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INTERVIEW WITH ANDERS M. SVENNING

11/5/2017

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INTERVIEW WITH ANDERS M. SVENNING
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Anders M. Svenning was born in New York. He started writing with seriousness at the age of nineteen and has now been published in many literary magazines throughout the United States and abroad. Some of the most recent include Dark Gothic Magazine, Adelaide Literary Magazine, and Degenerate Literature. He is the author of Nonpareil (Tule Fog Press), 50 States Poetry (Pansophic Press), and has a collection of short stories forthcoming, titled Verdant Grounds, Subtle Boundaries (Adelaide Books). The Phrenologist (Wapshott Press), a novella, is also a forthcoming piece by Anders M. Svenning. Anders M. Svenning lives in Palm City, Florida.
 
                                  Welcome to Scarlet Leaf Review!
 
Q: Tell us a little about yourself and your background.

Anders M. Svenning is the name I put on my books. The middle initial stands for Mikael. It is a Scandinavian name and I would give you three dollars if you could email me a more Scandinavian name at Asvenning400@gmail.com, direct money order or Paypal. It’s up to you. In any case, I was born in Manhattan and was moved to Palm City, FL in 2001, with fervency. That is not to say it was a disagreeable move. The Floridian air was asphyxiating and the New Yorker, Anders M. Svenning, started taking on a bit of the Floridian wanton, which seems to be the evident everywhere I turn in this sub-tropic climate; but who is to make complaints when the climate really is an incubator for deviant ideas and creativity, which is a desirable attribute in the publishing industry today, and I don’t speak ill of either deviation or fervency. That Florida has accepted me into its virile bosom—I’m going to be honest with you—has left me rather divalent and with permanence.
 
Q: Which poets have inspired you and how? What was their impact on your work or your literary perspective?

The poet who has inspired me most—and there are many poets, from whom I take influence, and from whom I take inspiration—has got to be John Milton, the author of Paradise Lost and Comus, a masque, among other works. His works always seemed to me to have, not only in their content but also in their semantic outplay and severity, a whimsical affectation, which always seems to make itself prevalent in my own works.
 
Q: So, would you mind telling us what you have written so far?

I have written many stories. A few of them have been published. Three books, that is thrice books, have been published under the name Anders M. Svenning, which is my legal name. I don’t want to jiggle the facts. The three books, in the order they have been published are as follows, and each of them can be found at amazon.com. Search, under books, Anders M. Svenning, and you will find Nonpareil (Tule Fog Press), which is a horror short story collection; 50 States Poetry (Pansophic Press), which is a collection of fifty-one daffy poems; and my latest release, Verdant Grounds, Subtle Boundaries (Adelaide Books), which is a collection of literary short stories, of a seeming and thematic constituency—many of the characters in Verdant Grounds, Subtle Boundaries undergo changes as results of dream sequences.
 
Q: What are you working on at the minute?  What’s it about? 

I am working on a novella, titled Otus in Betulaceae. The novella is to be a part of a book called Téssera Istoríes, which means Four Stories, translated to English. The novella is a story, which takes the reader through three time periods—2017, 1923, and 1453—in the times of the Constantinople unrest. The title of the book, Téssera Istoríes, is Greek in its fundaments. The four stories to be included in the book are “We Are Inmate #881129,” which regards a Greek individual, his travels to the Albanian border and the subsequent occurrences, which take place in New York City, some years afterward; Otus in Betulaceae, which I have described, and which considers the Constantinople evacuations; “The Everest Prognosis,” which incorporates a bank robber, who makes sex with bank employees to gain access to the funds; and “The Sick and Final Ballad of Damselfly,” which exhibits a life of a damselfly in the context of Man. The last two stories of the four may become novellas. I have yet to apprehend the fullness of those two stories.
 
Q: How do you market your books, if you do the marketing yourself?

The Cold Stone Creamery and a car wash, called CarPro, in Stuart, FL and Palm City, FL, respectively, had a visitor, who was I, a couple of weeks ago; and I was successful in setting up in those venues book signings, which are to take place at peak hours, Friday and Saturday evening for the ice cream shop and a Saturday afternoon for the car wash joint. I aim to sell and sign a hundred copies in both venues, all taken into consideration.
 
Q: How successful has your quest for reviews been so far?

Reviews are a pursuit of which I have grown, in the recent months, quite wary. A reviewer may well read your book and find themselves reading the same words as the next reader, but they are letting register this or that for whatever reason, and the context of the story and the mysteriousness of the story is voided by a conceited, or if not conceited, cynical hand, which writes a review, the rating of which may not be a universal perspective. I tend to stay away from reviewers. A good word makes itself prevalent of its own accord. One need not search for literary encouragement.
 
Q: Where do you see publishing going in the future?

There is to be a generator. The generator will take feed. The generator is to recapitulate the imports; and then a story becomes manifest, much like madlibs. This may not happen for forty years.
​

NEW RELEASE

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In Columbus” takes the reader through an out-of-synch, or un-chronological journey through Timmy’s childhood. The small sections are like vignettes on their own and when put together they create a miasma of human consternation. 

“Planes" takes the reader along with pilot Davis Parker as he, while navigating through planes of thought, redefines fatherhood. He, too, is contending with the possibility of enlightening his adopted daughter, Lillian “Bird" Parker.

“The Beauty in Bereavement” takes the reader along with Judy Tremont as she, following the recent loss of her husband, apprehends the beauty in bereavement. Judy Tremont is an aging woman in a world which is quite changed. The recollections of her husband, Augustus Tremont, and of her son, Franklin Tremont, intermittent and entwined in the narration with dreams she has been having since her husband's death provokes thoughts pertaining to turn of the century philosophy, turn of the century familial dynamics, and music.

"Equal Men" takes the reader along with protagonist Richard Louis on a defining day in his life—the day he retires and the day his son, in his eyes, atolls.
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INTERVIEW SERIES - LEWIS J. BEILMAN III

9/7/2017

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Lewis J. Beilman III lives in Hamden, Connecticut, with his family, dog, and two cats.  He writes fiction in his spare time.  His stories have appeared in Foliate Oak Literary Magazine, ArLiJo, Reed Magazine, and other literary publications.  In 2009, he won first prize in the Fred R. Shaw Poetry Contest.
Outside of writing, Lewis enjoys reading, playing soccer, and volunteering in his community.  He has a law degree from the University of Maine Law School and a bachelor’s degree in political science from Sacred Heart University—but he is first and foremost a writer.
You can find out more about Lewis at www.lewisbeilman.com and on Twitter and Instagram @LJBeilman3.

INTERVIEW WITH LEWIS J. BEILMAN III



Welcome to Scarlet Leaf Review!
Q: Tell us a little about yourself and your background.
As a child, I moved a lot. By the time I was in high school, I had lived in Florida, Connecticut, Texas, a few other states, and Germany. That exposure to different places and different cultures helped make me open to accepting new things and being less judgmental toward people who aren’t “like me.” I think that exposure continues to help me view situations and characters through different lenses.
I started writing poetry in high school but stopped writing creatively when I was in college and law school. Eventually, after law school, I decided I didn’t want to be a lawyer and got a job for a short time as a journalist and editor. I started writing poetry again then (a little more than 15 years ago) but switched to fiction about seven or eight years ago. Primarily, I consider myself to be a short story writer.
Q: What are your future ambitions for your writing career?
I’m very excited to have my novella, Fourth of July, published by Scarlet Leaf Publishing, and I’m hoping many people will read it. I’ve had several short stories published in online and print journals over the last few years, but my ambition is to have a collection of stories published. Currently, I have an unpublished collection called The Changing Tide, which I’ve submitted to agents and a few contests—so far with little success. It would be nice to see that collection in print someday. In the meantime, I keep writing stories and expanding my body of work.
Q: Where can we buy or see your published stories? 
Links to my published stories can be found on my website, www.lewisbeilman.com. Also, my novella, “Gina and the Dolphin, which is in the collection, Garden of the Goddesses, and my stand-alone novella, Fourth of July, are available on Amazon at https://www.amazon.com/s/ref=dp_byline_sr_book_1?ie=UTF8&text=Lewis+J.+Beilman+III&search-alias=books&field-author=Lewis+J.+Beilman+III&sort=relevancerank.
Q: What was the name of your last book? Give us an insight into your main character. What does he/she do that is so special? What’s it about?


