Hi there Wottareaders! today I’m interviewing author Richard W. Wise , we will get to know a bit more of him as a writer. But before, let’s talk about his mystery thriller novel: Redlined: A Novel of Boston.

As the title says, this novel takes place in a neighbourhood of Boston, Jamaica Plain, in 1974. Someone is setting fire to the abandoned buildings in the area, the reason? to raise the property prices. Thinks will get out of hand when one corpse is found from the ashes of one of those buildings, someone had been burned alive: community worker, Sandy Morgan.

But why? it’s time for you to find out:

Redlined

But before you start reading this mystery thriller, let’s knot the author a bit better:

I’d like to know about your first steps, the very first day you decided to become a professional writer, what made you do it?

I eased into it. My first book, a non-fiction work called: Secrets Of The Gem Trade: The Connoisseur’s Guide to Precious Gemstones was written while I was still actively dealing in gemstones.

 ‘Do you have any rituals for writing? Any kind of habit or goal to achieve every day?

I don’t write every day. I am semi-retired which means I can pace myself. When I do write, several days a week, I work mostly in the morning.

Do you take real people you know and put them in your stories?

Yes, quite often. Several of the characters in my latest novel, Redlined: A Novel of Boston, are based on real people. In fact, the novel itself, is based partially on real events.

What advice would you give new writers on how to delve into creative fiction?

Everyone has different motivations. Writers feel compelled to write. They feel they have something important to say. If you don’t feel that way, you probably should pursue another profession

Which would you say was your best and your worst moments as a writer? .

Worst moment are poor reviews and rejection. Best moments are a bunch of sales and/or a positive review.

Let’s talk about procrastination, what is the most absurd thing you’ve been doing when you should be writing?

Surfing the internet.

Hope you enjoyed this interview, and we also hope you enjoy this mystery novel by Richard W. Wise. And speaking of mysteries, in this post we tell you the answer to a huge enigma: the reason why the Dark Tower 2 movie was never filmed.

Hello Wottareaders! today I’m interviewing author Leith McGuire! we’ll get to know her a bit, but first let’s talk about her book: Finding My Sunshine: A Memoir.

Finding My Sunshine

This is an inspiring memoir, a story about self doubt and struggle. A heartbreaking story about the author’s life, and how to overcome your demons.

And now, time for the interview:

What is the most surprising thing you discovered while writing your book?

As I was sharing my stories from my residents, I learned I was not truly as alone as I made myself believe. I learned coping skills in counseling, there I learned I did not have to carry the weight on my own, that there were people just like me. (Clinically depressed, learning disability) I wanted to quit counseling more than once, cause the personal work was intense and hard to process sometimes. But I knew I needed help; or I was not going to make it. I kept going, sometimes you surprise yourself and you do not know how strong you really are until you are being pulled down in an strong undertow, about to go under and no one is there to rescue you. You must do the work. Depression is like that feeling, your body wants to kill you off while your spirit whispers keep going. In the end, you only have yourself to save.

What was the inspiration for the story?

There was a lot of inspiration, first one, is I wanted to give the elderly a voice. I wanted them to know I heard them, someone cared. The world is very noisy, and they tend to be overlooked. I wanted them to know how much I appreciated their help, trust and kindness. While I was trying to figure my life out.

 As well as I wanted to share my story of being looked at as an underdog. Like so many of the residents I took care of.  I was born with a learning disability, clinically depressed and living an unbalanced life for a long time.  I wanted to share how much a little bit of love can really help change someone’s life. Just that one extra minute you gave to someone can really help them feel they mattered.   We are more alike, then different, regardless of age.  

What do you think of the book’s title? How does it relate to the book’s contents?

Finding My Sunshine is about me being in the dark for some time; it was only after I learned to accept myself was, I able to find my sunshine, and dance to life’s lessons. I talk about my depression, suicidal and being born with a learning disability. I felt defeated before I got out of bed in the morning. I tie that in with how my residents felt; and at times they too felt defeated and not heard.  Finding My Sunshine, reminds us we can all dance in the sun regardless of our struggles.

Explain “Dance to Life’s lessons” what does that mean?

To me, it means, mistakes are not life sentences.  I had to learn to forgive myself and learn that it was okay to do that.  I had to come to an understanding, that I may never get an apology, or I may never have friendships recover from what I went through. Part of self-healing is moving on and not being weighed down by somebody else’s actions. They may think they did nothing wrong or hurtful.

What is a moment when you were proud to be a nurse?

I have many. But my most favorite memory, is when I took a young quadriplegic to a baseball game. Earlier in his life, he was hit by an 18-wheeler/semi-truck.   I do not remember all the details of this horrific accident, but he survived. 

