Caitlin Denman is a Young Adult and New Adult author from southern California who credits her writing journey to her dreams and time spent in the library as a young child. We enjoyed having this Author interview – Caitlin Denman for our blog. Check out this fantastic author and follow them for more amazing stories.
Caitlin lives and grew up in Southern California with her family and her three horses, three dogs, and a cat. She graduated from Cal Poly Pomona with a bachelor’s in agribusiness.
Besides writing, she loves training and competing on horses. She has competed in barrel racing, breakaway roping, team roping, and mounted shooting. She has owned and ridden horses since she was twelve years old.
When did you start writing?
I started writing in 2020 when I wrote my first book. I know most authors have been writing off and on most of their, lives but in all honesty I’d always been terrified to write a story. 2020 was when I finally conquered that fear.
What was it like growing up?
I grew up in the 90s which probably tells you more about me than anyone should know. But in all seriousness, I grew up in Southern California, where I still reside. Every summer, I would visit my family in a small town in Northern California. I always felt like I fit in more in a small town than I ever did in a big city. I was really into horses, reading, and old black-and-white movies.
How was your early life?
At a young age, I was always encouraged to read. My great-aunt was even the head librarian for her local library, where she would bring me to help restock books on weekends. I never minded, though, because at the end of the day, I could take home however many books I wanted.
What has been the biggest influence in your career?
I think my life experiences have been the biggest influence on my career. I’ve written a lot of my life and things that have happened to me, good and bad, into every book I’ve written.
Tell us about your newest release.
My newest release was my New Adult fantasy book She Reigns. It was the conclusion to my first series She Awakens which is a mixture of Young Adult and New Adult fantasy. In this book, Attina finally takes on the nefarious Fae king, Henrik. In this book, relationships will be tested. Betrayals revealed. When the smoke clears, will Attina emerge from Shadow Mountain as queen? Or will Henrik see to it that she pays for her treachery with her life?
Which book of yours would you call your favorite child?
She Awakens (book 1 in the She Awakens series) will always be my favorite child because it started my author journey.
What inspired you to write this book?
I was actually inspired to write this book by a dream. I had the same dream over three nights. One dream would end, and the next night my dream would pick up where the last dream left off, and so on. I’d never experienced that, and I loved the story, so something in me just knew the story needed to be written,
What are you usually found doing when you’re not writing?
When not writing, I can be found on the back of a horse. I compete in many equestrian events and love just riding off into the distance, away from the hustle and bustle of city life.
What does your writing space look like?
My writing space looks like organized chaos. The place I write changes almost daily. Some days I write at a desk. Some days, on a couch, some days in a car on a road trip, and I wouldn’t have it any other way!
If you wrote your autobiography, what would you name it?
I would definitely name it She Awakens because I feel like that story really awakened a fire inside me to continue writing.
How long did it take to write your novel, and what was your process?
My first novel took about a year and a half to write, and now I have that down to about three to four months. I always do a loose plot, usually a starting point, a midpoint, and an ending. I’m lucky enough to have a boyfriend who will let me bounce ideas off of him until I get the story the way I want it. Then, once the story is written, I self-edit. When I self-edit, I always do at least four rounds of editing the entire story, but I’ve also done seven rounds before. Then when I have everything the way I want it, I send it to my beta team, who help tell me where the story is a little weak or what they love about the story, etc. Finally, it will go to my editor, and once I get my story back from her, it’s ready for the world to see.
Favorite reads?
I love anything and everything by Emma Hamm, Belle Manuel, Laura Thalassa, Rebecca Garcia, Heather G Harris, Sarah J Maas, Elise Kova, Luna Joya, Kayla Maya, and Victoria J. Price
Do you have any book recommendations?
Besides my own, I always recommend the Of Blades and Shadow series by Belle Manuel and Heart of the Fae by Emma Hamm
What’s your next big project?
My next big project is a New Adult fantasy story called Blood Queen. It’s about a queen who does anything for her people, including murder. But when a prince from a neighboring country shows up, her world is turned upside down. Dead bodies start piling up, ones that the queen didn’t create. Could these murders have anything to do with the late king and queen’s murder? Has she trusted the wrong person for years, or is this handsome new prince to blame?
Do you have any advice for aspiring authors?
My biggest piece of advice is to write, write, and write some more. Write anything and everything. The best way to hone your craft is experience, and you’ll only get that from writing, even through the dreaded writer’s block
Follow Caitlin:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/caitlindenmanbooks
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/caitlindenmanbooks
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@caitlindenmanbooks
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