Writester.net

Name: Ayn Hunt
Website: www.authorsden.com/aynhunt

Questions:

Q: Where are you originally from?
A: Houston, TX, USA

Q: Can you tell us your latest book news?
A. My third book, “The Haunting” came out in July, 2004 in both print and ebook forms and has received rave reviews. Like my first two books, it’s a Gothic, featuring two little old ladies, one of whom’s a psychic, who investigate murders along with their niece, who tries to keep them out of harm’s way. The other characters in my books are the ghosts of the murdered victims, who often have their own personal agendas and vendettas.

Q: How old were you when you started writing?
A: I wrote my first novel when I was 11.

Q: When did you first realize you had the potential to be a writer?
A: When I was on the high school paper and my article about fashion was so popular they had to triple the print order, which broke the paper’s budget for the rest of the year. I got reprimanded for it, but realized then I could make it as a writer.

Q: What was your inspiration to write your first novel?
A: Not counting the one I wrote at 11, which was never published, the inspiration for writing Unwilling Killers came two sources. One was from a very mysterious ‘visiter’ in our house who materialized and disappeared at will. I wanted to find out what we were dealing with, so I started researching ghosts. That research led to my novel. Then, when my favorite aunt died in the middle of writing it, I rewrote it, giving her a major part. So the Aunt Alice in my book is based on her.

Q: Is there anyone or anything that inspired you to write?
A: Aunt Alice always believed that one day I’d be a very successful writer. While she died before my first novel was published, I like to think she’s somewhere where she knows.

Q: How has your environment/upbringing colored your writing?
A: By traveling around a lot as a child and observing a variety of people, both good and bad, its influenced me. I always studied everyone I met and would make up little stories in my mind about them.

Q: Do you have a specific writing style?
A: I’m a “pantzer,” in that I focus on the characters and let them show me the story as they act it out. I never know the ending, never know the twists, turns and struggles until they show me.

Q: What genre are you the most comfortable writing?
A: I’m comfortable writing all types. As long as I’m writing something, I’m a happy camper.

Q: How do you come up with the titles of your books?
A: During the first draft, a theme will pop out at me, and I’ll realize then that’s the title.

Q: Is there a message in your novel that you want readers to grasp?
A: Not really. I just want them to enjoy reading my books as much as I enjoy writing them.

Q: How much of the novel is realistic?
A: My characters are all realistic. Aunt Alice is based on my late aunt. Her partner and best friend in my books, Emily, was Alice’s best friend in real life too. And Jessica, the niece, is based on me and my relationship with both Alice and Emily.

Q: Are experiences based on someone you know or events in your life?
A: Not really. They stem from some experiences which I play “what if” with a lot.

Q: What books have influenced your life?
A: That’s a hard question because I read a lot of different types of books and analyze them all, from Oriental philosophy to the classics, from science mysteries to who-dun-its. I really can’t narrow it down.

Q: If you had to choose, which writer would you consider a mentor?
A: I dearly love the Sherlock Holmes series by Doyle, so it would have to be him. I also like Patricia Cornwell’s series too though, so it would have to be a tie between them. I guess they’d be called mentors in abstentia.

Q: What are you reading now?
A: I just finished Lisa Jackson’s “The Morning After,” which is a horror romance.

Q: What new author has grasped your interest?
A: Stephen Laws. He’s a British author who writes vampire books, and while I never read vampire stories before, he got me interested in them.

Q: Is there anything you’d like to share with your readers?
A: While my books feature murders, killers and ghosts, I concentrate on the feelings of panic and terror of those involved rather than just the physical gore, which personally turns me off. Although many reviewers claim I’ve given them insomnia and a new fear of turning out the lights, there’s very little material in my books that’s unsuitable for teens. In fact, Unwilling Killers is a recommended YA book by a U.K. website. So adults as well as their older children can read them.

I have a nonfiction newsletter, “Haunted Happenings,” about ghosts. It’s available by request or can be read on the site of GottaWriteNetwork.com, of which I’m the paranormal editor.

Excerpts of Ms. Hunt’s books can be read on her website, www.AuthorsDen.com/aynhunt.