Wonderland Character Interview: Bill & Kenny

16/02/2021 / Dani Hoots Author / Leave a comment

Actors I envisioned:

Kenny: David Tennant

Bill: John Barrowman

Kenny & Bill Q&A

Q1: Tell us a little bit about yourselves

K1: Oh oh! I used to be a Knave and worked for the Queen of Hearts, but then I stole some tarts, and was almost executed by Malcolm. Instead, he took me under his wing, and I got to live with him in the Dark Forest! We have been best friends ever since!

B1: I have always been a knight or soldier for the kingdoms. I pledge my loyalty to whoever is ruling. I got to know Malcolm when he was the Executioner, but we didn’t really bond until after the Dream Kingdom came to be.

Q2: How long have you two been together?

K2: Malcolm introduced us and it was love at first sight! It was after the fall of the Red and White Kingdoms

B2: *pats Kenny’s leg* It was a few years after that before I warmed up to Kenny. It was definitely not love at first sight. Kenny is kind of… strange….

K2: *pouts* I thought you liked that about me

B2: *kisses his cheek* now I do.

Q3: Favorite date?

K3: Stargazing under the night sky is always fun. Or maybe dinner and a play. Oh! Taking a stroll through the Flower District!

B3: Anywhere not full of people as keeping Kenny from getting distracted is quite hard.

Q4: Favorite foods?

K4: Tarts!

B4: Pasta

Q5: What are your zodiac signs?

K5: Gemini!

B5: Aries

Q6: Favorite animal?

K6: Penguin!

B6: *turns to Kenny* We don’t have penguins in Wonderland

K6: But they were so cute at the zoo! Waddling around on their tiny feet.

B6: I will have to go with a bear

K6: There aren’t bears in Wonderland either!

B6: You started it.

Q7: Favorite colors?

K7: Red!

B7: Blue

Q8: On a typical day, what would you find in your pockets?

K8: *puts hand in pocket* Let’s see, I have some mushrooms here, candy, half eaten granola bars, I cool beetle I found, a rock, my handy spork, notes… wait I was supposed to give this to Malcolm last week…

B8: I decline to answer

Q9: Do you two have any hobbies?

K9: Exploring! And gardening

B9: Sword fighting and cooking

Q10: Did you know the first Alice well?

K10: Not particularly. This Alice is a lot more friendly and likes to talk and get to know everyone

B10: She even puts up with Kenny. But he is right, she is a lot less shy and is perfect for Wonderland

Q11: What is it like being a figment of Dani’s imagination?

Both11: Scary like Malcolm

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Wonderland Chronicles Character Interview: Melvin and Davis

14/02/202114/02/2021 / Dani Hoots Author / Leave a comment

Actors I envisioned:

Melvin: Lorn Macdonald

Davis: Joshua Rush

Melvin (March Hare) & Davis (Dormouse) Q&A

Q1: Tell us a little about yourselves

M1: Well, I want to start off by saying I am not a bunny, but a hare which is completely different. Let’s see… I have been a part of Wonderland as long a Malcolm has. He and I go way back and I would do anything for him.

D1: I came along a while after Melvin and Malcolm, but was able to join up with them. Then we got sent to the Dark Forest, but that wasn’t fun. We got to drink all the tea and eat all the sweets we wanted, and then some. I spent most of the time drinking calming tea…

Q2: What are your favorite colors?

M2: Orange

D2: Uhhhh blue! No wait, yellow. Final answer.

Q3: Favorite animal?

Both3: Anything but cats.

Q4: Favorite foods?

M4: Carrot cake

D4: cheese!

Q5: Zodiac sign?

M5: Sagittarius

D5: Cancer

Q6: On a typical day, what would be in both of your pockets?

M6: Let’s see… a pen, some notes, a pocket knife, a compass, and matches.

D6:…. Some cheese….

M6: That’s disgusting

Q7: What hobbies do you two have?

M7: Well, I knit, but I haven’t had time. And sew most of our outfits

Everyone by Malcolm: wait, what?

Malcolm: I needed someone to patch up our clothes in the Dark Forest

D7: *still shocked he didn’t know something about Melvin* Well, I enjoy card games and board games

M7: but he’s a sore loser

D7: take that back!

Q8: Favorite flowers?

M8: Tulip

D8: Daisy

Q9: Favorite subject in school?

M9: Math is quite interesting

D9: Anything but biology…

Q10: Favorite flavor tea Malcolm has made you?

M10: his signature blend is really nice. I also like Earl Grey

D10: I agree. I also like his sleepy tea, but always hated when he experimented on us… one tea gave me really weird dreams

M10: yeah he did that a lot in the Dark Forest

Q11: What is it like being a figment of Dani’s imagination?

Both11: Scary like Malcolm

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Wonderland Chronicles Character Interview: Chase

13/02/202113/02/2021 / Dani Hoots Author / Leave a comment

What actor I envisioned: William Franklyn-Miller

Chase “Cheshire Cat” Q&A

Q1: Tell us a little about yourself

A1: Uh… I guess I should say I am your friendly Cheshire Cat that can teleport anywhere I have been in Wonderland and in Alice’s world. I love causing trouble, because it always makes me laugh. I also enjoy dancing with Alice at Tippy Toe Dance Studios

Q2: Favorite animal?

