Life changed dramatically for Caroline Erwin (1997) at a time when she had two small children and a high-pressured ad agency career. A decision to become a self-published author of a family drama trilogy has certainly paid off for this AOG.
Caroline, describe your book series in one line.
A tale of family drama, forbidden romance, and long-kept secrets.
Can you tell us a little about your path to publication?
In my early 30s when I had two small children, returning to lengthy hours at the ad agency I used to work for didn’t feel viable anymore. I’d always wanted to try writing a novel and I thought it might be a good time to ‘give it a go’. Keen for other people to then read it and receive any feedback (good or bad!), I decided to go the self-publishing route with a company called Bookbaby, who have been amazing. They support you through the whole process and distribute your books to every online retail site—Amazon, Booktopia, Apple Books etc., I would highly recommend them to anyone ever considering self-publishing.
What has been your most challenging chapter to write?
Hmmm, good question! Probably a chapter from the second book in the trilogy, Whistling in the Wind. It was my most difficult (but still a favourite) to write. The chapter where Tessa finds her struggle with postnatal anxiety/depression spiralling out of control—trying to capture those emotions on page as best I could and to deliver it with the intensity I felt it required.
Do you outline, plot and plan, or is your writing more organic?
I’m definitely an outline, plot and plan writer before I begin a new book, but I tend to do this in stages. So, I’ll plan the first half of the book and write it, then ideas for the next half come to me while I’m writing.
If you could turn back time and speak to your younger self, what advice would you give about writing?
It’s such an enjoyable and rewarding process to write a book, so just give it a go! The more you write the more you learn about what goes into creating a novel, which helps you to improve your craft for your second book.
