I was flattered and humbled when my new friend and fellow Atmosphere Press author (her novel Ignite will be released on March 1st!) Marie Wishert asked if I would be willing to answer some questions that she could post on her website. I was thrilled that she even wanted to acknowledge my book knowing that she is gearing up for a promotional blitz to get every set of eyeballs on her own masterpiece. That’s something I don’t take for granted as writing a novel and trying to promote it can be both a brutal and demoralizing experience. I can remember being a student at community college and being in these writing workshops where my work would get absolutely eviscerated by my peers simply because it’s easier to criticize the hell out of someone’s passion and their work than it is to ask questions about their process or try to get the person to divulge more details about how the work manifested. To have someone in your corner who is also fighting for the opportunity to have their work validated, appreciated, and shared with others? That isn’t as common as you would think. For Marie to do this was such a wonderful gesture of her commitment to our community of indie writers but also her conviction to help her peers while also getting her book into the hands of as many readers as she can. Initially, she pitched doing an Instagram Live interview but we’re both novice level when it comes to technology so I promised I would take on the endeavor of doing an Instagram Live interview with her closer to the release of her novel “Ignite.” Its also cool because she initially contacted me right around the point where I was just starting to promote my book while she was still working on the edits of her own work. I couldn’t help but laugh when she mentioned that she had reached out to compliment my title and cover and my initial response was “Are you fucking with me?” Its not that I’m unapproachable, I’m just awful as accepting compliments. Then I felt horrible when she mentioned that one of the main reasons, she chose me to reach out to was I seemed “cool” you ever wish you were clairvoyant sometimes? Like if I knew this person thought that the first response wouldn’t have been a knee jerk… oh, this person is clearly messing with me. Hey, she stuck around and we’re still friends and she’s been one of my greatest supporters since I came back to social media to try and promote this thing. I had a blast talking with her and her blog was so beautifully written, and I cannot emphasize enough so giving and lovely. I am rooting so much for Marie when her novel “Ignite” is finally ready for the world to embrace it. I was privileged to get an early digital version of it and I have to say, she is not just one of the nicest humans I have ever met but also one of the most talented forces of nature I am so glad to call a friend. Please do yourselves the favor of grabbing her book when its available on March 1st! I haven’t blogged in a while due to my own personal cynicism with the state of the world, the country, and generally things going on in my life. Marie helped me catch a second wind and want to feel pride in being a scrappy little indie writer. While I’m still trying to figure out how to get my book and her book into as many reader’s hands as possible I did learn that a poem of mine “Leave the Funerals to the Dead,” will be published by the Parliament Literary Magazine on February 14th! So, stay tuned. I hope you’ve all been taking care of yourselves and maintaining both your sanity and loving your families and friends during these rather complicated times. My interview with Marie
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September 2021
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