A2: *Grins widely* cats are the best, obviously!

Q3: Seems you also take dance with Alice. What is your favorite type of music?

A3: I really enjoy the punk rock Alice introduced me too, but I also have a love for softer music like Melanie Martinez and folk music such as SJ Tucker and Marian Call.

Q4: Since it seems Alice has introduced you to a lot of her hobbies, do you read manga or watch anime? If so, what is your favorite Alice has shown you?

A4: Yes! I love Yuri on Ice, as it really shows passion and pushing yourself to be better. I also enjoyed Fruits Basket, especially Kyo…

Q5: Favorite color?

A5: Purple. *points at hair* obviously

Q6: Do you dye your hair? Or at least able to pick what hair color you have?

A6: I can! *hair changes to green* but I usually don’t as I love purple.

Q7: What is your zodiac sign?

A7: Leo lol

Q8: Why are you so obsessed with Alice?

A8: *blushes* because she is Alice! And she’s nice and kind and fun to hang around. What kind of question is this?

Q9: Favorite food?

A9: Tuna!

Q10: On a typical day, what can you find in your pockets?

A10: Uh… *pulls pockets inside out* nothing haha I never come prepared.

Q11: What is it like being a figment of Dani’s imagination?

A11: Fun! She is so random, just like me!

Trapped in Wonderland Excerpt

12/02/202112/02/2021 / Dani Hoots Author / Leave a comment

Chapter One

I was falling

Or at least I thought I was falling. It didn’t feel like gravity pulling me down and down, but more like something decided it wanted to sweep me off my feet and I sort of was floating and not going in any particular direction. It was like in ballet when one of the guys would pick me up real fast—sometimes for the routine, sometimes because they wanted to scare the crap out of me. I hated when they did that. I couldn’t decide if it was going to make me hurl, or if my stomach was in fact in my throat.

The problem was, it wasn’t stopping. At all. Not only that, but there were spiraling colors shooting out every which way in the abyss I currently found myself in. At least they were pretty though, mainly soft colors versus the neon colors that a main character would expect in such a situation. Yes, I watched a lot of anime and sci-fi. Don’t judge me. Anyway, I made a mental note to paint them later. That is, if I survived.

Oh, I should probably introduce myself. I’m Alice Hughes, or at least that was the name I went by. My real name was Meredith, but I always went by my middle name. Can you blame me? Regardless, I’m a freshman at East Salem High School. Go Hunting Owls! At first I thought an owl was stupid for a mascot, but an owl actually attacked a bunch of people in the park in downtown Salem, Oregon. I now appreciated, and feared, owls.

You may be wondering how I got into this mess, how I was falling (and falling and falling), and why I couldn’t stop. Honestly, I had no idea and was wondering the same thing. All I could remember was running out of the school, excited as it was a pleasant autumn day as I needed to bike to ballet and practice my splits. Then Kate, my best friend since grade school, asked me if I remembered my ballet shoes from my locker (wasn’t the first time I had forgotten them). I slammed my palm to my face and hurried back into the school…

Continue reading →

Wonderland Chronicles Character Interview: Malcolm

11/02/2021 / Dani Hoots Author / Leave a comment

What Actor I envisioned: Ian Somerhalder

Malcolm “Mad Hatter” Q&A

Q1. Tell us a little about yourself

A1: There isn’t much to tell. I protect Wonderland and the Dream Kingdom by any means necessary and when I’m not doing that, I am drinking tea. Actually, I will drink tea while protecting Wonderland too.

Q2: What is your favorite flavor tea?

A2: I special blend I made of black teas, berries, green tea, and roses.

Q3: Favorite color?

A3: Green and orange

Q4: What was it like living in the Dark Forest?

A4: Nothing spectacular. I got used to it. I feel at home there because no one bothers me and I can drink all the tea I want without someone judging me.

Q5: What is in your pocket on a normal day?

A5: Tea bags, pocketknife, some loose change, more tea, and some sweets.

Q6: What is your zodiac sign?

A6: Capricorn

Q7: Favorite animal?

A7: Anything other than a cat.

Q8: Favorite era of Wonderland?

A8: Current is peaceful and nice, but I do have to admit I miss some of the fun that was trying to stay on the Queen of Hearts’ good side.

Q9: Wisest words that your mentor Howard gave you?

A9: Learn from your past and move forward. Don’t let the past slow you down in becoming who you want to be. Just because you did some things that were wrong doesn’t mean you can’t become better.

Q10: Favorite flower?

A10: Besides tea plant, I would have to say hydrangeas.

Q11: What is it like being a figment of Dani’s imagination?

A11: Feels like the Dark Forest, so kind of nice and a little like home.

