Hayley Bi

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I was born in Hong Kong and immigrated to British Columbia, Canada, when I was eighteen. Since English is not my first language and my proficiency in the language wasn’t up to par for enrolling in University program at the beginning, I needed to register in a few ESL programs. After years of hard work, I graduated from Simon Fraser University with a degree in psychology and a certificate in family studies. I can’t emphasize enough that upgrading myself is far more valuable than upgrading my cell phone. And with that motto in mind, once in a while, I’d like to spare some of my precious time to learn something new. Over time, I found myself accumulated a diploma in counseling and a diploma in makeup artistry. Writing, getting my book published, and now stumbling along the promotion phase – they all proved to be a hefty but sweat-worthy learning process than originally anticipated. This learning process will likely to keep me occupied for many months to come.

My Supernatural Encounter with the Orange Being is my debut into the literary world. It is a memoir with a supernatural theme. If you like true stories – about life after death, spirits and ghosts, paranormal sights, prophetic dreams, possession, haunting, sixth-sense and spirituality – you will love this book.

In this supernaturally charged memoir, I chronicle my experiences from childhood onward, with many hard-to-believe stories such as learning my sister was possessed and given away, using a Ouija board to communicate with the dead, camping in a haunted area in Hong Kong, and gradually realizing I had been gifted with a sixth sense. My gift allowed me to know about an upcoming fire in my apartment building, hear the voice of my car accident, and encounter unbelievable sights such as an orange being, I also share how I found gratitude for the important messages communicated to me through dreams.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
My Supernatural Encounter with the Orange Being: True Stories and Experiences with Unworldly Entities and the Unexplained – is my first and latest book.

The reasons I wrote this book were shared in chapter one. I wasn’t inspired by anyone or anything in particular, it felt more like an array of unmistakable divine signals shooting toward my direction, and my radar was able to detect them. After I picked up all the three signs – the sense of urgency, the voice telling me to write, and the hint from the sticking-out notepad that reminded me of an online ebook course I once took, a flush of ideas cascaded down to me one night. I quickly wrote down all the chapter titles on my phone and that was how my book was conceived.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I wrote almost my whole book on my cell phone. Being able to write spontaneously is important to me. I can write anywhere and I don’t have any particular writing rituals, I just write when ideas hit.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
I read 90% non-fiction with a focus in the realm of supernatural. My favourite author is Lorna Byrne. She is able to see angels daily and it’s her who introduces me to the inner workings of the angelic world.

What are you working on now?
I am contemplating on writing a second book which is also about my personal experiences with the supernatural world. Again, I will include as many of my own illustrations as my publisher allows. I don’t have a timeline for when I need to finish. But stay tune, I write whenever I feel like it. Sometimes, I write in supersonic speed and sometimes in snail pace. And readers, you can always cheer me on, that may help me to write a little bit faster.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
Joining writer’s groups and reading about what’s going on with other writers help me stay in the loop. Occasionally, someone may post a question that is applicable to me and I can learn new resources that way. Collaborating with book review bloggers and googling websites that allow you to submit your book for free or for a fee are some of the useful channels I have employed. Submitting news releases through PR websites is pretty helpful to get some needed attention too.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
You don’t need to be perfect, you just need to be brave – brave to try new things, brave to admit your mistakes and brave to embrace your challenges. Keep learning is my motto and I like to share that with everyone. There are so much to learn in the writing, publishing and marketing processes. No matter what you have encountered – ups or downs – march forward. Embrace the downs because they’re part of the learning process. Don’t forget to celebrate and pat yourself in the back if you are on the “ups” side.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Don’t focus on just one person’s negative opinion.

What are you reading now?
I am reading “Driving Miss Norma” right now. It’s the kind of book that makes you think about mortality, not necessarily in a bad way.

What’s next for you as a writer?
Getting ready to write my second book. That readiness doesn’t seem to be anywhere close as long as I am still feeling distracted by all the summer traveling.

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?
All I need to bring are my e-reader which can load up lots of books and my power bank for recharging. It will be easier than bringing 3 or 4 books. I probably need books on survival, spirituality, and something to cheer me up. Too hard to narrow down to 3 or 4 books.

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