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~~Author and Publisher~~Gayle Hayes
~~Author of: "The Sunset Witness"
Drama/Contemporary fiction/Suspense
What inspires you to write?
The inspiration has been different for each novel that I have written. 'The Sunset Witness' was inspired in part by a small seaside town that I discovered on our trip in our RV. I remarked to my husband that I thought it would be a perfect place for a protected witness to disappear. As I wrote the novel, I experienced inspiration that was new to me. As I was describing Rachel's beach house, I had the idea to include something offbeat. It became a major focus of the story. The novel that followed was 'The Scrimshaw Set.' I wanted to write a 'what if' someone left an inheritance that depended upon spending time with friends of the deceased? In the process of researching the story, I had the idea to use Scrimshaw as part of the inheritance.
Who is your favorite author?
My favorite author is anyone who can keep me reading, instead of fidgeting, or thinking about something else that I should be doing. Sue Grafton does this consistently. I am anxious to get back to the story. That doesn't happen too often.
I think a book cover should catch your eye, but I never choose a book, based upon its cover. My covers reflect something about the content. 'The Scrimshaw Set' has a balsam-root on the cover, because Billy's Balsamroot Cafe is the scene of several encounters in the novel. I was able to photograph a balsam-root one evening on my bike, and didn't have to worry about permissions from other photographers. 'The Sunset Witness' features a rocky coast at sunset that I took last Fall. The arched rocks in 'The Sunset Witness' help define the setting. I spend a fair amount of time choosing the right photo and tweaking it for color, etc., and selecting the right kind of graphics. Paying for a book cover is not in my budget right now.
Did you enjoy reading as a child?
I don't recall that there was much emphasis on reading outside of school as a child. Reading was a task that was connected to homework for the most part. I never devoured books in the way I hear some describe their passion for reading. Many of the books that were required reading did not appeal to me. Yet, for some reason, I have always been fascinated by authors, and have always wanted to be one. English was my best subject, so majoring in English was a given. I would have to say my college years, more than my childhood, were responsible for my interest in what makes a good book as well as my desire to write one. I have always finished whatever book I started, until recently. Perhaps, because I'm older, and feel time is more precious. I give each book a fair chance, some more than fair, and then send them to the archive, or delete them from my kindle.
Do you have current work in progress?
I published the 'Scrimshaw Set' at Amazon, after 'The Sunset Witness.' It was not my intention to do a sequel to either book. However, two of my Scrimshaw readers appealed to me to write a sequel. I was surprised at how easy and enjoyable it was for me to pick up where I left off, and now I'm on chapter fifteen of 'The Scrimshaw Set:Book 2.' Although I enjoy writing, I would not continue to write stories if no one read them. My readers are important to me, and I'm just hoping these two readers enjoy the second book as much as the first.
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