My book is called Fourth of July. It’s set in New York City and is a satire about privilege run amok. The main character, Ogden Goodman, is a wealthy lawyer who, harried one evening by boredom, hires a homeless man to perform for his family. The “success” of that evening's performance leads Ogden—and others he knows—to engage a variety of characters in a host of increasingly outrageous and disturbing activities.
The story was written before Donald Trump became President of the United States, but it is eerily—and unfortunately—relevant today. A friend told me that the book is likely to make many readers uncomfortable, but these are uncomfortable times. People—particularly Americans—should be discomfited.
Q: Which actor/actress would you like to see playing the lead character from your most recent book?
Ben Affleck, definitely Ben Affleck. (That’s an inside joke. My brothers will get it.) If not Ben Affleck, maybe Matt Damon. In any case, either one of them can contact me if they want the movie rights. If I don’t answer my phone, they can leave a message. I’ll get back to them.
Q: Do you write full-time or part-time? Do you have a special time to write or do you write every day, 5 days a week or as and when?
I have a full-time job. I try to write for 45 minutes to an hour a day before I go to work. I used to be better about keeping this schedule—but, when you have a family, dog, and two cats, it can be hard sometimes to squeeze in that writing time.
Q: Where do your ideas come from? Or is it just the spur of the moment, a special feeling you experience or a specific conjuncture that offers you inspiration?
Occasionally, I have an idea for a short story that comes out of the blue. Usually, though, I just sit down to write and a story starts to form. Later, when I’m running or walking the dog, I’ll ruminate on the idea for a while and flesh out the story in my head. As I work on the story day-to-day, it generally stays pretty true to the course I’ve plotted in my head.
Q: In your opinion, what is the hardest thing about writing?
Finding time to sit and write is the hardest thing. For me, the best time to write is in the morning before anyone in the house is awake. It’s when my mind seems to be the clearest—and I don’t have to struggle with distractions.
Q: Now, what about the easiest thing about writing?
I don’t think there’s anything particularly easy about writing.
Q: Do you read much and if so who are your favorite authors? For your own reading, do you prefer eBooks or traditional paper/hard back books?
I read a little bit every day. My favorite authors are William Shakespeare, Kurt Vonnegut, Milan Kundera, and J.M. Coetzee. For short stories specifically, I like Raymond Carver, John Cheever, Junot Diaz, and Jhumpa Lahiri. I read print-edition books as opposed to eBooks—but only because I’m technologically inept. At some point, I’ll make a further stride into the 21st century.
Q: What book/s are you reading at present?
I’m reading Churchill and Orwell: The Fight for Freedom by Thomas E. Ricks. I like to rotate my reading between fiction and nonfiction.
Q: Do you proofread/edit all your own books or do you get someone to do that for you?
I proofread and edit my own stories. Someday, perhaps, that will change. I wouldn’t mind having an editor to challenge me at times.
Q: How do you relax?
Ironically, physical activity helps me to relax. I play soccer, run, walk the dog, do yoga—these things seem to clear my mind and help me focus. I particularly enjoy playing soccer in an Over-40 league. I find that the world slips away whenever I’m on the pitch. I play winger mostly, but I’m more George Worst than George Best.
Q: If you could have been the original author of any book, what would it have been and why?
Slaughterhouse Five. Of all the books I’ve read, I feel it contains the most perfect blend of sadness and humor.
Q: What advice would you give to aspiring writers?
Write, write, write. Like most things in life, the more you do something, the better you tend to get at it.
Q: How can readers discover more about you and you work?
Website: www.lewisbeilman.com
Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/lewisbeilman
Twitter:
https://twitter.com/LJBeilman3
Instagram:
https://www.instagram.com/ljbeilman3/


Thank you very much for taking the time out of your busy schedule to take part in this interview.

NEW RELEASE
FOURTH OF JULY

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​Set in New York City, Fourth of July is a dark tale of privilege run amok. Ogden Goodman is a wealthy lawyer who, harried one evening by boredom, hires a homeless man to perform for his family. The success of that evening's performance leads Ogden--and others in his circle--to engage a variety of characters in a host of increasingly outrageous and disturbing activities. Lewis J. Beilman III crafts this satire with skill and humor and creates a world that seems, at the same time, both absurd and all too real.

“[Lewis] Beilman casts the satirist’s stink eye on the gilded lives of the bored and wealthy. Fourth of July is a clever, absurdist tale for the Opposite World where we all dwell now.”
Debra Dean, author of The Madonnas of Leningrad

“Grounded in scene and propelled forward by a satirically dark portrayal of white privilege, Fourth of July boldly depicts the bigotry, racism, and sheer absurdity that still plague contemporary American life. Refusing to offer easy answers or feel-good resolutions, this daring novella forces us to confront issues of class, race, and culture through a seemingly hyperbolic lens that at times can feel all too real. Anchored by self-assured prose, Lewis Beilman skillfully balances an incrementally disturbing plot and cast of central characters with a touch of humor, all of it leading to a powerfully unsettling conclusion. In today’s social and political context, Fourth of July is sure to linger long after it has been read.”
                                    Dariel Suarez, author of In the Land of Tropical Martyrs

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INTERVIEW SERIES - INTERVIEW WITH HEATH BROUGHER

8/29/2017

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Heath Brougher is the poetry editor of Five 2 One Magazine. He has published two chapbooks, "A Curmudgeon Is Born" (Yellow Chair Press) and "Digging for Fire" (Stay Weird and Keep Publishing Co.). He is a Best of the Net Nominee and was the judge of Into the Void's 2016 Poetry Competition. His work has appeared in both print and online journals in 12 countries and has also been translated into Albanian. ​

INTERVIEW WITH HEATH BROUGHER



Welcome to Scarlet Leaf Review!
 
Q: Tell us a little about yourself and your background.
 I was born and raised in York, PA. My mom was pregnant with me during the Three Mile Island crisis which was only a 45-minute drive away from where she lived. I went to the most horrible middle/high school in the world with a bunch of snobs who put me through a daily grind of humiliation and ridicule because I would not "conform" and sell out my Individuality like they did. I've been writing my entire life but didn't begin to submit my work for publication until 3 years ago (at the age of 34) so I've got a ton of notebooks filled up and 59 books written that all need typed up and edited. I've already copied up more than a thousand of them and it's barely made a dent in the plethora of notebooks, so I've got a lot of catching up to do.
Q: Do you think that your school years have had an impact in your writing career? If so, what were you like at school?
 Most definitely. As I said, I went to the snobbiest school in the state and had to deal with these scumbags on a daily basis. It was torture from 6th-12th grade. Writing was a great solace for me back then and remains a great solace to me.
 
Q: Were you good at English or like Einstein you excel now in a field that was a nightmare for you as a student?
 English was always my favorite class. The one good thing about the horribly stuck-up school that I went to was that from grades 8th-12th my English teachers were amazing and it was always their classes I looked forward to the most. I was one of the few moronic American kids who actually went to school to learn things. I also had some really great history teachers along the way as well. I excelled at history because of my dad, who has a masters degree in history and pretty much shoved it down my throat as long as I can remember. Even as a little kid he'd tell me about certain events or make me watch certain documentaries and movies, which, of course I didn't like at the time because I was a kid and just wanted to play, but it came in really handy once I got to middle/high school and aced every history test I took. I'm still very grateful for it.
 
Q: What are your future ambitions for your writing career?
 To have fun and help people along the way. My goal is to bring down the elitist journals which judge who and what they accept by a person's bio instead of the actual work itself. I recently spoke to a poet who has been in this lit world for 40 years and they told me they had worked for journals which would just throw out a submission without reading it if the bio wasn't good enough. I read blind at both of the journals I worked for and the contest I judged and the anthology I edited. I'm the co-editor of Into the Void Magazine which won the 2017 Saboteur Award after only 4 issues. How'd we do it ? By reading blind! I want to see a day where all journals read blind and the voices which should be heard get the proper chance. I want to level the playing field of this lit world.
 
 
Q: So, would you mind telling us what you have written so far?
 As far as books, Alien Buddha Press recently published my newest, titled "About Consciousness." I'd like to thank Red Focks for accepting it and putting in all the amazing artwork that goes along with some of the poems. My. other books include "A Curmudgeon is Born," "Digging for Fire," and "Your Noisy Eyes," all of which were published in 2016. Also, the Issue 5 of Into the Void Magazine was recently released and I'm extremely happy and proud to say that it's our best one yet! We didn't think we could possibly top Issue 4 but we did!
 
Q: Where can we buy or see them?
All but one of my books are available on Amazon.com as well as Yellow Chair Review's website, Stay Weird and Keep Writing's Website, and Alien Buddha Press' website.
 
Q: What are you working on at the minute?  What’s it about?
I currently have 17 different books I'm trying to get typed up and edited but my main focus is on the most important book I've written or put together so far which is titled "To Burn in Torturous Algorithms" which introduces a style of writing I've been developing as far back as age 17 which I call Spiralism. That is the book I need to find the perfect home for. 
  
Q: When did you decide to become a poet? What was the decisive factor or you just took a pen and starting writing poems?

 There was never a decision. I've just been writing ever since I learned how to I guess.
  
Q: How do you think you’ve evolved creatively?
I began a 12-year hermitage years ago, which I am just coming out of, during which I removed all mirrors from my apartment just so I could mirror only my own thoughts and not be influenced by the insanity of society. During that seclusion, I came across many original thoughts and had many great Epiphanies. The only way I think I've really evolved as far as outside influence is, now having read the works of Felino Soriano, Heller Levinson, and Alan Britt, which may occasionally have a subconscious effect on my writing.
 
Q: In your opinion, what is the hardest thing about writing?
 Submissions. I've grown so tired of reading submission guidelines and putting submissions together that I've just been focusing more on the books I'm working on. I just counted and I've sent out a total of 59 submission so far, this year. I used to try to get one out every day. 
  
