Who’s That Indie Author? Anne Goodwin

Anne Goodwin

Author Name: Anne Goodwin

Genre: Literary/reading group fiction

Books: Sugar and Snails (novel, 2015); Underneath (novel, 2017); Becoming Someone (short stories, 2018); Matilda Windsor Is Coming Home (novel, 2021)

Brief bio: Anne Goodwin writes entertaining fiction about identity, mental health and social justice and is the author of three novels and a short story collection published by small independent press, Inspired Quill. Her debut novel, Sugar and Snails, was shortlisted for the 2016 Polari First Book Prize. Her new novel, Matilda Windsor Is Coming Home, is inspired by her previous incarnation as a clinical psychologist in a long-stay psychiatric hospital.

What got you started as a writer? I’d written since childhood, but was too shy to share the results with anyone but my sister, although I did win a national student writing competition in my late teens. Later, I was too busy writing reports and academic papers for fiction. When a family tragedy sparked a midlife crisis, my therapist (see next answer) urged me to consider what I wanted for myself. It was the prompt I needed to make space for my hitherto secret ambition to become a published author.

What difficult experience has helped you as a writer? The complicated bereavement forced me to take my writing seriously. Plus, several years of psychotherapy helped me mine the depths of childhood trauma and to accept it, however painful, as part of who I am. I believe my fiction benefits from this meticulous processing: I can delve into characters’ challenging emotions without my own issues contaminating the story.

Have you ever participated in the National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo)? If so, how many times and what was your experience? Not officially, as the pace is too fast for me, but I’ve started a new novel in November a couple of times, averaging 1000 words a day to complete a draft before the end of January. However, contrary to most advice to hare through the first draft to have something to edit, I remain a contented tortoise.

What advice would you give a new indie author hoping to publish a book? Set up your author newsletter early, preferably before you publish.

What has been the biggest challenge for you during Covid? Tolerating the UK government’s mismanagement, especially in relation to PPE shortages, neglect of care homes and apparent indifference to higher death rates among people of colour. But it’s catalysed my next novel about a care home resident with delusions of grandeur who becomes convinced she’s responsible for the transatlantic slave trade.

What are you reading right now? The Promise by Damon Galgut, winner of the 2021 Booker prize.

Would you rather laugh or cry over a book? As in life, I value both.

Have you ever climbed a tree to read a book?  Not that I can remember, although I have read in a hammock hanging from a tree. (Make that two trees.)

Have you ever dropped a book in the tub, in a pool or in the ocean? Books are far too precious to read where there’s risk of damage.

Could you live in a tiny house? A tiny house is far preferable to no house, so yes, of course. But, as I live in a larger-than-average house at the moment, I’m not looking forward to downsizing.

What are the small things that make you happy? Butterflies, the first snowdrops, a surprise sight of deer on my morning walk. Choral singing, cuddling up with my husband, cuddling up with a book. Connecting with readers, learning new words, a fresh insight into my WIP. Moorland, spectacular sunsets, lentil soup.

Website and social media links:
Website annegoodwin.weebly.com
Book blog Annecdotal
Facebook @Annecdotist
Instagram authorannegoodwin
Twitter @Annecdotist
YouTube Anne Goodwin’s YouTube channel

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Who’s That Indie Author? Thomas “Buddy” Bardenwerper

Author Name: Thomas “Buddy” Bardenwerper

Genre: Commercial fiction

Books: Mona Passage: A Novel

Brief bio: After college, I served as a Coast Guard officer aboard cutters homeported in Maine and Puerto Rico. In 2018, I was medically retired for Type 1 diabetes but was fortunate to transition to Harvard Law School on the GI Bill. My wife, one-year-old daughter, and I will be moving to Miami after I graduate this spring.

What got you started as a writer? The diabetes diagnosis, actually. Suddenly I had all of this free time because the Coast Guard wouldn’t let me go to sea. I started writing as a way to process these changes in my life, and before I knew it this story about Galán, Gabriela, and Pat came to me, a story that needed to be told.

