My interview today is with an author who writes both contemporary romance
and romantic suspense novels. Her books have been honored with three coveted
RITA awards from Romance Writers of America and she is a member of that
organization's elite Hall of Fame.
She has also received a Career Achievement
award from RT Book Reviews for her entire body of work. Other awards for
individual books include National Readers' Choice, HOLT Medallion, Daphne du
Maurier, Retailers Choice, Booksellers' Best, and Reviewers' Choice from RT
Book Reviews. She is also a two-time Christy award finalist.
I am in awe at the number
of books you have written and how you continue from one series to the next. How
many books in did it take until you thought, I can make a career out of this?
To be honest, I was never
sure I could make a career out of this, which is why I stayed in my corporate
job for more than two decades and wrote fiction on the side. The notion of leaving
behind a steady paycheck, benefits, and a host of other perks was scary.
By the time I did decide
to become a full-time novelist, I’d sold 16 books to three publishers (Love
Inspired was my third) and had just signed a three-book contract. I also had a
financial cushion from my years in the corporate world. Still, there are no
guarantees in this business, so it was a leap of faith.
I’m happy to say I have no
regrets…but if my career hadn’t taken off (thanks to my expansion into
trade-length romantic suspense, which moved me into the bestseller ranks) I may
well have ended up back in the corporate world.
You started with
contemporary romance and then began writing romantic suspense. What made you switch
genres?
I never switched genres—I
just expanded! For quite a few years, I continued to write category romance
while writing suspense. I still write contemporary romance, but the
trade-length variety, which lets me delve deeper into characters and introduce
subplots.
Which is harder to write
for you?
Both genres have their
challenges—and writing is hard work, period—but for me suspense is more
difficult because of the complexity of the plots and the amount of technical
research required. When I finish a suspense novel, I always have 100+ single-spaced
typed pages of research notes and citations.
What type of research have
you done to make your suspense novels plausible with the characterization of
law enforcement, suspects, and criminals?
In addition to online
research, I’ve also developed a large cadre of trusted sources, including a
U.S. marshal, FBI agent, police chief, police detective, PI, sheriff, forensic
pathologist, and many others. These experts help me put the polish on the
technical aspects of my story to ensure I get the real-life parts right.
At what point in your
publishing did you get an agent?
I got an agent when I
decided to write trade-length suspense. It’s almost impossible to get a larger
book in front of an editor without one—and the odds are worse if you’re
switching genres. Nor did it matter that I’d written more than a dozen books. Turns
out trade-length publishers believe the line, not the author, sells category
romance books, and they prefer to work with authors who have name recognition
and traction.
So, I was starting from
scratch with suspense. My agent did help me connect with my current publisher,
but what I discovered is that most agents offer a smorgasbord of services, including
reading (and sometimes critiquing) manuscripts, submitting to publishers, author
hand-holding, contract negotiations, etc.
Once I signed with my
current publisher, I was only using my agent for the contract part—and after decades
in the corporate world (and years learning the inner workings of publishing), I
felt comfortable negotiating my own contracts. I now work with a literary
attorney in New York when I need a contract review. For me, that fee-based system
is much more cost effective than paying an agent a percentage of royalties
forever.
What is the hardest part
of writing for you?
Starting, hands down. The
initial concept and story development is always painful. Getting my head
wrapped around the characters and basic premise and plot of the story is like
pulling my fingernails out one by one. On the flip side, I love writing snappy
repartee. It’s as if I’m listening in on the conversation and recording it.
What’s the best
encouragement you’ve had in your writing?
The best encouragement I
had in the beginning was from my parents, who were always 100 percent
supportive of my endeavors. I also had third-party, more impartial
encouragement from a high school English teacher. These days, my husband is in
my cheering section. And I get great encouragement from positive reviews and
the many wonderful notes I get from readers. All of those have kept me going.
We have all experienced
rejection. How have you learned to write past it?
Rejection is part of this
business, which means a career as a writer is not for the thin-skinned. In the
early days, when rejection letters were a way of life for me, I kept going
because I wanted to write and believed I could succeed.
