Meet Tina Hogan Grant

Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Tina Hogan Grant. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Hi Tina Hogan , appreciate you sitting with us today to share your wisdom with our readers. So, let’s start with resilience – where do you get your resilience from?

I got my resilience from making bad choices and endless mistakes in my younger years and growing from them. In my early twenties, I found my life being dictated by an addict. Why did I let this happen? because of living in fear.

I wanted the white picket fence and the perfect American family lifestyle and ignored any signs that would disrupt that dream, Believing, his needs were more important than mine.

Over time we allow our lives to be consumed by the addiction. We become a shadow, afraid to speak, stand up for ourselves, or make any decisions to better our lives. It’s a lonely place and we only feel safe with ourselves and our thoughts. We lead a double life, letting those on the outside believe everything in our lives is a bed of roses and yet in reality, behind closed doors we are living a nightmare, hiding our tears from the rest of the world.

When I realized I had choices and didn’t have to settle and I now had a son who deserved better, I found the courage to change my life around, becoming stronger and telling myself every day that my life, my choices, and my happiness matter.

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Appreciate the insights and wisdom. Before we dig deeper and ask you about the skills that matter and more, maybe you can tell our readers about yourself?

My experiences in life led to my author career which began eight years before my debut novel “Reckless Beginnings” was published in 2018. (Yes it took that long to write the book.)

When I couldn’t find, any books written by others living such a life, I felt their voices should be heard and one should be written. I wanted to show the flip side of addiction. How the significant other of an addict is affected. Back then I was a victim, I now call myself a survivor. But it didn’t happen right away. I tucked the idea away and continued with my battles in life.

Even though these events took place decades ago, today drug and opioid addiction continues to spiral out of control and is at an all-time high.

We hear about these numbers all the time, but we never hear about the loved ones of addicts. Every day is a fight for survival. Normality doesn’t exist. As the addiction intensifies, so does the abuse and violence.

My debut novel is my story, trying to make sense of the chaos surrounding my life and fighting to gain it back. My journey shows that anyone in these situations has choices and that they don’t have to settle. Their lives are important too.

Since my debut, I have written 14 books, and another release, due in August 2024.
Every book delivers strong messages of hope, resilience, and how to better ourselves through strength, courage, and being true to ourselves.

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If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?

My father was an author so I grew up in a world of books and literature. I’ve always loved to read and admired his work ethic. While working a full-time job and being the sole provider of his family, he followed his passion for writing in the hopes of becoming a successful author. He achieved his goal and went on to write 36 novels. Like my father, I am not a quitter and he always told me, “There is no such word as can’t.” Words I live by every day.

My passion for writing and telling my stories is what drives me and doing something every day related to my author career feeds that passion, whether it be writing words for my next novel, doing in-person events, interviews, or posting on social media, it keeps my career moving.

For those early in their journey, no matter how rocky the road is, never give up. Do something every day towards fulfilling your goals and dreams.

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Before we go, any advice you can share with people who are feeling overwhelmed?

There are times when I have deadlines to meet and occasions when my words are not flowing and I feel overwhelmed. When this happens, I try not to fight it. Fighting the words creates more anxiety and frustration. Instead, I simply walk away and do something entirely different. I remove myself from my surroundings, my computer, and my desk and embrace the outdoors. Sometimes I’ll take a long hike, or kayak on the nearby lake. Nature does wonders to rejuvenate me.

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