Background, hometown, education:
Ricky LaVaughn was born near the nation’s capital but was raised in Columbus, Ohio. The son of a mother who enjoys writing and storytelling, Ricky developed a passion for these pursuits and has written numerous stories since he was ten years old. His early work was in the fantasy genre, later expanding to comics, superhero tales, science fiction, and other genres. At The Ohio State University, he initially studied Chemical Engineering before shifting his focus to Religion and Psychology. These three disciplines have heavily influenced his approach to writing novels and stories. During his time there, he wrote his first novel, “When Roses Cry,” inspired by lessons learned in class. Since then, he has published twenty-five books under three different pseudonyms, chosen based on the genre and type of work. For his historical stories and characters, he tends to use the pseudonym “Ricardo,” which is derived from his middle name, especially in the book “The Widow’s Oil.”
How long have you been writing?
Writing has been a constant part of my life since I was 10. It’s been a rollercoaster, but I’ve always had a story to tell. I created picture books in my childhood, comic books in my teens, film scripts in my twenties, and novels after graduating from college. As I’ve grown, my love for writing has only gotten stronger, and I’ve published more books than I did when I was younger.
What genre do you write in?
Currently, the main genres are historical, suspense, thriller, drama, and inspirational. To avoid confusion, I use pseudonyms for different genres or topics. In my suspense and thriller works, I go by R.R. LaVaughn. For inspirational pieces, I use my full name, Ricky R. LaVaughn, and for historical fiction, I use Ricardo LaVaughn.
How do you develop your stories?
Stories can come from anywhere. Sometimes I get ideas from the people and stories I see online, in books, on TV, or through friends and coworkers. Other times, I find inspiration in my thoughts and dreams. For “The Widow’s Oil,” I drew inspiration from six verses in the Bible that tell the story of a mother who needs help saving her children and the prophet who gives her valuable advice. From there, I developed the characters, chose a setting, and started asking questions to bring the story to life.
How do you create your characters?
Each story’s characters revolve around a central idea or person. In “The Widow’s Oil,” Mary, the main character, is the widow, and all other characters stem from her. The Bible only mentions a widow, her two sons, Elisha the prophet, and a dead husband, so those characters were set in stone. However, the story needed additional characters to fill out the plot. Since Mary has to deliver the goods, a neighbor steps in to help her, and a new character is created. To show the emotional depth of Mary’s grief, the story also features characters who have gone through similar losses. The threat of Mary losing her sons has to feel real, so some characters also have children, and we see them losing their kids in the story. Every good story needs an antagonist, which is the debt collector in this case. All these ideas originate from Mary’s significant problem.
As I wrote the novellas, I realized they could be a way to expand the story without overwhelming it with too many flashbacks and side stories that might distract from the main plot. This approach allowed me to flesh out the backstories of the more interesting characters at some point in their lives. Initially, I only gave a few characters prequel novellas, but that idea spread to sixteen. As I developed the characters, I thought about what makes them real. Most people have both good and bad qualities, are driven by something, and their strengths and weaknesses can be a double-edged sword. By applying this concept to the characters, I made them feel like real people, not just names or archetypes. When you read any of the stories, you’ll see them as individuals trying to survive in a harsh world, just like you and me.
What’s your writing approach?
My background in chemical engineering and passion for science make me a very analytical person. It might seem odd for an author and creative to have this mindset, but it works for me. Before I start writing, I create a brief outline to get a general sense of the story’s direction. From there, I start fleshing out the characters, motivations, settings, and other elements that make the story enjoyable. Once I have a solid outline, I create a chart with each character’s traits, reasons for being in the story, and any other relevant details. As I write, more secondary and tertiary characters emerge, and I add them to the chart. If a new location is mentioned, I add a chart for that too. With a series like The Widow’s Oil, where multiple characters intersect, I keep a master chart with all the characters mentioned and their active roles in each book. This helps me keep track of who appears the most and in which book.
Although the process of setting up a story and writing a book seems pretty structured, the truth is, I also give myself a lot of room for the story to take unexpected turns. Sometimes this means a chapter might end sooner than expected, and at other times, it could be expanded way beyond what I imagined. Characters might appear that weren’t part of the original plan, or a scene might need to take place in a setting that wasn’t part of the chapter or section. I won’t lie, certain types of stories, characters, or situations are more suited to my writing style. Still, it’s fun to write with so many different people, and often I’ll draw on things in the present that I’ve seen or heard to add them in unique ways to people living thousands of years in the past.
What inspired you to write The Widow’s Oil?
“The Widow’s Oil” is based on a passage from the Bible that’s one of my mom’s favorite stories. The way it shows us how to persevere and have faith during a tough time has always inspired her. I thought it would be a short story, but it turned out to be one of my longest fictional works and sparked multiple novellas. What started as a story for my mom took on a new meaning after my wife passed away. As a widow, I wrote about another widow’s struggle with loss, which made the story’s emotions and ideas feel real. I used my own experiences with grief to shed light on the topic. In the story, the main character goes through a tough time, but we often skip over that in books, and it’s not always realistic. Grief is a process, and it takes time to heal. I found that therapy helped me, and I incorporated some of the suggestions and ideas from my therapist into the story. This way, the story can help others going through tough times and show them how to cope with loss.
What led you to write so many novellas tied to the book?
What’s impressive about writing the novellas and adding them to the collection of books is that it all stems from “Game of Thrones.” Toward the end of the TV series, the story felt rushed, like the producers were in a hurry to wrap things up. I’m sure that wasn’t the case, but that’s how it came across. So, I didn’t want to make the same mistake with anything I wrote going forward. That’s partly why “The Widow’s Oil” is so expanded and detailed, and why there are so many novellas. Originally, I was only planning to write three extra books. Then it grew to include two more and a group of short stories. Still, I wasn’t satisfied, and many of the short stories evolved into novellas. After some time working on outlines and story structures, it ended up being sixteen novellas, plus the main book. That makes a total of seventeen books in the series, which I think is great - seven is my favorite number, so it feels right that there are that many stories in the series.
What should readers know about the series?
Each book is driven by its main character. In “The Widow’s Oil,” it’s Mary, so we see the world through her eyes and learn what she knows. However, when she doesn’t understand something, we might not get the complete picture of other characters’ lives. The same pattern holds for the novellas, which adopt the main character’s mindset, tone, and emotions. As a result, even though all the novellas are set in the past, they feel different depending on the character. Some are action-packed and military, while others take on a fantastical tone. Some are thrillers, others explore politics or religious themes. To help you decide, the summary will describe the story type, and a free sample will be available on Amazon and the author’s website. I want you to know exactly what you’re getting into when you read my books.
What are your other passions and interests?
When I’m not writing, I enjoy traveling and exploring as much of the country and world as I can. My goal is to visit at least six continents and all 50 US states. I’m also a huge sports fan, with football, hockey, and women’s gymnastics being my top picks. Writing started as a hobby, but it’s becoming more of a business. I also enjoy salsa dancing, learning martial arts, and learning more visual art styles.