What difficult experience has helped you as a writer? Participating in the Coast Guard’s migrant repatriation mission. This is difficult, complicated, and emotionally fraught work. I was determined to finish Mona Passage – and find it a home with a publisher – because readers needed to know about the human drama that unfolds on the Caribbean Sea every day.

Have you ever participated in the National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo)? If so, how many times and what was your experience? No, and I had never heard of it until now! Very cool – but 50,000 words in one month is no joke!

What advice would you give a new indie author hoping to publish a book? Don’t get wrapped around the axle trying to get an agent. Getting an agent is an arbitrary gatekeeping mechanism, and without a traditional writing pedigree, it’s almost impossible. Instead, look for smaller independent publishers, including those associated with universities like my beloved Syracuse University Press!

What has been the biggest challenge for you during Covid? Seeing my ten nieces and nephews miss out on so much of what makes childhood special.

What are you reading right now? Rum Punch by Elmore Leonard. I love the dialogue and South Florida setting.

Would you rather laugh or cry over a book? Preferably both. But if I had to choose, I’d rather laugh. Too much sentimentality can throw me for a loop!

Have you ever climbed a tree to read a book? I can’t say I have! But I did a lot of reading on my rooftop in San Juan.

Have you ever dropped a book in the tub, in a pool or in the ocean? No, but I’ve done a lot of reading at sea. Before heading out for a sixty-day patrol, I would stuff my sea bag with as many books as possible and see if I could finish the whole lot before coming home.

Could you live in a tiny house? If it has a yard, absolutely! I love getting outside to play with my daughter and workout, bookended by coffee in the mornings and cold beers in the evenings.

What are the small things that make you happy? Watching my daughter learn new words and animal noises.

Website and social media links:
Website: thomasbardenwerper.com
Facebook: Thomas Bardenwerper
Instagram: tbardenwerper89
Twitter: @TBardenwerper89

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Book Club Mom’s Indie Authors of 2021- here they are!

This year I highlighted twenty-two hard working indie authors, writers of fiction, nonfiction, memoir, poetry and children’s books. They have great stories to tell about their writing careers, so if you missed any, I hope you’ll visit them now.

Gail Aldwin – Contemporary Fiction

Bruce W. Bishop – Historical Fiction, Family Saga

Susan Blackmon – Historical Fiction

K. Blanton Brenner – Family Saga

Lorelei Brush – Upmarket Women’s Fiction and Historical Fiction

Sheila M. Cronin – Fiction

Jill Culiner – Nonfiction, Mystery, Romance and Romantic Suspense.

Kim Fairley – Nonfiction, Memoir

Tabitha Forney – Upmarket Fiction

Jacqueline Friedland – Women’s Fiction

Allan Hudson – Action/Adventure, Historical

Jane Elizabeth Hughes – Women’s Fiction

Miriam Hurdle – Poetry and Children’s Books

Kaitlyn Jain – Nonfiction, Travel, Memoir

Laurie James – Memoir

Leora Krygier – Memoir, Fiction

Tammy Pasterick – Historical Fiction

Angela Paolantonio – Memoir, Place-Based Travel Memoir, Women’s Studies

Margaret Rodenberg – Historical Fiction

Lauren Scott – Poetry, Memoir

Joe Wells – Murder Mystery

Faith Wilcox – Memoir

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In January, I’ll be putting together a new set of interview questions and making a few other format changes. If you’d like to be highlighted, email bvitelli2009@gmail.com and I’ll send you the new questions as soon as they’re ready.

Happy holidays!

Who’s That Indie Author? Sheila M. Cronin

Author Name: Sheila M. Cronin                        

Genre: Fiction

Books: The Gift Counselor, Best of All Gifts, Heart Shaped (out of print), Heart Shaped II, a collection of short stories.

Brief bio: I was born and raised in Chicago, the third eldest of ten. After earning my graduate degree in Philadelphia, I taught and practiced art therapy there until relocating to Los Angeles to pursue my talents in art, music, writing plays and screenplays. Upon returning to Chicago, I adapted one of my screenplays into a novel and named the characters in the story for the streets of the neighborhood where I grew up.

