20 Questions with a Hot-Mess Panther

I was tagged by author Sarah McNeal to answer 20 questions about me and my work as an author. Read on at your own peril .

 

1.) What is your Author name? 

Tanya Hanson, and for YA, Anya Novikov.

2.) First book: The Outlaw's Woman. (It's awful. I'm much better now.)

3. What is your publiversary? 

2003. (The publisher is now defunct, but hey, they made me a real NYC published author. Thanks, Dorchester!)

4.) What is your favorite book you've written thus far:  No can do. That's like asking a mom who's your favorite child lol! 

5.) What book took you the longest to write? 

I actually write very fast. Under pressure--possibly my latest, Outlaw Heart.

6.) How long did it take me...Three months but I was beset with a family crisis during it.

7.) What kind of music (If any) do you listen to you when writing. None.

8.) Who is you favorite character from any of your books?  Not fair lol. But maybe Ahab Perkins. He's the hottie yet damaged leader of the outlaw gang that rides roughshod through a bunch of my historical westerns. I decided he needed a story of redemption all his own. In "Outlaw in Love" he finds his soul. And the love of a good woman. A nun! (Not really--she's in disguise.)

9.) What are you currently working on? 

Something very different for me--a love story set in World War 2. I'm kinda using my parents as inspiration. As yet, it's untitled--there's an angel...

10.) Do you have anything you snack on while you write? No. A cup of coffee, though. Or three or four...

11.) What is your favorite quote or line from one of your books? 

"Pop, don't turn your back on me." (Okay, not really but the only thing I could think of because I wrote it just yesterday.)

12.) Are you a self-published or traditional published author? Traditional publisher. Like Sarah, I don’t think I’ve got the where-withal to self-publish.

13.) What is your favorite writing inspiration...book, TV, movie etc. Two favorite books-Little Women by LMA, and the oldie but oh-so-goodie Willing Hostage by Marlys Milhiser.

14.) What genre do you write? 

Western romance generally. Some Salem time travel. 

15.) Do you have any writing rituals? No. I'm not just a pantser, I'm a hot mess of a pantser. (Auto correct first had that as "Panther." Now, that would be soooo cool!).

16.) Do you have a specific place you write or time?  Yes. My very own office that used to be my son's bedroom. As soon as he graduated from college, I told him he couldn't come back home lol.

17.) Do you have any advice for aspiring writers? 

Yes. Read Little Women twenty thousand times and Google your pen name. I did not, and now share cyberspace with a porn star. Seriously-join RWA.

18.) What are your writing goals? 

Someday I'd like to write the Great American Horror Story and base it on whack job relatives. Oh, there are so many.

19.) What authors inspire you and your writing?  

I mentioned the two biggies before...I love too many western romance authors to list but for a true-life novel, I am in love with "Doc" by Mary Doria Russell. (Kinda in love with John Henry Holliday himself...)

20.) What will be you next release? 

Witchy Woman, which is part of Octoberfest at Cobblestone Press. It's more New Adult than anything, fun and sensitive at the same time.

 

My short story Her Holiday Husband will release soon. Is t she lovely? 

 

Tanya Writes About ANYA NOVIKOV's Black Dog, White Dog!

Yay, it's Release Day! Black Dog, White Dog, my first-ever middle grade story, is part of a great anthology My Dog Can Do Magic. Me? Who's Anya then? Well, my pen name for my stories for the young and young at heart!

http://tinyurl.com/pcfymet

Feddie Harper, almost 12, has survived the death of his beloved black Lab. Volunteering at the nearby horse rescue helps him find a life-saving dog...in more ways than one. Add a touch of Chumash history and legend, and well, his summer turns out pretty good! Will he and Helene have more adventures? I think so!  

Excerpt: 

Mom taught third grade at his school. Luckily, Feddie had never had to enroll in her class. Oh, he knew she was a cool teacher, but what did you call your mom if she was your teacher? Mom? Mrs. Harper?

“Which reminds me...” she started off again.

Feddie’s heart thumped. He read her mind, too

“Your summer book list. Have you started?” She definitely tossed him a classroom glare.

“Mo-om. School’s been out, like, an hour.”

“More than a week now. And you have six books to read for your reading journal.”

Buh-ruther.

“Thing is...you know Mrs. Wegner from school, don’t you?”

“Mom.” He rolled his eyes. “It’s a small school. Know. I know everybody.” Then he ground his teeth. If she thought for one second to get him a tutor he’d..

.

“Well, she’s a volunteer at the local horse rescue.”

Horse rescue? Feddie perked up at that. Like McKnight’s ears had when he heard something. Horses were almost as cool as dogs. “So?”

“Well, I thought that was something you and I could do to pass the time. There’s an orientation meeting this afternoon.

“All right.” Anything to postpone the reading list.

“Thing is...volunteers under twelve aren’t allowed in the stalls.”

“I’ll be twelve in September!”

“It doesn’t matter. You aren’t twelve yet. Anyway, I want to muck to get some exercise. There’s a reading program where kids read to the horses. You could do that while I clean stalls.”

“What? Read to the horses?” Well, it wasn’t that weird of an idea. He’d done his homework with McKnight his whole life.

“Yes. That way, the horses get acquainted with the next generation of volunteers. And with you having a list of books to read, it just seems fortuitous.”

Another big word. She did it all the time. He grumped out loud. “English, Mom.”