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PRICKLE FORREST BOOKS
A Romance Author’s Interview
Welcome to Prickle Forrest Books, Hailey Dickert!
It’s wonderful you could take the time to share with the Pricklers a bit about you and your writing. And we here at Prickle Forrest Books would like to congratulate you on your newest release!
First, set the scene and give us some background. When did you decide to become a writer? Anyone influence you? Why romance? What book is this for you? And how did you come up with the idea for your current novel, Return Policy.
I have been writing my entire life. Previously I wrote songs and even had a blog at one point but after picking up reading again last year I was inspired by a few authors (TL Swan, C.W. Farnsworth) to write a love story of my own. This is my second novel and I came up with the idea after writing The Sister Between Us (my first novel). Return Policy is a spin-off with a side character from that novel.
What type of romance do you write? Do you ever think about writing something other than this type of romance? Historical? Fantasy? Mystery? Contemporary? Western? If so what?
I write contemporary sports romance. I don’t want to say I would never write something else, but at the moment this is what I enjoy writing. I have a few thriller’s planned as well, but they will still have romance as a large sub plot.
Please give us the low-down on your book, Return Policy.
Return Policy is the first installment in the Crystal Bay University series.
This is a college sports romance about escaping your past and welcoming the good things in life even when it feels like the world is falling apart. There’s tons of witty banter, text exchanges, and all those early relationship butterflies, paired with multiple plot twists.
Elijah Anderson
I was the big man on campus.
Everything in my life was going exactly according to plan until a wrecking ball reminded me that there were more important things than touchdowns, booze, and pretty girls.
In the most turbulent time of my life, I felt lost and defeated until the moment my eyes landed on her.
Sophia Summers is everything I never knew I wanted. A sweet shot of sunshine in the unrelenting hurricane.
There’s just one little problem. She doesn’t trust in love, and she definitely doesn’t trust me.
But I’m a patient man, and she’s worth waiting for. Soon she’ll realize that I want every part of her—the darkness, the light, and the shadows in between. I’m already hers, whether she likes it or not.
No returns, no refunds.
This is the first novel in the Crystal Bay University series by Hailey Dickert.
Return Policy can be read as a standalone; however, since Sophia is a side character from Dickert’s first novel The Sister Between Us, it is suggested to read that first for the best reader experience.
When you received your first copy of your newly published book, Return Policy, how did you feel? Did you flood social media with a book selfie? Celebrate with Champagne? Or pass out?
As always, it was so exciting to receive that first proof copy! It’s so overwhelming to have that book in your hands. It’s usually the moment I realize, “Holy $h!t, I wrote another book.”
Do you ever struggle with writing? Ever want to quit? How close have you come to Shoving the manuscript into a drawer and wait a month to even think about getting it out again? Or do you just plug on with the mantra “I think I can… I think I can…”?
I absolutely struggle with writing. I try to overcome this by doing writing sprints. These are where I sit down and force myself to write for 10, 20, 30 minutes, etc. Even if it isn’t good, it’s better than nothing. You can’t edit a blank page.
Where do you write? At your desk with coffee? Out on the deck with a cocktail? In bed propped up with pillows and hot chocolate? In other words, where do you do your best writing at?
I typically write at my desk. If I’m not there I’m at my favorite local brewery which sometimes helps with a change of scenery.
Who has been your favorite character to write? Have there ever been any who just nagged and nagged you to get them on paper? Have there been any characters you absolutely thought your readers wouldn’t like, but turns out they did? Ever purposefully put characteristics of someone you might know into a character and hope that they didn’t figure it out? Protect the innocent, no names, please.
My favorite character to write was Elijah the male main character from Return Policy. He’s just such a cinnamon roll sweet guy even if he was a little bit of a playboy in his past. He has so much range of character which was so fun to write.
I think it’s certainly realistic to assume I have characteristics of people I know within my characters. I’ve taken some of the best qualities of those I love and instilled them into my characters.
Which do you prefer to write, hot-hot romances or sweet romances? What’s the reaction you get from people you tell you’re a romance writer?
I prefer to write hot-hot romances. I personally love the shock factor and it’s just so much fun to let my mind free and wander to those crazy sexy places. It also seems to be a huge trend in the readers space (bookstagram/booktok) right now. And while I love writing, I also have a Bachelor’s Degree in General Business and writing to market is important for success in sales long term.
Everyone loves a box set. If you had to do one with a holiday theme, which holiday would you choose? And would you do it all yourself or share with two other romance writers? If you shared, who would the other writers be and what holidays would you choose?
I would love to do a Christmas box and write a novella. I would be happy to share the box with other authors including Hannah Cowan and Elsie silver.
Is there a book on your backlist that needs some more loving? Briefly tell us about it and where we can get it.
My debut novel The Sister Between Us was released this past April. It’s a childhood friends to lovers story about Leah (FMC) falling in love with her best friend’s brother, Jake (MMC). We get to see their journey through being friends, admitting their feelings, being in love, and how they will overcome tragedy. Will they find their way back to one another even as everything is falling apart?
It can be purchased on Amazon: https://a.co/d/3IjYkeL
Which type of media do you like to publish in the best? E-book? Audio? Paperback? Hardback? If you’ve done Audio, would you ever consider using the updated voices they have out now for AI to record it?
I currently have an ebook, paperback, and hardback for each book. I think e-book is best in terms of sales because it’s much easier to access. I’ve found that there are alot of parts in the world where it’s very expensive for them to get physical copies, so e-book is a great alternative.
I’m hoping to also release audio within the next year.
What do you have going on for the future? More writing? Blog tours, book signings, book festivals? If so, where and when could your readers find you?
I will be attending RARE Florence in 2023, but only as an attendee. However, I’d love to meet any readers while I’m there! Let me know if you’re going on my instagram @haileydickertauthor
I have another book that’s already in the works (Book 2 of the CBU series) and I’m hoping to publish it by December.
What’s the worst thing you hate to do as an author? What’s the best thing? And give us your best advice for those aspiring authors out there.
I hate when I give in and check reviews on good reads or amazon. There are always going to be people out there who dislike your work, but it’s not needed for you to know about it. Reviews are for readers not authors. So my advice is once your book is out to avoid reviews for your mental health. My editor checks if there are any reviews with constructive feedback to improve future stories, and a friend shares the positive ones!
Finally, if you knew what you know now as a writer, when you first started out, would you have taken the leap to write and publish your stories? What’s one happy memory you’d like to share about your writing with those here at Prickle Forrest Books?
I would absolutely still have taken the leap. If anything it would have given me more motivation to see that hard work can really pay off. One happy memory was that on my release day I waited until the end of the day to check my rankings with my husband. We sat together and saw how I hit the Amazon Top 100 in over eight countries. It was such an exciting, overwhelming feeling!
Where can we find your latest book…
Return Policy will be published June 23 and can be found on Amazon: https://a.co/d/8rVODWB
Where do you socialize……
Website: haileydickert.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/haileydickert/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/haileydickertauthor/
TikTok:https://tiktok.com/@haileydickertauthor/
Big –big thanks to Hailey Dickert for taking the time to travel into the Prickle Forrest and share a bit about your writing and Return Policy. And much thanks to our readers who make it all possible.
Please don’t hesitate to comment, but better yet, check out Hailey Dickert’s newest release at https://a.co/d/8rVODWB.
Thanks and enjoy!
Christina Hartmann- Benchoff
Prickle Forrest LLC
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