Oldsoul Blog Tour: Interview with Dan Haring

Today I have been given the awesome opportunity to interview Dan Haring, author of the soon to be released novel Oldsoul.  I could sit here and ramble away, but I want you all to get to know this up and coming author.  So let's dive in!

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Dan Haring has been drawing and writing for most of his life. He earned his degree in animation from BYU and has worked on such films as The Incredible Hulk and Disney's Tangled. He lives in Southern California with his wife and children. 

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Hello Dan!  How are you today?

I'm doing great, thanks! I'm excited to be here.

And I am excited to have you here!
Tell my readers a little about yourself:

I'm originally from a very small town in Utah. I have a wife and four kids, and I work in animation, most recently on Arthur Christmas and Tangled.

What is your writing process?  Plotter… or pantser?

Oldsoul was very much pantsing. I had a few ideas about where I wanted to go, but no idea how to get there. I just wrote until it became clear. I didn't even know how Oldsoul was going to end until I wrote it. With my current WIP I've got a much more structured synopsis I'm working from. I think a mixture of the two is ideal. Have a good structure to start with, but don't be afraid to deviate from it if that's where the story leads.

Oldsoul is quite an interesting story.  Tell me, what sparked it?

Thank you. The term "old soul" has always been interesting to me, and I was thinking about what would make a person wise beyond their years. Well, if they had souls of people who had already lived and died inside them who were able to help them through life, that might be a contributing factor. That and I just wanted to see if I could write a book.

Do you see yourself at all in Jason? 

Little bits. He and I both like comic books, among other things. I lived in the Philadelphia area for a few years, so my experience definitely plays into parts of his personality. I tried not to put too much of myself in him though.

What trait of Jason’s would you most love to steal?

I don't want to give anything away, but I'd definitely want one of his special abilities.

What was the most exciting part of seeing Oldsoul come into being?

There were a few high points, but I have to say opening the box and pulling out the ARCs for the first time takes the cake. Holding an actual physical book that I'd written was an awesome feeling.

So what does Dan have in store for us in the future?  Any new stories on the horizon?

I'm currently working on a Middle Grade fantasy story that I can't really talk about. I'm also going to be working on a sequel to Oldsoul and maybe some other projects. And this fall you can see some of my daytime work if you go see the movie Hotel Transylvania.

Enough with the serious talk.  Let’s do a fun question: Skittles, M&Ms, or potato chips?

Wow. That's extremely tough. Are we talking plain potato chips? Are we throwing Cheetos into the mix? Plain or peanut M&Ms? Regular Skittles are definitely the best. I hate the tropical flavors. Okay, I'm rambling. Let's just say Cheetos, if they're a valid choice. If not, then I guess M&Ms.

If you were a superhero, what power would you have?

Ooh. Probably super speed/flight. Flying would definitely be cool, but you have to throw in the super speed otherwise it might be kind of boring. And it would be easy for the bad guys to get you.

What takes over your life when not writing?

My life is largely governed by my family and my day job. So it's more like when can I squeeze in some writing? I usually write late at night once everyone's in bed, because who needs sleep?

In one sentence, tell my readers why they should read Oldsoul:

It's a fun, fast-paced read with lots of action and unique characters. By the way I'm a horrible salesman, but hopefully people like like it!

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Thank you, Dan!  It was such a pleasure "meeting" you.
(And FYI... I love Cheetos too!  Mm...)

Check out the other stops on the Oldsoul Blog tour here.
And keep your eyes out for Oldsoul, set to be released April 24th.

Jason Gouvas doesn’t want to believe he has special abilities or that he's an Oldsoul-- a vessel for the souls of people who have passed away, but the dead girl in his mind can be very persuasive.

Her name is Erin, and through her Jason is able to access the knowledge and skills of the souls within him. And with a group of power-hungry immortals bent on destroying the Oldsouls and overthrowing humanity, he's going to need them all.  (Goodreads)