Author interview with Rachel Van Dyken

Interview taken place on June 26, 2014 (Remastered for new blog)

 

AUTHOR INTERVIEW

WITH

RACHEL VAN DYKEN

While over here in the UK New York’s best seller Rachel Van Dyken Did an interview with us at Author2AuthorBlogChat. It was an absolute honor to interview the lady who inspired me to write. Please welcome the bubbly, beautiful and talented New York’s best seller Rachel.

 

1, Tell us a little about yourself.

I’m a hybrid author who LOVES wine and chocolate and…well food… ;) Writing is a huge passion and I can’t imagine doing anything else with my life. I have a really serious fear of ET and vacuum cleaners and I think that the world would be a better place if it was a musical.

2, how would you describe your book(s)?

Wow, that’s hard! I have a really large backlist. All of my books are dialogue driven I really feel like that’s what makes for an interesting story. I love showcasing secondary characters as much as primary characters and I like surprising my readers. My NA series (Eagle Elite) is about twenty something mafia bosses and my newest release The Dare is a romantic comedy about a girl resigned to spinsterhood and a sexy politician. They get slammed together by the notorious Grandma Nadine and are forced to attend a couple’s retreat where torture commences for the next six days. They have a history which kind of makes for a fun story line.

3, what genre is your work mainly? Do you tend to stay in the same vein or are you hoping (if not already) to explore new ventures?

I mainly work in the NA genre but I also have a lot of historical books. I like working in all genres because I also like reading in all genres. 

4, Share with us a quote from one of your favourite character?

Do it afraid–Wes Michels from Ruin

5, is it hard to come up with new idea’s and/or plot’s?

Sometimes it is, for the most part things flow really well, I think the hard part isn’t coming up with the idea but executing it.

6, how long does it take you to complete a finished book?

That totally depends! Ruin was written in two weeks, but some other books take a month or two. I try to finish a book in three months or less just so I can move on to my next project.

7, what inspired you to write your book (s)?

I loved to read and writing turned into a sort of therapy for me while I was working as a school counselor, it was kind of like my own personal journal and stories, my way of escape.

8, who is the easiest character to write and why? Hardest and why? The easiest character?

That was probably Wes Michels, he was just so great, it wasn’t hard to pick up his character and convey it. The hardest character so far for me has been Tristan Blake from Shame, the third book in the ruin series, he’s….complicated

9, Are your characters based on real people? People you may know on TV/Movie stars?

They are inspired by real people sometimes but never based on them.

10, without giving anything away, what is/are your favourite scene(s) in your books?

In The Dare my favorite scene is when Jace and Beth are trying to go through the sugar cane field and a spider named Frank make an appearance.

11, what is up next for you?

The Dare releases July 8 and after that Elicit releases August 11.

12, do you have any hobbies?

I love reading ha-ha, of course. I also love writing music and singing, playing the piano, and really really enjoy going for walks, which sounds cheesy but there’s just something about being outside.

13, is there anyone besides you in your family who writes?

My sister actually writes as Kristin Vayden, she’s really talented!

14, When did you start? What was your first piece?

First published piece. I started in 2011 my first published work was Every Girl Does It, and I still cringe when people read it.

15, Out of all the books and stories you’ve written which is your favorite?

That’s a super hard question because I think each book you’re on is your favorite, make sense? Right now the Eagle Elite series holds the top spot and Elicit holds the number one spot for favorite book.

16, what is your favourite genre to write?

New Adult

17, what is your favourite genre to read?

I read every genre.

18, who are your favourite author’s?

Oh wow that’s a hard question b/c I truly read everything! I love Julia Quinn, Eloisa James, Tessa Dare…

19, what are your favourite movies? Books?

I love romantic comedies and anything Disney. FROZEN! , Tell us a little about yourself. I’m a hybrid author who LOVES wine and chocolate and…well food… ;) Writing is a huge passion and I can’t imagine doing anything else with my life. I have a really serious fear of ET and vacuum cleaners and I think that the world would be a better place if it was a musical.

20, how long have you been writing for?

Close to 4 years

21, who or what has been your biggest literary influence?

My family…mainly my Grandma Nadine

22, how difficult is it for you to come up with one of your amazing plots?

It just depends…the story kind of creates itself as I start writing.

23, How about characters?

Are they easily born and developed? I think once you know your character, you immediately know how they are going to react in situations.

24, do you ever find yourself a struggling writer?

I think we all struggle, whether it be with the plot, writers block, criticism, finances, man the list goes on.

25, about how long does it take for you to complete a novel from concept to completion?

It depends on what I’m writing; it can take as little as two weeks to as long as three months.

26, have you ever trashed a novel or story before or after finishing it, feeling it wasn’t turning out as you planned?

No, oh my gosh, I don’t think I could give up! Actually I take that back, I have one book i wrote a while ago that I tried to “Fix” and re-write it may end up in the trash.

27, do you have a special time or place to write?

I write in my office during the day.

28, any funny experiences or quirks you’d like to share with your readers?

Other than my Starbucks obsession or Swedish fish obsession? No.

29, which one of your awesome books would you like to see be made in to a movie?

The Elite Series or The Bet

30, what was it like to publish your first book?

Scary, super intimidating, but a total rush.

31, what advice would you give to others who want to make writing their career?

Keep writing! A lot of authors put their eggs all in one basket…get a backlist and keep doing what you love.

31, what’s the worst job that you have ever done and why?

I was a dishwasher and I hated it, I hated it so much! My hands were burned and yeah…it was messy and I was cold from all the water.

32, do you ever get ideas at random moments, and if so how do you hang on to them?

Usually when I’m trying to sleep I normally email myself then spend hours the next day trying to decipher what the heck i was trying to say.

33, how do you overcome writers block?

I write a few books at once and switch between them.

34, Can you write on demand and under pressure, or do you need time and space before the creativity starts to flow?

I can write on demand, but sometimes I don’t feel like it’s as good when I force the process.