Latest / Off the Page / Episode 006-Clarence A. Haynes & K. R. Raye: Chaos, Romance, and a Psychic P.I.
Transcript
- K. R. Raye: Salutations, readers. Welcome to Off the Page Podcast with K. R. Raye, Your Authorpreneur. This is the place where stories leap off the page. Every episode, we explore the characters and stories that stay with us and resonate long after we finish reading the book or watching the show. I'm the host, K. R. Raye, your Authorpreneur, and Authorpreneurs, just like entrepreneurs, wear multiple hats. In my case, I'm an award winning author, screenwriter, Podcaster, speaker, and publisher. Today's guest is fellow Authorpreneur Clarence A. Haynes. Clarence A. Haynes is a native New Yorker and author of two urban fantasy genre blend novels, The Ghost of Gwendolyn Montgomery and his newest release, The Broken Hearts Agency, which just published in June. Clarence is the co-author of actor-producer Omar Epp's Afrofuturist series, Nubia The Awakening. and the Reckoning. He is also the author of the middle grade nonfiction work, The Legacy of Jim Crow, which really looks at the history of discriminatory laws in America. In addition to working as a freelance editor for a variety of book publishers, Haynes has pinned articles for Newsday, Lithub, The Root, and The Griot, among other platforms. And he's also a featured speaker. So without further ado, Clarence A. Haynes Welcome to Off the Page. It's wonderful to have you here. Clarence A. Haynes: thank you for having me. K. R. Raye: Okay. Clarence A. Haynes: thank you so much for having me KR. it's it's a pleasure to be here. K. R. Raye: my pleasure. So we're gonna jump right in to that first question. As authors and creatives, we understand the importance of characters and stories to our audience. So in our first segment, The Character We Won't Forget, with your latest book, The Broken Hearts Agency, tell me more about the protagonist, Linda Villanueva, and discuss what makes audiences Clarence A. Haynes: Yes. K. R. Raye: emotionally attached to certain characters. Clarence A. Haynes: Linda Villanueva, Villanueva, if you say it in Spanish, she's a psychic private investigator based in Washington DC, who can sense when people are reeling from heartache. The way that she does this is that she enters into ritual secretly with a variety of clients to get them to remember who they really are. While she's recently entered into ritual with her latest client named Evelyn, who's an overworked advertising account manager, DC is faced by this mysterious supernatural force that's threatening the district. And Linda, as a mystical private investigator, takes it upon herself. To get to the bottom of what's happening. I really enjoyed writing Linda creating the character. I'm one of those writers who I believe that the more you sit with the the people on the page, they tell you who they are, they're gonna reveal what they would do. she's someone who has a lot of secrets. Her work as a psychic is informed by a a tragic past. And so she's someone who is very stoic, tough, no nonsense, gets things done a workaholic, simultaneously. She's someone who cares deeply about others. she shows that through her actions. And I thought it was really one of the things that I enjoyed about the character. Hope readers will take away from the character is like getting to explore her inherent contradictions, being a private investigator who's kind of tough, hard as nails, no nonsense, and she's a psychic. And so she can feel people's emotions, she can go into people's history, she she her her mission in many ways is to guide people to heal and to have a better understanding of who. they are and and so there are like these really conflicting elements to her presentation, to her her personality that I I just found it really rewarding to write. And particularly as a female protagonist, I I just I'm always invested in getting away from sort of like really traditional ideas of gender, femininity, what who if you're this then you can only be this I think we're very complex and I just love exploring those contradictions. Yeah I hope readers will find her as fascinating as I did. K. R. Raye: But that is so key and such a a gift as an author to be able to really show the complex layers that we all have, right? And being able to, especially since people want to always put you in a box and you can only be this, right? So being able to show the duality and the contradictions in that of going, hey, yes. I can also be hard as nails and a private investigator, but you need to get to this emotional side to really connect with the psychic abilities in that whole world. So fascinating way of putting a character together. Clarence A. Haynes: It was, it was. there's this this idea If you are a plotter or a pantser, some writers like to really outline everything or some and others will just sort of jump in. I don't know. The people who just jump in with no plan, I don't know how they do that. I'm I'm definitely a a plotter, but even with that, this this story there were things I I I I didn't quite realize what happened until I was really just sitting with the characters. And then it was the more and more I sat with Linda, I realized, there are just gonna be a lot of inherent contradictions to who she is in in this particular y literary universe. So