| Interview with Tiffany Trent |
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?
I first knew that I wanted to be a writer when I was nine years old. I’d always loved books and when I realized
that real people actually told these stories, that books just didn’t magically appear, I knew that I wanted to
be one of those storytellers.
Can you tell us a little bit about your road to publishing?
I’ve published in poetry, nonfiction, and fiction, but I’ll focus on just the YA fiction here. I went to graduate
school for creative writing at the University of Montana with Shannon Hale (who won the Newbery Honor for
her book Princess Academy). Shannon and I both wanted to write fantasy, but were forbidden to do so in
graduate school because of the stigma against genre writing. One summer, we challenged each other to
write the fantasy novels we longed to write. What was funny was that we really thought we could write a
book in one summer and get it published well that fall! Many drafts (and a couple years) later, Shannon’s
novel became her first book, Goose Girl. My novel was part of a sprawling epic I had been working on since
I was 12 and which I’m still working on to this day. I had another idea, a recasting of a fairy tale I’d wanted to
write, and I’d just decided to get started when Shannon told me about Mirrorstone’s auditions for a new dark
fantasy series. Not long after that, Associate Editor Stacy Whitman and I began talking. I told her my idea,
she asked for a proposal, and so on. Six months later, Hallowmere was born.
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’s got Gothic reform schools, Confederate ghosts, vampiric fairies, and a curious main character who
never gives up. What’s not to like? (Hallowmere: In the Serpent's Coils and Hallowmere: By Venom's
Sweet Sting)
What, or who, has been the greatest inspiration for your stories?
My inspiration varies from tale to tale. For Hallowmere, my greatest inspiration was Hans Christian
Andersen’s fairytale, “The Marsh King’s Daughter”. I also drew heavily on memories of a best friend from
middle school and our obsession with L.M. Montgomery’s Emily books. (We always liked Emily better than
Anne, for some reason).
Let’s hear about your family, who I’m sure are thrilled to have a published author among them!
My family is an interesting blend. My father’s family (in which I have 11 aunts and uncles!) are of strong
Appalachian mountain stock. My mother hails from Wisconsin dairy country. (I’m an only child, so no
siblings. All the toys at Christmas were mine--yay!) They’ve always known I wanted to write, but I still don’t
think it’s sunken in that they will soon be able to go to a bookstore or library and see a book written by me
on the shelf. They’ll probably be much more excited when In the Serpent’s Coils debuts this fall! :)
Now for some fun facts. What’s your greatest comfort food?
I love Chinese steamed dumplings with black vinegar dipping sauce. I also love eating (and making) any
decadent dessert, especially when fruit is involved. I have a passion for chai tea, and usually drink at least
one cup a day during the winter.
What are the first three things you do when you wake up in the morning?
I usually am woken up by my dog River and four cats clamoring to go out/have breakfast. I take the dog out,
feed her, start the morning coffee, and then feed the cats. You can see who rules this household!
If I came to your house and looked in your closet/attic/basement, what’s the one thing that would surprise
me the most?
Probably my husband’s collection of ancient Chinese weapons. We practically have a feudal arsenal in our
attic, collected when my husband used to compete in wushu and kung fu in the US and China.
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?
I would be the color black. To me, it’s the color of beginning, the color where seeds are sown and ideas
form. It’s the color of depth and chaos and possibility, the color of the unknown. Words can be written there,
stars can be born, oceans can founder. Not to mention it’s pretty much the classiest color you can wear! :)
Also, just so you’re not dying of curiosity about which tree I’d be—a sycamore, definitely.
Who is your favorite cartoon character? Which cartoon character is most like you?
Though I’m really dating myself with this, I have to say that my favorite cartoon character is still Jason from
“Battle of the Planets” (also known as “Gatchaman”). I’ve been in love with that guy since I was 7! As far as
cartoon characters most like me, I’ve been often pegged as the cartoon character Daria from the
eponymous MTV show.
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?
If I could beam myself anywhere or anywhen, and (following the Prime Directive) blend in with the people, I
would want to be in China during the Tang dynasty—China’s golden age of culture, poetry, music, and art. I’
m fascinated by everything about that era. Experiencing it would be amazing.
So what’s your favorite type of music to listen to? Favorite musical artists? Do you listen to music while
you’re writing?
