We were lucky to catch up with Claire Marti recently and have shared our conversation below.

Claire, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today Have you been able to earn a full-time living from your creative work? If so, can you walk us through your journey and how you made it happen? Was it like that from day one? If not, what were some of the major steps and milestones and do you think you could have sped up the process somehow knowing what you know now?

It took me more than 5 years to start making full-time income as a romance novelist. When my first novel was published in 2017, I was teaching yoga and Pilates full-time. My thirteenth novel came out on February 9, 2023.

To make a full-time living as a novelist, unless you are one of a lucky handful of writers who hit it big with their debut, you need to build up a body of work. I am constantly learning and honing my craft. I’ve participated in several workshops, studied the craft, attended numerous conferences and built a network of fellow authors. Because I love yoga so much, I still teach a few yoga classes a week, lead 1-2 yoga international yoga retreats annually (this year in Scotland!), and teach for an online website, YogaDownload.com.

My debut series was published through a small press. Not impressed with their lack of marketing and overall author support, in 2019, I decided to indie publish my new series, Pacific Vista Ranch because I learned that for the most part, the indie authors in my genre, romance and women’s fiction, were the most successful.

I now have 3 series, Pacific Vista Ranch, set on a fictional horse breeding ranch in Rancho Santa Fe, Ca., California Suits, about 5 best friends who open a chain of luxury boutique hotels in California, and Finding Forever in Laguna. I’ve also been in 4 successful multi-author anthologies which hit the USA Today Bestseller list.If I had to do it all over again, I would not have published my first series with the small press. They did virtually no marketing and I had no control over covers and such. I would have learned more about indie-publishing sooner. I immediately started earning more than ten times what I made with the small press with my two indie series.

Everyone’s journey is different. I advise researching the market, see what’s selling, and learn your craft because good writing matters!

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

I like to say I was a yoga teacher who wrote and now I’m a writer who teaches yoga. Now, I earn my primary income writing romance novels and I teach a few yoga classes on the side because I love it.

I’m proud to say I am an award winning and USA Today Bestselling Author with 3 book series: Pacific Vista Ranch, set on a fictional horse breeding ranch in Rancho Santa Fe, Ca., California Suits, about 5 best friends who open a chain of luxury boutique hotels in California, and Finding Forever in Laguna. I’ve also been in 4 successful multi-author anthologies which raised money for charity.

One of my driving forces in life is to bring light and joy to others. I write emotional stories with strong characters who navigate life’s challenges and find true love. I believe we all work out our issues through relationships and I’m fascinated exploring life, love, and hope. My stories provide an escape and just maybe, an emotional lesson or two. All my books are set in California and my heroines are strong women who find the heroes worthy of them.

Can you tell us about a time you’ve had to pivot?

My life has been a series of pivots. Now, I work as a full-time novelist and part-time yoga teacher but it was a long, winding path.

I am an ex-attorney. I quit practicing law after 3.5 years because I disliked how destructive the world of litigation is. I then worked in outside sales and business development in the legal and corporate world. I’ve also run a non-profit animal rescue for a well-known actress, and various other side-hustles like teaching the LSAT Prep course for aspiring law students.

I knew I had to leave the practice of law because for the last 6 months I worked at the law firm, I would cry in the shower each morning. I found the constant negativity, the focus on conflict, and the obsession over money to be soul-sucking. I cannot tell you how many people were shocked that I simply quit being a lawyer. But I knew it wasn’t the field for me, despite 3 years in law school to the tune of $100k. I use the education (one of my book heroines is an attorney) but refused to sentence myself to a life of misery at age 28. No regrets.

Let’s talk about resilience next – do you have a story you can share with us?

I quite corporate America in 2009 to dedicate my time to teaching yoga and starting a writing career. After several months, I had a regular roster of private clients and public classes, was scheduled to film workouts for Exercise TV, was writing articles for yoga and wellness magazines, and had my first yoga retreat to Nicaragua planned. Everything was progressing better than I could have imagined.

On January 2, 2010, I found a lump in my breast and was diagnosed with Stage 2 breast cancer. I had to cancel the filming and the yoga retreat, and cut back on my teaching schedule while I navigated through 3 surgeries, 6 rounds of aggressive chemotherapy, and 7 weeks of daily radiation. To say all of it was a shock is the understatement of the century. How could I, a young woman teaching yoga and creating the life of my dreams, have cancer?

During treatment, I earned an additional yoga certification to teach yoga to cancer patients and survivors. I started a free weekly class that is still going to this day (with new teachers who took it over), filmed a Yoga for Cancer Recovery DVD, and was co-founder of Yoga for Hope with City of Hope hospital. Yoga for Hope San Diego became the largest yoga fundraiser in Southern California, earning thousands for City of Hope’s goal of finding a cure for cancer. I would chair, emcee, and also teach for the annual event, held in Petco Park on center field. It’s one of my greatest achievements.

Going through cancer was also a universal nudge to get my butt in gear and start writing! I wrote a memoir based on my treatment blog called Come Ride With Me Along the Big C. I also got serious about writing my first novel, which didn’t happen until 2015. But here I am!

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.clairemarti.com
• Instagram: instagram.com/clairemartiwrites
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ClaireMartiAuthor/
• Other: https://oceansoulyoga.com My yoga website.

Image Credits
Laura Bravo Metz