Q: What book/s are you reading at present?
 I'm currently buried under 18 different books I told people I'd write reviews for. I feel bad that it's taking so long to get them finished because I have all of these other obligations to juggle.
 
 
Q: Do you let the book stew – leave it for a month and then come back to it to edit?
That's what I need to start doing. Two of the books I've published were thrown together in one night.
 
 
Q: Tell us about the covers of your books. How did it/they come about?
Well, with my first book "A Curmudgeon is Born" I actually came across the perfect cover before I was even done putting the book together. Thankfully Dianne Borsenik stepped in and saved the day by getting me the artist's phone number so I could call and ask permission to use the image. Another cover was done by Bree Bodnar, and with my latest book I was given a chance to pick from a plethora of different images thanks to Red Focks, who is a great poet and artist.
 
Q: What would you say are the main advantages and disadvantages of self-publishing against being published or the other way around?
 I've never self-published anything of my books. I've always submitted to the presses. I do have two books I was thinking about self-publishing because they're just so "out there" that I can't foresee a press ever accepting one of them.
 
Q: Do you have any advice for other authors on how to market their books?
 Get out there and read. It's a great way to meet new people and get your work noticed. I've done several readings in Great Britain and a bunch of different U.S. cities.
 
Q: Did you do a press release, Goodreads book launch or anything else to promote your work and did it work?
I haven't yet but I'm planning a full-on assault of promotion once "To Burn in Torturous Algorithms" is accepted. Or, rather, IF it is ever accepted. I told myself I'd submit it for a year and a half and if they're no takers then I'll just self-publish it. It's the most important book I've put together so far and if I self-published it I wouldn't have to hold back on certain aspects of Spiralism which I've had to eliminate in order to make this first book more palatable to editors.
 
Q: What is your favorite motivational phrase? What is your favorite positive saying?
 "Insist on yourself. Never imitate."  Ralph Waldo Emerson
 
Thank you very much for taking the time out of your busy schedule to take part in this interview.

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INTERVIEW SERIES - INTERVIEW WITH DAVID PERLMUTTER

8/13/2017

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INTERVIEW WITH DAVID PERLMUTTER


David Perlmutter is a freelance writer based in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. He is the author of America Toons In: A History of Television Animation (McFarland and Co.),  The Singular Adventures Of Jefferson Ball (Chupa Cabra House), The Pups (Booklocker.com), Certain Private Conversations and Other Stories (Aurora Publishing)  Orthicon; or, the History of a Bad Idea (Linkville Press, forthcoming), and The Encyclopedia of American Animated Cartoon Series (Rowman and Littlefield, forthcoming.) He can be reached on Facebook at David Perlmutter-Writer, Twitter at @DKPLJW1, and Tumblr at The Musings of David Perlmutter (yesdavidperlmutterfan).
  

 
Welcome to Scarlet Leaf Review!

 
Q: Tell us a little about yourself and your background.
     I was born in 1980 in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada, and have lived there my entire life. I have Bachelor’s and Masters degrees in History and a Library Technician certification.
 
Q: Do you think that your school years have had an impact in your writing career? If so, what were you like at school?
     Yes, they did. I had my first exposure to writing in school, and enjoyed doing it. I also encountered many of the writers who first influenced me in school reading, on my own and for assignments. Since I was rather shy and retiring then, as now, I tended to do a lot more reading then most people on average, and I probably still do. 
 
Q: Were you good at English or like Einstein you excel now in a field that was a nightmare for you as a student?
     English was one of my better subjects, along with History.
 
 
Q: What are your future ambitions for your writing career?
     To keep writing and publishing books in fiction and non-fiction forms on a regular basis, as long as I can find publishers willing to underwrite me in this endeavors.
 
Q: So, would you mind telling us what you have written so far?
 America Toons In: A History of Television Animation (McFarland and Co., 2014)
 The Singular Adventures Of Jefferson Ball (Chupa Cabra House, 2014)
The Pups (Booklocker.com, originally 2009),
Certain Private Conversations and Other Stories (Aurora Publishing, 2013)
Honey and Salt (Scarlet Leaf Publishing, 2017)
Orthicon; or, the History of a Bad Idea (Linkville Press, forthcoming)
The Encyclopedia of American Animated Cartoon Series (Rowman and Littlefield, forthcoming)
 
 
Q: Where can we buy or see them? 
Amazon, Abebooks and the various publisher’s websites.
 
Q: What genre are your books and what draws you to this genre?
     In fiction, I write in science fiction, fantasy and horror. I find that these forms are not bound to the same sorts of restrictions in terms of expectations that other genres have. Also, they allow me to write narratives and characters that are close in feel and style to the animated television programs that have been my primary cultural influence.   
 
Q: Which actor/actress would you like to see playing the lead character from your most recent book?
    I could name some names, but, because they are television animation voice actors, you’re not likely to have heard of any of them, so why bother?

Q: How much research do you do for your books?
   A lot! Whatever it is, it has to be as accurate as possible, or else the people and things depicted in it will give you hell. Even for stuff that isn’t “real” in the first place.
 
Q: When did you decide to become a writer and why? What was the principal reason for taking up a pen (metaphorical speaking) and write that first sentence?
    As soon as I realized that animated cartoons were made by actual people, and were not documentary depictions of real places I wanted to visit more than once every week.     

Q: Do you write full-time or part-time? Do you have a special time to write or do you write every day, 5 days a week or as and when?
   Part when I am at work at my library job, full otherwise. No particular time, just when I feel I can fit it in without being interrupted.

Q: Where do your ideas come from? Or is it just the spur of the moment, a special feeling you experience or a specific conjuncture that offers you inspiration?
   Some sort of union between what I watch on television and read, and the desire to fix any and all of the “mistakes” I felt had been made by the writers in doing their work.
 
Q: How do you think you’ve evolved creatively?
   I have a stronger sense of moral purpose about my work than I used to do, as well as a stronger sense of humor, and a stronger sense that I seem to know about things other people don’t know about at all, since I have to explain some of the more obscure references I put into my work sometimes.

Q: Do you work to an outline or plot or do you prefer just see where an idea takes you?
    For longer works I have an outline; for shorter things, I wing it as much as I can.
 
Q: In your opinion, what is the hardest thing about writing?
   Not getting paid a regular and dependable weekly salary for doing it.
 
Q: Now, what about the easiest thing about writing?
   Being the boss of everything and everybody I write about.
 
Q: Do you ever get writer’s Block and if so do you have any tips on how to get through the dreaded writer’s block?
   Keep exposing yourself to new things culturally. The more you expose yourself to other people’s ideas, the more you’ll figure out how to do those same things yourself.
 
Q: Do you read much and if so who are your favorite authors? For your own reading, do you prefer eBooks or traditional paper/hard back books?
   I read considerably. I am a paper book person, and will be so forever. Particular favorite authors who have influenced me are many, but a small list would include: Robert Bloch, Jack London, Mark Twain, Philip Jose Farmer, Ray Bradbury, Philip K. Dick, Isaac Asimov, Sherwood Anderson, Lawrence Block, H.P. Lovecraft, Clark Ashton Smith, Arthur Machen, Algernon Blackwood, M.R. James, Joe Lansdale and Ring Lardner Sr.
 
Q: What book/s are you reading at present?
   The collected stories of Isaac Bashevis Singer, in the three volume Library of America edition.
 
Q: Do you proofread/edit all your own books or do you get someone to do that for you?
   I do much of my own proofreading and editing, with some assistance from my mother on non-fiction works.
 
Q: Do you let the book stew – leave it for a month and then come back to it to edit?
   I let it stew when I first draft it. When it’s finished the way I want it like that, that’s when I type.
 
Q: Who edited your last book and how did you select him/her?
     It was edited by an editor chosen by the publisher.
 
Q: Tell us about the covers of your books. How did it/they come about?
      I try to tell the publisher what I want, and they try to find an artist who can make it work.
 
Q: Do you think that the cover plays an important part in the buying process?
     Not terribly, but it can sway some people, so it can’t be glossed over.
 
Q: What would you say are the main advantages and disadvantages of self-publishing against being published or the other way around?
     With self-publishing, you have to promote everything yourself, and that’s hard if you are, like me, an introverted, insecure person at heart. With mainstream publishing, they take care of promotion, and you just have to do what they tell you to do, and you let them, because it’s their business and not yours.
 
Q: What are your thoughts on good/bad reviews?
    Good reviews help you get what you want as a writer. Bad reviews ruin entire careers.
 
Q: Did you get interviewed by local press/radio for your book launch?
     No. I have been strongly ignored by the media in Winnipeg for most of my writing career so far, although I don’t think I did or said anything that caused that.
 
Q: Why do you think that other well written books just don’t sell?
     Because the publisher didn’t help the author to promote their work enough in a positive way. Or, if they published it themselves, they didn’t do a good enough job promoting it.
 
Q: How do you relax?
      Reading.

Q: What is your favorite book and why?
     “The Call of the Wild” by Jack London. The book that truly turned me on to adult reading, and the author whose life and work I have admired the most, and whose commitment to sparse but vivid storytelling and social justice I have attempted to honor in my own work.
 
