Author Dawn Reno Langley

 

Recently, I had the pleasure of interviewing talented author and friend  Dawn Reno Langley. Please read below what Dawn had to say. These words  should serve as inspiration on a Memorial Weekend  honoring those who have served and still serve. You remain forever in our hearts.

1/ You have had quite an impressive career in education and authored several books. How did you juggle two demanding careers?

 To be honest, I never thought I'd teach, but once I started, I realized I loved it, especially when it meant reading new books in order to lead my students through them. Teaching at the college level provided an income while giving me time to write, and when I was raising my daughter, I needed both: a job and time to write. The cherry on top was that I think I might have actually made a difference for some of my students.

I started publishing children's books in my early twenties before going to college. I also began freelancing for newspapers and magazines, and I supported my family with that income. One year, I published an average of one article a week, plus six books, and I managed to ace my college classes. Don't ask me how. Those years were insane.

 

2/ When we first met you were a romance writer, why were you interested in that genre and what made you change genres?

I've never really thought of myself as a romance writer. I wrote a few stories that fit the "glitz and glamour" genre, but I was also trying to get my agent to sell the book of my heart. She tried (and so did other agents), but it never found a home. Ironically, that book became The Mystic, which is launching May 22 from Black Rose Writing. It amazes me that the story has finally found its way between covers. And another irony is that some people might call this story a romance. 

I have always written about social justice issues, even when I was pegged as a romance author. I guess it's more difficult to place my books on bookstore shelves, because I write about tough subjects, and sometimes the characters have relationships. 

This latest one, however, is distinctly historical fiction. The Mystic is the first in a series of three books featuring the main characters, an interracial couple, all of the stories are set on rivers.

 3/ So, you’ve written for several genres. I’m curious why? What are your favorite stories to write, and what do you enjoy reading?

I've written in several genres because I like to read multiple genres, so my interests are wide. My bookshelves hold everything from Shakespeare to N.K. Jemisin. I read travel writing and also write travel articles. I love reading poetry, and I've published some. Most of the novels I read are literary, and I love that genre, so I've challenged myself to write novels that tackle heavy-duty subjects with characters who are often a bit broken. 

I love to read works by Jane Smiley, Alice Hoffman, Margaret Atwood, Michael Ondaatje, the poet W.B. Yeats, Paul Theroux, and Peter Matthiessen, to name a few. Right now, I'm trying to read the classics in French, because I'll spend some time in France this winter, and I want to brush up on my college language lessons.

 

4/What are some of the most memorable moments in your publishing history?

So many! I remember the moment I saw my first books, The Jenny Books. My friend and colleague Gretchen Kramer created the illustrations and used my daughter as her model. The books were beautiful, but I had no idea how to promote them, and I think our publisher didn't either. We might have sold ten copies.

And when my book Collecting Black Americana released, there was a two-page spread on the front cover of the Washington Post Living section. People ran into the antiques show in order to buy my book! That has never happened again, but it was a sweet moment.

One last one: my agent and I went to dinner one night at Delmonico's Restaurant in New York City. That, in itself, impressed me, but it was even more impressive that we were having dinner with the executive editor and president of my publishing company. They told me that they loved my writing and that  "We are going to make you a star." Looking back at that moment, I realized that I instantly got a big head. Long story very short, I blew my chance because I wanted to write what I wanted to write rather than to adhere to the boundaries of the genre.

 

5/ Lately, it’s been a tough traditional writers’ market. Many have gone the Indie route or just given up altogether. What’s your advice to writers? 

I'm not quite certain what will happen in the near future (this business requires a rather large and thoroughly reliable crystal ball), but I believe that if writers are creating works that don't "fit the genre," it might be easier to publish the work themselves. HOWEVER, I attach an ironclad caveat to writers taking control of their work and enhancing their earnings. That caveat is that writers should hire professionals to create cover art, to design the book itself, to edit the work, and to distribute it properly. No friends or family members (unless they are professionals). The job of producing a book that readers will tell their friends about begins before the first sentence. It begins with the writer taking pride in the final product. That's something we need to decide before we start writing. 

