If there’s one word I can think of to describe Colleen,
it would be calm…serene even. I
caught her quietly signing a huge stack of cards for National Bookstore with
her writing hand still bandaged up from signing hundreds of books in the days
prior, at the events in both Cebu and Manila. She simply kept on doing so until it was time for my
interview.
This is a woman who has had 12 books on the New York
Times Bestsellers list since starting only 4 years ago. A woman who never imagined how her
passion for the written word could take her into the lives of so many. A writer who masterfully weaves
unbelievable stories and makes the readers care for each and every one of her
characters.
Here is my conversation with Colleen Hoover:
Lyn: How
has your trip been?
Colleen:
It's my first time in manila and it has been really really good. It's probably my favorite trip so far
L: I saw
the book event in Megamall and it was crazy full
C: it was
insane!
L: There
were hundreds of people there! So
how is your right hand after all that signing? (note: at the time of this
interview, her right hand was wrapped in a bandage)
C: It's
okay. I usually don’t sign for
that many in the US and they’re not that enthusiastic either so it was crazy
and it was awesome
L: So
what was the nicest reaction that
you got from your fans?
C: I think
just walking out and hearing everyone screaming for us. You know they’re subdued in the US so
it was a different reaction that we’ve never had before. All three of us were just really
overwhelmed
L: Was it
like a rockstar reception?
C: Yeah we
felt like One Direction
L: For your
book CONFESS, you asked your readers to submit real confessions, some of which
you included in the book. Which confession
was the most painful to read?
C: There
was one that I included that was probably the hardest about a woman who was
molested by her father and it was still going on and she’s a grown woman and
married and it was just really really sad
L: I saw that
too and that was really hard to swallow.
Did you put your own confession in the book?
C: I
didn’t.. (laughs)
L: You
commissioned paintings for CONFESS.
Did you let the artist read your book before the paintings were made?
C: I didn’t
even ask him to actually do that because that’s a lot of work and I was still
writing it as he was painting them so it was hard. I told him about the scenes and the confessions and just
kind of gave him the idea of what I wanted. a couple of them he had already painted and I bought them
because I thought they fit the scene so it was a little of both
L: All the
paintings were beautiful
C: He’s so
good
L: He
is. Do you have them all?
C: Yes. I bought the originals of all of
them. I gave one to Tarryn, one to
my mom, one to both my sisters then I kept one
L: Which
one did you keep?
C: I kept
the one of Owen’s mother. That one
I have hung up in the bookstore that I own and it looks really great in there
L: Your
latest book NOVEMBER 9 is coming out in two months. What can we expect from the book? Is it inspired by the movie
SAME TIME NEXT YEAR?
C: I
actually don’t know that movie but there is a movie called ONE DAY and it
focuses on one day every year and the couples know each other, kind of like
Sleepless in Seattle but this one’s different in that they meet, they have a
great connection and they have absolutely zero contact except for November9
every year so every chapter is just a different November9
L: Is this
going to make readers bleed again?
Because your books like Confess and Hopeless are so heart wrenching
C: It can
get a little bit sad but this one is a lot funner than some of my other books but it also has probably
one of the biggest plot twist since HOPELESS so I'm excited about that
L: What
inspires you to write?
C: I'm a
people watcher. I get my ideas
from everyday. I think writers get
inspiration from everything and the challenge to me is narrowing it down. But I don’t take inspiration from real
life, from people I know. I try to
avoid that because I don’t want anyone getting mad at me. I just try to come up with something
new and different and completely opposite of the life that I live.
L: In terms
of topics, your books tackle the deepest and hardest ones like rape, incest,
suicide, kidnapping….is it hard hard at all to write these things emotionally?
C: I'm not
an emotional person and that’s why I think I write about this stuff because
it's not that hard for me like I did Child Protective Services, I was an
investigator for 7 years so I've seen a lot of stuff and I've kind of had to
learn hot to separate my emotions from things but I think the only one that
ever really got to me and the
tears almost came out is when I was writing UGLY LOVE. It doesn’t happen a lot
L: Ultimately
what do you want your readers to feel after reading your words?
C: I
honestly want readers to read my books and be entertained but I try not to send
a particular message or change anyone’s life. I feel like that would put a lot of pressure on me so my
main priority is to make sure that when they read my book, they get to escape
their own reality for a few hours or a few days, however long it takes for them
to read it and that they feel good when it ends. I'm not one that culd write a sad ending. There are a lot of sad things in my
book but I feel like I wrap it up pretty well.
