When I was growing up, my mother watched reruns of the original TV series Dark Shadows. There were a few episodes that featured a woman who was a Phoenix. Every so many years she’d die in fire and be reborn from the ashes. For some reason, this stuck with me and I knew I had to write about a cast of characters who were Phoenixes.
I loved paranormal and horror novels. I was constantly reading those, which I’m sure is why I write them today. I can’t really pinpoint any specific titles though. It was the genres themselves that influenced me.
If you were stranded on a desert island and could only bring two books and one movie, what would you bring?
Only two books? That’s a nightmare! Okay, I’ll go with Percy Jackson and the Titan’s Curse by Rick Riordan and Crescendo by Becca Fitzpatrick. Those are still my top two picks even though they’ve been out for years. As for the movie, I’ll pick Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part Two. You can’t go wrong with that one because there are so many emotions involved.
You write a lot of paranormal stories. What is it about that genre that keeps you coming back?
To me, paranormal is the real world but better. Anything can happen and people tend to have extraordinary abilities. I feel like there’s always something new to discover in this genre.
What is the single best piece of advice you have for aspiring authors?
The best advice is probably the simplest. Read. It’s the best form of research you can do (not to mention the most fun), and by reading you’re supporting the industry you want to work in.
If you could have one superpower, what would it be?
I’ve always wanted to fly, mostly because I hate driving. 😉 I used to dream about flying when I was very little though, so the obsession started long before I got my driver’s license. I’ve always envied birds because they can walk, run, or fly. It would be really cool to soar above the world and see it from a different perspective.
Kelly Hashway grew up reading R.L. Stein’s Fear Street novels and writing stories of her own, so it was no surprise to her family when she majored in English and later obtained a masters degree in English Secondary Education from East Stroudsburg University. After teaching middle school language arts for seven years, Hashway went back to school and focused specifically on writing. She is now the author of three young adult series, one middle grade series, and several picture books. She also writes contemporary romance under the pen name Ashelyn Drake. When she isn’t writing, Hashway works as a freelance editor for small presses as well as for her own list of clients. In her spare time, she enjoys running, traveling, and volunteering with the PTO. Hashway currently resides in Pennsylvania with her husband, daughter, and two pets.




























