Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
So far, I have finished two full-length novels and a short story. I started officially writing novels at the start of 2018, finally staring in on a passion I hadn’t had the courage to explore earlier.
And I love it.
I have never had this much fun in any job, and given my love of reading, this should be no surprise.
Writing started while I was traveling through New Zeland, but it won’t stop anytime soon.
What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
My latest book is Shifting Intentions. It is a stand-alone book in the Shifting Heart series.
The idea of this novel was born from my love of fantasy novels and I have always wanted to write one that had strong, sexy women.
The scenery of this novel was fully inspired by my travels. I wanted something set in a beautiful mountainous region, that was lush and teeming with life.
Do you have any unusual writing habits?
When a scene is giving me a particularly hard time, I braid and unbraid my hair a few times until the solution comes to me.
I am not sure why I started doing this, but the easy, repetitive motion helps me focus and usually produces great ideas.
The best part, I am an expert at braids now. Want a fishtail? No problem!
What authors, or books have influenced you?
I have to give credit to Stephen King.
I have been reading his novels since I was a young teen and each time, his flexibility in writing blows me away. He can write fantasy, horror, suspense, and well, anything and they are all captivating and interesting.
When I read one of his books, I always focus on his ability to build the world and write the mundane. The realness of his novels inspires me to focus on the small details, not just the drama and big plot twists.
What are you working on now?
I just started a romance novel set in Fiji. So far, it involves an American woman who is here teaching yoga and an Australian surfer. It’s my first contemporary, non-fantasy novel so I am excited to work my mind in a different way.
This time the world is already built, I just need to fill it with color.
What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
This is probably my weakest skill. There is so much to learn about digital marketing and I am focusing now on creating great novels and content, hoping as I go along, the books will help sell themselves.
That being said, my blog gets pretty good traffic and I have a short story on there that has pulled in a few readers I otherwise would not have found.
Do you have any advice for new authors?
Just keep writing.
I didn’t think I could do it, until I did and finshing my first novel is still one of the best moments of my life.
There is so much to learn and it is easy to drown in everyones advice. Read what they have to say, but find what is going to work for you. What works for one author might not work for you, so don’t despair if you hear of people writing 3,000 words a day, when you don’t get close to that. It isn’t about numbers, it’s about feeling the story.
At the end of the day, write your book and love your story.
What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Don’t be afraid to put real, deep emotions in your book. It should hurt to write, otherwise you won’t elicit those emotions from readers.
What are you reading now?
Far From the Madding Crowd by Thomas Hardy
What’s next for you as a writer?
Two things:
I am taking a Marketing Class to hopefully get better and spreading my stories.
I have just stared my third novel and I am going to throw myself into it with full gusto.
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?
Can I have three or four series?
Why not!
I would take: The Name of the Wind series by Patrick Rothfuss, The Century Trilogy by Ken Follett, The Wheel of Time Series (which I have been desperatly wanting to read).
Don’t worry about saving me for at least a few months.
Author Websites and Profiles
Ivy Hayes Website
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