AUTHOR FEATURE: Heidi Renee Mason

About the author: Heidi Renee Mason always knew she would be an author. Heidi is passionate about writing, and writes fiction, as well as poetry. In her spare time, Heidi enjoys music, genealogy, all things Celtic, and chick flicks. A native of the Midwest, Heidi now resides in the Pacific Northwest with her husband and three daughters. Investigating the Heart is Heidi’s debut novel.

INTERVIEW

Describe yourself in five sentences: I am, above all, a wife and mother. I am a perfectionist. I am a strange mix of insane focus and laziness. I am genuinely kind. I have moments of insecurity far more often than I wish I did.

When did you know you were an author? I have always loved to write, and have been doing it for years. I had no problem calling myself a writer. However, even after the publication of my book, I had a hard time referring to myself as an “author.” At my first book signing, when people were standing in line waiting for me to sign their books, hoping to get a picture taken with me, I truly knew that I had earned the title.

Tell us about your writing/editing/publishing process: My writing process is sporadic. I home school my three daughters, so I write when I can fit it into my day. I work a lot out in my head before I ever write anything down. Of course, the characters have minds of their own and usually do what they want to anyway.

What is the best book you’ve ever read? That is a difficult one! There are so many books I love for many different reasons. If I had to choose one, though, I would have to go with Anne of Green Gables. That book represents a defining time in my life. As a young girl, I loved Anne and wanted to be like her. She was also a writer, so I felt like I had found a “kindred spirit” in her.

Hard/paperbacks or eBooks? I definitely prefer a paperback. I need to hold the book in my hands, and feel and smell the pages. Something about touching the book links me to the story in a way that an e-book just can’t do.

Salty or sweet? Both. I like sweet things mixed with salty, like chocolate chip cookies with walnuts or French fries dipped in ice cream.

Do you have any writing rituals? The only ritual I need for writing is coffee. I would like to be hooked up to a constant caffeine drip.

If you could met any other author, who would it be? I would love to meet Nicholas Sparks. He is my writing hero. The way he crafts his characters and storylines is magic. He draws you in and makes you laugh and cry with his characters. He makes you feel something.

At what time of day do you feel you work the best? I work best mid-afternoon to early evening. I guess I’m not a morning person or a night owl. I’m right in the middle.

What do you want people to take away from your books? I recently had a fan tell me that she wasn’t a reader, but picked up my book and finished it in one sitting because she couldn’t put it down. To me, that’s a great compliment. I want to make my readers feel something, to become connected and concerned for my characters. I want people to feel invested in the outcome of the story, and always want more.

Where do you see yourself in five years? In five years, I hope to have several more novels to my credit. I hope to be a bit more well-known and have readers anxiously awaiting my next book.

What are you working on right now? I am working on the sequel to Investigating the Heart. I also have started another completely unrelated novel with the working title of Hope Found.

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