21 Questions with... Rhonda Hayter

Rhonda Hayter
The Witchy Worries of Abbie Adams

April 1, 2010
Dial Books

I like to start out my days with a laugh. Soo… What makes you literally LOL?
We have a little dog named Kitty who comes pounding through her doggy door every morning and leaping onto our bed in a frenzy of excitement every time she pees outside. I guess you’re probably supposed to stop giving them treats after they’re finally house-trained, but it’s too funny to give up.

Has anything AMAZING happened to you as a writer? (Other than getting published?)
How about getting my manuscript sold again, after my first publisher closed their doors... and Harcourt made me an offer ...and then again because my editor left Harcourt and went to Penguin...which finally published me. Ouch, wait a minute... the book isn’t actually in stores till April 1st, so I guess anything still can happen.

How about something EMBARASSING?
Nothing too embarrassing so far, it’s only my first book. But rest assured, I’ll embarrass myself yet.

How did you celebrate getting published?
My husband took us out to dinner and then he had the waiter bring over a bottle of champagne and say that it was from J.K. Rowling because she was such a big fan of mine. And unlike many jokes, which lose their impact the second time you hear them, the bottle that came from J.K. after the next publisher bought me was just as happily received. Maybe even more.

What/Who inspired you to become a writer?
Gee, I had a jillion inspirations but I think the way my parents used to reread my letters out loud and die laughing all over again (Slightly biased? Certainly not.) was an early affirmation that I could write if I wanted to.

If not an author, what would you have been?
Well actually I was an actress but if you can believe it, and I hope you’re sitting down when you read this...it’s actually even harder to get paid for being an actress than it is to make a living as a writer.

Can you in any way relate your life to your book title, The Witchy Worries of Abbie Adams?
I suppose I might have been a bit of a worrier as a kid, and so I gave poor Abbie the same flaw.

so unfair for abby. =)

How did you decide on the name, Abbie Adams for the protagonist of The Witchy Worries of Abbie Adams?
It’s funny, it was almost a subconscious thing. Witches made me think of Salem...which made me think of colonial America...and then the name Abigail Adams just floated up in my head.

Nice Crucible reference. We just read that this year.

The Witchy Worries of Abbie Adams brings Sabrina the Teenage Witch to mind, especially the cat. Was Sabrina part of the inspiration behind Abbie?
I’ve never actually seen Sabrina the Teenage Witch and don’t know anything about it—but way at the back of my mind, I must confess there may be a trace of residual Bewitched from when I was a kid.

What's your guilty pleasure?
An obsession with Internet Scrabble. Sometimes it’s hard for me to get anything done..uh..wait a sec...let me just exchange this v and this c here...and I’ll..

=) it has to be one of my favorite board games.

What is your favorite piece of clothing in your closet right now?
It’s not in my closet...I’m happy to say it’s on me, and it’s a big thick cozy hoodie with a zipper.

What could you eat all day long and never grow tired of?
I’m a milk chocolate gal and I don’t eat it all day, but sadly I do eat it every day. I’ve gotten snobbier about it as I’ve gotten older though and only eat good quality stuff. That’s gotta count for something.

What’s your favorite fairytale? Have you ever thought of re-doing it?
I think I’ve always loved the Ugly Duckling story the best and I don’t think of rewriting it but I do have an idea for a little novel that expresses a similar message. I’m too busy with Abbie right now to write it though.

When you get stuck writing, how do you unglue yourself?
Tragically I’m in the throes of that with some revisions I’m doing but as soon as I get unstuck I’ll let you know how I did it.

What’s something you can’t live without?
There are three somethings, my husband and my two sons. And…oh okay..alright…I admit it. Internet Scrabble. I’ve tried, I swear I’ve tried to give it up.

Write a mnemonic, using your last name, which describes you.
Hmm. Happy… Agnostic…Younger once…Trying to get toned…Education-minded…Reasonably disciplined.

Is there any moment in your life you’d like to relive?
Yes, my wedding and I’m planning to do it too, on our twenty-fifth anniversary.

awww. i want a wedding too. lol

What’s a random fact about you?
From first to sixth grade, I lived in Labrador in Northern Canada, where it was routinely twenty or thirty degrees below zero.

and i bet you miss it too... not really.

Do you have any words of wisdom?
Not everybody subscribes to this because people have writing critique groups that they show works in progress to, but for me when I’m in the middle of writing something, there’s one rule…which is that nobody can look at it unless they’re prepared to tell me it’s absolutely brilliant. I highly advise it for writers. Otherwise you’re criticizing yourself while you’re still in the invention stage …and that’s when your feelings are all tender and vulnerable and need to be protected. I tried a writing group once and it stopped me in my tracks. I still haven’t revisited the material I was working on, because my inner critic now savages it.

Now it’s time we put things in reverse. Do you have a question for me?
Was it scary starting a blog? Were you afraid no one would visit it?
I was really nervous, but excited cause it was something I had thought about doing for a while. I barely had any visitors at first, but that's just a right of passage so it was okay. I'm pretty much happy with how it turned out inthe end, but there's always roomfor improvement.

I guess i never sent question number 21. oops!


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Thanks for being here with us today Rhonda!

Be sure to keep an eye on Rhonda and Abbie Adams. She sounds like lots of fun, both of them.
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