Karon Luddy

Author's Facebook page: www.facebook.com/pages/KARON-LUDDY/1481965718682868

Karon Luddy grew up Lancaster. SC and lives in Charlotte NC. She is the award-winning author of the novel, Spelldown,The Big Time Dreams of a Small-town Word Whiz published by Simon and Schuster, which also won the Parents' Choice Silver Award. Wolf Heart, her first poetry book, was published by Clemson University Digital Press. Her second novel Bewilderment of Boys was published in 2014. She teaches writing intensive classes at UNC Charlotte. Her poems, stories, and essays have appeared in various publications.

Q & A with Karon Luddy:

What authors have inspired you?

There are so many, but here are a few of them and their masterpieces. Carole Shields and The Stone Diaries. Barbara Kingsolver and Flight Behavior. John Irving and A Prayer for Owen Meany. Jess Walters and Beautiful Ruins. And Colum McCann and Dancer

When did you start writing?

I began writing poetry and fiction in my twenties. I started writing seriously in my late thirties.

What do you like to do when you're not writing?

Spend time with family and friends. Make collages. Be outdoors. Hike, walk, do yoga, exercise and travel. I also love to watch movies, see plays, and listen to music.

What have you learned while writing your books?

To be a deeper, kinder, more tolerant person.

What is your least favorite part of the writing process?

Sequencing the story so that it flows like a river.

How did you come up with the title of your book?

Bewilderment of Boys came to me one day on a long walk shortly after I had finished my first novel Spelldown. I loved the sound of it.

Are you working on your next book? If so, any hints?

I have two writing projects. One is a fantasy that came out of nowhere after my father died thirteen years ago. The other is a novel that continues the story of Karlene Bridges as an adult.