He cannot talk due to having a tube in his throat for airway; he is connected to an oxygen machine/device all the time; and it has to be plugged in to work.  I felt he was still present, only he did not know how to communicate. I asked him simple questions, and told him to blink once for yes, and blink twice for no.  He did. I was so excited to have that connection with him.  From what I knew at that time, he had not been taken outside to enjoy the sunshine or hear the birds. So I barrowed the maintenance extension cords, and took him outside.  A single tear came down his face and a faint smile.

I asked his doctor if I could take him to a baseball game.  The doctor did not understand why, when this resident was in a vegetable state.  I was able to track down this resident POA who agreed to go with us.  The MD finally agreed to let him go, but it was my license if anything happened to him while he was in my care.

Here’s my inteview with author Nabila Kashoggi! she’s here to tell us about herself, and of course about her amazing series: The Spartan & the Green Egg series.

In case you are curious about this action and adventure story for kids here are the two volumes in the series:

 A Trip to the Rainforest

The Reefs of Mindoro Island

What made you want to write graphic novels?

When I was growing up we traveled a great deal, and I was always offered the usual “quiet” activities to do while we were underway. I was really drawn to comic books and books with pictures because I could imagine myself there. It was like having a television without having a television. So, when I decided I wanted to write a children’s series I KNEW it had to be a graphic novel. I also wanted to make the books as graphic novels so that they would be interesting and accessible to reluctant readers.

What is the Spartan & the Green Egg Series focused upon?

Each book focuses on an area and a native people somewhere on planet Earth. Book 1 was set in the Amazon and discussed the plight of many of the wildlife there due to deforestation. Book 2 focused on the plight of the reefs around the world, in particular the Philippines. I chose to set Book 3 in the desert where the precious commodity of water and water conservation are featured. The tigers of Bhutan were featured in Book 4 and the unethical practice of poaching. Now, with Book 5 I’m focused on the tragic effect of climate change and its impact on the glaciers, especially in Greenland.

Who is this book designed to interest?

I wrote this book with the goal of interesting children, under 10 years of age, in a wider, global perspective.  Because I did travel so much as a child, I understood at an early age that the world is much more than just your home town or state. It’s huge, and we’re all a part of it. I believe that when a child realizes that they are a part of a larger world, they also feel a sense of responsibility for all of the life that lives here, and develop a greater tolerance for others whose culture may be different.

How do you decide what to write in your books?

Usually it starts with my reading something that really frustrates me, such as some environmental disaster, or some awful incident toward indigenous people in an area. Then I explore ways to bring that to a story and on a level that children can understand. But, I’ve also found that adults are also enjoying reading the books too!

I noticed that the money you make from the sale of the SGE series all goes to a children’s charity?

Yes! I’m very involved with a group based out of Italy called The Children for Peace. The proceeds from 100% of the sale of the books goes to helping children in impoverished areas build schools, obtain the school books or supplies they need to live a better life, or provide medical relief.

Hope you enjoyed this interview, if so, you can also take a look at this interview with Kim Patrick.

Hi there Wottareaders, today I’m interviewing author Kim Patrick! She is here to tell us about her book, Kip the Letter X, a story addressed to children (ages 3 to 7) with an important message of self-acceptance and understanding that it’s fine that each of us is different.

The book has great illustrations which will surely draw the attention of kids. In case you are curious, this is the book:

Kip the Letter X

Let’s get to know the author and her book better, shall we? here we go:

What made you decide to write Kip the Letter X?

I can’t think of a person I know who at one point or time in their life didn’t want to be someone else. Of course, trying to be someone you are not is a quick way to a very disappointing experience. I wanted to take that truth and distill it down into something that kids could connect with and understand. Telling a kid to just “be yourself” is so vague as to be useless, in my opinion. Kip is the letter X, but he thinks he would have more fun and be more popular if he were a different letter of the alphabet. Through a series of events, he learns that being true to who he is offers far more reward and happiness.

How did you get started as a children’s book author?

Actually, this is the first book for children I’ve ever written. I have always been involved in various literary pursuits, though. When I was younger my family and I lived in South Africa for a short while. I believe it was there that the ability to tell a great story was instilled. The people of South Africa are amazing storytellers!

What advice would you give to others wanting to write a children’s book?

Stick with it and believe in it even when no one else seems to. Eventually your enthusiasm for the book, and talking about it to everyone makes it real. Of course, you can’t just sit back and do nothing….

What types of books do you enjoy reading?

Right now, short ones! I am so busy with so many projects that taking time to read for pleasure is a luxury. Currently I’m reading books about animal conservation and the people who are working to preserve many of the animals on the endangered species list.

If you weren’t an author, what else would you be doing?

I’ve always wanted to be involved in some way with film and film production. So, maybe that. But, I really do love what I do, so that’s no likely to happen.

Hope you enjoyed this interview! you can also take a look at our interview to author Mark Lawrence, in which he tells us about his notorious fantasy trilogies, and also lots of interesting stuff about his life and his writing.