K. R. Raye: And and I love that too. And I can still relate because as a fellow plotter, I do typically outline but it's exactly that I have a little bit of pantser in me where, like you said, those characters just take over and you start to uncover more and more of them as you're sitting there with a character. So Clarence A. Haynes: I enjoy then stumbling upon the pantser aspect? Like I I I K. R. Raye: Yes. Clarence A. Haynes: actually do like then when it get into that territory like, I can do that. Do you how do you how do you connect to that? Do you enjoy it as well or is it something that maybe is like, this is varying away from plan or K. R. Raye: No, I totally love it. So my background is mechanical engineering and I also have done a lot with project and program management. And so you always have that part in the background of you that has, okay, this is the schedule, this is how everything's gonna go. But at the same time, being a good programmer, project manager or engineer, you have to be open to Different things that happen because of course nothing ever goes as planned, right? And so I lean into that part of writing as well where it just is this fantastical world of kind of like, okay, was not expecting that. That totally went to like left field. But it's great about how then do you pull that into the story and keep it flowing and organic and just you know not throwing you off the rails, but at the same time. Just exploring this whole new territory that we had no idea was coming. Clarence A. Haynes: Right. Right, very K. R. Raye: Awesome. So we're going to go from that part to our next segment, the scene that stayed with you. So discuss a scene, story, film, or book moment that emotionally impacted you and why. Clarence A. Haynes: So I'm gonna choose a scene from The Broken Hearts Agency that people see behind me. the scene I'm gonna choose is as I said, Linda, the psychic private investigator, the person that we see She's helping out, as I I mentioned before, this account manager named Evelyn, the person that we see Linda using her powers on. And Evelyn, undergoes a spiritual transformation where she begins to reconnect with who she really is. As she's reconnecting with who she really is, memories are coming up. She's being very still, and she reconnects with a guy who was really into her that she didn't give the time of day to you before Trevor. as they're reconnecting, DC is in this state of emergency. people are showing up on streets with burning skin, glowing red eyes, memory loss, people don't understand what's happening, and yet Evelyn is in this place where she needs to remain still, be in her body, and part of that process as well is be open to emotional and physical interest. Intimacy, desire. And so, several scenes in the book are about Evelyn and Trevor having these really romantic, erotic, sensual moments. and it's everything from a bit of cosplay to romantic dinner to hot spice after the dinner, all sorts of things happening. K. R. Raye: We all need a little hot space. Clarence A. Haynes: A lot of how the cover is a is you know, with the cover, we we really were like, okay, a lot of people think this is is a straight up romance book, and it's not, but the cover does convey just the level of spice and physical emotional intimacy in the book. It's definitely accurate. And so why the scenes with Evelyn and Trevor stay with me is because and I hope it stays with readers, is because it's a model of What I think sometimes we've lost in our day-to-day hyperactive everything moving so quickly, distraction by social media, just distraction, distraction, distraction, distraction. A lot of also ideas thrown at people around What type of person you're supposed to be with as opposed to really honoring what's in your heart, body, soul. Can you feel safe with someone? Can you be still with someone? Can you be tender with someone? But really, really, can you be still? I struggled with that a little bit in the sense of like, there's like this big citywide emergency happening and these characters are like creating these quiet, romantic moments. And I realized like, you know what? But I I think it it rings true, I think for K. R. Raye: Yes. Clarence A. Haynes: them at that moment. They would really need that. And so I wanted as much as I I could to create a scene, create scenes that would highlight the importance of that of of Stillness, of closeness, of care. And you know, the the spicy erotic scenes, they're not it's not like perfect. It's human when people when we're having these moments of intimacy, they're a bit awkward and and you're figuring things out and you still have to communicate. So all of that is there, but I really, really, really wanted to emphasize the stillness, the vulnerability, the closeness, the care. And that that has just continued to stay with me since the the the putting the scenes on the page and throughout the publication of the book and also helped me to really feel centered and focused on what my what drives me as a writer, what's important to me, what do I always want to highlight. So K. R. Raye: Right. That's a really good thing to have people consider, especially in this point in time. The world seems so crazy and so chaotic. And every time you turn on the news, there's something else that, you know, literally