L: They are
hopeful in the end
C: Right…
L: Some of
your books have been optioned for film.
Which one will we be seeing first?
C: Definitely
UGLY LOVE, it is in pre production right now and it's ahead of the rest so
hopefully that would be next year
L: Are you
involved in it?
C: I don’t
have a lot of involvement. The
readers actually chose the actor.
The female lead hasn’t been cast yet, I had never even heard of Nick
Bateman before
L: He’s
gorgeous I just saw him online
C: He is
gorgeous. Readers just kept
commenting and tagging him. His
producer emailed me and said we are seeing this on our end too, tell us about
this book. Nick read it and I was
on tour and was going to Toronto the following week and he lives in Toronto so
I met with him and his producer so I ended up signing the book over to them
which is kind of odd to sign a book over and already have an actor but the
readers wanted him so it’s good that the readers seem to have a lot of say in
how this movie is gonna play out
L: Of your
books, which one is your favorite in terms of plot?
C: In terms
of plot probably HOPELESS but overall MAYBE SOMEDAY is my favorite book
L: Which
one has the best memories attached to it
C:
SLAMMED. Only because it
was my first book, I didn’t have any expectations of it and writing it was so
much fun and the excitement after it was just released, everytime something
would happen. I love going back
and seeing the posts from way back then and how excited we were
L: Does it
still surprise you? When people
text or tweet you about loving your work?
C: Yes…yes….
I just started writing about 4 years ago so you know I have 12 New York Times
bestsellers now and everyday I’d wake up and I'm like HOW did this happen?
Because it’s all gone so fast I don’t think it has caught up with me yet but
yeah, I still wonder how people outside of my hometown has even heard of the
books.
L: Has your
life changed so much?
C: A
ton. But then it's still the
same. I still live where I grew
up, my kids go to the same school.
We lived paycheck to paycheck.
We were very poor. We lived
in a single wide mobile home for years and we just built our dream house on the
land that our old house was on. I
was able to build my parents a house.
You know a lot of good things have come out of it
L: What
have your kids said about your books?
How old are they by the way?
C: My kids
are 9, 11 and 14
L: Have you
allowed your 14 year old to read your books?
C: I let them
read SLAMMED if they want. My 14
year old got 4 chapters in and then said This is too much about romance. And then my 11 year old read it when he
was 10. He liked it but he didn’t
go to the 2nd one. He
might wanna wait a little while for that one. But the rest of them they’re too young to read those. And
they’re boys so they read Diary of a Wimpy Kid and Harry Potter
L: Which
male character of all your books is your favorite
C: Probably
Ridge from MAYBE SOMEDAY.
L: Why is
that
C: I feel
like he is in a tough position and the situation that he was in, falling in
love with two different girls and the way he handled it, I thought it was very
mature
L: How
about female character
C: Probably
SKY from HOPELESS. I liked her
sense of humor and she’s a little bit sarcastic. I put a lot of myself into her
L: Would
you be willing to write EXTRA novellas of your most popular characters
C: Yeah. I have actually thought about that it
just depends on time. I'm under
contract for certain length of books with the publishers so depending on what
they want and when they want it, that leaves me time to write novellas.
L: What
else can we look forward to from you
C: Tarryn
(Fisher) and I are finisher the third book in NEVER NEVER and that wraps up the
series and it's gonna be out end of January and November9. I haven't started on my next book
yet. Trying to get touring over
first then I'm gonna go hoem and figure out what I'm gonna write
FAST QUESTION on favorites:
L: Let’s
play fast questions of favorites.
What's your favorite drink:
C: Diet Pepsi
L: Dessert
C: Anything
chocolate
L: Favorite
book
C: That’s a
tough one.
L: Perhaps
books that inspired you to be an author?
C: Shel
Silverstein. I read all the books
he wrote
L: Favorite
vacation spot
C: Saint Thomas. That was really nice
L: Relaxation
C: Sleep. I don’t get it a lot
L: Hobby
C: Writing
L: Movie of
all time
C: Oh
brother where art thou. It's so
funny
L: Book
recommendations
C: Books by
Christine Brae, Tarryn Fisher (laughs).
I’m a big fan of the Sea of Tranquility by Katja Millay
L: That’s
why it was in Hopeless!
C: Yeah I
gave it a shout out in Hopeless.
It's a really good book you should read it.
Limited to 200 slots only! Registration starts at 10am for this event. Only books purchased from National Book
Store, NBS Express or Powerbooks will be accommodated
A special thanks to Mr. JB Roperos of the National Book Store
Thank you! That was a very great interview!
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