Between Dreams by Cynthia Austin: Author Interview

Between Dreams by Cynthia Austin

Series: The Pendant Series: Book 1

Release Date:28th April 2015
Publisher:Limitless Publishing

Genres: Young Adult / paranormal

Brook Cottage Books is thrilled to welcome author Cynthia Austin to the blog with a great author interview! 

AUTHOR INTERVIEW

Do you write under your real name or is this a pen name you use?

I’ve written The Pendant Series under my real name, but the current series that I am working on now may have to fall under a pen name, simply because of the maturity content.

Where are you from?

I am from a small town in Northern California named Martinez. Although the town surrounding The Pendant Series is fictitious, it was inspired by my very real town. 

Did you write as a child?

Yes, I loved to write as a child. I would lock myself in my room for hours, writing poems, songs, short stories…basically, I would write anything that I could think of.

What was the first thing you ever had published?

I’ve had plenty of small articles published all across the internet, but my very first major publishing work would be The Pendant Series, which was published through Limitless Publishing.

Do you have a writing routine?

Every day after work, I dedicate one hour to my writing. 

Do you have any writing rituals? 

I would be lost without my phone and the writer app. Every night in bed, I type in my thoughts of the story. I go to sleep and think about my plot, I go to work and think about my plot, then, by the time I arrive home I am ready to transfer my notes onto my computer and spend the next hour working on my manuscript. 

Do you have a current work in progress?

Yes. I am working on another love story, but this one is for a more mature audience.  When I first created The Pendant Series, I had multiple ideas on how to end it. While I really wanted to go a certain way, the story didn’t play out that way. So now, in this new story I hope to utilize that alternative ending. It is one showdown that I believe the readers will love. Adrian, the character in The Pendant Series was a little too soft to carry out what I needed him to do. This new character, Ezra, is the perfect man for the job.

Where did the idea for your book come from?

All of my ideas come from the music I listen to and I actually supply the books playlists on spotify for any readers who may be interested. The Pendant Series was influenced by a ton of Taking Back Sunday, The Used, and My Chemical Romance.  My newest project is almost entirely inspired by a self-titled album by Terrible Things which is a concept album centered on an arsonist wreaking havoc on Coatsville, PA. Although the focus of my story is completely different, I feel that these songs help me to create the person I am writing about.

  

Who was the first person you gave the book to to read? 

An old co-worker of mine was the first person who read the book. I hadn’t seen her in over ten years and I am so happy that I decided to go with her as my Beta-reader because not only did she fall in love my book but we reconnected as friends.

Do you have any advice for budding authors?

It’s a tough road to trek. Don’t give up and keep writing. If you plan to go the traditional route be prepared for rejection letters. Sure they hurt your confidence but they are a necessary evil. Always remember that writing is a subjective business and what might not be a good fit for one publisher, could be great for another. But with that in mind, you should also focus on the advice the publishers are offering.

Book Blurb 

Sidney Sinclair was living the dream of any eighteen year-old girl… A handsome rock star boyfriend, a closet full of designer clothes, a limousine service at her beck and call, and a mansion in the hills of Los Angeles. Even with all that glamour and excitement at her fingertips, she still feels as if she’s been missing something in her life so she decides to leave. While trying her best to put her dysfunctional romantic relationship aside and tend to her beloved Granny, Sidney unexpectedly stumbles upon an intriguing emerald pendant boxed away in her grandmother’s closet. Soon she learns it once belonged to her long-lost mother who committed suicide when she was just a baby. Suddenly feeling emotionally connected to the woman who had birthed her, Sidney begins to wear the necklace. This sends her on a whirlwind journey that alternates between fantasy and reality… Almost immediately, she starts having dreams linked to the mysterious pendant. As danger begins to seep into her life, Sidney refuses to remove the necklace and instead documents each dream to help her further understand them. However, she soon begins to wonder if they are dreams meant to bond her to a mother whom she never knew? Or a subconscious warning that threatens her very life?

Author bio 

Cynthia Austin lives in Northern California with her husband, two boys, and Olde English Bulldogge named Count Dogula. They love all things horror, gothic, and Victorian which prompts her friends to dub them as “The Adams Family.”

She is an avid reader who may be slightly obsessed with music. She hears music in a way that she believes the artist intended it to be heard: visually, with a storyline that follows. Listening to the songs by her favorite artists, she was inspired to write her first series titled “The Pendant.”

Cynthia has been published twice in The Writer’s Monthly Magazine as well as the online news site, Yahoo! Voices. She currently attends Diablo Valley College, in Pleasant Hill, California, where she is working to achieve her degree in English.

 Author links –  http://betweendreamsiread.weebly.com/