Author Interview with Cindy Keen Reynders:

Today I had the pleasure of interviewing Cindy Keen Reynders the author of both the Wysteria Hedge Haven Clan Paranormal Romance Series and the Saucy Lucy Mystery Series.  Her works include the following:

Angelic Knight Press:  Wysteria Hedge Haven Clan Paranormal Romance Series
                       7 Year Witch, 2012
                       A Witch at Midnight, 2013
                       Witch Tease, 2014

Medallion Media Group: Saucy Lucy Mystery Series
                       The Saucy Lucy Murders, 2007
                       Paws-itively Guilty, 2008
                       A Killer Slice, Amazon, 2011

Welcome to The Writers Cabin Cindy.  Tell me about yourself.

I was born in Portland, Oregon and I’ve lived all over the United States and also in Japan. I’ve visited Canada, the Philippines, Samoa, Hawaii, the Caribbean and New Zealand. I love to travel!

Over the years, I’ve won or placed in various writing contests. I’ve also written for and edited numerous newsletters. Additionally I’ve sold several non-fiction magazine articles to “True West” and “Wild West.”

My mystery series includes “The Saucy Lucy Murders,” “Paws-itively Guilty” (Medallion Press) and “A Killer Slice” (Amazon). I write a paranormal romance line for Angelic Knight Press, The Wysteria Hedge Haven Clan series, which is about seven witch sisters with a flair for impractical magic. The first two published books in this series are “7 Year Witch” and “A Witch at Midnight.” In 2014, “Witch Tease” will be released. You can visit my website at www.cindykeenreynders.com where you can contact me via e-mail. From my website, you can also link to my blog or visit me on Facebook.

When did you know you wanted to become an author? 

About fourth-grade. Though I love the written word, I thought I’d wind up working in television.

Is there a central theme to your books?

Family, humor and sisters figure especially big. Mystery and romance are my favorite genres, so that’s what I write.

What books have inspired you the most in your life?

Anything written by Pearl S. Buck, Catherine Cookson or Bertrice Small. I like Sue Grafton also. Oh, and anything written by Erma Bombeck.

What’s a typical day in your writing routine like?

I drag myself out of bed at 4 a.m., shower, dress, apply makeup. I grab coffee and a breakfast bar and head down to my home office in the basement. My little doggie, Ewok, is beside me as I write for a couple of hours before heading into my work office.

What is it that you do to relax?

I love reading magazines. They are short and sweet and help me unwind. I also love yard sales when the weather is nice.

Do you use an outline or do you write organically?

I do loose outlines, but I allow my muse to take me where the plot seems to be going. Of course, depending on the genre, romance or mystery, things must happen according to plan.

Have you ever had writer’s block and what did you do to push past it?

Yes, though I hesitate to call it writer’s block. I think it’s my brain’s way of slowing down to process exactly how a plot would work out best, and what actions my characters should take. I’ll take a little break, watch TV and read, go to work and focus on my day job. Sometimes inspiration strikes at weird times, so I’ll stop and scribble notes for future scenes. I also allow myself to sleep on some of my dilemmas, and dreams often tell me what should happen next.

  

Is there a certain time of day when you are most creative?

My personal biorhythm dictates that early morning is best for me. At night, I just want to lounge around then I crash around 9 p.m.

How many drafts do you usually write of a manuscript and what is your editing process like?

I write one draft, let it rest, then go through and do another good clean up of it. I let that draft rest, then I go back and some fine tuning. I’m pretty brutal on the second draft and if something needs major rewriting, I groan a bit, then get to work on it. I’d rather be the one to tell myself something sucks, rather than my editor. I believe what I turn into her should be pretty damn clean, otherwise I’m not doing my job. These days, edits on my work are typically minimal, but I’ve been at this for 20 years now. Since I write journalistic articles in my day job, I think the experience enhances my creative side.

  

What do you think of the recent changes in the publishing world?

I think they are all optimistic. Writers have many more opportunities to be published and develop solid careers. It just doesn’t look the way it used to years ago. There are still the good ol’ boy writers with more traditional-style careers. But I think as the new face of publishing develops, we’ll see a ton of different success stories about writers who carved out their own niche, with or without a traditional publisher. It’s very cool!

Out of all the books you’ve written do you have a favorite, and if so why?

It depends. Right now I’m kind of partial to “7 Year Witch” because it marked my foray back into the romance genre and I wasn’t certain if I’d be able to really be able to pull it off. I tried so hard in the 90s to sell my romance but everything fell flat. I switched to mystery and found success, but then when I finished my Saucy Lucy series, I wanted to try romance again. I had a blast writing “7 Year Witch,” and it turned out to be crazy good fun and sexy to boot! Fortunately, my current publisher, Angelic Knight Press, loved it and signed me on to write an entire series about my seven witch sisters who are members of the Wysteria Hedge Haven Clan.

What are you working on now?

Book three in the Wysteria Hedge Haven Clan series, titled “Witch Tease.”

  

Where can we buy your books?

Amazon, Smashwords, Barnes & Noble and Kobo. Probably some other places I’m not thinking of right now. All my books are available in both electronic format and print. My most recent release, “A Witch at Midnight,” will have print copies available soon. www.cindykeenreynders.com

Coming up next on The Writers Cabin - 

A Guest Post by Cindy Keen Reynders