Interview with Dennis A. Smith, Author of How to Commit Suicide (How to Kill off Your Negative Self Image)

Hello,

Today’s interview is How to Commit Suicide by D.A. Smith. (How to kill off your negative self image.)

Please enjoy!

Best,

-Vincent Lowry

 

Interview:

1) What is your author name and in what state do you live (or country if not in the US)? I’m Dennis A. Smith. I typically publish as D. A. Smith, and I live in Indiana. 2) What is the title of your newest book and what is the genre? My newest book is How to Commit Suicide, and I would say it’s a “self-improvement novel.” 3) What is the book about? How to Commit Suicide is primarily about how to “kill off” your negative self-image and habits and reinvent yourself as the person you’d most like to be. It follows two people, Sarah and Maurice, from very different walks of life as they work to overcome their pasts and rebuild their lives in the ways they want. 4) Where did you come up with the idea? It came to me in my dreams. I had three friends who each committed suicide and each one came to me in a dream and asked me to tell their story. 5) How long did it take you to write it? About six months. 6) Did you learn anything from the project? Yes, I did. I learned that I could be receptive and learn from someone else’s pain, even though I cannot imagine myself ever deciding to commit suicide. 7) Do you have an author website and/or blog? How about a book video? I have a website at https://www.lionsquarter.com and a Goodreads page at https://www.goodreads.com/dasmithlq. I have never heard of a “book video” before now, but I will definitely consider one for Suicide and the book I’m working on now. 8) Do you have any success tips to pass on to fellow authors? How about any great editors/cover artists? Write about something you love, or something important to you; then you’re more likely to be more passionate about it and want to do a good, thorough job of it. As for editors and cover artists, I have a best friend who is a genius at both. He knows me and really respects my voice—he doesn’t try to correct my grammar every other sentence. He also does cover designs that reflect both the theme and tone of my works. 9) What genres do you like to read? Are you open to reading new authors and reviewing their work? Right now, I like to read about cybercrime and how it’s affecting society. One of the most exciting books I read recently is Mindf*ck: Cambridge Analytica and the Plot to Break America. I am certainly open to reading and reviewing new authors—I’m a new author, myself! Certainly, I would do that. 10) What is your favorite book of all time and why? That would be Your Erroneous Zones by Dr. Wayne Dyer. It taught me independence of thought at a young age—I believe I was nineteen when I bought my first copy. 11) Fun Question: Do you have any pets? If so, what kind? Dogs! Dogs! Dogs! A black lab and rottweiler mix and an English pointer—”Bones” and “Pointer” 12) Fun Question 2: Do you own an electronic reading device? If so, what kind and how do you like it? I have a Kindle, and I love it. But I only use it when I travel. Normally I read e-books off my PC.

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Interview with Yasmin Esack, Author of The Ancient Scientist

Hello,

Today’s interview is with Yasmin Esack, author of The Ancient Scientist.

Please enjoy!

Best,

-Vincent Lowry

Interview:

1) What is your author name and in what state do you live (or country if not in the US)?

Yasmin Esack, Trinidad and Tobago

2) What is the title of your newest book and what is the genre?

The Ancient Scientist- Science Fiction/ Mystery/ Religion. To place the genre is a little difficult to be honest.

3) What is the book about?

The book is about an American Scientist who searches for knowledge about the universe in ancient Coptic texts, scientific knowledge that modern scientists have suggested is quite plausible and possible but not yet provable like a parallel universe or that humans have alternate lives. He uncovers ancient wisdom about our universe and ourselves that was given to mankind but forgotten over time because it was not understood.

4) Where did you come up with the idea?

From my own thoughts about the universe and my obsession about who we really are. I believe it was all revealed in ancient books like hidden gospels but somehow got forgotten or left out of our more conventional teachings.

5) How long did it take you to write it?

Very long. More than five years.

6) Did you learn anything from the project?

Enormous insights about ancient knowledge which I hope to share with readers.

7) Do you have an author website and/or blog? How about a book video?

Goodreads only.

8) Do you have any success tips to pass on to fellow authors? How about any great editors/cover artists?

