Paperback Princess: Hook's Revenge Blog Tour Stop

I had the great pleasure of meeting Heidi at BEA this past spring and after I met her, I was so excited by her enthusiasm for the book and for the subject matter. She told us all about it and handed out tattoo's that said "Tick Tock" on them. I knew as I talked to her that my boyfriends little sister would love this book. She is absolutely obsessed with pirates and when we went on our cruise a few summer's ago, she sang the Pirate's of the Caribbean song hoping that Pirate's would descend on our ship.

Haven't heard of Hook's Revenge? Beside the fact that you should have heard of it already, you can find out more below! I had the pleasure of interviewing Heidi and you can read more about her inspiration and how she developed Jocelyn's Story.

Captain Hook's feisty daughter hits the high seas to avenge her father's death at the jaws of the Neverland crocodile in Heidi Schulz's spirited middle-grade debut.

Twelve-year-old Jocelyn dreams of becoming every bit as daring as her infamous father, Captain James Hook. Her grandfather, on the other hand, intends to see her starched and pressed into a fine society lady. When she's sent to Miss Eliza Crumb-Biddlecomb's Finishing School for Young Ladies, Jocelyn's hopes of following in her father's fearsome footsteps are lost in a heap of dance lessons, white gloves, and way too much pink.

So when Jocelyn receives a letter from her father challenging her to avenge his untimely demise at the jaws of the Neverland crocodile, she doesn't hesitate-here at last is the adventure she has been waiting for. But Jocelyn finds that being a pirate is a bit more difficult than she'd bargained for. As if attempting to defeat the Neverland's most fearsome beast isn't enough to deal with, she's tasked with captaining a crew of woefully untrained pirates, outwitting cannibals wild for English cuisine, and rescuing her best friend from a certain pack of lost children, not to mention that pesky Peter Pan who keeps barging in uninvited.

The crocodile's clock is always ticking in Heidi Schulz's debut novel, a story told by an irascible narrator who is both dazzlingly witty and sharp as a sword. Will Jocelyn find the courage to beat the incessant monster before time runs out?

What was the inspiration for Hook’s Revenge?

I have always loved Peter Pan. I remember watching the Disney movie as a kid and wishing that I could go to Neverland and that I could have a fairy of my own. It wasn't until I was a young adult, however, that I finally found my way to J.M. Barrie's original Peter and Wendy. It was completely charming.

A handful of years later, after my husband and I had a daughter, I chose it as the first longer-than-a-sitting book to read to her. If I was charmed, she was bewitched. She was not quite three years old, but that story took hold of her little imagination and held it tight. Peter Pan became both her imaginary friend and alter-ego for the next few years. We spent many hours in our own version of Neverland fighting "those nasty pirates” together.

One day, when she was about five, I came down with the flu. All I wanted to do was sleep, but I couldn't leave her to her own devices. So I made myself a little nest on the couch, put out some Goldfish crackers and juice boxes, and loaded a couple DVDs in the player: Hook and the live action 2003 Peter Pan.

While she watched, I drifted in and out of sleep, half-listening to the movies. When they ended I woke with a question in my head: What if Captain Hook had had a daughter?

I had a clear picture of Jocelyn—wild hair, mud on her hem, and wearing the too-large, iconic red jacket of Captain Hook. The girl pretty much demanded I tell her story.

What was your writing process like? Did you ever get writer’s block?

I meandered my way through most of a first draft, working in fits and starts, mainly for my own entertainment. I knew that Jocelyn would be attempting to avenge her father on the Neverland's crocodile, and I knew how I wanted the story to end, but that was about it. The rest, I made up as I went along.

Shortly before completing the draft, my family and I decided to move 3000 miles, back home to Oregon, in order to spend time with my ill father-in-law. Once we were settled I decided to begin homeschooling my daughter. Hook's Revenge began to gather dust.

I took me another five years before I felt I was ready to finish Jocelyn's story, and work with a serious eye toward publication.

I've certainly had difficult days writing, both with this book and on other projects, but I'm not sure I'd call that writer's block...maybe writer's crimp. If I keep at it, it will eventual straighten out.

Do you have any quirky habits or rituals you do when you write?

I live in Oregon, where it rains at least nine months out of the year. You would think I might tire of it, right?

Nope.

When I write, I almost always wear headphones so I can listen to rain sounds, complete with thunder and heavy winds—even when it is actually raining outside! I layer the sounds over any music I am listening to. It helps me block out any outside distractions and really focus.

Are there any characters you would have liked to write more about, but didn’t have the chance?

I was really intrigued with one of Jocelyn's pirate crew members, Dirty Bob. I felt like there was more to his story than I was able to tell in Hook's Revenge.

Lucky for me there will be a sequel...