Interview with Author Kathie del Hierro!

Hey Readers!


Today, we have a special interview for you! The other day, we sat down with author, Kathie del Hierro, who is also the beloved art teacher at our school! K. del Hierro has written two books and is working on her third. She wrote Day of the Fifteenth Party, which is the first of her Psycho Psychic series. She also has another book, Riding Pluto, which is mainly aimed at elementary readers. 


Q: Did you always know you wanted to be an author?
A: No, I started playing piano and was composing by age thirteen, I loved horses and doodling. I started writing little short stories by age fourteen-fifteen and I haven't looked up since. 
Q: What do you think about the characters?
A: I think that characters are everything in a book.
Q: What would you recommend for writer's block?
A: I can't say I have really gotten writer's block, ideas always come to me. But if I had to give some advice, I would say go out and do something not related to writing, and then come back. Sometimes doing something completely out of your comfort zone will help, too. 
Q: We heard that you designed your books...
A: Yes, because I am an art teacher, I do all of the art and photography for my books. 
Q: Who inspires you to write?
A: Day of the Fifteenth Party is inspired by one of my first students, Frank. He moved to Texas from Mexico and he was having trouble adjusting to the new environment. He was really smart, although not all of his teacher's saw his talent. I took him in like one of my kids and helped him. 
Q: What do you like most about your books?
A: I love all of the action and humor. There is always something exciting happening. Some of my favorite characters are the two cousins, who always seem to find trouble.
Q: If your books became really popular, would you be willing to quit your job as an art teacher?
A: I have thought about this and at this point, I really don't know. I love my job so much, but right now I will just have to wait and see.
Q: How do you get your ideas?
A: Life experiences, trouble always seems to be "sitting next to me", I am very observant, I learn a lot through my travels, and I'm not afraid to talk to people. I feel like I have the mind of a reporter, and I got my keen observation skills from my dad. Overall, I am a very visual person.


Fun Facts:
-Dominoes are a big part of Day of the Fifteenth Party.
-While Riding Pluto is mainly for kids, Day of the Fifteenth Party is rated PG-13.
- Sixteen pages of Day of the Fifteenth Party are in Spanish/English.
- Her books are action-packed, have comedy and sensitive material, and are based on real life situations.


Kathie del Hierro's Links!

• Her Biography: http://www.amazon.com/K.-del-Hierro/e/B006IZAC1S/ref=sr_ntt_srch_lnk_1?qid=1330816091&sr=8-1
• Buy Day of the Fifteenth Party: http://www.amazon.com/Day-15th-Party-Quince-Años/dp/0615597556/ref=ntt_at_ep_dpt_1 
• Buy Riding Pluto: http://www.amazon.com/Riding-Polluto-K-del-Hierro/dp/1467993379/ref=ntt_at_ep_dpt_2
• Find her on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Kathie.del.Hierro
• Twitter: http://fr.twitter.com/#!/KdelHierro1
• Youtube: http://www.youtube.com/user/kathie011 
• Google Plus: https://plus.google.com/113827551228925572252/posts
• Westlake Picayune Interview: http://westlakepicayune.com/2012/02/22/reading-between-the-lines/
• Website: https://sites.google.com/site/kdelhierro/ 

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