I had the pleasure of meeting Haylie Hanson a few years ago through the bookstagram community on Instagram. She’s a wonderful, fun, talented, creative, nerdy (in the best way possible) person, and I challenge you not to love her (because it’s impossible). Just a quick glance at her bookstagram will show her sense of humor and passion for writing and inspiring other writers. It has been exciting to watch her writing career sprout and blossom with the release of her first two books, World Diver and Light Hunter, the first two books in her Luminaut trilogy. If you are a fan of science fiction and like books with a good blend of fantasy, paranormal, and techy stuff, huge mechs and small adorable robots, enemies to lovers, that are set in a California beach town with the multiverse’s survival on the line, I highly recommend this series.

I recently has the opportunity to ask Haylie some questions about herself, her writing, and her journey with publishing. 

1) When did you start writing, and what made you fall in love with writing? 
 
I “wrote” my first story when I was six, and by that I mean I dictated it to my grandmother and she wrote it down for me. I didn’t get into hobby writing until middle school, and it was mostly cringey fanfics until I started creating original characters in late high school (who were also cringey). I loved that I could escape into stories and make my own worlds of adventure, and write characters who became my best friends. That’s still the part I love most.
I promise my characters are no longer cringey–at least, not unless I need them to be for plot reasons.
2) You’ve released two books, World Diver and Light Hunter, in your debut trilogy, the Luminaut Trilogy. They are an amazing mashup of a snarky protagonist, STEM fun, fantastical realm traveling, lots of great tension and lovable robots. What was your inspiration for this series?
 
Is it cliché to say Star Wars? Lol, kidding. I do take inspiration from my favorite films and books, and Star Wars was definitely an inspiration in coming up with the idea of the mechs, Diver and Nemo. I also take inspiration from places I’ve lived and travelled. I’m originally from California, so I created a fictional version of several real beach towns for World Diver’s setting, and the forests of Tremurheim in Light Hunter are inspired by the redwoods in NorCal and the PNW. 
My biggest inspiration is writing a character I could have related to as a teen: a girl who doesn’t believe she’ll fit in unless she hides everything about herself that’s true, and her journey toward owning her own power versus what she thinks she has to be to earn love and acceptance. 
3) You really seem to embrace and celebrate your inner nerd, as we all should. What are you most nerdy about?
 
I’ve mentioned that I love Star Wars, but I’m also obsessed with Stranger Things, and I’m a massive Scarlet Witch fan, as well as Loki (I have a  thing for anti-heroes and morally gray characters, particularly in the MCU). I love board games, historical anything, and horror comedy. I’m a little all over the place, haha!
4) What was either an unexpected joy or challenge of getting published for the first time?
 
Challenge: finding a publisher to take a chance on my genre-bending, YA science fantasy books. Joy: finding a publisher to take a chance on my genre-bending, YA science fantasy books. The biggest unexpected joy has been readers telling me how much they loved my characters and felt seen reading about them. 
5) What are you hoping your readers will feel after finishing one of your books?
 
I hope they feel like they’ve been on a roller coaster of action, emotional stakes, and adventure, and they never knew where the next plot twist was going to take them. I hope they laughed a lot, got their heartstrings tugged a bit, and by the end, screamed into the void for the next book. I also want everyone to join the Nemo Fan Club, because he’s pretty awesome. 
6) I read that you love writing books about girls who love STEM. Is there a STEM topic you are particularly fascinated with?
 
I’ve always loved STEM, my first ever dream job was being a paleontologist. I really love chemistry, neuroscience, astronomy, geology, and botany–although, I am the worst plant mom ever. All of my current and future/planned novels feature young women in STEM as a way to totally geek out on a new STEM topic during research.
 
7) What is your favorite bookish trope?
 
Just one? Lol! I love found family, enemies to lovers, and reluctant heroes. I’m also particularly fond of morally-gray-secret-cinnamon-roll types. Also squads. You can’t beat a book with squad goals. 

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