Alice Whiteharte is a Canadian Indie Author based in Nova Scotia. She is the author of ‘The Kingdom of Light Series,’ an ongoing young adult fantasy romance, and a non-fiction work, ‘An Honest Guide to Self-Publishing.’ Alice is passionate about her work and takes pride in her stories. Her favourite genres to read include fantasy, historical fiction, and romance.

Published:

The Kingdom of Light Series:

The Princess and the Keeper

An Honest Guide to Self-Publishing

Coming Soon:

The Second Kingdom

Books2Read Universal Link: https://books2read.com/u/3kDBrO

Describe yourself in five words

Kind, Compassionate, Generous, Complicated, Organized

What fact about yourself would really surprise people? 

I’m not sure if it would surprise people, but I actually have major social anxiety.

How do you work through self-doubts and fear? 

By reminding myself that I’ve come this far, and if I could do that, then I keep going.

What scares you the most? 

Spiders, in all honesty.

What makes you happiest? 

In all the world? My children and the ocean!

Why do you write? 

I write because I love it. There is no secret ambition or hidden motivation. I love to create worlds and characters and immerse myself in my ideas. I love finding inspiration in the simplest things, like the way water moves down a creek, and turning that into a major section in a chapter. I write because the world is beautiful, and I love to make it known through my words. 

Have you always enjoyed writing? 
Yes. It has always been an outlet for me. Whether it was poems, journaling, my diary, or short stories.

What motivates you to write? 

I know most people will say they love the share their stories, and I do, but that is not my motivation. I do it because I love to.

What writing are you most proud of?
I am most proud of my first published young adult novella. The characters are little bits of me, spread out into different people. I am so proud.

What are you most proud of in your personal life? 

My children. Everyday, they inspire and amaze me. I am truly blessed by them.

What books did you love growing up? 

Oh the list! I loved Nancy Drew, Harry Potter, Lord of the Rings… The list goes on forever, but mostly mysteries, thrillers, suspense, fantasy and romance.

What do you hope your obituary will say about you? 

I hope that my achievements are mentioned, but set aside to focus on what I’m always going to be most proud of: My family, my children and my love for the people in my life.

Location and life experiences can really influence writing, tell us where you grew up and where you now live? 

I grew up in Ontario, Canada. I grew up in the country, and there was always lots of inspiration for short stories and poems. As an adult, I live in Nova Scotia, Canada. I will admit the inspiration on the coast is just a tad bit more… well, inspirational. It’s something else to sit by the ocean for a few hours while writing or thinking through ideas.

How did you develop your writing?

Through many, many years of practicing different writing styles, and reading many different genres and styles of writing. I have come to realize what works best for me, and what I am most comfortable with.

What is hardest – getting published, writing or marketing? 

Marketing, by any standard, is always the hardest. Getting published is a close second, but writing, if you do it for the right reasons, should never be a chore.

What marketing works for you? 

Social media, mostly. Engaging with readers and the book community.

Do you find it hard to share your work? 

A little, but mostly because I’m not the type of person who is comfortable sitting in front of a camera.

Is your family supportive? Do your friends support you? 

I have a wonderful boyfriend who supports all my work, and even sometimes let’s me bounce my ideas off him. My children are young still, but they are excited when I say I have a new story. My family is very supportive as well, for which I am grateful.

What else do you do, other than write? 

I am a full-time mom! More often than not, that job takes precedence over writing, though I try to make as much time for writing as possible. I enjoy reading with my children as well. I also have a puppy, Timber, that I love to play with. Outside of the house, I love to kayak, swim, snorkel, explore, garden, bake, and cook. A new recipe book would be wonderful!

What other jobs have you had in your life? 

I have worked at a dry cleaners, been a waitress at a few different restaurants, I worked in a egg packing factory, cleaning services, and subway for a while.

If you could study any subject at university what would you pick? 

Honestly, Paleontology. I love dinosaurs, so much. I could get into why and how but that would be a few paragraphs. But if I could, that is what I would definitely choose. 

If you could live anywhere in the world where would it be? 

Ireland. Just, simply, Ireland. That is my only choice. I would love to visit places, but living, only Ireland.

Tell us about your family? 

My family is… complicated. I am the youngest of two older sisters, one of whom I lost last year. She is my biggest inspiration for a future book when I feel I have grieved enough to write it. My family is not overly close, but I know, in our own ways, we care about each other.

How do you write – lap top, pen, paper, in bed, at a desk? 

I use my journals to plan, character devise, plot, etc. I use my laptop to actually write. I use a whiteboard for details and things I need to remember. I use a pen and paper for my short stories, or little stories I write for my kids. I also use sticky notes.

How much sleep do you need to be your best?

Surprisingly, only about two hours. Cat naps are amazing.

Is there anyone you’d like to acknowledge and thank for their support? 

Given the opportunity, I would really love to thank my boyfriend. I’ve known him most of my life, and all that time, he has always supported me.

Every writer has their own idea of what a successful career in writing is, what does success in writing look like to you? 

Successful writing is anything you feel proud of. You may not be the next best seller, or even published at all. If you’re proud of what you accomplished, you’re already successful.

Tell us about your new book? Why did you write it?  

My new book, The Princess and the Keeper, is a YA romantasy. It’s a loose Cinderella re-telling, set in a fantasy Ireland. I wrote it because the story of Cinderella has always intrigued me, but I always felt she could be more of an individual. I began writing the story while I was reading an interesting post about the origins of the original author, and the setting and ideas, and plot started to form. It turned out better than I ever hoped!

If you could have a dinner party and invite anyone dead or alive, who would you ask? 

I would have to invite Anne Boleyn. And Katherine of Aragon, but probably not at the same dinner party, because I feel like that would just… not end well.

When you are not writing, how do you like to relax? 

By reading, or watching one of my favourite movies. I also really enjoy sitting outside with headphones in.

What do you hope people will take away from your writing? How will your words make them feel?

The one thing I hope anyone would take away from my writing is a feeling of familiarity. I want my readers to connect with at least one character, someone they can relate to. I hope I can make my readers feel a variety of emotions, as any good story does.