Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I live in NWI with my two daughters. I enjoy hiking, The Walking Dead, and late night t.v. In addition to young adult fiction, I write poetry and blog. This is my first full-length book. I have published many poetry pieces in various anthologies over the years and often publish new poems and articles at my website: www.hereswhatitis.com.
What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
The title of my book is Quest: The Journey, the first in the Quest trilogy. It was inspired by the same thing as many of my short stories – a dream. I dreamt the moment when Keira and her cousin, Caryn, finally meet. It was such a powerful moment in the dream that when I woke up, the first thing I did was write that scene down, and it’s actually one of the last scenes in the book. The rest of the story built off of that dreamt portion. Early on, I realized that the ending was also a beginning, that there was much more to the story, and so I knew it was a trilogy in the making.
Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I love to write in public. I go to coffee shops, but especially bars. Hole-in-the wall bars, everybody knows your name bars, piano man and blues band bars. The kind that you can sit at the end of the bar or at a table in the corner and observe without being intrusive, write without being interrupted or really noticed. I think having to actively push aside the noise of the place helps me focus on the writing and the world I’m creating. But writing in public also helps me stay connected to people, helps me keep my characters real.
What authors, or books have influenced you?
Hunter S. Thompson, Edgar Allen Poe, Hemmingway, Dickinson, Stephen King, and Anne Rice.
What are you working on now?
I’m currently working on the second book in the Quest trilogy, which will (hopefully) be ready for publication the end of December. I can’t wait for this story to unfold. Our group of warriors is about to have their lives turned upside down. I have also been working on a compilation of poetry and short stories, a sort of partial memoir.
What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
So far, word of mouth, social media, and forums such as this one have been working well for me.
Do you have any advice for new authors?
Have people read your work. Have your work reviewed by people not directly involved in the writing and publishing world. Your best friends, but also more distant acquaintances. Real readers. And listen to what they say. If they are confused by something in the book or don’t understand the way something is written, change it. Because no matter how much you may like the way you wrote it, if the general reader doesn’t understand it, it’s a no go.
What is the best advice you have ever heard?
The best advice I ever heard was to just write. Don’t worry about grammar or theme; just get the story out and on the paper, and sort out the details later. That’s what the second draft is for. If you are obsessed with getting everything perfect on the first draft, it’s going to take forever to get a first draft. It’s makes for a much quicker overall process if you complete a first draft, no matter how rough it is. Because then you have a full, completed work to fine tune and move forward to that final goal with.
What are you reading now?
Right now, I’m reading the Harry Potter series. I know, I know, but I never read them when I was younger so I’m enjoying them now. I just started ‘Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince’.
What’s next for you as a writer?
Well, I plan to finish the Quest trilogy, of course, and from there, who knows? With writing, not even the sky is the limit.
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?
If I could take 3 or 4 books with me to a deserted island I would bring…Edgar Allen Poe’s ‘The Fall of the House of Usher and Other Writings’ or some other collection of Poe’s short stories and poems. Sun Tzu’s ‘The Art of War’ and a survival guide of some kind. My 4th book would be a blank journal – is that allowed?
Author Websites and Profiles
Rachelle McCaulley Website
Rachelle McCaulley Amazon Profile
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