What got you started as a writer? For as long as I can remember I have been writing. My first poem was published in childhood and I remember the thrill of seeing it in print. I began to keep a diary in grade school. My mother was a non-fiction writer and her disciplined approach to her work influenced me steadily as I was growing up. In college, I transferred to journaling. Though an art major, I found that some things were better expressed through words.

What difficult experience has helped you as a writer? Being laid off from my last job and not finding another job quickly made me finally stop looking and take up a novel I had begun writing years earlier. Reading The Artist’s Way by Julie Cameron further convinced me that if I didn’t do it, no one else would.

One of my novel’s earliest and strongest fans was my youngest sister, Ellyn. After I told her the plot, whenever we got together, she always, always asked me how the book was coming along. She loved it and encouraged me to keep going when I had doubts. Ellyn’s son inspired certain aspects of the ten-year-old character in my book. We lost Ellyn to cancer before the book was published. It’s hard to put into words how much her courage inspired me. No doubt, many readers here will be able to imagine the effect her loss had on me and how it made me want to persevere.

Have you ever participated in the National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo)? If so, how many times and what was your experience? No.

What advice would you give a new indie author hoping to publish a book?

• Get started and have fun. There’s no right or wrong way to write. There’s your way. Trust it.
• If you find writing too lonely, join a good writing group or class.
• If you can’t find a writing group, sign up one or two beta readers.
• Read other books while you write, for encouragement and suggestions on how to solve plot problems and to expand your vocabulary.
• Get a short story or two published before you publish your book. Check out the short story guidelines in Woman’s World Magazine, for example. That’s where I started and became a paid writer.
• Learn how to use social media for marketing, promoting and networking.
• Prepare to wait. Waiting is Job One when your goal is to get published.
• Believe that you will be given the things you need to achieve your goal.

What has been the biggest challenge for you during Covid? The isolation! My writing group used to meet in person at a restaurant. While I am grateful that we can continue to meet online, nothing takes the place of live gatherings. At first, I kept working on my third novel and other projects with no disruption. But as time wore on, I found it harder and harder to work. So, instead I read and, because books never let me down, I eventually found my drive again.

What are you reading right now? This is Happiness by Niall Williams.

Would you rather laugh or cry over a book? I enjoy books that move me either way. Since my own writing is most often described as heartwarming, I savor the stories that make me cry. The books that make me stop and catch my breath—those are the gems.

Have you ever climbed a tree to read a book? Though I loved climbing trees as a child, I never read a book in one.

Have you ever dropped a book in the tub, in a pool or in the ocean? Not that I recall. However, one time I did buy the same book twice. It was a prayer book that I had misplaced at church. About a year after I lost it, I went back to the same bookstore and bought another copy—or so I thought. Later at home, I found a mark I had made in it when I first owned it!

Could you live in a tiny house? I already do. I live in a studio apartment. If I had a choice, I’d prefer to have a studio as well as a house!

What are the small things that make you happy? I am delighted when I go to the store for a specific item and find only one on the shelf, like it was waiting there just for me. I am grateful for the miracle of sound recording. Whether via voice mail, or YouTube or radio or television or streaming, to be able to hear a beloved voice when the person is far away or unavailable is to me one of the greatest gifts of living in modern times. I never take for granted clean, accessible running water.

Website and social media links:
Website: giftcounselorbook.com
Twitter: @sheilamcronin
Alignable: Sheila M Cronin
Linkedin:  Sheila Cronin
Goodreads: The Gift Counselor

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Who’s That Indie Author? Jacqueline Friedland

Author Name: Jacqueline Friedland

Genre: Women’s Fiction

Books: He Gets That from Me (new release), Trouble the Water and That’s Not a Thing

Brief bio: Jacqueline Friedland is the multi-award-winning author of That’s Not a Thing and Trouble the Water.  A former attorney, she now writes full time. She lives in Westchester, New York, with her husband, four children, and two very bossy dogs.

What got you started as a writer? I always wanted to be a writer, and I really hated being a lawyer. I didn’t feel like I could leave my paying job until I knew I was really serious about the writing, so I wrote in my spare time until I finished a draft of my first book. The rest is history!

