Haley Cavanagh Author Bio:
Haley Cavanagh is a military veteran, wife, and mother. She was awarded the League of Utah Writers 2020 Silver Quill Award for Retaliation, the second novel in her Oceanstone Initiative series. Haley is an alumna of Columbia College, a musical theater nut, and she loves to dive into any book that crosses her path. Haley resides with her family in the United States and enjoys spending time with her husband and children when she’s not writing. She loves to hear from her readers and encourages you to contact her via her website and social media.
What inspires you to write?
Human connection and people. There are so many wonderful aspects to a person, and so many different people in the world. I have always been interested in how people connect – friendships, family, relationships. They're the lynchpin of what makes our world great. I love to hear inspirational stories and to create stories of people who find themselves and connect with others in extraordinary circumstances. The possibilities for plot and potential are endless.
Tell us about your writing process.
I am an outliner. I like to have a concrete idea of a beginning, a middle, and an end, and I have to map it all out before I begin. Before I start writing, I have to "know" my characters as if they were concrete human beings sitting beside me at the kitchen table over a cup of cocoa. If you can't "see" the characters you write, neither can your readers. But if they're living, breathing, fleshed-out souls, your readers will feel that.
For Fiction Writers: Do you listen (or talk to) to your characters?
I listen to what they have to say. I plan and plot before I even begin to write, but I have learned that sometimes the characters will start taking a scene or conversation in a direction I hadn't initially planned. So I listen to what they want, and when that happens, the story sparks to life.
Who are your favorite authors?
Stephen King, J.K. Rowling, Suzanne Collins, Maya Angelou, Alexandre Dumas, William Shakespeare. I love books that can suck you into the world and hold you captive to the point where your surroundings just fall away, and all that's left is the story.
What genres do you write?
YA sci-fi/fantasy, self-help, adulting
How did you choose the genre(s) you write?
I was a sci-fi nerd from the word go. My uncle sat me down one day while he was babysitting me to watch all his VHS tapes of Star Trek (the old school, Shatner, think-Tribbles episodes). Every. Single. One. After that, I was a goner and pretty much have been since. I also write self-help for young adults.
What three things are on your writing desk at any given moment?
A post-it note pad and pen, my laptop, water. There is always a dog below my desk, warming my feet.
What hobbies do you have when you need a break from writing?
My family and I really enjoy going to live theater – concerts, the symphony, the opera. There's an amazing energy to live performances you just can't get anywhere else. We also enjoy fun family outings – hiking, traveling, and visiting the zoo and other places.
What formats are your books in?
eBook, Print, Audiobook
Website(s)
Home Page Link
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Author’s Social Media Links
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All information is provided by the author and is presented as it was submitted so you the reader get to hear the author’s own “voice” in their interview.
