Hi there!
I’m Jackie Reyn, an aspiring novelist and passionate storyteller. I’m currently in the midst of writing my first book, a romantic fantasy—romantasy, as the kids are saying these days! My novel explores the complexities of relationships and the journey of self-discovery through the ‘found family’ and ‘chosen one’ tropes, both of which are dear to my heart.
I also couldn’t resist including my romantic guilty pleasure, the ‘fated mates’ trope!
Writing has always been my dream, but I realised early on that I wasn’t like the other children. Although I loved storytelling and spent hours at my aunt’s computer typing gibberish while lost in a fantastical world all in my imagination, I struggled with reading and spelling. By grade three, I was reading at a pre-primary school level.
My mom did everything she could to help me catch up, but I remember feeling so angry at her for not letting me play netball, which I loved. I truly believed that there were clever people and ‘stupid’ people, and I just happened to be one of the ‘stupid’ ones, so why not let me play netball?! Instead of reading Harry Potter, I watched the movies and got teased for not knowing details from the books. Instead of playing sports, I took extra lessons to catch up with my classmates.
Primary school was one of the worst experiences of my life. I was relentlessly bullied by other children for my perceived weirdness, quick growth spurt and hairiness (thanks to my Italian genes, which I am now proud of!). The teachers weren’t much better; they often singled me out for my spelling and grammar mistakes. As a coping mechanism, I blocked out much of that time in my life.
As much as I loved stories, I believed I could never be someone who wrote them because of my spelling difficulties; fast forward to high school when a friend handed me a book. I was too embarrassed to admit I didn’t read, so I watched a YouTube summary instead. The book sounded so exciting that one evening, I decided to read it myself, with Google at the ready for words I didn’t understand. Within three years, I was hooked on reading.
In high school, I was what some might call a cold and heartless bitch—I apologise, but I can’t say that any other way, and hey, there will be swearing in my books, so you might as well know now!
I was afraid of being hurt like I was in primary school, so in the first three years, I surrounded myself with people I wasn’t a good friend to. In my last two years, they turned on me and unfriended me, which completely changed my perspective as I entered my twenties.
I realised that if I wanted a life filled with happiness, good memories, and genuine friendships, I needed to work on myself. So, after high school, I took a year off and studied makeup. It felt like I was finally doing something for myself, and boy, did I party!
Despite my newfound love for books, I kept it a secret, fearing I’d be asked to read aloud or be drilled into pronouncing wizard’s names. I hid my books, pretended to be the airhead everyone thought I was, and went about my life. My twenties were a time for self-discovery, and even though my career choices were pushed on me, I was happy with the woman I was becoming. I met my wonderful husband in my late twenties and started to truly settle into myself…until life slapped me in the face!
I received some scary health news, and after having watched my gramps lose his battle with cancer, I was terrified. It made me reflect on my life and realise I wasn’t proud of the life I had created because it wasn’t who I wanted to be. With the support of my loving husband and family, I quit my job and began writing my first novel.
It was a terrifying decision, one that my husband had to push me into, practically kicking and screaming. But with each passing day, I feel more empowered, and having him by my side cheering me on, it truly feels like I can do this!
Despite the doubts and judgment from some in our friend group—who label me as a ‘spoiled wife’ for staying at home while my husband works—I choose to focus on the positive. I refuse to let negativity dim my dreams of becoming a published author.
If chasing my dreams invites ridicule, then that reflects more on the bullies than it does on me.
When I’m not glued to my laptop, you’ll find me at my husband’s PC (he’s in IT, so you can imagine how much he loves that!), drawing on Photoshop to visualise my characters. For a break from technology, I enjoy gardening, hiking, and painting with watercolours. I have WAY too many paintings of sunsets—not because I watch them often, but because they’re the easiest to paint with watercolours. And no, I’m definitely not a sunrise person either.
When I’m not taking a tech break, you’ll find me gaming at the PC with my brother, husband, and friends. We all live in different countries, and it’s our way of ‘hanging out’ like we used to. I’d like to believe my future novel has a strong sense of family and friendship because of my close bond with my parents and friends, especially my brother, who I consider one of my best friends and who shares my love of stories.
The ‘slam dunk’ to my career would be getting him interested in one of my books!
I’m excited to share my writing journey with you and hope you’ll join me on my journey to becoming a published author.
Stay connected by following my blog, following me on social media, or messaging me. I’d love to hear from you!
Happy reading and writing,
Jackie Reyn