Samantha Hardin is a self-published author of the romance BREWED WITH LOVE and she has two children’s book series: ZERTLE THE CRIME FIGHTING TURTLE and MATH HEROES.
When did you know you wanted to be a writer?
Samantha: I’ve wanted to be a writer since I learned to write in the first grade. When I was about 8 years old, I wrote a story called THE WILD AND CRAZE ANIMALS. I still have the original copy. And it’s been about 18 years.
Do you write full-time?
Samantha: No, not yet. I am a fourth grade Language Arts teacher. But I have been writing seriously for about four years. With an eighteen-month-old, my writing schedule is erratic. I have to squeeze it in whenever I have time.
What is your writing process?
Samantha: It starts with a vague outline. Then I just start writing. I edit the minor stuff as I go, and add in more details later on. It is a long process. BREWED WITH LOVE was written over a span of two years.
Where do you get your ideas?
Samantha: The ideas for my stories come from everywhere. I got the idea for BREWED WITH LOVE, a story about a woman who left her fiance at the alter, shortly after getting married. In fact, right now, my husband and I are working together on a fantasy novel.
Do you have any advice for would-be writers?
Samantha: Keep writing. Even if you think it is horrible, just keep writing. And keep reading. I recommend reading for fun. Currently, I am reading THE PETTICOAT PIRATE by C.R. Pugh. And when I am busy, I listen to audio books, like THE GATHERING STORM by Robert Jordan and Robert Sanderson.
Samantha has recently gone into the editing business and has generously offered to GIVEAWAY an edit for a manuscript of 5000 words or less. This will include checks for grammar, tense, pov, and punctuation. Simply comment on this post to enter. For an extra chance to win, share this post on Twitter. And for an extra, extra chance to win, tag three friends in your Twitter post.
Find Samantha at Hard Copy Editing and on Twitter @shardinauthor.
Jany Campana - Kidlit author 
Her advice to “keep reading for fun” is a unique takeaway in this blog. Typically, writers are told to “read a lot” as if it is some required homework assignment — which usually makes me want to avoid it all together. But the encouragement to read for fun has given me the sense to relax my mind and let my subconscious do the work.
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