About Author

R. L. S. Hoff

R.  L. S. Hoff
BIOGRAPHY

R. L. S. Hoff writes young adult fantasy and science fiction with strange worlds, stranger creatures, bits of romance…and princesses, of course.

She lives with her teenage kids, husband, and dog, in a house full of ingenuity, love, and noise (music and conversations in both English and Chinese).

When she's not writing, parenting, or working at (so far) more profitable gigs, she reads, gardens, bakes, and occasionally makes dolls.

R. L. S. Hoff's Books

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Book
StarRacer: Golden Terrace Colony Series Book 2
(4) $3.99 kindle Free with KUeBook,
StarRacer: Golden Terrace Colony Series Book 2by R. L. S. HoffPublish: Mar 15, 2022Series: Golden Terrace ColonyScience Fiction Teen & Young Adult
Leaving Hope (Golden Terrace Colony Book 1)
(4) $2.99 kindle Free with KUeBook, Paperback, Signed Paperback,
Leaving Hope (Golden Terrace Colony Book 1)by R. L. S. HoffPublish: Jun 13, 2020Series: Golden Terrace ColonyScience Fiction Teen & Young Adult
The Sacrifice (Dragonpets Book 1)
(4) $2.99 kindle Free with KUeBook,
The Sacrifice (Dragonpets Book 1)by R. L. S. HoffPublish: Aug 15, 2022Series: DragonpetsRomance Fantasy Teen & Young Adult
Songs of Healing (The Dicrandia Chronicles Book 1)
(4) $2.99 kindleeBook, Paperback,
Songs of Healing (The Dicrandia Chronicles Book 1)by R. L. S. HoffPublish: Oct 22, 2020Series: The Dicrandia ChroniclesFantasy Teen & Young Adult

R. L. S. Hoff's Series in Order

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  • Golden Terrace Colony

    1 Leaving Hope (Golden Terrace Colony Book 1) - Published on Jun, 20202 StarRacer: Golden Terrace Colony Series Book 2 - Published on Mar, 2022
  • Dragonpets

    1 The Sacrifice (Dragonpets Book 1) - Published on Aug, 2022
  • The Dicrandia Chronicles

    1 Songs of Healing (The Dicrandia Chronicles Book 1) - Published on Oct, 2020

R. L. S. Hoff Interview On 04, Jun 2021

"A Christian mother of teens and YA stories, R.L.S. Hoff writes young adult fantasy and science fiction. Her novels are adventurous and magical, the plot intriguing and the characters fascinating. She loves reading, gardening, baking, and occasionally making dolls. Her favorite thing to grow is rhubarb, and her favorite thing to bake is kringle."
What is one lesser-known fact about your childhood?

When my mother shooed me out of the house to “go play,” I’d smuggle a book and read in the crab-apple tree or the porch of the front door nobody ever opened.

Do you remember the first story you ever read, and the impact it had on you?

I can’t remember the first story I ever read, though I remember that when I was in kindergarten, I often brought home a particular book from my school library. It was about a duck that ate a box of “crackers” and blew up (they were firecrackers). My mom hated it. I think that I loved it mostly because I got to exercise choice in my reading. Also, Kaboom!

I also remember the first book I ever bought with my own money. It was from one of those Scholastic book flyers that we’d get at school, and I put together the cash on my own. There were a lot of coins in the envelope I took to school. The book was Harry Helps Out, a story about a little bear who tries to be helpful at home and mostly makes messes. I still enjoy it.

Who all are a part of your family? How critical are they of your writing?

My immediate family includes my husband, my three kids, and our dog, a little chihuahua mix. My husband and daughter are very supportive of my writing, my boys a little less so. I don’t think my dog cares one way or another.

I also have a large extended family. They’ve been largely encouraging.

What inspired your first original story? Did you share the tale with anyone?

The first story I remember writing was for a class assignment. I was inspired (sort of negatively) by being thoroughly unimpressed with the published author our teacher had brought in. I imagined I could do better. Plus, we had to turn something in. I don’t think I shared that tale with anyone but the teacher—it turned out that writing stories was a bit harder than I originally thought it was.

What do you enjoy the most about writing young adult fantasy and science fiction?

This is a hard question to answer. I write young adult fantasy and science fiction because these are the kinds of stories that come to me, and I do enjoy writing them—a great deal. However, I suspect that the things I enjoy most are the sorts of things that I would enjoy in any kind of writing—the immersion in a world that you’re creating as you go along, the pleasure of finding just the right way to say something, the joy of letting imagination take flight. Could you get that same pleasure from writing a picture book or a mystery? I suspect you could.

How do you write a satisfying end to a first book in a series?

I think that it’s key to get to a good stopping point—one where the story has come to a rest despite the issues that remain. To make it satisfying to myself, I also feel it’s important to arrive at a point of hope.

Have you planned out the entire Dicrandia Chronicles series or are you just going with the flow?

Well, I am absolutely a pantser, not a plotter, so it’s much more going with the flow than a plan. However, I do know that there are four books in the Dicrandia Chronicles series—Songs of Healing, Songs of Innocence, Songs of Joy, and Songs of Love.

