We were lucky to catch up with Samantha Hastings recently and have shared our conversation below.
Alright, so we’re so thrilled to have Samantha with us today – welcome and maybe we can jump right into it with a question about one of your qualities that we most admire. How did you develop your work ethic? Where do you think you get it from?
My dad owned a company as I was growing up and I watched him work so hard to make it successful. He was the first person in the office and the last employee to go home. If he wanted something done right, he had to do it himself. If he wanted to make a sale, he had to go out and find somebody to talk to. Despite many ups and downs, my dad never gave up or lost his optimism. If hard work could accomplish something, then he could do anything. My dad didn’t give up when many others would have. He’s still a great example to me today.
Great, so let’s take a few minutes and cover your story. What should folks know about you and what you do?
Like all of you, I have many jobs. My first one is that of a mother. I have four kids and I make sure that they are fed, their homework is done, and I take them to their many extracurriculars. My next job is an adjunct English faculty for Brigham Young University. I teach two sections of World Literature. My third job is that of a writer. I love telling stories. I write historical romance under Samantha Hastings and murder mysteries under Samantha Larsen. Publisher’s Weekly called my Lady Librarian series, “Wildly enjoyable.” My last job combines everything that I love from the other three. I like to invent literary card games. My first one came out this year from Chronicle Books entitled Jane Austen’s Dowries & Dalliances. It’s a game of strategy with literary components and an old maid. But most importantly: Marriage is the name of the game!
There is so much advice out there about all the different skills and qualities folks need to develop in order to succeed in today’s highly competitive environment and often it can feel overwhelming. So, if we had to break it down to just the three that matter most, which three skills or qualities would you focus on?
The three most important skill in any profession, in my opinion, are:
1. Resilience. Life, work, and art are all hard. You are going to receive a lot rejections and it would be easy to give up or to do something else. But keep working, keep trying, keep sending out manuscripts. The only thing that every published author has in common is that they never gave up.
2. Work ethic. It’s important to work smart, but nothing replaces hard work. Take feedback, learn from your mistakes, and keep trudging forward. Always put out your very best work.
3. Optimism. It’s easy to become discouraged when you are rejected or when your book doesn’t sell as many copies as you would like. But instead of focusing on what didn’t go as well as you wanted, try to focus on little successes. If you look for them, you might be more successful than you’d previously imagined.
To close, maybe we can chat about your parents and what they did that was particularly impactful for you?
My parents taught me to work and to work hard. I was expected to help around the home, both inside and out. I cleaned, washed, scrubbed, mowed, weeded, and did whatever I was asked to do. My parents were also great examples of a hard work ethic. My dad gave everything to his family, his religion, and to his business. My mom returned to college after having five children and eventually became a college professor herself. I learned that no matter what you do, if you work hard, you will be recognized and it will help you on your personal and professional journey.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.SamanthaHastings.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/samanthahastingsauthor/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SamanthaHastingsAuthor
- Twitter: https://x.com/HastingSamantha
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@ladyofreading
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