Addicted to Novels - YA Books and more... discussion

Sixteen-year-old Leah Grant has given up on being normal. She’d settle for stopping the voices in her head, intrusive visions of the future, and better odds of making it to her seventeenth birthday.

That’s the thing about pretending to be human in a world where magic used to exist – at any moment, her cover could be blown and she’ll be burned to death like the rest of the witches.

Everything changes when she loses control of her powers and flees the orphanage she grew up in. She desperately wants to be invisible but finds her face plastered on every news channel as humans panic over the possible resurgence of her kind. And now the hunters won’t give up until they find her.

Making friends for the first time in her life and falling in love with one of them drives her to discover why she is unlike any being she’s ever met – human or otherwise. The dangerous powers inside of her that would repel Nathan, her new, handsome reason for living, are priceless to some. The locked up forever kind of priceless. And to others, they are too dangerous to allow her to live.

Let’s hope she can stay hidden.

Who are you? Can you tell us a little bit about yourself?
Hi! I'm M. Lathan. I am a reader who happens to also love to write. I'm also a newlywed and proud puppy-Mom. My background is in Psychology, but I've been reading and writing most of my life. Hidden is the first book I was bold enough to release to the public.

What process in writing is hardest for you, whether it's first draft, rewriting, editing, or even the synopsis for publishers?
The hardest part is rewriting. I can crank out a first draft in a month or so, but after I go back and read it, I always always always hate it. My stories undergo massive revisions before I even get to the editing phase. It's hard saying goodbye to scenes I love but don't add to the story.

Do you have a specific writing style?
I think I'm a "go with the flow" kind of writer. I'll spit out words upon words until I get to the end. It isn't until the second draft that I become a vicious scene murderer, doing heavy planning and plotting, and of course ... killing.

While you were writing, did you ever feel as if you were one of the characters?
All the time, and not just the main character. Christine has some interesting people in her life. Getting inside of their heads tells me how Christine should react to them, which helps me choose her actions, the words she will say, and the thoughts she will have. I enjoy thinking from the enemy's perspective. I like the sinister sides of things, I guess.

What are 4 things you never leave home without ?
My phone (I will drive back to get it), my husband's credit card (so I don't have to use my own), an umbrella, and gum (preferably juicy fruit)!

What’s your favorite place in the entire world?
Puerto Rico! I went there on my honeymoon and I can't wait to go back. A little piece of heaven on earth for half the price of other islands.

Have you ever considered anyone as a mentor?
My mommy. She was the smartest woman I knew. Now she's up in heaven, still guiding my steps.

Will you have a new book coming out soon?
YES!! Lost, Book Two of the Hidden Series, will be out this summer.

Where can we find your books?
Hidden (Book One of the Hidden Series) is available FREE on Smashwords, Kobo, and Apple ibookstore. It is .99 on Amazon because they don't allow free listings anymore. It is also available in print through Createspace.
Links:
webiste: www.mlathan.com

Smashwords: https://www.smashwords.com/books/view...

Kobo: http://www.kobobooks.com/ebook/Hidden...

Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Hidden-Series-e...

If you could leave your readers with one bit of wisdom, what would you want it to be?
Do what you love. Whether it is reading or writing or some other awesome thing. That is what makes life enjoyable.