Official Interview: Cynthia Hilston

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Official Interview: Cynthia Hilston

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Today's Chat with Sarah features Cynthia Hilston author of The Rock at the Bottom.

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1. What got you interested in writing?

Hard to say except it felt like writing was always as natural as breathing to me. I began writing poetry and short stories around age 11. Once I started, I couldn't stop.

2. Which authors do you most admire?

J.K. Rowling, Stephen King, Charlotte Bronte, Charles Dickens, and Jane Austen.

3. Let's discuss your book The Rock at the Bottom. Can you give us a quick synopsis for those who don't know?

The logline: A big dreamer and successful novelist carries the sins of his father and a secret that leaves him wondering if he is the author or killer of love.

A brief summary: This historical Christian romance follows Stephen, a young man who seems marked from day one to lose the ones he loves. He fights the same alcoholic demons as his abusive father as he tries to prove he will be a successful novelist and know the love he writes about. He thinks he's found it in Julie. He can find ten ways to write about being in love, but he has a hard time translating love on the page to love in real life. Julie slips between his fingers like sand, and Stephen sees his father staring back when he looks in the mirror.

4. As historical fiction, how did you settle on the time period and how much research did you do on it?

I love reading stories set in the first half of the twentieth century, most specifically the 1920s to the 1940s. This is because it's when the Greatest Generation (my grandparents' generation) grew up and lived through and made them so strong, hardworking, and focused. I also love the fashion and music from these decades. I've written historical fiction in these decades previously, so I've already researched quite a bit. I live in Cleveland, Ohio, so a big part of the research goes into what the city was like back then.

5. Which character is your favorite and why?

I may be partial, but Stephen is my favorite character because he is the most complex. Because the narrative is written in first person, I could really get inside his head. I love writing deep, troubled characters and their redemption arcs.

6. The reviewer mentions your use of humor. Why was this important to you to include?

Because my narratives tend to deal with heavy subjects, the levity of humor is needed from time to time. Stephen has a dry sense of humor that makes unexpected appearances.

7. Is there a central message you want to convey?

No one is beyond redemption. All are worthy of love.

8. What's next for you?

A modern-day sweet romance (yes, a big change from this novel).

I like to end with fun questions.

9. What's your favorite way to relax?


Either taking a walk or reading in the bathtub (preferably with candlelight and wine).

10. What do you like to listen to on a long drive?

Audiobooks or sometimes just the blissful silence.

11. What's the worst gift you've gotten?

A 3XL nightgown (I'm a medium.)

12. What's your favorite word?

Shenanigans.
A book is a dream you hold in your hands.
—Neil Gaiman
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