Interview with Rachael O'Bryan

Happy Saturday and welcome to Storm Goddess Book Reviews! Today, I'm interviewing author Rachael O'Bryan. I hope you'll comment and say hello!

Rachel, welcome to Storm Goddess Book Reviews. So glad to have you here today, and thank you for taking the time to answer my questions.

Tell me about yourself, and your writing.
 I'm 28 years old and live in New York City. I just moved here a year ago and love it. My writing is mostly based on my own experiences and I find it to be a great form of release and expression.

How long have you been writing? How many published books do you have, and what genres?
 I think I've always been writing. As a kid I had dreams of being a writer, but kind of lost sight of that for a while. I used to write poems and stories a lot. I remember when I was in the 6th grade I think I had friends that loved  Jonathan Taylor Thomas and Brad Renfo and I used to write short stories about them. I like non--fiction (memoirs, personal essays), but I have few more fiction/chick lit ideas in mind.

Do you write in multiple genres or just one? If just one, do you ever consider straying outside your genre?
I guess I write more non-fiction personal essays or memoir style writing. Unlocked is based on a lot of my life, but I made it fiction by adding some stuff and embellishing others. I would like to write more of a mix of fiction and non-fiction, but I don't think I could ever branch out to parts of fiction like science fiction.

Are you a plotter or do you write from the seat of your pants?
 I do both. Sometimes I have a list of exactly what I want to include in a story, while other times I just kind of sit at my computer or with a notebook and write what comes to mind.

What is a typical writing day like for you?
Well I don't write full time, so I've never had a day devoted solely to writing. Right now I spend my days at work and then try to get in a few hours of my personal work at home - whether it be working on my next book or working on my online magazine.

Who do you love to read? Favorite authors, favorite books?
One of my favorite authors is Jhumpa Lahiri. One of my favorite books is The Autobiography of Malcolm X. I also love Woman at Point Zero - I read it in college and just picked it up the other day to read again.

What is something you'd like to accomplish in your writing career next year?
I'm launching my online women's magazine on June 1st. I'd also like to complete a second book.

If you could have one paranormal ability, what would it be? I used to think that I would like to be able to see the future, but I'm not so sure I would really want that ability. Sometimes you can know too much.

If you could keep a mythical/ paranormal creature as a pet, what would you have? I'm not really a pet person. I don't have a mythical/paranormal creature in mind, but I used to joke with my friend that I wanted a pet dolphin. Dolphins are my favorite animal.

Tell us a little about your latest release.
 Well Unlocked was released in Nov. 2010 and I haven't published or self-published another book since then. Right now I'm mostly working on creating my online women's magazine. It launches June 1st and you can subscribe then at rachaelmagazine.com

What is something that you absolutely can't live without? (Other than family members)
Wow, this is a hard question to answer. I mean there is of course the basics food & water and then of course friends, but outside of the obvious answers I might have to go with my passport. I love traveling to different countries and embracing other cultures.

Could you ever co author a book with someone? If so, who would you choose, and what would you write?
I'm not sure, that would be hard. I'm pretty independent and usually like to go with my own vision, but I think there are a couple instances where it might work. I'm interested in sports writing too and if an athlete I admired or felt had a great story to share needed someone to co author their story I would probably be open to that.

If you could spend a day with anyone from history, dead or alive, who would it be, and what would you do? What would you ask them?
Malcolm X. I just want to know more about his life, his vision, and how it changed over time. When I read The Autobiography of Malcolm X and got to the part where he is killed - I mean obviously I knew that was coming - but I was still really sad. It was unfortunate that he died so young.

What are some of your other hobbies outside of writing?
Traveling, Reading, Running

If you were on the staff to have a book adapted to movie, what would you pick? Well I haven't head it yet, but when I was looking for books to read I stumbled upon 31 Dates in 31 Days would probably make a great chick flick

What is a talent you wish you had, but don't?
I wish I could sing.

Favorite color?
Growing up my favorite color was purple.

Weather: Hot or cold?
I like spring - I'm not a fan of being too hot especially with humidity. But I definitely do not like walking around in the cold.

Favorite place to read?
 I don't really have a favorite place - I read on the subway and at the gym a lot.

Favorite meal
Fish Tacos at Cafe Habana in New York or just brunch in general

Favorite non-alcoholic drink.
When it's cold - hot chocolate
When it's hot - strawberry lemonade

If you could travel anywhere and do anything, no limits or money holding you back, where would you go?
I would take a trip around the world stopping at several different places including UK, France, Spain, Morocco, Kenya, South Africa, China, Japan, Thailand, Australia, Chile, Argentina, and Brazil.



Author Bio:

 Rachael O'Bryan grew up in Louisville, Kentucky. She attended college at Temple University. After college she pursued her law degree, starting off at Tulane University and then graduating at American University. Rachael is a lawyer, but pursues writing in her free time. Besides writing Unlocked, she keeps a blog at http://rachaelsnewyork.blogspot.com. Also, on June 1st she launched her own business - an online women's magazine. The magazine is operated under Rachael Magazine LLC. The self-titled magazine is geared towards professional women in their 20s and 30s that want it all. You can subscribe at http://rachaelmagazine.com. When Rachael isn't working, writing, or running her own business she enjoys reading, traveling, watching The New York Mets. and following the University of Louisville basketball team. She currently resides in New York City.

This is a novel in stories about the impact people can have on a person's life. It discusses the main character Rebecca's relationships with some the athletes she met while working as a tutor in college. It's a book that deals with learning from one's mistakes and trying to move on. It touches on love, friendship, heartache, acceptance, and self-confidence, among other issues. The stories in this book are based on some of my own experiences and I hope that people will find them relatable.


Buy the Book!
 http://www.lulu.com/shop/rachael-obryan/unlocked/paperback/product-13586269.html
http://www.lulu.com/shop/rachael-obryan/unlocked/ebook/product-15916883.html (ePub)
http://www.lulu.com/shop/rachael-obryan/unlocked/ebook/product-17376606.html (pdf)
http://www.amazon.com/Unlocked-Rachael-OBryan/dp/0557839092/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1338979337&sr=8-1
http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/unlocked-rachael-obryan/1105699443?ean=9781257326341 (Nook)

Connect with Rachael!
Blog:
http://rachaelsnewyork.blogspot.com/
Magazine:
http://rachaelmagazine.com/