Those writers whose work fits directly in certain lanes (i.e., romance) should continue to pursue traditional publishing. Those publishing houses that have specialized in genre literature for years have their finger on the pulse, and they have the ability to reach the audience. You should take advantage of their years of experience, but remember to send them your best. While you wait for their answer, polish and edit the work, attend conferences and workshops, read all the books you can find in that genre, and if the work comes back to you, improve it again before it goes out to the next publisher. There are too many tools available to writers for anyone to use the excuse that they don't know how to spell or to use proper grammar.

 

6/ At one point, I think I read, you were buying and flipping houses, or doing DIY projects, I’m curious whether this was a hobby, or just an outlet for creative energy?

 Yes, I did spend a couple of years buying and flipping houses, and it was so much fun! I've always loved houses and furniture and spent a couple of decades as an antiques dealer, so I understand how to bring a house back to what it was originally. To me, it's an art. I've done a fair amount of mosaic work and designs on houses I've bought and sold. It's a very satisfying outlet (and I have to admit that I've refinished a couple of pieces of furniture in order to take my mind off a broken heart).

7/ I know that you’re a yogi. I am fascinated and inspired by your daily words on social media. What inspired you to go that route?

 I started practicing yoga when I lived on a farm in Upstate New York. One of the women I met had just come back from India, so she taught me some poses. I practiced by myself for a long time and didn't find a yoga community until my family and I moved to Vermont. A few friends and I practiced, but I think the world of yoga fully opened up to me when I lived in Florida and began taking classes 3-5x a week. I found the secret of meditation and learned that it helped me with anxiety. My body had never felt so strong. 

A few years ago, I finally took the classes necessary to be certified to teach yoga (though I'd been doing it "illegally" for a while). I love sharing the practice with others, whether it's through a minute or two on TikTok or a class in person. My body continues to feel strong, and I will practice yoga for the rest of my life.

8/ What is a typical day in the life of Dawn Reno Langley?

It's pretty consistent. I used to have a dog, so I got into the habit of walking every morning, no matter what the weather is like. I usually walk in a cemetery that's fairly close to my house. It's a wooded, peaceful spot that I think holds a lot of history. I'll do my morning meditation from there, then go home and have breakfast on the balcony while I check my email. By mid-morning, I'm settled into my laptop to accomplish whatever is necessary that day. I often write in the afternoon and early evening, go to bed by 8:30/9PM and read for a few hours before listening to a meditation and getting a good night's sleep. 

9/Knowing what you now know, what advice would you give to beginning writers?” 

People want to get something out of a book. They want to learn something they didn't know or learn more about something they did. They want to be taken out of their lives and to become immersed in a totally different life from theirs. They want to trust the writer to offer appropriate information in a format that's grammatically correct. Respect the reader's time and intelligence. Give them the best book you have inside of you and make sure it's polished to perfection.

 

10/ As this blog, Romancing the Genres ends, do you have any advice for the writers and readers who have been an integral part of a 14-year history?

I know some of you folks. We've shared conferences and accolades. We've endured a rapidly changing landscape throughout the past fourteen years. Some of us have been forced to be chameleons in order to maintain any credibility in this industry, while others have been blessed with a permanent place on the bestseller charts. The most important thing I've learned throughout my career is that the way we all survive is to share the tricks of the trade. There's enough room for everyone, and believe me, we writers know each other better than family members sometimes :-)

 

11/ Finally, what’s next for Dawn both personally and professionally?

 I'm in the process of finishing the second and third books in my The Art of Rivers trilogy. They're just about done, but I'm trying to polish them a bit more. Those are long-term projects. 

I'm packing my bags and going to travel the world for a year starting this Fall. I plan to write a book about my adventures and to focus on visiting places I haven't been and that are not overridden with tourists. First is a couple of months in various European locations, then, who knows?

OTHER SERVICES: Dawn Reno Langley, PhD offers writing, editing, and coaching for both beginning and experienced writers. 

Dawn Elaine Von Wald, Ph.D.

writing as Dawn Reno Langley (she, her, hers)

Website: www.dawnrenolangley.net

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