What difficult experience has helped you as a writer? Having to deal with disappointments in life has definitely helped me as a writer. It’s useful to be able to tap into those memories of hard moments when you’re trying to capture complex emotions on the page.

Have you ever participated in the National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo)? If so, how many times and what was your experience? I have not ever done NaNoWriMo. With four kids at home, it feels overly ambitious to expect to meet those goals. But! I can’t wait to get involved when my kids are a little older.

What advice would you give a new indie author hoping to publish a book? I would say not to be dissuaded just because people say it’s hard. Nothing worthwhile is easy!

What has been the biggest challenge for you during Covid?  It’s been very hard to be separated from people I care about. My father lives across the country, and I didn’t see him for nearly two years.

What are you reading right now? I just finished The Matzah Ball by Jean Meltzer and loved it. Such a fun book.

Would you rather laugh or cry over a book? Definitely laugh!

Have you ever climbed a tree to read a book? No. I’ve never climbed a tree, period. I don’t do heights.

Have you ever dropped a book in the tub, in a pool or in the ocean? Yes, I’ve dropped books in pools and baths for sure. And then that poor paper!

Could you live in a tiny house? I’d rather live in a tiny house than no house at all, but I do like my space.

What are the small things that make you happy? I love the smell of laundry drying in the machine as it wafts out of the laundry room. I love the lines a vacuum makes in carpet that has just been cleaned. I love the sound of a dishwasher running in quiet kitchen in the evening. And I love anything that sparkles.

Website and social media links:
Website: jacquelinefriedland.com
Twitter: @jbfriedland
Instagram: jackiefriedland
Facebook: @JacquelineFriedlandAuthor

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Who’s That Indie Author? Gail Aldwin

Author Name: Gail Aldwin

Genre: Contemporary fiction

Books: This Much Huxley Knows, The String Games 

Brief bio: I am a British writer who has lived and worked in Australia, Papua New Guinea, Uganda and Spain. As well as novels, short fiction and poetry, I co-write short plays and comedy sketches that are staged in my home county of Dorset. I love to appear at national and international literary festivals, including input at the Mani Lit Fest in Greece 2021.

What got you started as a writer? When I lived overseas, the letters and emails I sent home were the start of my journey to becoming a published author. When I ran out of anecdotes to share, I began making them up and developed the skills to write fiction.

What difficult experience has helped you as a writer? As a writer you need plenty of resilience. It’s a competitive field and to get published involves a lot of rejections. When I lived in Uganda, I volunteered at a refugee settlement for those fleeing conflict in South Sudan. I had such respect for the children and families who owned nothing but still found joy. My living conditions were tough with little piped water and a poor supply of electricity. I learnt how to toughen up from the refugees I worked with and I carry that experience with me today.

What advice would you give a new indie author hoping to publish a book? Seek beta readers to offer feedback on your work. Keep polishing your novel until it feels like you can recite every word.

What has been the biggest challenge for you during Covid? As the weekdays and the weekends merged during lockdown, I found it difficult to focus on writing. That’s when I joined Writers’ Hour with the London Writers’ Salon. Each weekday morning at 8am I joined a Zoom call which provided a kick start to get my writing going.

What are you reading right now? Tangled Lies by Karen E Osborne. It’s such a great book with standout characters.

Would you rather laugh or cry over a book? Laugh. It’s especially important to see the funny side during these Covid days.

Have you ever climbed a tree to read a book? No, but the young narrator in This Much Huxley Knows climbs trees and gets stuck at the top. Passing friends help to talk him down.

Have you ever dropped a book in the tub, in a pool or in the ocean? That is a criminal question. The worse thing I’ve ever done is to drop a book, see it catch the wind and chase it along the road.

Could you live in a tiny house? Oh yes! I love small spaces and used to spend hours sitting in the airing cupboard when I was a girl. To get into the mind of the young narrator in This Much Huxley Knows I recreated that experience to connect with the thoughts, worries, joys and preoccupations of a child and feed these into my novel.

What are the small things that make you happy? Sunlight turning leaves golden in autumn.