Q: Where can you see yourself in 5 years-time?
     Doing what I am doing right now- reading, writing and working. Possibly I might get paid more, better and more often as well.
 
Q: What advice would you give to your younger self?
     You will get through all of this. Do not be bewildered by any of it- it is all normal and commonplace.
 
 
Q: Which famous person, living or dead would you like to meet and why?
     Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. He seems to me to be the only person in the modern world who completely understood the true meaning of peace and racial brotherhood. We all could have learned a great deal more from him had he not been so tragically taken from us.   

Q: If you could have been the original author of any book, what would it have been and why?
    Any of Jack London’s. He wrote anything and everything he felt like doing, and he did it without being pretentious, because he was a man from low origins who nevertheless was more perceptive that most of his more learned contemporaries.
 
Q: What advice would you give to aspiring writers?
     Keep doing it. You won’t get it the first time you do it, but eventually it’ll come, and you’ll be glad it did.
 
Q: Where do you see publishing going in the future?
      Wherever it wants. I’ll have to keep up with it regardless.
 
Q: How can readers discover more about you and you work?
Blog: yesdavidperlmutterfan (Tumblr)
Facebook: David Perlmutter- Writer
Twitter: @DKPLJW1
LInkedin: David Perlmutter
Amazon Author Page:

Thank you very much for taking the time out of your busy schedule to take part in this interview.

​

NEW RELEASE:

HONEY AND SALT
WHAM, BAM, THANK YOU, MA’AM!
​A SUPERHERO NOVELLA
 
by David Perlmutter

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Bravery comes in all forms: fighting bullies and fighting your own demons. 
Honey and Salt is a superhero novella that will draw you in the just fight of a few super heroines. The story is packed with action and humor.
Their quest against evil superheroes and against their own weaknesses is refreshing. You can identify with them and embrace their battles.
 
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INTERVIEW WITH MONA ILLINGWORTH & DANIEL ANDREWS

8/10/2017

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INTERVIEW WITH MONA ILLINGWORTH & DANIEL ANDREWS
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Both Mona Illingworth and Daniel Andrews underwent a medical doctor training. Nonetheless, they have managed to retain a strong and fulfilling relationship with the nature, connection which began in the country during early childhood. In order to hand over their knowledge, as well as the humankind thousands-years old in-formation about the nature, they created the Bees' Products Series. "Honey - The Nature's Gold Recipes for Health" represents the first volume. The second volume is already in the making. They hope this series will make a difference in people's life.



Welcome to Scarlet Leaf Review!

Q: Tell us a little about yourself and your background.

Mona: Hi! Thank you so much for having Daniel and me for an interview. We do appreciate it. Now, there are so many things to be said about myself. Let me see! First of all, I’m a young woman, full of energy and ideas. I love reading, cooking, travelling, but above all, I love nature in all its wonderful expressions. Together with Daniel, I enjoy taking long walks on fields, through forests, or beaches. These are long walks, for we often stop to admire a tiny insect, the fresh blossom of a flower or to follow the majestic flight of a bird. My professional field is a bit less poetic, for as a medical doctor, I deal daily with various ailments of the people. However, the relief we manage to bring to people many times represent a satisfaction in itself.   
Daniel: My background is pretty similar to Mona’s: we both spent lots of time at the countryside during our childhood, and we chose the same profession. As Mona has pointed out, we indulge in lengthy strolls, and we like to acknowledge everything around us. We share the same passion for reading, travelling and cooking, and I also enjoy a good old-fashioned fight on my computer.     

Q: So, would you mind telling us what you have written so far?

Mona: We have started with a pretty interesting and fully packed with information book about honey. The name says it all: Honey The Nature’s Gold  Recipes for Health. Anyway, putting together so many recipes for such a high number of ailments required a good deal of time and energy. It was sometimes a challenge to synthesize the information, but also a joy to write down so many captivating facts about these tiny insects, capable of such a complex and intricate social organization.  

Daniel: We are particularly satisfied of having included the precautions and adverse effects in the recipes, so that these can be safely used. That was an absent part in the naturist books I laid hand until now. And we found the inclusion of preparation time and difficulty, as well as the layout of the recipes as a whole quite helpful. Actually, this book is the first from a series regarding bees’ products

Q: What are your future ambitions for your writing career?

Mona: We are planning to continue the book series about bees. There are so many fascinating things to share about them and their products!

Daniel: We are also playing with the idea of including practical and fashionable things in one of our future books, such as a fairly elaborated cosmetic book based on natural ingredients. Later on, there are so many other topics we are keen to tap into.

Q: Where can we buy or see them? 

Mona: Well, you can find our book as a print in kindle format on Amazon.

Daniel: And Ingram Spark is also a good place to start.
 
Q: What are you working on at the minute?  What’s it about? 

Mona: As promised in our book, Honey The Nature’s Gold, we have begun the next book in the series.

Daniel: It is also about bees’ products, and for the time being we are in the research phase.
 
 
Q: What genre are your books and what draws you to this genre?

Mona: I’m afraid I’m a bit eclectic when it comes to books. I enjoy as much a Balzac’s book, as I savor an Agatha Christie’s book or one of Asimov’s books. I think I’m the inquiring type and I just like to have a finger in every pie.

Daniel: I too enjoy lots of genres of books: crimes, science-fiction, fantasy, and classic books just to name a few. Like Mona I prefer to keep an open mind and gather as many information as possible. And to enjoy the things in the process!
 
Q: When did you decide to become a writer and why? What was the principal reason for taking up a pen (metaphorical speaking) and write that first sentence?

Mona: Daniel and I had often remarked how much had been lost or simply ignored from the ancient wisdom and connection with nature.

Daniel: There are actually so many wonderful things in the nature to be known and used. Mona and I, as medical doctors and keepers of some of this knowledge, we decided to offer parts of these to other people so that hopefully a larger and larger number of people will benefit from it.
 
Q: Tell us about the covers of your books. How did it come about?

Mona: From the beginning, we agreed there had to be a bee on the cover, for the bees are, actually, the essential actors when it comes to honey. 

Daniel: And as we both love lavender, a field with lots of it seemed the best idea. We also find the poppies on the back cover a nice touch. 
 
 
Q: Do you think that the cover plays an important part in the buying process?

Mona: Some would say it is fundamental. I like a good cover too, but this has never been the main incentive for buying a book. I’ m more interested in the title of the book.

Daniel: I think for many it is quite important a good, catchy cover. Indeed, it is the very first thing one sees, before reading the title. So, accordingly, and also for the sake of our book’s beauty, we spent much time on deciding the right cover. And the right one we found!
 
Q: What are your thoughts on good/bad reviews?

Mona: Good reviews are the vital food for any writer. We hope we’ll enjoy lots of them. Now, regarding the bad ones, what can I say? People are very different. What’s pretty good for one is uninteresting for the next one, or even unpalatable for another one.

Daniel: I totally agree with Mona. However, I’m pretty confident we’ll receive our fair share of good reviews.
 
Q: Is there anything else you would like to add that I haven’t included?

Mona: We truly believe our series, and particularly our first book, Honey The Nature’s Gold  Recipes for Health, will cover a missing segment in the natural medicine domain, specifically the bridge between it and the modern medicine. And I hope you’ll enjoy it and benefit from it.

Daniel: Well, I have a single thing to add: Enjoy!
 
 

Thank you very much for taking the time out of your busy schedule to take part in this interview.


NEW BOOK RELEASE:

HONEY - THE NATURE'S GOLD
RECIPES FOR HEALTH
​
by MONA ILLINGWORTH & DANIEL ANDREWS

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Honey and Health - they go hand in hand. 
The book brings in the foreground the multiple benefits of honey. The nature' s gold stands out because of its multiple therapeutic characteristics, in particular the anti-oxidant, anti-inflammatory and anti-microbial features. These properties play a significant role in preventing aging and averting and treating degenerative, as well as chronic conditions, such as cardio-vascular and pulmonary diseases. By regular consumption, honey also boosts the immune system, so that it helps in preventing and treating infections. Overall, honey consumption reduces fatigue and is one of the most effective energizers in nature. 
The book represents a guide with numerous recipes for many conditions, also briefly and simply depicted. The authors never tired to warn about the importance of precisely following the recipes, and kept advising that the treatment should be applied under medical supervision.
We hope you will appreciate the information presented and will take advantage of the nature's gold benefits shortly. ​


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INTERVIEW SERIES - THE POET VATSALA RADHAKEESOON

8/3/2017

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Born in Mauritius in 1977, Vatsala Radhakeesoon has had a keen interest in poetry-writing since the age of 14. Her poems have  been previously published in various local and international printed and online newspapers, journals, magazines, anthologies and  blogs.  She is the representative of Immagine and Poesia (Italy based artistic movement) for Mauritius.
Vatsala considers Poetry to be her first love , her friend, guide and confidant.
 As a teenager in the early 1990’s ,her love for poetry mainly originated from the lyrics of songs of the French Canadian singer, Roch Voisine , Australian singer, Jason Donovan and British singer Phil Collins. Her mother being a Hindi teacher and her best teacher of poetry has also been her inspiration for poetry-writing. The great poets of English Literature,
William Blake, T.S Eliot, Emily Dickinson, Maya Angelou and Carol Ann Duffy have had an influence on her works.
Depth of the River is her second collection of poems following When Solitude Speaks (2013).
Vatsala Radhakeesoon is  a MBA graduate from Management College of Southern Africa  and is currently self-employed. She lives at Rose-Hill, Mauritius and continues to write poems in English, Mauritian Kreol (Kreol Morisien) , French and Hindi.

