I'm happy to welcome author, Cindy Ray Hale to the blog today. She's stopped by to answer some questions and share her new release, DESTINY.
1. Welcome, Cindy. Tell us a little bit about yourself.
I have an amazing husband and four kids and I live thirty minutes south of Nashville, TN. I grew up on eight acres of the most beautiful woods you can imagine in Chattanooga, TN. I was number three out of seven kids in a big, crazy Mormon family. I love to travel. If I had more money, I'd travel the US and then the world with my husband and kids.
2. Tell us about your newest release. Feel free to include a short excerpt/blurb.
Destiny is about a young Mormon girl who falls in love with the headmaster's son of her Baptist school. She's a total goody-two-shoes in the beginning of the story and has a lot of issues with falling for him since dating guys outside the Mormon Church is against her parents's rules. Here's an excerpt:
"We stood face-to-face as I stared up into his warm brown eyes. My heart was beating so fast I was sure it was going to explode. How many times had I hoped for this moment? I never in a million years had imagined such words would come out of Isaac’s mouth. His perfect, beautiful mouth. This was unreal, beyond my wildest daydreams. It was so hard to fight the desire to be with him. All my most unreachable dreams were suddenly, so unbelievably, about to come true. But they were forbidden. The right thing to do would be to pull away, turn from him, run back to the house. My head screamed at me to flee, but my heart begged me to stay."
3. What did you want to be when you grew up?
I always wanted to be a mom and an author.
4. What is your writing process? Are you a plotter or a panster?
I'm a healthy mix between the two. I've tried both, and I've found that there's a delicate balance you have to find. If you plot too much, you lose some of the creative process. If you're a total panster, then you may end up rewriting the story to fix the plot. I've been there, and it's not too fun.
5. What tips would you give others to overcome writer's block?
Honestly, you really have to just write through it. Get rid of all your distractions. Unplug your router or turn off your phone and hide it in your sock drawer if you have to. Then sit down in your writing spot and write whatever comes to your mind. Sometimes I have writers block because I'm upset about something else in my life. If that's the case, either resolve it or write your feelings down. Another reason I have writer's block is because I don't know what to write next. In that situation I'd suggest sitting down with a notebook and a pen somewhere out in nature (that always clears my mind) and scribble down ideas.
6. What are your thoughts on critique groups/partners?
They are absolutely essential. I don't know what I'd do without my writing buddies. There are times when they can be detrimental as well. Just because they shoot down your new idea doesn't mean you shouldn't do it. Sometimes they don't see the same vision you do.
7. What advice would you give to a new writer just starting out?
Write. Write. Write. Don't stop. Ever. If your first story is terrible, either rewrite it or move on to the next. It will get better. Read everything you can get your hands on about writing. Then read Save the Cat. It's a book on screenwriting, but it's absolutely fantastic for plotting out your book.
8. If your publisher offered to fly you anywhere to research your next book, where would you go?
I'd go to Parowan, Utah. That's the setting for my next book outside the Destiny Trilogy. It's this adorable little town in southern Utah just an hour from Zion National Park. I really wouldn't have to be flown anywhere for the Destiny Trilogy since the setting is my childhood home, and I only live two hours from there.
Destiny (Destiny Trilogy #1)
By Cindy Ray Hale
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Age category: Young Adult
Release Date: November 5, 2013
Blurb:
Destiny Clark, a young Mormon girl living in Tennessee, is wildly infatuated with Isaac Robinson, the headmaster's son at her Baptist high school. When they're cast together in the school's production of Les Misérables, Destiny is horrified to find that she has to be publicly humiliated by acting out her true feelings of rejection onstage.
As their rehearsals begin, Destiny realizes the unimaginable: Isaac has developed deep feelings for her despite their religious differences and the fact that he has a girlfriend.
But will they be able to find their place amongst the backbiters of their ultra-conservative world?
Weaving around Destiny and Isaac's alternating viewpoints, Destiny is the first book in a series inspired by the characters of Les Misérables and explores heartbreak, self-discovery, intolerance, and love.
You can find Destiny on
Goodreads
You can watch the book trailer here:
About the Author:
Wife. Mother. Writer. Cindy Ray Hale lives in Murfreesboro, Tennessee with her husband and four children. In addition to being a writer, she’s an avid reader and a social media junkie. She starts her morning by writing with a freshly-blended berry spinach smoothie next to her. She’s obsessed with Les Misérables, playing the piano, and stalking up-and-coming musicians on YouTube. Destiny is her first book and will be available for purchase November 2013.
You can find and contact Cindy here:
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Website
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Website for destiny
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Blog
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Facebook
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Twitter
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Goodreads
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Google+
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Pinterest
And there is a tour wide giveaway, here is what you can win:
- A Destiny Swag Pack:including a signed copy of Destiny, a Destiny keychain, a t-shirt that says "I heart Destiny," a Destiny bookmark.
- a $25 Amazon Gift Card
- Camp Boyfriend Swag pack.
For a chance to win enter the rafflecopter below:
a Rafflecopter giveaway
About the Author:
