Autor Q&A With Tabetha Waite
Tabetha Waite began her writing journey at a young age. At nine years old, she was crafting stories of all kinds on an old Underwood typewriter. She secured her first publishing contract in July 2016 for Why the Earl is After the Girl, the first book in her Ways of Love historical romance series. Since then, she has become a hybrid author, previously with Soul Mate Publishing, WOLF Publishing, and Dragonblade Publishing, as well as transitioning into indie publishing. She has won several awards for her books and has been an Amazon bestseller. She also branched out into audio and translations.
She is a small-town girl from Missouri who has made her home in the Midwest with her true love. When she’s not writing novels filled with adventure and heart, she is either reading or searching the local antique mall for the latest interesting find. Meet Tabitha:
It’s been a few years since you’ve been featured on Books Uplift. What have you been up to? It sure has! Wow. Time flies when you’re having fun, right? I am still writing and working full-time. As of this year, I’ve been published for nine years and have fifty-nine titles released, currently on preorder, or coming soon. What a ride!
What is your most recent book, and what sparked the idea?
The Libertine’s Lady releases on November 25th and is the final installment of my Wanton Wastrels series. These stories have been inspired by various tropes I’ve enjoyed reading about over the years. I wanted to write this particular book in the style of a Sherlock Holmes mystery. I’ve been watching a lot of crime documentaries and I would say that was definitely inspiring!
Are any of your characters biographical or inspired by those you know? While none of my characters are actually based on a specific person, there are certainly elements of my personality in each heroine!
How do you hope your book uplifts those who read it? I hope that the reader finds the story entertaining, that they are warmed by the romance and enchanted by the elegance of the historical setting. I like to say, I write romance with adventure and heart, and that is what I hope comes through for the reader.
How did you become a success? Success comes in many forms, and while some say I have reached that threshold by having an impressive backlist of titles, I am constantly challenging myself to press higher, go further, to achieve stronger goals.
What motivated you to become an author? It was a childhood dream to become an author. My fourth-grade teacher said she liked reading my stories, and that gave a shy girl the confidence to pursue something that never subsided. It was always something I aimed for. My original goal was to finish a book. After that, it was to be published. Then it was to finish a series. Years later, I can look back and checkmark those accomplishments with pride.
Did you ever want to give up? What keeps you going? For sure. I think every artist considers throwing in the towel, especially with low reviews or sales and continual rejections. But you have to remember what you love about your craft.
What’s your favorite part about being an author? I thought seeing my name in print would be enough, but it pales in comparison to when a reader reaches out and tells me they love my books!
What’s your least favorite, or most challenging, part of being an author? Ads and marketing! I don’t like it at all, and I don’t think I’m very good at it.
What author events do you enjoy attending? I used to love going to the Historical Romance Retreat! It gave me a chance to see all my author friends and readers, and meet new acquaintances — and dress up. Sadly, it has since been retired, but I enjoy the memories I made.
What advice would you give to novice authors? What about bestselling authors? To new authors, if you love writing, do it for yourself. Tell the stories you want to tell. I think that if someone is a bestseller, they really don’t need more advice, except to keep listening to their audience.
Being an author today is like running a business. How do you manage your publicity and social media and maintain engagement with readers? I have a PA who assists me, but I like to scroll through social media now and then and share funny content and find out what is happening in everyone’s real life. I think it’s important to lift each other up.
If you weren’t writing books, what would you be doing? Reading a lot more! LOL
What’s your ideal day look like? If I had the opportunity, it would be to write full time at home. I would enjoy that immensely! Otherwise, there is nothing like a nice, relaxing weekend at home with my husband, Doug.
Anything else you’d like to share with your readers? I just want to thank everyone for sticking with me and helping me to live my dream for as long as I have. I hope to be able to bring stories of love and enjoyment for years to come!
Grab your copy of her latest book and connect with Tabetha via her website.