INTERVIEW WITH VATSALA RADHAKEESOON


Welcome to Scarlet Leaf Review!

Q: Tell us a little about yourself and your background.
I was born on 17 October 1977 at Curepipe, the coldest and rainiest town of Mauritius. But I have been brought up and live at Rose-Hill, one of the warmest and business-centered towns of the island. I’m the youngest of a family of 4 children. My late parents were both Hindi teachers and they maintained much discipline at home. They emphasized much on formal and informal education as well as reading books in the main languages that were taught in Mauritius. I was a pupil of St Enfant Jesus RCA , primary school and a student of Loreto Convent Rose-Hill, secondary school – both schools  founded initially by Christian missionaries. At tertiary level, I did a MBA from Management College of Southern Africa. I’m currently self-employed and also an independent interviewer and translator for Setu journal.

Q: Do you think that your school years have had an impact in your writing career? If so, what were you like at school?
Yes indeed. When I was in Standard One (first year) of primary school), my mother who was also my teacher taught me a short poem in Hindi referring to a little girl called Manjul Rani . Then I had to learn this poem by heart and recite it in front of everyone during the school artistic event .Since then I enjoyed reading and reciting poems in English, French and Hindi. When I was in Form I (first year of secondary school) our English teacher, Sister Antonia originally an Irish nun taught us a poem entitled The Lovely Unicorn. It was a poem referring to Noah’s Ark. We had to learn the poem and recite it during the prize giving ceremony programme at school. So all these led to my writing of poems a few years later when I was in Form 4 (fourth year of secondary school).
At school I was shy and mostly love to study. I could hardly express myself verbally or voice out. So my pen and paper helped me to express my thoughts, views and feelings as a means to unburden my confused   teenage mind.

Q: Were you good at English or like Einstein you excel now in a field that was a nightmare for you as a student?
Well, I have always loved English language. I enjoyed mostly the grammar related parts as everything was systematic and well organized. But I didn’t like all genres of English literature as the critical analysis of novels were too tedious for me.  However I loved studying poetry and plays (drama). Later on I chose Science as main subjects.
But English as a language has always been compulsory in all Mauritian schools at all levels. When I was in HSC (Higher School Certificate) (last year of Secondary school), I enjoyed the General Paper classes , that were part of English class. General paper helped us to do research in all fields that is Arts, Science, Economics, politics and much more and then write essays regarding a vast range of issues.

Q: What are your future ambitions for your writing career?
I wish to keep writing more poetry books and also short stories books in various languages that I know that is English, French, Hindi and Kreol. I also wish to translate the works of other authors in the field of Literature.

Q: Which poets have inspired you and how? What was their impact on your work or your literary perspective?
I have been much inspired by William Blake, T.S Elliot, Victor Hugo, Maya Angelou and Emily Dickinson.
From Blake’s Songs of Innocence and Experience, I have learnt that poetry can be written beautifully in a simple language. T.S Eliot and Victor Hugo have inspired me to write philosophical poems. Maya Angelou has inspired me to write feminist poems and voice out without fear as an independent woman. Emily Dickinson’s poems have taught me the beauty of writing in solitude.

Q: So, would you mind telling us what you have written so far?
My first poetry book is entitled When Solitude Speaks. It was published in 2013 by the sponsorship of Ministry of Arts and Culture, Mauritius. This book is a self- published one .It consists of a selection of poems that I’ve written between the ages of 14 to 35.

Some of my poems have been published in Immagine and Poesia anthology 2016 and 2017 (Italy).

My poem Being Myself with Maurtian Kreol, French and Hindi translations has appeared in Women, Wit and Wisdom Anthology 2017 (India).

My second poetry book entitled Depth of the River has been published in July 2017 by Scarlet Leaf Publishing House, Canada. It consists of a series of philosophical, spiritual, and emotional poems.

Q: Where can we buy or see them? 
When Solitude Speaks – Available at Bookcourt bookshops Mauritius
Immagine and Poesia anthology 2016 , 2017  can be read for free by downloading from
immaginepoesia.jimdo.com
Women, Wit and Wisdom anthology can be ordered by Author’s Press India (New Delhi)
Depth of the River – Available on Amazon.com, Amazon UK, Amazon France, Amazon India, Amazon Italy, Amazon Australia.
Kindle  price : $2.99
Paperback : $10

Q: What are you working on at the minute?  What’s it about? 
I’m actually working on my first poetry book in French. It basically consists of philosophical poems.

Q: What genre are your books and what draws you to this genre?
Basically I’m much into poetry. Poetry’s musicality, its ability to covey feelings thoughts and facts in a concise way and delivering powerful messages instantly draw me to this particular genre.

Q: When did you decide to become a poet? What was the decisive factor or you just took a pen and starting writing poems?
I decided to become a poet at the age of 14 in August 1992. I have always been a music lover.
And the songs sung by my favourite singer, Roch Voisine (French Canadian singer) mesmerized me.
I loved the lyrics of his French songs , Hélène , L’Idole, La L’égende D’Oochigeas and those of his English songs such as I’ll always be there, Jamie’s Girl and others . So this compelled me to start writing poems.

Q: What makes you write? What’s the force behind taking your pen (or your keyboard) and put verses down?
Basically I feel my inspiration comes from God – the Divine energy. Then the words in my mind and soul begin to flow on paper.

Q: Where do your ideas come from? Or is it just the spur of the moment, a special feeling you experience or a specific conjuncture that offers you inspiration?
A word, a conversation with someone, an event, a friend, a song, a movie, observing Nature and moments of solitude compel me to write poems.

Q: How do you think you’ve evolved creatively?
During my 25 years of poetry writing, contemporary poetry has evolved as well, so have I creatively.
When I started writing poems I was using a simple language and merely free verse style.  But with continuous poetry -writing practice and reading more poetry books I feel I use more complex words, and alter the styles from free verse to rhyming or at times blend both. I no longer follow the trends or rules.
I’ve acquired my own voice and my freedom in writing.

Q: In your opinion, what is the hardest thing about writing?
To write for a particular cause and within word limit.  This hinders the freedom of a writer. A writer is a person who loves freedom; his/her space and hates inhibitions or shackles of various sorts.
Confining a writer to word limit or asking him to write for a particular cause is like stopping his spontaneous flow of feelings, views and ideas. It destroys the writer’s individuality.
I have written some specific cause related poems but after writing them I have always felt that I didn’t give the best of myself and I felt something imposed on me.

Q: Now, what about the easiest thing about writing?
The easiest thing is that once we become a writer, it means we have created our special space, comfort zone. So whatever happens in life we can find solace from writing. It’s a cozy place where no one can interfere, or really judge us.

Q: Do you ever get writer’s Block and if so do you have any tips on how to get through the dreaded writer’s block?
When I was much younger I did get it. But now I don’t really get writer’s block. My tips for writer’s block are:
Never panic. If you can’t write just stop and take a deep breath. Go for a walk, cook something in the kitchen or do some routine household tasks.
Read a book by other writer.
Gradually writer’s block will disappear. Writer’s block is just the product of a stressed mind. A relaxed mind produces better works of Arts.

Q: Do you read much and if so who are your favorite authors? For your own reading, do you prefer eBooks or traditional paper/hard back books?
Yes I do read. My favourite Mauritian poets are Anoucheka Gangabissoon, and Cyril Luximan.
Among the classics I like William Blake, T.S Eliot, and Emily Dickinson.
Among the contemporary poets of foreign countries, I like the poems by Scott Thomas Outlar,,
Sunil Sharma and Santosh Bakaya.
Among the novelists, I’m a big fan of Mitch Albom and Paulo Coelho.
I like both e books and traditional books as both help us to perform the same action, that is reading and to cultivate our minds.

Q: What book/s are you reading at present?
I’m re-reading Selected Poems of T.S Eliot.

Q: Do you proofread/edit all your own books or do you get someone to do that for you?
I first edit it myself. Then I give to someone else to have a look.

Q: Do you let the book stew – leave it for a month and then come back to it to edit?Yes as times I take a break after finishing my book manuscript and edit it much later. This helps me to go through my poems with a different perception.

Q: Tell us about the covers of your books. How did it/they come about?
The cover of my first book consists of the Maurtian sea with a single boat sailing. This represents the title of the book When Solitude Speaks.
For my second book, Depth of the River, the cover consists of lady  walking amidst the river. This represents the poem The River’s Poetess featured in the book.

Q: Do you think that the cover plays an important part in the buying process?
Yes the cover can play an important role. An attractive cover definitely catches the customers’ eyes and makes him/her willing to do a purchase and read the book.
 
