Visit with PJ Hoover

www.pjhoover.com

Today we're visiting with PJ Hoover, author of THE FORGOTTEN WORLDS trilogy. The first two books in the series are out now:

THE EMERALD TABLET: Book 1



Benjamin and his best friend Andy love being different from the other kids. They like being able to read each others minds and use their telekinesis to play tricks. In fact, they are getting set to spend their entire summer doing just that when Benjamin s mirror starts talking. Suddenly, he s looking at eight weeks of summer school someplace that can only be reached by a teleporter hidden in his hallway. And the summer only gets stranger.

At school, Benjamin discovers that he isn t really human but something called a telegen. It turns out that the powers he always thought made him special only make him normal. But then the mysterious Emerald Tablet chooses him as its champion, and all chances of a uneventful (well, as uneventful as summer school on a hidden, submerged continent can be) disappears.

THE NAVEL OF THE WORLD: Book 2



At the end of summer school, Benjamin was given one task find his missing brothers. Should be easy right? But Benjamin can't locate a trace of them anywhere until he interns at his father's office over spring break. There he finds a mysterious file written in ancient Lemurian with his name on it. Could the answers that Benjamin seeks be in the past?

I had the chance to ask PJ several questions about her life and writing, which she agreed to happily answer so that I could share them with you!

1) If you could bring any character from one of your books to life, who would it be and why?

Jack to Nogical because he’s funny, unique, and extremely good at teleportation.

2) Your own six-word memoir.

Save the world? What? Not again.

3) Twitter your newest or upcoming release in 140 characters or less.

THE NECROPOLIS: Will gods take over the world? Will the earth survive when Atlantis rises from the sea? Will Benjamin kiss Heidi? Find out!

4) You have the chance to spend the day with any character from one of your favorite books. Who would you choose and why?

Odysseus. Imagine the stories he could tell. And then we could know if the Siren’s music really was all that good.

5) What was your favorite book growing up as a teen?

GONE WITH THE WIND – I wanted to be a Southern belle.

6) When you were young, what did you want to be when you grew up?

An electrical engineer. I loved to program computers and was actually very good at it. And funny enough, I became one.

7) Your favorite subject in high school – and your least favorite.

Favorite – Astronomy. My high school had a planetarium which was way cool.
Least favorite – English. I felt writing was so subjective and most of the books chosen to be read bored me to tears.

8) Your five favorite reads from 2009 (books you read during the year; they do not have to have been published during 2009).

CITY OF EMBER by Jeanne DuPrau
THE LIFE OF PI by Yann Martel
THE FOREST OF HANDS AND TEETH by Carrie Ryan
CATCHING FIRE by Suzanne Collins
LIFE AS WE KNEW IT by Susan Beth Pfeffer

9) The 2010 release you’re most looking forward to reading.

MOCKINGJAY by Suzanne Collins. I really care about what happens!

10) If your mom wrote the author profile for the jacket of your next book, what would she write?

This is the best book in the entire world. My daughter is a genius and her brilliance shows through in every word she writes. There is just something special about her.

11) What is your ultimate vacation destination?

Disney World. I love it. I could go every year, but I’m settling for every other year at this point. The Tower of Terror rocks!

12) The world has suffered from a one-day only loss of power. You have no cell phone, computer, lights, or anything else that requires a computer, cell battery, or electricity. What do you spend the day doing?

If the kids were home, we’d probably paint of do paper mache or clean out a closet. If the kids weren’t home, I’d read.

13) If you weren’t an author, what job would you be doing?

Well, I did used to be an electrical engineer, so I’m sure I’d still be doing that. Designing chips was fun and did a good job paying the bills.

14) You’re invited to a White House function, and you have the chance to give a 10-minute speech to the President and everyone else attending. What do you speak about?

Myself? My books? Hmmm…seems like the best thing I’d be an expert in. And who better to talk about me than me?

15) You’re writing a book where you can change one major historical event. Which event do you change? (For example, Abraham Lincoln wasn’t assassinated, or Japan never bombed Pearl Harbor.)

How about if Rome never fell. Now that would be interesting.

16) Remember those “classics” that you were made to read in high school English class? What was your favorite, and which title should students never have to be subjected to reading?

BRAVE NEW WORLD was by far my favorite. And FAHRENHEIT 451 was pretty awesome, too. As for what never should have been read? I have really bad memories of AS I LAY DYING.

17) A group of teens ask you the best way to become a published writer. How do you answer the question?

Read, read, read. And write. The combination of reading and writing will make anyone better. You can really train your eye to see the bigger picture.

Thanks so much to PJ for visiting with us today! Besides her website listed above, there are several other places online where you can find her: Blog, Texas Sweethearts, Facebook, MySpace, Twitter, The Spectacle Blog, and The Enchanted Inkpot. Also, feel free to use the contact form on her website to contact her directly.

PJ has graciously offered to give away three copies of one of her titles today (winner's choice!) to lucky posters, so be sure to leave any comments or questions you have for her in the comments section. She'll be stopping by later today to see what we're discussing, so ask away!