I'm here as part of the Rhew 2 Rhew tour! My husband, Deek Rhew, wrote an amazing thriller called 122 Rules, published by Pandamoon on April 5! In addition, my publisher chose the month of April to feature my trilogy, so Deek and I decided to make a thing of it. And the Rhew 2 Rhew Tour was born! ;) Stay tuned because there's an opportunity for you to enter a Rafflecopter drawing for a chance at a $50 Amazon gift card!
Dave: Who are your influences?
Erin: My family has always been a big source of inspiration for me. I'm from the South, and I have a super huge, quite successful family. Many are entrepreneurs and business owners, so I've learned from them the value of working hard and pursuing your dreams. My grandparents own a car dealership. It was my grandfather's dream to do that, and he worked hard to make it a reality. He's in his eighties, and he still goes to work every day and loves it. My family's influence and support gives me the courage to reach for the stars.
My grandfather and his brothers and sister. They are/were all amazing people, and they are/continue to be a great inspiration to their children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren!
My biggest writing and life influence is my amazing husband, Deek Rhew. He inspires me daily with his shining spirit, easy smile, and clever mind. I tell you, this man is the real deal, real life MacGyver. He can take a bunch of random components and make most anything work with them. I'm in awe of the way his mind works. And his writing is just stellar...top-notch. His wit and prose fuse together to create a truly unique blend of literary and commercial. I've never read an author voice like his (and I work for a publishing company and read manuscripts all the time). His natural talent challenges me to be a better writer, and his bright soul inspires me to be a better person.
See that amazing smile he has?
Dave: When did you begin writing?
Erin: I started writing when I was four years old. While sitting in my grandparent's office one day, I typed up my very first poem about the cars on their lot. My family made such a huge deal about it that I just kept writing. I continued in middle and high school, winning several poetry and prose contests. But after college, I pursued my love of acting and ran a theater company. Though I acted and directed, I still kept my fingers in the writing pie by creating plays for the company to perform. But one day, I decided to return to my first love and began a novel. That novel is STILL in production, and I've gone on to write several others in the meantime. I hope to start querying that first book, which appears to be my magnum opus, soon.
Dress rehearsal for a play in college
Dave: How do you come up with your stories, characters, character names, POV, etc? and Do you work from an outline?
Erin: I don't usually work from an outline. However, when I wrote The Fulfillment Series, I did create a loose outline. See, I don't like "filler" second novels--those books where nothing of significance really happens between books one and three. So, I wanted to be sure I had enough material to avoid the dreaded "filler" second novel. It pleases me to no end when people leave reviews for The Outlanders and mention its strength as a second novel.
I don't really come up with the stories or the characters; they find me. The ideas for all of my novels have just appeared in my mind, and I go with the flow. I imagine I have this little box inside my head, and thousands of people live inside the box. They're all clawing and fighting for their chance to lift the lid, escape, and have their story shared with the world.
Writing The Fulfillment Series taught me to not try and lead my characters. It's like that whole "you can lead a horse to water, but you can't make it drink" thing. If I try to direct them, they'll push back. It's their story. I'm just the messenger.
Dave: Tell me about your favorite scene in your novel.
Erin: My favorite scene is in The Outlanders, and it's commonly referred to as "THE scene." I can't tell you too many details because it will give away spoilers, but I can say it's the most emotionally difficult scene I've written to date. There's one in my magnum opus that's close, but this scene really rips out the heart strings. After I wrote it, I was in a funk for a while. The character's intense emotions really left a mark on me as the transcriber.
When you read The Outlanders and come to "THE scene," I highly recommend listening to "My Immortal" by Evanescence as you read it.
Dave: Can you tell us a little about your writing philosophy?
Erin: I typically create by writing out the whole story first. I don't think about grammar or sentence structure or anything. I simply pour the story onto the pages, which is usually easy if I'm listening to my characters (harder if I try to interfere and tell them what they're supposed to be doing). And then comes the hard part: editing. I edit, edit, edit, and edit some more. This part usually takes double the amount of time the creation part does. And if you intend to get it published, you really need to spend the time in the editing phase. Next, have beta readers and critique partners review it. Edit some more. And THEN you can consider querying. ;)
Who knows, you may even marry your critique partner. I did!
Dave: Have you ever tried writing in any other genres?
Erin: Oh yes. The Fulfillment Series is a young adult fantasy, and while I have another young adult fantasy in the works, I also have an adult historical fiction, a middle grade coming-of-age, and a women's fiction story waiting in the wings.
Dave: Do you have any interesting writing-related anecdotes to share?
