Meet HD Reavis | Fantasy Author

We had the good fortune of connecting with HD Reavis and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi HD, why did you pursue a creative career?
I pursued my writing because there were too many voices in my head. Seriously though, I would be people watching and suddenly I would concoct a whole conversation or a back story; examining the possibilities of being drawn into something fantastical, or scary even. Or I would watch a movie and begin imagining an alternative storyline for the characters. So many possibilities! And the voices just continued to speak. From a more practical stand point a creative career, particularly creative writing, is a much needed element to all societies. People crave escape from the mundane as much as they crave answers to the what-ifs. I wanted to weave my own mythologies, my own kingdoms, my own worlds. It can be painfully isolating at times, especially when the dreaded imposture-syndrome rears its ugly head and you’re questioning your talent, your worth; but then it can also be the most rewarding when that one reader reaches out to you and starts talking about their favorite character or the emotions you made them feel. It’s vulnerable and validating nearly simultaneously.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
“Words are, in my not-so-humble opinion, our most inexhaustible source of magic. Capable of both inflicting injury, and remedying it.”- Albus Dumbledore.

Might as well get my nerd flag up the mast right in the beginning. Words are magical and I’ve been scribbling spells for most of my life, filling note books and scrap pieces of paper with bits and pieces. What untapped power could a young woman have? What adventure awaits the ordinary individual? If not a wardrobe, then where else could there be a portal? Then there were the emotions- love, joy, hate, sorrow. A million lives to live on a piece of paper. Though it wouldn’t be until my late thirties that I would finally take the plunge and begin the journey of a self-published fantasy author.

I dabbled in everything from romance, to fanfiction, to even concert reviews trying to hone my voice. I set a challenge upon myself: I looked at some of my greatest influences- Tolkien, Bronte, Lewis, Carroll- and asked myself how I could I write modern accessible fantasy? And by accessible I mean, maybe a PG rating, yet still deal with some times violent, some times controversial scenarios. Not only did it take a wealth of practice, but it took an extreme hunger for reading. And I read almost anything I could get my hands on. Still do. I was reading Charlotte Bronte and Sir Arthur Conan Doyle in junior high; dissecting Huxely and Orwell; then devouring Brandon Sanderson and Dean Koontz in my twenties. I knew I wanted to write and these successful authors inspired me.

In 2019 I took the plunge with my first novel JANE FAE, which took Charlotte Bronte’s world and turned it on its head with magicians and mythical creatures. Then in 2020 I published, SILVER WORDS which followed a young woman’s magical awakening as she learns that all the stories she has ever read have an element of truth. Currently I’m working on a third book with a dystopian twist in the world of fantasy, which is looking for either a winter 2022 or spring 2023 release.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
Living in the southwest, I would encourage my friend to visit in either the fall or early spring, to avoid the desert heat. We would visit the local botanical gardens to see some of the wild flora and fauna that grow out here. Then we would do a tour of some the older grave yards that are dotted throughout our rich western hills. There we would trace old dates and unique family plots. I recall one time I was out in the wastelands and we came to a cemetery that boasted a family plot with the name Bloodsworth. Absolutely thrilling name.

As far as food, we have some of the best Mexican inspired cuisine here in the southwest. We’d sample dripping barbacoa tacos and rich carnitas stuffed burritos drowning in guacamole and sprinkled with cilantro. We’d make our way out to either Papago Park or Camel back where we could see our orange and pink painted sunsets. If I had any leverage with the weather I’d also bring in a quick rain storm- nothing else quite smells like a southwest rain.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
Patricia M. Bryce is a fellow indie-writer who was very encouraging in my early days. We have very different styles, but she believed in me. Find her here, http://patriciambryce.weebly.com

Also fellow writer Jennifer Froelich continually had my back. We both come from walks of faith that we wanted to some how incorporate into our works without being preachy. We both fervently believed in good conquering over evil, even if that meant dealing with messy humans characters full of imperfections. Find her on Instagram, jennifer.froelich

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