Interview With Author Cinda Swalley
Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I grew up in central Ohio, which, as kids, always gave us great opportunities for exploration in the cornfields, the forests, and the lakes. I attended college in Columbus, Ohio, and then my life in the air began when I became a flight attendant for Continental Airlines. Eight years later, I left my wings in Denver and began a new chapter of my life in the hospitality industry in San Diego.
At this point, I have written only one book that has gained much praise from editorial reviews and has won many literary book awards.
What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
My debut novel is titled The Golden Hearts Club. It’s about two sisters on a road trip whose
decision to help a stranger sets off a chain of events that transform lives and reveals the profound impact of compassion. It’s a sister’s adventure, a dramatic family saga, and a love story.
It was inspired by the real-life road trip my sister and I took when we were in our twenties. We planned it for a year, saved our money, and bought a used red car for the trip. We met an elderly American Indian woman at a run-down motel in Arizona, where we stayed because I was sick.
When I found the pictures from that trip, the story took flight. The past is revealed about Rose’s Indian heritage, the painful story of her family lost to tragedy, and what Katie’s mystifying dreams mean when they start to come true.
Do you have any unusual writing habits?
Sometimes, when I was stuck and didn’t know where the story was going next, I would turn off the computer, relax, and go to bed. I think because I was so embedded in the story and in the characters’ lives, I dreamed about the story. Often, I would wake up and rush to the computer because I knew exactly what needed to happen next.
Writing can be a hobby or a job that isolates a person. The process pushed me to look beyond the plot and to dive deeper into their minds and emotions. I became so entrenched in the story and in the characters that I felt like I was inside the story. When the characters cried, I cried. I didn’t leave my house for days at a time.
What authors, or books have influenced you?
I was introduced to Kathleen Woodwiss when I was in college, and that’s when I fell in love with romances. I loved the depth of the writing in Gone with the Wind and in Pride and Prejudice. I will never lose my love for the written word in whatever genre it may be.
What are you working on now?
I am considering a story about a young boy who grows up spending much of his time in a Zoo because his father works there. The friends he makes there and how his involvement with the animals shapes his life.
What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
The best website for me is https://cindaswalley.com/
Do you have any advice for new authors?
I think it’s a good idea to write an outline to follow so you can keep focused on your story.
Unless you have a very creative imagination, it’s more difficult if you don’t at least have a
beginning, a middle, and an end. It’s also important to know what genre you are writing in and keep your story focused on that genre. Sometimes it’s hard for an agent to know how to pitch a title if you are writing a mystery, but it involves suspense and intrigue as a family saga, and then you add a decent amount of a romance plot into the blend.
What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Someone once said to me to just keep getting the words on the page. You can change them at any time, but if you have a train of thought, just keep going with it. Don’t worry about spelling, grammar, or punctuation; just get the words on the page.
What are you reading now?
I am just starting to read The Prince of Tides, and I’m excited because the movie was wonderful.
What’s next for you as a writer?
I am contacting production companies and producers to seek interest in adapting my book to film. It is such a great story with a lively sister adventure, mystifying dreams that come true, and unpredictable detours that lead them down a road that changes many lives.
If you were going to be stranded on a desert island and allowed to take 3 or 4 books with you what books would you bring?
I think I would bring The Thorn Birds, Pride and Prejudice, and Anna Karenina. PS. Ha ha.
If you are on an island in the middle of a body of water—it is likely not a desert island—but it
might possibly be a deserted island.
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