Author Spotlight: H.L. Nida

May 12, 2020 • News

CJC: How did you get started as an author and what made you want to pursue that field?

HN: I had no thoughts about becoming an author, but I did have a story in my head.  I wrote down about two or three chapters of it one day and let it sit for about a year.  During that time, my mind went back to it so often, that when my husband was out of town, I decided to try to finish it.  Now I have stories in my head all the time.

CJC: What do you find to be the most rewarding and challenging part of bring an author and what hurdles have your overcome while striving towards your goals?

HN: The most rewarding part of being an author is when someone you do not know reaches out or writes a review about how much they liked my story.  The most challenging part is trying to be read.  There are so many authors out there, and it’s hard to just be a needle in a huge haystack.  I have spent quite a bit on marketing, but I haven’t truly figured it all out yet.

CJC: Which novel has been your favorite to write and why?

HN: Absolutely my first one, Arrested Heart.  I modeled my main male character after my husband and it was the easiest of the four books to write. I wasn’t trying to market another book, or working on a  pre-release or marketing.  All I was doing was writing.  I had no social media presence and it was nice and slightly cathartic.

CJC: For first time readers of your work, which book would you recommend?

HN: Arrested Heart, it’s a four-book series and if you read it in order it makes more sense, but it can easily be read out of order as well.

CJC: If one of your books were made into a movie, which would you select and who would you like to star in it?

HN: If I was approached for a movie deal, I’d like to consolidate all four into one.

CJC: For those looking to become an author, what advice would you give them?

HN: I have no advice other than hire the pros to do the things you know you can’t, such as editors, photographers, and cover artists, even formatting or conversions for the technologically challenged.

CJC: If you could co-write a book with any author, who would it be and why?

HN: I actually tried that with an author from the U.K. Let’s just say I’m not going to try that again.

CJC: Favorite motto?

HN: Kindness is free.

CJC: What do you do to overcome writer’s block?

HN: Eat ice cream, go work out, take a few days off.  I am not in a hurry and I don’t keep a log of how many words I write a day.  I just write when the story is there and when it’s not I’ll do something else with my time.

CJC: In one word, how would you describe your writing style?

HN: Personal.

CJC: Which do you find harder to do… writing the blurb for your story or select the cover?

HN: Oh God, the *ucking blurb!!!!  I hate the blurb!!!!   Looking at hot guys all day to choose the best matched to my characters is not a chore LOL.

CJC: What new projects are you currently working on and what are your goals for the remainder of the year?

HN: I have already written the last two books to the series.  So I am marketing the second book, Arrested Mind that you so beautifully took the cover shot for.  I am working on the cover for book four, and getting formatting finished to get the pre-order up soon for book three.  I am starting to finish my allergen cookbook that I will release sometime either between book three and four, or directly after four.  I also  have a story for a new novel, but I haven’t started that yet, I don’t expect that to be a series.  I’ve been working on the cookbook for about 15 years, and I want to accomplish that goal before I start working on another novel.  I also purchased a few books that I want to read this summer from a few author friends who I adore.

CJC: Thank you so much H.L. for taking the time to partake in this interview.

Arrested Mind is now available and can be purchased here!

Stay up to date with all of H.L. Nida’s future releases here.

Add a comment