H.M. Holten is the author of The Triptych series, Snares and Delusions: Book 1, Woes and Wonders: Book 2, and Secrets and Lies: Book 3.

Hanne was born in Denmark and grew up in a scholastic family with Croatian, Swedish, and German ties. Her family took a great interest in literature and music, and she learned to read and played several instruments before she started school. She’s worked in all walks of life, starting as a ground hostess in the Copenhagen Airport. After graduating as an opera singer, she alternatively performed, gave concerts and taught people to sing. A favourite pastime has always been painting, and she had a showcase in Guildford. Eventually, her interest turned to writing. Her family history presented the setting and influenced the storyline of Snares and Delusions. She currently lives in Germany, but has strong connections with the UK.

Visit H.M. Holten’s blog and Amazon Author Page.
You can also find her on Goodreads, Twitter, and Facebook.
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What motivates you to write and how did you get started?

Before we start this, Sandy, I want to thank you for inviting me to this interview.

Motivation is a strange bedfellow. In school, I loved free writing exercises until the challenges stopped being ‘free’. I did write some short stories, but then my musical education took up more and more time. This way, I had a long period without much motivation to write. That changed, when I moved to London. I had no money, and therefore I spent my free time – you guessed it – writing. I also took up painting again at that time: having no pictures to put on my walls. From then on, I never looked back. It took a long time before I wrote anything but drafts. I suppose one could say that it was an education. At least, I felt I learned a lot. As it turned out, there were heaps to absorb…

What’s most rewarding about writing?

The excitement of getting an idea and working it through until it’s ready to be written down.

Sitting down to write and forgetting everything around you: time, space, where you are, what you’re supposed to do. You’re caught in the web of fantasy, tempered with knowledge, although the last bit only applies if you’re working on a historical theme. Having said that, I’m sure that sci-fi authors research physics or astronomy, and chemistry, as well as many other subjects I wouldn’t know about. Oh, and crime and mystery writers probably have to find out about everything from medicine to police work. I may have to rethink. Writers must research the strangest things. Where were we?

Yes, what’s rewarding about writing? In a way, I’d have to say that everything about writing is exciting. It may be hard to get started sometimes, but every moment spent writing is rewarding in itself.

What’s your favourite genre and why?

The Genre Question. That’s a tricky one. Maybe I don’t have a favourite genre. Sometimes I wonder about the use of Genres. Naturally, if you only want to read romance or romantic comedy, you need the security that the book you buy falls into that category. On the other hand, who only wants to see the world from one point of view? I’ve read anything, from horror and sci-fi to lit-fic to chick-fic. So far, I write historical fiction, but who knows what may happen – later. . .?

Where do your characters come from?

My head: that’s the simple answer. On the other hand, it is something to dwell on. It is an undeniable fact that I’ve let people I know of, people from my family, and people I’ve met influence and inspire the development of my characters. Nobody lives in a vacuum, and I believe that we (or most of us) work with what we experience, with what we see, or hear, or encounter. Even if it’s just a face or a certain behaviour.

Who is an author who inspires you and why?

There is something to inspire in every author. Bad authors show you how not to write. Good authors make you yearn to do equally well. It is difficult to put a finger to a specific author, I can tell you who I love, but the list would be exceedingly long. . .

If you twist my arm, I could mention such writers as Doris Lessing, Charles Dickens, Shakespeare, Thomas Mann, John Irving, AS Byatt, George Elliot, Hans Christian Andersen, and Jane Austen.

When I was a teenager, I had a crush on Barbara Cartland. It was something I didn’t tell anybody. After three books, I realized that they were all too similar: the same characters, the same story, and incredibly similar events -apart from endless descriptions of rooms, carriages, jewels and dresses. Don’t let us delve into the weird and wonderful world of romantic trivialities . . . on the other hand, she sold millions of copies.

What do you look for in other people’s books?

Good writing. Intricate characters. A narrative arch that convinces me.

What are you writing now?

My work in progress has two protagonists and I jump between point of views. It’s set in The Great War and beyond. There are some links to Snares and Delusions, my debut, but it is a stand-alone work. At least, that’s how I see it. Admittedly, some of the characters from the first book take part in this manuscript, but the focus is on A: a young man who goes to China to serve in the German military at the begin of the war, and, B: a young woman, living in Copenhagen, who experiences the war ‘second-hand’ through the newspapers. The young man becomes a prisoner of war in Japan, but he returns to Denmark and, eventually, to Copenhagen, where he meets the young woman. Together, they experience the turbulent period following the war.

What kind of book would you like to be known for?

It would be tempting to say see above. Let me just add that I hope to create vivid characters, and exciting pictures through great writing and an unusual setting. I’d wish to be known for a book that I’d enjoy reading.

What has writing taught you about yourself?

Too much. This is a question one can answer in many ways. Writing has taught me endurance, it has taught me to keep going, especially when it’s hardest. Writing has taught me that it is possible to escape difficult situations to live in one’s own head. That sounds like pure escapism. Maybe it is, but maybe it’s more that writing has taught me, there’s nothing so bad that it can’t be turned into writing. There’s nothing pleasurable and wonderful that can’t be turned into writing either. It’s a companion for life.

How has your life experience influenced your writing?

Life influences me from morning to night. Accordingly, it influences my writing. No doubt, I draw on personal experiences, as well as on history, on music, on nature, and on literature. More than that, my family’s history plays a large part in my current books (Snares and Delusions, as well as my work in progress). That is a trend that might continue for a few more books.

What encouraging advice can you offer new writers?

Read everything you can lay hands on. Write about every little detail and every broad perspective that influences you. Keep going regardless of setbacks and critique. Consider it a practice run.

Write every day. Make it a necessity. Be passionate about what you read and about what you write. Be open for advice but trust yourself.