Who is Tabetha Waite?
I grew up in a small town in Missouri. When I was in the fourth grade, my teacher encouraged me to write, saying that she liked reading my stories. Bullied, shy, and lacking in self esteem, I got to work creating characters I could relate to. From ghost stories to mysteries, I started putting pen to paper before transferring to a vintage Underwood typewriter. I began numerous novels but never found the time to finish them. An avid reader, I found many great books over the years, but when I hit a slump, my grandma mentioned that she used to enjoy Gothic novels, so I decided to give the romance field a try.
I was hooked! I started checking out everything I could get my hands on, from Harlequins, to the Zebra Holograms and Avon. Later, after combining a love of history, I started to read a lot of books based on the American Civil War and those dashing, romanticized pirates, but it was a book by Kathleen Drymon called "Midnight Bride" that got me interested in England. Along the lines of the classic novel, "The Scarlet Pimpernel" by Baroness Orczy, I loved the idea of an English nobleman with a secret identity, so I started looking into the Regency and Victorian time periods. Jane Austen and the Bronte sisters anyone?
I literally fell in love!
Time marches on. I get married and start a family, but writing was always in the back of my mind. In 2005 I finally finished my first book called, "The Pirate Legacies." I sent it off and was promptly rejected. After that, I took a few years hiatus, but in 2013 I completed my second book entitled, "The Lustful Spy." I was rejected again, although there was more interest than before. During this time, I joined a free critique site called Book Country hoping to get some helpful tips. Nevertheless, I refused to give up. Since I had wanted to be a published author since I was 9 years old, I figured why stop now?
Three years later, with my third book complete, I got the reply I'd been dreaming of, and I signed my first publishing contract with a small publishing house by the name of Etopia Press. Thus, the first novel in my 'Ways of Love' series, "Why the Earl is After the Girl," was born. It was published in July of 2016 and went on to become an award-winning title. I have also had contracts with small press houses, Soul Mate Publishing, WOLF Publishing and Dragonblade.
I've won or became a finalist in several award categories and become a hybrid author, transitioning into the Indie world. I found that I love the freedom and control it gives me over covers, release dates, and sales! Because of this, I am happy to announce that I have my first audio book, as well as my first German translation for "Why the Earl is After the Girl!"
I know that there are only good things waiting on the horizon! By the autumn of 2024, I currently have 50 books to my credit and it is amazing to be able to say that.
My advice to anyone who is hoping to write -- keep your chin up! I had 63 rejections to my credit before I finally got that "one person" to believe in my work enough to take a chance on me. It WILL happen, if you just trust in yourself!