Heidi Main writes sweet inspirational romance novels set in small towns. She lives in the central North Carolina’s suburbs, but dreams of acreage and horseback riding, which is probably why her novels include wide-open ranches and horses.
Heidi worked in the computer field, then owned a Jazzercise franchise, before she began her writing career. She loves to take walks, garden, play board games, curl up with a good book, and watch HGTV. A perfect Saturday is lounging on the deck with her husband and watching the many birds in their backyard.
Visit Heidi Main online
A Family for Orphans
Three little hearts have been broken. Now they must find a way to heal them… Tragedy turned Walker McCaw from bachelor cowboy to guardian of his late best friend’s three children. Now they’re living on a new horse farm—and it’s a disaster. Trisha Campbell’s arrival couldn’t come at a better time. Together, they’ll need to work to save the struggling farm. But it takes more than hard work to make a family. It takes courage and love…
- ISBN: 1335597069
- Publisher: Love Inspired (Harlequin)
Interview with Heidi Main
Today we learn more about Heidi Main. Heidi is a two-time Genesis finalist and Holt Medallion finalist for Best New Book. She and her husband reside in the suburbs of central North Carolina, but for her novels, she draws on her childhood living in a small town in Upstate New York. Her debut novel launched October 2022 from Love Inspired.
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What were some of the challenges or setbacks you faced before the sale of your first book?
I was submitting full manuscripts and getting rejected with no feedback. I just kept making the same writing mistakes over and over with each new story, taking a stab in the dark as to why they had rejected my most recent submission. Keep reading to find out what my aha moment was …
Do you have a mentor or were you given some advice that still resonates with you today?
I am so thankful that Mindy Obenhaus is willing to read my first chapter, sometimes many times, before it has everything we think the editor is looking for.
As for advice, here’s a story. When I received my 2019 rejection, my agent was giving me a pep talk. She shared a story about another pre-published author who read over 100 Love Inspired novels before she figured out what the line was looking for. That was my aha moment because I read a lot of fiction, but not much Love Inspired. Right then I decided to exclusively read Love Inspired novels. I also tore them apart to figure out what the authors were doing on those short 225 pages. So, read the line that you are targeting!
Who/What spurs you to write? Where do your story and character ideas come from?
I believe my calling to write is God ordained. Once, after a rejection, I told an author friend that I was done. That was it. I couldn’t take it anymore. Instead of giving me encouragement to keep at it, she just said, I bet you can’t not write. Sure enough, within two days, I had started my next book!
As far as ideas go, setting ideas come to me first. Then I consider all the different hooks and tropes and attempt to put as many interesting ones together to make an engaging story to write and to read!
What’s your biggest challenge in balancing your writing time with your other responsibilities?
Well, since I have a hard time giving up control, I write my own newsletters, create my own memes and do all my own social media I suppose I might have to give that up, but right now I do those things in the evenings. But it becomes tiring. Daytime is writing, errands, prepping dinner, exercise, those types of things—and I don’t handle it well at all! If I have a deadline, then writing is all I do and the other things are pushed to the side. Thankfully my husband is fully supportive.
What is your writing routine?
Welp, I wish I had one on the daily, but alas I do not. Every day looks a bit different. I do however have a scheme for writing a book: hash out the hero and heroine GMC’s and what’s going to keep them together for the story, write the first chapter (sometimes many, many times), come up with ideas for the turning points and the ending, write a scene GMC for each scene, write the book, revise the book, edit the book, and when ready I submit.
What message do you hope readers take away from this book?
Forgiveness. When we ask God for forgiveness we shouldn’t hang onto the guilt. God has amazing power that believers need to trust in and tap into.
How do your faith and spiritual life play into the picture and affect your storytelling?
My hero and heroine always have a dark moment story from their past. Many times they are hung up in a spiritual warfare that they meet head on during the story which moves them forward in their walk with God. Most times I get my faith story element from a nugget I learned in my life or from a Sunday sermon.
What do you think makes your style of storytelling unique?
Goodness, that’s a tough one! I like to replicate the small-town feel I grew up in and people find that appealing because our society has changed so much over the past forty years. I know I long for the simpler life, so that’s what I write. Cowboys are another element of my stories and who doesn’t love a handsome cowpoke?
What do you enjoy doing when you are not writing?
When the pandemic hit in March 2020, my husband and I started taking a 3.5 mile walk every day. It was a great way to unwind and chat about anything that was on our mind. He still hasn’t returned to work since he is so much more productive at home, so we try to walk at least 1.5 miles. I so enjoy spending an hour chatting with him, he’s my best friend! I love sitting on the deck and listening and watching the birds. Our backyard is so relaxing (it’s actually where I do most of my writing from as well). I also enjoy reading, playing board games, jigsaw puzzles, and watching movies (I love romantic comedies, but we usually watch action thrillers which are Rich’s favorite).
If you could have coffee with an author, dead or alive, whose work you admire, who would that be? What would you ask him or her?
Denise Hunter. I love reading her books because they are all so different and complex. I’d ask her how she keeps her characters and writing so fresh and unique penning two books a year.
What books are on your nightstand (or on your Kindle) right now?