Q: What would you say are the main advantages and disadvantages of self-publishing against being published or the other way around?
Self -publishing helps the author to maintain complete control of his/her book ie. in terms of marketing, sales and profit in his/her own country. But self-publishing doesn’t make it easy to market and sell internationally. It is difficult and stressful for a writer to handle both his writing and marketing all alone.
Publishing with a publisher gives a book a more professional look. The marketing and sales responsibilities are shared by both the author and the publisher. So sales and marketing become much an adventure instead of dreaded duties. However publishing with a publisher, at times restricts the freedom of a writer as he/she cannot decide what to do with the book independently.

Q: How do you market your books, if you do the marketing yourself?
I market through Facebook, individual Facebook messages, Whats App, e-mails, newspapers, Literary T.V and radio programmes and book signing at bookshops.
 
Q: Would you or do you use a PR agency?
 I haven’t done it for my previous book but may be in future I will do it.
 
Q: Do you have any advice for other authors on how to market their books?
The fastest way to reach out a large number of people is social media. So it is worthwhile to keep marketing through it. Then, marketing is an ongoing process. Ups and down will be there but we must keep on marketing every week or every month. Never be discouraged. If one strategy doesn’t work, try another one. Always have an innovative and positive approach.
 
Q: Any amusing story about marketing books that happened to you?
Once when I was doing a book signing a child who was passing by took one copy of my book and didn’t let go of it. This compelled the parents to buy it.
 
Q: Did you do a press release, Goodreads book launch or anything else to promote your work and did it work?
I haven’t tried so far. But I’m willing to do it for my second book that has been recently published.
 
Q: Did you get interviewed by local press/radio for your book launch?
Yes for my first poetry book When Solitude Speaks I got interviewed by the local newspapers L’Express, Le Défi and literary T.V programmes  Passerelles  and Portraits D’artistes.
 
Q: Is there any marketing technique you used that had an immediate impact on your sales figures?
Marketing through Facebook and doing book signing have helped in the past.
 
Q: Did you make any marketing mistakes or is there anything you would avoid in future?
Yes, previously I was informing everyone about my book but gradually I have realized that all people are not interested in buying and reading books. So now I use the marketing technique of proper market segmentation and select the potential customers properly.
 
Q: Why do you think that other well written books just don’t sell?
Tough question!  Based on my Marketing knowledge as a MBA person and following the great marketing guru, professor and author Philip Kotler’s advice, I think sales depend on the marketing approach.
When we talk about sales it refers to the business world. When we study sales and Marketing, we learn that business is all about building a long term business relations with the customers.
Logically in the writing world, most writers simply let the publishing companies do the marketing and sales job. But we must realize that the publisher doesn’t have only our books to sell. He/she has to care about other authors too. So, well written books may not sell because many writers shy off and don’t like to reach out to customers and readers in a humane and friendly way. Many writers remain hostile to readers and do not make the effort of getting to know their readers even at book festivals or other literary events.
Yes, we need our solitude to write but if we want our books to sell we must adopt a friendly and humane approach to others and not walk with the aura of ego that we are writers, we have  published thousands of books and keep thinking that people are compelled to buy our books. Many good books don’t sell because the writers don’t take the responsibility of being involved in sales and marketing themselves.

Q: What do you think of “trailers” for books?
I think they are good means of marketing books in order to attract the right readers and customers.
 
Q: Do you think that giving books away free works and why?
Sometimes it may work, sometimes it may not. Providing books for free may enable those who can’t afford to buy it, be able to read it. It can be an incentive for the reader to read the book.
The negative aspect of this is that when we give books for free, readers adopt ‘the taking for granted attitude’ and they do not value the book as a valuable work of Arts and the writer’s hard work. So we must bring a balance between providing books for free and selling them
 
Q: How do you relax?
Since, I’m a great music lover. Music is my best means of relaxation. I like pop music, classical music, spiritual songs and I’m open to all other forms of music. Then I like to go for walks, observe nature and go to the seaside whenever I can.
 
Q: What is your favorite motivational phrase? What is your favorite positive saying?
“To let go” – in the Buddhist way.
 
Q: What is your favorite book and why?
When it comes to poetry, my favourite book is Four Quartets by T.S Eliot. I like that book because it centers on deep philosophical views. When it comes to novels, my favourite book is Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte. This book shows the strength of a woman and teaches women to keep fighting for their rights and never give up. Never fall in the trap of self-pity. Regarding plays, my favourite is The Glass Menagerie by Tennessee Williams as the playwright has shown a deep insight in human psychology.
 
Q: What is your favorite quote?
“I am no bird, and no net ensnares me: I am a free human being with an independent will.”
                                                     Charlotte Bronte, Jane Eyre
 
Q: Where can you see yourself in 5 years-time?
Writing more books and exploring new horizons of spirituality and philosophy.
 
Q: What advice would you give to your younger self?
To keep reading so as to cultivate their minds.  To bring a balance between the mundane and the spiritual in order to   live happily.
 
Q: Which famous person, living or dead would you like to meet and why?
I would like to meet my favourite contemporary American author Mitch Albom . I’m mesmerized by all his novels as they really touch my soul.
 
Q: What advice would you give to aspiring writers?
Keep writing. Never be discouraged by rejection notes and other ups and down. Persevere and you will fulfill your mission as a writer.
 
Q: Where do you see publishing going in the future?
Since the world is IT oriented I see e-books being the future of publishing world.
But paperback books will co-exist much as a luxury.

Q: How can readers discover more about you and you work?
Website: Amazon.com
Link: https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B073ZKMKL4/ref=mp_s_a_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1500351060&sr=8-1&pi=AC_SX236_SY340_FMwebp_QL65&keywords=vatsala+Radhakeesoon&dpPI=1&dpID=51-jJ6lt7GL7ref=plSrch

        
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/Vatsala.D.Radhakeesoon



Thank you very much for taking the time out of your busy schedule to take part in this interview.
NEW RELEASE
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​Death and After 
Wait, wait, I’m coming!
Neither am I scared nor screaming,
With joy my eyes are dancing,
I can hear Divine Music echoing.

Feel, now, O, Detached Soul, you surely can!
Feel pure light, perfect knowledge of Immortal Friend;
Fly freely to all planets, you surely can!
It’s All- blissful, no sorrows to mend.
 
Depth of the River is the author’s second collection of poems emphasizing on her life as it is. She considers this book as her open confessions manifesting from her subconscious mind.
This book also brings forth, social and global issues that touch the Human race, as a whole.
Through her poems, the poet has also pointed out that the connection to the Divine energy,
that is God, is the best cure to all sufferings and the priceless means to recognizing real joy and leading a peaceful life.
 The poems in this book have been written by blending elements of modern and traditional poetry. Some have a rhyming pattern. Others are purely in free verse.
 


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INTERVIEW SERIES - THE POET PRANAB GHOSH

7/23/2017

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Pranab Ghosh is a journalist, writer, poet, translator and blogger. He writes a blog “Existential Problems”. His poems and prose pieces have been published and accepted by Tuck Magazine, Transendent Zero Press, Scarlet Leaf Review, Literature Studio Review, Leaves of Ink, Hans India, Dissident Voice etc. He has co-authored a book of poems, titled Air & Age. He has to his credit a translation of a book of Bengali short stories titled Shantiramer Cha, authored by Bitan Chakraborty. The title of the English translation is Bougainvillea and Other Stories.


Welcome to Scarlet Leaf Review!
 Q: Tell us a little about yourself and your background.
I did my graduation with honours in English literature from Scottish Church College in Kolkata and then went on to do my masters in Journalism from Calcutta University. While in school I extensively took part in various debate and recitation competitions and had won many prizes. This continued during the university years as well. I eat non-vegetarian dishes. I generally do not take alcoholic drinks. I am a law-abiding, God-fearing person.
 Q: Do you think that your school years have had an impact in your writing career? If so, what were you like at school?
Yes, my school years have had an impact on my writing career. My first poem in English was published in my School magazine. I was in Class Six then, age 11 years. I was considered a good student. According to my teachers my English was above average compared to the peers I had.
 Q: Were you good at English or like Einstein you excel now in a field that was a nightmare for you as a student?
Same as above.
Q: What are your future ambitions for your writing career?
I want to carry on with my
writing. Write better stuff and excel with each publishing work. At the back of my mind I cherish a desire to bag literary awards based on the merit of my writing skills.


Q: Which poets have inspired you and how? What was their impact on your work or your literary perspective?
The Romantic poets of English literature, especially John Keats, have had an impact on me while I was in College. This apart, Rabindranath Tagore has been an influence. These poets have impacted my inner thoughts and that at times that get reflected in my writings.
 Q: So, would you mind telling us what you have written so far?
I have been a journalist for years and have written several articles till date. While in Hindustan Times, Delhi, I wrote several stories related to education for young adults and that was an enriching experience. At present I write for Business India, a premier business magazine of India. These apart I have co-authored a book of poems – Air and Age and have translated a book of Bengali short stories into English. Apart from the recently published Soul Searching and Other Poems the above mentioned two books had been my published works. I have seriously taken to writing poetry and fiction for the past two years.

Q: Where can we buy or see them?
Those could be bought online. On Amazon and other sites.

Q: What are you working on at the minute? What’s it about?
t present I am working on a book of poems. It is more or less complete. I am fine tuning and rewriting. The name of this proposed book of poems is Karma-Cola.

