Caren Hahn
Suspense and fantasy writer of dragons and so much more!
Caren has always loved writing but it wasn’t until she had children of her own that she ventured into writing about dragons . . .
Not the read a-loud story about puffy sweet dragons but suspense, gripping novels about raising dragons and the challenges that nurturing fire-breathing, big creatures entails.
Her books are masterpieces of plot, intrigue and suspense. Not always about dragons though as she likes to jump from fantasy to mystery that involves living in real time with real life events of today.
If you haven’t read Caren’s books . . . it’s probably time you did.
Connect with Caren:
Visit the complete Northwest Book Talk series on: Amazon Podcasts | Apple Podcasts | IHeartRadio | YouTube
Book Series by Caren Hahn
After our radio talk, Caren shared more . . .
New Readers
1: Self-care for authors
Reading fiction goes beyond the brain and engages your heart. Stories—even made-up ones—help us connect with the human experience in a new way, which develops empathy and understanding for the world we live in and the people we share it with.
We explore ideas we might not have considered on our own, expanding our sense of self and where we belong.
So I’m a big believer that just because reading fiction is fun or serves as an escape doesn’t negate the powerful ways it enriches our lives.
2: Writing for fun
Yes, I really do love it!
As I’ve worked on developing other parts of the business, I sometimes postpone writing and use it as a reward for when I’m finished with my other tasks.
The problem is that when I run out of time, it’s the writing that suffers.
So this year I’m trying to prioritize daily writing first, even if it’s just a short writing sprint.
What I’ve found is that my whole day goes better when I do.
My mood is better, and I feel a satisfying sense of balance even if I didn’t get everything finished on my to-do list.
3: Are you having Fun? If not . . .
Absolutely!
When I’m working on a scene that feels like a slog and I’m struggling to push through it, I have a few things I’ll try.
I might throw in something unexpected to upset the balance and get some movement going.
If I’ve gotten my characters tied up in knots (literally or figuratively), I might sleep on it and give my subconscious mind a chance to work on how to get them out of their mess.
If nothing else works, I’ll set aside the problem scene and jump to a different part of the story that I’m excited about writing.
Since I’m a discovery writer, sometimes I don’t even know how the new scene will fit into the book, but that’s okay, because it keeps me engaged and having fun with the story.
Then I can go back to the problem scene feeling invigorated, and I’m able to find my rhythm again.
4: Writing Camp
These were informal writing camps that were held virtually with a select group of writing friends and family.
They were a lot of fun and flexible enough to work into our work or school schedules, but I’d really like to do an in-person retreat someday where I can get away from the distractions of home and really focus on a project.
5: Serial Writing for unpublished authors
If a writer is open to trying serial fiction, I would say, “Go for it!”
Serial writing required me to center the reader’s experience in a totally different way, and the things I learned inform my novel writing now.
There are multiple options out there depending on the genre.
6: Working with an agent
I can’t remember where I got the number 100, but I think I signed with my agent somewhere around 60, so I’d say it was a reasonable target.
It took me about 4-5 months, and every discouragement along the way felt so big that I was really glad to have set that goal of 100 or I might have given up sooner.
One of the things I found is that a lot of published information about agents is inaccurate or outdated, so you might be sending queries to agents who aren’t even working in the business anymore.
Definitely do your research and keep careful records of who you’ve queried, when, and what kind of a response you get (if at all).
7: Self-publishing
I’ve attended a few really good author conferences, including 20Books–Vegas (now called Author Nation).
I’ve spent a lot of time in author communities on Facebook, but I’ve learned that there are a lot of predatory people out there eager to take advantage of new authors.
So I would strongly suggest that if you’re just starting out, stay away from any products or services that cost more than you can afford to lose, because you probably won’t get your investment back.
At the same time, there are a lot of great free resources out there, like David Gaughran’s course “Starting From Zero.”
I’d already been self-publishing for a couple of years when it came out, but it still helped me connect the dots on things I hadn’t yet put into place.
I recommend it to all new authors starting out who are wondering when and how to market their books.
8:
I’m so excited about this group!
It’s for readers and authors of all Mystery/Thriller/Suspense genres who are looking for books without explicit content.
In some genres, like Cozy Mystery or Inspirational Suspense, it can be easy to find those kinds of books.
But it gets a lot harder in genres like Romantic Suspense or Psychological Thriller.
In our Clean Chills group, readers are always encouraged to share recommendations of books and authors they love, and we hold regular events to build community and help readers find new-to-them authors.
It’s a lot of fun, and I’m enjoying finding more authors writing the kinds of gritty books I write that don’t have graphic content.
9: Writing as a business
Last year it meant focusing on learning Facebook Ads. (Note that I say “learning,” not “mastering.”
As fast as they change things, I’m not sure that’s possible!)
This year, my goal is to tackle audiobooks.
None of my books are out in audio yet, and I’d really like to reach that audience.
LINKS MENTIONED IN INTERVIEW
Join Our Newsletter
Sign up for our newsletter to follow our latest author and book-focused interviews, and stay updated on Pacific Northwest books, events and literary insights.