Donna Hatch is the author of the
best-selling “Rogue Hearts Series,” and a winner of writing awards such as The
Golden Quill and the International Digital Award.
A hopeless romantic and
adventurer at heart, she discovered her writing passion at the tender age of 8
and has been listening to those voices ever since. She has become a
sought-after workshop presenter, and also juggles freelance editing, multiple
volunteer positions, and most of all, her six children (seven, counting her
husband).
A native of Arizona who recently transplanted to the Pacific
Northwest, she and her husband of over twenty years are living proof that there
really is a happily ever after.
The last thing Hannah Palmer wants to
do is flirt with men in a crowded ballroom, but when her sister, the Countess
of Tarrington, throws a Masquerade Ball, Hannah can’t say no to the invitation.
Taking comfort behind her disguise, she dances with a charming masked
gentleman, matching him wit for wit. When the glorious evening culminates in a
kiss, and the two remove their masks, Hannah is horrified to discover the man
she’s been flirting with all night is her most despised neighbor, the Duke of
Suttenberg.
No matter how charming the duke was at the ball, and how wonderful
the kiss, he is the last man she could ever love.
Q & A With the Author:
When did you write your first
novel?
My first pathetic attempt was when I
was in 7th grade. It was basically fan fiction. Around that time, I attempted
screen plays too. I wrote my first novel that later became published (in
incarnation of it, at least) when I was in 9th grade.
What drove you to write/why did you
become an author?
I've always loved making up stories
and have been writing them down since 3rd grade. At the time I thought they
were epic but now I look back on them and want to put a sack over my head.
Fortunately, I never attempted to get them published—I just kept writing for
fun. Then one day, I attended a workshop at a local library where an author
spoke of her writing journey and had just published her first book. That really
awoke a dormant desire to see my stories in print.
How do you create your characters?
It's different with each story.
Sometimes, they come to me fully formed and I just need to listen to them.
Other times, I have to work at it with personality types, backstory
development, and character interviews.
What is one thing you love about
Fall/Autumn?
I love so many things about autumn!
Cooler weather is high on my list which means fuzzy socks, sweaters, jackets,
and spending more time outdoors hiking, walking, or just sitting on the porch
swing. Also, I adore leaves turning all those gorgeous shades of red, gold, and
rust. Autumn means hot apple cider and all of those amazing smells of cinnamon,
nutmeg, apples, candles, and firelight. Plus, Fall means Halloween with all the
fun decorations as well as costumes. Yes, I love dressing up! But one of the
best parts of Fall is gathering with family at Thanksgiving. My grown children
can’t always come home for Christmas, so they often come home for “Thanks-mas”
where we celebrate Thanksgiving on Thursday, then spend Friday decorating the
house for Christmas so we can celebrate Christmas on Saturday. Usually everyone
leaves on Sunday so they can return for jobs and college. We get in every
family tradition that we can during the time we have.
Who is the person or group of
people that most support you in your writing?
My sisters-in-law were always super
supportive and encouraging. Once I got published and brought home that first
royalty check, my husband got on board and stopped viewing it as a time-consuming
and expensive hobby, and started seeing it as a career—one that pays horribly,
but still offering a monetary payoff. Now, one of my nieces is my one of my
go-to proofreaders as well as one of my staunchest supporters. I also couldn’t
have done it without my local RWA group, my online Regency research group
the Beau Monde, and my local American Night Writers Association
chapters. Also, I’d be remiss if I didn’t give a shout out to my awesome,
wonderful, amazing critique partners, beta readers, and proofreaders. They say
it takes a village to raise a child; it also takes a village to raise a book.
What is your favorite Halloween
Memory?
One of my favorites was when my third
child was about a year old. After a dinner of baked potato soup, I put the baby
in a stroller and followed around my older two children from house to house. My
seven-year-old son was a ninja, my six-year-old daughter was a fox with big,
fluffy tail, and the baby was a fuzzy bear complete with little bear pads on
his feet. I guess animals were popular in our family. I enjoyed chatting with
the neighbors, seeing everyone dressed up, and enjoying my neighbors’ reaction
to our costumes. The weather was perfect—cool enough that the costumes weren’t
too hot but not so cold that we needed to wear jackets over them. After
trick-or-treating and gathering enough candy to get a small country high on
sugar, we went home and drank hot apple cider and handed out candy. I’m not
sure why that stands out in my memory except that it epitomized the perfect
Halloween.
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