Author Interview – Joyce Reynolds-Ward

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Joyce Reynolds-Ward is a science fiction, fantasy, western-themed author, and we had the pleasure of having this author interview – Joyce Reynolds-Ward for our blog. Check out this fantastic author and follow them for more amazing stories.

Joyce Reynolds-Ward has been called “the best writer I’ve never heard of” by one reviewer. Her work includes themes of high-stakes family and political conflict, digital sentience, personal agency and control, realistic strong women, and (whenever possible) horses, frequently in Pacific Northwest settings. She enjoys mixing science fiction and fantasy with Western themes and stories, as well as romance.

She is the author of The Netwalk Sequence series, the Goddess’s Honor series, The Martiniere Legacy series, The People of the Martiniere Legacy series, and The Martiniere Multiverse series as well as standalones Beating the Apocalypse, Klone’s Stronghold, and Alien Savvy.

Joyce is a Self-Published Fantasy Blog Off Semifinalist, a Writers of the Future SemiFinalist, and an Anthology Builder Finalist. She is the Secretary of the Northwest Independent Writers Association, a member of the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers Association, and a member of Soroptimists International.

When did you start writing?

Back in grade school. I remember typing some sort of story about Mighty Mouse on yellow paper using my dad’s typewriter. Then I wrote (by hand) a trilogy about the girl version of the Black Stallion…girl raises a palomino mare who wins the Triple Crown. Beyond that, I tried my hand at mystery fiction, wrote some science fiction stories that never got published when I was in high school, and otherwise fiddled around with writing.

What was it like growing up?

I was a smart girl in a logging town during the ’60s and ’70s. Not only that, I was blond with a big chest. However, because I was (check back) said smart girl, and a weird smart girl at that, I was never very popular. I found refuge in books, hanging out with my horse, and being outside.

How was your early life?

Not really something I want to talk about.

What has been the biggest influence in your career?

Landscapes and the stories arising out of them strongly shape my writing. My Netwalk books are influenced by the ten years I spent teaching and skiing on Mt. Hood. My Goddess’s Honor series is shaped by the Columbia Plateau. The Martiniere books are shaped by spending time in Northeastern Oregon. I am very much a Pacific Northwest writer, even though I write science fiction and fantasy.

Tell us about your newest release.

A Different Life: Now. Always. Forever. is set in the Martiniere Multiverse, in a world where my protagonists Gabe and Ruby meet differently from how they met in the main Martiniere Legacy series. Now. Always. Forever. is the story of the romance of Gabe and Ruby’s assistants, Armand Martiniere and Linda Coates, and how they overcome politics and family weirdness to marry.

Which book of yours would you call your favorite child?

It varies. At the moment, it’s a book I’m working on, The Cost of Power, which is yet another story in the Martiniere Multiverse. In this book, I’m taking a closer look at mind control technology and how it impacts those involved. The main Martiniere Legacy series focused heavily on indenture, and subsequent different universes involving the Martinieres are looking not only at different change points in the story of Ruby and Gabe, but different elements within those stories. I plan to tie them all together at some point, and The Cost of Power is one of those books.

What inspired you to write this book?

I wanted to write about some of the issues surrounding mind control technology might be.

What are you usually found doing when you’re not writing?

I’m on horseback, in the woods, quilting, gardening, or reading. Or doing my share of the housework.

What does your writing space look like?

A cozy, cluttered den with everything ranging from horse stuff to craft materials.

If you wrote your autobiography, what would you name it?

The Best Writer You Never Heard Of

How long did it take to write your novel, and what was your process?

It generally takes me around 3-5 months to draft a novel. I write a chapter in Word, then put it in Scrivener. I’ll have both Word and Scrivener open when I write because it’s easier to refer back to previous chapters for continuity in Scrivener than scroll through Word. Plus, I have all of my worldbuilding notes in Scrivener under the Research tab, which is very helpful.

Favorite reads?

Right now, Beverly Jenkins, and a number of older books.

Do you have any book recommendations?

Right now? I’m blanking.

What’s your next big project?

I plan to pull together a collection of my short stories, both published and unpublished. Then I intend to write a sequel series to my fantasy Goddess’s Honor series, to be called Goddess’s Vision. I’m hoping to have it out by 2024.

Do you have any advice for aspiring authors?

Read, journal, and above all else, please keep track of everything you write! I am now at the point where I need to rebuild some structures, and it’s more challenging than it should be.