B-DAY BASH GUEST AUTHOR: RACHEL VAN DYKEN
Day Four! Please welcome USA Today Bestselling historical romance author Rachel van Dyken!!! I've read three of my fellow Astraea Press author's books and I can say that a twinge of jealousy erupts in me every time I start another novel. She has those great romantic one-liners you can only dream of writing--okay, maybe I'm the only one dreaming. :-) I posted a review of one of her books here. I love that her romances are so popular yet clean (no "pink parts"). :-) Rachel is giving away a $10 Amazon Gift Card, and copies of her following titles: The Redemption of Lord Rawlings, Whispered Music, the Seduction of Sebastian St. James.
Remember to enter using the PRIZE WIDGET!!!!!
Welcome!!!
What inspires your writing?
That’s
actually a really hard question for me! I think everything inspires me! I’m
constantly thinking, constantly going. I feel like I can’t breathe without
plotting some sort of story out. Sometimes I even wake up in the middle of the
night with an idea and have to type it out before I forget it! A lot of times my inspiration comes
from conversations. I’ll hear someone say something and I’ll make an entire
dialogue out of it. It’s almost like a movie that plays in my head. I will say
that for the most part it’s always dialogue that creates the story for me. So
maybe my inspiration is conversations.
I can totally relate to the middle of the night visions and the movie reel in your head! Can you briefly tell us your
journey to publication?
I started writing about two years ago when I was
a school counselor. During my down time between sessions I would pound out a
story in order to relax. I wrote two stories and started submitting to
publishing houses. I had A LOT of rejections. Looking back, now I realize that
my stories were so horribly unedited that of course the pub houses were like
HUH? I saw Astraea Press on a blog and thought maybe going for a smaller pub
house would be better. I submitted and received a contract. My first book was
“Every Girl Does It.” It’s a simple contemporary romance. During that time I was
reading a lot of regency romances and thought it would be fun to try it. I was
still counseling full time and had a few girls walk in one day upset over the
fact that the boys were making fun of them and calling them ugly. That was the
day The Ugly Duckling Debutante was born, I’ve been writing as fast as I can
ever since!
What is your favorite/worst part of
the writing/publishing process?
My favorite part is the writing, of
course! Whenever I submit a new book I start getting nervous. I think every
author does. You begin to doubt yourself or wonder if this book isnt’ as good
as the last and so forth. Editing is also a nightmare to me. I know that I’m
probably the worst editor on the planet and I still don’t know what a comma is
used for.
So edits are another thing that really make me nervous. Each time you write a
story it makes you so vulnerable because you can’t help but put part of your
personality into whatever you write, so if you face rejection it stings that
much more. It’s hard not to take it personally but I’d like to think I’ve
developed a tough skin after 12 books ;)
I'm a comma abuser too, don't worry. ;-) What has been your most memorable
experience as a published author?
I have two! The first is making the
USA Today bestseller list! I remember looking at my computer and screaming and
jumping up and down and then freaking out that I was going to pass out! It was
such an honor and honestly to this day makes me smile! The second was when I
had a reader email me and thank me for openly talking about anxiety attacks in
my latest release Whispered Music. It’s something that as a counselor I had a
lot of experience with, but also personally struggle with as well! I really
wanted to shed some light onto what it felt like. My main character Dominique
suffered through a traumatic childhood and has a crippling fear of thunder
storms, and has a panic attack in the middle of one even though he’s a grown
man. It was a very real scene for me to write and it touched me so much that a
reader was impacted by it. As an author that’s all I want to do, touch people,
and reach out to them.
So tell us a little about your
book. What prompted this story?
