Today we are featuring Author Mindy Hayes as a part of a virtual tour of her new book Me After You (Willowhaven, #1)
She is Here with us and we will be having a lot of chit-chat but first let me introduce you to her
About Mindy Hayes
Mindy Hayes grew up in San Diego, California exploring her interest for singing and playing the piano. She first discovered her passion for reading when she had to take her first flight alone to South Carolina to visit her then fiancé. Mindy's love for writing followed shortly after. She and her husband have now been married for six years and live in Summerville, South Carolina.
Interview
Sanchit Bhandari
Me After You is a book that isn’t necessarily what you think it’s about. It’s a story that is very close to my heart and very few people know how much of myself I put into this book. For me it’s more than just another story. It’s apart of me.
I’d been toying with some titles when Me After You came to me. It’s perfect because it could be interpreted in 3 different ways. Though I do eventually give away who the “you” is in the title, people realize it’s not who you think it is.
I’m a total panster…haha. I’ve tried plotting out my stories and creating outlines, but the moment I try writing it out after that I feel trapped and the story stops. It totally stunts the book. I don’t write in order either and I typically have to figure out the ending before I can write the beginning. So, I write whatever scenes come to me. And I like it best that way. It’s always exciting to sit down and watch the story evolve while I write!
English was always my favorite subject in school, but I really didn’t love reading until about seven years ago. Mainly because I didn’t know what was out there. All I knew were the books that my teachers in school were forcing me to read. Once I discovered more in the world of literature I couldn’t stop reading. I seriously read at least 3 books a week. Then one day I just decided I wanted to write a book and it all fell into place from there.
Give me something with romance in it and I’m set. It could be sci-fi, fantasy, historical, mystery, etc… But it has to have a good love story in it, or be written incredibly well if it doesn’t have romance in it, to keep my interest.I love Melina Marchetta, Gayle Forman and Colleen Hoover. I’ll read anything they put out.
There are a lot of layers to Sawyer. I’ve got two Sawyers in my head—the one in the flashbacks and the present day Sawyer. When Sawyer is younger she has a certain light about her and tries to see the good in everyone. When I think of Flashback Sawyer I think of her tender heart and eagerness to experience life. The present day Sawyer has more life experience under her belt and is a bit jaded.She’s been dealt a lot within the matter of about five years. She still loves just as fiercely, but she’s not as willing to let people in.
Sawyer is stubborn like Calliope, but Sawyer isn’t quite as strong-willed. Sawyer feels broken and doesn’t know how to get back to the person she used to be. She’s full of flaws. While Calliope isn’t perfect, she has more determination to be stronger and find out who she is. Sawyer has to work harder to overcome her faults.
Sawyer is stubborn like Calliope, but Sawyer isn’t quite as strong-willed. Sawyer feels broken and doesn’t know how to get back to the person she used to be. She’s full of flaws. While Calliope isn’t perfect, she has more determination to be stronger and find out who she is. Sawyer has to work harder to overcome her faults.
I didn’t really pull music into Me After You, but I definitely see music being a source of strength that bothSawyer and Dean would have turned to for comfort and solace. I know what kind of bands they would listen to and what their favorite songs would be. Music is food for the soul. I firmly believe that.
I put a little bit of myself in every character I write, but I put more of myself in Sawyer than any other character that I’ve ever written. She was my source of strength this last year. It was a bit of a rough year, so whenever I needed an outlet I turned to Me After You. It was quite cathartic. And of course, there are tiny bits of others in my life in the other characters I write. Write what you know.
There is one in particular that stands out, but if I tell you exactly what’s happening in the scene it’ll give away part of the plot! It’s not completely true to real life, but close. I will say it’s the flashback scene with Sawyer and Alix in the bathroom.
I’ve got a group of writers. There’s five of us: Sarah Ashley Jones, Michele G. Miller, Starla Huchton and Christy Lynn Foster. We have a group chat that we use all day long, every day. These ladies inspire me every day. When I feel like a failure or when I don’t feel like writing, they kick my butt in gear and give me the courage to keeping going. They are all amazing writers and inspire me to be the best writer I can be.
Absolutely. I want my books to be relatable and believable. The books I can relate to are the kinds of books that stay with me. I want people to be able to read my books and take something from them. Even the fantasy I write, I want people to feel as if it’s something that could actually happen in real life.
I do a couple different things. The first is to read. Sometimes I have to read a couple different books, but I find I can always find inspiration through other characters. The second would be music. I’ve got a playlist for every book that I write. So, I’ll put my headphones in and turn up the volume. For some reason loud music cuts out the rest of the world and I can focus on my story. (I can’twrite without music either.)
Be a better reader and read outside of what you write. This definitely helped me. The more you read the more you’ll learn and the better the writer you’ll be. And write what you would want to read. Write for yourself. If you love it there’s a bigger chance someone else will love it too.
I don’t know a writer than doesn’t read. Without readers there would be no writers. Reading a lot helps writers find their own personal writing style. When I read I find what I like and don’t like. I’ve discovered the kind of writer I want to be.
Right now I’m juggling two projects. Luminary, the third book in my Faylinn series and a companion novel to Me After You about two other characters (Alix and Aiden) in the story. But I’m mainly focusing on the third book in my Faylinn series. People are waiting on that one!
Me After You
Series: Willowhaven #1
Release date: November 18th 2013
Widowed at twenty-five, Sawyer Hartwell has no choice but to return to her hometown. Broke and alone, the intention was to heal and find herself again, but how can she heal in a place filled with so much sorrow and memories she yearns to forget?
Dean Preston has regretted leaving Willowhaven since the day he rode off on his motorcycle six years ago, destroying the only love he had ever known. Returning too late, he's found small comfort in a new life with Lily, but with Sawyer back he's not sure of anything anymore.
The time has come for Sawyer and Dean to face the past, to learn from their mistakes. The road to healing is paved with old wounds, each one threatening to tear them down completely. Carrying their own scars close to their hearts, they must both confront what's gone before or lose their second chance.
The measure of who we are is what we survive. Who we become is up to us.
Release date: November 18th 2013
Widowed at twenty-five, Sawyer Hartwell has no choice but to return to her hometown. Broke and alone, the intention was to heal and find herself again, but how can she heal in a place filled with so much sorrow and memories she yearns to forget?
Dean Preston has regretted leaving Willowhaven since the day he rode off on his motorcycle six years ago, destroying the only love he had ever known. Returning too late, he's found small comfort in a new life with Lily, but with Sawyer back he's not sure of anything anymore.
The time has come for Sawyer and Dean to face the past, to learn from their mistakes. The road to healing is paved with old wounds, each one threatening to tear them down completely. Carrying their own scars close to their hearts, they must both confront what's gone before or lose their second chance.
The measure of who we are is what we survive. Who we become is up to us.
Nice interview. Thanks for participating!
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