Author Interview: Robin Lee Hatcher

Plug time. What book or project is coming out or has come out that you’d like to tell us about?

My most recent 2005 releases are The Victory Club (Tyndale) and Loving Libby (Zondervan). The Victory Club tells the stories of four women who are civilian employees on an airbase during WWII. Each of them has a loved one serving in the European theater of the war. Loving Libby is an historical romance set in Idaho. Libby is on the run from her ruthless father and Remington is the man sent to find her. In early 2006, I’ll have two contemporary romance novels released: Another Chance to Love You (Steeple Hill) and Diamond Place (Revell).


How long had you been writing seriously before you got the call that you were going to be published? Tell us how you heard and what went through your head.

I began writing my first book in March 1981. I finished it eight months later. I submitted to publishers in February 1982. Following many rejections, I got the call (actually, it was an acceptance letter) in April 1982. Since I had no writer’s group, I didn’t know how little I knew. I hadn’t ever doubted I would get published, so this just seemed like the next natural step. Only later did I learn that less than 1% of the novels written every year get published.



Do you still experience self-doubts regarding your work?

Always. I just finished work on my 49th book, and I can tell you, self-doubt was in operation a great deal of the time. I simply turn a book in and then hold my breath until my editor tells me she liked it.

What’s the best advice you’ve heard on writing/publication?

Perseverance is more important than talent. The world is full of talented men and women who never achieve anything.

What’s the worst piece of writing advice you’ve heard?

I hate it when an editor or an agent tries to force a “round writer” into a “square market.” For instance, an editor telling a romance writer that she might sell more books if she wrote thrillers. Writers do need to be aware of the market, but she must also be true to the stories of her heart.

What’s something you wish you’d known earlier that might have saved you some time/frustration in the publishing business?

I began my career in the secular market, publishing 30 historical and contemporary novels there. I negotiated my early contracts myself. I wish I’d known to get a good agent sooner than I did. It’s made a huge difference to have a champion in my corner.

Do you have a scripture or quote that has been speaking to you lately?

1 Chronicles 28:20

“Be strong and courageous, and do the work. Don't be afraid or discouraged by the size of the task, for the LORD God, my God, is with you. He will not fail you or forsake you. He will see to it that all the work related to [name of work in progress] is finished correctly.”

That verse speaks to me for every book! The task always seems too big, frightening, and discouraging, but the Lord will not fail or forsake me as I accomplish the work for Him. DO THE WORK! Leave the rest in His hands.

Is there a particularly difficult set back that you’ve gone through in your writing career you are willing to share?

I’ve had lots of ups and downs during the course of my career. One was having a book (Ribbon of Years) release just prior to 9/11. Sales of all books dropped sharply for almost a year, and Ribbon of Years never lived up to its pre-orders.

One thing I tell other writers is that we shouldn’t worry over things outside of our control. That was definitely outside of mine.

What are a few of your favorite books? (Not written by you.)

Redeeming Love by Francine Rivers.
Gone with the Wind by Margaret Mitchell.
I’ve read so many wonderful books that I think I’ll just stop there.

If your authorial self was a character from The Wizard of Oz, which one would you be and why?

The Scarecrow, because a good portion of the time, I feel like I haven’t got a brain. And I tend to be a klutz, so the way he trips, stumbles, and falls a lot seems familiar (I say as I notice another bruise on my leg and wonder where it came from).

What piece of writing have you done that you’re particularly proud of and why?

I don’t have a favorite book. Every novel has been written for a reason and is special to me. But there are two books which I think are particularly strong because of their subject matter and the way God has used them. The Forgiving Hour deals with the subject of adultery and the power of forgiveness. Beyond the Shadows deals with the affects of alcoholism on a marriage and offers the hope of a loving God in the midst of an impossible situation.


Do you have a pet peeve having to do with this biz?

Only one?

Can you give us a view into a typical day of your writing life?

Up between 4:30 and 5:30 a.m. Take Poppet, my Papillon, out to do her business. Make the coffee. Head up the stairs to my office. Check/answer the email. Read my Bible and have my devotion and prayer time. Get more coffee. Check/answer the email again. Take a shower. Feed the two big outdoor dogs and give them some lovin’. Back to the computer. Check/answer the email.

I am usually ready to write between 8:00 and 9:00 a.m. I usually write in one hour segments separated by a bit of stretching. Break for brunch around 11:00. Then back to the computer. I try to schedule all appointments in the late afternoon. Appointments or not, I am toast by 3:30 or 4:00 p.m.

About four hours of new writing is my max for the day. The creative side of my brain tends to close down after four hours. But then the left side kicks in. That’s when I do editing, read page proofs, respond to things my publishers have requested of me, do all the accounting and record keeping that is required when one runs a business.


If you could choose to have one strength of another writer, what would it be and from whom?

Years ago, I tried learning to do things the way other writers do them. I tried to write a really fast first draft and then edit them over and over and over, adding layers as you go. I tried writing detailed synopses. I tried a number of different things. I finally realized that I was just looking for an easier way to write a book because my way was hard. Then I realized that it was hard the way others do it too. (There is no easy way to write a book; it takes hard work always.) I had to accept that the way I create is the way I create, so it is best for me to accept the writer I am and go with the flow.

Do you have a dream for the future of your writing, something you would love to accomplish?

My dream never changes. I want to write the absolute best fiction I’m capable of, telling stories that will honor God and please Him.

Was there ever a time in your writing career you thought of quitting?

No. God willing, I’ll be writing right up to the day God takes me home. I sort of envision typing the words *the end* and then my head smashing down on the keyboard.

What is your favorite and least favorite part of being a writer?

My favorite is brainstorming a new story, the time when creativity is set free to soar anywhere and all ideas are possibilities to be explored. The time when I still believe this book could be exactly as I envision it.

My least favorite? Why is it that the only time anyone locally recognizes me – saying something like, “You’re that author!” – is when I’ve dashed out of the house, sans makeup and wearing the baggy T-shirts that are my office attire? I clean up rather well but it never seems to happen then.

Parting words?

It’s so exciting to be a part of today’s Christian fiction market. I am amazed at the deep, well-written, challenging stories that CBA authors are turning out.

After I wrote and published 30 books in the general market for four New York houses, I found true freedom to write the books of my heart in the CBA. My calling is to write entertaining novels that encourage the body of Christ, some that will give them a lift and a smile and some that will force them to look at hard topics such as adultery, alcoholism, and legalism. My ultimate hope is that when readers finish my books they will hunger for a deeper relationship with their Maker.