fires erupting everywhere and and craziness all around. And one of the things that we really need to be intentional with to be able to manage and make it through crazy situations is finding that stillness, finding that peace within and not, totally reacting to everything around us. And so being able to bring that to readers it's a cool way for them to see, okay, if I was in this crazy situation Who is the person that I can connect with? Who is the person that's going to see me and appreciate me and help me get through this as well? Who can I be still Clarence A. Haynes: Mm-hmm. K. R. Raye: with? So beautiful, beautiful. Clarence A. Haynes: Thank you. K. R. Raye: So tying all of that together, because you've already hit on some of this right there, our third and final segment of the interview is The Emotional Core: What makes it real? So discuss that central emotional tension inside your work or creative process. Clarence A. Haynes: Sure. so I am both with the Broken Hearts Agency in my previous novel, The Ghost of Gwendolyn Montgomery. both of them deal with memory. particularly the Broken Hearts Agency. memory is a core part of how Linda's power works. And in terms of the the core conflict involving this like shadowy creature that we don't know what it is, it's directly connected to memory. I'm very, very fascinated by, obsessed with, concerned with how our past memory impacts how we live today, K. R. Raye: Yes. Clarence A. Haynes: how we navigate the world, how much agency we have, how safe we feel in our bodies, how safe we feel with others. And so for me, it's a way of using what might be considered a psychodynamic approach or using tools that I would say are based in in real world emotion in a a fantasy context to make these larger points. And so then it connected to those scenes with, as I said, with Evelyn and Trevor and their closeness and care and maybe some might see it as the the beginnings of of love, however you position it. I would say though that she could only get there by having some sort of reckoning, true reckoning with her past and what's gotten in the way of her being in a place where she can receive care and give care. The same thing for the the title character and The Ghost of Gwendolyn Montgomery. Gwendolyn is someone who has managed to create a particular identity for herself and in many ways live a really professionally successful life, but there are things that are eating away at her that are connected to the past. And the And what she could really be doing, what she could really how how powerful she really is. She's not able to access that because he she hasn't truly reckoned with what's gone on before. And so that my big thing. I'm not super didactic in the book. I hope people will like read and then take away and and connect the dots for themselves. But essentially in real in the real world, I always want recommend people to if something's going on, if you see a particular pattern that has been hurtful to you, If you've come out of something that was really painful, take a moment. Is there a connection to to how you grew up, to the past, to your formative K. R. Raye: Yeah. Clarence A. Haynes: years, to when you didn't have a lot of particularly as young people, we don't really have full control over our lives. we have very limited control. And so K. R. Raye: No, no. Correct. Clarence A. Haynes: a lot of times we're figuring things out that happened to us when we were young as adults and replaying it. And so I always I try to get people to be like, what what are some patterns? Connect the dots. What happened to you when you were younger? What what how can this how is this perhaps a way of of you dealing with reckoning with in some way what went down before and so that's where I come from in terms of I would say what informs a lot of my writing so K. R. Raye: And again, that's so important. I mean, you hear all the time, if you don't understand your past, you're destined to repeat it, right? And so Clarence A. Haynes: Yeah. Repeat it. K. R. Raye: especially breaking, you know, sometimes generational trauma. Right. And anything else like that, being able to reflect on it and see what are some of the things that I am continuing to do or I'm continuing to seek out or I'm continuing to run from because I have not dealt with, you know, the the loss of control I had as a kid or the formative years and things were getting done to me or around me that I couldn't control and didn't understand. So Something that everybody needs to go Clarence A. Haynes: Yeah, and it's it's hard. That's the other thing I always believe as much as I can in giving people grace. when I observe some reader reactions, some people really are enjoying the books. But some people are I think it it's it brings up stuff and I K. R. Raye: It's hitting the nerve. Yeah. Clarence A. Haynes: I know it's not easy to honestly confront the past because it's going to be emotionally painful. And I know I know when we're doing that we need support, in some way. so I believe in giving people grace. But at the same time, you know, after a while I'm like, well, but it's much more worthwhile to try to reckon with with with the traumas, the pain, K. R. Raye: Yes. Clarence A. Haynes: what went down than just sort of re really reliving being a hot mess. K. R. Raye: All the time. No