How do you pronounce your name?
Rykie rhymes with "sticky." Belles is two syllables and rhymes with "trellis" or "tell us."
What are your pronouns?
She/her/hers. Salutation is Ms.
How tall are you?
6'0"
Where can I read your fiction?
I'm glad you asked!
Where can I buy your music/see you perform?
Over here!
Where can I contact you?
Right here!
What gear do you use?
I write in Scrivener and LibreOffice, with a generous amount of note-taking in Evernote. Conlangs come from Vulgar. On paper I prefer a purple fountain pen. My guitar is an Epiphone Hummingbird named Narya (the Elven Axe of Fire). I prefer heavy strings and picks around 1mm.
What cookies are best?
Good shortbread: dense but delicate, the kind that fills your whole mouth and falls apart under a stern glance.
How would you describe yourself in three words or less?
High-functioning trash goblin.
Got any advice for other writers/musicians?
Take care of your wrists, your back, and your heart. Learn what you like and do that. And go outside sometimes.
What's your favorite punctuation mark?
Ellipses. No, the semicolon. No, the em dash!
Favorite word?
“Y’all”
Least favorite fake grammar rule?
“Don’t end a sentence with a preposition.”
What made you want to be a protest singer?
A combination of Chumbawamba (yes, the Tubthumping band) and Newsies (the movie).
Is purple your favorite color?
Yes.
Why purple?
Oh, so many reasons. It's the point where the color spectrum circles back in on itself. It's a beginning, a middle, and an end all at once. When I wear it, I feel powerful. When I see it, I feel at peace. And I look great in it.
Why “stone biscuit?”
Ask my dad.
When did you discover Diego Luna?
In Dirty Dancing: Havana Nights. Don't judge me, I was young and recently heartbroken.
Are you for real?
No, I am two Ewoks in a trench coat.
Who's going to clean up this mess?
I dunno, man. Hopefully the Ewoks.
Who made this beautiful-but-functional website?
V. C. Brannen, my long-time friend and co-conspirator.