- Day: What literary pilgrimages have you gone on? For Example, Hemingway’s house.
E.D.: Unfortunately, I haven’t ventured anywhere. I live in New England, and so many great authors have lived here, but just like any tourist attraction, when you live here, you don’t always seek out the excursions. Mark Twain, Harriet Beecher Stowe, Louisa May Alcott, Melville, and Emily Dickinson all grew up in New England (just to name a few). Perhaps taking a day trip and exploring all their homes is in the near future.
- Day: If you had the opportunity to live anywhere in the world for a year while writing a book that took place in that same setting, where would you choose?
E.D.: Hands down, Ireland. My family came from Ireland, and my heart belongs there. I have been multiple times, exploring family roots and learning about my history. I am fascinated with the music, the people, and the history. My dream is to own a cottage on the Wild Atlantic Way in County Galway where I can spend my days writing.
- Day: Picture this: You feel uninspired while you have sat at the computer for an hour without conquering any words. How do you get your creativity flowing?
E.D.: I grab my book and take a bath. It relaxes me, resets my mind, and usually when I emerge from the bathroom, I feel inspired based upon the book I was reading.
- Day: Are you a plotter or a Pantser?
E.D.: I am a very loose plotter, to the point where I would be called a pantser. I know the beginning, middle, and end. I have a general external problem and internal character arc that I need portrayed throughout the story. Just like life, you never know what each day will bring, so I sit down and write. Usually, my mood dictates if I write a happy section, a depressing section, or a suspenseful section, and I continue on from there.
- Day: What is your most unusual writing quirk?
E.D.: I have a specific way of self-editing. I first run my work through Grammarly, then ProWriting Aid, and then I have Word read it to me aloud.
- Day: What is your favorite genre to read, and why?
E.D.: I write women’s fiction, but I love romantic comedies. Some of my favorite feel-good authors are Sophie Kinsella, and I try to create stories that capture the same general feeling.
- Day: Do you try more to be original or to deliver to readers what they want?
E.D.: I tried to write in a series because I heard that’s what readers like, and it felt forced. Now I write what inspires me. As much as I want to make a living off my writing, I write to foster my own creativity. As long as one person enjoys it, I have done my job.
- Day: If you could tell your younger writing self anything, what would it be?
E.D.: Don’t stop. And hire an editor. When I first started, I realize how much work, time, and money it would cost to put out a book. I considered myself a hobbyist, dabbling in writing. I didn’t hire an editor, which was a big mistake, and my readers pointed out the story flaws through their reviews. I needed that feedback. If I never published that book, I wouldn’t have had the insight to do things differently. If that book stayed on my computer, I would have stopped writing because I wouldn’t have been motivated to make my writing better.
- Day: What was the best money you ever spent as a writer?
E.D.: Probably joining Amazon Ad School. Ads are overwhelming, and creating ads are my least favorite time of the week, but I learned that if I didn’t advertise, my books would fall into Amazon oblivion.
- Day: As a writer, what would you choose as your mascot/avatar/spirit animal?
E.D.: I would say the lion. They wake up extremely early, full of energy, and by mid-afternoon, they need a nap.
- Day: How many published and finished books/Vellas do you have?
E.D.: I have four finished women’s fiction novels available on Amazon in e-book, paperback, and Kindle Unlimited. When I moved to Vella, I decided to try sweet romance and romantic comedy. I have one completed and one ongoing. My women’s fiction name is E.D. Hackett, and my Vella name is Edy Hackett.
- Day: What does literary success look like to you?
E.D.: Quitting my day job. Seriously. It’s really hard to juggle life with two kids, work, and my writing. I probably commit four hours a day to my writing in addition to work, and unfortunately, that interferes with my family time. If I could write while the kids are at school so I could focus on my family with all my attention in the afternoon and evening, my life would be balanced, and I would probably be a better writer and a better mother.
- Day: What’s the best way to market your books?
E.D.: I find live events, such as craft fairs and farmer’s markets to be most successful. I like engaging with people face to face and talking about what they are reading and what they enjoy.
- Day: What kind of research do you do, and how long do you spend researching before beginning a book?
E.D.: My long-term plan is to experience the settings in all my books so that my descriptions are authentic. Because that isn’t always possible, I find that I spend a lot of time googling blogs, Wikipedia, and images to help me create the setting.
- Day: How many hours a day do you write?
E.D.: Four on the days I work and probably eight on the days I don’t. I try to only work when the family is sleeping on the weekends.
