Friday Feature: Mia Castile Interview

Really excited to present here an interview with debut author Mia Castile!

Mia's first novel, The Ocean, will be released on April 26th and having read the first chapter on her website I'm definitely looking forward to this one.

Many thanks to Mia for doing this interview.



When you close your eyes and imagine your readers, what do you see?

I see a variety of readers, young and old, boys and girls; boys who can relate to my lead male characters and maybe find some inspiration in them. Girls who realize they aren’t the only one who have those emotions, fears or dreams. I also envision Adults who might gain insight into what kids are going through these days.


I love the trailer for the Ocean! How important do you think an active web presence with things like trailers and Twitter feeds is these days for an author?

I think an active web presence is crucial for an author these days. I feel that if we as authors don’t take advantage of every opportunity to reach our audience, then we miss out on the big picture of why we do this to begin with. We write to inspire, and allow the reader to escape, we also write in the hope that the reader will care as much about our characters as we do. I would be heartbroken if my readers felt like they didn’t connect with me. Twitter and Facebook enable a closeness and realness that wasn’t there before.


It's a really sunny day, do you sit inside writing or sneak off and do something else? If you sneak off, what do you do?

I love sunny days. I would probably pack a tote bag, and go for a walk with the kids to our neighborhood park. I’d let them play while I either read a book, or worked on my laptop.


The playlist for The Ocean on your website is great - will we see a similar one for Generations? Did you listen to any of the same artists when writing both books?

For some reason Boys Like Girls always ends up on my playlists. Yes, you will see the playlist for Generations. There is always a playlist for the story I am working on, music is a big driving force for me. Generations’ playlist also features artist like Switchfoot and Augustana. I really enjoy that kind of music when I’m writing. I also look for Bands that aren’t as well known so there might be a few that you haven’t heard of that are indie.


What are you reading at the moment?

I am reading Am I right or Am I right by an Australian Author named Barry Jonsberg. It is laugh out loud witty and funny. You should definitely check it out if you’re in the mood for a light hearted read.


I know from your website you've lived in Indianapolis all your life - if you could move anywhere, where would it be?

This is a tough question. If I were to choose I would say someplace warm, winters here can be brutal, Someplace metropolis, and someplace where I could uproot my entire family, cousins and all, and take them with me. Do you know anyplace like that?


If you could ask any other author any question, what would you ask and who would you ask it to?

One of my favorite poems is Robert Frost’s The Road Not Taken. I would probably enjoy having a conversation with him about that poem. I’d love to ask him to describe the day and what was going on in his life that inspired that poem.


What's your favourite colour?

I have a rainbow of favorite colors. In order of favorites: Park bench Green, pale lavender, butter yellow, bright white, and crimson red.


Have you ever thought about collaborating with another author on a novel? If so, who would be your dream writing partner? (Alive or dead, I'm feeling generous!)

I am currently collaborating with my partner Kristina Caden from Entwined Publishing on a secret project that we are hoping to release later this year.


What's next for Mia Castile?

Generations will be released this fall. It will be my debut Paranormal Romance novel. I am also currently working on a project called Gods of Detroit; it is an Urban fantasy. It has been a lot of fun researching for this novel, and incorporating old folklore with a new twist.


Definitely sounds like one to look out for! Wishing you lots of success with The Ocean and Generations, can't wait to get my hands on them!