Good morning lovelies!! Welcome back to the Lindsay Show! Today's edition is super, extra special :) You see, not only do I have the fantabulous Reyna Hawk with me, it's her birthday!!! Everyone wish her a happy birthday :) Mwah hon!
So without further ado, grab your coffee, or in my case vanilla chai tea, and let's get started!
Interview
Happy Birthday Reyna!! I'm so happy you could join me :) When did you know you wanted to be a
writer?
When I was in my teens I loved to think up
stories to tell my friends or share with family. I really wasn’t sure this was
what I wanted to do until I was in my mid 20’s early 30’s. So I began to jot
down story lines and scenes. I actually didn’t start the publishing process
until this pass year.
That so awesome hon. I'm so glad you decided to start jotting down those ideas! What has been the most difficult part
about being a writer?
Self-promotion. Being an Indie author
requires me to do it all; writing, editing, proofreading, cover design,
publishing, and promoting. I enjoy all of that, except for the promoting. It is
hard to get the word out about my work without spending an ungodly amount of
money that I don’t have.
OMG I know! Self-promoting is so time consuming and can definitely can add up. Who are your favorite authors?
I have quite a few. I like Stephen King, VC
Andrews, Patricia Cornwell, Christine Nolfi, Cameo Renae just to name a few.
Those are all fantastic authors, especially Christine and Cameo ;) What authors inspire you?
Well Stephen King definitely inspires me to
write those stories that make you cringe and wonder what in the world is going
on. I guess I would have to say that VC Andrews has helped inspire me to put
the array of twists into the story lines.
I remember the first time I read one of Stephen Kings' books, I made my sister let me sleep in her room LMAO. He really made me cringe haha. So, do you like to plan your scenes out or
do you just wing it?
Well, it’s a planned effort to wing them. I
have the tendency to talk them out until something solid comes into form.
However, at any given moment I can and will completely change the story and
turn it into something it wasn’t before.
Lol I love that, "Planned effort to win them" :) What type of books do you like to read?
Any book that will keep me on the edge of
my seat; I love suspense with a little romance thrown in. I also love horror
and paranormal.
I adore suspense with a little romance :) It's my second favorite behind paranormal! What do you like to do in your free
time?
Relax from all the stress. I love
traveling, photography, movies, and just spending time with my family and
friends. It can be something as simple as a small get together for a bar bq or
just hanging by a bonfire. Anything that is relaxing, I am game!
Oh i love photography too! We must chat about it sometime. Where is your favorite place to
vacation?
The mountains of Tennessee and North
Carolina; where my mother and father originated from. It is so peaceful there
and I seem to always come back feeling rejuvenated and refreshed.
I lived in NC for a few years and it's always been one of my favorite places to vacation! Tennessee is also freaking gorgeous, especially Gatlinburg. We have a lot in common I think :) Do you have any special holiday
traditions?
When I was younger it was a tradition to
have the same 8 items on the menu for Thanksgiving and Christmas, however now
that I am older and spend time with various friends and family during the
holiday season this has changed. The one tradition that has been started is
every year I like to buy my grand-daughter one special Christmas ornament. On
New Year’s Eve I also hold my glass to the heavens and say a special toast to
my mother who passed away Jan 1, 2007.
Oh, I absolutely adore the ornament tradition! <3 Why did you choose to write paranormal
romantic suspense?
Well, this is not my main genre, but this
was a story I felt needed to be told. I wanted to share my experiences with
others so they would know they are not alone. Many times people look at the
paranormal in a negative light and won’t talk about it for fear of ridicule. I
wanted to extend a hand to those fearful or embarrassed of telling their
stories.
I think you're very brave for putting yourself out there like that. Many people wouldn't have had the guts to do it. *hugs* What has been the
most fun about working on your books?
Being able to
completely create whole new characters and adventures; this is my favorite
part. Not knowing what the exact outcome will be or what journey the characters
will take until it happens.
I'm finding that's one of my fave things too. Who knows where your characters and story will take you next?! What has been the hardest scene for you
to write?
Well, in any of my books there are sex
scenes I have to admit I am embarrassed. Anyone who has read my books knows
there are not a lot of them, but they are there. However, I do not put them in
just for the sake of having a sex scene; it has to add to the content of the
story. If it does not then it will be glazed over and not much discussed. I
want them to be true to life and not sound like something out of a sappy
romance novel. I mean, honestly who talks like that?