I love all kinds of music, but I most often listen to 80s and alternative/indie stuff. My absolute favorite artists
are Duran Duran, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Snow Patrol, Sia, and too many others to name. A lot of times, I’m
more attracted to songs than I am to artists. If “Utopia” by Goldfrapp or “The Light before We Land” by The
Delgados was on vinyl, I’d have worn them out by now. :) I usually listen to music while I’m writing, and I
often use movie soundtracks (“The Village”, “Gladiator”, “Beautiful Mind”) to keep the words flowing.
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?
I actually don’t have cable, because I find TV far too distracting. My favorite TV show, alas, was “Firefly”. I’
ve watched that one sad little season over and over again (and forced my friends to watch it, too, poor
souls). Lately, I’ve been watching a BBC show via Netflix called “Monarch of the Glen” which has been
hilarious.
There are many movies I watch over and over again—“Legend”, “Labyrinth”, “The Dark Crystal”, “Hero”,
“Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon”...The list goes on.
The most recent theatrical release I’ve seen is “Pan’s Labyrinth”.
You have the chance to give one piece of advice to your teen readers. What would it be?
Don’t ever let someone tell you can’t achieve your dreams. You can make them happen. They may not
happen when or how you want them to happen, but they can happen, if you’re willing to invest the effort
and weather the heartbreaks.
One last question. What stories can we look forward to from you in the future?
Besides the founding trilogy, I’m working on two more Hallowmere books, both of which are very exciting.
One of them, Daughter of the Marsh King, will recast the Hans Christian Andersen fairy tale in Civil War-era
Gullah culture in South Carolina and will even have a brush with New Orleans voodoo queen Marie Laveau.
There will also be a Hallowmere story called “Blackwater Baby” in an anthology due to be released from
Mirrorstone in 2008.
As far as future ideas, I have quite a few in the hopper. There’s the Asian-inspired dark fantasy I’ve been
working on these many years. There’s also an urban YA fantasy, tentatively titled Yama’s Dogs, about a
Chinese-American who has a run-in with the Lord of Death. There are many more, but I think these are a
good start!
Again, thanks so much for joining us at TeensReadToo.com!
Thanks for inviting me!
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?
I first knew that I wanted to be a writer when I was nine years old. I’d always loved books and when I realized
that real people actually told these stories, that books just didn’t magically appear, I knew that I wanted to
be one of those storytellers.
Can you tell us a little bit about your road to publishing?
I’ve published in poetry, nonfiction, and fiction, but I’ll focus on just the YA fiction here. I went to graduate
school for creative writing at the University of Montana with Shannon Hale (who won the Newbery Honor for
her book Princess Academy). Shannon and I both wanted to write fantasy, but were forbidden to do so in
graduate school because of the stigma against genre writing. One summer, we challenged each other to
write the fantasy novels we longed to write. What was funny was that we really thought we could write a
book in one summer and get it published well that fall! Many drafts (and a couple years) later, Shannon’s
novel became her first book, Goose Girl. My novel was part of a sprawling epic I had been working on since
I was 12 and which I’m still working on to this day. I had another idea, a recasting of a fairy tale I’d wanted to
write, and I’d just decided to get started when Shannon told me about Mirrorstone’s auditions for a new dark
fantasy series. Not long after that, Associate Editor Stacy Whitman and I began talking. I told her my idea,
she asked for a proposal, and so on. Six months later, Hallowmere was born.
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’s got Gothic reform schools, Confederate ghosts, vampiric fairies, and a curious main character who
never gives up. What’s not to like? (Hallowmere: In the Serpent's Coils and Hallowmere: By Venom's
Sweet Sting)
What, or who, has been the greatest inspiration for your stories?
My inspiration varies from tale to tale. For Hallowmere, my greatest inspiration was Hans Christian
Andersen’s fairytale, “The Marsh King’s Daughter”. I also drew heavily on memories of a best friend from
middle school and our obsession with L.M. Montgomery’s Emily books. (We always liked Emily better than
Anne, for some reason).
Let’s hear about your family, who I’m sure are thrilled to have a published author among them!
