Interview with Ryan Hauge, author of Be Careful What You Joust For

What can you tell us about your new release, Be Careful What You Joust For?

Be Careful What You Joust For is an epic fantasy novel with a little something for everyone.  There’s a murder mystery, humor, romance, and of course, a joust.

What or who inspired you to become an author?

I’ve always loved creating stories.  When I was a kid, that took the shape of forcing my older brother to play D&D type games with me using my Lego collection for the character and scenery.  But one day after watching The Hobbit with Ivy and my mom, we all challenged each other to see who could write the best fantasy novel.  So we each wrote a fantasy novel.  My first one wasn’t very good, but at that point I knew I wanted to be an author.  Five years later, I teamed up with Ivy and wrote the best book ever: Be Careful What You Joust For.

Which books would we be surprised to find on your shelves?

My shelves are mostly filled with Harlan Coben, Michael Crichton, and David Baldacci hardbacks that my dad got eight copies of for Christmas (he can’t seem to wrap his head around the concept of separate lists).  My kindle, on the other hand, is filled with a million romance novels thanks to my wife, Ivy Smoak.

What’s your favorite thing about writing?

My favorite thing about writing this book was whenever Ivy finished a chapter and sent it to me for me to read, because her chapters were always the best.  Like when she created Nesta.

What is a typical day like for you?

Most days I wake up around 9, go to town on a bowl of delicious Cinnamon Chex, and then look for my pet squirrel Rat Tail to see if he wants to be fed.  But this morning we went out for a walk and found him dead in the street, so I guess that part of my day isn’t going to happen anymore. 🙁  After that, it really varies quite a bit.  Some days I have to do stuff for my toy company, BrickWarriors.  Other days I get to settle in and write.  Actually, if I’m being completely honest, recently I’ve just been obsessively refreshing the Amazon and Goodreads pages for Be Careful What You Joust For to watch the sales rank and read all the new reviews. It’s kind of unhealthy.

What advice would you give your teenage self?

Definitely to read more and start writing earlier.  It’s such a shame that schools have kids read garbage “classics” rather than helping them find a passion for a genre that they’re interested in.  If not for Harry Potter, I’m not sure I ever would have realized that reading could actually be enjoyable.

What scene in Be Careful What You Joust For was your favorite to write?

Anything with Nesta!  Actually…Ivy wrote about half of those scenes, so maybe I just really liked reading about Nesta.  Especially the scene with the muffins.

Do you have a motto, quote, or philosophy you live by?

Every day I try to get closer to finding my perfect day.  It’s so easy to get into bad habits like spending hours on facebook or just watching TV all day.  But I’ve found that I’m so much happier when the internet is off and I just get to read or write or draw.  Anything creative is so rewarding.

Ryan Hauge is the author of the new book Be Careful What You Joust For

Connect with Ryan:
 Author Page