Q: What genre are your books and what draws you to this genre?
I write poetry and short stories. I have not restricted myself to any genre. You as my publisher would be in a better position to say in which genre my poetry falls.

Q: When did you decide to become a poet? What was the decisive factor or you just took a pen and starting writing poems?

I was toying with the idea for years. But couple of years ago I met a student of mine who had formed a band by then and was the lead singer in it. He wanted me to write songs for them. The subsequent discussions with him did not take place, but I became a poet in the process.

Q: What makes you write? What’s the force behind taking your pen (or your keyboard) and put verses down?
My inner being. That I think as I live. That there is a living and responsive world around me that laughs, cries and bleeds. The power of life and everything surrounding it forces me to take up a pen and write.
 
Q: Do you write full-time or part-time? Do you have a special time to write or do you write every day, 5 days a week or as and when?
I have been a journalist. That’s my profession. And as a poet, short-story writer – that’s a part-time affair. It is very difficult to sustain as a full-time author, at least for me till now. But things might change. You never know. At times I write on all the days in a week and at times there is a lull for weeks together. I have to earn a living and life has been difficult. Let’s see.
Q: Where do your ideas come from? Or is it just the spur of the moment, a special feeling you experience or a specific conjuncture that offers you inspiration?
From life around and from my inner self.
 
Q: How do you think you’ve evolved creatively?
The process of evolving is continuing.
Q: In your opinion, what is the hardest thing about writing?
To take the decision that you will seriously take up writing as a profession.
Q: Now, what about the easiest thing about writing?
The scope that you are giving vent to your deepest thought process; that you are sharing with people most of whom, may be you will never meet.

Q: Do you ever get writer’s Block and if so do you have any tips on how to get through the dreaded writer’s block?
As of now there has been no writer’s block. But certainly there are times when you scratch your head and do not know what to write about. Of late, existential problems are keeping me away from writing. Life’s difficult as you are required to earn a living. The concept of a professional poet is yet to take root in India. We are all like part-time poets.
Q: Do you read much and if so who are your favorite authors? For your own reading, do you prefer eBooks or traditional paper/hard back books?
Well the list is long. And at this moment I do not have the mind to go for a short list. I prefer traditional paper.

Q: What book/s are you reading at present?
An anthology of Indian poets and a book on brand journalism.

Q: Do you proofread/edit all your own books or do you get someone to do that for you?
I do it myself.

Q: Do you let the book stew – leave it for a month and then come back to it to edit?
No. I do it as I finish writing it, unless it is a compilation work like the current one.

Q: Who edited your last book and how did you select him/her?
I edited my last book and it was re-edited by the publisher himself.

Q: Tell us about the covers of your books. How did it/they come about?
No comments.


Q: Do you think that the cover plays an important part in the buying process?
Yes I do.

Q: What would you say are the main advantages and disadvantages of self-publishing against being published or the other way around?
No comments.

Q: How do you market your books, if you do the marketing yourself? I do not do marketing myself and I do not have the right knowledge about books marketing.
Q: Would you or do you use a PR agency?
I have till date not used any PR agency. Given my current financial status I would not be in a position to afford one now. May be in future.

Q: Do you have any advice for other authors on how to market their books?
No comments.

Q: What part of your writing time do you devote to marketing your book?
None.

Q: What do you do to get book reviews?
Till date I have not done anything substantial apart from visiting one local English newspaper office and giving them the copies of my two published books.

Q: How successful has your quest for reviews been so far?
I have not had much of success. All the reviews and good ones, mind you that I have had till date had been my publisher’s work.

Q: Do you have a strategy for finding reviewers?
As of now I do not have a strategy. I would like to leave it to my publisher.

Q: What are your thoughts on good/bad reviews?
It should be taken in the stride.

Q: Any amusing story about marketing books that happened to you?
None.

Q: What are your views on social media for marketing?Which social network worked best for you?Any tips on what to do and what not to do?
Social media is very important. But I am not that social media savvy, especially from the point of exploiting it. I would need my publisher’s help.

Q: Did you do a press release, Goodreads book launch or anything else to promote your work and did it work?
My publisher did the press releases and the book launches. The response was good.

Q: Did you get interviewed by local press/radio for your book launch?
My Air and Age was launched in the Benaras University. Local press spoke to me and covered the launch as well.

Q: Is there any marketing technique you used that had an immediate impact on your sales figures?
None.

Q: Why do you think that other well written books just don’t sell? 
Lack of proper marketing and ‘luck’.
Q: What do you think of “trailers” for books? 
Not a bad idea.

Q: Do you have a trailer or do you intend to create one for your own book/s?

I did not think of this, I mean trailers till date. Your question has put in motion the concept.

Q: Do you think that giving books away free works and why?
No, it doesn’t work barring for the reviews.

Q: How do you relax?
I read or just lie down with my eyes closed. At times I watch movies as well. Meditation could be an option too.

Q: What is your favorite motivational phrase? What is your favorite positive saying?
Never say die. Do or die.

Q: What is your favorite book and why?
My favourite book is one written in Bengali called Pather Panchali (Song of the Road) written by Bibhutibhusan Bandopadhyay and famous Satyajit Ray movie later on. It was the movie that launched his illustrious career as a film director.

Q: What is your favorite quote?
To be or not to be that is the question.

Q: Where can you see yourself in 5 years-time?
You tell me. I would like to touch the stars.

Q: What advice would you give to your younger self?
Never say die. Quitters are cowards.

Q: Which famous person, living or dead would you like to meet and why?
Salman Rushdie. His Midnight’s Children made me envious of him.

Q: If you could have been the original author of any book, what would it have been and why?
Midnight’s Children. The subject has been so close to my heart.

Q: What advice would you give to aspiring writers?
Same as the one I would give to my younger self.
Q: Where do you see publishing going in the future?
Places. But I think the journey would be digital.

Q: Is there anything else you would like to add that I haven’t included?
Nothing. It was exhaustive.

Thank you very much for taking the time out of your busy schedule to take part in this interview.



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If you enjoy poetry, then you will enjoy these poems that originate from deep meditation upon the world and people making up this world. These poems reveal deep thoughts and desires but they also point to the bleakness of reality. The poet raises his voice against oppression and terrorism and speaks against war, terrorism and violence, with the same easiness he finds in revealing the deepest desires of the heart. Contradictions depicts nuances that people usually don’t want to notice or try to hide. Ghosh’s darker poems touch on the erosion of the human values and point to the greed for power leading to destruction. In the poet’s words: “Man’s craving to stand up against all that is negative, all that is against human values – to stand up against oppression and injustice had been juxtaposed with man’s eternal wish to take refuge in the Eternal, the Divine. Side by side poems of great human values, there are lighter reads on love bordering on mischievous take on the fair sex.” Pranab Ghosh’s Soul Searching and Other Poems is a collection of several verses with varied flavor and source. While Ghosh, as I found him a loner, is engaged in exploring ‘self,’ his other poems are essentially derived from the material world. A must read book, especially whoever appreciates philosophy in verses. Kiriti Sengupta www.kiritisengupta.com
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INTERVIEW SERIES - THE POET FETHI SASSI

7/20/2017

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FETHI SASSI was born on the 1st of June 1962 in Nabeul Tunisia. He writes prose poetry and short poems. He participated in several national literary meetings. He is a member of the Tunisian Writers' Union and a member of the Literature Club at the cultural center of Sousse. His first book of poetry entitled "A Seed of Love" was published in the year 2010. The second entitled "I dream .... And I sign on birds the last words " in 2013. The third book of poetry "A sky for a strange bird" was published in Egypt as well as a short poem book entitled "All the universe is only the face of my beloved". 

Welcome to Scarlet Leaf Review! 
 
Q: Tell us a little about yourself and your background. 

 
My name is FETHI SASSI. I m a poet from Tunisia in the north of Africa; born 
in 1962 in Nabeul; very attached to learning and writing. I have four Arabic  
poetry books; and some others translated … coming soon.  
 
Q: Do you think that your school years have had an impact in your writing career? If so, what were you like at school? 
 
Really; I was a child with a great interest in studying, always in the first rank 
with a great interest in books and reading. At the same time, I collected the best 
expressions to make wonderful texts that’s why I ‘m going with great love to the  
prose poetry where the pictures are the most important. On the other hand, I was  
had a scientific reasoning and love for mathematics and this world of writing. They were very organized and fulfilling.
 
Q: Were you good at English or like Einstein you excel now in a field that was a nightmare for you as a student? 
 
I like English and German languages … only because English is one of the keys which I can use to open most of the closed doors.   
Because of my translations I stepped worldwide and I am near readers from everywhere. 
 
 
 Q: What are your future ambitions for your writing career? 
 
I have a lot of ambition but the most important is to bestow my poetic voice all over the world; I would like to cry for all and whisper:   we all are brothers and we need love… and nothing more than love. Another ambition is to translate for the Arabic library the work of many poets and know the poetry all over and the different ways of fulfilment.
  
Q: Which poets have inspired you and how? What was their impact on your work or your literary perspective? 
 