At this point in time, no. Maybe, try not to be too complicated in your writing but adopt simple ways to communicate with your readers. What is the point of writing if people do not understand. You are not writing for yourself but for others to read. I am learning this the hard way it seems.

9) What genres do you like to read? Are you open to reading new authors and reviewing their work?

I read both fiction and non fiction books that have elements of philosophy, history, mystery. Yes, I would.

10) What is your favorite book of all time and why?

That is an unfair question. There are many great writers and books. It is difficult to choose one. Irvin Wallace’s The Word is an fairly old book but stands out because it shows us how much we may have misunderstood and misinterpreted ancient wisdom and knowledge. We need to go back and look again at ancient manuscripts with a more open mind. Maybe secrets were revealed. I wonder how many people today remember Lobsang Rampa or even Herman Hesse and their amazing revelations. Interestingly, it was Albert Einstein who said religion without science is lame and science without religion is blind. I cannot say exactly what he meant by his words but I believe within both lie the truth of who we are.

11) Fun Question: Do you have any pets? If so, what kind?

Yes, two dogs that I adopted from shelters.

12) Fun Question 2: Do you own an electronic reading device? If so, what kind and how do you like it?

No I do not own any electronic reading device.

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Interview with Steven Pustay, Author of 0-0-Dead

Hello,

Today’s interview is with Steven Pustay, author of 0-0-Dead.

Please see it below.

Best,

-Vincent

 

Interview:

1) What is your author name and in what state do you live (or country if not in the US)?

Steven Pustay – Canton, OH

2) What is the title of your newest book and what is the genre?

0-0-Dead  – Murder Mystery/Police Procedural

3) What is the book about?

Marc Nixon manages a pickleball league in a gated community in Naples, Fl. He imagines the game, the league and the warm summer evening play perfect. He is perfectly wrong.

A murder brings secrets and horrors to light and blurs deeply Marc’s idea of perfection.

Detective Thomas Fraiser and his partner Fran Degardo pass through the gates and into a community that imagines it has protected itself from the violence and evil of the outside world. Thomas Fraiser knows the security gate offers no such protection. He knows this, because his own demons have come along for the ride.

4) Where did you come up with the idea?

I’d written a statistical book for pickleball players (Inside the Game: The Madness, Metrics, and Methods of Winning Pickleball) and a friend and fellow player who’d read it challenged me to write a murder mystery with a pickleball theme.

5) How long did it take you to write it?

7 months

6) Did you learn anything from the project?

I wrote the project as a serialized novel and gave members of our pickleball club (hofcpickleball.com) several chapters each week from October through December. Writing a serialized book is a challenge. Each episode needs to be its own story. Each episode needs to have some hook (cliffhanger) to draw the readers back again. Each episode needs to be polished, edited carefully, made ready for the public. Knocking those out every week was a challenge and required real literary and physical discipline. No days off from writing!

7) Do you have an author website and/or blog? How about a book video?

No videos but a website / blog (https://pustays.wixsite.com/towardthemark)

8) Do you have any success tips to pass on to fellow authors? How about any great editors/cover artists?

Treat writing like work. Approach it with discipline, pride in your work. Consider it a craft and make every effort to polish your skillset. Read everything.

Cover Artists – My son and I collaborate on Covers. He’s a skilled photoshop editor. His P.H.D thesis was published and he designed the cover. Brilliant! He’s helped with all four of mine (I’m working on Mob Girls: Genesis, my fourth book currently.)

9) What genres do you like to read? Are you open to reading new authors and reviewing their work?

Mystery. Thrillers. Detective Fiction. I find real pleasure in Craig Johnson’s Longmire Series. Grand Schemed classics. Middlemarch, Tolkien, C.S. Lewis. Steinbeck, Hemingway. I have reviewed lots of books and am open to do that.

10) What is your favorite book of all time and why?

 

East of Eden  Steinbeck – The scale. The time period. The idea that monster’s do indeed exist. The caprice of timing and how all can be won or lost on some knife edge of history. That family bonds are both fragile and lasting.

11) Fun Question: Do you have any pets? If so, what kind?

None now. But cats, lots.

12) Fun Question 2: Do you own an electronic reading device? If so, what kind and how do you like it?

