Thursday, September 15

Hey guys, welcome to our #Hangout session for today.

Joining us is Wattpad Star and Featured author, Bella_Higgin, author of When Darkness Falls, Quarantine and Belle Morte, all of which have ranked within the Top 10 of their respective genres.

Thanks so much for taking time off your busy schedule to hangout with the Gang. I'm sure many folks out there would love to know 'Who is Bella Higgin?'
I'm a British author obsessed with reading and writing. When I'm not off in some fictional world I can be found rescuing sick or stray animals. I'm a Trekkie, a Supernatural addict, and I adore rock music, especially the legendary Alice Cooper. If you have sharp eyes, you can spot me in the music video for Malefice's track V from the album of the same name.

You have 6 published stories on your profile, 4 of which have been quite a success with lovers of vampires. How'd your adventure with vampires begin?
I suppose my love of vampires began when I read Dracula as a kid. My copy included colour illustrations, and I became fascinated with the idea of these pale, beautiful, but deadly creatures. I started studying vampire myth and legend, reading into the original creatures of folklore and how they evolved into the 'modern' idea of the vampire. The more I knew about vampires, the more I wanted to write my own stories about them.

Belle Morte seems to currently being updated, what's this book about?

It's been ten years since vampires came out of the coffin, and now they are the world's greatest, most-talked about celebrities, living in lavish mansions and feeding on the blood of live-in donors.

Renie Mayfield is a new donor, assigned to the most famous vampire House - Belle Morte. Unlike the other donors, Renie isn't here for fame and fortune, and she doesn't care about getting close to the vampires.Months ago, her sister disappeared in this House, and Renie wants to know why.

But Renie is unprepared for Edmond Dantès, the smouldering, seductive vampire who turns her blood to fire. The last thing Renie wants is to fall for a man she can never have, but she cannot ignore the sizzling chemistry that she and Edmond share.

The more time Renie spends inside Belle Morte, the deeper she is sucked into the decadent, sensuous vampire world, and as she pursues the truth about her sister, the closer she comes to uncovering Belle Morte's secrets. The closer she comes to losing either her heart or her humanity...

What led up to the story?
My previous vampire stories - both the ones published on Wattpad and the ones I wrote as a kid - revolved around humans not knowing about vampires, and I started thinking about what would happen if humans did know about them. Considering the love affair that books and films have with vampires, I decided to build a world in which vampires were the ultimate celebrities.

Some writers love the rich the smell of coffee at a cafe, others prefer the cozy feel of their bed. What's your writing area like?
I generally do all my writing at my desk, which can lead to it getting very cluttered, especially when I'm in the planning stages of a new book. I can - and often do - read anywhere, but I try and keep all my writing in one place.

Just like Samuel Johnson says, "The greatest part of a writer's time is spent in reading, in order to write..." What's your reading habit like? What've you been reading lately?
I try to read for about half an hour in the morning, and half an hour to an hour at night. If I'm writing a first draft, I usually take a break every thousand words or so and read a couple of chapters of whatever book I'm on. I'm currently reading All of the Above by James Dawson, but if anyone is interested in the other books I've read this year, they can find my reading list on Goodreads.

https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/15055756.Bella_Higgin

Mind to share something personal about you which people may be surprised to know?
I used to have pet vegetables. When I was a kid, I wanted my own pet but my mum decided I was too young, so I decided to make my own pet - by drawing a face and a bow-tie onto a runner-bean. Bertie the Bean became my pet and my friend, and he ended up going everywhere with me. Whenever I took my bike out, I would tie him to the front in a little rope safety harness so he could go everywhere with me.Unfortunately, while out on the bike one day, Bertie met with a sudden and unfortunate end when he was decapitated by his own harness. I don't think anyone has ever grieved for a vegetable the way I did when I lost my pet bean. Once I was over Bertie's 'death' I adopted a corn on the cob named Colin. Needless to say, I was a strange kid!

You happen to be amongst the selected author who has participated in the promotional campaign for the movie adaptation of the bestselling The 5th Wave. What was the experience like? What was the inspiration for the story you wrote?
Writing promotional material for The 5th Wave film was absolutely amazing. When I first got the email from Wattpad HQ, I was convinced that it was a scam rather than a genuine opportunity, and I spent sat least an hour double-checking every single aspect of it to make sure it was legit.Once I realised it was, I was literally bouncing off the walls.

My story, Red Death, is set prior to the start of The 5th Wave, during the 3rdWave of the alien attack, and follows a pair of sisters as they struggle to survive the horrifying blood plague. I was specifically assigned to write about this Wave of the attacks, which suited me as it was the one that interested me the most from the books.

Rounding up, what are your ambitions for your writing?
To do it forever. Ever since I could hold a pen, I knew that writing stories was all I wanted to do with my life.

Thank you for taking the time to interview me :)
-Glad you could #Hangout with us.