Exclusive Author Interview: Hayley Oakes

Pre-order Hayley Oakes' book: Amazon

I recently enjoyed an exclusive author interview with romance author Hayley Oakes. My interview with Hayley- below. Enjoy!

When did you know you wanted to be a writer?
When I was a little girl and I used to pretend to interview myself on Oprah – I have always loved telling a story and writing it down. 

Can you share your journey to becoming a published author?
I wrote for fun and loved my friends reading what I’d written, my best friend pushed me to finish something (which I was terrible at) and I sent it out to Literary Agents – sick of the rejection, I googled self-publishing and et voila – here we are. I love the indie community who are a great source of knowledge and support and I have made some friends for life.

What do you find to be the biggest challenge, as an author?
Marketing – it’s all good having an excellent product but such hard work to show people it’s there.

What do you find most rewarding, as an author?
I love meeting readers and hearing that they have enjoyed my books, someone has recently told me I’m their favourite author and it was an absolute joy to hear.

Share with us a daily habit of yours, that helps you reach your goals.
I listen to music when I’m writing, it gets me in the zone and helps me type faster. 

What is one piece of advice you would share with an aspiring author?
Make connections, not just to get yourself out there but for advice and comradery, as it can be hard work but sharing the frustrations makes it all easier.

Finish these sentences:

I am most grateful for...my daughter.

If I could give my 18 year-old self one piece of advice it would be...don’t care so much about what people think (and slow down on the Maccie D’s).

My favorite thing about being a writer is...how I can get lost in a world I created.

My least favorite thing about being a writer is...editing.

My goals for the future are...to keep writing and reach more readers with my stories.

I love living a creative life because...I get to escape into a world of fantasy and it makes the tough days more bearable.

The last book I read was...Cold Hearted by Winter Renshaw (love her!)

My favorite book, ever, is... The Love of my Life by Louise Douglas

Outside of writing, my favorite hobby is...watching movies.

The most important thing to do if you want to achieve your goals is...never give up!!!!

A few more questions...

Do you have any New Years Resolutions for 2017? No – I always try to be a nicer person, it’s a work in progress, especially when I’m driving.

Tell us about your books (genre, where we can find them, etc.) They are romance but with angst and twists and turns to get to the HEA. They are all on Amazon KDP.

Where can readers find you (i.e. website, social media, etc.)?
https://www.facebook.com/AuthorHayleyOakes/

Anything else you'd like to add...
I am a working mum of one and enjoy reading as much as I do writing, I love hearing from readers and am always looking for members of my reader group where we discuss my books and any that people recommend. Thank you!

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Stacey Ritz is a bestselling author and award winning writer. An empathetic and compassionate storyteller, Ritz wrote for a plethora of local and national news outlets, magazines, blogs, and websites (copywriter), prior to becoming a novelist. Her book, Covered in Pet Fur  has gained attention from RIVA Media and Animal Planet. She is the Executive Director and co-founder of Advocates 4 Animals, Inc. – a 501(c)3 non-profit animal welfare organization that has saved more than 11,000 lives (and counting). She currently resides in Ohio. Ritz is published through Rockville Publishing. You can interact with Stacey online via Stacey's Book Blog, on Pinterest, andInstagram.

Ritz writes the following genres:
Non-Fiction:
Motivation/Inspiration
Writing/Publishing
Animal Welfare
Fiction:
Love Stories

Click here to view Stacey's fiction books.

Click here to view Stacey's non-fiction books