Hi, friends, if you've ever wondered what it's like to be an indie author, keep reading to learn more about how Hanna Holt brought her contemporary romance Forever Never Always to life. She also opens up about the realities of trying to manage mental health while being a writer and doing all the things; thanks for being so vulnerable and open, Hanna. And congratulations on your pregnancy!
If you're looking for a contemporary romance with an emphasis on family relationships, be sure to pick up a copy of the touching and heartfelt Forever Never Always, available through Amazon! Check out the gorgeous cover below, and then keep scrolling to learn about Hanna.
Thanks for joining me, Hanna! Tell us a little bit about yourself.
This is always such a hard question to answer, and I never know what to say! lol. So, here are some random facts. I'm left handed, I'm a libra sun, gemini moon, and cancer rising, I have three fur children (2 cats and 1 dog), and I'm working on growing my very first human baby. Romance is my favorite genre to read and write, and I love DIYing small home projects.
[Alexa's note: Congratulations on your pregnancy! And Hanna, would you like to come finish my laundry room remodel?!]
What drew you to indie publishing/self-publishing over traditional publishing?
I was originally drawn to traditional publishing, and honestly it isn't out of the cards, but when I was querying Forever Never Always I realized that it wouldn't fit well in the traditional publishing realm and I started looking into indie publishing. I think my Forester series is much better fit for self-publishing based off subject matter and the length of the series (you know, if I ever actually finish writing it lol)
How long did it take you from start to publication to bring Forever Never Always to life?
From start to finish, it took me two years to write and publish Forever Never Always.
How do you balance the demands of school/career and writing? [Alexa's note: Originally I asked Hanna about this because she was in a master's program at one time. I asked an out of date question, as it turns out, but really appreciated the answer.]
I actually am no longer in a master's program. The past year has been incredibly difficult and trying on my mental health (honestly whose mental health hasn't been affected?). I took a break from my program to focus on healing myself. But, I do work full time, and right now with being pregnant balancing my time has been incredibly difficult. I've been incredibly sick and exhausted for the past few months and I've fallen behind on a lot of my goals. The most important thing, in my opinion, is making sure I'm taking care of myself and my writing comes after that. Schedules don't really work for me, but I try to set small goals like writing for 10 minutes a day, or reading through a chapter throughout the week, so that I'm always moving forward no matter how slow.
Is it true that FNA is just the first in an entire series on the Forrester family? If so, how many books do you have planned?
Yes, Forever Never Always is ideally the first book of a series. In a perfect world each of the Forester siblings will have their own book. There are nine siblings overall. So that is a lot of writing!
What has been the most rewarding part so far about being an indie writer? What has been the toughest challenge?
Sharing my work and hearing how it has impacted people is probably the most rewarding, as well as the connections I've made with other writers and authors. The biggest challenge is the financial aspect. I think this will always be the biggest challenge because when it comes to indie publishing everything comes out of the author's pocket.
Is there anything else you'd like to share? Maybe a hint as to what you're working on next?
I'm currently working on Forester book 2, outlining book 3, and slowly working on two separate stand alones. I know that sounds like a lot, but the amount of effort that I put into each project changes and working on multiple things helps me keep my rhythm on days where I'm stuck!