Interview - Tina Hogan Grant

Interview - Tina Hogan Grant

Interview - Tina Hogan Grant

1-Tell me about yourself what are your favorite books to read?

I was born in England and moved to the United States in 1979. I am the youngest daughter of science fiction author, James P. Hogan. After moving to California, I became a commercial fisherwoman and spent ten years fishing off the southern coast of California with my husband Gordon. After retiring from fishing, we moved to Frazier Park, a small mountain community in California, and spent the next ten years building our dream home, doing most of the work ourselves. Now we are able to do what we enjoy most and live life at a slower pace. Grant’s passions include writing, reading, kayaking, hiking, and riding ATVs.

I love to read most genre’s including Contemporary Romances, Romantic Comedies, Cozy Mysteries and Memoirs.

2.when did you decide you were going to write a book?

Reckless Beginnings is women’s fiction based on true events that have happened in my life. Tammy Mellows, (the main character) is me. I wanted it to read like a story and not a memoir, (personal choice,) therefore, names, places, and some facts about certain events have been altered.

I developed a passion for writing at the early age of fourteen. I think having an author for a father had something to do with it. It was around this time, one of my older sisters ran away and couldn’t be found. Unable to search for her, I became frustrated and began writing in a journal to gather my thoughts. My book begins with the disappearance of my sibling.

A few years later and with my sister still missing, chaos began to erupt in my own life.  I was on a path of making hideous choices and in denial because I wanted the white picket fence and the perfect American family life and ignored any signs that may disrupt that dream.

I allowed my life to be dictated by a heroin addict, the father of my child.  Believing that his needs were more important than mine, I got swallowed up in his lifestyle, losing my sense of direction, courage, and identity. Throughout the chaos, I continued to write in my journals.

During that time, I searched for books written by other women that found themselves in the same predicament as myself but came up short.  I only discovered “How to” books, but they were not the voices I wanted to hear. I needed to know how they coped.  What did they do? I wondered what their everyday lives were like; I yearned for some sort of connection with someone.  I had so many unanswered questions.

That was when the seed was planted for my debut novel, Reckless Beginnings. But it didn’t happen right away. I tucked it away and continued to struggle with the battles in my life.

Twenty years later I still had not written the book, but the thought never left me. When my 

father suddenly passed away in 2010 and a year later I was diagnosed with breast cancer I began to think seriously about the book and began writing the outline.  Eight years later it was finally published.

3- How did you come up with the name of your book?

I had written the term Reckless Beginnings while describing something in the book and I knew right there and then I had the title for the book

4 -What are you working on for 2019?

Reckless Beginnings is the first book in a trilogy. I am currently working on the second book titled Better Endings. It continues where Reckless Beginnings left off with many of the same characters and new ones are introduced.  In this book, Tammy Mellows has issues with trust and demons of her own that she must overcome. She finds solace on the ocean and enters the world of commercial fishing, an industry dominated by men, and hopes she can live up to their expectations and be accepted. I hope to have the book released by the end of the year. 

The Journals of Tammy Mellows - A prequel will also be released this year.  This will show the insights into Tammy's thoughts during the time her sister disappeared and the struggles and goals she had while living with an addict.

The third book is titled, The Reunions - but that may change.

I'm also working on a steamy romance series titled The Sabela Series. The first one is titled, Slater. It is complete. When I say that I mean it has gone through beta readers, editing and the cover has been designed. Book two, titled Eve will be going to the editors this week. The cover is done also. I will begin book three in about 2 weeks. A title has yet to be determined.

5 – How long have you been writing?

I’ve always loved to write but I didn’t take it seriously until eight years ago when I began writing Reckless Beginnings. Now I can’t stop and wish there were more hours in the day so I could write more.

6 – What advice would you give other authors?

Quoted from the Merriam-Webster Dictionary  “Habit –  an acquired mode of behavior that has become nearly or completely involuntary .” Another way of saying this is: We do things from  

the force of habit. 

To improve your writing skills, you need to be adopting certain habits that over time become natural and a part of your everyday routine.

READ, READ, READ

I can’t emphasize this enough. To be able to write you need to be reading.

When you’re reading, slow down and take note of the writing style, the grammar, ask yourself questions – why do you like or not like the book? Is the book captivating? Were you drawn into the story right away? Does it have a good plot? Take note of the characters – are they descriptive enough – can you picture them? As a writer, read the book like a writer? Question the book like you would your own story. Learn from the bestsellers.

WRITE, WRITE, WRITE

Like anything in life that we want to excel in, we need to practice and keep at it. Kobe Bryant didn’t become a superstar basketball player overnight. It’s the same with writing. Write every day, doesn’t matter what you write, just write. Write in a journal, write a blog, add something to the current story you are writing. If you are stumped on what to write, use a writing prompt.

 

 EDIT, EDIT, EDIT

When you have completed your story I encourage you to read it over and over and when you think you’re done, read it again and again. Trust me, you’ll be surprised at what you’ll find and how much you want to change. I suggest reading it out loud or use a text to voice software.

When you’ve done all you can possibly do, it’s time to hand it over to others to read. I don’t recommend giving it to friends or family – they tend to be the worst critics, (afraid of hurting your feelings.) It’s best to give it to someone neutral. Listen to what they have to say and use the information.

I also recommend, walking away from your work for a week or two. Write something else, focus on anything but the current story. When you return with a fresh mind, you’ll be amazed by how much more focused you’ll be and I can guarantee, additional changes will be made.  

Finally, Have your work edited by a professional editor. There is nothing worse than reading a book that has constant spelling and grammar mistakes or simply doesn’t read well. Your reputation as a writer is out there for everyone to judge. An editor will be able to do the final polish and make it shine.

Learn How to Handle Criticism

As a writer, more than likely someone is going to criticize your work. We can’t please everyone. The first will hurt, but we can look at it in a positive way and grow from it. Take note of the critique, learn from it and expand your knowledge. then tuck it away and move on.

Make Your Next Story Better Than the Last

As we write more, we continue to learn new writing techniques and begin to form our own style of writing. Grow with what you have learned. Write with confidence, show it in your writing and make each new story better than the last.

Have Fun and Enjoy yourself

You are doing something you love to do. You feel the passion to write. Embrace it, have fun with it. Get excited about your creation, the story, the plot, the ending. Don’t make it a dreaded chore – anticipate your next writing session and what you want to achieve. Set goals.

Where can people find you online?

I have a website from where I send a monthly newsletter. You can find out about all my new releases, books on sale, and what I’m currently working on.

The website is https://www.tinahogangrant.com/

You can sign up for my newsletter here:https://www.tinahogangrant/facebooksignup

I have a Group on Facebook where I talk about my books, do giveaways, live video chats and run a monthly contest. Here is the link if you would like to join: https://www.facebook.com/groups/tinahogangrant

My Facebook author’s page is https://www.facebook.com/Tina.Hogan.Grant.Author/

You can also find me on these other Social Media platforms

https://www.instagram.com/tina_hogan_grant/

https://twitter.com/TinaHoganGrant

https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/11947664-tina-hogan-grant

https://www.pinterest.com/tinahogangrant/

https://www.bookbub.com/authors/tina-hogan-grant

Question 8 was answered in Question 4

9 – How many books have you written?

Reckless Beginnings is my debut novel

10 – Did you go to college to learn how to become a writer?

No, I did not.

Thank you Angelika for this opportunity.