Erin: Well, I guess the fact that writing led me to my husband is an interesting anecdote. WUT? Yep! Deek and I met on Twitter because we both asked to join a critique partner group. He asked for a real "grammar nerd" to take a look at his piece, and as the resident grammar nerd, I got assigned his story. We started a conversation in the margins of his manuscript and haven't stopped talking since. Even if I never make it big in the writing world, I'll alway consider my writing endeavors to be of the utmost success because they led me to the man of my dreams--my soulmate, Deek!
Thank you SO much for having me on your blog, Dave! Readers, are you ready to learn a bit about me, Deek, and our books, as well as enter for a chance to win a $50 Amazon gift card?
For those that don't know, Erin is a young adult fantasy author who is married to adult thriller author, Deek Rhew. Together, they are "the Rhews," and their street team is the Rhewination!
Deek and Erin-- Join the Rhewination! ;)
The Prophecy (Fulfillment Series Book 1)
Title: The Prophecy
Author: Erin Rhew
Publisher: BookFish Books
Cover Design: Anita at Race-Point
Available Now! Amazon Buy Link
Synopsis:
Growing up on a small farm in the kingdom of Vanguard, seventeen-year-old Layla Givens lives a deceptively tranquil existence. But her carefully constructed life quickly falls apart when she's abducted by a religious zealot who proclaims her The Fulfillment of an ancient peace prophecy and whisks her away to marry her greatest enemy.
Wilhelm, Prince of the Ethereals, is reluctant to meet his new bride. He's grown up believing Vanguards are evil, an enemy to fight and fear...not love. Can he set aside his prejudices and work alongside Layla to bring lasting peace after centuries of war?
Nash, a loner who has never fit in, carries a huge secret, one big enough to destroy both kingdoms. When he accidently meets Layla, he's no longer content to live in the shadows, but he must resist his growing attraction--for her safety and for the longevity of the two kingdoms.
When Nash's secret is revealed, a firestorm sweeps through both realms, with Layla at the center. Now she must choose between duty and desire while the fate of two nations hangs in the balance.
Wilhelm, Prince of the Ethereals, is reluctant to meet his new bride. He's grown up believing Vanguards are evil, an enemy to fight and fear...not love. Can he set aside his prejudices and work alongside Layla to bring lasting peace after centuries of war?
Nash, a loner who has never fit in, carries a huge secret, one big enough to destroy both kingdoms. When he accidently meets Layla, he's no longer content to live in the shadows, but he must resist his growing attraction--for her safety and for the longevity of the two kingdoms.
When Nash's secret is revealed, a firestorm sweeps through both realms, with Layla at the center. Now she must choose between duty and desire while the fate of two nations hangs in the balance.
The Outlanders (Fulfillment Series Book 2)
Title: The Outlanders
Author: Erin Rhew
Publisher: BookFish Books
Cover Design: Anita at Race-Point
Available Now! Amazon Buy Link
The Fulfillment (Fulfillment Series Book 3)
Title: The Fulfillment
Author: Erin Rhew
Publisher: BookFish Books
Cover Design: Anita at Race-Point
Available Now! Amazon Buy Link
About Erin Rhew
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| Erin Rhew |
Erin Rhew is an editor, a running coach, and the author of The Fulfillment Series. Since she picked up Morris the Moose Goes to School at age four, she has been infatuated with the written
word. She went on to work as a grammar and writing tutor in college and is still teased by her family and friends for being a member of the "Grammar Police."
A Southern girl by blood and birth, Erin now lives in a rainy pocket of the Pacific Northwest with the amazingly talented (and totally handsome) writer Deek Rhew and their “overly fluffy,” patient-as-a-saint writing assistant, a tabby cat named Trinity. She and Deek enjoy reading aloud to one another, running, lifting, boxing, eating chocolate, and writing side-by- side.
Connect with Erin Online!
For the latest and greatest, visit her web page:
About Deek Rhew
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| Deek Rhew |
He and Erin love to share books by reading aloud to one another. In addition, they enjoy spending time with friends, running, boxing, lifting weights, and exploring the little town--with antique shops and bakeries--they call home.
Connect with Deek Online!
For the latest and greatest, visit his web page:
Find Deek's Novels Online!
Random Fun With Deek and Erin
Always laughing together
Celebrating their anniversary in style! ;)
Enjoying every moment!
Their cat and literary assistant, Trinity--leader of Rhewination!
Sharing every secret and every facet of life with each other!
Rafflecopter Giveaway
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Thank you so much for hosting me! I had such fun with the interview!
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