Q&A with Heather Hummel

When did you know writing was for you?
[image error]  When I was in third grade (1974!) I had open heart surgery and spent three months at home recuperating. Because I was nine, I was old enough to understand that my classmates didn't understand that there was something wrong with me¾after all, I looked just fine on the outside. And I was young enough to not fully comprehend the medical aspect of it all. They used a doll to show me how the surgery would go…I still have that doll! It was during those three months of being home and away from school that I started writing…nothing elaborate, of course, but things like poems and short stories. I wrote almost every day and haven't stopped since.
How would you describe your books?
 Chick lit, but with some deep issues such as teen suicide and emotionally abusive relationships. At the same time, I'm a strong believer in the power of words and that how we use them has a great impact on outcomes in our lives. As a writer, being able to express this belief through my characters, especially Samantha in Write from the Heart, has been a fictional way of showing just how powerful words¾be them spoken or written thoughts¾can be, and that changing our "mantras" from negative to positive can change our lives.

What is the hardest part of the writing process for you?
Resisting the temptation to go back and edit until the novel is complete. When I wrote WRITE FROM THE HEART I wrote straight through, but that was during NaNoWriMo (National Novel Writing Month), so I didn't have time to stop and edit. It worked out well, and I learned that I can do it that way and even enjoy it. With WHISPERS FROM THE HEART and now WISDOM FROM THE HEART (forthcoming third novel in the Journals from the Heart series), it's been harder to just keep writing. When I write for a client, or back in the day when I wrote for magazines, and am under a deadline, I write the first draft straight through without editing  until I'm done. I prefer to do it that way, but my reality is I also love editing as I go. Therein lies the hardest part of the writing process!
[image error] What are your favorite genres to read?
I read other chick lit authors, but I enjoy a variety of genres and go through phases. I read a bunch of writing books (Stephen King's On Writing, Anne Lamott's Bird by Bird, etc.) when I first left teaching to write full time. Then I went through a spiritual awakening and read almost all of the Hay House author's books. Now I try and blend genres more. Sometimes the book I gravitate toward is a freebie I just downloaded. I love my Kindle, and it's as diverse in its collection of books as my iPhone is with its collection of music.
What do you want readers to take away from your story?
 That the power of the pen doesn't belong to writers alone. Journal writing is a powerful tool for creating and manifesting in life. What we write in our journals is like making a contract with the Universe…and our thoughts written down become a force that can create faster than you'd think. My characters are everyday women, not necessarily spiritual…they're going through big life changes and use journal writing as a release, coping mechanism, and in WRITE FROM THE HEART, as a way of changing negative thinking into positive thinking so that she can recreate her reality. 
How important do you think social media is for authors these days?
 A year ago I would have said, "Very important." Nowadays it, in my opinion, it feels like visual stimulation. Tweets and Facebook posts all begin to blend with quotes and book promos and people trying to be your friend so you'll buy their book. Since I've done a lot of book signings with GRACEFULLY (McGraw-Hill 2008), I know how much of an impact the in person meet and greets can have. At the same time, in one weekend I had thousands of downloads of my novels because I ran a freebie weekend and Tweeted it every hour. I think a healthy balance of both is best. I did a book signing last weekend and had a decent turnout for a rainy day.
What would be your advice to aspiring writers?  I get asked this all the time, and my answer is that I would discourage them…because if they can be discouraged they should be discouraged. I borrow this philosophy from the Beatles producer, George Martin, who was known for saying the same thing about the music industry. Any creative field is competitive and tough…you have to absolutely love what you're doing to make it, and then back it up with talent, action, passion, and never giving up. Now that I'm back into photography after a sabbatical, I look at all these professionals who have amazing images and wonder if I'll ever aspire to their level. That's how I used to look at traditionally published authors (back when you had to have an agent and a big six contract to be "someone.") I know for sure that I could never be discouraged to write or to do photography…and when you can't see yourself doing anything else whatsoever, then you know you're on the right path and you'll figure the rest out.
Heather Hummel's Author Bio
Heather Hummel is a Photonovelist. Her published works include:

Journals from the Heart Series:
Whispers from the Heart (2011) 1st Honorable Mention New York Book Festival
Write from the Heart (2011)
Nonfiction:
GO BIKE & Other Signs from the Universe (2011)
Gracefully: Looking and Being Your Best at Any Age (McGraw-Hill, 2008), Honorable Mention Mature Media Awards, 2009
Essays:
Messages of Hope and Healing ( Sunpiper Media, 2006)
Blue Ridge Anthology (Cedar Creek, 2007) with David Baldacci and Rita Mae Brown

Heather's books have appeared in newspapers such as: Publishers Weekly, USA Today and the Washington Post; and in magazines that include: Health, Body & Soul, First, and Spry Living, a combined circulation of nearly 15 million. A graduate with High Distinction from the University of Virginia, Heather holds a Bachelor of Interdisciplinary Studies degree with concentrations in English and Secondary Education. She is currently earning a Ph.D. in Metaphysical Sciences.

Visit Heather's website at http://www.heatherhummel.net
Follow Heather on Twitter @HeatherHummel: http://twitter.com/#!/HeatherHummel
"Like" Heather's Fan Page http://www.facebook.com/HeatherHummelFanPage
Visit Heather's photo Gallery on Fotoblur http://www.fotoblur.com/portfolio/photonovelistheatherhummel
 **Everyone who leaves a comment on Heather's tour page will be entered to win a $10 Amazon gift card! If you purchase your copy of Write from the Heart before March 19 and send your receipt to Samantha (at) ChickLitPlus (dot) com, you will get five bonus entries!**
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