Please give a warm welcome to author Karen Hall

Tell us a bit about yourself… 

I grew up as a Navy child. My dad was transferred about every two years. I was terribly shy, and it was hard to make friends. I was in the Air Force from 1984 to 1992. I moved to Colorado with my then three-year-old son. 

I was a single mom for 14 years. I met my soulmate in 2003, and we married in 2004. I have three adult children. Hubby and I had our dream home built in 2015. We live there with our two chihuahuas. 

I’m addicted to chocolate. I prefer dark chocolate, I enjoy milk, but I hate white. I love Cherry Coke Zero Sugar. I drink iced tea and hot tea. In the winter, I drink dark chocolate hot cocoa with Reddi-Wip whipped cream. 

Have you always wanted to become an author? 

I wanted to be a writer in the third grade, but my dad said I needed a job with a guaranteed income. December 2009, I quit my job due to health issues. My first six months of being unemployed were great. I still got up early to see my husband off to work then I cleaned the house. It was just the two of us, and it was easy to keep clean. I read a lot from my favorite authors, Sue Grafton, Dean Koontz, and Stuart Woods. I also read romance novels. My first Paranormal Romance (PNR) was VA Dold’s Le Beau series.

I met Vickie at the Reader Appreciation Weekend for the Denver RomCon in September 2016, and she changed my life. I remember being very nervous. When Vickie came around the corner, I tried to calm down. Her smile lit up her face when she spotted me. 

We hugged, and my husband took a photo of us. Vickie is so down to earth. She could tell I was nervous, and to help settle my nerves, she said to me that she put her pants on one leg at a time, just like everyone else.

We spent the weekend getting to know each other at the event. I told Vickie about my ideas about writing a book about bear shifters. She told me that I should write it and she would love to help me out. I called her and emailed her a lot while I wrote my first book.

What was your inspiration for your current book/series? 

Many things inspire book ideas. A lot of them have been inspired by photos. My newest book, Project X-Force: B.E.A.R. – Bravo Echo Alpha Romeo, was inspired by the cover model’s image. 

What are you working on now? 

I am starting to write my first RH (Reverse Harem). Just as a harem comprises one man with multiple women, a reverse harem consists of one female protagonist and three or more male love interests. However, this is not a situation where the woman must pick her one true love by the end of the story; instead, she enters into relationships with … several (if not all) of them.

Vega: Stargazers’ Prophecy is the sixth book in a twelve-book series with other authors. Author Gina Manis saw the movie Stardust and had the idea for the series. The other authors joining us are Jewels Arthur, Jade Waltz, Skyler Andra, Quell T. Fox, J.R. Thorn, Krystal Pena, Ciara Skye, Hanleigh Bradley, Zelda Knight, Naomi Panthera, Kenzie Graves, and Eve Bradley.

Do you have any quirks while working? 

My office is full of stuffed animals (mainly bears). I have bear figurines and wall art. I must have silence when I write, but sometimes I turn on my bear water fountain. I tend to nibble while I write. I sometimes will have nuts, string cheese, and beef jerky. I also have chocolate candies.

What are your hopes for the future? 

I hope to make it to the USA Today’s Bestsellers list one day. I would also like to have a little orange flag from Amazon Bestsellers. In the meantime, I will continue to write and hope readers will enjoy my books.

Do you have any advice for new authors about the publishing world? 

Just keep doing what you love. I rewrote my first book six times before it was published. I have only been an indie author. It would be best if you did what feels right for you. Don’t let anyone tell you how or what to change. 

An editor told me to change the lead character’s nationality in a book. I explained that I didn’t feel comfortable doing so. My book was written a certain way, and the people who have read it enjoy the book.

Do you have anything to say to your followers?

Thank you for trusting my books. I’m thrilled that you like them. I enjoy writing and have loads of stories that are bursting to come out of my head and onto paper. I will continue to write and self-publish.