I read all my e-books on an old but very useable iPad.

Interview with Jason Acar, Author of Easter Egg

Hello,

Today’s interview is with Jason Acar, author of Easter Egg.

Please find it below.

Best,

-Vince

 

Interview Questions:

 

1) What is your author name and in what state do you live (or country if not in the US)?

I actually just use my real name, which is Jason Acar, and I am South African. I’ve never left these borders, but hopefully one day I’ll get a chance.

2) What is the title of your newest book and what is the genre?

The title of my book is Easter Egg, and it’s a thriller packed with suspense.

3) What is the book about?

Tormented cop Rick Sorano is on a brutal path of redemption and salvation. Along with Detective Jane Dover and video game junkie, Denver Collins, he is sucked into a twisted augmented reality where a serial killer uses an online game to commit his crimes. In a race against the clock, they must track down the murderer by solving the digital clues.

As the body count rises in this deadly cat-and-mouse chase, Rick is pushed to his emotional limits by the merciless killer. His marriage has fallen apart and he is slowly losing grip on reality. However, when all seems lost, the case of seemingly random murders might not be random at all.

4) Where did you come up with the idea?

This books is really a combination of my two favourite things, writing and gaming. After writing my first screenplay, I wanted to narrow my focus in an area that I loved and understood. So it started with knowing that I wanted a gaming element, and my overactive imagination did the rest.

5) How long did it take you to write it?

I actually wrote this story as a screenplay too, and then decided that I loved it so much, I wanted to turn it into a book. Being stuck on the tip of Africa and not having connections abroad can make it difficult to break into the film industry, and the exchange rate means that you have to have deep pockets to enter various competitions. Because I had the story down as a screenplay, it made it easier to progress quickly with the book, and it took me about 5 months (working on it mostly in the evening or on weekends), but I’ve had the story with me for a few years.

6) Did you learn anything from the project?

A whole lot, and I’m learning every day. I did everything for this book. I designed the cover, I’ve even made a trailer. I’ve worked as a journalist for over 15 years, but this project finally allowed me to get my love of writing back. Creative storytelling is what I enjoyed doing from a young age, and being sucked into the corporate world meant that there were years that went by without writing simply for enjoyment. I’ve picked up skills in new software, formatting, marketing and more during this process, but it has been awesome.

7) Do you have an author website and/or blog? How about a book video?

I’ve made many websites for work, but right now I don’t have an author website up. The best would be to check out my author page on Amazon, follow me on Twitter (@acarjd) or make friends on Goodreads. As mentioned above, I do have a video trailer for my book, which is on my Amazon author page.

8) Do you have any success tips to pass on to fellow authors? How about any great editors/cover artists?

I’m fairly creative and have been writing professionally for a long time, so I took on a lot of the design and editing tasks. I also made use of personal friends who are within the industry to assist with editing, so unfortunately no recommendations on contacts. I suppose my main tip would be for aspiring writers to ditch the fear and procrastination around putting your work out there. If you have an idea, follow through and finish the book. If your story affects one person’s life, it has done its job.

9) What genres do you like to read? Are you open to reading new authors and reviewing their work?

Thriller and comedy are probably my two favourites. I am definitely open to reading and discovering new authors, and I’m happy to share my feedback on their work. It’s tough to get that when breaking through, I know, but I understand how getting feedback can be a real boost of confidence.

10) What is your favorite book of all time and why?

This may seem odd, but The Witches by Roald Dahl. I loved his books as a youngster, and this title was the first hardcover book I ever bought. I must have read it over 20 times. His work inspired me to write stories as a kid, and that is something I’ll always be grateful for.

11) Fun Question: Do you have any pets? If so, what kind?

I do have pets. I love animals. I have a basset hound named Tango (he was adopted and I didn’t give him that name), and a cat named Marley, because when we collected her Bob Marley was playing on the radio.

12) Fun Question 2: Do you own an electronic reading device? If so, what kind and how do you like it?

I do not own one, but I actually use the Kindle app on my phone. I love technology, so I enjoy it, also because I can sneak in some pages any time.

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Interview with Allan J. Katz, Author of Hey! What About Me?