- Day: Do you hide any secrets in your books that only a few people will find?
E.D.: I haven’t, but I hide a lot of personal experiences for my characters to experience.
- Day: What was your most harrowing scene to write?
E.D.: Writing about my personal health crisis in The Havoc in My Head was most challenging because it was raw and emotional, and authentic to me. I wrote that novel while I was going through the medical maze of trying to figure out what was wrong with me and how to treat it, so the book reads like a diary.
- Day: What is your favorite time to write, and why?
E.D.: Early morning. Because of my vision impairment, I struggle to see in dim lighting. Dusk and night are terrible, and I’ve had a day of eye fatigue by the time dusk falls. When I wake up, I am ready to go, and my eyes don’t bother me nearly as much.
- Day: Do you feel like it’s most important to have A) Strong characters B) Mind-blowing Plot twists, or C) Epic settings?
E.D.: For me, it’s all about strong characters, and I try to make my characters like friends. Someone you can relate to and are rooting for, and typically the goal behind my protagonist.
- Day: Can you give a shout-out to a fellow author?
E.D.: So many authors have supported me along the way, and because of their support, I am a better writer. J.E. Pace was one of the first Vella writers who supported and collaborated with me through newsletter swaps. She writes sweet romance and is an excellent writer. She has numerous books on Amazon and a few completed and ongoing Vellas. I enjoy her writing, and her stories are quite similar to mine.
E.D. Hackett Has Two Kindle Vellas:
Rory had been mentally preparing for her semester abroad in Ireland for years. She knew exactly what she would do and when she would do it. Her entire semester was planned out, until Jaime, the annoying seatmate on her flight, showed up at her apartment with a suitcase. Was he really assigned to her apartment? And her room? Can this type-A woman learn to loosen up and love everything Ireland? Jaime’s going to show her how, but will she fall for Jaime, too?
Crystal’s mother passed away and left her an old, abandoned farmhouse. When this divorcee returns home for a summer to fix it up and rid herself of the memories, Crystal finds hope and forgiveness within the walls of her old home. Crystal hires Derek, a handsome widower, to fix the house, but he’s hiding secrets of his own. Crystal can’t help but wonder if she and Derek need each other to deal with past hurts. Could her heart belong back in the place she ran from years before?
Her Book Titles Include:
The Havoc in My Head: An Inspiring Women’s Fiction Novel
She had all she expected to achieve. But a surprise hidden in her head was about to change everything…
Ashley Martin has it all. With a high-paying job, a devoted husband, and impeccable children, the ambitious woman is living the dream life she envisioned for herself. So determined to maintain her perfect existence, she hides her odd vision problems, headaches, and confusion… until one morning she wakes up blind.
Diagnosed with a brain tumor, the terrified professional faces two difficult surgeries and a year-long recovery. And as she struggles to cope with her sudden reversal of fortune, Ashley begins to see truths she never had before.
Can this tenacious woman reclaim her health and redirect her happiness?
The Havoc in My Head is a powerful and moving women’s fiction novel. If you like deeply personal journeys, overcoming impossible hurdles, and inspirational turnarounds, then you’ll love E.D. Hackett’s tale of extreme courage.
An Unfinished Story: Story One of the Block Island Saga
Complete strangers. A bustling B&B. Can two women help each other find their dreams?
Boston. Joanie Wilson has played it safe her whole life. But her fifteen years of loyalty to the newspaper seem like they count for nothing when her boss announces the business’s impending sale. And though she doesn’t really enjoy her job, the frightened reporter fights to save it by accepting a remote assignment to write articles on local flavor.
Block Island, RI. Carly Davis longs to live on her own terms. But with her father deceased and her mother’s dementia dominating her world, the gregarious young woman feels trapped into running the family’s bed-and-breakfast. So when a desperate journalist arrives and swaps her rent for assistance with the property, Carly seizes the chance to finally take a deep breath.
As Joanie becomes immersed in the relaxed atmosphere and meets a handsome police officer, she wonders if her need for safety is costing her happiness. And as Carly grows close to her big-city tenant, she sees a new future opening before her.
Will this accidental friendship trigger the changes both women crave?
An Unfinished Story is the charming first book in The Block Island Saga women’s fiction series. If you like relatable characters, sweet romances, and beautiful settings, then you’ll love E.D. Hackett’s escape to paradise.
For more book titles, visit E.D. Hackett’s Amazon Author Page. You can also find her on Facebook, Instagram, and her Website.
Day Parker 