All the recent Love Inspired releases as well as about 2,500 kindle books in my TBR. I may have a little obsession about purchasing kindle deals…
Finish this statement: If I’d known then (at the beginning of your writing journey), what I know now, I would have … read the Love Inspired line and torn apart the ones I loved because once I began exclusively reading the line, I better understood what the editors were looking for and sold the very next novel I wrote.
____________________
Besides writing inspirational romantic suspense, Elaine Clampitt enjoys meeting with other writers to support and encourage one another. She loves to travel with her husband, watch ice hockey, play games with friends, family get togethers, and spending time with her sweet granddaughter. She lives in Colorado with her husband and the “Yorkie girls” – PJ and Gracie.
* * * * *
What were some of the challenges or setbacks you faced before the sale of your first book?
I was submitting full manuscripts and getting rejected with no feedback. I just kept making the same writing mistakes over and over with each new story, taking a stab in the dark as to why they had rejected my most recent submission. Keep reading to find out what my aha moment was …
Do you have a mentor or were you given some advice that still resonates with you today?
I am so thankful that Mindy Obenhaus is willing to read my first chapter, sometimes many times, before it has everything we think the editor is looking for.
As for advice, here’s a story. When I received my 2019 rejection, my agent was giving me a pep talk. She shared a story about another pre-published author who read over 100 Love Inspired novels before she figured out what the line was looking for. That was my aha moment because I read a lot of fiction, but not much Love Inspired. Right then I decided to exclusively read Love Inspired novels. I also tore them apart to figure out what the authors were doing on those short 225 pages. So, read the line that you are targeting!
Who/What spurs you to write? Where do your story and character ideas come from?
I believe my calling to write is God ordained. Once, after a rejection, I told an author friend that I was done. That was it. I couldn’t take it anymore. Instead of giving me encouragement to keep at it, she just said, I bet you can’t not write. Sure enough, within two days, I had started my next book!
As far as ideas go, setting ideas come to me first. Then I consider all the different hooks and tropes and attempt to put as many interesting ones together to make an engaging story to write and to read!
What’s your biggest challenge in balancing your writing time with your other responsibilities?
Well, since I have a hard time giving up control, I write my own newsletters, create my own memes and do all my own social media I suppose I might have to give that up, but right now I do those things in the evenings. But it becomes tiring. Daytime is writing, errands, prepping dinner, exercise, those types of things—and I don’t handle it well at all! If I have a deadline, then writing is all I do and the other things are pushed to the side. Thankfully my husband is fully supportive.
What is your writing routine?
Welp, I wish I had one on the daily, but alas I do not. Every day looks a bit different. I do however have a scheme for writing a book: hash out the hero and heroine GMC’s and what’s going to keep them together for the story, write the first chapter (sometimes many, many times), come up with ideas for the turning points and the ending, write a scene GMC for each scene, write the book, revise the book, edit the book, and when ready I submit.
What message do you hope readers take away from this book?
Forgiveness. When we ask God for forgiveness we shouldn’t hang onto the guilt. God has amazing power that believers need to trust in and tap into.
How do your faith and spiritual life play into the picture and affect your storytelling?
My hero and heroine always have a dark moment story from their past. Many times they are hung up in a spiritual warfare that they meet head on during the story which moves them forward in their walk with God. Most times I get my faith story element from a nugget I learned in my life or from a Sunday sermon.
What do you think makes your style of storytelling unique?
Goodness, that’s a tough one! I like to replicate the small-town feel I grew up in and people find that appealing because our society has changed so much over the past forty years. I know I long for the simpler life, so that’s what I write. Cowboys are another element of my stories and who doesn’t love a handsome cowpoke?
What do you enjoy doing when you are not writing?
When the pandemic hit in March 2020, my husband and I started taking a 3.5 mile walk every day. It was a great way to unwind and chat about anything that was on our mind. He still hasn’t returned to work since he is so much more productive at home, so we try to walk at least 1.5 miles. I so enjoy spending an hour chatting with him, he’s my best friend! I love sitting on the deck and listening and watching the birds. Our backyard is so relaxing (it’s actually where I do most of my writing from as well). I also enjoy reading, playing board games, jigsaw puzzles, and watching movies (I love romantic comedies, but we usually watch action thrillers which are Rich’s favorite).
If you could have coffee with an author, dead or alive, whose work you admire, who would that be? What would you ask him or her?
Denise Hunter. I love reading her books because they are all so different and complex. I’d ask her how she keeps her characters and writing so fresh and unique penning two books a year.
What books are on your nightstand (or on your Kindle) right now?
All the recent Love Inspired releases as well as about 2,500 kindle books in my TBR. I may have a little obsession about purchasing kindle deals…
Finish this statement: If I’d known then (at the beginning of your writing journey), what I know now, I would have … read the Love Inspired line and torn apart the ones I loved because once I began exclusively reading the line, I better understood what the editors were looking for and sold the very next novel I wrote.
____________________
Besides writing inspirational romantic suspense, Elaine Clampitt enjoys meeting with other writers to support and encourage one another. She loves to travel with her husband, watch ice hockey, play games with friends, family get togethers, and spending time with her sweet granddaughter. She lives in Colorado with her husband and the “Yorkie girls” – PJ and Gracie.
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