Website and social media links:
Twitter: @gailaldwin
Facebook: @gailaldwinwriter
Instagram: gailfaldwin
Blog: gailaldwin.com

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Who’s That Indie Author? Allan Hudson

Author Name: Allan Hudson 

Genre: Fiction – Action/Adventure, Historical

Books: Drake Alexander Adventure series – Dark Side of a Promise, Wall of War & Vigilantes. Jo Naylor adventure series – Shattered Figurine & Shattered Lives. A collection of short stories – A Box of Memories and historical fiction- The Alexanders 1911 – 1920.

Brief bio: I live on the east coast of Canada in the province of NB with my wife Gloria. Retired from a mixed career of woodworking and jewellery sales. I have a loving family and consider myself a very lucky man.

What got you started as a writer? Being an avid reader, I always wanted to write my own stories. When I discovered Bryce Courtenay’s wonderful books and the fact he only started writing in his mid -fifties, it was all the encouragement I needed. I haven’t looked back since.

What difficult experience has helped you as a writer? Once my first manuscript was finished, I didn’t know where to turn and the amount of information available was overwhelming. Not sure of where to go next, I discovered self-publishing and I couldn’t be happier with the path I’ve taken, but it was a difficult decision to make in the beginning.

Have you ever participated in the National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo)? If so, how many times and what was your experience? No I have not.

What advice would you give a new indie author hoping to publish a book? I would advise them to tread carefully on what so many companies promise in publishing your book and the high prices they charge. Best to join a writer’s group or befriend other authors for their help. They’ve been through what new authors are experiencing and can offer valuable advice.

What has been the biggest challenge for you during Covid?  No major challenges other than being safe and protecting myself and family. The best part of the isolation was the time to write.

What are you reading right now? I am reading Agent Zigzag by Ben MacIntyre. A true account of a British spy during World War 2.

Would you rather laugh or cry over a book? Both actually. I love that the written word can make me emotional, one way or another.

Have you ever climbed a tree to read a book? I have in fact. Being a reader since I could hold a book, I once built a platform in a tree near my house in the country and used to crawl up there with a bottle of Pepsi and crackers and a Hardy Boys detective book.

Have you ever dropped a book in the tub, in a pool or in the ocean?  Fortunately not.

Could you live in a tiny house? Sure. As long as there is room for my favorite books and a place to cuddle with my wife.

What are the small things that make you happy? Chocolate cake. Love notes from my wife. Puppies and kittens. Post-it-notes. Completed to-do lists. Pencils. And my favorite coffee mug.

Website and social media links:
Blog: southbranchscribbler.com
Facebook: @southbranchscribbler
Goodreads: goodreads.com/allanhudson
Amazon: https://tinyurl.com/ps2yfpzp

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Who’s That Indie Author? Miriam Hurdle

Author Name: Miriam Hurdle

Genre: Poetry and Children’s Books

Books: Songs of Heartstrings: Poems of Gratitude and Beatitude and Tina Lost in a Crowd

Brief Bio: I write poetry, flash fiction, short stories, and children’s stories. I’m retired after two years of counseling, fifteen years of teaching, and ten years of school administration. During my retirement, I enjoy gardening, painting, photography, and traveling, especially going to visit my granddaughters.

What got you started as a writer? After I finished college in Hong Kong, I wrote children’s books as part of my job in a literacy company. In 2016, I started blogging with the desire to share my cancer recovery journey. The blogging took me to write about my travel notes, flash fiction, gardening, and poetry. I compiled the poems written in two years to publish my first poetry collection.

What difficult experience has helped you as a writer? I think the ten years of my first marriage, the five years being separated from my daughter, and my cancer experience made me look at life differently and helped me as a writer.

Have you ever participated in the National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo)? If so, how many times and what was your experience? I have participated in the NaNoWriMo 2017, and the NaNoWriMo Camp in July 2020. November is not a convenient month for me to make a commitment to write every day because the Thanksgiving week is a family time. I completed the word count in 2017, but the last one-third of the story is messy. July is a better time to write, and I could use what I wrote in 2020.

What advice would you give a new indie author hoping to publish a book? My advice would be:

1. Write what you’re passionate about and write freely,
   as if nobody will read it.
2. Read aloud what you write to see if YOU like it.
3. Take a few online writing courses to refresh your writing skills.
4. Do research to get a bird’s eye view of writing, editing,
   publishing, and marketing.
5. Have a good or professional editing of your book for the publication.