Songs of Healing is out. It’s primarily Princess Sarah’s story.
Songs of Innocence is Straltia’s story (though Princess Sarah comes into it, of course). This one is just now taking shape (I hope to have it out in December of 2021)
Songs of Joy is Gen’s story, and right now, I know a bit of where the major conflict will come from, but that’s about it.
Songs of Love jumps back a generation to tell the story of when Uncle Malcolm came to the capital as a teenager (back when he was just Malcolm). I’ve been playing around with the idea of this last one for years, so I could probably write a plot outline for it if I had to. That might kill it for me, though, so I won’t.

What is your ideal setting to write in?

I often write sprawled out on a bed. Somehow words flow faster that way than when I’m sitting at my desk. Though I also write at my desk, or at a table, or in a fast-food place or a coffee shop. Before the pandemic I would sometimes plant myself a carrel in the library to get a few hours of concentrated work done (and maybe that can happen again soon). I’ve been known to write on busses. When I lived in China and had tiny kids, I used to write in the back of taxi cabs. (It was quiet, kid-free, work-free, time, which was precious in those days. Plus, it helped me to have something to concentrate on, so I didn’t freak out about the traffic.)

What is one message that you try to impart through your books?

I try very hard not to have “messages” that I deliberately impart through my books. If I wanted to impart a message, I’d write an essay. When I’m writing stories, I want to create a world and an experience, and I do try to make that experience rich enough that people can learn something from it if they are so inclined. However, if people want to just enjoy the ride, that’s fine with me, too.

Who inspired the character of Anastasia (Anya) Cartier in "Leaving Hope"?

Hmm. I can’t very well say that the character of Anastasia Cartier was inspired by anyone in particular, but for at least some of her artwork, I believe I had Georgia O’Keeffe paintings in my mind.

What are some of the books that are really worth reading that you can recommend?

There are so, so many books that are really worth reading. Here’s a sampling of books I’ve read recently that I’d strongly recommend: Science Fiction: Wild Seed (Octavia Butler); Fantasy: The Girl who Drank the Moon (Kelly Barnhill); The Kingdom of Back (Marie Lu); For young people: Crossover (Kwame Alexander); The Case of the Left-Handed Lady (an Enola Holmes mystery by Nancy Springer); For Adults: As Sweet as Honey (by Indira Ganesan).

How do you spend “quality time” with yourself?

Well, reading, of course. I also like bubble baths and digging around in my garden (though I try to avoid doing them in that order).

Do you usually write the 'back-of-the-book' blurbs at the back of your books or does your editor?

I typically write the ‘back of the book’ blurbs myself, though I don’t adore doing them.

What other things, apart from writing do you enjoy doing?

The reading, bubble baths & gardening mentioned above. Sometimes I like getting out into the mountains—especially if somebody lets me just sit next to a mountain stream for a while.

How has your experience of being associated with AllAuthor been?

I have appreciated the visibility that AllAuthor has brought to me and my books, and I enjoy playing around with the mock-up banners and magic tools.

Ask R. L. S. Hoff a Question

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      • R.  L. S. Hoff R. L. S. Hoff 3 years ago
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      • Not when I was a little kid. By late high-school I was starting to envision it, but all the responsible adults in my life suggested that I should pursue something else as a "day job." They didn't think writing was a viable option for supporting a person. (And they may have been right--we'll see. I haven't been able to quit my "day job" yet.)
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      • R.  L. S. Hoff R. L. S. Hoff 3 years ago
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      • When I'm reading, good covers and titles catch my eye. Sure, the saying is "you can't judge a book by its cover," but everybody does it anyway.
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      • R.  L. S. Hoff R. L. S. Hoff 3 years ago
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      • So far, I don't have a ton of book reviews, so yes, I've read every one. If at some point I have hundreds and hundreds, maybe I won't. Or maybe I still will. It's hard not to be interested in what other people think of the stories I've worked years on.

        Bad reviews make me sad and sometimes frustrated, but I get that everybody is entitled to their own opinion, and I appreciate that someone took time to read my work and write about how they felt.

        Good ones, though--good ones are amazing. They can make my day. Sometimes my month. It's so exciting when somebody really connects with something I've written.
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      • R.  L. S. Hoff R. L. S. Hoff 3 years ago
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      • 1. Keep writing.
        2. Absolutely work at the craft of writing, but also study a bit of the business of writing. Both will be important if you really want to do this at the professional level.
        3. Weigh all advice. Some of it is great. Some of it may be great for some people, but not great for you. Some of it is not great at all.
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      • R.  L. S. Hoff R. L. S. Hoff 3 years ago
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      • Character, character, character (If the characters are wonderful, I almost don't care what they're doing. I just like spending time with them.)
        Story (OK, so what they're doing is a little important. I prefer stories where something happens, for sure.)
        World-building (I adore stories that take me to a new world--whether that's a foreign culture, a historical setting--or some place that only exists in the author's imagination--and now mine.)
        I also enjoy masterful use of language and unforgettable voices. (Who doesn't?)
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      • R.  L. S. Hoff R. L. S. Hoff 3 years ago
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      • Hasn't happened yet--the recognizing me in public yet.

        However, when people appreciate my work, that is a fabulous feeling that warms cold days and almost makes me feel like I can fly. Or have a superpower of some sort.
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