Hello,

Today’s interview is with Allan J. Katz, author of Hey! What About Me?

Please enjoy!

Best,

-Vincent Lowry

 

Interview Questions:

1) What is your author name and in what state do you live (or country if not in the US)?  Allan J. Katz, Memphis, TN

 

2) What is the title of your newest book and what is the genre?

Hey! What About Me: How to make yourself and others a priority in a world of indifference, impulsivity and distraction.  Genre: Addiction Recovery

 

3) What is the book about? The book is about how to achieve freedom from modern day slavery to technology, work, other people and emotions.

 

4) Where did you come up with the idea?  At the Passover meal last year the theme was freedom and I thought what are we enslaved to today that we need freedom from.  I came up with four ideas and make a mind map of them and thought this would make a great book.

 

5) How long did it take you to write it? 6 months.

 

6) Did you learn anything from the project? I learned that I probably put too many elements into the writing; addiction recovery, character trait enhancement, exercises and priority.

 

7) Do you have an author website and/or blog? How about a book video?  Yes, http://allanjkatz.com.

 

8) Do you have any success tips to pass on to fellow authors? How about any great editors/cover artists?

Editors: Samantha Dawkins on Linkedin

Cover Artists: Nora Childers at http://norachilders.com

Success Tips: I once asked Scott Turow how do you write a book and he said, “just begin writing.” One tip is to make an outline first and then spend time figuring out your target market; who is this book really written for and make sure there is a way to market to them.

 

9) What genres do you like to read? Are you open to reading new authors and reviewing their work? Psychology, Self-Help, Psychological thrillers.

 

10) What is your favorite book of all time and why? Artist Way by Julia Cameron.  This book changed my life and gave me the courage to become a writer.

 

11) Fun Question: Do you have any pets? If so, what kind? No

 

12) Fun Question 2: Do you own an electronic reading device? If so, what kind and how do you like it? Yes, my phone to read Kindle. I still like paperbacks better but that’s because I’m older.

 

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Interview with J.M. Bingham, Author of The Marvelous Mrs. Z

Hello,

Today’s interview is with J.M. Bingham, author of The Marvelous Mrs. Zaronsky.

Please enjoy.

Best,

-Vince

 

Interview:

1) What is your author name and in what state do you live (or country if not in the US)?

 J.M Bingham and I live in Utah.

2) What is the title of your newest book and what is the genre?

 The Marvelous Mrs. Zaronsky, science fiction.

3) What is the book about?

The Marvelous Miss Zaronsky is about a boy named Tim who gets Miss Z the scariest teacher in the school. He soon finds out that she is not what she seems. Miss Z has built a time machine to fix the past. But things go wrong and Miss Z I stuck in the past and her teenage self comes to the present along with Tim’s parents. Tim must try to fix things while trying to bypass Napoleon, Witch hunters, and barbarians.

4) Where did you come up with the idea?

A lot of it came experiences I had as a kid. I also am interested in history and wanted to introduce historical figures to kids.

5) How long did it take you to write it?

Awhile. I went through at least four or five revisions before I was satisfied.

6) Did you learn anything from the project?

I did. I’ve learned how to edit better and how to become a better writer.

7) Do you have an author website and/or blog? How about a book video?

I do. My website is jmbing.simplesite.com. You can also follow me on Twitter.

8) Do you have any success tips to pass on to fellow authors? How about any great editors/cover artists?

I think it’s important to read as much as you can. Study the best authors and focus on their style. I haven’t used a professional editor but I plan to soon.

9) What genres do you like to read? Are you open to reading new authors and reviewing their work?

I love reading biographies, history, and classic books. I have been a book reviewer in the past and am open to reading new stuff.

10) What is your favorite book of all time and why?

My favorite book is Memoirs of a Geisha. I have always loved Japanese culture and it was interesting to see into their world.

11) Fun Question: Do you have any pets? If so, what kind?

I have a lynx/Siamese cat named Ez. he is really fun. But no other Pets.

12) Fun Question 2: Do you own an electronic reading device? If so, what kind and how do you like it?

 I used to have a kindle but I’m not sure what happened to it.

