Ask the Author: H.L. Carpenter
Answered Questions (12)
H.L. Carpenter
Thanks for asking, Oseyiza! We generally do the planning stages together and then work on individual parts of our stories in our separate studios. We have learned to not make changes during the initial writing and to let the story sit for a while to "cool off" before we edit.
H.L. Carpenter
The fires started while we slept.
And we woke to a world with no books.
And we woke to a world with no books.
H.L. Carpenter
Our favorite fictional couple is the pair of Siamese cats in "The Cat Who" series. We've shared Carpenter Country with meezers, and we know how special they are. We miss our guys!
H.L. Carpenter
Our stories are suitable for omni-locational reading. :)
Seriously, we love to read so much we are happy to read anywhere, and so we figure other readers are also delighted to have a few free minutes and a good book at hand, wherever they happen to be when that fortuitous event takes place.
If you're lucky enough to be reading, you're lucky enough.
Seriously, we love to read so much we are happy to read anywhere, and so we figure other readers are also delighted to have a few free minutes and a good book at hand, wherever they happen to be when that fortuitous event takes place.
If you're lucky enough to be reading, you're lucky enough.
H.L. Carpenter
Thanks for the questions, Gina! We love talking about The SkyHorse. :)
Tovi explains her name best, in this interview she did for a blog.
You have an unusual name. Would you like to tell us about it?
I guess. It’s a boy’s name, and means goodness or kindness, not that I’m any of those things. I mean, I’m not especially good or kind, and I’m sure not a boy. But that’s okay. My dad’s first and middle names were Tobias Vincent. Mom combined them and named me after him.
As far as the language of Sor, we’re very interested in the etymology of words, that is, where they come from. We based the words Aire uses on words with Indo-European roots because those suited the time and place of her heritage and background. Dictionaries are a very good tool for finding out the source of a word. Next time you look up a word in a dictionary, check for the word’s history. It’s usually in parenthesis at the beginning or the end of the definition.
Tovi explains her name best, in this interview she did for a blog.
You have an unusual name. Would you like to tell us about it?
I guess. It’s a boy’s name, and means goodness or kindness, not that I’m any of those things. I mean, I’m not especially good or kind, and I’m sure not a boy. But that’s okay. My dad’s first and middle names were Tobias Vincent. Mom combined them and named me after him.
As far as the language of Sor, we’re very interested in the etymology of words, that is, where they come from. We based the words Aire uses on words with Indo-European roots because those suited the time and place of her heritage and background. Dictionaries are a very good tool for finding out the source of a word. Next time you look up a word in a dictionary, check for the word’s history. It’s usually in parenthesis at the beginning or the end of the definition.
H.L. Carpenter
Thanks for the question and the compliment, Gina!
HL Carpenter sprang into life in a galaxy far, far away, when the once-warring worlds of Mother and Daughter signed a peace treaty. Under the terms of the treaty, these two former foes joined forces to create fine works of fiction—and soon discovered great cooperation begets great storytelling strength. Of course, like any fictional superhero, HL has a weakness...and, like any fictional superhero, she’s not going to reveal it.
HL Carpenter sprang into life in a galaxy far, far away, when the once-warring worlds of Mother and Daughter signed a peace treaty. Under the terms of the treaty, these two former foes joined forces to create fine works of fiction—and soon discovered great cooperation begets great storytelling strength. Of course, like any fictional superhero, HL has a weakness...and, like any fictional superhero, she’s not going to reveal it.
H.L. Carpenter
Well...The SkyHorse is not our most recent book, but we really like the answer we gave to this question.
This is what we said:
Suppose...and suppose that a wild little Horse of Magic
Came cantering out of the sky.
Those opening lines from the poem by Walter de la Mare might have been the genesis for our young adult novel, The SkyHorse. It’s the perfect starting point for a book about a flying horse, isn't it?
Or maybe the SkyHorse, who arrives in our heroine’s life on the wings of a butterfly wish, flew into our imagination from Longfellow’s poem, “Pegasus in Pound.” A steed from whose hoofmarks flow a pure bright fount...that sounds like our Zephyr.
Could the idea of a magical SkyHorse who hatches from an egg have soared into life from the snippet of verse clipped from an advertisement? My chicken hatched five eggs and one of them was a lobster named Ralph.
Perhaps the story emerged from something other than pretty poetry, like the sad and scary news article of a teen who died while playing the Choking Game. And what about less tragic but no less emotional tales of the desperate desire to fit in?
First-hand experience of the love of and for a horse might have been inspiration, too, along with the never-forgotten chill of spider legs skittering across bare skin, and the whispers and shadows of a deserted wood in the dark of a moonless night.
The truth is, inspiration for The SkyHorse came from all those sources, and more. The fat yellow folder labeled “Tovi/Zephyr-The SkyHorse” bulges with clippings. The computer file labeled “Tovi_Zephyr_The_SkyHorse” stores megabytes of the fodder required to nurture a growing story.
There are legends, myths, jpegs of majestic horses, articles about the wonder of the geological mystery of the Earth’s core, and scientific research explaining the origins of sinkholes. There are name lists, intriguing phrases, house layouts, school policies and bus procedures.
