Interview with Kevin Hopson, author of 'Broken Family'



Prior to hitting the fiction scene in 2009, Kevin Hopson was a freelance writer for several years, covering everything from finance to sports. His debut work, World of Ash, was released by MuseItUp Publishing in the fall of 2010. Kevin has released several other books through MuseItUp since then, and he has also been published in various magazines and anthology books. Kevin's writing covers many genres, including dark fiction and horror, science fiction, and crime fiction.

His latest book is the crime/mystery, Broken Family.

You can visit Kevin’s blog at www.kevin-hopson.blogspot.com.

Q: Welcome to The Writer's Life!  Now that your book has been published, we’d love to find out more about the process.  Can we begin by having you take us at the
beginning?  Where did you come up with the idea to write your book?

Prior to Broken Family, I had never written a straight-up crime/mystery story. The two crime fiction pieces I previously published both had a sci-fi element to them, and I wanted to do something different (and more realistic) this time around. One of my inspirations for the book was Craig Johnson’s Walt Longmire Mysteries series. However, the idea actually came from a movie description I read while scrolling through the cable guide on my television. I don’t recall the name of the movie, and the plot for Broken Family ended up being much different, but that’s where it started.

Q: How hard was it to write a book like this and do you have any tips that you could pass on which would make the journey easier for other writers?

Every book is a challenge, and this one was no different. I always spend a lot of time doing research for my books, especially when I’m not very knowledgeable on the subject, and that was probably the biggest hurdle I had for Broken Family. Some people write in their field of expertise, which eliminates a lot of the leg work. However, my background is in finance, and – unfortunately – the subject matter doesn’t excite me when it comes to possible storylines. As a result, I might suggest to others that they try to write in their field of expertise if they truly have a passion for it. Otherwise, pick a genre you really enjoy and do the necessary research to make your story as accurate as possible.  

Q: Who is your publisher and how did you find them or did you self-publish?

My publisher is MuseItUp Publishing, a Canadian company that puts out e-books and print books covering many genres. I came across MuseItUp back in 2010 when I was shopping around my first two stories. MuseItUp was a fledgling back then, but the company has grown significantly in the past four years.

Q: Is there anything that surprised you about getting your first book published?

I think the biggest surprise was just getting published. I labored at writing for a year or two before finally finding success, so it was a great accomplishment for me.

Q: What other books (if any) are you working on and when will they be published?

My young adult/dark fiction story, The Landfill, was just released by MuseItUp Publishing on April 4. Additionally, I recently signed a contract for a science fiction novella titled Shifting Alliances, which is scheduled for release this fall.

Q: What’s your favorite place to hang out online?

Probably Facebook. Though it can be a distraction, especially when I’m trying to write, it’s an important place to connect with friends, family, colleagues, and readers of mine.

Q: Finally, what message (if any) are you trying to get across with your book?

I don’t think there’s a message I’m trying to deliver with Broken Family. I might have an underlying message with some of my books, but my main focus is to entertain people and make the reader think.
  
Q: Thank you again for this interview!  Do you have any final words?

Thank you for having me. I encourage everyone to write whether they do it for a living or not. It’s great therapy for the soul!




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