The Redemption of Lord Rawlings was the
third book in my House of Renwick series. It’s the story of the ultimate rake
facing the ultimate ruin. I knew I was taking on a challenge in writing him
because he was in the first two books in the series and people hated him! But,
I saw good! I remember walking in the Costco parking lot and then stopping and
frantically texting my friend Laura and going “I know what to call the third
book! It’s going to be The Redemption of Lord Rawlings.” She paused and then
said, “Can you do that?” My answer, “I’m going to try!” Haha, it was such a fun
book to write but I also looked at it as a turning point in my writing. It’s a funny
story but it also has a lot of hurt in it. You dive into why Rawlings is the
way he is, and why he feels bad for the life he’s led. After writing Rawlings,
I decided I wanted to do nothing but write wounded heroes! They are so fun to
write and I think Rawlings was the beginning of that.
In
the beginning of the story he’s walking around in the rain, wishing to be hit
by a carriage, when a beautiful woman runs up to him and kisses him, only to
run off.
At
first he thinks he’s hallucinating. After much coaxing from some old friends
and enemies, he goes to one of the seasons last balls and sees her. Only, shes
the youngest sister of the man who used to be his sworn enemy. Abigail is
relentless in her pursuit and Rawlings is trying to put the pieces of his life
back together so he can actually inherit the rest of his estate. He has to
marry by his birthday but the girl wont’ leave him alone. He knows he can’t
have her, but he wants her. He fights against his better judgement and in the
end…well you’ll just have to see what happens!
I loved that story!!! Rawlings was so funny; I just laughed and laughed at his one-liners.
Which character do you relate to
the most and why?
Is it weird that I relate to all of them? I think the
character I relate to the most is probably Katherine from “The Devil Duke Takes
A Bride,” it will be my fourth book in the House of Renwick series and it’s due
out this Christmas. Katherine has really good intentions she just happens to
always be at the wrong place at the wrong time. She’s compromised by the devil
duke himself because she was trying to help him then accidentally trips and lands
on his chest making everyone assume they were caught in a tryst. I love her
attitude and her ability to roll with the punches. She also stands up to the
man that everyone else fears and I find that really captivating. I wish I was
brave like her, so maybe I relate to her and I admire her.
Which character did you find most
difficult to craft and why?
Stefan Hudson The Duke of Montmouth from
“Upon A Midnight Dream,” I had this perfect vision of him in my head but when
it came time to type it out, I kept going back to another character that I had
previously written. I wanted him to be the hero but he kept turning tragic on
me! I love that story but I think sometimes his character is inconsistent when
it comes to how he reacts to the love interest. He’s very hot and cold, but in
a way he has to be in order to achieve what needs to be done.
In each novel, I name a character
after a family member. Do you have a writing quirk or tag/tell?
I think
anyone who reads my novels will see that I always write in secondary characters
that help carry the story. I never focus on just the main two. I don’t know why
but I like to introduce new characters and I always feel the need for comic
relief. So the secondary characters are for that purpose alone, to keep the
story going but also to introduce humor. I really relied on this heavily in
“Whispered Music”, because I knew the book would be pretty serious in parts.
What is your favorite
book/television show? Do either of these mediums influence your writing? How?
Wow
I love so many different genres! I’m a regency girl at heart, so I love
anything by Julia Quinn and Julie Ann Long. My favorite TV shows are “The Big
Bang Theory,” and “How I Met Your Mother.” Not sure if they inspire me but they
do give me a nice comedic break when I need it!
What advice would you give aspiring
authors?
Keep writing. Practice makes perfect. Just because your first
manuscript doesn’t get contracted doesn’t mean you should stop or that you’re a
failure. Keep pushing and keep making your craft the best it can be. READ as
much as possible!!!! Don’t let writing take over because the minute that
happens you’ve lost all the things that influence you. Lots of coaches say you
should breathe your sport, sleep with your uniform on, etc. When it comes to
writing, you should be constantly researching, reading, studying, because
that’s a huge part in getting you to where you want to be!
Where can readers find you?
You can find me on my website www.rachelvandyken.com
or follow me on twitter @RachVD or find me on facebook: Rachel Van Dyken Author
Anything you like to ask readers of
this post?
I just want to get to know everyone! What’s your favorite
genre to read, and why? Thanks!!