Both the fantastical and the mundane laid a trail for us to follow. Like hoof prints on a sandy path, each guided us to the Land of Supposition.
Suppose...and suppose a small flying horse tumbles from an egg and into the heart of an astonished girl.
We did, and The SkyHorse came cantering into our world.
This is what we said:
Suppose...and suppose that a wild little Horse of Magic
Came cantering out of the sky.
Those opening lines from the poem by Walter de la Mare might have been the genesis for our young adult novel, The SkyHorse. It’s the perfect starting point for a book about a flying horse, isn't it?
Or maybe the SkyHorse, who arrives in our heroine’s life on the wings of a butterfly wish, flew into our imagination from Longfellow’s poem, “Pegasus in Pound.” A steed from whose hoofmarks flow a pure bright fount...that sounds like our Zephyr.
Could the idea of a magical SkyHorse who hatches from an egg have soared into life from the snippet of verse clipped from an advertisement? My chicken hatched five eggs and one of them was a lobster named Ralph.
Perhaps the story emerged from something other than pretty poetry, like the sad and scary news article of a teen who died while playing the Choking Game. And what about less tragic but no less emotional tales of the desperate desire to fit in?
First-hand experience of the love of and for a horse might have been inspiration, too, along with the never-forgotten chill of spider legs skittering across bare skin, and the whispers and shadows of a deserted wood in the dark of a moonless night.
The truth is, inspiration for The SkyHorse came from all those sources, and more. The fat yellow folder labeled “Tovi/Zephyr-The SkyHorse” bulges with clippings. The computer file labeled “Tovi_Zephyr_The_SkyHorse” stores megabytes of the fodder required to nurture a growing story.
There are legends, myths, jpegs of majestic horses, articles about the wonder of the geological mystery of the Earth’s core, and scientific research explaining the origins of sinkholes. There are name lists, intriguing phrases, house layouts, school policies and bus procedures.
Both the fantastical and the mundane laid a trail for us to follow. Like hoof prints on a sandy path, each guided us to the Land of Supposition.
Suppose...and suppose a small flying horse tumbles from an egg and into the heart of an astonished girl.
We did, and The SkyHorse came cantering into our world.
H.L. Carpenter
We shop at the Idea Store. What? You don't know where that is?
Well, okay, so it doesn't exist.
Here's the real answer: We rely on overheard snippets of conversation, an interesting place, great words, something we've read, seen, heard, or dreamt.
Well, okay, so it doesn't exist.
Here's the real answer: We rely on overheard snippets of conversation, an interesting place, great words, something we've read, seen, heard, or dreamt.
H.L. Carpenter
Our latest release is a cozy mystery.
A Cause for Murder features Emma Twiggs, a septuagenarian sleuth. Emma thinks her neighbor’s death was an accident—until her friend Arnie says he suspects murder. Arnie is convinced he knows the killer’s identity. He wants Emma to prove it. Is Arnie right? And is he right in his belief that Emma’s best friend is the killer’s next target? As Emma navigates madcap mayhem, multiple mysteries, and murderous motives, she discovers that more than one person is hiding deadly secrets. The question is, who has a cause for murder?
We’re trying out a new launch venue with this book. A Cause for Murder is entered in the initial roll out of the Amazon Kindle Scout program. This is a crowd-sourcing concept—that is, authors post their book covers and excerpts, and readers nominate the ones they like. The nominated books are in the running for a publishing contract. If the book gets a contract, the readers who nominated the book get a free copy.
A Cause for Murder features Emma Twiggs, a septuagenarian sleuth. Emma thinks her neighbor’s death was an accident—until her friend Arnie says he suspects murder. Arnie is convinced he knows the killer’s identity. He wants Emma to prove it. Is Arnie right? And is he right in his belief that Emma’s best friend is the killer’s next target? As Emma navigates madcap mayhem, multiple mysteries, and murderous motives, she discovers that more than one person is hiding deadly secrets. The question is, who has a cause for murder?
We’re trying out a new launch venue with this book. A Cause for Murder is entered in the initial roll out of the Amazon Kindle Scout program. This is a crowd-sourcing concept—that is, authors post their book covers and excerpts, and readers nominate the ones they like. The nominated books are in the running for a publishing contract. If the book gets a contract, the readers who nominated the book get a free copy.
H.L. Carpenter
Write. Learn. Read. Write. Write. Write some more.
Or you can try the Neil Gaiman way. http://publicationlife.com/neil-gaima...
Or you can try the Neil Gaiman way. http://publicationlife.com/neil-gaima...
H.L. Carpenter
Making up entire worlds that operate just the way you want them to.
If you've ever said, "When I am queen of the world, I'll..."
Well that's what you get to be when you're an author...queen of the world!
You deserve the title right? Of course you do. Now wear your crown responsibly. :)
If you've ever said, "When I am queen of the world, I'll..."
Well that's what you get to be when you're an author...queen of the world!
You deserve the title right? Of course you do. Now wear your crown responsibly. :)
H.L. Carpenter
We're very lucky because having a partner eliminates the difficulty of getting stuck. There's always someone to discuss the story with!
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