In addition, check out this list in which we gathered a lot of good books for mental health.

Hi there Wottareaders, today I’m interviewing author Aliya Whiteley! She writes across many different genres, and her novels have received numerous awards. It’s time to know her life, her writing, and her books! so let’s go:

😀 The woman

What can you tell us about you?

Hi! I’m quietly getting older and I like stories. I write all kinds of fiction. I like it when genres smash together and you don’t know what’s going to happen next, so I try to write stories like that.

Where are you from? Has your country influenced your stories somehow?

I live in West Sussex, in the UK, but I was born in Devon and that place appears a lot in my stories. Most of them are set, at least partially, in Devon. It’s quite a rural area, and I lived on the coast, so there’s a lot of sea, sky, hills and moors, in the things I write.

Writers are such for different reasons, which was your thing that made you decide you wanted to become a professional writer?

That’s difficult to say. I can only say that whenever I’ve decided to not write any more, and that has happened more than a few times, something has come along and made me change my mind. An acceptance, a prompt I can’t resist, something. Anything. So I’ve started again.

One book, one movie, one song, and one videogame?

• Book: The Bell – Iris Murdoch.
• Movie: The Thing.
• Song: Running Wild – Roxy Music.
• Videogame: Deep Rock Galactic.

Pineapple pizza, Yes or no?

Maybe not on my personal pizza right now. Right now I’m all about olives, and my brain thinks olives and pineapple doesn’t go together. Maybe I should try it before I knock it, though. I might try it.

If you had to define yourself just using one sentence of your novels, which one would be?

Right now it might be this one:

‘Stories are as slippery as seasons; it’s beyond my power to make either stand still.’

from The Beauty.

✍️ The writer

I’d like to know about your first steps, the very first day you decided to become a professional writer, what made you do it?

I went to university to study theatre and realized really early on that I didn’t want to be an actor after all. My tutor set up a creative writing module and said I should give it a go. After writing the first monologue I thought – this is it. This is what I want to do. That changed over time from writing for the theatre to writing novels.

Do you have any rituals for writing? Any kind of habit or goal to achieve every day?

I try to get a page down in my notebook every day, but I don’t worry if I can’t. Some days are much more productive than others.

Do you take real people you know and put them in your stories?

No, although bits and pieces filter through. I usually don’t catch it until later, and then, rereading, I spot an affectation or a look in one of my characters, and realise I’ve taken it from real life.

What advice would you give new writers on how to delve into creative fiction?

I’m not very good at advice, but right now I keep reminding myself of this: Don’t pressurize yourself about it. Just go free and see where it leads. You can always rewrite later.

Let’s talk about procrastination, what is the most absurd thing you’ve been doing when you should be writing?

I’m a doodler. I spend a lot of time drawing plants when I should be writing, and the plants tend to take over the margins of the notebook and then weave in and out of the words, and it gets pretty messy. But all the absurdity is in my head, and not acted out in real life.

📚 The Books

Before author Aliya Whiteley tells us a bit more about her books, here you have some of her latest novels, in case you want to take a look at her amazing work:

Skyward Inn

Killing it Softly

Greensmith

From the Neck Up

Skyward Inn, is a novel in which earth makes contact with a seemingly harmless planet, your story has been described as unconventional scifi and refreshingly different, what do you think makes the plot that captivating for readers?

I think we’re both attracted and repulsed by the idea of otherness, of life that’s alien in any way. And readers of science fiction are well versed in these stories of first contact, so I think it’s fun to take these ideas and play with them.

You wrote the 22th volume of Black Shuck Shadows, a collection of short horror stories, how was the experience?

I knew pretty much straight away that I wanted to use the opportunity to write my own stories about famous monsters, such as vampires and werewolves. The ones that had kept me awake at night when I was little and fascinated me throughout my life. I was really pleased with the end result. And it’s always a delight to revisit old monster friends.

Your upcoming book, From the Neck Up and Other Stories, is a collection of short stories and will be released in September 2021, can you tell us a bit more about it?

It brings together a lot of my favourite stories from the past decade, along with some new ones, and I’m really proud of it – I was surprised to find how well they all fitted together, and yet every one is different: horror, fantasy, science fiction. It ranges from near-future biodomes to ancient Egypt, from deep sea creatures to scarecrow beings. I loved choosing the order for them, and moving from one strange scenario to another. I hope people enjoy the read.

What are you writing right now?

I took a bit of a break over the past year due to real life events! But I am working on something new, which is a real stretch. I’m waiting to see how it goes. One notebook page at a time. With doodles.

What a great interview! thanks to author Aliya Whiteley for telling us about her life, and her works. And, as always, thanks to you readers for being here with us. See you in the next Wottaread interview, bye!