I haven’t been able to sit down long enough for any writing, promotion, marketing, writing life currency since real life threw several obstacles in the way.
Maria Savva read my first ebook, Sandcastle and Other Stories, back in October, and asked me if I’d like to be interviewed for her blog, which is a wonderful writing and author blog. I said, “I’d love to.” Then my world tilted into sadness.
Even if life gets crazy busy, I don’t like agreeing to do something and then never deliver — who does? Maria Savva is a prolific author, and I was a bit nervous to accept being interviewed since I only have the one title, while she’s published many, many more novels — and I have added them all to my to-be-read stack. I am currently reading and loving her latest suspense novel, Haunted, and it’s a corker (click title to buy the book at Amazon). Haunted is the story of a man who resorts to murder in an escalating fit of pique, and the narrative centers on the guilt such a murderer would feel; already, Haunted reminds me of the granddaddy of all Guilty Conscience books, Crime and Punishment, a book I’ve read at least three times.
I thank Maria for her patience and understanding. It took me until a couple days before the Christmas holiday to sit down for Maria’s wonderful interview, and here’s why: To begin with, this has been one of the worst years of my life, which included the recent death of the family patriarch on Halloween. Last May, elder abuse and extortion allegations against a family member, who was supposed to be looking after our father, came to light. The family sadness was discovered on the very same day I hit the publish button for Sandcastle and Other Stories — I’m currently going through the estate followup puzzle (now overly complicated), along with the necessary sale of my home (since my name wasn’t on the deed for the house, I was considered a Homesteader, and I love that); all the packing and moving ended on Christmas Eve. It’s a good thing Zippy and Kipling are such positive pooches . . . the strange twist of fate being that on the creative writing side, it’s been the best year. Sandcastle and Other Stories found the eye of a great Washington State publisher, Green Darner Press, whose goal is to highlight the work of Pacific Northwest authors in the Fiction and YA Fiction genres.
Anyway, to read the wonderful interview, and find out when you can get a Green Darner Press publisher print copy of Sandcastle and Other Stories, click here on Maria’s Interview. Please share this news with all of your reading friends. The new Green Darner Press version is beautiful and playful.
Thank you for sticking with me and A Writer’s Life blog, and I hope you have the best new year,
Cheers, mates,
Justin
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What an awesome book, totally enjoyed it. I can’t say I have a fave cause they were all good stories. Next year will be a better year for you Justin. Say hi to Kipling and Zippy, Maria great blog.
Thank you, Kim. I certainly hope so. I always seek balance, and this can be challenging (and, I admit, annoying to others) at times. Kipling and Zippy send big hugs right back. Happy new year to you and your family.
Hi Justin
I can’t believe you have headspace for my words, let alone your generous comments, with everything that’s happened. You brush off selling up and moving out of your island paradise but it must be grim. It’s all grim. The death of your father, the difficult circumstances of his death, the will. I am thinking of you. You’ve made me grateful for maggots. So I need to thank you.
I am thinking of you.
Cathy x
Thank you very much, Cathy. You already know I am an eternal optimist, remember? So, even though I don’t wear rose-colored glasses, I stay in the present and remain upbeat. There are silver linings in every decision; even the negative choices, life events, bring us to places we could never imagine. Kipling, Zippy, and I are not moving off the island; love it here. We do look forward to restoring a 30+ year old log cabin closer to the town, which neighbors the state forestland park and Cranberry Lake, over the next year. My friend has a wonderful compost and I speak to her about lovely “worms” quite often — she makes the best strawberry jam and limoncello.
Hey, Justin. I’m so sorry to hear of everything that you’ve gone through in what should have been the greatest year of your life. As I just mentioned on Maria’s site, this interview was a great opportunity for me to finally get to know you better than simply the occasional “hello”. Here’s wishing that 2013 turns out to be “that” kind of year for you, sir. It sounds like it very well might be.
Happy New Year.
-Jimmy
Thank you, James. Rolling with the punches helps. I do look forward to a different, curious year. The writing life will continue. Good things ahead. Best to you in the new year.
Here’s to a vastly improved and saner 2013, my friend. You ARE the eternal optimist which is why we adore you. : ))
Thank you for saying that, Tegan. It’s not always understandable how anyone can be optimistic in dark or sorrowful times . . . to each his or her own, I say. We’re all leading separate lives on parallel pathways. It’s the intersections that are most interesting to me, and I’m grateful our paths have crossed. Happy New Year to you and your family.
Well done Maria. Great blog. Keep up the amazing work. Best seller-dom awaits!
Hi, Dan, and thank you for the support and encouragement 🙂 Maria is a terrific talent.