Get to Know Author Rhodi Hawk

Hi readers!

I have a special treat for you today, author Rhodi Hawk is here to answer my burning questions. She wrote The Tangled Bridge, which I reviewed earlier this year. While I admit, it wasn't my cup of tea, I still would read more from this author based on the style of writing. I also think other people will think opposite I do and love the story, so read it and judge for yourself.

Now back to Rhodi, isn't she pretty?

Thanks Rhodi for being here. Won't you give her a warm welcome.....

Rhodi, Please tell us about The Tangled Bridge.

 The Tangled Bridge comes out this Halloween 2012. This is the second book in the Twisted Ladder series.

  The story follows the lives of New Orleans psychologist Madeleine LeBlanc and her family as they grapple with the river devil phenomenon that has haunted them for generations. Madeleine’s grandmother and step brother rise against one another in an attempt to gain control of the briar world, and Madeleine disappears into the farthest reaches of the bayou in order to lure them away from the people she cares about. There, Madeleine discovers she is lost in a trap, and she reaches out to the ghosts of the past to help her escape.

Who or what inspires your writing?

  I am often inspired by the natural world. It seems that going for a walk in the woods or along a riverbank, that’s when the mind goes quiet and the creative inspirations start to flow. It’s when I feel most alive.

When did you know you would be a writer?

 I loved to write stories when I was a child, but that fell off in my teenage years, when I became self-conscious and intimidated. I turned back to it in my late thirties. I would probably define that time as when I became a writer, because that’s when the dedicated habit took root.

 

How long did it take you to write your first novel?

 Seven years!

Wow! What would be the hardest part of writing for you?

  Even now, it’s the daily habit. In fact I still haven’t fully conquered it. Although I try to write every single day, sometimes there are short (or even long) lapses.

Do you have any writing rituals?

   Outside my office window, I have lots of feeders for hummingbirds, other birds, and squirrels. I absolutely love watching them come right up to the window. It puts me in the right frame of mind.

 That would be lovely watching hummingbirds. Have you written anything else?

 Yes, I have some short stories in the pipeline. Right now I have a story called “A Head and a Foot” in the Zombies vs. Robots: Women on War anthology. Zombie stories are a big departure from what I usually write, so it was fun!

  

Do you have any advice for aspiring writers?

 Be consistent, and be persistent. Focus on craft.

Solid advice. Who are some of your favorite authors? 

 Diana Gabaldon, Anne Rice, Stephen King. I am also a fan of Hank Schwaeble, but in the interest of full disclosure: he is also my sweetheart.

I too love Stephen King! What are your favorite books, or which book has impacted you the most?

 That’s such a simple, but tough question. The books I loved most in my younger years are not necessarily the same books that top my list now. Early influences were Peter Pan in Kensington Gardens by J.M. Barrie, Moby Dick by Herman Mellville, and later, The Witching Hour by Anne Rice. From among the books I read just this past year, my favorites were This is Where I Leave You by Jonathan Tropper, Shantaram by Gregory David Roberts, Dark Places by Gillian Flynn, Rules of Civility by Amor Towles, and The Lock Artist by Steve Hamilton. Yeah yeah, I realize few of those books actually came out this year. That’s just when I read them.

Quite a variety! What are you currently reading?

   Skippy Dies by Paul Murray.

How do readers find you online?

My website, and I’m also on Facebook.

 

On another note, I think it’s wonderful that there are so many different ways to read nowadays. I like audiobooks, ebooks, and of course, good old paper books. It means I’m never without something to read. It’s also so nice that authors and readers can easily connect online. The world of books is constantly changing and yet ever the same.

 

You and me both, Rhodi! Thanks for your thoughts and for taking the time to visit.

Happy writing!