Member of the Week: Darlene Reilley

This week we are shining the spotlight on Darlene Reilley. We are delighted to feature Darlene as she is one of our most active community members!

LG: Tell the Literary Gumbo audience about yourself.

Darlene: Hi. I am Darlene Reilley, a novelist of horror, romance, science fiction, mystery and adventure, freelance writer, poet, and photographer, a member of the SFR Brigade (Science Fiction Romance). I am also the Municipal Liaison for Pierce County for National Novel Writer’s Month(http://www.nanowrimo.org). Zombie Slayer, my debut novel is available on Amazon. I live in Spanaway with my three dogs, my favorite color is blue, and if I could time travel anywhere it would be Scotland before the Troubles.

LG: Are you a writer, reader or both?

Darlene: Both. I read to write and write to read. Both are as necessary as air.

LG: What book has had the biggest influence in your life? Why?

Darlene: That is a deep question. Hang on while I scour my shelves…Anne of Green Gables by L. M. Montgomery. (And sequels) Anne’s like a best friend to me. She was written so vividly that I feel as if at times she’s alive. I want my characters to be as lively as her. If we go deeper than that, I love the awkwardness of the character. She’s got this bright red hair that she hates and goes through all the awfulness of life and comes out a stronger person for it. I want all my characters to be as loved and as real as Anne is to me.

LG: If you were stranded on a deserted island which book would you take? Why?

Darlene: I only get one book? I’ve got most of my library memorized. So if I had to pick only one book it would be the Hobbit, J. R. R. Tolkein’s masterpiece. It’s the one book I can go back to again and again and still find something new about myself in the story. Fun fact: I was a goblin in the Hobbit in High School. My favorite part was the hairpiece. It was a bone.

To learn more about Darlene and connect with her you can visit her at her website or on her blog.

We thank you Darlene for being a valuable part of the Literary Gumbo community!