Wonderland Chronicles Author Interview

09/02/2021 / Dani Hoots Author / Leave a comment

Q1: First, tell us a bit about yourself

A1: I am a self-pub author of over a dozen books. I mainly write YA fantasy that is inspired by mythology, folklore, and fairytales. I also write sci-fi and write darker, more adult sci-fi under the pen name Lyra Thorsson. I have been publishing for over seven years now. I have learned a lot in the past couple of years, started rebranding, updating covers, and learning a lot more about marketing. I am also an herbalist and sell teas, and write for HerbClips through the American Botanical Council. In my “spare” time, I draw, play piano, and study German and Japanese.

Q2: What inspired you to write a story based on Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland?

A2: I loved reading and watching different takes on the original story, and then suddenly characters popped in my brain and wouldn’t shut up until I wrote them out. My biggest inspiration was anime and manga adaptations, as they are so beautiful and unique.

Q3: What made you have Alice be from Salem, Oregon?

A3: That is where I grew up! East Salem High School isn’t a real high school… but it pretty much is Salem Academy for layout of where it is and what they school looked like. Only one of the teachers was based on an actual teacher that taught there, but I won’t say who. He doesn’t make an appearance, but is referred to. SAC alumni will know who it is. I also used a few businesses I frequented, and anyone who was actually in it I received permission to use them. I need to remember to send them a copy of the book…

Q4: Did you base Alice on anyone you knew? Or is it yourself?

A4: I am a lot like her, or she is a lot like me, but I have found while writing that I write a part of myself in each character. Except Sebastien Wilde in my Honor Trilogy, just for the record. But for Alice, I based her on a lot of artists I know, what they have gone through growing up, and just the crap they receive on a daily bases about being an artist. This story was for them.

Q5: Are you Team Malcolm or Team Chase?

A5: I can’t say without spoiling anything! I love them both though… For different reasons. I can’t choose!

Q6: What is the writing process like for you?

A6: Well, I am a plotter. I usually have a very brief outline, like one sentence per chapter. Then I write a rough draft, which will be like ¼ the length of the book. I get feedback from a content editor on the plot to make sure it makes sense, then I add to it through a couple of drafts and send it to a different editor for new eyes. Then more editing, then my husband edits! I have to admit, though, a lot of my writing is me sitting around and letting my characters go crazy. I tell them where they need to go, but they figure out the path, not me…

Q7: Was there anything you were going to put in the book but edited out of it?

A7: Yes! There was going to be a death, but I just couldn’t do it. I didn’t feel it would be necessary and it made me too sad. I did change that character a bit and realized that it wasn’t worth it. No, I took what that character was going to be like, added him to a different book, and killed him there to move that plot. Then I changed them a bit in Wonderland and didn’t hill them. I also figured out how to move the story a different way, so it all worked out.

Q8: What is your writer Kryptonite?

A8: I need to write better descriptions… I am getting better at it. Also word count… I’m always short of what I want, but I also like reading shorter fiction so I can read more books, so I tell myself my books are for them.

Q9: Is there anything we should be looking forward to in regard to Wonderland?

A9: Yes! The amazing VA Deneen Melody is working on the audiobook as we speak! You will get to see sneak peaks later this week or next week!

Q10: Last question! What are you working on next?

A10: So much stuff! First I am finishing up my Last of the Gargoyles Trilogy, my Honor Trilogy (under Lyra Thorsson), and Queen of the Underworld (sequel to Daughter of Hades). After that, I am thinking about an academy series that has to do with the occult and takes place in Port Townsend, WA. I don’t have too much done for that yet, but it’s been in the back of my head for a while! Be sure to follow me and subscribe to my newsletter to stay up to date!

Confession #5: Wonderland

12/03/201425/03/2014 / Dani Hoots Author / Leave a comment

I love Alice in Wonderland!

The quirkiness, the hidden mockery, the not-so-hidden mockery, the curiosity, the adventure, it’s truly a wonderful story. I love a lot of the remakes and spin-offs, especially syfy channel’s Alice and QuinRose’s Alice in the Country of Hearts.

Mad Hatter is definitely my favorite character, especially in the spin-off’s I mentioned above. He’s quirky, and mad (of course) and you just don’t know exactly what he’s going to do.

I love the strangeness behind it all, how anything is possible and nothing is what it seems. That is why I love Simon Green’s Nightside Series, with his stories, anything is possible and you never know what’s going to happen. Same with Wonderland, you don’t know what’s in your future, or is it just a dream? I’m currently working on a novel that is inspired and based off of Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland, and hope to get it published one day. I have a lot of fun thinking of strange things to happen, and then have to go back and make them stranger. There are no boundaries and that is why I love writing science fiction and fantasy.

Last Halloween I threw a Alice in Wonderland Murder Mystery Party. I downloaded the story off of http://www.printablemysterygames.com/?page_id=26 and put it all together. I decorated my patio, made tea snacks and had a bunch of tea (of course) a long with miss-matched cups and saucers that I found on etsy. Everyone had a blast and I have included pictures below. I was Alice since I was the host and my husband was the Mad Hatter. I let everyone have their own take on their character and let them have fun with it.

I always try to find some new take on Alice and am currently reading Splintered by AG Howard. I just started it (like on the first page) so I don’t quite know where she is going with it but I will probably enjoy it. If there is anything you think I should check out, please comment and let me know.

We’re all mad here,

Dani