Today we’d like to introduce you to Eva Pohler.
Hi Eva, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
A native of San Antonio, I attended East Central High School, where I participated in the Gifted and Talented Program, allowing me to write plays, short stories, and poetry at an early age. I earned my Bachelor of Arts in English at Trinity University, where I took courses in creative writing. This love for the written word continued to grow at St. Mary’s University, where I completed my Master of Arts in English before finally leaving my hometown to earn my Ph.D. in English at Texas Tech University. Over the years, I taught writing and literature at various universities in San Antonio, including St. Mary’s, the University of Texas, and Trinity, and wrote stories as a hobby until 2012, when I self-published my first book. I have since published over thirty-five novels in multiple genres, including supernatural mysteries, thrillers, and young adult fantasy based on Greek mythology. My books have been described as “addictive: and “sure to thrill” (Kirkus Reviews). In January of 2018, a boxed set I contributed to called Sigils and Spells made the USA Today bestseller list and more recently my novel, A Holiday Haunting at the Biltmore, was awarded the Best Mystery Book of 2022 at Utopia Con. Today I teach part-time at Trinity and continue to publish three novels a year to a growing fan base. I live in the Encino Park neighborhood with my husband of almost thirty years, two of our three adult children, and three rescue dogs.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Although I feel blessed to have the opportunity to do what I love every day, it hasn’t always been easy. My first few books didn’t sell very well, and I began to question my abilities as a writer. But after attending a writer’s conference geared toward self-published authors, I learned marketing strategies that changed my life. Suddenly, people were reading my books! I took several marketing workshops, consumed many books on entrepreneurship, and taught myself the business side of being a writer, which was so much more important than I initially understood. Currently, I teach a course on entrepreneurial strategies for creatives at Trinity, so I can help other creatives turn their passions into businesses.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
Unlike most writers, who tend to stick to a single genre, I write in a variety genres, which has been bad and good. It’s been bad because it’s been more difficult to brand myself (though I think I’ve finally nailed it). It’s been good for two reasons: one, I love having the freedom to write what I want, and two, when one genre doesn’t sell well, another can take its place. For example, early in my career, my young adult fantasy series based on Greek mythology, called The Underworld Saga, was the main source of my income. Sometime around 2018, sales in that series dried up for no apparent reason. I found this to be true of other writers of young adult fantasy. Fortunately, my Mystery House Series began to pick up in sales, and it continues to be my bestselling series to date.
I have thoroughly enjoyed writing The Underworld Saga and its spin-off series (The Vampires of Athens, Vampires and Gods, Cupid’s Captive Series, and the forthcoming Gods and Monsters Series). As a fan of Greek mythology since the eighth grade, I’ve treasured the opportunity to explore and reinvent stories that I love. Fascinated with Hades, my books focus on the Underworld gods, whom I felt the need to defend. Modern versions have tended to demonize them, conflating Hades with the devil of Christianity. My series begins with Thanatos, the god of death and a dutiful servant to Hades–so dutiful that he hasn’t experienced life, hasn’t even been kissed, until one day seventeen-year-old Therese, in a coma after her parents are killed, thinks she’s dreaming (doesn’t realize she’s in the Underworld) and kisses him.
It fills me with joy when readers write to me to tell me that they love my stories, too, and enjoy reading the books again and again to be with the characters.
As much as I have loved developing the universe that began with The Underworld Saga, recently I have been more excited to write books in my ongoing Mystery House Series. With eight books published and a ninth releasing in October, these books, which can be read in any order, feature three friends in their fifties who flip haunted houses and try to solve the mysteries tethering the ghosts. Each book is based on a true historical injustice that has taken place in a particular locating in the U.S., and by bringing that injustice to light, the ladies help the ghosts find peace. So far, the books have been set in San Antonio, Tulsa, New Orleans, Portland (Oregon), Boulder City (Hoover Dam), Blackfeet Nation (Montana), Santa Fe, Asheville, and La Push. Unfortunately, injustices are everywhere, so when choosing what book to write next, I pick a place I want to visit, research it, and develop a story around whatever injustice inspires me.
We love surprises, fun facts and unexpected stories. Is there something you can share that might surprise us?
Until recently, for over ten years, I held the family record for having caught the largest catfish (26 pounds) on rod and reel. My husband’s family are all anglers, and just last spring his brother finally beat me by catching a 32-pounder.
Pricing:
- Ebooks range from $0.99 to $9.99
- Paperbacks range from $12 to $15
- Hardbacks range from $20 to $24
- Paperback Omnibuses are $29.99
- Audiobook prices range from $7 to $24
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.evapohler.com/home
- Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/evapohler
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/EvaPohler/
- Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/evapohler
- Youtube: http://www.youtube.com/evapohler
- Other: https://www.tiktok.com/@evapohlerauthor