My family is an interesting blend. My father’s family (in which I have 11 aunts and uncles!) are of strong
Appalachian mountain stock. My mother hails from Wisconsin dairy country. (I’m an only child, so no
siblings. All the toys at Christmas were mine--yay!) They’ve always known I wanted to write, but I still don’t
think it’s sunken in that they will soon be able to go to a bookstore or library and see a book written by me
on the shelf. They’ll probably be much more excited when In the Serpent’s Coils debuts this fall! :)
Now for some fun facts. What’s your greatest comfort food?
I love Chinese steamed dumplings with black vinegar dipping sauce. I also love eating (and making) any
decadent dessert, especially when fruit is involved. I have a passion for chai tea, and usually drink at least
one cup a day during the winter.
What are the first three things you do when you wake up in the morning?
I usually am woken up by my dog River and four cats clamoring to go out/have breakfast. I take the dog out,
feed her, start the morning coffee, and then feed the cats. You can see who rules this household!
If I came to your house and looked in your closet/attic/basement, what’s the one thing that would surprise
me the most?
Probably my husband’s collection of ancient Chinese weapons. We practically have a feudal arsenal in our
attic, collected when my husband used to compete in wushu and kung fu in the US and China.
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?
I would be the color black. To me, it’s the color of beginning, the color where seeds are sown and ideas
form. It’s the color of depth and chaos and possibility, the color of the unknown. Words can be written there,
stars can be born, oceans can founder. Not to mention it’s pretty much the classiest color you can wear! :)
Also, just so you’re not dying of curiosity about which tree I’d be—a sycamore, definitely.
Who is your favorite cartoon character? Which cartoon character is most like you?
Though I’m really dating myself with this, I have to say that my favorite cartoon character is still Jason from
“Battle of the Planets” (also known as “Gatchaman”). I’ve been in love with that guy since I was 7! As far as
cartoon characters most like me, I’ve been often pegged as the cartoon character Daria from the
eponymous MTV show.
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?
If I could beam myself anywhere or anywhen, and (following the Prime Directive) blend in with the people, I
would want to be in China during the Tang dynasty—China’s golden age of culture, poetry, music, and art. I’
m fascinated by everything about that era. Experiencing it would be amazing.
So what’s your favorite type of music to listen to? Favorite musical artists? Do you listen to music while
you’re writing?
I love all kinds of music, but I most often listen to 80s and alternative/indie stuff. My absolute favorite artists
are Duran Duran, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Snow Patrol, Sia, and too many others to name. A lot of times, I’m
more attracted to songs than I am to artists. If “Utopia” by Goldfrapp or “The Light before We Land” by The
Delgados was on vinyl, I’d have worn them out by now. :) I usually listen to music while I’m writing, and I
often use movie soundtracks (“The Village”, “Gladiator”, “Beautiful Mind”) to keep the words flowing.
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?
I actually don’t have cable, because I find TV far too distracting. My favorite TV show, alas, was “Firefly”. I’
ve watched that one sad little season over and over again (and forced my friends to watch it, too, poor
souls). Lately, I’ve been watching a BBC show via Netflix called “Monarch of the Glen” which has been
hilarious.
There are many movies I watch over and over again—“Legend”, “Labyrinth”, “The Dark Crystal”, “Hero”,
“Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon”...The list goes on.
The most recent theatrical release I’ve seen is “Pan’s Labyrinth”.
You have the chance to give one piece of advice to your teen readers. What would it be?
Don’t ever let someone tell you can’t achieve your dreams. You can make them happen. They may not
happen when or how you want them to happen, but they can happen, if you’re willing to invest the effort
and weather the heartbreaks.
One last question. What stories can we look forward to from you in the future?
Besides the founding trilogy, I’m working on two more Hallowmere books, both of which are very exciting.
One of them, Daughter of the Marsh King, will recast the Hans Christian Andersen fairy tale in Civil War-era
Gullah culture in South Carolina and will even have a brush with New Orleans voodoo queen Marie Laveau.
There will also be a Hallowmere story called “Blackwater Baby” in an anthology due to be released from
Mirrorstone in 2008.
As far as future ideas, I have quite a few in the hopper. There’s the Asian-inspired dark fantasy I’ve been
working on these many years. There’s also an urban YA fantasy, tentatively titled Yama’s Dogs, about a
Chinese-American who has a run-in with the Lord of Death. There are many more, but I think these are a
good start!
Again, thanks so much for joining us at TeensReadToo.com!
Thanks for inviting me!
