INTRODUCING CINDY KEEN REYNDERS

Today it’s my pleasure to introduce Cindy Keen Reynders, author of three books in the “Saucy Lucy” series.  Cindy will be talking about her new release, Seven-Year Witch, from her second series, “Wisteria Hedge Haven Clan.”

Synopsis of Seven-Year Witch:

     Novice witch Miranda Rose’s seventh and final task for the Supreme Witch’s Council, is to find the legendary Philosopher’s Stone. Once completed, she’ll reach her lifelong dream - High Witch of Wysteria Hedge Haven. In a last ditch effort to locate the precious gem; she travels through time to 1877. In a dilapidated castle tower a powerful wizard refuses to relinquish the stone. In a fit of pique, the wizard, Balthazar, zaps her in a field just outside of Merry Olde London.
     Sir Maxwell Chadwick is the sole witness to a fiery ball of light streaking across the midnight sky. Curious, he investigates. Surprised to find a beautiful young woman among the smoldering ashes, he cannot deny his instant attraction to the alluring stranger. While Miranda appreciates the handsome duke’s assistance, she finds him annoying as his well-intentioned interference delays her mission.
     It doesn’t take Miranda long to realize the handsome duke holds the key to her heart, as well as her future. Fate, magic and the Seven-Year Witch disease takes the lovers on a rollicking, star-crossed adventure!

Alethea:  Where did you get the inspiration for your heroines?

Cindy: I love to write spunky, self-assured, optimistic, problem-solving women with a few quirks thrown in.

Alethea:  Why write series?

Cindy: I never started out with that intent in mind, but when the opportunity arose, I pitched the idea and publishers expressed interest. So I went for it. Always be ready to make your own luck!

Alethea:  Why did you begin a new series?

Cindy: I wanted to do something different from the mysteries, which I loved! It just seemed like time to move on, so I created Miranda Rose, a novice witch from the Wysteria Hedge Haven clan, and her sisters.

Alethea:  How do you go about writing?  Do you outline each chapter or just sit down and write?

Cindy: It’s kind of weird; I live with my characters 24/7. They are always with me, and every once in a while, they’ll “tell me” what needs to happen in the next scene, chapter, etc. I take lots of notes all day long, which litter my desk. I’m a firm believer in pre-writing, or using an outline to work from, and I take notes each evening about where I think the next scene should go. When I sit down to write the next morning, new ideas may pop into my head as I go along, and I’m flexible with that. But I at least have a roadmap of ideas to start from. There’s nothing worse than the blank page.

Alethea:  What is your favorite part of the writing process?  Your least favorite?

Cindy: I love the brainstorming part, where I sit down with a writing partner and throw out all sorts of ideas. My sister is great at helping me dream up ideas, which we do on our lunch break at work. We’ll usually eat our lunch in the car, and if people could hear us giggling and snorting with laughter at the outrageous things we think of, they’d think we’re off of our rockers. My least favorite part is marketing my work to editors, agents, etc. It takes so much time and editors/agents are often unresponsive to things writers send out (I know they’re buried with submissions.) Sometimes they are straight up rude and unprofessional. I hate that. It’s awesome to finally have a fantastic publisher, Angelic Knight Press. They are great to work with.

Alethea:  Your heroines are lovably humorous.  Does humor help you in your life as well as in your writing?

Cindy: If I didn’t have humor in my life, I wouldn’t have made it through some of the rough emotional patches I’ve been through. For example; after my divorce, my youngest son, 13 at the time, decided to live with his dad and new step mom. I was in Wyoming and he moved to Indiana. It didn’t take long, especially with the ex’s manipulation, for the kid to decide it wasn’t “cool” to know his mom anymore. We stay in touch a little on Facebook these days, but that’s about it. It’s been heart breaking. Thank goodness humor keeps me optimistic about the future. Smiling and laughing is healthy! And while there are tense moments in my writing and characters get scared, sad and apprehensive, I can’t keep it that way for long. I want them to buck up, stay positive and be proactive about solving the trouble. That’s the way we need to be in real life, I believe.

Alethea:  Besides a good story, is there anything you want readers to retain from your writing?

Cindy: I want to take them on a journey of laughter and love, where they can leave the real world behind and become immersed in a whole new dimension with beautiful characters and settings. Characters in my books experience sadness and trouble, along with happiness and joy. These are all things we experience in real life, but in the end, I want to leave readers with hope and joy in their hearts, along with determination to overcome their personal difficulties.

Alethea:  Give us one fact about the author Cindy Keen Reynders or her writing that nobody knows yet.

Cindy: Every time I finish the first draft of a book I’m excited. I let it sit for a while and when I go back to it, there are often many things I hate, along with things I really like. I’m often overcome with self doubt and wonder if I know what I’m doing. I’ll fix the book up and polish it so I like it again, then start the process of sending it off to editors, agents, etc. Then I get afraid I’ll never be able to write anything again, that no more good plots and characters will come to me. I feel like I should call it a day, quit writing, and be glad for what I’ve done…that sort of thing. Luckily I do come up with new plots and I’m able to write new books.  I usually stew about it for a while, though. Lack of self confidence is my biggest cross to bear!

Cindy Keen Reynders

Alethea: Thank you, Cindy, for a great interview letting us get to know you and your characters.