These days, I experience
rejection more in the form of occasional bad reviews. Those are never fun. But
I’ve learned to accept the fact that people give bad reviews for many reasons.
Sometimes your subject matter just hits a personal hot button that sours them
on the book. All you can do is let the criticism roll off and move on.
What has surprised you the
most in writing/publishing?
There have been lots of
surprises! One was that writing books doesn’t get any easier the more you do
it. In fact, for me it gets harder, because with every book I raise the bar.
It’s also a challenge to find new and inventive ways to plot stories after 60+
novels. Another surprise was discovering how much non-writing work being a
writer entails. A social media presence is expected today, and if you work with
a traditional publisher you’ll also be pulled into their marketing and
promotional efforts. In addition, there’s a time-consuming nuts-and-bolts business
side to being a writer—more so if you dip your toes into self-publishing.
What has frustrated you
the most?
In terms of frustration,
I’d put revision letters near the top of the list. I know some authors love
them. Not me. When I finish a book, it’s done. In category romance, I’d often
be asked to make changes to ensure a book conformed to the template for that
line—not necessarily to improve the book. Much to my relief, I no longer have
to deal with that. I turn in books clean and complete, so the frustration of
major revisions has disappeared. These days requested revisions relate to minor
clarifications or inconsistencies.
What do you know now about
writing you wished you had known sooner?
Too many things to
mention—and I learn more every day. But in a nutshell, I wish I’d learned early
on to stay in one POV; use fewer adverbs; show rather than tell; eliminate
dialogue tags; and a host of other tips that are now part of my technical
repertoire. I’m beginning to reissue older books as rights revert, and I’m
spending a great deal of time doing extensive edits to bring them closer to my
current technical level, which is leaner, cleaner, and less flowery.
What is the best writing
advice you’ve received or could give?
Learn the business—and not
just the writing part. Even if you have an agent, make sure you’re savvy about
contracts and industry trends. Because no one will ever care more about your
business than you do…nor look out for your interests better than you will.
Are there any other points
about writing you would like to add?
Don’t give up your day job
unless you’re making enough to live on with your current writing income and have
money in reserve. The latest statistic I read was that only two percent of
novelists make a living wage from their fiction. Also, this is a long-haul
career.
If you want to write a
book, by all means give it a shot. If you want fiction to be your career, be
aware that when publishers sign writers, they’re looking for long-term partners.
Once you sell that first book, they’ll expect more if it does well. So be
prepared to produce on a regular basis…with all the attendant pressure that
entails. No matter what else life throws at you, deadlines still roll around!
What is the next book
coming out? Can you give me a short synopsis?
My next novel, Point of
Danger, will be out October 6. It’s Book 1 in my new Triple Threat suspense
series, which features three sisters in truth-seeking professions that lead
them into danger.
In Point of Danger,
radio talk show host Eve Reilly is used to backlash from her pot-stirring
on-air commentary and interviews. But now it seems a disgruntled listener is
resorting to more than angry words to express their displeasure. When a
suspicious package arrives on her doorstep, Eve turns to law enforcement for
help. Police detective Brent Lange can’t find any evidence to link the string
of unsettling incidents that follows, but he’s convinced they’re connected. As
the harassment grows more menacing, it becomes clear someone wants Eve’s voice
silenced—permanently.
I’m also writing a
contemporary romance series called Hope Harbor set in a charming Oregon seaside
town. Readers are loving this special place—which means that Book 7, Blackberry
Beach, will be out in April. It’s the story of a woman who’s no longer certain
she wants the life she’s pursued with single-minded determination, and a coffeeshop
owner who left a successful corporate career to pursue a different dream. I
hope you’ll visit this delightful town and see what happens when these two meet!
That’s all for today’s
interview. You have a lot of choices of where to start if you’re new to Irene’s
writing. Here are some ways to get started.
http://www.irenehannon.com/
https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/97710.Irene_Hannon
https://www.amazon.com/s?k=irene+hannon+books&ref=nb_sb_noss
