Thank you for your time in answering our questions about getting published. Let’s begin by having you explain to us why you decided to become an author and pen this book?
Gwen: Hi there! Thanks so much for having me. I’ve always been a writer, and I’ve always had this desire to see my words in formal print. Stories can have such a hold on people and I’ve always wanted to contribute something great to the field. As for A Hunter's Passion—I've always had a weakness for stories about forbidden love, and Ryker Bennett and Jenna Sinclair were adamant that their tale be told.
Is this your first book?
Gwen: No. A Hunter's Passion is my second. My first published book is Her Alpha Protector, and it's a shifter romance. I have two more projects I am currently working on. A Hunter's Soul (tentative title) is about Ryker's brother, Weston Bennett, and takes place after Ryker's story.
With this particular book, how did you publish – traditional, small press, Indie, etc. – and why did you choose this method?
Gwen: A Hunter’s Passion is with a traditional publisher. I chose Harlequin because of my mother’s love of their books. Growing up, I saw how much she enjoyed reading them, and I wanted to contribute.
Can you tell us a little about your publishing journey? The pros and cons?
Gwen: It’s a challenging task at times, but invigorating as well. For me, the best pro is knowing that I’ve succeeded. But with that success comes the pressure of continuing to do so. I noticed that once I was published, writing took on a different role in my life. Rather than something that I did purely for fun, it was also now a job. Once the adjustment was made, the love of writing returned but it took some time. Another would be social media. It’s another two-headed beast. While branching out and meeting new people is exciting, it’s also very tiring. And when you work an 8 – 5 job as well as trying to find the time to write, social networking can be incredibly exhausting.
What lessons do you feel you learned about your particular publishing journey and about the publishing industry as a whole?
Gwen: Promoting oneself is rather important. It’s something I hadn’t taken into consideration until I was published. Marketing and promoting can be a whole other full time job.
Would you recommend this method of publishing to other authors?
Author: Absolutely. Harlequin has treated me very well.
What’s the best advice you can give to aspiring authors?
Gwen: Don’t quit. So many stories go unfinished because the writer is self-conscious or believes that their ideas are hokey. If you write it epically, it’ll be epic.
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