Thanks for letting us
interrogate you! Can you give us a go-for-the-gut answer as to why you
wanted to be an author?
Because it was the only way to
appease the voices of course! And even
that isn’t enough because sometimes I have four or five of them fussing around
in my brain at once. Writing is the only
way to get them out
Tell us (we won’t tell
promise!) is it all it’s cracked up to be? I mean what are the perks and
what are the demands?
I enjoy writing. Stories and ideas are constantly making the
rounds in my brain and I love putting them on paper just so I can see what’s
going to happen next (I really don’t know most of the time.)
The demands are probably that it’s
not easy to maneuver ways to get my stories in front of people who might
consider given them a shot. It can be frustrating trying to determine what the
best and smartest means of marketing are because, let’s be honest, there are a
lot of great books out there. I’m a
reader as well as a writer so I know how overwhelming it can be to find the
right read at any one time.
Which route did you take –
traditional or self-published – and can you give us the nitty gritty low down
on what’s that like?
I’m self-published and it’s
really been the best way for me. It
means I’m wholly responsible for my successes… and failures, which can be scary
at times. But I like knowing how and
where my books will be available, what price they’ll be and how to market
them. When I see trends I can make
changes accordingly without having to go through channels. Plus, more of the royalties come straight to
me.
What’s the snarkiest thing you
can say about the publishing industry (e.g. rejections, the long wait, etc.)
Why yes, I do just write romance. But I’m still an author.
Tell us for real what your family feels about you spending so much
time getting your book written, polished, edited, formatted, published, what
have you?
Well, I’d say Bonnie Sue has
the hardest time with it. I mean, she’s
young and she wants a lot of my attention.
When she’s sitting there, staring at me and begging me with those pretty
brown eyes to take her outside to play, I can feel it like a laser beam searing
right into me. Sometimes I buy her off
with a snack, but that never seems to last for long. Then she’s whining and crying again… did I
mention Bonnie Sue is my corgi pup?
My hubby has been super
patient. Sure sometimes he gets
frustrated when my brain is all befuddled with thoughts about how my hero is
going to get his woman out of some mess, but overall he’s my most beloved fan.
What was the craziest or insane
thing that happened to you in the book publishing process?
About six months after first
publishing, some of my online writer friends decided it was time to meet. So we all planned a trip to New Orleans
How about the social
networks? Which ones do you believe help and which ones do you wish you
could avoid?
I spend most of my time on
Facebook. It’s the only one I really
get. I’ve tried twitter and I’m still
trying, but it hasn’t quite caught on for me yet.
Book sales. Don’t you
just love them (or lack of?)? How are you making the sales happen for
you?
Sales are up and down. Making my first in series permafree has
helped a lot, encouraging people to give me a try with nothing to lose. The translation into paying sales has been
really promising. Especially when people
write to me and say, “Please write more of that. I need more of that series…”
What is one thing you’d like to
jump on the rooftop and scream about?
Bad reviews! Doesn’t everyone hate bad reviews?
I actually don’t hate
them. Seriously, everyone needs bad
reviews. If you’re a writer and you’re
especially sensitive, don’t read ‘em, but don’t knock ‘em either. We all need low stars to give our overall
rating legitimacy. When I see a book
with all 5 stars, I’m suspicious. If
you’ve got a ton of bad reviews, then there might be a problem, but a few
splashed in the mix is won’t hurt. And
I’ve also gotten some good constructive criticism from some of mine.
Can you tell us what you love
about being a published author and how all those things above doesn’t matter
because it’s all part of the whole scheme of things and you wouldn’t have it
any other way?
I love talking to readers.
If I’m at an event in your area, come chat with me (no purchase
required) and if you find me online drop me a message or post on my page. I want to hear from you. That’s the really fun part of this journey,
connecting with others.
About The Book
Title: All For Family (A Rawley Family Novel)
Author: Olivia Hardin
Publisher: Olivia Hardin
Publication Date: August 24, 2015
Format: Paperback / eBook / PDF
Pages: 200
ASIN: B0108UOUJ8
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Buy The Book:
Barnes & Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/all-for-family-olivia-hardin/1121415829?ean=2940151691710
Discuss this book at our PUYB Virtual Book Club on Goodreads by clicking HERE
Book Description:
Wedding bells will soon be ringing in the Rawley family, but gearing up for Van and Kay's nuptials revives old securities for Kay's sister-in-law Meg. When she learns that her ex-husband is asking for her from his hospital bed, Meg must confront the painful memories of her past.
Family is everything for Jeremy Rawley. Most important is the one he and Meg created together. But their beginning was tangled in memories he wishes he wife could forget for good. A call from her past brings them back to a place he thought they'd never have to be again.
Forgiveness may be the key, but the first step is finding the locked heart that needs it.
Book Excerpt:
He watched her slide her feet back and forth against the carpet. “Whew … there’s a reason big girls shouldn’t wear heels.”
Jeremy finished his own drink and sat back down beside her, this time reaching down and taking her feet to pull them up into her lap. She made a face as if she would protest, but when he began circling his thumbs into the arches of her feet, she leaned back against the arm of the couch and moaned. “Oh, that’s nice. Do they teach that at earl school?”
As he massaged, she pointed her feet in a stretch, and her toes brushed a feather’s touch against his thighs. Damn, but the woman could get a reaction from him almost without warning. He continued rubbing, then slipped his fingers between her toes.
“Oh, no, no, no,” she squealed, jerking to try to pull away from him. “Ticklish.”
“I figured…” One corner of his mouth turned up in a grin. He tugged her feet back to his lap, and when he did, the skirt of her dress hitched up almost past her knees. She immediately took hold of the hem and tried to push it back down.
He encircled both her ankles with his hands and then slid them upward along her calves, kneading the muscles of each leg as he went along.
“Jeremy, you don’t have to …”
“Shh …”
Her eyes were open wide, so many emotions in their depths that it was hard to figure what she was feeling. Fear? Embarrassment? Excitement? He pushed one of her legs to the side until it slipped off the couch, then he scooted forward into the open space between her thighs. With one ankle still in his hand, he lifted it so that he could sweep his lips across the creamy smooth skin of her calf, working his way upward.
She was still holding her dress, doing her best to cover up, but the hypnosis of his stare had her. She never once looked away from him as he made his way higher. When he nipped his teeth to the tender spot at the crook of her knee she flinched, then sucked her lip into her mouth.
He was so desperate to kiss her that he almost rose up to smother her body with his and claim her mouth. But he didn’t. Instead he let go of her leg and then took her hands, loosening the tight hold she had on her hemline. The satiny material dropped, sliding down her thighs to bunch at her waist. Under she had on tight nude-colored shapewear, which she was clearly embarrassed about.
Gazing up at her, he brought one of her hands to his cheek. Her fingers stretched long, tentatively touching his lips. When he sucked two of them into his mouth, she moaned and closed her eyes.
“Jeremy, why are you doing this?” She snatched her hands away and to her lap where she once again tried to hide herself under folds of orange fabric.
“I want there to be a day when you won’t ask that question. Maybe it won’t be with me, but one day, you won’t have to wonder why a man would worship you and your body.”
About The Author
When Olivia Hardin started having movie-like dreams in her teens, she had no choice but to begin putting them to paper. Before long, the writing bug had bitten her, and she knew she wanted to be a published author. Several rejections plus a little bit of life later, she was temporarily "cured" of the urge to write. That is, until she met a group of talented and fabulous writers who gave her the direction and encouragement she needed to get lost in the words again.
Olivia has attended three different universities over the years and toyed with majors in Computer Technology, English, History and Geology. Then one day she heard the term "road scholar," and she knew that was what she wanted to be. Now she "studies" anything and everything just for the joy of learning. She's also an insatiable crafter who only completes about 1 out of 5 projects, a jogger who hates to run, and she's sometimes accused of being artistic.
A native Texas girl, Olivia lives in the beautiful Lone Star state with her husband, Danny and their puppy, Bonnie.
Connect with Olivia:
Author Website: http://www.olivia-hardin.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/oliviahardin
Twitter: https://twitter.com/oliviah_writer
Virtual Book Tour Event Page
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