When I read Amy Hatvany’s novel, Best Kept Secret, the characters resonated with me in such a way that I thought about them for days. Emily Giffin said it, "Grabs you from page one and doesn’t let you go,” and she’s spot on in her review. So I was thrilled that she made time to stop by the blog and doubly thrilled  about her new novel, Outside the Lines, which will be released February 2012. It follows the tale of Eden, and when she was ten years old she found her father, David, bleeding on the bathroom floor. The suicide attempt led to her parents’ divorce, and David all but vanished from Eden’s life. Twenty years later and she rarely hears from her father. She knows that he’s been living on the streets and struggling with mental illness, but lately there has been no word at all. After a series of failed romantic relationships and a health scare from her mother, Eden decides it’s time to find her father, to forgive him at last, and move forward with her own life. Eden must come to terms with her true emotions, the secrets her mother has kept from her, and the painful question of whether her father, after all these years, even wants to be found.

I loved your novel Best Kept Secret! I normally read books just for pure entertainment, but your book left me thinking about how we treat mothers today and how harsh we judge ourselves and other women. Was that your intention?

Thank you so much! And yes, absolutely, that was my intent. Society holds women to such impossible standards, and then, when we can’t reach them, we are abhorrently hard on ourselves. I also think when we judge other women – or other people in general – it creates distance and disconnection. I wanted to write a story exploring that dynamic, and how one woman falls victim to an unhealthy coping mechanism during a particularly difficult time in her life. The book deals specifically with alcoholism, but really, there are so many other ways women try to cope, and for fear of facing the judgment of others, keep it hidden. I say let’s talk about the issues behind why we reach for certain behaviors to drown our pain out.

I struggle with flashbacks, and description when writing, yet you do it flawlessly. What do you struggle with when writing?

Oh, wow. Thank you. I struggle with flashbacks, too! Attempting to make it appear seamless is an effort that takes multiple revisions. I also struggle with structure, balancing plot with internal character development. I’m more fascinated with what goes on inside the characters that what goes on around them, and I have to remind myself time and again that readers need both in order to stay engaged with the story.

Do you believe in having a critique group or partner? If so, how has it changed your writing?

I’m really not much of a group joiner, though I do have a couple of literary friends whom I bounce ideas off of and who read my WIP when I need feedback (or reassurance that it’s any good to begin with!) I think learning to take constructive criticism is fundamentally important as a writer, and having just a few people you can really trust with the soul you’ve poured onto the page, knowing their only intent is to help you make your work better, is priceless.

You took time off after writing your second book. Were you afraid to venture back into the ever-changing publishing world again?

Terrified, is more like it! When I began writing BEST KEPT SECRET, I felt shaky and unsure. I told myself I wasn’t writing to get it published, I was writing because I felt strongly about the story. It was a long process, but I am very happy with how it turned out and truly thrilled to have found a new home with Atria Books. They are phenomenal.

You write a lot about families, in fact your new book is about a woman searching for her father. How much research was involved—any trips to homeless shelters?

I actually have a good friend who heads up a program that works with many people in the homeless population, and I was honored to begin helping with a weekly meal. (I became the “Brownie Lady” for the mocha fudge treats I’d bring them!) I learned so much from these people; how there are many ways to live a life, and countless reasons why we end up on the paths we do. Much of my experience there is reflected in OUTSIDE THE LINES.

You’re on Twitter and Facebook, how important would you say social networking is to a writer’s career?

In today’s market, I would say it’s vital. I would amend that, though, by adding that any networking has to be smart, personal, and not constantly trying to sell another copy of your book. There are better practices out there, but I think the most important one is to be yourself.

What’s your writing process like? Do you set a word count goal to hit each day? Are you an outliner or a pantser?

It varies by the book. Sometimes I can get a general idea and just start writing. Others, I need to have a more formalized structure in place. But overall, I’d say I’m more a pantser than an outliner. I like my characters to surprise me.

Now let’s talk hair! Do you style your hair yourself, or do you visit a salon regularly? What’s your go-to hairstyle?

I finally have found a wonderful stylist who was trained in Ouidad, which is a specific process to cut curly hair. The best part about the cut is that you can go longer in between visits, so I only hit the salon 4 or 5 times a year. My go-to hairstyle is definitely casual, curly messy. Just-got-out-of-bed-hair, my husband calls it, which he loves, so bonus for me not having to work too hard on it every day. I’m really not high maintenance, so once it’s dry, I’m pretty much good to go after about five minutes of fussing with it.

Which celebrity would you swap hair with?

Oh, boy. That’s a big question! I love Beyoncé’s hair, when it’s all wild and enormous on the stage. (I’ve got lots of curl, but it’s fine and volume-challenged.)

And Jennifer Aniston’s hair always looks flawless, though blond and straight is NOT a good look for me. Trust me. I tried it.

Tell us your worst hair experience!

Ahem. See above mention of the blond and straight disaster. It was right after my divorce, and I was desperate for some kind of change. With my pale complexion and light green eyes, it looked abysmal. I’ve learned to embrace my dark, crazy tresses, even when that means I throw them into a ponytail and call it good.

I want to give a big cyber-hug to Amy Hatvany for stopping by the blog! If you haven’t already, please pre-order Outside the Lines, and make sure to follow Amy on Twitter and friend her on Facebook. And check out her website, Amy may be stopping by a city near you!