Newswire
Posted on June 11, 2019 at 8:00 AM by Sadye Scott-Hainchek
Today we’re interviewing Ivy Smoak, the Amazon bestselling author of The Hunted series and several other romance series.
When she's not writing, you can find her binge-watching too many TV shows, taking long walks, playing outside, and generally refusing to act like an adult.
She lives with her husband in Delaware.
SADYE: Tell us something about your writing process that’s unusual or that you haven’t revealed before.
IVY: Something unusual? Geez, everything I do is weird. True story.
But for the stories I write? The most unusual thing I do is that I don’t plot anything out at all.
I like to let the characters guide me. It’s their story I’m ultimately telling. Not mine.
SADYE: Which of your characters would you most and least like to trade places with?
IVY: Every character I write is a piece of me. But there are a lot of pieces of my past that I’d rather relive than others.
So I would most like to trade places with Penny from The Hunted series. She falls in love young and fast. Even though there’s a lot of ups and downs in The Hunted series, her story is happy.
And who doesn’t want to relive their college years? Especially if it involves dating a handsome professor.
I’d least like to trade places with Daphne from Third Chances — losing someone close to you is hard.
Reliving those memories is a lot more heartbreaking than reliving falling in love. And I cried writing that story more than any other.
Luckily the hero in that novel is also my funniest, or else I’m not sure how I would have finished it.
SADYE: What has been the most touching or memorable piece of reader feedback you’ve received?
IVY: All of it. I read each and every review I’ve ever received. The good, the bad, and the in between has all helped me grow.
Did I used to cry every time I received a one-star review? Of course. I’m only human. And I’ve learned from those reviews just as much as I’ve learned from the positive ones.
But those readers who love my books? I love those readers back. And I’m eternally grateful for their support.
I wouldn’t be writing today without them.
SADYE: What message or theme would you like readers to take away from your work?
IVY: I think a lot of people think about romance and just think, "oh, that’s a silly happily-ever-after super-predictable storyline."
But it’s so much more than that to me. I want people to take away the heart I put into each and every word and novel.
I want them to feel the tears I cried. I want them to know that they’re not alone.
SADYE: What experience in your past or general aspect of your life has most affected your writing?
IVY: I’ve always been extremely shy. The first day of school when the teachers called attendance was always the worst day ever. Because I had to raise my hand and say, “Here.”
Yup, embarrassingly shy. If I could help it, I’d never talk in class again after the first day.
But ultimately I think that’s helped me in my writing. I’ve done so much people watching that I feel like I’ve lived more lives than my own.
Besides, I can’t look back and be upset about who I once was. If I hadn’t been that way, it’s possible I wouldn’t be a writer now. And I wouldn’t change a thing about my current life.
* * *
Learn more about Ivy Smoak on her website, where her books can also be purchased; like her on Facebook and follow her on Twitter and Instagram.
Know an author you'd like to see featured? Email us with a recommendation!
Categories: Author Interview