R.K. Ryals is the YA/NA author of the Redemption series, The Acropolis series, The Thorne Trilogy, The Scribes of Medeisia series, and The Singing River …

*points upward at the above phrase*

This is the way the typical author bio starts out. Let’s do away with that for a moment and start with something a little more me … Hi, I am R.K. Ryals! *waves enthusiastically* It’s true that I am a writer, but even though it is one of the most fundamental things that make me “me”, I am also a bundle of quirks rolled into a short woman (4’11 baby!!!) who enjoys writing stories about fun, dark, complex, and emotional characters. Since the writing is an apparent hobby, I really wanted to give my fans a broader view into who I am and what makes me tick (it really isn’t all that spectacular. lol). That said, I put together a few collages of pics, most of them fun pics I found online, that I believe describes who I am.

*gawks at photos*

It’s a weird collection, I know. The most obvious quirk I have is my obsession with anything caffeinated, particularly sugar-laden coffee, caramel frappes, teas, Starbucks double shot espressos, Rockstar energy, and Barq’s root beer because, honestly, who could function without these *winks*? Sweets come in a close second. I’m pretty well known, to the gagging lovability of my family, to eat cake icing like ice cream right out of the container. Who needs the cake, right? I know, at this point you’re thinking this woman does nothing but eat sugar and drink caffeine, which isn’t far from the truth, but I also have an utter love for books, anything Star Wars, most everything Jane Austen, a fascination with history, a genuine love of old literature and vintage films, a slight interest in the paranormal, and a strange need to change my hair color with the seasons. I have black hair, not natural, that I streak with vibrant colors during the winter. This year I’m going for violet. I actually have an appointment next week!

So, am I sounding strange yet?

As if I haven’t rambled enough (which I’m horrifically good at doing), I am seriously terrified of spiders, have an aversion to heights, and I love being barefoot. Luckily, my job basically consists of wearing lounge pants while on my couch or at a desk, so shoes aren’t generally a requirement. And yet, despite my love for bare toes, I can’t stand to have my feet touched. No lie. I’ve never even had a pedicure because I’m too afraid I’d accidentally kick the person who did it. I think my main aversion to this is the fact that my feet are the most ticklish place on my body. Someone looks at them, and I giggle.

And as if I haven’t said enough …

My favorite season is probably fall and spring, although winter holds a special place in my heart because I love wearing collegiate (any kind) sweatshirts, warm socks (only time I like having my feet covered), quilts, hot drinks, and bon fires. I love full moons, rain when the sun is still out, fog when the sun is just coming up, and looking for shapes in the clouds. I adore music, all kinds, and I write to playlists I put together for each book. I love the color green. I’m not sure why. I think it’s because it reminds me of grass and trees, reminds me of summer days when everything looks green. But mostly because it reminds me of my mother’s eyes …

And this is where I get real …

Aside from the fun facts, I am mainly about family, about loving to the fullest, about giving everything you have to the thing you love because life doesn’t last forever.

And this is where my writing stems from …

I truly believe that anything someone does passionately is an extension of not only talent, but experience. Write what you know. It’s a powerful thing putting emotions you’ve either been through or emotions you’ve seen others experience to paper. It’s about building worlds, even paranormal and fantastical ones, on something deeper than a story. It’s about making characters real. Giving them an obstacle and then helping them find a way to endure whatever is thrown at them. Sometimes those characters are weak, knocked down and unable to get up. Sometimes these characters are strong, proving nay sayers and even readers wrong. But mostly they are just human. Even the monsters are human, for everyone starts somewhere, and no one is perfect. Aside from the fun, quirky little things I hope people enjoy knowing about me, I am also real … A recovering Bulimic who suffered through the disease for years in high school, I was bullied in school. My father was a Vietnam veteran who suffered Post Traumatic Stress disorder, and I lived most of my early years with very little money. I lost my mother in my twenties, and my father recently.

Life gives us lemons …

it’s an old cliché, but it’s true. Life throws obstacles at people, but it is those same obstacles that help us grow, that help us learn that life is worth the battle. One of the things I have learned is that it’s best to smile through every situation and to never turn your back on anyone. Hold out your hand, offer what you can, give back, and hug a lot. I’m a hugger! Everything is so much better with a smile. All things can be overcome! And those that don’t seem like they can, teach us something, make us into much stronger individuals.

In the Redemption series, I write, “The human heart is a strange thing. Loved, it expands. Broken, it endures. Tested, it perseveres.”

Keep smiling … keep loving … keep hugging!!

This is R.K. Ryals. I can’t tell you how much it means to me that you stop by, you buy my books, you share your thoughts, and you spend time with me and my characters! You are amazing and awesome! Thank you so much for stopping by the website and for checking out the books! Massive hugs and a ton of love to all of you!