Congratulations to Goddess Hedone, winner of Inkitt’s NaNoWriMo Contest!
Welcome Goddess Hedone! We’re really excited to get to know you better and learn more about your work.
Can you tell us a little about yourself?
Sure! I use the pen name Goddess Hedone and write hot romance novels. According to my readers, you need tissues for your tears of both laughter and sadness and you need a cold shower for your… well… I think you know why!
Romance novels are definitely in high demand. Can you share a little about your winning story Caring Christopher?
Here’s a quick summary: Three unruly foster kids, a doctor giving up on love and a live-in nanny desperate for a job. A recipe for disaster… or love, maybe? Watch doctor Christopher and nanny Abigail navigate the treacherous waters of parenthood, and figure out if love is still in the cards for them.
What is your writing routine like? Do you have a favorite place to work? Do you write every day?
My readers are often amazed at how often I update. I write at least a chapter a day. During the weekends it’s often four or even more a day. I’m basically obsessed with my own stories, so it’s hard not to write. I’m addicted, really. I mostly just sit on the couch and write on my laptop, so I often suffer from backaches from writing too long. I lose sleep over it too, and I dream about my characters.
What does success as a writer look like to you?
It would be great to be able to earn money from writing one day, but I’ve got a full time job and a lovely life, so if it just stays a hobby, that is fine with me. Success is about joy for me. I’d go crazy without writing. Being able to share my stories and talk to others about them is amazing. I’ve been writing on Inkitt since the start of the Covid pandemic, so I’ve been here for a year, more or less. This entire year was horrible because of Covid, but Inkitt, my stories, and most of all my lovely readers made it bearable. Feels pretty successful to me!
Have you ever experienced writer’s block? If so, how to you move past it?
Years ago, I was writing a fantasy series on a different website. I decided to edit my books and I got really into editing my stories. I edited for a full year. I lost all my joy in writing that year, and suffered from a major writer’s block as a result. Didn’t write for a year. I never finished that series. I just hate editing. I do edit my stories, of course, but I’ve stopped editing them to death, because overanalyzing everything is exhausting. My readers forgive me my small mistakes, since I provide them with free stories and update every single day. I truly have the best readers in the world.
How did you feel when you learned you were one of the contest winners?
I couldn’t believe it. I actually emailed the person who congratulated me to ask me if he could prove it was real, if he truly worked for Inkitt, because it just seemed to weird to me that I would win a contest with a story! I truly have my readers to thank for it. I have readers who comment like crazy, who spam me on my wall, who follow me on Insta, and who are just so sweet and supportive. They won this contest for me, really. I love my readers.
What are you working on now, or planning for your next project?
The book that won this contest is the 5th book in a series. The first one is “Sweet Caroline” and the 5th book that won is “Caring Christopher”. All books can all be read as stand-alones but the characters often cross-over. I am writing the 10th book right now, and I have plans for at least 2 more in this series.
Interested in learning more?
- Read Goddess Hedone’s winning story Caring Christopher.
- Check out Goddess Hedone’s profile.
- Want to learn more about how to succeed as an author on Inkitt? Check out our Ask Inkitt articles for insider tips on success!
