Interview with Author Holli True
In sharing my writing through social media I have met so many wonderful writers. I met author Holli True through instagram just like I did author Joshua Dall and author Adrian Michael Green. Holli is nothing short of inspiring, I truly look up to her and I’ve only known her for a short time. I’m telling you all, she is FABULOUS! I am so so so excited to read Reckless and I am so so so excited to share this interview with you all. You can find Holli on her website https://hollitrueauthor.com, Twitter https://twitter.com/hollitrue, and instagram http://instagram.com/hollitrue
Tell us a little bit about yourself.
My name is Holli True and I am a Writer & Photographer, based in Eugene, Oregon. I married my high school sweetheart, Jeff, when I was only eighteen. (Gasp! I know!) We are about to celebrate our 15 year wedding anniversary! ;) We have two amazing kiddos, Cole (10) and Addisyn (8), who keep us on our toes. We’re your typical Pacific Northwest family- we love being outdoors, traveling, exploring and watching football. Lots of football!
When did you start writing and why?
I have a very distinct memory from my childhood, when I was learning how to write my name, turning to my dad and declaring that I would one day be a writer. Becoming a published author has always been my dream. It wasn’t just something that I wanted to do, it was something I always felt that I was born to do. My entire life I have always crafted stories and dreamed up fictional characters and created places where there characters lived. The amount of happiness I feel when I explore their worlds and get to know them better and tell their stories is absolutely unreal. I could write everyday, all day and still never get enough of it.
What are your goals and intentions for this book?
My goal is to have everyone hopelessly in love my characters, Hailey & Jonah, of course! Right? And once they read it, I hope people will want to come to Eugene and experience the places they go, because most of them are real locations.
Reckless is the first book in a series of four. It’s the story of Hailey & Jonah’s journey through love and life. The idea for Reckless came to me while I was on a long drive over the mountain for a photo shoot. The idea of writing a forbidden love story has always compelled me, thank you Shakespeare, but I wanted to create something unique- so I went the paranormal route. (Disclaimer: there are no vampires, werewolves or aliens in my book!) So, I focused on figuring out all of the right components to create a complex forbidden love story with an underlying message that we try to teach to our kids every single day: Every decision has a consequence- good or bad. And the weight of those consequences can affect you- and the ones you love- for a very long time. Sometimes forever.
Do you like coffee? If so, how do you like your coffee and where do you get it from?
Well, I prefer my coffee the same way I prefer my alcohol- I don’t want to taste it. I’m a girly drinker, all the way around. If and when I do drink coffee, it’s always a Mocha Frappuccino from Starbucks. Yum!
You live in Eugene, Oregon, is that a small town? How has your town been supportive of your book release?
I do! I have lived here my whole life and I love it! It’s a college town (University of Oregon- GO DUCKS!), which made it the perfect setting for Reckless! We spend so much time on campus for photo shoots and sporting events, it was a no-brainer for me to place Hailey & Jonah here. So far, my town has been incredibly supportive, I am in the process of trying to get into local book stores here and really let everyone know about Reckless! Oh, and it’s not necessarily a small town, 150k+ in population.
Name a couple things that most people wouldn’t know about Eugene, OR. (Or just a couple things you love about home)
Eugene is gorgeous. We do get a decent amount of rainfall every year, which means our lakes and rivers are generally full and beautiful. It’s also very green here, which means Spring & Summer is lush and gorgeous! When Autumn arrives, all of that greenery turns into shades of gold, burgundy and terracotta and it is STUNNING! Everyone needs to experience Oregon in the Fall. Eugene is a perfect central location, we are an hour from the Pacific Ocean, an hour from the Cascade Mountains and only two hours from Portland.
A few fun facts about Eugene, Animal House was filmed here, at the University of Oregon. Nike was founded here by Phil Knight. And the US Track & Field Olympic Trials are held here, as we are considered Track Town USA.
How do you feel about ebooks vs. print books and self-publishing vs. traditional publishing? Why did you choose what you chose?
I prefer printed books, hands down. But I know that isn’t realistic for everyone else out there. I want Reckless to get into as many hands as possible, so I made it available in as many formats as I possibly could.
Oh. And to self-publish or go traditional… the question that kept me up at night for months. I have had to self-promote my photography business for years now, so the idea of continuing down that path felt natural to me. I went to work early in promoting Reckless through social media and my author website and the reception I received was great, so I decided to go for it! So far, I’m really happy with my decision! I got to layout my book exactly how I wanted it to look and I even photographed the cover, so I got to maintain control over the end product, and I liked that. A lot.
What are the steps in your writing process?