What has been the biggest challenge for you during Covid?  The biggest challenge during Covid was not being able to see my granddaughters. I missed being with my daughter for her childbirth for my second granddaughter. I didn’t see my younger granddaughter until she was eight months old. On my first visit, it took her several days to warm up with me. In fact, studies show that babies born during Covid take a while to get used to the social contact.

What are you reading right now? I’m reading my blogging friend Elizabeth Gauffreau’s new book Grief Songs: Poems of Love. I should be done reading it by the time this interview is posted.

Would you rather laugh or cry over a book? I would rather laugh over a book with a pleasant sense of humor. I have plenty of experiences that remind me of the tears.

Have you ever climbed a tree to read a book? I grew up in a city full of skyscrapers rather than trees, so I have never climbed a tree to read. I have had no experience of climbing trees.

Have you ever dropped a book in the tub, in a pool or in the ocean? I read Kindle books on my phone. I once left my phone in the pocket and put the jacket in the washer. It almost gave me a heart attack, not because of the books, but my contacts. It makes me very conscientious about holding a phone in the tub at home or in the spa at the gym.

Could you live in a tiny house? From childhood to young adult, I lived with my family in a tiny apartment in Hong Kong. After forty-some years of living in good sizes of houses, it would take a big adjustment to live in a tiny house.

What are the small things that make you happy? The smallest things are when my older granddaughter called me “grandma,” asking me to do things with her, and when my younger granddaughter warmed up with me and let me hold her.

Website and social media links:
Website/Blog: theshowersofblessings.com
Amazon Author Page: Miriam-Hurdle
Goodreads: Miriam Hurdle
Twitter: @mhurdle112
Facebook: Miriam-Hurdle-Author

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Who’s That Indie Author? Lauren Scott

Author Name: Lauren Scott

Genre: Poetry, Memoir

Books: New Day, New Dreams (2013), Finding a Balance (2015), and new release this year: More than Coffee: Memories in Verse and Prose

Bio: I live in California with my husband of 32 years, and we have two adult children. Through my experiences over three decades: raising a family, grieving through loss, finding joy in the smallest things, and the many backpacking and camping adventures, my writing takes a magical path of its own. I also love to read, and my bookcase is bursting at the seams!

What got you started as a writer? When I was a teenager, I wrote poetry about the boys I had crushes on. I continued to put thoughts to paper throughout my life, but I grew more passionate within the last decade. Now I write each day; it’s a natural part of my routine, either creating poems, drafting a short memoir, or dabbling in fiction.

What difficult experience has helped you as a writer? My love for writing turned into a passion when my daughter was diagnosed with a rare disease that would necessitate a future transplant for her survival. It isn’t fair for children to suffer, and as her mother, this news took processing that prompted me to write. My hurting poured out through words into poems and stories, some personal, some shared.

Have you ever participated in the National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo)? If so, how many times and what was your experience? I haven’t participated in NaNoWriMo, but it sounds like a wonderful organization. Maybe someday.

What advice would you give a new indie author hoping to publish a book? Do your research, initiate dialogue with authors who have self-published. Persevere, because if publishing your book means that much to you, you’ll do the work to achieve your goal.

What has been the biggest challenge for you during Covid? What tugged at my heart was not being able to see my daughter and son-in-law who live in Tennessee. Regarding writing, inspiration flowed at lightning speed. The last year and a half have been a challenge, but I am grateful for the abundance of creativity.

What are you reading right now? Dead of Winter, Journey 5, by Teagan Riordain Geneviene. This book is part of a series of short novellas and Journey 9 is her latest release. It has been an exciting adventure diving into this fantasy tale.

Would you rather laugh or cry over a book? Laugh!

Have you ever climbed a tree to read a book? I can’t say that I have. I enjoy sitting in the comfort of my living room or on the patio in the company of nature.

Have you ever dropped a book in the tub, in a pool or in the ocean? From my childhood, I have memories of a favorite paperback slipping out of my hands into our aquamarine kidney-shaped pool.

