Author Spotlight: Kristin Hannah

I first came across Kristin Hannah when I attempted to put together a woman's book club with my female family members, it did not last but 2 rounds and no one really participated 💔 BUT my cousin's wife was asked to make the second and last monthly book picked and suggested Firefly Lane and I'm so glad she did. I was so moved by Kristin's writing and storytelling ability. And since then I have always held a soft spot for her and my cousin's wife

So I just wanted to take a moment and get to know her a little more, maybe list a few interviews I find interesting, some reading suggestions, little facts, etc.

She was born in Califonia in 1960, September, a Libra, I don't know what that means but why not. She went to law school and practiced in Seattle before becoming a full-time writer.


She has won 2 Goodreads Choice Awards for Best Historical Fiction, 2018- Great Alone and 2015- The Nightengale. She also won the RITA award for Best Novel with Strong Romantic Elements in 2004 for Between Sisters, the Audie Award for Fiction 2016, The Nightengale. Which Audie Award best novel winner that year was Girl on the Train that year 🤔.

This is an interesting Bio from Kristin herself, link here. Where she says her mom told her to go to law school before becoming a writer, her mother would pass after a fierce fight of cancer in Kristin's 2nd or 3rd year of law school. They worked on a book together, which is so cool and I hope I can figure out which one.

Another interview from the same website here

Y'all this is her first book, which I'm assuming is the one she wrote with her mom 

I was going to read it but I'm not sure I can handle 1991 romance.

Here is the synopsis:
Yukon Territory was a gold miner's heaven, and Devon O'Shea had come to claim her share. But instead of a thriving store in a boom town, Devon discovered she was part owner of a filthy, disorganized tent with a bunch of gold diggers and a mountainous slap of animosity for a partner: Stone Man McKenna. Gathering mop, pail and sheer determination, Devon vowed to make this post the best in the Yukon Territory. Stone Man didn't scare her. But his kiss -- a gruff attempt to convince her that the Yukon was no place for a lady -- left her feeling, for the first time in her life, feminine and alive . . .
Surprisingly it has a 3.71 ratings on Goodreads with 465 readers and 36 reviews

And a FAQ from her website, link here

For Writers:

• She says to take about a year to finish writing a book, there are a few that have taken longer. 
• Her process: 3 months creating the "spine", a few months researching, then the first draft takes about 5 months
• She is a scheduled writer who never quite feels "done" with a book
• She is more of a character-driven writer than a plot
• She started out writing with outlines but feels its better to let the development of characters take over
• Her suggestions for new writers is to write, she also mentions classes, reading other people's work and study 

For Readers:

• Her favorite characters so far have been: Tully from Firefly Lane, Izzy from On Mystic River, Alice from Magic Hour and Anya Whitson from Winter Garden 
• Reading Guides for some of her books can be found here 
• Julia Cox is a screenwriter who is working on adapting The Great Alone for Tristar  

I also came across a summer reading suggestions made by Kristin at Goodreads here 

Which makes me like her even more, News of the World has been on my TBR for a while and I really need to get to it. I enjoyed Eleanor Oliphant...so much. I have not heard much about Run Away but 2 out of 3 is a winning rec for me.