Intimate Interviews

Reality with Rosemary Rey

AfterDark Team: Before we start, just wanted to make sure whether we call you Rose or Mary, or simply Rosemary in full? Love your username though!

Rosemary: Rosemary, full. And thank you for the compliment on username❣️❣️❣️

AfterDark Team: Great! Can you tell us how your writing journey began?

Rosemary: I started writing in 2012 when I was sandwiched between raising three small, special needs kids and my only parent who was suffering from dementia. I used to lock myself in a closet and let my imagination run wild. It was the only escape I had at the time after a long work day, meals and baths and cleaning after work, then tucking everyone in bed for the night. Evening writing of 750 words per session would reduce my anxiety.

In 2013, before turning 40, I decided to self-publish my first book. I self-published my Dark Romantic Suspense book in 2014. I joined Wattpad soon after when a lot of my contemporaries were joining every social writing site that would get their work seen. But I hadn't uploaded any stories to Wattpad until early 2022 when I had previously removed my entire backlist from book distributors to share with Wattpad readers. I wasn't selling because my marketing was so poor. And I had to reevaluate my writing goals: did I want sales or did I want reads? I realized that I want my works to be seen and read and commented on. Wattpad became my new publishing plan. It's been five months of uploading at my leisure and receiving a steading increase of readers, votes, and comments from really kind and supportive readers. The boost in my confidence has helped me plan my future on Wattpad. I have a lot of goals for writing and releasing to the Wattpad community.

My inspiration is who is a phenomenal Romance writer. She has served as a mentor, sharing her experience and knowledge. And now, after such a warm welcome by readers and writers, I can't see myself publishing anywhere else. I've found what I'd been searching for—reader and writer engagement.

AfterDark Team: *Sends you lots of virtual hugs.* It's sad to know you have gone through so many hardships but we're glad you're here with us. You've come to the right place! So can you tell us a little bit about your life outside of Wattpad? Besides writing, what are your hobbies?

Rosemary: Thank you so much for your lovely sentiments. I appreciate your support and encouragement.

Outside of Wattpad, I'm still taking care of two of my three children. I'm a glorified chauffeur, but I love to read—listening to books while I'm shuttling kids to and from school, doctors appointments, and errands. I also like to read home magazines to use decor ideas for my own home improvement projects. I love DIY. I have more tools than I know how to store. If something breaks, I usually fix it. Home organization may not seem like fun, but it centers me, giving me back time to devote to writing. I also spin yarn from wool. I have a beautiful spinning wheel that I bought fourteen years ago while pregnant. It was in storage for a decade until I rediscovered my passion for spinning these last couple of years. I don't knit anymore, but I plan to return to knitting shawls when I have enough handspun to use for projects. And I love watching Romance films and tv shows. I'm a Hallmark junkie. I just finished Partner Track on Netflix and it was brilliant.

As a former attorney, I knew the grind and cutthroat nature of the legal industry. I also study French and watch French TV shows and films. I'm obsessed with police procedurals and murder mysteries, so I'll watch a lot of those on tv and streaming, keeping them running in the background while working on the administrative tasks of my writing business and home life.

AfterDark Team: And we have a multi-talented writer with us! If there was any genre of show or movie you had not watched yet, what would it be?

Rosemary: Honestly, I've watched a lot of genres because my family has diverging taste in stories, and I hoped to one day become a screenwriter. But I will say that I don't see enough family rated Horror films. A jump scare story that little kids to great grandparents will watch together. A more elevated Goosebumps type of stories, especially the recent iteration on Netflix was such a great family horror series of films. And I hope if they're made, they have diversity and inclusive experiences.