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Interview with Natalie P. Jenkins, Author of After the Storm

Hello,

We have another interview today, this time with Natalie P. Jenkins, author of After the Storm.

Please enjoy!

Best,

Vincent Lowry

 

Interview:

1) What is your author name?

My author name is Natalie P. Jenkins and I live in the state of Kentucky.

2) What is your book title and genre?

The title of my newest book is After The Storm, and it’s an autobiographical novel. In simpler terms it’s my life story in a novel!

3) What is the book about?

As I mentioned above, this is my life story and a love story. It starts at the point where my fiancé was killed in a car accident and ends with me meeting my current boyfriend.

4) Where did you come up with the idea?

I decided that I needed to write my story pretty soon after Jason died. However, I waited until I was in my right mind before wrote my first book. I always knew that I wanted to share my love story with the world when I met someone else.

5) How long did it take you to write it?

It took me about 9 months to finish it completely.

6) What did you learn from the project?

I learned a lot throughout this process, most of which was patience. It’s better to take your time and give the story justice instead of rushing through to be published quicker.

7) Do you have an author website?

I do have an author website! It’s www.nataliepjenkins.com. There will be some videos about my book coming soon! So keep an eye out for them.

8) What advice could you give to authors?

The best advice I could give to anyone is build an audience. I made the mistake of not doing that with my first book and it definitely impacted my sales.

9) Would you review books by new authors?

yes, I do like to read works from other authors. I’m always open to a good book! My favorite genre is true crime, but I’ll read the occasional romance novel every now and then.

10) What is your favorite book?

My favorite book of all time is the Lovely Bones by Alice Sebold

11) Do you have pets?

Yes, I have a pet. I have black cat named Buddy. He’s been the best comfort to me and I don’t know how I made it this far in life without him.

12) Do you have a e-reader?

I have a kindle that I use for reading! I prefer it over reading on my phone. Though, when it comes to reading, I prefer paperback most of the time.

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Interview with M.A. McComas, Author of Start of the Storm: Trials of Transcendence Volume I

Good morning, today’s interview is with M.A. McComas, author of Start of the Storm – Trials of Transcendence – Volume I.

Please see below and enjoy!

Best,

-Vincent Lowry

Interview:

1) What is your author name and in what state do you live (or country if not in the US)?

          My name is M.A. McComas and I am from Pennsylvania.

2) What is the title of your newest book and what is the genre?

           The title of my debut novel is Start of the Storm: Trials of Transcendence Volume I and it is an Epic Fantasy.

3) What is the book about?

The continent of Transcendence is fractured and segregated. It’s races–long ago chased from their own world by humans–keep to themselves and live in isolation from each other. But for the first time in æons the future is beginning to brighten and hope for the continent’s unification blossoms.

In Mystwood, Lethelas, prince of the elves, questions the veracity of his people’s historical records and shakes off the xenophobia of his father. Down in Qaagire, Corguul, the youngest son of an orc chieftain, dreams not of slaughter and endless warfare, but instead of traveling the world and meeting the menagerie of peoples who inhabit it. And King Bræman of the dwarves sits his throne in Resonate Hall, aching to develop trade partnerships that will allow his people to showcase their labors across the land.

The unexpected, storm-blown arrival of High Commander Terrin Korsing and his fleet of humans, however, may jeopardize these hopes of unity.

But Eræn, the Ranger, charged with the care of the continent of Transcendence and all its peoples, has been working toward peace for too long to let it slip from his grasp now. He may be the only one with a chance to bring them all together despite their determination to erase each other from the land. And with a larger, darker storm looming to the south, intent on sweeping them all from the face of Transcendence, coming together is their only hope.

4) Where did you come up with the idea?

For generations the fantasy genre has been populated by a landscape of unique, carefully built worlds–worlds full of mythic and magical races. And in these worlds, humans are often presented as the newcomers, the younger race in a land they did not inherit. Authors sometimes allude to a time æons past when humans first made their way to these lands, but readers are left pondering what that time looked like. What events brought the humans here? How did the races already inhabiting the land respond? What heroes and legends rose up out of the æther as a result? I wanted to finally tell that story.