I used to be a timeline girl. Map it all out and then build on each scene, in sequence. And then my friend, Marissa, kicked my method to the curb and challenged me to build a chapter at a time. So, I did. And for the first time ever, I completed a novel. It was exciting to write a scene at a time and see where my characters took me. I had a front-row seat on the rollercoaster ride of Reckless, I had no idea of the twists and turns ahead, until they were happening and it was absolutely exhilarating! My characters weren’t caged. They grew and progressed throughout the pages and discovered things about themselves that I never would have dreamed, had I forced them to a timeline in the beginning.
How did you come up with the title and character names for Reckless?
When you know it’s wrong to do something, but you do it anyway- that’s being Reckless. Both of my characters have reckless moments, but they are in love, so they throw caution to the wind and follow their hearts. The title was the perfect fit and simply made sense, based on what Hailey & Jonah were going through. When it came to naming my characters, I had help from my friend, Marissa. H+J just works. (Hailey & Jonah / Holli & Jeff) ;)
What/Who is your biggest inspiration? Why?
Inspiration is everything. My kids inspire me. I want them to see and know that anything is possible. I not only want them to be dreamers, I want them to be dream chasers. They inspire me every single day to live life to the fullest, to laugh, to love and simply be.
Music inspires me. Music is my poetry and it speaks to my soul. I can’t write without music, it evokes so much within me. I even created a Reckless Soundtrack on Spotify and based each chapter after those songs, simply because they were the songs I listened to while creating the scenes in my book.
Eugene inspires me. I love living here and I wanted to pay respect to the town I call home. I have so much pride for this place, I want everyone to experience it, too. I am an Oregon girl, what can I say?
Hailey & Jonah inspired me. I couldn’t shake them or ignore their constant nudging. Their story had to be told, they had to exist. I’m just grateful that they chose me to be their author.
Where is the most exciting/interesting place you’ve ever traveled to? Where do you want to go next?
I love Hawaii! I’ve been to three of the islands and can’t get enough of it! I am dying to go to Fiji! Yes, please!
Name your favorite authors that you feel were influential in your work. What impact have they had on your writing?
My favorite Chick Lit authors are Jane Green and Sophie Kinsella. From an early age, Jane Austen, L.M. Montgomery and Louisa May Alcott were huge influences for me, I used to dream about writing Historical Romance. I was totally smitten with Stephanie Meyers for giving us Bella & Edward, it definitely inspired me to tackle Paranormal Romance.
When I started writing Reckless, I think all of these authors impacted me. From likable characters to real life issues and timeless love to supernatural elements, Reckless embodies exactly that.
How long did it take you to develop Reckless? From the outline, to writing, editing, rewriting, and cover design?
18 months. It shouldn’t have taken that long, but it did. It took me a 15 months to write the first ten chapters. It only took be 6 weeks to write the last twelve. I spent a month on rewrites and edits. I photographed the cover and had it all edited and ready in one day.
Breathless (the next book) definitely won’t take as long!
You did the cover design to your novel?! It’s beautiful! Do you offer cover design services to other authors? If so, where should we find you?
Thank you so much! Yes, I did! :) I am a photographer, so I was excited to bring my novel to life with an image that I actually took, even though at times I was certain it would be easier to just buy a stock photo! My friend, Marissa, wouldn’t have it. And now I thank her for pushing me to do just shoot it because I absolutely loved the process, it really made me feel like I was breathing life into my characters, bringing them to life.
And YES! I do offer custom services for authors, they include personalized photo shoots based on their novel for eBook and/or Print. I also offer website/blog design, too. You can find more info here: http://hollitrueauthor.com/author-services/
What are the last three books you’ve read?
Oldest to newest: I’ve Got Your Number, Kiss Me Like This and I just started Dearest Clementine.
Are you working on any other projects? If so, when should we expect to see them?
I am! Currently, I am writing a fun Chick Lit story that should be out by Winter 2014 (crossing my fingers!) and I am also in the beginning stages of the sequel to Reckless, which is called Breathless (2015).
A little message Holli would like to share with her readers:
THANK YOU!! Oh my gosh, that just isn’t enough! Please know that as you read Reckless, you are literally holding my dream in your hands and that means the world to me. I cannot begin to express my graditude to all of you for the love and support. From the bottom of my heart, thank you!! XO!
I told you all she’s fabulous! There will definitely be another interview in the future once I finish reading Reckless which released TODAY, JULY 15th, in paperback! You can purchase a copy at the following links! :)
B&N:
http://m.barnesandnoble.com/w/reckless-holli-true/1119915290?ean=2940149764310
KOBO:
http://store.kobobooks.com/en-US/ebook/reckless-75
AMAZON & KINDLE:
http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/1500369012/ref=mp_s_a_1_3?qid=1405468689&sr=8-3&pi=SY200_QL40
