♡abookandalattee♡: Interview with M. Lathan author of Hidden & Lost

abookandalattee’s Interview with M. Lathan author of Hidden (Book 1) and Lost (Book 2)

Tell us about your latest release.

In Book One, Christine/Leah learned and forgot a lot about herself. In book two, she has to learn to control her powers while her mysterious past continues to unfold … all while she is predicted to kill her new idol, Lydia Shaw. Wish her luck. It was a fun and exciting story to write. I love to see characters develop and Christine definitely does a lot of growing in this book. I hope you guys enjoy it!

What do you think you’re really good at?

This is lame, but clean well. My mother would tell me that as a child when no one wanted to their chores. She’d say, “No one washes dishes like you. Or no one dusts like you.” Eventually, I became a master at it. I am also a vicious Monopoly player. When the rules are thrown out of the window, I will win. Every single time.

What do you think you’re really bad at?

So many things! Mostly, I am the worst singer of all time. The problem is, I always have a song in my heart. And I swear I’m on the right key and my husband will beg me to stop singing. My favorite song to belt out is Falling by Florence and the Machine. The o-o-o-o-o part is my favorite and I butcher it every time.

Do you have any tattoos? Where? When did you get it/them? Where are they on your body?

Yes. I have four stars on my ankle. I got the first one when I was twenty with my best friend. A few months later, I went with my sorority sisters who thought having one star on your ankle was stupid. I had this huge design drawn up with swirls and clouds. I made it to three more stars before I ran out of the chair. It hurt so bad! I couldn’t finish and it is still not finished!

Is your life anything like it was two years ago?

No. Everything is different. I live in a different state, have a real job, got married, and got a guardian angel. Change is tough, but I’m adapting well.

Have you ever had an imaginary friend?

TONS! That was my thing as a child. And I remember them all. My favorite was a purple blob named Ubby. My mom made every one play along . I kind of miss ‘ole Ubby.

Do you have any phobias?

Yes. First, let me say I am easily startled so everything scares me. But I am seriously claustrophobic and I hate large crowds. I make one exception because I’m from Louisiana. Mardi Gras.

Any weird things you do when you’re alone?

So many. At some point of every day, I do the robot. Without fail. Or when I walk into a public bathroom and I’m alone, I usually do something odd in the mirror like a dance or a karate move. If someone comes in, I walk off and pretend to be a normal human.

What is your favorite quote and why?

Life is a song - sing it. Life is a game - play it. Life is a challenge - meet it. Life is a dream - realize it. Life is a sacrifice - offer it. Life is love - enjoy it.

Sai Baba

I like it because it’s simple and true. Life is not one thing, it’s several, and it takes action to actually enjoy it. You can’t sit back and watch it happen. It’s why I finally stopped writing for myself and decided to put my words out there.

Which mythological creature are you most like?

My favorite creature is the Unicorn, no question. I don’t know if I am like it, other than that I do feel odd and like a rare breed sometimes. Mostly, I’m just strange, not really special in any cool way. So my final answer is a strange and uncool unicorn.

What are four things you can’t live without?

Phone. Laptop. Wireless. Kindle Mobile App. There are many more, but I’ve gone a day without these things, and trust me, it wasn’t pretty.

What is your favorite television show?

Sex and the City! No question. I have every season!

What is the story of your first kiss?

Oh, God. Okay. 7^th grade. Ms. Calvary’s English. Truth or Dare game. I took the dare and kissed a boy in the back of class as she was teaching. Not my brightest moment.

What kind of music you like?

Everything. My itunes shuffle is so confused. One song could be Florence and the Machine, then Jeff Buckley, then Lil Wayne, then Ke$ha. If I can sing or rap along, I’m going to love it.

Do you like to dance?

Love to. Now, the question is, do other people like to see me dance. You’d have to ask them. To me, it doesn’t matter what it looks like, as long as you’re having fun.

Can you describe your dream home?

Easy. The main home in Book One. Classic Louisiana. Wood floors, ceiling fans, claw tubs, haunting noises. I picture this home with vines growing on the bricks outside, like it’s becoming a part of the lawn.

If you could be any character, from any literary work, who would you choose to be? Why?

Juliet. To be the symbol of love would be nuts. To me, most characters are based off of her in many books out there. I’d want to be the original love-struck girl.

What is the first curse word that comes to mind? How often and why do you use it?

F-bomb. And a lot. It saves so much time when you think about it. Those four letters mean so many different things such as “Where are my keys? Why did the dog pee on the carpet? When will this traffic clear up?” It’s really efficient to only have to say one word to define so many different feelings.

What is your least favorite word?

Ambulance. I can’t say it fast. I typically have to say emergency vehicle so I don’t sound like an idiot. For some reason, I want to put a P in that word that isn’t there.

What part of the writing process do you dread?

That part when you want to throw the computer at the wall. Mostly, editing and seeing how blind I am to too/to, there/their, and of/off errors. Then the part after I find those errors and delete the entire scene, add a new one, only to have those errors reincarnate themselves.

What is your favorite Joke?

Two muffins are in an oven. One muffin says, “it sure is hot in here.” The other muffin turns around slowly with terror in his eyes and says, “Ah! A talking muffin!”

I die laughing every time I think about that.

Where do you get your best ideas?

It’s weird, but I feel stories when I’m in a certain setting. Like if I go to an old house, I may think about the kind of person that lives there, their voice, their secrets and lies. I got the idea for Hidden in BIO lab in college years ago. The classroom made me want to write about a girl in one.

What are you working on right now?

Book Three of the Hidden Series, Shattered. It is dual POV Nate and Chris and my favorite so far. I am also working on character shorts and extras from other characters from Hidden that will be released on my website.