YA author Cyndi Brec chats with me today about her upcoming romantic fantasy, The Secrets Beneath Scars.
Bio:
Cyndi Brec is a debut author of The Secrets Beneath Scars, book one of the Marked for Life series. Also, author of Scarred Secrets and Scarred Lies—short stories. She’s a young adult fantasy romance author.
An Ohio native, Cyndi lives with her best friend, her husband, her two crazy-fun-loving kids, and her embarrassingly energetic dogs, who find unending trouble.
Her experience as a Recreational Therapy Technician for the Geriatric psych and mentally challenged, love for travel, and creative story building has given her many facets to draw from when world-building.
Cyndi never thought of herself as an author, more of a storyteller. Her love of history was part of the driving force in writing the series, but more so, mythological stories that stretched across civilizations and time. The secrets hidden within those mythical tales cultivated an unending list of questions and inspired her to write.
Welcome, Cyndi. Please tell us about your current release.
The Secrets Beneath Scars is about a teen’s self-discovery—but not a typical teen. The story of an orphan girl who hunts for answers to the origins of her powers but stumbles onto a sinister plot in a world soaked in archaeological mystery.
The Secrets Beneath Scars isn’t released yet. My agent Jonas Saul from Imagine Media Group Literary Management is pitching the book to publishers.
What inspired you to write this book?
I’m an avid reader and have a passion for history, legends, and myths—the secrets that time has erased. So, when you mix my love of reading, exploring archaeological/historical information, and traveling to other countries, world building thoughts began to take shape in my mind. But it wasn’t until after I explored these ideas that Images and various scenes of Callie, my main character, stalked my thoughts, and revealed a crisp clear motivation.
What exciting project are you working on next?
I am working on finishing the last book in the Marked for Life series. Next on my list is to flush out some general ideas I have on a fantasy stand-alone novel.
When did you first consider yourself a writer?
That’s the funny thing, I’ve never really thought of myself as a writer, more of a storyteller. And yet, I still struggle with the idea that I’m a storyteller because of my challenges with dyslexia and comprehension—but this has kept me grounded. I live with the attitude: my glass is half full and never empty. Anyway, with the encouragement of my husband, I joined a writing group, and they took my writing seriously. It made me rethink things. Needless to say, that support made a big impression on me, and the support of my wonderful agent only confirmed that I crafted a great storyline.
Do you write full-time? If so, what’s your workday like? If not, what do you do other than write and how do you find time to write?
No, I do not write full-time. But I do structure my days to block out writing time Monday through Friday, and I’m rather serious about it. However, if my family needs me for anything, they come first. I’m not a fast writer because I do a lot of research on legends and myths. When I’m writing, I visualize story scenes as they unfold and write them in layers, so it requires a quiet room with no distractions. If I’m not writing, you’ll find me editing, reading, worldbuilding, working on an upcoming project, and researching.
What would you say is your interesting writing quirk?
I have several writing quirks. For instance, I’ve got to have a beverage at my desk when I write. Another quirk is how my story ideas mentally evolve. I get my best ideas after I fall asleep at night. When other people find rest, my mind works in overdrive as Images come alive in my head. I keep a notepad at my bedside and will write out the images that stalk my thoughts—sometimes, I’ll even race to my office. The weird thing is that I don’t see structure or plot points like other authors do. I’ll see my story ideas building in a rather 3D way, with the highs and lows of the three-act story structure. I think my dyslexia has played a big role in helping me mind map, the pieces of my story world connect as I lay out my scenes, and then they build into a bigger picture. I’m not an author that plots out the story—I’m a pantser by heart.
As a child, what did you want to be when you grew up?
My strength has always been in the service of others, so naturally, the occupation as a Recreational Therapist worked for me. However, I’ve always had a burning desire to write. I’m passionate about history, mythology, and legends and crafting a richer story from those tales. And that’s what I did in the Marked for Life series.
Anything additional you want to share with the readers?
The best stories to read are those with flawed characters.
The best characters written in a story have flaws. That character flaw is a way for the writer to add depth to the story plot and character growth. The basis of that flaw is the driving force behind well-developed stories. The more the protagonist struggles, fails, and learns from their mistakes, the richer the story. Those flaws help develop the internal and external conflicts of the story world, affecting the characters’ decisions and opening Pandora’s box to other possibilities.
I’m a flawed writer, and I love it! Dyslexia isn’t the curse I once thought it was … yeah, I’ve got a learning curve. But the challenge is worth it. I’ve learned that the more I write, fail in developing a scene, make mistakes, and accept my dyslexia for what it’s worth, I’m blessed.