From Contemporary to Supernatural: Exploring Genres and Hybrid Publishing with Herrmann

   Choosing a genre to write isn't as much of a struggle as it might look. Most authors stumble upon their preferred writing genre while being readers or while studying their trade. You tend to write what you love to read. It all goes back to that cliche saying, "write what you know". Writing what you know is sometimes a safety net, however, and authors have to branch out of their comfort zone if they want to grow and develop their skills. 

  Author Gloria Herrmann primarily writes contemporary romance but has left her comfort zone to explore the supernatural and the world of children's literature.

  "Up until recently, I wrote contemporary romance for adults," remarked Herrmann. "I had been in talks about starting a children's line of books a while back. I tinkered with writing some stories loosely based on my pugs. I have finally connected with some possible illustrators who can bring these books to life. So, I'm excited to have some neat stuff in the works. I'm hoping by 2023 we'll be seeing my line of Humble Grumble Books. These stories will be packed with some pug-filled adventures!"

  Herrmann was born and raised in California, United States of America. She and her family relocated to eastern Washington state in 2002. She stated, "it's [Washington] a gorgeous place to live and is often the setting for a lot of my stories".

  As a child, Herrmann was an avid reader. She dreamed of growing up to become an English teacher or a writer. While in college, she started exploring journalism and quickly realized that nonfiction wasn't meant to be her genre. 

  "When I was a kid, I absolutely loved reading, writing, and drawing," explained Herrmann. "I had decided I wanted to either teach English or become a writer. In high school and college, I write for the newspaper. I considered journalism briefly but found I enjoyed fiction far more than facts. I was a features writer and even had an online column in the late 90s. My first "paid" gig! Then life sort of got in the way and it wasn't until my dad got sick in 2013 that I decided to try to write an actual book. I felt like if I was ever going to actually do it, it was now or never. I spent a lot of time next to his bedside and that's where I wrote The Cloverleaf Series."

  Herrmann continued, "I grew up loving stories and being magically transported to different places and meeting all these amazing imaginary people. I didn't have a lot of friends as a kid and preferred reading to pretty much anything else. I have a younger brother and I would make up stories for him. I saw the joy it brought him and that just made my heart happy. It was like I was doing what I was meant to do."

  Herrmann published her first book, Loving Liam (The Cloverleaf Series #1) with Limitless Publishing in 2015. The following three books in the series were published the next year.

  "I wish I had been clever and used a pen name," mused Herrmann. "I remember my kids telling me they would Google me at school and show their friends. Yikes, I didn't really think that one out! But it's also been sort of cool seeing my real name printed on my books and I know it's brought my family some pride. There's nothing quite like your mother-in-law bragging about you to all her book-loving friends."

  According to Herrmann's Amazon author profile, she has written 13 books. Her most popular is The Cloverleaf Series. When asked which of her books was her favorite, she responded, "I'm torn, I really enjoyed writing Falling for Grace, the first book in the Devil's Darlings Series, and I plan to do a rewrite of the series. It was just a fun book. But I also loved writing The Pass Through. Both stories are so different from my usual stuff and have a bit of a supernatural element to them."   

 

 The Pass Through was published on January 12, 2017, and was the first book I've read by Herrmann. I greatly enjoyed the book, giving it a full five-star review. 

  In The Pass Through, Katherine is a doctor. Armel is a servant to the angel of death. When their paths cross, they both end up finding what they were searching for in their existence. 

  There aren't enough stories out there that explore the relationship death has with humanity in a way that's not strictly on the spiritual level. This book explores the constant battle between doctors and death, love, and the possibility of an afterlife. It talks about how far a person is willing to go to secure their family's health and happiness. 

  If there was ever a single modern book that perfectly describes the human experience, it is The Pass Through. Honestly, this book is a new take on the urban fantasy genre. It brings together contemporary romance and spiritualism. 

  Though Armel is by far my favorite character of Herrmann's, the author herself favors another character. She explained that picking a favorite character is hard, but she's currently feeling drawn toward the characters of a new series. 

  "Each character is so special to me," stated Herrmann. "I actually think the characters in a new series (Curl Up and Dye) I've been working on just might be my favorite. In Hair and Heartbreak, the first book I'm currently writing, I introduce a bright and interesting mix of people to my readers. They reflect some of my culture and upbringing which will be fun to show readers that side of myself." 

  Along her author journey, Herrmann has explored both traditional and self-publishing. Loving Liam ended up teaching her a lot about both industries. 

  "When I first wrote Loving Liam, I didn't know a great deal about the indie or self-publishing world. I wrote up a query letter and started to submit my manuscript the old-fashion way It wasn't until I was writing too fast for my publisher to keep up with that I decided to try my hand at self-publishing. I hired an editor, which turned out to be a total nightmare. I ended up getting my editor from Limitless to work with me, but there was so much to learn. The self-publishing route is a tough one, but the freedom that comes with it is great. However, I got signed to a larger publisher for my Single in Seattle series and These Small Hours. They created beautiful covers. My editor taught me a lot, but they just don't market their authors the way you'd think. Either route an author takes, they're putting in the work. I sometimes wish I knew how much time, money, and effort it was all going to take. A lot of us don't have the financial backing to really market ourselves. There's a lot of frustration and disappointment as well. Ultimately, it's about wanting to tell the story and coming to terms that you may never be as successful as you dreamed you'd be."

  "Honestly," continued Herrmann. "I feel the worst part of my author journey has been the marketing and just the overall frustration that goes into it. Trying to keep up with the social media presence and stay relevant can be overwhelming. There are times when you feel like it's impossible to get your books seen and you doubt yourself. Like, what am I doing wrong? Granted, crippling self-doubt is sort of our thing as writers. Another craptastic part of my journey has been feeling uninspired to write. We've all had a couple of rough years and it's been hard finding my groove again. It's awful feeling constantly guilty about not writing. I've struggled with this internal battle of wanting to write and wanting to just hang it up. I'm always thinking about writing even when I have absolutely no desire to sit down and hammer out those words. Plus, the characters who all live in my head aren't very quiet."

  Despite the hardships that being a hybrid author has presented to Herrmann, she stated that her favorite part of her author journey has been the connections she's made. 

  "I think connecting with so many incredible people has been the absolute highlight of this journey," remarked Herrmann. "Our book community is truly wonderful."

  I met Herrmann through another author in our author community and can honestly say that she is one of the brightest souls I know. Herrmann is realistic when it comes to the ups and downs of our chosen profession. She likes to connect with other authors and is active in several reader groups, including running her own, where she hosts parties, spotlights, and promotions. This year, Herrmann hosted a Christmas Card Exchange in Gloria's Golden Gals reader group on Facebook. I've never had so much fun in my life. I was able to connect with other readers and authors while spreading holiday cheer. Gloria truly is a treasured member of our community. 

  To new writers and authors, Herrmann says, "I think the best advice I have is to just keep writing. Write for yourself and write to hone your skills and to become a better author. Also, other authors aren't your competition. There's enough room for all of us in the book community and supporting each other goes a long way."