J.M. Hackman is a Pennsylvania-based published portal fantasy novelist, and the author behind All the Wild Hearts, a Red Riding Hood retelling that blends far-flung futuristic tech, cutsey romance and high-stakes adventure. To celebrate the release of All the Wild Hearts, What We Reading sat down with Jill to talk through everything from transitioning from traditional to self-publishing, to her love for Madeleine L’Engle’s A Wrinkle in Time!
Thanks for speaking with us, Jill! First off, tell us a bit about yourself and what led you to the world of writing.
It’s a pleasure to be here. I’m a wife and mom of two adult children and have lived in the Pennsylvania mountains my entire life. While I have a degree in elementary education from Penn State, it didn’t take long to discover I wanted to be writing books rather than teaching children. The desire to write, to share stories, to put words on a page, has always been a part of me. Aside from that, it’s great therapy!
Talk to us about All the Wild Hearts. What is it about, and what was the process of writing it like?
All the Wild Hearts is a futuristic fantasy Red Riding Hood retelling. It’s soft sci-fi with a touch of magic that mixes “once upon a time” with “in a galaxy far, far away.”
I loved the Lunar Chronicles by Marissa Meyer, and I wanted to create a series with the same feel. As with my previous portal fantasy trilogy, it took several years to get the characters and world built. I also spent time researching the original fairy tales because I believe source material is important. The Disney movies are retellings themselves, so I steered away from them.
The writing was a very different experience. Instead of going with a traditional publisher like I had with my last project, I took the plunge into self-publishing. I knew there would be a lot of new things to learn since the self-publishing model differs from traditional publishing in several ways.
As I continued to research, I took one of the beautiful journals I had laying around and filled it with characters, plots, outlines, possible names, planets, pretty much anything and everything that could build this double-sun solar system.
At this point, two of the five stories are written and I’m still learning more every day about self-publishing. I’m a turtle writer, so I just need to take the time to finish the other three stories!
What is the number one goal you want your work to have with readers?
You know, this world is so dark and divisive. I want my stories to be an escape, somewhere where readers can leave the hate and darkness behind and experience magic, romance, and wonder.
What do you think makes you stand out as an author?
It’s hard to be unbiased about my work, but I’ve been told I’m good at descriptions and world building. I like writing exciting, high-stakes plots blended with romance that end with a glimmer of hope.
What would you say has been your biggest success so far?
Getting my portal fantasy trilogy, the Firebrand Chronicles, finished and published is at the top of the list. I pitched the first book Spark in 2014 and the boxed set was released in 2020. Unfortunately, about a year ago, the small publisher closed its doors. Now that I have the rights back, I’m planning on re-releasing the trilogy later this year.
If you could go back in time to one book you read for the first time, what would it be and why?
Only one? You’re kidding, right?
Seriously, I’d pick my favorite – A Wrinkle In Time. Madeleine L’Engle was a master, and when I read that book, it blew my mind. So much creativity, science, and magic were in those pages. Being able to experience that wonder again would be wonderful. I was thrilled to discover A Wrinkle In Time was just the first book in the Time quintet, and I devoured the complete series, before reading everything else Madeleine L’Engle wrote.
What’s one tip you would give your younger self if you had the opportunity?
To have more patience. Writing is a marathon, not a sprint. It took over twenty years for me to get picked up by a publisher. Those years were long, angst-filled, and soul-sucking. I’m always surprised when I hear someone say, “I’ve written two books, but nothing has happened. How long do I have to do this?” A long time, honey!
The 10k Rule says you need to practice any new activity for 10,000 hours before becoming a master at it. Writing is no different. But I love it and can’t stop asking “what if?”
And finally, what do you hope the future holds for you and your writing?
Everything I’ve experienced so far has happened for a reason. While I have big dreams (beautifully narrated audiobooks, book-to-screen deals, etcetera), I’ll be content to continue to write stories full of wonder, hope, and romance. It will be exciting to see how my journey unfolds!
Thanks so much for having me!
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Part-time reader, part-time rambler, and full-time Horror enthusiast, James has been writing for What We Reading since 2022. His earliest reading memories involved Historical Fiction, Fantasy and Horror tales, which he has continued to take with him to this day. James’ favourite books include The Last (Hanna Jameson), The Troop (Nick Cutter) and Chasing The Boogeyman (Richard Chizmar).