Bio
Rachel loves to read almost as much as she loves to write. She resides in the Pacific Northwest with her husband and her dog Sir Winston Churchill. Although she loves to write contemporary romance, her heart will always be with historical and regency romances. Glittering balls and dangerous rakes hold her captivated like chocolate and Starbucks. You can follow Rachel on her blog, Twitter, or Facebook.
"I want adventure in the great wide somewhere, I want it more than I can tell."
---Belle from Disney's Beauty and the Beast
Remember to enter using the PRIZE WIDGET!!!!!
Welcome!!!
What inspires your writing?
That’s
actually a really hard question for me! I think everything inspires me! I’m
constantly thinking, constantly going. I feel like I can’t breathe without
plotting some sort of story out. Sometimes I even wake up in the middle of the
night with an idea and have to type it out before I forget it! A lot of times my inspiration comes
from conversations. I’ll hear someone say something and I’ll make an entire
dialogue out of it. It’s almost like a movie that plays in my head. I will say
that for the most part it’s always dialogue that creates the story for me. So
maybe my inspiration is conversations.
I can totally relate to the middle of the night visions and the movie reel in your head! Can you briefly tell us your
journey to publication?
I started writing about two years ago when I was
a school counselor. During my down time between sessions I would pound out a
story in order to relax. I wrote two stories and started submitting to
publishing houses. I had A LOT of rejections. Looking back, now I realize that
my stories were so horribly unedited that of course the pub houses were like
HUH? I saw Astraea Press on a blog and thought maybe going for a smaller pub
house would be better. I submitted and received a contract. My first book was
“Every Girl Does It.” It’s a simple contemporary romance. During that time I was
reading a lot of regency romances and thought it would be fun to try it. I was
still counseling full time and had a few girls walk in one day upset over the
fact that the boys were making fun of them and calling them ugly. That was the
day The Ugly Duckling Debutante was born, I’ve been writing as fast as I can
ever since!
What is your favorite/worst part of
the writing/publishing process?
My favorite part is the writing, of
course! Whenever I submit a new book I start getting nervous. I think every
author does. You begin to doubt yourself or wonder if this book isnt’ as good
as the last and so forth. Editing is also a nightmare to me. I know that I’m
probably the worst editor on the planet and I still don’t know what a comma is
used for.
So edits are another thing that really make me nervous. Each time you write a
story it makes you so vulnerable because you can’t help but put part of your
personality into whatever you write, so if you face rejection it stings that
much more. It’s hard not to take it personally but I’d like to think I’ve
developed a tough skin after 12 books ;)
I'm a comma abuser too, don't worry. ;-) What has been your most memorable
experience as a published author?
I have two! The first is making the
USA Today bestseller list! I remember looking at my computer and screaming and
jumping up and down and then freaking out that I was going to pass out! It was
such an honor and honestly to this day makes me smile! The second was when I
had a reader email me and thank me for openly talking about anxiety attacks in
my latest release Whispered Music. It’s something that as a counselor I had a
lot of experience with, but also personally struggle with as well! I really
wanted to shed some light onto what it felt like. My main character Dominique
suffered through a traumatic childhood and has a crippling fear of thunder
storms, and has a panic attack in the middle of one even though he’s a grown
man. It was a very real scene for me to write and it touched me so much that a
reader was impacted by it. As an author that’s all I want to do, touch people,
and reach out to them.
So tell us a little about your
book. What prompted this story?
The Redemption of Lord Rawlings was the
third book in my House of Renwick series. It’s the story of the ultimate rake
facing the ultimate ruin. I knew I was taking on a challenge in writing him
because he was in the first two books in the series and people hated him! But,
I saw good! I remember walking in the Costco parking lot and then stopping and
frantically texting my friend Laura and going “I know what to call the third
book! It’s going to be The Redemption of Lord Rawlings.” She paused and then
said, “Can you do that?” My answer, “I’m going to try!” Haha, it was such a fun
book to write but I also looked at it as a turning point in my writing. It’s a funny
story but it also has a lot of hurt in it. You dive into why Rawlings is the
way he is, and why he feels bad for the life he’s led. After writing Rawlings,
I decided I wanted to do nothing but write wounded heroes! They are so fun to
write and I think Rawlings was the beginning of that.
