Ten Questions with… Mona Hanna
Please welcome, once again, fantasy author Mona Hanna to the blog today! Today, though, we get to hear straight from the author, rather than her character. 
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Author Bio: Mona Hanna is the author of two spiritual non-fiction books, as well as the fantasy novella “Myriad.” She has a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of South Australia, with a sub major in professional writing. She is due to release two more fantasy books by early 2013.
Author Site: http://monahanna.com
You can find her story Myriad at Smashwords, Amazon and iTunes!
About the Writer
1. What five words describe you?
Creative, moody, dedicated, romantic, kind
2. What was the first story you ever wrote? I mean the really bad one we all have that you’re trying to hide in the back of closet now that you’re published?
When I was about 19 I wrote a short book called “Don’t Tell Anyone,” which I think was about a boy who discovered magic on earth, but I can’t remember too much else. I had the nerve to send it to a publisher, and they wrote back a polite note saying something like it wasn’t good enough. But they actually wrote back, which was nice of them! I know it was a revolting story!
3. What inspires you?
It could be anything. A song, a television show, someone being rude to me in a shop could inspire the beginning of a story. Sometimes it’s my dreams, but I’m not lucky enough to dream a plot of a story. I’m more likely to get how a character would feel in a certain situation from a dream.
4. What distracts you?
The internet. 100%. YouTube is the worst.
5. What’s your favorite story? This can be specific, as in a particular book or even story-driven movie, or general, like “I’m a sucker for a hero looking for redemption story.”
I’m a huge Disney fan, and am massively influenced by stories which try to teach people about life as they entertain them. I love movies like Disney’s “Hercules” and “Aladdin,” even though I’m too old for cartoons now. My favorite book growing up was “The Outsiders,” by S.E. Hinton. It really struck a chord with me.
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About the Writing
1. Tell us about your currently available titles.
I recently released my first fantasy novella, “Myriad,” which is the first in my “Prentor” series. It’s a fantasy/romance, about a young man named Kalin, who has to fight an evil warlock named Myriad. Myriad has a tragic past, and is out for revenge against those who hurt him. Kalin has to learn a lot about himself and how to use his magic again, which he’d denied for years. He makes a lot of new friends, and falls in love along the way. There will be at least two more in the series. I’ve also previously released two spiritual non-fiction books.
2. What’s your favorite part about writing these stories?
I enjoy creating an interesting plot, but I really enjoy seeing my characters grow and develop throughout my stories. My fantasy writing is extremely character driven, so it’s largely about the characters’ emotions and struggles. I’m a hopeless romantic, so I also enjoy writing the romance.
3. What would your characters say about you? Be honest!
They’d tell me to stop making their lives difficult and let them rest for a while! The hero, Kalin, becomes especially stressed with what I put him through. I think he would like far less drama, especially the life-threatening kind.
4. Who would play your favorite character if they made a movie of their story?
Sorry, I can’t think of anyone! My favorite character is Kalin. He’s eighteen, has short dark hair and dark eyes, and is very tall and quite thin. No one really springs to mind, though. They’d have to look kind of shy and reserved.
5. Do you have any projects currently in the works you want to talk about?
I recently completed two more fantasy novellas. “High Witch” is about a witch named Ariel, who discovers she’s one of only three High Witches in the world, and there’s an evil warlock out to capture her. It’s a very romantic story, but has action as well. “Tanner” is the sequel to Myriad, which I only just finished the draft of. It brings back Kalin and his friends, and puts them in new danger. “High Witch” should be released by Christmas 2012, and “Tanner” early next year.
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Thank you for joining us today, Mona, and good luck with your stories!