I have three brothers: one older and two who are eight and ten years younger. I played a lot of games with my younger brothers growing up and quite often these were games I had made up for us. One year when they were both teens, in late February, I was looking for a game we could play together while the weather was bad. Both of my brothers enjoyed World of Warcraft, but I was looking for something we could sit around a table and play together. One of my brothers played Dungeons & Dragons with a group of his friends, but that required a little too much paper and pencil than I wanted. To me, the ideal table game would combine the best elements of both.

So I decided to design just such a game. And in the course of designing it I sketched a quick and poorly drawn map and and the land of Transcendence was born.

It was not the Transcendence you will find in my book, however, but rather it was Transcendence 1,000 years in the future. Like is the case in many fantasy worlds as I mentioned above (see Tolkien, Paolini, Sullivan, etc.), the one I was shaping was a world in which humans were the late-comers to a land filled with magic and mythical races. The map I drew showed a fully developed city of Stormhaven, the progressive, melting-pot city of Erætor, and a sylvan city of the elves within the bounds of Mystwood, their ancestral forest. And these cities were all interconnected with roads demonstrating the fact that the races engaged in free movement and free trade. It was pretty standard for a fantasy RPG game and a perfect world in which to develop a character for oneself and set off for exploration and adventure.

As I began to write out some backstory, however, I started to think through some of this world’s history. The ideas that came to me were rich with detail and seemed to have the foundations of a narrative that was truly epic in scope. Perhaps this was a story I would write someday, I told myself… The problem was, the ideas would not stop coming and it became harder and harder to focus on creating the game. I tried for about a week, but finally I had to admit to myself that my long-ago promise “to write a book someday” had come calling.

So, I put away all the supplies I was using for the game, pulled out a blank piece of paper, laid it over top of my poorly drawn map, and traced its features minus the cities and roads. Here now was a section of barren coast land ready for the arrival of Transcendence’s first humans. And from that new, empty map, what is now chapter 1 of Start of the Storm was written.

5) How long did it take you to write it?

It took me ten months of nearly full time writing to write the original manuscript. Then I actually put it away for three years only bringing it out to be beta read on occasion and to compile some notes. Then, with a lot of encouragement from my now-fiancee Emily, I finally pulled it back out and spent a year editing and revising and self-publishing it.

6) Did you learn anything from the project?

I learned an immense amount from the project. While writing it, I devoured articles on writing and poured through my Chicago Manual of Style working to hone my control and use of the English language.

7) Do you have an author website and/or blog? How about a book video?

I have a blog that can be found at mamccomas.blogspot.com. There you can find more information about my writing including behind the scenes looks. Also, every Monday I write a blog post spotlighting one of my characters and exploring their backstory.

8) Do you have any success tips to pass on to fellow authors? How about any great editors/cover artists?

My best success tip is to create an outline. Have at least a general idea of where you’re going with your story, an end goal. Fix that final scene in your mind and work toward it one page at a time.

9) What genres do you like to read? Are you open to reading new authors and reviewing their work?

I enjoy reading Fantasy (obviously), Historical Fiction, Christian Fiction, and the Classics. And I would be happy to review others books.

10) What is your favorite book of all time and why?

    My favorite book of all time is Robinson Crusoe by Daniel Defoe. I read it over twenty times as a kid because I loved the adventure. I loved the idea of being able to develop something from        nothing and survive. My book definitely is a product of some of Defoe’s influence in the way the humans respond to being shipwrecked in a strange new world.

11) Fun Question: Do you have any pets? If so, what kind?

     I do not currently have any pets, but my fiancee as taken to feeding a pregnant neighborhood cat on my back deck. We named her Corrine after the Corona Virus because that’s when she         started coming around.

12) Fun Question 2: Do you own an electronic reading device? If so, what kind and how do you like it?

I do not own an electronic reading device, but my fiancee has a Kindle and likes it for certain situations. But I am a bibliophile. I love the look, feel, and smell of real books and I own well over a thousand of them. I recently purchased my first home and I wouldn’t even consider a house that didn’t have a room in it that I could turn into a library.

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Interview with Billy Baldwin, Author of The Boy, the Mermaid, and the Storm

Hello,

Today’s interview is with Billy Baldwin, author of The Boy, the Mermaid, and the Storm.

