We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Misty Hayes. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Misty below.

Hi Misty, thanks for joining us today. Learning the craft is often a unique journey from every creative – we’d love to hear about your journey and if knowing what you know now, you would have done anything differently to speed up the learning process.

I am 100% self-taught. I have not always been in tune with my creative side. I had been more on the analytical side, actually, working in Law Enforcement. Everyone’s journey is different. When I majored in Criminal Justice in college, I gravitated toward English and writing essays, but my career path went the opposite direction. I’d always toyed with the idea of writing a book, but I never knew how. I thought the authors just got it right on their first draft. One and done. Boy, was I wrong! When I gave myself the leeway to take my time and actually LEARN to enjoy writing, it was only then that I realized I might be able to do this in stages, which is how it happened.

I am not sure I could have done anything different to speed up my learning process other than major in creative writing. I am a bit stubborn and hardheaded. At the time, that wasn’t where my brain wanted to take me. The brain and the heart fight, and the brain won.

Skills. That’s funny. I tell people all the time I don’t have skills. All I have is the tenacity and spirit not to quit. Not quitting. Believing in yourself. That’s all it takes. As someone who suffers from anxiety, it can be challenging for me to believe in my capabilities. That runs into your next question of obstacles standing in my way of learning. Getting out of my own way. My brain always messes with my heart. Enjoying the process. Believing in myself. Those little things mean a lot in the creative process. You need them. I hope this gives someone else the push they need to continue down that path of passion and creativity.

Misty, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

Absolutely. My name is Misty Hayes, and I want to thank you so much for the interview. I am a Young Adult Author who writes in the Fantasy/Supernatural genre. I’ve always had a thing for escaping headfirst into fantastical books. This is what led me to start writing my adventures down. As someone who has spent a long career in law enforcement, I love strong female protagonists. I also direct short films and claim to have been bitten by the traveling bug (not mistaken for a radioactive spider).

The Blood Dagger series, the first series I wrote, is a multiple award-winning, high-octane Young Adult Paranormal trilogy.

The Outcasts (Book 1 in my series) has received recognition for a Literary Titan award, IndieBRAG Medallion, 2018 solo medalist winner of the New Apple Literary Awards for YA Fantasy, and 2019 2nd place winner of the North Texas Book Festival in YA Fantasy. My books have been international and nationally bestsellers on Kobo, Barnes & Noble, Amazon, and Apple Books. I am most proud that I’ve been on the same bestseller lists as some of the greats: Stephanie Meyer, Tracy Wolff, JK Rowling, Sarah J. Maas, Marie Lu, and Brandon Sanderson, which is almost unfathomable to me.

You can follow me on my website at MistyHayesAuthor.com.

If you want to get lost in books, know that you are not alone–that’s why I write them.

For you, what’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative?

The most rewarding thing about being an author is having people enjoy my work. If they get lost in the story I’ve created and cannot put my book down, that means I’ve done my job well. I started writing young adult books because I wanted to influence young readers. I wanted to leave a positive message and have teens—and everyone really—forget about the world’s troubles for just a few short hours. That’s what’s fantasy is all about.

Looking back, are there any resources you wish you knew about earlier in your creative journey?

So many. So many. One of the best resources is a Facebook group I am a part of called 20BooksTo50K. There are authors from all walks of life—super huge authors who have agents and publishers down to people dreaming about creating their first story. Authors with experience give advice, offer support, and share their expertise for free. It’s one of the most beneficial resources I’ve had since I started writing. Being self-published means that I own a business. I have never wanted to be a business owner in my life, but here we are. It takes constant attention and growth. Never stop learning. Never stop exploring new ways to advertise. Always be willing to pivot. I feel like this advice is suitable for any business.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.mistyhayesauthor.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mistyhayesofficial/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheBloodDaggerSeries
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/MistyGH_
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCg3VdOg8gX0YSDne0iJQNgw
• Other: Tiktok: https://vm.tiktok.com/ZTdfXjaM3/ Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/mistyhayes Amazon Author Page: https://www.amazon.com/author/mistyhayes Come join me on Discord for an Online Book Club. I pop in and chat quite often, and I’d really love to see you on there too – come say hi at: https://discord.gg/UYGXNTJ Sign up for our mailing list to keep in touch: http://eepurl.com/dg029j