Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
Hi! I’m Lisa Hahn, a romance writer from Northern New Jersey. I write contemporary and historical romance, though only my contemporaries are currently available for purchase. I have two rescue dogs: Cassie is a Lab/Boxer mix and Jonas is a Shetland Sheepdog. We have a cat, too. His name is Blueberry. I’m a vegan and a yogi. I work out a lot. The Seattle Seahawks are my favorite football team.
I’ve written several books, and right now only a few of them are for sale. It took a few tries to really find my voice.
What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
My latest book is titled Sweet. It’s loosely based off The Nutcracker. I used to dance, and ballet was far and away my favorite discipline. I’d tried reading a few romances with heroines who danced and found myself distracted by the inaccuracies. I wanted to write a book that stayed true to the discipline. I also liked the idea of each book in the Bretton Falls Ballet series being inspired by a different ballet. So many authors are rooting their stories in fairy tales or Jane Austen novels, so I was sort of inspired by that method of storytelling.
Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I sigh A LOT, even when I’m not frustrated. I don’t do it intentionally. I thinking I’m just releasing whatever negative energy might make it difficult for me to work.
What authors, or books have influenced you?
I love Lisa Kleypas and Maggie Stiefvater are the big two for me right now. Their prose is so incredibly beautiful it makes me want to sit down and work on becoming the best writer I possibly can be.
What are you working on now?
I’m working on my first historical romance. It’s a mail order bride story that takes place in 1870s Helena, Montana. I’ve always been interested in American History, so I’ve really enjoyed the transition into writing historical literature.
I’m also working on the next installment of The Bretton Falls Ballet series. This book will focus on Abby Glenn, a secondary character from Sweet.
What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
Promotion is tricky. Right now, I think Facebook is the most beneficial.
Do you have any advice for new authors?
Read a lot, especially in your genre. Be aware of what’s going on in the publishing world and keep track of what’s popular. Don’t be too quick to publish; focus on the quality of your writing. Find a good critique partner or critique group (much easier said than done).
What is the best advice you have ever heard?
The advice that’s really stuck with me I got from Joan Johnston during a workshop she presented on conflict. She said “If your hero is a firefighter, make your heroine set fires.”
What are you reading now?
So much! I’m reading a historical western, the last book in Maggie Stiefvater’s Raven Boys series, Miss Peregrine’s Home For Peculiar Children: The Graphic Novel, Chris Jericho’s first autobiography, and a non-fiction book about the Salem Witch Trials.
What’s next for you as a writer?
Five other writers and I are releasing a Valentine’s Day box set on February 14th. My story, Not Today, is about two lost souls who encounter each other during a trip to the local dog park on one of the worst days in both of their lives…and it just happens to be Valentine’s Day, too.
What is your favorite book of all time?
I can’t pick just one! Slaughterhouse-Five, The Great Gatsby, The Catcher in the Rye, Stiefvater’s Raven Boys series, The Hunger Games series, and Kleypas’s Wallflowers series.
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