Ten Terrifying Questions with Hannah Whitten!

Hannah Whitten has been writing to amuse herself since she could hold a pen, and sometime in high school, she figured out that what amused her might also amuse others. When she’s not writing, she’s reading, making music or attempting to bake. She lives in Tennessee with her husband and children in a house ruled by a temperamental cat.

Today, Hannah Whitten, to celebrate the recent release of For the Throne (the sequel to her debut fantasy novel, For the Wolf), is here to take on our Ten Terrifying Questions! Read on …

Hannah Whitten

1. To begin with, why don’t you tell us a little bit about yourself – where were you born? Raised? Schooled?

I was born in Alabama in the US, raised mostly in Tennessee, and schooled in a mix between the two!

2. What did you want to be when you were twelve, eighteen and thirty? And why?

When I was twelve, I thought I was going to be an English teacher, mostly because my mom was a teacher and I liked English, so it was an easy answer. At eighteen, I actually entered school for nursing—no idea why, really, other than I had to pick something and wanted it to be helpful. It became clear pretty quickly that nursing wasn’t a good fit for me, since I am ridiculously bad at math. I’m thirty now, and lucky enough to be doing exactly what I want to be!

3. What strongly held belief did you have at eighteen that you don’t have now?

SO many—shout out to religious deconstruction! A less-heavy but relevant answer would be that I no longer believe anyone has everything right all of the time.

4. What are three works of art – this could be a book, painting, piece of music, film, etc – that influenced your development as a writer?

Lisey’s Story by Stephen King, the old Disney Sleeping Beauty film, and Buffy the Vampire Slayer.

5. Considering the many artistic forms out there, what appeals to you about writing a novel?

I’ve been a huge reader since I was a kid, and writing, for me, stemmed naturally from that—it’s always been about telling myself a story I want to hear and couldn’t find elsewhere. I didn’t really choose writing consciously, it feels more like a spill over of who I am as a person, what I want to say, and the way I can most effectively do that. Also, I’m a terrible artist, hard as I try!

6. Please tell us about your latest book!

For the Throne is the sequel to For the Wolf, following Red’s sister Neve as she travels the Shadowlands with a fallen god-king trying to keep monsters from rising and taking over her world. It’s like a workplace drama, if your workplace was hell and you were trying to murder your former co-workers.

I’m also working on The Foxglove King, which is the first in the Nightshade Crown trilogy, coming out in March of next year! It follows Lore, who can raise the dead, as she tries to navigate a hostile royal court where she can’t trust anyone. It’s a completely new world than the Wilderwood books, and very different in tone, and I’m having so much fun with it.

7. What do you hope people take away with them after reading your work?

I want my work to leave people with hope. I want it to give you the feeling that nothing is ever wasted, that no time is ever too late, and that you are worthy and loved with all your flaws. And, obviously, I want them to have a great time!

8. Who do you most admire in the writing world and why?

There’s so many, but I think R.F. Kuang, who wrote the Poppy War trilogy, is absolutely amazing and I can’t wait to see the incredible things she goes on to do. I’m also in awe of N.K. Jemison’s work, every book of hers is a masterpiece.

9. Many artists set themselves very ambitious goals. What are yours?

I try to keep my goals limited to things I can actually control, so right now my goal is to keep publishing at least one book a year, maybe two, and to try writing in different genres. I have so many ideas and things that interest me, and if I get a chance to try them all, that’s the best success I can ask for.

10. Do you have any advice for aspiring writers?

Be your own target audience.

Thank you for playing!

—For the Throne by Hannah Whitten (Hachette Australia) is out now.

For the Throne

The Wilderwood Duology: Book 2

by Hannah Whitten

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