more hot messes. I don't understand why this is happening to me. Yes, you do. Clarence A. Haynes: And you're like, why why is this? Why can't I So Yeah Yeah. Yeah. K. R. Raye: Excellent. Well, that was a fantastic way to wrap up our interview section. So now we're going to go on to our next little tidbit, the Marketing Minute. We all know how important marketing is for authors and creatives. In reality, everyone has to market themselves nowadays, whether it's for work, school, or in relationships. So, Clarence, I'm putting 60 seconds on my timer. Please share your best marketing tip or advice. You ready? Alright, Clarence A. Haynes: Ready. K. R. Raye: go. Clarence A. Haynes: So I'm gonna stay in the realm of of book publishing per our interview, our conversation. I would say first and foremost, as a author, figure out who you are, what you wanna say. I think some authors readily their work fits into what might be seen as the cultural zeitgeist, might really like you know, you can like see what works in terms of marketing for like a really hot romance or romantasy author and follow that person's lead, make it work for you. Or you might be an author who your path might be different. Maybe you're a bit more literary. I'm genre blend. And so and I have found that things that I wouldn't I can see would work for one author isn't necessarily gonna work for me. And so I've had to like sort of create my own path. That reflects the sensibilities of my work, and then also that just reflects my own personal sensibilities. K. R. Raye: That was fantastic. And it actually ties back into everything you were talking about about know yourself, understand yourself, do those deep reflections. Because Clarence A. Haynes: Correct. Correct. K. R. Raye: you're so right. We get told a lot as authors, especially if you're, you know, trying to get traditionally published or you're traditionally published to your point, is following the hot trends, right? And it's like, no, be true to yourself, but understand who you are and what Audiences love about you and your work and your characters. Clarence A. Haynes: Correct. Correct. And it'll also just in terms of that, the amount of time that you need to to place in terms of the marketing, which I enjoy, I I found, but you want it to be an extension, right? Of K. R. Raye: Of you. Clarence A. Haynes: Who you organically are so when you're showing K. R. Raye: Yes. Clarence A. Haynes: up, it's not draining, you're not having to like put on a performance in addition to doing the actual work of informing people about your work. And so K. R. Raye: Yeah. Clarence A. Haynes: yeah, that's a personal lesson for me as well, just in terms of increasingly the more I've been been Promoting my novels and and letting people know. being like in my heart what works for me. And that includes everything from like appearance, some people like to be super casual, some people like to be a little more preppy, if that's like like figure it out. I'm a big book community person, so I I like to share information about my work, but I also definitely love to share information about other people's work and to just connect and to just, you know K. R. Raye: Everybody together. Clarence A. Haynes: and yeah, like to have conversations with readers, have conversations with other authors. I adore that. So that's that's that's that's my thing, you know. So I I just encourage folks to to figure out their their thing as well. Yeah. K. R. Raye: Their thing. Clarence A. Haynes: Yeah. K. R. Raye: love it. Thank you so much. So Clarence, before we wrap up, I'll make sure to include all the links in the notes, but please tell us where can listeners connect with you online. Clarence A. Haynes: So I am particularly active on Instagram. So my name that people I believe can see Clarence A. Haynes, no spaces, no dots, just all one word. you can find me there. and I I respond to comments and DMs. Sometimes I'm a little I it takes me a minute. I'm sometimes I fall behind. But but yeah, but K. R. Raye: Life, life, life. You're good. Clarence A. Haynes: I'm I'm I people can follow me there for information around everything that I I'm doing and I'm happy to announce that starting in October, I'll be having a spooky season 2026 tour to honor both Halloween and Latino Heritage Month. I'm Afro-Latino, I'm of Panamania descent, and yeah, it's a way of celebrating the season from a Black Latino perspective, and highlighting both Ghosts of Gwendolyn Montgomery and Broken Hearts Agency. So Instagram, Clarence A. Haynes, follow me, find me there. K. R. Raye: Awesome. I am so excited about this. So a big thank you to the listeners for joining our conversation, celebrating the characters and stories that stay with us and the incredible people like Clarence who bring them to life. If you enjoyed today's episode, be sure to subscribe, leave a review, and share this episode. You can also continue the conversation by joining our Off-the-Page community. At www.patreon.com slash K R Raye That's www.patreon.com slash K-R-R-A-Y-E. Clarence, thank you so much for spending time with us today and sharing your wisdom and your story. And to our lovely audience, thanks for joining us for this edition of Off the Page Podcast, wishing you peace, love. And happiness until next time. Thanks. Clarence A. Haynes: Take care.