Please help me give a big Hoosblog welcome to Rachel Huffmire!

Rachel Huffmire is an award winning author who writes refreshing retellings with twisty plots and happily ever afters. She lives with her husband, three children, and a library of books that is slowly overtaking their house. It’s not her fault, honest. When she’s not writing, Rachel enjoys baking apple pastries, taking long naps, and wearing warm cardigans.

Tell us about your book!  

My current series is the Mirror Chronicles, a time-travel fairytale collection. My most recent installment was Sculpting Fables, an ancient Greek novella based on Cinderella.

Here’s a quick blurb:

Rhodopis is a Greek kitchen slave who longs for freedom. Persecuted by her master’s conceited and beautiful daughters, Rho vows to ease other’s burdens, never add to them. When the gods hear her prayer and send a mysterious woman to purchase her freedom, Rho believes the fates are finally smiling on her. But holding on to everything she’s ever wanted isn’t as easy as it seems. Rho will have to do everything possible to keep fate from slipping through her fingers.

Each of these retellings is based on the true historical figure who inspired the fairy tale. It’s a lot of fun to research and even more fun to spin into a time-travely adventure. I’m offering Sculpting Fables as a free download here: 

Download Sculpting Fables!

 

 

Now for the fun stuff!

What’s your favorite genre? Do you read what you write?

I am a huge fan of science fiction and historical, which is a kind of a weird combo. But historical is a representation of everything that was, and science fiction is a representation of everything that could be… So I’m kind of a fan of time in fiction.

That’s a really interesting way to look at it!

What’s your favorite part about writing?

I love all the amazing people I’ve been able to meet. I started writing after a big move across the country when I was feeling kind of lonely. *Yes, I am that crazy person who talks to myself.* But I never thought it would lead me to have such amazing friends in real life. I can’t tell you how many of my besties are also writers!

I also started writing after moving to a place where I didn’t know anyone, and my closest friends are now writers who live all over the world.

What’s the hardest part of writing for you?

Not having the time to do all the things! As a Mom of small children, I LOVE spending time with my kids, but I’m a huge advocate of adults growing out of their sleeping habits. Think of all we could get done if we never had to sleep!

This is a very intriguing idea…

What’s an activity unrelated to writing that you love?

I love putting my baby on the carrier attached to my bike and riding around our local lake with my kids. It’s a fun and peaceful activity and we have a lot of great memories doing it together. I’m also a huge fan of baking. If I could live off of pastries, I would!

I think biking and baking go very well together. 🙂

Who’s your biggest cheerleader?

My husband believes in me 100%, and makes sacrifices to support me in my dreams. My mom is a great cheerleader and always calls to hear my crazy updates. My siblings are my alpha readers and edit every story before anyone else gets to see them. I’ve been incredibly blessed that way.

That is so wonderful that you have such a supportive family. I know not everyone does, and it’s so nice to see.

Now I’d like to play a fun little game called This or That. As a writer, I find that a lot of interviews ask the same questions, so I always appreciate sharing something new about myself. I’m super excited about these questions—and I hope you enjoy them!

Introvert or extrovert? After COVID, who knows anymore!?!?!?!

Morning or night person? Night Owl. Again, anyone ready to picket adult sleep with me?

Coffee or tea? I love a good peach herbal tea. Peaches are my favorite food on the entire planet.

Sweet or salty? Sweet. But not sugar candy. Pastries or chocolate all the way.

Eternal summer or four seasons? I live in the desert of Southern California, so I’ve chosen eternal summer for life!

Mountains or beach? I live only an hour away from the beach but I actually prefer the lake! Give me a good lake with boats and picnickers, and I’m there!

Dogs or cats? Dogs, but don’t tell my kids or they’ll want one.

Over 5’5” or under? I’ve been 5’7″ since I was 14. 

Left or right-handed? Me and my husband are both right handed but all three of our kids are lefties!

Hoodie or yoga pants? Yoga pants! Although a good hoodie in the winter by our firepit is also a favorite.

Oh that’s funny about your kids all being left-handed! And I’m with you on the lake. I grew up on freshwater and uch prefer it over the ocean.

Rachel, thank you much for spending this time with me and my readers. I’ve enjoyed this so much! If you love fairytale retellings too, you can sign up for Rachel’s monthly newsletter at Rachelhuffmire.com for a community that loves folklore, fiction, and fantasy! You can also chat with her on Instagram @rachelhuffmire.

And be sure to check out Sculpting Fables:

Download Now

 

If you missed the previous interviews, you can read them here.