Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I have had a book out in print from Kensington Publishing company in New York, but decided to go the indie route and self publish ebooks because I see that being the wave of the future. Not that I don’t still love “real” books. I do and visit my local library at least twice a month for new releases by my favorite authors. But I heart my Kindle too. 🙂
I have written two books in a series called “Forever Cowboys” and am working on the third.
Book 1 is Cowboys are Forever. Book 2 is The Color of Forever. Book 3 is Two Times Forever,
What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
Book 2 in the Forever Cowboys series is The Color of Forever.
My inspiration fro this book came from my first book, Cowboys are Forever. Although I didn’t set out to write a series, there were two secondary chracters in the book that seemed perfect for a second book: Samantha and Ben.
So my second book, The Color of Forever, is their story.
Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I don’t think I have any unusual writing habits to speak of. I just sit down in front of my PC and start typing. My practice is to outline a book so that I have a track to run on. That being said, like many authors I often find my characters taking a different road that the one I had mapped out and wandering off into unknown territory.
Is this a bad thing?
Not for me! When my hero and heroine have developed enough to do their own thing, I feel that their characters are much deeper and more interesting.
What authors, or books have influenced you?
Honestly, this would be such a long list I wouldn’t even attempt it. I’ve been an avid reader all my life, normally devouring several books a week. The romance genre is one of my particular favorites because it’s uplifting to read a story about two people who meet, fall in love, overcome the obstacles that are in their way and then live happily ever after.
What are you working on now?
Book 3, named Two Times Forever.
It will have the heroes and heroines from Book 1 and 2, along with a couple of other recurring characters, as secondary characters.
This book is about people who have loved and lost a mate who died and how hard it can be to get past the grief enough to love again. I guess you could say it’s about second chances.
What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I’m pretty new at epublishing so I don’t really have a favorite website for promotion just yet. I’m trying out quite a few.
Do you have any advice for new authors?
Write! If you’re a writer, sit down and do it. That may sound oversimplified but it isn’t, really. Writers are storytellers and if you have stories you want to tell, get started telling them.
So many people are held back from achieving their goals or living their dreams by nothing but fear of the unknown. With epublishing, you have nothing to fear except failure. True, this is a pretty big thing to be afraid of. But, even if your first book is a stinker that doesn’t sell, you can use this failure as a learning experience to make the second one better.
I have been exceptionally lucky because both of my books have risen in Amazon’s ranking very quickly. My first book in the Forever Cowboys Series, Cowboys are Forever, has been in the Top 100 paid books on Amazon in my category several times.
But, as a freelance writer of quite a few years, it was scary to take the time away from paying work for others and write just for myself. Sometimes you’ve just gotta gamble a little and take that first leap of faith into the unknown.
I did and it has paid off for me. Writing and epublishing my books so far has been one of the most rewarding things I’ve ever done. It’s exciting! I have a lot more stories to tell and I hope that readers continue to enjoy reading these stories.
What is the best advice you have ever heard?
To thine own self be true.
What are you reading now?
The Future Widows Club, by Rhonda Nelson. She has been a top selling writer for Harlequin Blaze for over a decade and just happens to be my daughter. 🙂
What’s next for you as a writer?
More of the same I’ve experienced so far, I hope. The success of my first two books has just blown me away and I’m eagerly anticipating writing more and more and more!
If you were going to be stranded on a desert island and allowed to take 3 or 4 books with you what books would you bring?
Oh dear. I can’t even go there, such a tough decision!
Author Websites and Profiles
Hope Whitley Website
Hope Whitley Amazon Profile