Please enjoy!

Best,

-Vincent Lowry

 

Interview:

1) What is your author name and in what state do you live (or country if not in the US)?

Billy Baldwin,  USA

 

2) What is the title of your newest book and what is the genre?

The Boy, The Mermaid, And The Storm.  Genre:  Modern-day Fairytale

 

3) What is the book about?

A Boy sets sail as he does each dawn, but this day is like no other: a storm has come. Battling the wind and waves he is overcome.  From the deep a mermaid carries the boy to the Island Of The Eye.  The mermaid explains it’s the boy’s time to face the storm and her time to guide him through it. The only way home is for the boy to make it through the stormy darkness. Together, the boy and the mermaid sail into four overwhelming challenges, each one testing all the boy’s strengths and beliefs.

“No storm is stronger than you”, The mermaid tells the boy.  Wedged between wind and wave the boy feels powerless, but faces the wall of water, nonetheless. Attacked by a Sea Dragon the boy battles physical and mental exhaustion. Tricked by the storm the boy must trust his will & spirit to survive. Finally, the storm declares its absolute power and tells the boy his futile attempts to survive are in vain. About to give up, the boy comes to understand the power and strength of the Mermaid’s words and defiantly tells the storm: “You may claim my last breath, but you will not claim me.”

The Boy, The Mermaid, and the Storm is a modern-day fairytale about the battles we face through life’s storms.  I created this book to help adults and children alike discover the courage and inner strength we all possess to persevere through even the mightiest of battles.

 

4) Where did you come up with the idea?

Helping my brother battle a storm In the form of an illness.  His ‘mermaid’ was his girlfriend, who helped him through every step of the way.

 

5) How long did it take you to write it?

I originally created an outline for the story fifteen years ago and decided to go forward with the book late in 2019.  Writing and illustrating the book took about 3 months.

 

6) Did you learn anything from the project?

I discovered the beauty, and the challenges, of black and white illustration. The clarity and simplicity of greyscale illustrations facilitate powerful communication.  However each and every line within black and white illustrations carry much greater weight and significance than if you are working in full color.

 

7) Do you have an author website and/or blog? How about a book video?

my website is:  billybaldwinstories.com  you can see one of my books, Wipeout The Wave, on video here:  https://www.goodreads.com/videos/156464-wipeout-the-wave

 

8) Do you have any success tips to pass on to fellow authors? How about any great editors/cover artists?

I specialize in writing children’s books.  I encourage young writers to follow their passion and not to be timid in their creative process, overly worrying about industry standards.  It took me years to find an illustrator that I could work with to bring my sketches to life.  When working on a book we are in communication several times each day, going back and forth re. the development of characters and images.  I believe it is essential for authors and the person who is illustrating the book to be able to communicate freely and openly.

 

 

9) What genres do you like to read? Are you open to reading new authors and reviewing their work?

I enjoy all kinds of Children’s books, andI especially love Dr. Seus and Roald Dahl.  As much as I do enjoy all sorts of books I would have trouble as a reviewer as I have severe dyslexia – therefore reading and writing are quite a challenge for me.  Overcoming my Dyslexia in order to read and write has been challenging, however, my passion to express my creative vision has compelled me to find unconventional reading and writing methods.  Given this challenge, I would likely not be a good candidate for writing reviews.

 

10) What is your favorite book of all time and why?

Tolkien, Dr. Suess and Roald Dahl are some of my fav. authors.  If I had to pick one book that represents all that I love about children’s literature I would choose The Invention Of Hugo Cabret by Brian Selznick

 

11) Fun Question: Do you have any pets? If so, what kind?

I don’t have any pets though there is a chipmunk who lives under my backdoor steps and he seems to have adopted me!  I leave nuts out for him and if I forget for a time I see him peering into my house through my glass door with a look of impatience on his face.

12) Fun Question 2: Do you own an electronic reading device? If so, what kind and how do you like it?

I truly enjoy the physicality of books and have never enjoyed reading on a device. I have a large collection of books, vintage and new, and take great pleasure exploring the actual pages. Even the smell of an old book can add to its charm.

 

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