I couldn’t help reblogging this entertaining and interesting interview (more of a conversation between three authors we get to sit it on) between host author Joy E. Rancatore, R. J. Rodda, and Audrey Driscoll. 

To enjoy the interview in its entirety, head to Joy’s website by clicking this link:

http://www.joyerancatore.com/2018/11/15/the-crux-crew-mini-interview/

Following is a snippet, but don’t miss out on the rest. These ladies are smart, and their conversation is one we can all enjoy. 

~ Rachael Ritchey

The Crux Crew Mini-Interview

Is it tea time where you are? Are you sipping your morning coffee? Even if it’s neither, I invite you to pour yourself a cuppa and join me, Joy E. Rancatore, (JER) and authors R J Rodda (RJR) and Audrey Driscoll (AD) as we have a little chat about writing, stories and the release of The Crux Anthology. We are proud to be part of The Crux Crew—16 international authors who contributed to this collection of Adventure SciFi & Fantasy short stories, edited by the fabulous Rachael Ritchey.

We hope you enjoy our little chat. Please check out all the links below to connect with each of us and to order a copy of this incredible collection today! All profits go to Compassion International!

Let’s dive right in with the most important question …

Coffee or Tea?

AD:  Tea, please. Writers run on coffee, but I’ve had too much lately!

JER: I hear you! Once, while on a tight deadline, I consumed 30 cups of coffee in three days—true story. I enjoy strong, black coffee each morning, but there’s nothing better than a good cup of tea in the afternoon.

RJR: Although I do like my green tea in the morning, the rest of the day is coffee. Love it.

Now that we’ve got that settled, I want to know more about you ladies. None of us have met in person, of course. In fact, we come from three different countries!

Tell us who you are, where you’re from and what led you to your writing path in the first place.

AD:  I’m Audrey Driscoll, from Victoria, British Columbia. Former cataloguing librarian, now a writer and self-publisher. I resisted writing for years, thinking it was an all or nothing deal. Finally, in 2000 I couldn’t hold out any longer and started writing my first novel. Since then I’ve written several others and published five of them.

RJR: I grew up in a country town in South Australia and was the oldest child. I loved to entertain my younger siblings with never-ending stories of princes and quests on horseback. My sister even took me to task at my wedding for never finishing one epic adventure story. I also had my Nanna as an example. Despite only having a grade seven education, she loved writing poetry and drama and stories. She self-published a number of books. Her aim was to always cover costs and so she would door-knock to sell them. That kind of bravery, to believe in your work enough to ask total strangers in person to buy it, I still find astounding. She always sold enough to fund her next book.

JER: She sounds like an absolute delight! I always love to hear how influential writers’ families are to their pursuit of writing. My grandparents, parents and siblings influenced and fueled my love of literature. I chose a career in journalism and then PR, and now I’m doing exactly what God created me to do—write stories. I am an aspiring Indie author with plans to publish my debut literary fiction novel in 2019. While I don’t have any one hometown since we moved a good deal, I am from the United States and currently reside near New Orleans. If I were to call anywhere home, it would be the mountains of NC. I spent one summer in Asheville and have been in love ever since. I realize it sounds crazy, but I swear the mountains call to me sometimes.

If we haven’t scared you off yet and you’d like to get to know us better, we’ve got bios as well as links below so you can follow us in your favorite online spots!

For now, let’s share any published works or online tales everyone can read while they’re waiting for The Crux!

RJR: I have a true story “She Stood Up” appearing in the upcoming Three Dummies in a Dinghy and other Stories of Life anthology and a Wattpad account with a variety of both fiction and non-fiction. If you drop by, don’t forget to comment! It’s the interaction around reading that makes Wattpad fun. I also intend to start posting the novel The Vixen Trials which has some of the same characters as “Chosen for the Fox-dance.”

JER: You may just convince me to “officially” get on Wattpad, R J! I have read some of your stories there and love the idea of that community. I have a few fantasy short stories posted on my blog that are set in the extended world of “Ealiverel Awakened.” Subscribers to my blog, Logos & Mythos, will also receive a contemporary short story, “Walking the Parade Route,” as a sign-up thanks. My goal is to publish my first novel—a contemporary Southern literary fiction—in 2019 while I continue working on the fantasy series of which Elspeth’s story will be part!

AD:  Well, my magnum opus (ha, ha!) is The Herbert West Series. It’s available in ebook and print form. And I’ve just published She Who Comes Forth, a paranormal adventure set in Luxor, Egypt, in 1962. It’s a standalone novel, but in a way, it’s a sequel to the HW Series.

Let’s get to the CRUX of the matter now with a few questions about our winning short stories and this incredible anthology! 

What made you decide to submit to Rachael’s Adventure SciFi & Fantasy Short Story Contest?

RJR: I looked at. . .

Curious? Head over to read the full interview at Joy E. Rancatore’s website:

The Crux Crew Mini-Interview

And if you’d like to support these authors and a good cause, here are places to preorder The Crux Anthology

Amazon (ebook & print)

Barnes & Noble (print)

Add The Crux to your Want-to-Read list on Goodreads!