Ask the Author: Shelley Lee Riley
Answered Questions (8)
Shelley Lee Riley
Generally, I find inspiration when I am not looking for it: a story in the news, the lyrics of a song, or a life experience, to name three. For example, my latest novel, Labyrinth of Ruin, was inspired by song lyrics and personal experience. One day, as I was writing, I had music in the background, and Mr. Blue Sky by Electric Light Orchestra came on. How many of you can say that song, with its amazing upbeat sound and inspiring lyrics, doesn't move you? As I dug into the lyrics, I detected a certain subtle message, at least for me
“Oh, Mr. Blue Sky, please tell us why you had to hide away for so long?”
Thus, my main protagonists are all different in ways that set them apart from their peers. Whether overlooked, tormented, or bullied, each strives to go unnoticed.
Secondly, it is often said that a writer should write about what they know. As a woman trainer of racehorses for over two decades, a business predominately dominated by men, especially in the higher echelons of the sport like the Kentucky Derby. When I came across a weedy colt that nobody wanted at a sale in Lexington, Kentucky, who could have predicted that one day I would be screaming my heart out as that colt ran down the lane in front of the rest of the field in that storied race? Certainly not me.
So, using that hard-earned knowledge, I added wings to the equine athletes I was so familiar with and let them soar into that blue sky. While understanding through my own experiences how something or someone can be ridiculed and overlooked only to exceed all expectations, I let my characters discover their strength and self-worth, as did I. You can read more about Labyrinth of Ruin as well as Casual Lies at my website www.shelleyleeriley.com
“Oh, Mr. Blue Sky, please tell us why you had to hide away for so long?”
Thus, my main protagonists are all different in ways that set them apart from their peers. Whether overlooked, tormented, or bullied, each strives to go unnoticed.
Secondly, it is often said that a writer should write about what they know. As a woman trainer of racehorses for over two decades, a business predominately dominated by men, especially in the higher echelons of the sport like the Kentucky Derby. When I came across a weedy colt that nobody wanted at a sale in Lexington, Kentucky, who could have predicted that one day I would be screaming my heart out as that colt ran down the lane in front of the rest of the field in that storied race? Certainly not me.
So, using that hard-earned knowledge, I added wings to the equine athletes I was so familiar with and let them soar into that blue sky. While understanding through my own experiences how something or someone can be ridiculed and overlooked only to exceed all expectations, I let my characters discover their strength and self-worth, as did I. You can read more about Labyrinth of Ruin as well as Casual Lies at my website www.shelleyleeriley.com
Shelley Lee Riley
This is a challenging question; it's like trying to pick just one flavor at Baskin Robbins. Though I love reading books with historical or dystopic settings, and there's nothing like a good space opera. Still, I wouldn't want to live there. I am a huge fan of modern conveniences: running water, flush toilets, pillow-top beds, and more than one pillow, to name a few. Maybe as an Elf in the Lord of the Rings. There are just so many choices. Yikes. I may have to use this topic for my website's 'My Thoughts' column. www.shelleyleeriley.com
Shelley Lee Riley
For me, it wouldn’t be about a mystery per se but more about what if. What if my horse had won the Kentucky Derby instead of running second. What if I had chosen to accept the invitation from the Queen of England to run my horse in the Epsom Derby? What if I had gone to get a hot chocolate on that snowy day in Kentucky instead of stopping to look into the eyes of a fuzzy little brown colt? So, saying that the what if’s in life are by their very nature a mystery? The story I would tell would be of a horse-crazy girl from the suburbs who grew up to be the first female trainer to saddle a winner of the Kentucky Derby.
Shelley Lee Riley
With book one of The Born From Stone Saga, Into Madness, I am deep into book two, Hearts Divided. Simultaneously I am working on a middle-grade book about dragon racing, tentatively titled Out of the Blue.
Shelley Lee Riley
The best thing any writer, new or experienced, can do for themselves is to join a critique group. And don't forget to remember it's about critiquing, not criticizing. So remember to listen, not justify. If they don't get it...rewrite it until they do.
Shelley Lee Riley
The best thing about being a writer is making new friends, both on the page and off. After all, who would know their characters better than the person who creates them? Still, it is extraordinary how sometimes these characters up and do something you never expected.
Shelley Lee Riley
I read about five books a week. So, it could be said that I really get my moneys worth from Kindle Unlimited. I have ten books in my cue at this point. Next on my list to read is the Tattooist of Auschwitz by Heather Morris. I also have The Assassin's Apprentice by Robin Hobb. After that, Fate of Kings: The Complete Son of Sorcery Trilogy by Robert Ryan. I have also worked my way through the first seven books in the Guild Codex Spellbound series, so I am anxiously awaiting the release of Book Eight
Shelley Lee Riley
A great source of amusement for my critique group is my tendency to fall back on dialog. Since I love clever repartee, the banter between my characters can be quite snappy and moves the scene in directions I often didn’t see coming, nor planned. So for me…it’s all about getting the conversation going.
About Goodreads Q&A
Ask and answer questions about books!
You can pose questions to the Goodreads community with Reader Q&A, or ask your favorite author a question with Ask the Author.
See Featured Authors Answering Questions
Learn more