I'm so excited to introduce this week's guest. Paul and I just recently met on Goodreads through a clever open letter to Amazon. We had a bit of fun travailing the fickleness of the book giant. We both have a passion for young adult literature and I have very much enjoyed getting to know him through this interview.
Paul, tell us a little about yourself. Where you're from? What you write? ....
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| Bendigo Pottery |
I am originally from a little city called Bendigo in Victoria Australia, but I have lived in South Australia most of my life. It is where I met my wife, had 2 children and where I went to University. My background is in education, but before that I was actually a Motor Mechanic. I have taught for 10 years mainly Drama, but also English and other subjects across a range of year levels from year 4 right up to year 12. My wife and I have been married for 25 years and are still very much in love.
I write in lots of different forms and genres and currently have literally thousands of pieces of mainly poetry floating around all over the Internet. Recently, I have written children’s books, such as “The Misadventures of Red Bear” and “Lucky and Scratch”. But it is Young Adult Fiction where I want to make my mark. I have written 2 novels, one being a junior novel, “The Black Fairy and the Dragonfly” and my most recent achievement, a Young Adult Sci-Fi Adventure, “Star Child: The Cosmic Birth”. My poetry is sometimes dark and mysterious and I have been known to write Fantasy Stories in Verse frequently. I love to write for young people, because as a Teacher and Father I feel I understand them. So my characters and stories are written with this in mind.
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Where is one place in the world that you would really love to visit someday?
I would really love to go to South America and visit the Mayan Pyramids and Temples there. There is something about that part of history that really fascinates me. Aside from ancient history I also have a love for science. I would love to go and meet Elon Musk and see how his company SpaceX build their rockets.
One of your favorite quotes.
“All the world’s a stage and the people merely players,” would have to be a quote which stands out for me, as I think Shakespeare has hit upon something which applies to every generation for all time. Life feels like that sometimes. You often hear people say words to that effect. “It’s a game and you have to know how to play it,” my wife often says.
List 3 books you just recently read and would recommend.
My good friend and fellow author has just released her wonderful little children’s book, “Wandering Willow”, which I read and reviewed and it would be remiss of me not to mention it. She is just starting out in publishing and is already proving to be quite the hit. Aside from that the two other books I have read recently are Russell Kirpatrick’s Path of Revenge and George R.R Martin’s Game of Thrones both of which I thoroughly enjoyed.
If you could meet one of your characters in real life, which would it be? And why?
When I sat down to think up a name for my new novel, Star Child: The Cosmic Birth, I tried to imagine a character which best represents the spirit of this adventure and after some consideration decided on Tamsin. Without wanting to give too much away, Tamsin means Twin. I also love the name. I would love to meet such a character because her story is so unique and spans a much longer period than the average human lifetime and at a time and place so alien to us now. She strikes me as a confident and strong person who bares the weight of expectation of an entire species and although she struggles with the burden, she ultimately triumphs.
What was your first lengthy piece of fiction (say, >1000 words)? What was it about? When did you write it? Do you still have it?
When I went back to school, after working as a Motor Mechanic for 13 years, I developed an interest in writing which had lay dormant for half of my life. So when our English Teacher asked us to write a story I jumped at the opportunity and wrote a short story about a guy who thinks he is a super hero and tries to live out the fantasy in real life. It was a modest achievement, but sadly, I would not know where I have it. Probably on an old 3 and a half inch floppy in a cupboard somewhere.
Name three of your favorite traditionally published authors.
Arthur C Clarke is an amazing writer who conceives such brilliant concepts and makes them so believable. I really think there is no writer quite like him. Another of my favourites for a long time was Kim Stanley Robinson who wrote the Mars Trilogy, a most ambitious and highly successful series. More recently I discovered a little-known New Zealand author called Russell Kirkpatrick, a cartographer by trade, but also an accomplished author. His writing is exceptionally detailed and his maps are like no other in any fantasy book ever written. Just extraordinary.
Are there any indie authors you'd like to tell people about?
Yes, 2 or 3 come to mind. Katie Jennings, author of The Vasser Legacy, a brilliant established Indie Author. Also Stevie McCoy, author of Wrath on Earth. These two authors I admire greatly because they started from scratch, with nothing more than an idea, a dream and the guts and determination to see it happen. Of course, I would not be a guest on this blog if I didn’t also respect yourself, Su, as a fellow Indie Author. You are obviously passionate and willing to give as much as you receive.
For Su Williams
I do not consider myself an especially ambitious person, but I do know what I like and what I can achieve.
Su, I want to thank you for this opportunity and I look forward to working with you.
THANK YOU
Many thanks to you Paul for doing this interview with me. Readers can connect with Paul through the following links.Paul G Day
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SUPPORTING INDIE AUTHORS WORLD-WIDE
I'm thrilled to have the opportunity to feature indie authors from all over the world. Today, Australia. Last week, Great Britain. I have interviews lined up from Hong Kong to Canada. So keep checking back.
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