Today we’d like to introduce you to Berlyn Hayes

Hi Berlyn, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.

I’ll be honest; when I was in elementary school, I wasn’t a fan of reading. But my mom made my sisters and I read for half an hour every night before bed. I used to dread that time, desiring to do anything BUT read because I thought it was the most boring thing in the world. I’d rather have been outside playing sports or climbing trees in our orchard.

However, that all changed when I began reading Percy Jackson. I fell in love with the series, its sarcastic main character, and the Greek mythology set in present-day society. It captivated my interest and sucked me into a world I never wanted to leave, a world that to this day, I still think about. Those books inspired me to begin writing a series of my own. From that day forward, I fell in love with the art of writing and the creative freedom that comes with it. I was determined to become an author and I set goals so that one day, I could accomplish that.

Now, years later, I have one book published and another on the way! It’s been a long, bumpy road, but I’d go through it all again just to be where I am today.

Fun fact: When my mom forced my sisters and I as kids to read before bed, she never anticipated that reading would turn into one of our obsessions. As teenagers, we spent HOURS in our rooms devouring book after book after book. I owe her a giant thank you because if it wasn’t for her, I never would’ve discovered my passion for writing and I never would’ve become a published author.

Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?

It was definitely not a smooth ride, that’s for sure! There are times when I wish it had been, but reflecting back on the struggles I endured, I realize it was those struggles that taught me how to persevere. If I hadn’t learned that valuable quality, then I would’ve given up at the first sign of difficulty.

Initially, I was all in for traditional publishing. I polished off the manuscript for Heirs of Secrets, wrote dozens of personalized queries for literary agents, and sent them off. I was confident that someone would be interested and want to represent me; I believed I had an entertaining plot and solid characters.

Then the rejections began rolling in. Not a single agent was remotely interested in Heirs of Secrets and let me tell you, that DEVASTATED me! It demolished my confidence, making me self-doubt and second-guess my abilities. Was writing Heirs of Secrets a mistake? Was I not as good of a writer as I thought I was?

I was stuck in this dark abyss for quite some time until I overheard my mom (who had read Heirs of Secrets) tell my dad that my novel was better than a #1 New York Times bestselling book that she’d just read. That was enough to get the gears churning in my mind again, inspiring me to keep chasing that author dream of mine.

Eventually, after hundreds of hours of research and figuring out how to navigate marketing, I did accomplish that dream! I elected to self-publish Heirs of Secrets because I believed in it so much, and also because the market needs more clean books. I love being 100% in charge of my career and deciding when and where to publish my books. Yes, it’s a daunting, exhausting task at times to keep up with all the technicalities, but it’s worth it when readers reach out to me, expressing how much they loved my book and how excited they are for the rest of the series.

I have a laugh every once in a while whenever I receive emails from literary agents that I sent my manuscript to over a year ago, and it’s them politely declining Heirs of Secrets. I used to receive those emails with a heavy heart but now, I welcome them with open arms.

Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?

Have you ever read a book with a plot that you absolutely loved, but as soon as you got sucked into that amazing world, you learned that the book contains explicit content and/or language? And it immediately made you not want to read it anymore because you don’t want to lower your standards to read spice?

That’s where I come in. My name is Berlyn Hayes, and I’m a clean YA/NA author. I write fast-paced fantasy, dystopian, and sci-fi books with unique plots without the spice. Don’t get me wrong—there’s still romance in my books—but it’s limited to kissing, hand-holding, and other clean but affectionate ways to demonstrate one’s love. It’s the kind of romance that parents would feel comfortable for their kids to read.

I self-published my debut YA fantasy novel, “Heirs of Secrets”, on May 31, 2024. It’s the first in a series of five, and “Prodigy of Revenge”, book two, will be releasing November 22, 2024.

As of right now, I’m also planning on releasing my YA dystopian book, “Dawn of Liberty”, next year in 2025. It’s the first in a trilogy that features a corrupt government, lie detectors, and a secret vigilante. If you love the action in Mission: Impossible and morally gray characters, then you’re going to love that series!

Currently, I only sell my books on Amazon, but I’m working on getting them up and running with Barnes & Noble.

You can learn more details about the books I’m writing and publishing on my website: www.hayesberlyn.com

What are your plans for the future?

My number one goal in life is to be a stay-at-home mom. In high school, it was so hard for me to choose a career path because that was all I wanted to be! But knowing that the world is getting more and more expensive, I knew that I needed to take some steps to be able to help provide financially for my future family while being a stay-at-home mom.

I started my own business in 2020 and began taking writing more seriously around that same time, hoping and praying that I’d earn enough income to be able to be home with my future kids. Thankfully, writing—and my business—can be done anytime, any place! I’ll officially be a mom in February 2025, but don’t worry—more books are on the way. It’s my goal to publish one book every 5-6 months, so I will do everything in my power to make that so! I have way too many ideas for future novels to quit writing—but being a mother comes first, and it always will.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.hayesberlyn.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hayesberlyn?igsh=MWUwaXoyeW8ybHd4YQ==
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61555955526340&mibextid=ZbWKwL
• Twitter: https://x.com/berlynhayes?t=LLTGqq6puHlJouTwY5GJUg&s=09
• Other: https://pin.it/47j4qgVC0