Erin Hahn: On Writing Her Love Letter to Summer Vacations

Erin Hahn is the author of the young adult novels You’d Be Mine, More Than Maybe, and Never Saw You Coming as well as the adult romance Built to Last. Romance is her vibe, grunge is her soundtrack and fall is her signature color. She fell for her flannel-clad college sweetheart the very first day of school and together, they have two hilarious kids who keep her humble. She lives outside Ann Arbor, Michigan, and has a cat named Gus who plays fetch and a dog named June who doesn’t. Follow her on Instagram.

Erin Hahn

In this interview, Erin discusses writing her new contemporary romance, Catch and Keep, her advice for other writers, and more.

Name: Erin Hahn
Literary agent: Kate McKean
Book title: Catch and Keep
Publisher: Griffin/SMP Romance
Release date: October 15, 2024
Genre/category: Contemporary romance
Previous titles: Even if it Breaks Your Heart, Friends Don’t Fall in Love, Built to Last, Never Saw You Coming, More Than Maybe, You’d Be Mine
Elevator pitch: Maren Laughlin has been fishing her whole life, but she’s finally ready to be caught. Josiah Cole might be a terrible with a rod and reel but he knows a keeper when he sees one and he’s not letting her go.

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What prompted you to write this book?

This is my seventh book, the third in an interconnected series of standalones, and it’s my love letter to all the lake girls; in fact, its dedicated to them! You could say I’ve waited a long time to write this story. I’ve been able to pour all of my fondness for summer vacations spent on the lake into these pages, setting the nostalgic backdrop for Maren and Joe’s romance.

How long did it take to go from idea to publication? And did the idea change during the process?

This book came together remarkably quickly. I think that just happens sometimes, when the idea and the author just click into place, particularly if there is a personal connection there. I wrote this book in six weeks and the end result is very close to the initial draft I turned into my editor. I think we maybe added a few thousand words? That’s never the case, by the way. Usually there’s a plenty of back and forth between turning in the first messy draft and the final shiny product where I add and take away and rearrange until my eyes want to fall out of my head. But Catch and Keep was magical in that she just flowed from my brain as is.

Were there any surprises or learning moments in the publishing process for this title?

One of my characters is autistic and as someone who often works with neurodivergent kids in my day job, it was really important to me that I do the character justice. I asked for an authenticity reader to offer their experience and perspective and their input was of the utmost value to me. This is the first time I’ve worked with an authenticity reader and I’m so grateful for the opportunity to make my story something that can be enjoyed safely and respectfully while still entertaining readers.

Were there any surprises in the writing process for this book?

Well, I was shocked how quickly it came together! I wrote in the evening, stealing hours at the local library after I finished with my day of teaching and after turning in the draft, I was certain it was a disaster. I didn’t take the time to revise or carefully comb through it because I was on a deadline and honestly, I couldn’t. I was mentally exhausted. Imagine my surprise when my editor didn’t want me to tear it all apart and rework! In fact, I was so taken aback, I enlisted several discerning friends of mine to read it just to make sure we (my editor and I) weren’t missing something drastic. But no, like I said, sometimes it’s just magic.

What do you hope readers will get out of your book?

I hope they will get a cozy, nostalgic, swoony escape from reality. An up north, lakeside retreat in book form that they can read again and again, whenever they need to getaway.

If you could share one piece of advice with other writers, what would it be?

Don’t take yourself or your work too seriously. Writers are intrinsically precious about our work. It’s our art, after all, and often exposes the deepest parts of our souls, whether we mean it to or not. But at the end of the day, it’s just a book. There are billions of books in the world. Yours might be a bestseller! Or it won’t. But I can guarantee that someone will pick out that misspelling on page 137 either way. And someone else will find a plot hole you never noticed in the 12 times you revised. And even still another will write the wrong character name in their review and make you question if they even read the same book? Once you finish your book and put it out in the world, it no longer belongs to you. It belongs to your readers. So stop nitpicking and let them have it!

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