Guest Blogger PK Hrezo

My guest blogger is a wonderful woman.  PK works a job, raises a family, and yet finds time to write YA fiction.  I have read some of her works, and she is quite the writer.  Her stories are interesting.  I don't read much YA, but I've never forgotten what I've read of hers.  This makes her a great writer in my mind.
So, here is PK.

1.      You write YA genre.  What types of stories do you like to write?

 I write YA and MG both. I've written some adult stories as well, and am open to any genre for fear of limiting myself or my creativity. I'm focused on kid lit tho, because it opens up a world of possibilities. I'm a sucker for fantasy and sci-fi, and writing it for kids gives me a bigger leeway for imagination. Adults' belief is harder to suspend. But I also just love kids and am still attached to the stories I read as a kid. There's something magical about the way a story you read as a child stays with you for life.

2.  Having your career, has that helped you develop characters and places?

Oh yes! As an international airline agent, I've been around the world and I've talked with peeps from all walks of life and all kinds of cultures. I'm very open minded. People always fascinate me--whether it be at the local DMV or in a holy temple on the other side of the world. I try to apply that in my characters. As for actual places, it helps having knowledge first hand on them because I can consult with my memory of these places. But these days with the vast information available on the internet, you can take a virtual tour of a city or read a Wikipedia post for the basics and leave the rest to your imagination.

3.  What is your goal in writing YA?

My goals in writing for teens is to entertain and enlighten. I know a lot of people don't care for "message" stories, and I don't think every story should have a message. But when writing for young minds that are so impressionable, I think it'd be a shame not to touch on some subjects just because they may be sensitive. Being a Sagittarius, I believe there is a lesson in everything, and as long as an author doesn't preach about it in a story, it'd be a waste not to put the characters through it.

4.  Tell us about your novel 'F.L.O.A.T.'?

FLOAT is about Sterling Rose, an eighteen year old girl who's running away from her hometown in search of anonymity. She had a mean prank played on her by the resident bully girls and she's struggling to build up her self-esteem. Her story is set in Houston International airport where she meets a cast of quirky characters who show her what real friendship is. Sterling reinvents herself and has some romance with a stranded Australian, but the self-esteem she's looking for comes in the most unlikeliest of places.

FLOAT is available as an eBook through Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and Smashwords (links found on the FLOAT homepage.) It's Sterling's story, and although I wrote it, I'm not marketing it as an author trying to make money. All proceeds from FLOAT go to help fund the pro self-esteem mission, encouraging teens to discover true self-esteem and to stick up for each other. As FLOAT's founder and spokesperson, I encourage you to post a FLOAT balloon on your own blog with a link to our website and/or Facebook page. Help spread the word that teens don't have to go it alone. Support is out there and there is a list of helpful anti-bullying sites on the FLOAT homepage. The FLOAT mission can be promoted in your own school or community. 

5.  You are involved in helping young people develop good self-esteem.  Tell us ways you do this.

The FLOAT motto is this: Life doesn't always turn out the way we want, but if we focus our attention on how we can help other people, it has a way of working out. That's the gist of it. The FLOAT website has ways you can instill self-esteem and encourage it in others. And the FLOAT mission is a not-for-profit campaign available to everyone and anyone who wishes to promote it in their own communities. Right now it's an internet word of mouth campaign, but as it grows, I hope to promote it locally as well. We at FLOAT welcome anyone who would like to be an active part of this mission.

Aside from FLOAT, you can find me at my blog at PK HREZO -My Fiction Addiction- where I blog about fiction, writing, life, and whatever else comes up. I write fantasy, sci-fi, thriller, contemporary, and always have a dash of romance included. I'm seeking representation for my stories, but am not ruling out self-pubbing in the future. FLOAT is a project all it's own, but I'm hoping to find a good home for my other stories.

Thanks so much for having me here, Donna! Peace and love to all your readers. :)

FLOAT website: http://floatforteens.org/

FLOAT Facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/pages/FLOAT/160826343935912

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MY BLOG: http://pk-hrezo.blogspot.com/

PK, thank you so much for guest blogging.  Everyone, please click 'like' on Facebook for FLOAT.

LHR