Robin Lee Hatcher is the author of 80 novels and novellas with over five million copies of her books in print. She is known for her heartwarming and emotionally charged stories of faith, courage, and love. Her numerous awards include the RITA® Award, Christy Award, Carol Award, HOLT Medallion, National Reader’s Choice Award, and the Faith, Hope & Love Reader’s Choice Award, and she is also the recipient of prestigious Lifetime Achievement Awards from both American Christian Fiction Writers and Romance Writers of America®. Now let's get on with the interview.
I am in
awe at the number of books you have written and how you can easily move between
different fiction styles. Your bio says you wrote your first book in nine
months and it was published two years later. That’s a pretty quick turnaround
for a newbie writer. What was that initial whirlwind like?
I wrote
my first book on yellow legal pads in the evenings and typed them on the office
typewriter at work on lunch hours and coffee breaks (with my boss's
permission). I didn't know what slow or fast was (this was long before the
Internet and writer's organizations within easy access). I just wrote for the
fun of it. So, it didn't seem like a whirlwind.
Did the
next book come out that easy for you as well?
I sold my
first novel to a publisher eleven months after I started writing it, and I went
right to work on a sequel. The publisher went bankrupt six months later, and I
wasn't sure what to do. (Sigh.) But I sold both books to a publisher early in
the following year. They were published in February and March one year after
that. Again, I didn't know that was fast or unusual because I didn't have
anything to compare it to.
Looking
back on that first book, how do you feel about the writing style of that first
book?
How do I
feel about the style of that first book? Ugh. It wasn't edited at all, and I
was learning to write a novel. So, all of my early mistakes are in print.
Your
writing includes different facets of the romance genre. Do you prefer one genre
to write in more than another?
I love to
write both contemporary and historical romances as well as historical and
contemporary women's fiction. I really don't have a favorite time period. I've
written Regency England and Victorian England and Civil War South and Old West
and WWI and WWII and the 1950's and a few others as well.
Do you
have one time period that you especially like to write in?
If I had
to select only one historical period, I would choose the early 1900's, I think. At
least that's what I would pick today.
How do
you keep the writing fresh and contemporary after so many books?
Falling
in love with my characters is what keeps it fresh for me. My heroes and
heroines all have stories to tell, and I'm interested in finding out what those
stories are.
Your bio
also states that you have a love for horses and settings with horses are woven
into your stories. What other favorite interests flow through your stories?
There is
always a dog and/or a cat in my books. I love my animals, and I can't imagine
not having at least one in my stories.
You’ve
received numerous awards for your writing over the years. Is there one that
stands out with special meaning for you?
I've
received Lifetime Achievement Awards from both ACFW and from RWA. Those awards
are especially meaningful to me because they recognize my career rather than
simply one book.
Both ACFW
and RWA have regular conferences for writers. What is the best advice you could
give a writer to make the most out of attending one?
I think
my key advice is, don't workshop until you drop. Overloading at a
conference leaves a writer exhausted and sometimes emotional, especially if
that writer is an introvert. So, plan to go to learn but also plan for breaks
and time to just hang out with other attendees.
Christian
themed books are in the upswing. Why do you think that’s occurring?
One big
reason has to be the excellence of the writers. Another is because there are so
many sub-genres available in the Christian market today that readers can find
the type of books they love to read.
What is
some of the best writing advice that you’ve received or could give?
Read,
read, read, and write, write, write. Books get written one word, one sentence,
and one paragraph at a time. Keep moving forward and keep trying to improve as
a storyteller and a novelist.
Thanks
for your insight! If you’d like to learn more about Robin’s many books, here
are some links to get you started. In addition, today is the release date of the book to the right, Cross My Heart. Be one of the first to buy it.
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