RD Vincent - A Special Place Where Time Stands Still

RD Vincent likes to take readers to a special place to call your own, a place where time stands still, a fabled town called Donbridge. Vincent's Donbridge series is a collection of stories and folk tales, some of which he heard from his own grandmother. As our author of the day, Vincent talks about the latest bundle from this series, tells us more about the inspiration behind the stories and reveals why he also included recipes in the books.

Please give us an introduction to what Donbridge is about.

Donbridge is a fabled town between Sleepy Hollow and the Catskill Mountain Range in the Hudson Valley of New York.  There, amongst the forest and streams, legendary hermits, Lenape Princesses, witches, magical rings and mystical creatures become interwoven in different folktales spanning 200 years.

Why did you decide to bundle the Donbridge books into one?

Donbridge: The Ring, The Legend and The Midwife is just the first collection of the first three tales.  There will be two other trilogies in the series and individual books will lead up to each collection book.  My reasoning for doing this was to draw readers into the world and then in the collections draw the frame work stories together. 

What makes the town of Donbridge so special?

I think all of us look for a special place to call our own, a place where time stands still and yet life and death occurs at our own pace instead of at the hands of time.  Donbridge is timeless and as readers get to know the characters and experience their many adventures, a strong sense of home envelopes the reader and that is just what Donbridge is, a home.

Tell us about your journey as an author. Did you always want to become a writer?

Over the past 25 years I developed a fancy and desire to write.  Most of my writing began when I was in college but from a very young age I always enjoyed writing living on a dairy farm my parents owned in New York.  It has been an exceptional journey and I have enjoyed seeing the stories my grandmother told ascend to the published status as they are today.  

Besides writing, what other secret skills do you have?

I love to cook and bake.  This year I was the chef, bottle washer and host during this past years Thanksgiving at my home.  I truly loved preparing the meal and being there with my family.

Tell us about your writing habits - do you work from notes, best time of day for writing, favorite writing spot?

I have the ability to sit down and knock out 5000 words or more during a two or three hour sitting.  I am fortunate as many people have writers block and luckily I have been blessed with an over active imagination. Its a blessing and a curse. Where do I write? Anywhere that has an available outlet.

You also include recipes in the book - Why?

My family has cooked for ages and even growing up, cooking was always a large part of our lives.  That said, I figured the recipes would be a perfect touch to the stories bringing the readers closer into the tale and allowing them to take part in the characters adventures.  

What inspired the concept of the magical ring?

This Ring of Lazarus was the first folktale my grandmother ever told me.  The story was truly captivating to me and as I grew up the story became the beginning for the series.  I think if my grandmother had not told me that one particular story, I would have never launched Donbridge.  

What is your secret to creating characters readers truly care about?

I think as individuals we seek a noble kindred spirit to be our guide in life and I truly felt that if I could build characters who people could relate to and be inspired by, they too would become closer to their families and Donbridge would become more than just a fabled town, it would remind them of themselves and who they once were.  

Do your stories have an underlying message? What do you hope readers will take away from it?

I know that Donbridge seems like a story, but there is an underlying message that I think many people who read the series start to understand. Its the message of family, friendship and community. Three words that I believe become forgotten and lost to the ages as we become a people of never ending technology.  That said, I think all of us need more together time and less cell phone, tv and video game time.      

If you could meet any person (living or dead) for a drink, who would it be, what would you have and what would the discussion be about?

Honestly, there are only four people I truly would like to spend time with and that would be my grandparents.  I lost all four of them in a short span of time and truly they were my guides, my life and my inspiration.  All we would do is catch up and spend a quality day together. I would want nothing more.

What is your favorite line from the book

"The fact is Michael, you need to have faith even in the darkest of times...."

What are you working on right now?

I am currently writing Donbridge: The Four Talisman.  It should be out this summer, 2017.

Where can our readers discover more of your work or interact with you?

I am always on facebook and welcome any conversation there as well as on Goodreads.