Could you live in a tiny house? No, but my husband and I live in a modest 1200 square foot home, a cozy dwelling, where we raised our two children. Even though we are new empty nesters, our 75-lb lab, Copper, still happily trots around the house.

What are the small things that make you happy? Baking.Flowers in bloom.Chocolate. Music. Carrot cake. A walk around the neighborhood. Backpacking. Freshwater lakes. Ping pong. Watching rom-coms or compelling thrillers. Reading. Family and writing are the Big things in life.

Website and social media links:
baydreamerwrites.com
Lauren Scott Amazon Author page

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Who’s That Indie Author? Jane Elizabeth Hughes

Author Name: Jane Elizabeth Hughes         

Genre: Women’s Fiction

Book: The Long-Lost Jules (Spark Press, August 3, 2021)

Brief bio: I’m an obsessive reader with two fully-loaded Kindles and a collection of audiobooks for the car. Unfortunately, reading novels all day is not an easy career path, so I have a day job as a professor of international finance. A native New Yorker, I now live on Cape Cod, Massachusetts.

What got you started as a writer? I always wanted to write novels. I wrote my first “book” when I was seven (Lorena Lorenson, Student Nurse – I guess the title tells you everything you need to know). Somehow I morphed into a banker and finance academic instead (to pay the bills, I guess), and I published business books including the forthcoming Greed Gone Good, but I never let go of this dream. Finally, I was able to take a sabbatical from the finance world a few years ago, and started writing fiction. I haven’t stopped since.

What difficult experience has helped you as a writer? I was that little short kid who read all the time. And I mean, all the time. At the dentist, during math class, at the dinner table, even at eye doctor appointments (which was problematic). I was always the last kid picked for teams at recess, but I didn’t care because I could curl up in a corner of the courtyard and read. That need to escape into books, I think, drove me into writing because there I can not only escape – but I can create my own world.

Have you ever participated in the National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo)? If so, how many times and what was your experience? No, but I think it’s a wonderful notion and would love to participate in the future.

What advice would you give a new indie author hoping to publish a book?

1. KEEP WRITING! You get better at it as you go along. My first and second novels never got published and, with the benefit of hindsight, didn’t deserve to get published. I didn’t have that clarity of hindsight at the time though, and it was just pure slog to keep going.
2. DON’T BE ALONE! Have cheerleaders in your corner (my husband and sister were phenomenal), and don’t quit your day job.
3. REMEMBER: This can take a long time, and a lot of rejections along the way.
4. INVEST? Think about putting away a little money to invest in your writing career – writers conferences and publicists are your best friend. The latter is especially a biggie for me, since I’m super-uncomfortable promoting and marketing my books.
5. ACCEPT THAT WRITING IS A JOB, NOT A HOBBY! Hobbies are fun and relaxing; writing a book is work.

What has been the biggest challenge for you during Covid? Not seeing my grandchildren!

What are you reading right now? I’m rereading one of the Stephanie Plum mysteries by Janet Evanovich, and Sheila O’Flanagan’s The Women Who Ran Away. I’m listening to a real nail-biter about climbers on Mount Everest in my car.

Would you rather laugh or cry over a book? Laugh laugh laugh!

Have you ever climbed a tree to read a book? No, I was much too timid. Why climb a tree when I had that overstuffed armchair in the living room?

Have you ever dropped a book in the tub, in a pool or in the ocean? Oh, yes (along with my cellphone, keys, and wallet).

Could you live in a tiny house? I think so. I actually like small spaces quite a bit; they’re much cozier and more inviting than big, open spaces.

What are the small things that make you happy? Reading. Writing. Family — my long-suffering husband, my four children, my precious grandchildren. (We had eight of them in just seven years, so they’re a very exhausting joy.) Buttered popcorn and pecan pie with gobs of whipped cream on top. Dancing. Bruce Springsteen, the Beatles, and Ariana Grande. Bookstores. Beaches. Babies.

Website and social media links:
Website: janehughesauthor.com
Facebook: janehughesnannyland
LinkedIn: Jane Elizabeth Hughes

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