Meet the Author Monday: Hazel Hitchins

It’s Meet the Author Monday! Each week we meet a new author and get to know a little about them, their writing process, publishing experience, and tips for other writers. Today we’re talking to Hazel Hitchins, author of “Babs & Aggie: the Good, the Bad and the Vegan“.

About Hazel Hitchins:

Hazel Hitchins is a writer (though she prefers the term “Story Monkey”) who spends her days having conversations with her imaginary friends, some of which she writes down. She lives in Wales with her normal family, normal(ish) cat, and entirely abnormal laundry pile.

When not writing stories, she can be found reading stories… or reading books about writing stories… or helping others to write their stories (more on that later)… so yes, you could say that when it comes to stories, she’s more than a little obsessed.

Her forthcoming debut novel, Babs and Aggie – the Good, the Bad and the Vegan, is set for release on the 28th February, 2025.

About Babs & Aggie: the Good, the Bad and the Vegan:

Aggie has reached that “certain age” – in her case, a thousand years or so, give or take a decade.

After centuries of bringing kings to their knees, running a small-town cafe isn’t how she imagined her life would pan out. Now, thanks to the machinations of the false vegan from across the road, she risks losing even that. And just when she thinks things can’t get any worse, along comes her old friend, Babs, in her House-on-chicken-legs, ready to ruffle some feathers with her unique blend of borscht, tough love and alcohol.

But everybody has a secret – the grocer who hides his loneliness behind a cheery smile, the neighbour crippled by debt and grief, and the young woman who jumps at her shadow – and before Aggie can help anyone else, she has demons of her own to lay to rest. Can she confront her past to save her future? What is the ‘Vegan’ really hiding? Will Babs ever let her have the last word?

Raucous, rowdy, and heart-wrenching and heart-warming in equal measures, Babs and Aggie is a magical tale of love, loss and the comfort of a friendship forged through food, laughter and a LOT of slivovica.

Author Interview with Hazel Hitchins:

1. What is the first book that made you cry?

I’m not sure I’d call them pilgrimages, but I have been on three writing retreats, one at Chez Castillon in France (twice), one at author Christie Barlow’s cottage, and one in Staffordshire, I think, with 2 coaches and another 12 writers. I learned a lot and had a lot of fun.

2. Does writing energize or exhaust you?

Writing is my happy place. It’s the thing that de-stresses me. I love that feeling when the words in my head tumble onto the screen and actually make sense – yes, energise is definitely the best description.

3. What other authors are you friends with, and how do they help you become a better writer?

I’m very fortunate to have several extremely talented writers in my circle of friends. Two of my closest friends are Deanne Adams, who writes historical fiction and renowned children’s author, Claire Fayers. Having fellow authors as friends is so important. Aside from the mutual support, accountability and having someone to bounce ideas off, there’s something more –  when you have a career where 90% of your co-workers are literally figments of your imagination, it’s nice being able to complain about your colleagues to someone and not have them look at you strangely.

4. How many unpublished and half-finished books do you have?

Far too many. Next!

5. What kind of research do you do, and how long do you spend researching before beginning a book?

I never research before starting a book. That’s not to say I don’t research but I have so many ideas for stories and not all of them have sticking power, so I tend to start playing with whatever germ of an idea I’ve got first. That said, I don’t write in a genre that needs a lot of research. My books have snippets of history in them but rarely anything that will hold the story up if I don’t deal with it then. They also feature a LOT of food but given that I love reading recipe books from all over the world, it’s not really a hardship to have a quick glance to make sure I know my Borscht from my Baklava. And as I’ve typed all that, I remembered one particular scene which features a lot of technobabble. I called my husband to come and help with that – does that count as research?

6. If you had to do something differently as a child or teenager to become a better writer as an adult, what would you do?

I’d write more – more words, more frequently. In my late teens and early twenties, I genuinely didn’t realise how little I knew and that to be better, you actually have to do the work. You have to write… and write some more. The key example is when I was in my early twenties (late 1990s), I entered a contest to write a sitcom script hosted by a national TV corporation. I didn’t make the final cut but I impressed the panel enough that the two people heading up the comedy department gave me their contact details and invited me to submit more work. I took that invitation and… did nothing. Well, I patted myself on the back for getting that far but I simply didn’t understand at the time what a golden opportunity that was, so specifically, I’d respond to that invitation.

7. Have you always wanted to be a writer?

Always. I’ve always loved reading and stories. I remember writing a story in school when I was about seven. It was about a family who adopted a stray cat they found at the side of the road only to discover it was a lion cub. My teacher read it out in class and it was the first memory I have of realising I was good at something. I don’t know if I loved writing before that or because of that but I know that’s when the bug really took hold for me.

8. Do you have a favorite character that you have written? If so, who? And what makes them so special.

My favourite character from Babs and Aggie is House.

House was supposed to be a throwaway background character but he stole absolutely every scene he was in and quickly became one of the main characters who drives the story forward. Imagine a sentient wooden hut on bird legs with the personality of a labrador puppy and you’ve got House. House can’t speak and doesn’t have a face so it challenged the way I could express emotion through him but I think that’s what led to him being such a charming character and I know others will love him as much as I do.

9. Do you have a library membership?

Of course! Everybody should have a library membership and everybody should make use of that membership as often as possible. Libraries give us the perfect opportunity to learn about the world, new hobbies, different genres and so much more without shelling out a lot of money to do so. And with the advent of digital libraries, we have so much more access. And by borrowing a book from the library, you are still supporting that author financially. If you don’t have a library membership, this is you sign to go and join one.

10. What do you like to do when you are not writing?

I’ve already mentioned my obsession with recipes. When I’m not writing, I sometimes try out some of those recipes… with varying levels of success. I play the piano… again, with varying levels of success. I knit and make jewellery or refurbish furniture…you might be able to guess my success rate with those activities, too. Basically, I love doing anything creative and I love crafting. I’m just not necessarily very good at it. It doesn’t matter. I get enjoyment from the process and it keeps my hands out of mischief while my brain works on my next idea for writing. Because that’s something I AM good at.

To learn more about Hazel Hitchins, here’s where you can find Her: