About Noelle Hart:
Hello, I grew up in the frozen Pacific Northwest but migrated to warmer climates to raise my two kids and adopt an assortment of cats and dogs over the years. During that time I found myself brainstorming ideas that I knew some day I’d commit to paper (or a digitized form of it). I’m finally in that zone, and on a typical day I start out by hugging one of my sweet furry companions and then settling in for a day doing what I love the most. My work-horse computer ready, I let my imagination go wild, weaving daydreams, visions, concepts and research together to create vivid tapestries of romantic suspense.
I personally love a good read that takes me out of myself and into a world of discovery. Stories with rich settings, relatable characters, captivating men and alluring women, all bundled into plots that keep me guessing. That is what I visualize for you when I formulate each of my books, tales that sweep you up and away from the daily grind and take you into a world that you might never otherwise visit.
While most of my day is filled with my true passion of writing, I manage to toss in a little oil painting now and then to feed my soul. Between all of this I also feed my gaming addiction of word and puzzle games, sometimes having to forcibly yank myself off of those tremendously engaging pursuits to get back to work!
What inspires you to write?
I’ve always been a deep thinker. The diversity of the human race with all its foibles and misdeeds is a breeding ground for suspenseful stories, my favorite genre. Amongst my neighbors on this block alone are the building blocks of many a true story that can be fictionalized and embellished to create an interesting and exciting storyline. (No, I’m not a gossip who loves to feed the grapevine, but I do like to imagine what might happen if other elements are tossed into the mix.) I’ve always been a sucker for romance, for interaction between friends and family, and for that extra something special that makes you ask, what’s going to happen next?
Tell us about your writing process.
I am a strong believer in working from an outline, which I type out in document form. That said, it doesn’t mean that you can’t make changes as you go, which inevitably happens as new and better approaches reveal themselves to me as I write: a plot twist, a character who contributes to the storyline, etc. My desk is inundated with post-it notes that detail each character’s physical and/or quirky elements. My protagonist (usually female) and her immediate cohorts get special attention by way of digging deeper into their flaws, desires and goals, keeping track on the post-its for easy access.
For Fiction Writers: Do you listen (or talk to) to your characters?
By pure imagination I am able to visualize a character’s appearance and personality. Sometimes I compare them with people I know or have met casually, drawing from speech patterns and gestures to instill into my fictional characters. Do I talk to them? No, but I certainly do listen and if they’re not behaving as I think they should, I re-write to make them stronger. I present my characters as real people with real problems, not over the top but rather believable personas facing equally believable dilemmas.
What advice would you give other writers?
Be patient, and understand that while writing is your pursuit, it doesn’t stop there. Whether published by a company or self-published, either way you’ll need to market your books if you want sales. The best advice I can give is that you write a compelling, well edited story. Without that, you’re quickly sunk.
How did you decide how to publish your books?
Geography had something to do with my decision to self publish. That, and the time line involved in getting a book to the shelves with a traditional publisher. I realized the pitfalls in both arenas and settled, for me, on the lesser of the two evils (I call it hat because many authors like me love writing but are challenged by the business aspect of it), to become an indie author. I live south of the border, and although in this digital age its fairly easy to approach agents and publishing houses who accept direct submissions, it’s not so easy to attend book fairs etc. when you live outside the U.S. or Canada, where largely your audience lies. Therefore I decided to go entirely with the digital formats involved in self publishing.
What do you think about the future of book publishing?
Honestly, in this ever evolving digital age, I think brick and mortar stores may become obsolete in the near future as more and more readers look for on line books and downloads for their reading devices. While publishing with a traditional house may seem to reach a broader audience for some, I think that for most, self publishing is the answer.
What genres do you write?: romantic suspense
What formats are your books in?: eBook
Website(s)
Noelle Hart Home Page Link
Link to Author Page on Smashwords
