The Misadventures of Hobart Hucklebuck| Author Interview with Stan Swanson

Thanks for joining my stop on this fun tour!! I have an interview with the author, Stan Swanson.  Check out details about the book and then check out the interview!


The Misadentures of Hobart Hucklebuck by Stan Swanson is a middle grade fantasy and the tour runs October 13-17 with reviews & author interviews. Check out the tour page for the full schedule.

The book is aimed at ages 8-12 but as an adult I found it wildly entertaining and a load of fun!

The Misadventures of Hobart Hucklebuck

Things are not as they should be in Pennywhistle. Enchanted toasters are not toasting, enchanted sprinklers are not sprinkling and Hobart Hucklebuck's origami messenger birds are suddenly attacking him. Someone seems to be draining the power from all of the enchanted items in the village. But who could it be and why have they implicated Hobart's grandfather? The Misadventures of Hobart Hucklebuck: Magic & Mayhem follows Hobart and his friends, Specks Spacklethack and Rosie Rumpleskirt, as they try to solve this mystery and free Hobart's grandfather from the Tower of Tribulation on Mumblemonk Mountain. The trio's investigation into the mysterious happenings on Druid Lane gets them into hot water more than once and ultimately brings them dangerously close to disaster not only for themselves, but the entire village of Pennywhistle.

Website

Author Interview with Stan Swanson:


Is Hobart you as a young child or where did you pull your inspiration for him from?
I didn’t really model Hobart after me as a child although I suspect there is either some part of myself or friends I knew when I was growing up in each of my characters. I feel an author has to know their characters very well and our childhoods have very deep impacts on our lives as we grow older. But if we are lucky, we all keep part of that childhood tucked away in our memories. I try to bring back those memories of growing up with my siblings as well as my friends in all of my writing.

What do you consider the distinction between middle grades/YA and what interests you about writing in that space?
Sometimes there is a fine line between writing for middle grades and young adult. And, of course, there are middle graders who can read and understand young adult writing without a problem, so one also has to consider reading levels and those don’t always correspond with grade levels. I write young adult and middle grade novels and enjoy both. I have also written picture books and novels strictly for adults, so I’ve covered a lot of territory. And, of course, the nice thing about middle grade and young adult novels is that there are many adults who also enjoy reading these genres.

What's one thing that's surprised you writing for kids?
I guess what initially surprised me the most was that I could do it. In fact, writing for middle graders is one of my favorite things to do. And don’t let anyone tell you it’s easier to write for the younger generations than it is for adults. Writing is hard work no matter who you are writing for or what you are writing about. (My wife says I do well with writing for middle graders as I still have the mind of a 10-year-old. I’m still not sure if she is kidding or not...)

Do you have any kids to beta read for you?
I really don’t use beta readers for anything I write. I will, however, occasionally ask a neighbor or a one of my grandchildren if a phrase is still popular so I don’t get too “out-of-date.”

Who's your favorite character in the book?
I enjoy all of my characters whether they are a major character or just someone who shows up a couple of times. I feel like I know them all and try to make each of them as “real” as possible.

What's next for Hobart/any other middle grades/YA books in the works?
The second book in The Misadventures of Hobart Hucklebuck is already with the fine people at Curiosity Quills although we haven’t settled on a release date. I am also currently doing the outline for the third book in the series. I am also a big fan of steampunk and am slowly working my way through two steampunk manuscripts for young adults.

If The Misadventures of Hobart Hucklebuck was made into a movie, who would you see playing Hobart?
I don’t really see The Misadventures of Hobart Hucklebuck as a movie, but I think it would make a great animated film. LOL.

AUTHOR BIO:

Stan Swanson is a Bram Stoker award finalist and author of eight books including Horror High School: Return of the Loving Dead (the first book in a young adult horror series co-written with Araminta Star Matthews), Wind Up Hearts (a romance novella with a hint of steampunk), Forever Zombie (a collection of short stories), Write of the Living Dead (a highly-praised writing guide written with Araminta Star Matthews and Rachel Lee) and Return of the Scream Queen (co-authored with Michael McCarty and Linnea Quigley). He is also editor/publisher for Dark Moon Books and Dark Moon Digest. Upcoming titles include Dead Sparrows (a collection of apocalyptic poetry), The Methlands (a horror novel co-written with award-winning author Joe McKinney) and The Misadventures of Hobart Hucklebuck: Pandemonium in Pennywhistle.