda:“He was the color of absinthe, but then again, so was the rest of the world.”
Rollie:Do you plan to write a sequel to Behind the Green Glass?
Amanda:I have thought about writing a sequel, focusing on Laurelyn and Lyric. Some readers have suggested that I write a prequel about The Forgotten Ones before they were cast out of the fairy kingdom.
Rollie:How about planning on doing another YA book?
Amanda:I’m currently writing another YA novel. So far, this book is quite different from Behind Green Glass.
Rollie:Can you tell us something about your book and where can we buy it? Please also include where can we find you.
Amanda:In Behind Green Glass, sixteen-year-old Isolde believes she has the dullest life imaginable. She is homeschooled by her anti-social mother, she has just moved from the city to a house in the middle of nowhere, and she is too painfully shy to make any new friends in the rural town of Thornville. She escapes boredom through painting and daydreaming. Then, Isolde hears rumors that her house is haunted. She discovers a shard of green glass in an antique dresser, and through the glass she sees Lyric, the boy who is watching or haunting her. Lyric is one of The Forgotten Ones, a clan of ethereally beautiful creatures that live in the nearby woods. As the mystery of The Forgotten Ones unfolds, Isolde discovers adventure, love and her own inner strength.
Behind Green Glass is available at:
Barnes & Noble: http://search.barnesandnoble.com/Behind-Green-Glass/Amanda-Von-Hoffman/e/9780982534519/?itm=1&USRI=behind+green+glass
Find me at:
My blog: http://amandavonhoffmann.com
Twitter: http://twitter.com/#!/fraujones
Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/amandavonhofmann
Isolde is a shy and artistic sixteen-year-old who moves into a house rumored to be haunted. When she discovers a shard of green glass, a new world opens for her. Through the glass she sees Lyric, who mistakenly believes that he is a ghost, and other ethereally beautiful creatures. As their mystery unfolds, Isolde learns that they are not ghosts, but The Forgotten Ones, fairies cast out of their realm, labeled imperfect for their physical and mental differences. Isolde's friendship with Lyric and The Forgotten Ones teaches her that sometimes our "imperfections" can also be our greatest strengths.
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