BLEEDING VIOLET: Interview with Hanna

So far on this blog I have interviewed many "fictional characters," including a mermaid, demon, werewolf, nymph and satyr. But, why stop there? I am pleased to announce that today I have with me, Hanna.

Hanna is the Main Character in Dia Reeve's novel, BLEEDING VIOLET. And since I'd like to share this book so much I am offering one lucky commenter a copy for their very own! Just be a follower, leave a comment and spread the word through Twitter or a mention on your own blog. I'll have my kids pick the lucky winner out of a hat and announce the results on Thursday.

A little about the book:

Love can be a dangerous thing....

Hanna simply wants to be loved. With a head plagued by hallucinations, a medicine cabinet full of pills, and a closet stuffed with frilly, violet dresses, Hanna's tired of being the outcast, the weird girl, the freak. So she runs away to Portero, Texas in search of a new home.

But Portero is a stranger town than Hanna expects. As she tries to make a place for herself, she discovers dark secrets that would terrify any normal soul. Good thing for Hanna, she's far from normal. As this crazy girl meets an even crazier town, only two things are certain: Anything can happen and no one is safe. (taken from Simon Schuster's website)

Now, lets begin:

Hanna, why don't you tell us a little about yourself for the readers that don't know you yet?

I'm biracial (Poppa is white and Finnish, and Momma is black and American). I like to make my own clothes and meet new people and travel. I'm manic-depressive--more manic than depressive, though. When I'm manic, I hallucinate and may occassionally bash people over the head, but what can I say? We've all got problems.

What made you first believe in the supernatural things that live in this world, when so many people just ignore their existence?

I started to believe when the people around me--people I trust like Momma and my boyfriend Wyatt--admitted to seeing things, too. Things like flesh-eating creatures and evil spirits. At this point I can't remember what it was like not to believe in the supernatural.

What's the strangest thing you've seen?

Where do I even start? The weirdest thing are these creatures called lure because they lure you to them so they can drain all the life from you. They live in window glass and are just so random they're really hard to explain to people who haven't seen them.

Is there anything you don't believe in?

I don't have the luxury of not believing in stuff. I live in such a strange town where anything is possible that it's important for me to keep my belief system flexible.

What's next for Dia?

Dia's next book, Slice of Cherry, comes out January 4, 2011. It's not a sequel to Bleeding Violet, though. It's a tale of two outcast sisters--daughters of a notorious serial killer--who decide to put their murderous genes, and latent powers, to good use by only killing people who deserve it. It takes place in Portero, the same as Bleeding Violet, and it has the same level of weirdness and romance, so never fear. :)

Finally, what's your favorite book?

My favorite book of all time is The Gunslinger by Stephen King. It's about this hardcase named Roland who has to track down a wizard who can tell him how to get to the Dark Tower, a place Roland has to go in order to keep the world from dying or "moving on" as he calls it. I would marry that book if I could, I love it so much. It's the first book in the Dark Tower series, and all the books are awesome, but The Gunslinger is the best.

Well, thank you Hanna for visiting today! And thank you Dia for letting her. I truly enjoyed reading the book and getting inside the head of a mentally ill individual. That for me, really made the voice sing. It isn't for the feint of heart, but I love a dark and edgy teen book. I can't wait to read Slice of Cherry!