Hey there word nerds! Today, I have the pleasure of interviewing H.R. Hobbs.
H.R. Hobbs (or Heather Hobbs, as I know her) is the Amazon-bestselling author of a series of compassionate and empowering stories for middle-grade readers. Set in a typical middle school, her books address the topics of belonging, friendship, and bullying.
A lifelong learner and teacher, Heather started writing in 2015 as a retirement project. Recently, she began taking art lessons with the hopes of illustrating her own children’s books in the future.
Heather is the mother to three grown sons and grandmother to three little darlings. She lives with her husband in the small prairie town where she was born and raised.
Also, Heather and I have been part of the same mastermind group for just about two years (shoutout to our third group member Angelica!). For those who don’t know, a mastermind group is basically like a critique group but instead of giving feedback on each other’s writing, we brainstorm around each other’s careers and business plans.
When Heather and I first met, she was still teaching and she was juggling her writing alongside a busy teaching schedule. In the years since, she has doubled down on her writing and built a strong career as a self-published author (in a niche that isn’t necessarily easy to break into with self-publishing).
I have had the benefit of hearing Heather’s insights pretty much every other week for two years and I am beyond thrilled to have her on the show so she can share her insights with the word nerd community.
In this episode Heather and I discuss:
- Choosing between self-publishing and traditional publishing
- Successfully self-publishing in the children’s market
- The freedom of self-publishing
- Delegating tasks and developing a publishing team
- Building a launch team
Plus, her #1 tip for writers.
About H.R. Hobbs
H.R. Hobbs is the Amazon-bestselling author of a series of compassionate and empowering stories for middle-grade readers. Set in a typical middle school, her books address the topics of belonging, friendship, and bullying.
A lifelong learner and teacher, Hobbs took on the challenge of writing in 2015 as a retirement project. Recently, she began taking art lessons with the hopes of illustrating her own children’s books in the future.
H. R. Hobbs is the mother to three grown sons (who shake their heads at her antics) and grandmother to three little darlings. She resides with her husband in the small prairie town where she was born and raised. Visit her website and connect with her on Twitter and Facebook.
Storms and Scarabs
A spyglass. A rare amulet. An ancient prophecy. Trapped in the past.
Moving to his grandfather’s farm was the last thing Mitch Howell wanted, but his parents did it anyway. Left on his own, Mitch sneaks into the attic of his grandfather’s house and discovers a spyglass. Curious about the spyglass and its connection to his loony great-grandpa, he doesn’t realize until it’s too late, that it’s really a portal to the past and the key to an ancient prophecy. Thrown back in time to Ancient Egypt with his best friend, Brock, the boys are on a quest to find their way home. But they aren’t the only ones who know the powers of the spyglass.
Can Mitch and Brock get home before the spyglass falls into the wrong hands and changes the world forever?
See Me
Hannah follows the rules, always. The rules at school. The rules at home.
But what people don’t knows that Hannah has her own rules. They protect her. Keep her invisible.
And they work—until Chip Cavanagh arrives at her school.
Chips doesn’t have rules.
Hannah soon learns that being friends with Chip means she can’t be invisible any longer.
Hear Me
When a bully targets her friends, can one girl find the courage to speak up?
Hannah thought her bully problems would end after her day in court. But her testimony against Brady and his lenient punishment only made him hungry for revenge. As the new school year begins, Hannah and her friends find themselves in the crosshairs of Brady’s cruel pranks…
When her friends are punished unfairly, Hannah is determined to clear their good names. But as Brady’s scheme becomes more elaborate and dangerous, Hannah can’t help but feel terrified. In the face of hatred and abuse, can Hannah find the courage to speak up for what’s right?
Watch Me
It’s Hannah against the town!
Hannah knows what it feels like to be an outsider. Disturbed by how her town treats a homeless man named Ben, she’s determined to help.
When Ben is arrested for a string of robberies, Hannah sets out to prove his innocence. Now she’s up against a fishy politician, judgmental neighbours and her parents, who just don’t understand. With the help of her friend Chip, she uncovers a political scandal with Ben as the pawn, and her small town may never be the same.
Can Hannah prove Ben is innocent and bring her town back together?
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Link to Episode 294
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Until next week, keep writing and keep being awesome!
