Interview with J.J. Hart
First off, thanks so much for joining us for an up-close and personal interview for TeensReadToo.com!
My name is Jen, and I'll be your server toda...oh, wait, wrong job! Anyway, thanks so much for taking
time out of your writing schedule--which I'm sure is busy!--and answering a few questions for your
readers and fans.
Let's get some of the typical interview questions out of the way first. When did you first know that you
wanted to be a writer?
When I was a wee little sprout, I used to listen to stories and then write down better versions of
them--versions with more action, more adventure, and more jokes about bodily functions. There's no
story that can't be improved upon with a few more jokes.
Can you tell us a little bit about your road to publishing?
It's a dirt road about fourteen miles long, washboard in the middle...oh, wait, that's the road to the
mailbox. Same thing, though--my road to publishing was the typical write something, send it out, write
some more, send it out. Eventually checks started coming back, which was better than the other
alternative.
Tell us a little bit about either your latest or upcoming release. If you could only tell your readers one
thing about the story that had to convince us to buy the book, what would it be?
It would be the title, Zombie Monkey Monster Jamboree. If readers aren't interested in a book with that
title, then someone had better check for a pulse. It contains between its covers zombie monkeys,
monsters, and scouts (bearing candy bars and comic books, among other things). Also many other
words, most of which are both funny and exciting at the same time.
What, or who, has been the greatest inspiration for your stories?
Life itself. It's impossible to visit the average shopping mall, supermarket, library or bookstore without
being inspired to write silly adventure stories involving people just like the ones I've seen that day.
Let's hear about your family, who I'm sure are thrilled to have a published author among them!
We don't talk about that since the tragic molasses incident.
Now for some fun facts. What's your greatest comfort food?
Chocolate. In virtually any form, just as long as there aren't berries or fruit or something involved in a
pathetic attempt to make it into something healthy.
What are the first three things you do when you wake up in the morning?
Scratch something, check my pulse, and tell the hound to get off my diaphragm.
If I came to your house and looked in your closet/attic/basement, what's the one thing that would
surprise me the most?
My duck, Elmer, who might be in any of those places.
Everyone asks the question about "if you could be a tree, which tree would you be?" so I want to know:
If you could be a color, which color would it be, and why?
Cerulean. Just because I like that word.
Who is your favorite cartoon character? Which cartoon character is most like you?
I like Wimpy from Popeye, because how can you not like a guy who knows what he wants? And many
people would claim that I'm most like Yosemite Sam, but not to my face.
If you could beam yourself to anywhere in the world ("Beam me up, Scotty!"), during any time in history,
where and when would it be--and why?
The Grand Canyon, 20,000 years ago, because no one would be around to bother me.
So what's your favorite type of music to listen to? Favorite musical artists? Do you listen to music while
you're writing?
Anything but emo. Just kidding, don't cry. Well, if you're a big emo fan it's probably too late, you're
already crying. I like outlaw country, rock and roll, outlaw rock, hermit rock (I just made that up, but if it
existed I'm sure I'd like it), and Bavarian yodeling.
Do you have any favorite T.V. shows? Movies you watch over and over again? What was the last movie
you saw at the theater?
Yes, I do. And yes, I do. The last movie I saw at the theater was Doc Hollywood. I mean, Cars. Same
thing, really.
You have the chance to give one piece of advice to your teen readers. What would it be?
Stay in school, don't smoke, don't be an idiot, and if you go out into the woods at night carry a flashlight
and beware of zombie monkeys. And again, don't be an idiot--that covers most of the bases.
One last question. What stories can we look forward to from you in the future?
Any I can get away with telling.
Again, thanks so much for joining us at TeensReadToo.com!
My name is Jen, and I'll be your server toda...oh, wait, wrong job! Anyway, thanks so much for taking
time out of your writing schedule--which I'm sure is busy!--and answering a few questions for your
readers and fans.
Let's get some of the typical interview questions out of the way first. When did you first know that you
wanted to be a writer?
When I was a wee little sprout, I used to listen to stories and then write down better versions of
them--versions with more action, more adventure, and more jokes about bodily functions. There's no
story that can't be improved upon with a few more jokes.
Can you tell us a little bit about your road to publishing?
It's a dirt road about fourteen miles long, washboard in the middle...oh, wait, that's the road to the
mailbox. Same thing, though--my road to publishing was the typical write something, send it out, write
some more, send it out. Eventually checks started coming back, which was better than the other
alternative.
Tell us a little bit about either your latest or upcoming release. If you could only tell your readers one
thing about the story that had to convince us to buy the book, what would it be?
It would be the title, Zombie Monkey Monster Jamboree. If readers aren't interested in a book with that
title, then someone had better check for a pulse. It contains between its covers zombie monkeys,
monsters, and scouts (bearing candy bars and comic books, among other things). Also many other
words, most of which are both funny and exciting at the same time.
What, or who, has been the greatest inspiration for your stories?
Life itself. It's impossible to visit the average shopping mall, supermarket, library or bookstore without
being inspired to write silly adventure stories involving people just like the ones I've seen that day.
Let's hear about your family, who I'm sure are thrilled to have a published author among them!
We don't talk about that since the tragic molasses incident.
Now for some fun facts. What's your greatest comfort food?
Chocolate. In virtually any form, just as long as there aren't berries or fruit or something involved in a
pathetic attempt to make it into something healthy.
What are the first three things you do when you wake up in the morning?
Scratch something, check my pulse, and tell the hound to get off my diaphragm.
If I came to your house and looked in your closet/attic/basement, what's the one thing that would
surprise me the most?
My duck, Elmer, who might be in any of those places.
Everyone asks the question about "if you could be a tree, which tree would you be?" so I want to know:
If you could be a color, which color would it be, and why?
Cerulean. Just because I like that word.
Who is your favorite cartoon character? Which cartoon character is most like you?
I like Wimpy from Popeye, because how can you not like a guy who knows what he wants? And many
people would claim that I'm most like Yosemite Sam, but not to my face.
If you could beam yourself to anywhere in the world ("Beam me up, Scotty!"), during any time in history,
where and when would it be--and why?
The Grand Canyon, 20,000 years ago, because no one would be around to bother me.
So what's your favorite type of music to listen to? Favorite musical artists? Do you listen to music while
you're writing?
Anything but emo. Just kidding, don't cry. Well, if you're a big emo fan it's probably too late, you're
already crying. I like outlaw country, rock and roll, outlaw rock, hermit rock (I just made that up, but if it
existed I'm sure I'd like it), and Bavarian yodeling.
Do you have any favorite T.V. shows? Movies you watch over and over again? What was the last movie
you saw at the theater?
Yes, I do. And yes, I do. The last movie I saw at the theater was Doc Hollywood. I mean, Cars. Same
thing, really.
You have the chance to give one piece of advice to your teen readers. What would it be?
Stay in school, don't smoke, don't be an idiot, and if you go out into the woods at night carry a flashlight
and beware of zombie monkeys. And again, don't be an idiot--that covers most of the bases.
One last question. What stories can we look forward to from you in the future?
Any I can get away with telling.
Again, thanks so much for joining us at TeensReadToo.com!
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