Cynthia Hickey is a multi-published and best-selling author of cozy mysteries and romantic suspense/thrillers. She has taught writing at many conferences and small writing retreats. She and her husband run the publishing press, Winged Publications. They live in Arizona and Arkansas, becoming snowbirds with three dogs. They have ten grandchildren who keep them busy and tell everyone they know that “Nana is a writer.”
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Anything For A Mystery, (ebook) remained #1 on Amazon’s Christian mystery/suspense category for four months.
Public Speaking
- Continuing Education Class at 2015 American Christian Writer’s Conference
- Expert panel at 2015 American Christian Writer’s Conference
- Houston 2016
- Scottsdale, AZ 2016
- Mentor at 2016 ACFW conference
- Spoke at Suspense Writers 2016
- Mentor of the year 2017
- Speaker at local Suspense Sisters chapter 2017
- Annual class on writing at Blue Lake Christian’s Conference since 2020
- Annual class on writing at American Christian Fiction Writers Association since 2021
- Taking appointments at every ACFW conference since 2017
Having grown up in a family of storytellers, I can’t imagine doing anything but what I’m doing. Giving voice to the characters in my head.
My maiden name is Melton, and I grew up in the foothills of the Ozark mountains in Arkansas. Being an army brat, I grew up in Oklahoma, Arkansas, and Germany, before finally settling in Arkansas when I was eleven.
My husband and I now live between Arizona and Arkansas with the youngest of our seven children. We are a true your’s, mine, and our’s blended family. Three of our children are “chosen” and we love them dearly. One of my favorite parts about being a parent is embarrassing my children in front of their friends! Oh, and letting their friends know I kill people for a living.
I write inspirational novels under my married name and general market novels under my maiden name. Both books are clean enough that I don’t turn red when my mother or one of her friends say they’re going to buy my book. To know more about me, please check out my Press page.
WHERE I WORK
This cute little place holds everything I need, and almost everything means something personal. I have a dry erase board to schedule my next writing project, keep tabs on other writing jobs, and to list what I need to do at home.
The bulletin board holds websites addresses I visit on a regular basis and holds my favorite quote. It’s by Erma Bombeck and says, “When I stand before God at the end of my life, I would hope that I would not have a single bit of talent left, and could say, ‘I used everything you gave me’.”
There is a silk rose given to me by a student of the elementary school I used to work at. It sits in a mug that says, “What deadline?” Next to that is a frog tape dispenser, which to me means, Fully Rely On God. Holding an assortment of fun pencils and ink pens is a ceramic mug brought to me from Mexico by a cafeteria worker at the same elementary school. I have a pink fuzzy bird holding a plaque that states, “Do not start with me–you will not win” and a fuzzy angel flamingo pen, because who doesn’t want one of those?
On the wall is a framed Life magazine focusing on “Gone With the Wind” and a Newsweek “Elvis” edition. These are the two categories I collect. I love anything Elvis or Gone With the Wind.
To the left of the desk is a glass tank that holds two Sulcata tortoise hatchlings. On the floor at my feet are two dogs. Behind me is a wall of books: fiction, non-fiction, research. This is my world and I love it.
INTERVIEW QUESTIONS: (Just in case you feel inclined to do an interview on me)
1. When did you discover your love for the written word? My mother said that, not having a Kindergarten close enough for me to attend as a child, that she taught me to read. I took to it easily and have always read above my level. Once I discovered the many worlds between the pages of a book, I was hooked.
2. When did you begin your writing career? I’ve made up stories for as long as I can remember, but it isn’t until a few years ago that I actually began to take the writing process seriously. My first novel, Fudge-Laced Felonies, was released through Barbour in 2007.
3. Tell us something that people may not know about you? I’ve been on television twice. Once on the backdrop of a weather report filmed on Petit Jean Mountain in Arkansas and another time when a documentary was being filmed at the Pickle Plant where I worked.
4. Do you have a secret desire that may not ever come true? I’ve always thought it would be a blast to be in a movie. Not a walk on character, but an actual main character. An insane person would be fun.
5. Do you have a favorite book? The one book I own that has stood the test of time is Gone With the Wind and Little Women. I still love them.
6. A favorite author? I’d have to say that in today’s market, I love Diana Gabaldon. Her Outlander characters are so rich, I feel as if I know them.
7. Do you have a favorite book that you’ve written? No, I can’t say that I do. I guess Fudge would be it if I had to pick, it being my first and all.
8. Any suggestions for pre-pubbed authors? Never, ever, give up. If you’re meant to be an author, you need to write as much as you need to breathe.
Just finished Scones to die for. Loved it.. I live in Apache Jct.
So glad to hear it!
I really enjoyed your Marsha Steele series. I love that the characters were Christian’s! I loved the clean language. I enjoyed the three generations and there relationship. I enjoyed the romance of all three especially Marsha and Duane. However, I didn’t like the discrepancies between books. For example, in first book, Lyndsey’s boyfriend was Billy and in the second, he was Bobby. Also the murderer in the first book was adopting a baby from Mexico, the second book, China and the third so it America. Also sometimes, the last name was Calloway and other times Callahan.