In
the beginning of the story he’s walking around in the rain, wishing to be hit
by a carriage, when a beautiful woman runs up to him and kisses him, only to
run off.
At
first he thinks he’s hallucinating. After much coaxing from some old friends
and enemies, he goes to one of the seasons last balls and sees her. Only, shes
the youngest sister of the man who used to be his sworn enemy. Abigail is
relentless in her pursuit and Rawlings is trying to put the pieces of his life
back together so he can actually inherit the rest of his estate. He has to
marry by his birthday but the girl wont’ leave him alone. He knows he can’t
have her, but he wants her. He fights against his better judgement and in the
end…well you’ll just have to see what happens!
I loved that story!!! Rawlings was so funny; I just laughed and laughed at his one-liners.
Which character do you relate to
the most and why?
Is it weird that I relate to all of them? I think the
character I relate to the most is probably Katherine from “The Devil Duke Takes
A Bride,” it will be my fourth book in the House of Renwick series and it’s due
out this Christmas. Katherine has really good intentions she just happens to
always be at the wrong place at the wrong time. She’s compromised by the devil
duke himself because she was trying to help him then accidentally trips and lands
on his chest making everyone assume they were caught in a tryst. I love her
attitude and her ability to roll with the punches. She also stands up to the
man that everyone else fears and I find that really captivating. I wish I was
brave like her, so maybe I relate to her and I admire her.
Which character did you find most
difficult to craft and why?
Stefan Hudson The Duke of Montmouth from
“Upon A Midnight Dream,” I had this perfect vision of him in my head but when
it came time to type it out, I kept going back to another character that I had
previously written. I wanted him to be the hero but he kept turning tragic on
me! I love that story but I think sometimes his character is inconsistent when
it comes to how he reacts to the love interest. He’s very hot and cold, but in
a way he has to be in order to achieve what needs to be done.
In each novel, I name a character
after a family member. Do you have a writing quirk or tag/tell?
I think
anyone who reads my novels will see that I always write in secondary characters
that help carry the story. I never focus on just the main two. I don’t know why
but I like to introduce new characters and I always feel the need for comic
relief. So the secondary characters are for that purpose alone, to keep the
story going but also to introduce humor. I really relied on this heavily in
“Whispered Music”, because I knew the book would be pretty serious in parts.
What is your favorite
book/television show? Do either of these mediums influence your writing? How?
Wow
I love so many different genres! I’m a regency girl at heart, so I love
anything by Julia Quinn and Julie Ann Long. My favorite TV shows are “The Big
Bang Theory,” and “How I Met Your Mother.” Not sure if they inspire me but they
do give me a nice comedic break when I need it!
What advice would you give aspiring
authors?
Keep writing. Practice makes perfect. Just because your first
manuscript doesn’t get contracted doesn’t mean you should stop or that you’re a
failure. Keep pushing and keep making your craft the best it can be. READ as
much as possible!!!! Don’t let writing take over because the minute that
happens you’ve lost all the things that influence you. Lots of coaches say you
should breathe your sport, sleep with your uniform on, etc. When it comes to
writing, you should be constantly researching, reading, studying, because
that’s a huge part in getting you to where you want to be!
Where can readers find you?
You can find me on my website www.rachelvandyken.com
or follow me on twitter @RachVD or find me on facebook: Rachel Van Dyken Author
Anything you like to ask readers of
this post?
I just want to get to know everyone! What’s your favorite
genre to read, and why? Thanks!!
Bio
Rachel loves to read almost as much as she loves to write. She resides in the Pacific Northwest with her husband and her dog Sir Winston Churchill. Although she loves to write contemporary romance, her heart will always be with historical and regency romances. Glittering balls and dangerous rakes hold her captivated like chocolate and Starbucks. You can follow Rachel on her blog, Twitter, or Facebook.
"I want adventure in the great wide somewhere, I want it more than I can tell."
---Belle from Disney's Beauty and the Beast
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