Featured Interview With Cyndie Shaffstall
Tell us a little about yourself. Where were you raised? Where do you live now?
I was raised on a cattle ranch in northwestern Arizona as the middle child. I have always been a natural introvert, so even then, books were my best friends. I always wanted to be a writer, so living remote, I was able to foster that pursuit. Though I grew up in AZ, I was born in Colorado and came back here in 1990. I cannot imagine leaving. I now live in central Denver with two boxers, Felix and Oscar, and think I have led a charmed life.
At what age did you realize your fascination with books? When did you start writing?
I am a voracious reader and have been since very young. I read as much as a book a day. I was also very young when I first started writing and won a state-wide poetry contest when I was 11 or 12. I think winning that contest gave me the push I needed to consider writing as a serious pastime.
Who are your favorite authors to read? What is your favorite genre to read. Who Inspires you in your writings?
I cannot say I have a favorite author, my interests are too varied to narrow it down–the same can be said about genre. It depends upon the day. Some days I’m in need of a good mystery, and other days I need to read about the latest coding trends for websites. I am inspired by every author, and always look to their style for ideas to incorporate into my own.
Tell us a little about your latest book?
I am currently working on Willows, which is book three of a series. It’s about the Creole and free people of color in Louisiana around 1790 to 1880, or so. I’m enjoying it immensely because I am learning about the area and how New Orleans, specifically, dealt with racial issues differently than the rest of the country. I’m hoping my book will be unique and something everyone will enjoy reading—no matter their race.
I typically spend a month or two writing my books, but Willows is taking longer because there is so much more research involved. I want it to be accurate–to transport the reader to the era, so they, too, learn what it was like. The timeframe was a busy one for the New World and the south in particular. There was the abolishment of slavery, women’s suffrage, and the world’s fair, to name a few important events, making the book much longer than my others (I suspect).
All of my novels, so far, have been written in a narrative style. I want the reader to be able to imagine themselves as the person experiencing the settings.
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