Behind the Scenes of Heart Breaths

Behind the Scenes gives you a closer look at the process of writing a manuscript. This edition features KK Hendin and her manuscript, Heart Breaths. KK Hendin’s real life ambition is to become a pink fluffy unicorn who dances with rainbows. But the schooling for that is all sorts of complicated, so until that gets sorted out, she’ll just write. Preferably things with angst and love. And things that require chocolate. She spends way too much time on Twitter (@kkhendin), and rambles on occasion over at her blog.

Inspiration for Heart Breaths:

"The idea for Heart Breaths came from a whole bunch of places. I had the original idea a long time before I wrote it. After I had finished my last manuscript, I planned on writing this one. And then I stumbled on the Reddit thread talking about creepy things kids said to parents, and one of the comments someone made just kind of made the proverbial light bulb go on over my head that took the story to a whole different level. And added a couple of characters. And added lots more angst, which is always a good thing.

The Outer Banks, NC was a huge source of inspiration for Heart Breaths. I was there last January, and ever since I stepped foot on that empty, windy beach, I've wanted to write a book set there. It's a beautiful place, and it seems like the perfect place to try to get your life together again. The history of OBX is interwoven in the story - I'm a huge history nerd. Huge. History, to me, always has a funny way of helping you understand what you're going through by looking at what happened to other people, and that's reflected in the book.

And coffee. Always coffee."

About Heart Breaths:

"Heart Breaths is a new adult contemporary. 21-year-old Maddie is on the run, trying to forget her past, and Eno, North Carolina looks like the perfect place to do that. What she doesn't count on is a group of friends who become her new family, a single dad with a past of his own, and his adorable daughter who's more connected to Maddie than any of them could have expected. Heart Breaths will be published in November, and you can add it to Goodreads."

A piece of KK Hendin’s writing process:

"I think the most important part of my writing process is being in the right mood. I can write from pretty much anywhere (although I somehow keep on ending up back on my bed) as long as I'm in the right mood for the story. I have a playlist for each book I write. Some people have songs on their playlists that reflect the characters, but mine are to get me in the right kind of mood to write the book. I'm a huge believer in people being able to trick themselves into getting into the mood for whatever they want to do, and blathered about it on my blog. It's sometimes hard to transition into the mood for your book, and having music to get you there has been an absolute lifesaver."