Today we’re wrapping up the Spring Author Interview Series with Cynthia Austin, author of Tainted Luck.
Tell us about your book.
Tainted Luck is a short, young adult horror novel. It covers modern day high school drama, and even includes a possible student-teacher relationship.
When did you realize that you were a writer?
Every aptitude test I ever took suggested I become writer. While it was always a hobby, I didn’t become serious about it until 2014.
Do you have any books coming out this year?
I hope to be done with the fourth installment of my New Adult Paranormal Romance Series by the end of this month. It will then be sent off to my editor and eventually queried to my publisher. This process can take anywhere from 4-6 months, so yes, I do hope to have another book published before this year ends.
If readers are looking to connect with you, what’s the best way to do it?
Twitter. I make it a point to interact with all of my readers at least one a day via Twitter. You can find me at @Cynamarie
What are you working on right now?
The fourth installment of The Pendant Series. Adrian has returned for Sidney, but unbeknown to him, he brought some friends. While he may be looking for redemption, I can’t say his companions share the same desire. Just like the last three, this book is filled with plot twists, vengeance and all out horror.
Tell us about submitting your book. What was that like for you?
I keep a word document of each publisher I submitted to and what the end result was. So 
far, I have had five books published with three different publishers. Each time, I have probably received at least 35 rejections. It’s not an easy process for your ego, but if you keep at it, eventually you will find someone who is just as excited about your manuscript as you are. That is what you want.
far, I have had five books published with three different publishers. Each time, I have probably received at least 35 rejections. It’s not an easy process for your ego, but if you keep at it, eventually you will find someone who is just as excited about your manuscript as you are. That is what you want. What author would you say inspires you the most?
There are so many to choose from. I guess I would say Kelly Favor. She writes romance/erotica but she only sells about 50 pages at a time. Sure she has some readers a little angry when the story abruptly ends and you have to pay $2.99 for the next 50 pages, but her stories are so good that she hooks you. She can literally make you buy like 4 of her books in the course of one day. It’s a pretty brilliant marketing plan but only writers skilled enough to leave you clinging to edge of your seat can pull it off.
Who is your current favorite author?
Christopher Pike was my hero as a teenager so I would have to give the credit to him.
What was your first favorite book as a child?
The Little House by Virginia Lee Burton. I still love it to this day and anytime I see a tiny, dilapidated house sitting in the middle of a big city, I think back to that book.
What advice would you give yourself if you could go back to when you first started writing?
Get rid of the first 3 chapters in Between Dreams and open the book to when Sidney catches Ray cheating. All books should open to drama. The reader isn’t going to wait for something good to happen.
What would you consider the best thing you’ve ever done for your writing career.
I’ve been working as the marketing manager for Foster Embry Publishers for the past year. This is a job I never would have gotten if I didn’t write, and this is also a job where I can make a lot of contacts that would benefit my writing. It’s such a great opportunity to have.
What would you consider the most fulfilling moment you’ve experienced as a writer?
When a reader emailed me simply to discuss my book. For months, I was stuck inside of my head with these characters and now there is a real life person who is just as interested in these characters lives as I was. It was very satisfying.
What book would you suggest to anyone who wants to write?
Dawn Husted has a great booked titled, A Wordy Woman’s Guide for Writing a Book. I’m not sure why she singles it out for women when really it’s a book that could assist both male and female writers. The book discusses character development, plot outline, climax and conclusion. It’s a great roadmap for any writer.
Paper Beats World 
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