I'm happy to welcome author Christine Hartmann to the blog today. Her new release, a romantic suspense, Wild Within has an intriguing premise. She was kind enough to answer a few questions about her writing life. Her book is now available on Amazon and Barnes & Noble.
What
is your process for plotting out your novel?
I
make a rough outline of the plot. Then I work on the scenes. I love the book Story by Robert McKee. I don’t do it his
ideal way, but I have used a lot of the advice in that book.
What
is your greatest challenge as a writer?
Finding
the balance between my busy full-time job and my book writing career. I love my
job—it’s meaningful and important to me. But so is my book writing. Finding a
balance sometimes involves compromises, and it’s usually the book writing that
has to compromise.
Do
you write in one genre or multiple genres? Why?
I
write in multiple genres. My first book was a memoir, So Far Away: A Daughter’s Memoir of Life, Loss, and Love, published
by a university press. I have another non-fiction book under contract. The
non-fiction work overlaps with my life and my job a great deal. My romantic
suspense books tap into the part of me that loves to get away from reality for
a while.
What
was your path to publication like?
For
Wild Within I was lucky enough to
have an agent who did all the heavy lifting of pitching the book. Parkeast
Literary. They are fantastic.
What
advice do you have for someone who dreams of writing and having a book
published?
I
have had great experiences working with publishers. I think it’s worth the time
to find a place that takes your book. You get the design, editing, and
marketing help that you don’t get if you self-publish.
What
is the premise of you book? Here's the blurb:
A year after a family
tragedy, Grace Mori embarks on the journey of a lifetime…
Two thousand, six hundred miles of blistering heat,
wilderness, and soul searching—that’s what Grace signed up for when she decided
to hike the Pacific Crest Trail. It’s not a voyage for beginners, but with no
husband and her family still recovering from her bother’s death, Grace is more
alone than ever.
This trail meant something to her brother, and she’ll hike
it in his memory, but she can’t do it alone. So with her brother’s gear and a
small group, Grace takes the most important first steps of her life.
Grace finds something
more than peace and magic on the trail…
When her first day of hiking ends in heat stroke, Grace is
rescued by a handsome, red-haired hiker who calls himself Lone Star. Grace has
an immediate connection with him, and their brief encounter leaves her fearing
her soul mate has slipped through her fingers. Although he vows to keep in
touch, Grace doubts she’ll ever see him again.
When fears become
reality, the only people Grace can rely on may be killers...
Grace is surprised to find notes left at supply posts along
the trail. Lone Star’s eloquent letters keep Grace going, clinging to the hope
she’ll find him—and happiness—at the end of her journey. But as the trail
becomes more perilous, menace grows within the group. And when Lone Star’s
letters mysteriously stop coming, Grace fears the worst.
As tensions flare and a killer emerges, Grace must battle to
survive…and reunite with the man she’s sure is her future.
AUTHOR BIO:
Christine Hartmann grew up in Ohio and Delaware and loves
traveling to exotic, romantic settings. After a college semester in Kathmandu,
her first three “real” jobs were all in northern Japan, where she lived for
almost 10 years. She currently splits her career between her daytime occupation
(improving the quality of veterans’ nursing home care) and her nights/weekend
avocation (writing both fiction and non-fiction books). Her husband Ron
Strickland is a well-known long-distance hiker, trail guide writer, and the
founder of the 1,200-mile Pacific Northwest National Scenic Trail. Christine
loves reading, pilates, bicycling, snorkeling, and health foods that taste like
they’re bad for you. You will often find her at a keyboard, a German shepherd
at her side, and Ron whispering sweet edits over her shoulder.
RELEVANT LINKS:
Hyperlink to Amazon:
Book trailers:
Facebook:
Twitter:
Website:
Goodreads:
CONTACT INFO:
chartmannbooks@gmail.com
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