I'm always strangely happy when others have struggled with sex scenes! It was the part I dreaded most about writing a romance but because I wanted to enhance the story but was so embarrassed at the same time. Luckily I'm starting to move past it :) Do you have any favorite characters?
Well naturally the main character because I
invest so much time and energy building them. However, there are some side
characters that I really enjoy. In the Valentine/Petrilo series my favorite characters
are Janie, Rico, and Daniel. Daniel had such a small part, but I loved his
mannerism and attentiveness to his sister. In Angels and Arrows my favorite
characters are naturally the main characters, because they are based on those
people around me.
I feel the same way, love my main characters best :) Angels
and Arrows is based on true events. Can you tell us more about that?
Yes, the paranormal events in the book
happened to me, the co-author, or a friend or family member close to us. Many
of the events surrounding Maria actually happened to me. It is not something I
go around talking about because many people do not believe in this sort of
thing. I did take the events that had happened over the span of many years and
condensed them to occur in a few years. This actually began as somewhat of a biography,
but many of the people that were involved did not want their identity revealed,
so I fictionalized the locations and names of those the events surrounded. The
ending has also been fictionalized because the paranormal events are still
occurring and well not to give any spoilers, but I have yet to meet Ash.
I think you're awesome for taking the risk and telling your story. I believe in the paranormal, but so many ridicule it and it definitely takes courage to put yourself out there like that. Tell me more Maria’s
abilities.
Again, without giving too
much of the story line away; Maria can see and talk to not only ghosts, but
also angels. When she becomes angry she can make bad things happen to people,
which is revealed in the story why this is so.
Sweetie, I can't tell you how excited and intrigued I am by Maria. Can't wait to sit down and read this book!! Do you plan to continue writing
paranormal books?
Yes, I am working on the continuance of
Angels and Arrows. As more events unfold and happen, the story line is
building. I also have a couple of other books I am working on that deal with
the paranormal and other oddities.
Oh yay, that's so awesome!! Always love finding writers of the paranormal :) What's next for you?
Well in the upcoming year I know of at
least three new books that I will be publishing. So be on the lookout for
those. I have ideas on expanding the Valentine/Petrilo series, and more about
Angels and Arrows, plus a couple of stories I have been working on that I am
thinking of putting into a book of paranormal short stories.
It sounds like it's going to be a very busy year for you! Well Reyna thank you so much for stopping by on your birthday! I loved having you :) Before you go, is there anything else you want your readers to
know?
I want my readers to know how
much I truly appreciate all of them. It brings me such joy to be able to share
my story telling abilities with others. I am looking forward to many more years
of writing and meeting more great people as I have met so far. This has been an
exciting journey.
Angels and Arrows...Buy it Now!
Maria Ridge was born a special child having gifts that allowed her to see and speak into the spirit world. As Maria aged she found these gifts to be more of a curse than a blessing. At the age of 17 Maria escaped the taunting of her family and set out on a journey that led her to discover others like herself. Ultimately this journey forces Maria to confront her past and the evil attached to her. With the help of her new friend, Allie, Maria feels she has finally found her place in this world. The destined meeting of brothers Ash and Vincent awakens the two girls to the fine line between this world and the next. Can Maria survive the haunting evil that threatens her very existence? Is she strong enough to face the past that lurks in the shadows? Will Maria embrace the truth or run from it?
This book is based on true paranormal events. The names of people and places have been changed in order to enhance the story line. However, all paranormal events are due to personal experiences or eyewitness accounts.
Meet Reyna Hawk
Reyna Hawk is a 44 year old mother of one son and grandmother to one beautiful 3 year old little girl. Born and raised in Cincinnati, Ohio Reyna has always loved writing and story-telling. Her passion for telling stories began at a very young age when she was making up stories to tell her school friends. Reyna has an Associate of Arts in Psychology and a Bachelor of Arts in Cultural Anthropology.Connect with Reyna:
Thanks so much! I am hoping to have an awesome birthday dinner with 3 of my favorite people....
ReplyDeletegreat interview, i enjoyed learning more about you. hope this is proving to be a most exciting and wonderful day for you.
ReplyDeleteGreat interview. Happy birthday!
ReplyDelete