Author Interview: Audrey Hart

Can you tell me a little about your self and your writing career so far?

This is my first novel. I had always wanted to write a coming of age story about a strong, independent girl learning about her strengths, her weaknesses and her capacity for love.  And it has all finally panned out in The Dig!

Can you tell us a little about your novel The Dig?

Of course! The Dig is the first book in a trilogy that follows outsider Zoe Calder on her travels through time to Ancient Greece where she discovers that she has special powers. She meets Zeus. Hello crush! And then she endures trials and heads to Mount Olympus with Zeus where she clashes with the clique of gods. They’re all pretty rankled by her budding relationship with Zeus. After all, where did this Zoe come from? Why does she have powers? At school, Zoe understands that her outsidery status is her own doing. But here, the tables are kind of turned. And ultimately, she learns a lot about her own power, the power that we all have, whether or not we can, you know, move actual mountains.

Where did you get the idea for The Dig?

Last year, I was lucky to visit the Minoan ruins in Crete. I was in awe of everything. Imagine, people lived here 4000 years ago. One afternoon, my iPhone buzzed and slipped out of my pocket. I gasped, thinking it had fallen between the cracks. And I freaked out and was really surprised about my reaction.  And as I was hunched and reaching under the stairs for it like it was a life or death situation, I started to feel really silly. I mean, it’s a phone, right? It’s just a phone! (Side note: I found the phone. Of course.)

Anyway, the next time I sat down to work on my first novel, I kept going over that moment in my head. And then I knew that I wanted to write about a girl who lost her phone in a symbolic way. But this girl wouldn’t be your average teenager who texts and tweets 24/7. She would be a girl who likes to think that she’s sort of immune to all that. That was my a-ha moment, I guess. I can tell a story about a girl who will learn that she’s not the disconnected person she thinks she is.

I love the cover of The Dig. Its' beautiful. Who designed it and did you have much say in the designing of the cover?

 

Thank you! I’m in love with it too.  My publisher, Backlit Fiction, took care of designing the cover.  I got to have a say about the initial concept, and then the artists took it from there!

The Dig is the first in a trilogy. How is working coming on the second book?

It’s coming along really well!  I think I’m just about done with the bulk of it, but lots of editing and re-editing to come.  It is set to release in early 2012. 

Why should we read The Dig?

Because it’s amazing.  But in all seriousness, I think The Dig has some important messages, especially for girls like Zoe.  Zoe is a fighter, sometimes a little too passionate for her own good. She’s special because she’s very self-aware and analytical.  This is a girl who’s hard on everyone, and hardest on herself. And the contradiction is that she’s not great at opening up with people her own age, so they don’t see that, deep down, she’s got her own insecurities.

Favourite book as a child and why?

I love Mark Twain because of the way he writes friendship and travel. You can pick up Huck Finn and open any random chapter, and immediately, you’re just right there, on that journey.

Favourite book as a teenager and why?

Judy Blume, because she’s funny and understands what girls go through as teenagers.

Favourite book you have read this year and why?

 

I’m obsessed with Hunger Games, just like you, no doubt…

A book or author you would recommend to my readers?

 

Sadie Hayes, another author at Backlit Fiction, has just released an awesome new series, called The Start-Up.  It’s smarter than Gossip Girl, and sexier than the Social Network.  Definitely worth checking out!

Thanks to Audrey for the interview!

Follow Audrey (and Zoe) here:

audrey@zoeandzeus.com

@ZoeandZeus

http://www.zoeandzeus.com/
Goodreads.com/ZoeandZeus