Daniel Coleman is here today with an author interview courtesy of the Teen Book Scene blog tour for his book, Hatter. Thank you for being here today, Daniel! You can follow along with the tour here, or click through the banner. Enjoy!
Which do you like more, being a firefighter or a paramedic?
I think 95% of my colleagues would agree with me when I saw Firefighter. The adrenaline and multi-faceted challenge of dragging hundreds of pounds of water into a dark, fiery building are indescribable. I know it's clichéd, but I've never felt so alive.
That being said, my sweetest and most bitter experiences have come as a Paramedic. The 5-year-old girl who stopped breathing in my arms, but started right up again as soon as I intubated her. The 4-year-old who was teetering on the brink of a diabetic coma that I diagnosed after interviewing her Spanish-speaking mother. On the other side of the coin are the two kids in the back of a car that I had to pronounce dead in order to move on to their 6-year-old brother who was unconscious, but still breathing.
OK, that was a long, depressing answer. I'll pick up the pace and lighten up a bit.
Can you give us a description of Hatter in haiku?
How about one for each of the main characters? First the hatter:
Sanity? Madness?
Why must I always either
be happy or sane?
The other viewpoint character is Chism (pronounced with a 'ch' like challenge). Though he's only 15, he's one of the most skillful soldiers in the kingdom.
A sharp sword, sharp skills.
Vigilantly protecting
the Circle and Sword
(Yes, my haiku-writing skills do, in fact, suck.)
If you saw one of your main characters walking down the street, what would you say to them?
I think I would apologize for putting them through the ringer.
What would they say to you?
Besides "Get out of my head"? I think they would all have a different response:
The Hatter – I don't relish the greys and browns of life, but they make the scarlets, lavenders, and azures that much brighter.
Chism – Don't apologize to me. I drew the sword. I placed it. I'll accept the consequences.
Before you are two doors. One opens up to Hogwarts, the second to Narnia. Which door do you open and why?
It's hard to turn down Hogwarts, but as far as I know, I'm pure muggle. I'm in my 30's and the only magical feat I've ever accomplished was lodging a bean in my friend’s ear from 30 feet away.
In Narnia I could be a prince or a king; someone who could make a difference. I can relate more with Peter and Edmund than Harry or Ron.
If you could describe Hatter in song, what song would it be?
Just one song, huh? This might be the toughest of the blog tour so far. I'll go with People Are Strange, by The Doors. (I did an entire post on playlists for my characters last week. If anyone's interested, they can find it here.)
What one song could describe your view on life and/or the world?
I'm going to cheat on this one and give you a short list:
Stand By Me by Ben E. King
Jump Rope by Blue October
Lemonade by Chris Rice
Everything is Fine by Josh Turner (for your Country Music fans)
Feeling Good by Muse
Thank you for being here today, Daniel!
Thanks for inviting me! The questions really made me think. This is the final stop in my blog tour, so if anyone has any follow up questions, I'd be glad to answer them in the comments.
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There's nothing wrong with a touch of madness. - Cheshire Cat
In a kingdom that doesn't need saving, a young man ignorant of social norms is the unlikeliest of heroes. And despite his extreme dislike of confrontation, Hatta knows his destiny is to mend a rift that doesn't exist.
On the other end of the spectrum is Chism, a young Elite soldier who thrives on conflict. How will this rash, obsessive soldier aid the child-like Hatta in his journey?
Throw in the Cheshire Cat, Queen of Hearts and other familiar characters as they emerge to fill their eminent roles in the tangled ascent into madness of literature's most lovable lunatic.
Synopsis taken from goodreads.