Before, I was interested in the poets of the pre-Islamic era, to build and have a strong and a correct writing with the desert meaning first to love and fly. But in the secondary school, my purpose was on the poet full of dreams and desire, Nizar Kabani . His poetry has taught me how to love   and how to respect a woman. And this beauty, the woman, can be everything: motherland, life and so on. But it was not lonely. I have been inspired by several creators as Saadi, Darwish, Ounsi, Maghout and many others.
 
Q: So, would you mind telling us what you have written so far  

When I was twelve years old, I began to write my first poems. I was learning how to walk on the whiteness but I always felt that I was describing to the world how I felt, and how I saw all things. In 2008 I ‘ve decided to present my writing to the club of literary creators of Sousse and decided finally to publish my first book on 2010 (seeds of love) and in 2013 I dream …and  I sign on birds my last words. In 2016, I published A sky for a strange bird  and in 2017 As a lone rose … on a chair together with my first translated book  with Scarlet House  in Canada - And you are the entire poem. 
 
Q: Where can we buy or see them?
 
I would like to put all my Arabic poem books on Amazon site to begin advertising my poems to the entire world but I do not find the help to do it. (I would like to find a person that can seriously help me to put them in all the sellers sites). 
 
Q: What genre are your books and what draws you to this genre? 
  
My books are a ticket to the heaven of love. They are a cup of wine with the smell of  passion, a little journey on the waves with a breeze of happiness … a wonderful 
butterfly flying on the edge of every heart. 
 
Q: When did you decide to become a poet? What was the decisive factor or you just took a pen and starting writing poems? 

When I was twelve, I tried writing for the first time. It was a challenge to be  
different from others. In the darkness of my room, when all the world is asleep,  
some deep whispers come to my mind as an inspiration for a coming prophet. 
But surely there is in my heart a sadness never been slept for one day … this pain 
Is only the ink of my writing that told …where here you are?? What do you do  in this empty world lonely as a story never to be told. Too many questions but no  
answers , and surely the poetry is no more that a question but with no answer . 
 
Q: What makes you write? What’s the force behind taking your pen (or your keyboard) and put verses down? 
 

Pain is my direction. Happiness never led to creation; only the sadness full of  
questions takes you far to the philosophic way of being; it is the force and the  
power made especially for all writers to give the real meaning and explain issues.But surely the method of writing is different from one to another; one take his pen to make this creation and other his brush to draw as  
Socrates [said] to" Videros" in "The Conversations "  
Do you know "Videros "  What makes the writing marvelous  
It is that is resembles painting tremendously? 
and so on; too much method but the main purpose is the search for the absent 
 answers. 
 
 
Q: Do you write full-time or part-time? Do you have a special time to write or do you write every day, 5 days a week or as and when? 
 
I am mad of writing; I try to write non stop to take the real breath for Life. When inspiration comes with all devils to dance on whiteness; take it by hand and fly with to the far sky. But I feel the night would be the time more efficient to create a wonderful words. 
 
Q: Where do your ideas come from? Or is it just the spur of the moment, a special feeling you experience or a specific conjuncture that offers you inspiration? 
 
My  feelings offer me usually the prayers of writing 
 
Q: How do you think you’ve evolved creatively? 
Step by step is the long travel of writing. Every book is really a step; is a part of  
my experience. 
 
 
Q: In your opinion, what is the hardest thing about writing? 

 
The first moment of birth .. the moment when one discovers the world after a big silence in The  memory. This moment is a cesarean birth that separates life and death’ it is the fugitive moment coming with a full  inspiration . 
 
Q: Now, what about the easiest thing about writing? 
 

In this way, there are no easy things; everything has a special role to play until
we finally have the book  in our hands . 
 
 
 
Q: Do you read much and if so who are your favorite authors? For your own reading, do you prefer eBooks or traditional paper/hard back books? 

 
I have never stopped reading since my childhood. Reading was and is my passion; 
  And right now I  like to Be with some special authors as Sarkon Bolss ; Saadi  
Youssef; Ouns Hadj  Bessem Hajjar  and so on … I usually read the  excellent magic realist Marquez; and Gualliano … 
Generally, paper book is the best way to read and to smell  the perfect paper  
perfume. But if the book is only in ebook I  can read it as I do now . 
 
Q: What book/s are you reading at present? 
 
At present, I’m passionate by the short stories of the great Sarcon Bolss . 
 
Q: Do you proofread/edit all your own books or do you get someone to do that for you? 
 
I work with a group of proofreaders in English and Arabic; they control all my  
work to keep my texts with no mistakes; I never do a perfect work  alone . It must  
be some professional touches on the final texts.  
But now I need only someone to help me to put my books on the international  
great book sellers as Amazon and Create Space and so on.  
 
Q: Do you let the book stew – leave it for a month and then come back to it to edit? 
 
Yes, indeed ; every work has to take a good period to go back to the publication . 
I keep all my books on my desk to complete all the details needed to be in the final 
State to the way of publication. 
This period is important for the decision of last touches. Surely so many things  
can be changed; it is in fact the last decision .  
 
Q: Who edited your last book and how did you select him/her? 
 
My last book is And You Are the Entire Poem. This poetry book is translated. It has been recently published in Canada by Scarlet Leaf House. I was invited by madame Roxana Nastase to work together on a translated short poems book . We have been in fact good friends for a good while . 
 
Q: Tell us about the covers of your books. How did it/they come about? 
 
In general I select my book covers with the meaning that leads the book ; to be  
in a direct relation . And about my last book  I have a deep friendship with the  
fresh painter Pascal Chove; he has given me with great love a wonderful image 
to put it on my cover book ; and I  think that  I will choose some others only  
because our common and mutual view on poetry and art . 
 
Q: Do you think that the cover plays an important part in the buying process? 
 
Yes, of course; with no doubt. The book cover is really an important part of 
the buying process; due to the fact that the cover is the first picture that  
meets the reader and generally it can help readers to buy .
 
Q: What would you say are the main advantages and disadvantages of self-publishing against being published or the other way around ? 
 

Self-publishing get some advantages and in the same way some disadvantages 
But it is a method between some others to keep the book in the library for readers . 
But the writer must see the possible way to the reader and get to work with it . 
 
 
 Q: Would you or do you use a PR agency? 

 
No ; I do not use public relation ; really what I use to do is only the power of my  
texts  , and the beauty of my poem  .  
 
  
Q: What are your views on social media for marketing? Which social network worked best for you? Any tips on what to do and what not to do  ? 
 
All social media has a huge impact on the marketing. 
 I use Facebook due to the great number of users. But on the other hand I use 
contacts with hotmail, yahoo; gmail ; and others . 
 
Q: Did you get interviewed by local press/radio for your book launch? 
 
Yes ; in fact from time to time I was interviewed about my first book  and now no  
more ; because in Tunisia from a long time culture was not for culture but for  
friends and personal purpose .  
 
Q: Is there any marketing technique you used that had an immediate impact on your sales figures? 
 

The main problem that has all Arabic writers is an efficient strategy for selling  
books , we have unfortunately only the first state of the book production and no  
more especially in Tunisia ; no distribution . That’s why we go to the FACEBOOK  
and TWITER and so on to find the way to make our books known . 
 
 
Q: What do you think of “trailers” for books? 

 
They are very important for the marketing of the book  , for a big number of sale  
To give the writer a great chance to be read from all and everywhere . 
 
Q: What is your favorite motivational phrase? What is your favorite positive saying ?
 
 
I feel really motivated by two words they are only my little boat in this big life sea  
Love and work ; I cannot live without .It is my travel ticket in this difficult  
poetry experience . And woman gives me this travel . 
 
 
Q: What is your favorite quote? 

 
The great Nietzsche " Without music , life would be a mistake " . 
 
 Q: Where can you see yourself in 5 years-time? 
 
I feel that I will fly all over the world and my poetry will go further than I. Our real  
wings are our poetry books and no more. 
 
   
Q: Which famous person, living or dead would you like to meet and why ? 

 
My father is the great personality in my mind, the only man on this earth who spent his life with one purpose in mind our happiness and success . 
 
  
Q: Where do you see publishing going in the future? 
 
The publishing is getting more and more difficult with time. I’m in the way to  
discover the self-publishing. This is a way quick and efficient to the readers . 
 
Q: How can readers discover more about you and your work ? 
 
I hope for all  readers will contact me on my face book accounts and my blog too ,  
And I will answer all questions and enquiries. 
 
 
Blog     :    https://sassifathi62.wixsite.com/mysite-2 
 
Facebook   :   ttps://www.facebook.com/fethi.sassi.54 
                     https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100005592222927 
 
Twitter    :  https://twitter.com/lapoesiepourtoi 
 
Lnkedin:  https://www.linkedin.com/in/sassi-fethi-28b834b4/ 
 
Amazon Author Page :  https://www.createspace.com/pub/member.dashboard.do 
https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/4570266-fethi-sassi 
 
Book Links: (* American, UK, etc.) 
 
Goodreads  :  https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/4570266-fethi-sassi 
 
 
 
 
Thank you very much for taking the time out of your busy schedule to take part in this interview. 
 

 
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Who said that romance is dead? 
Fethi Sassi brings you peerless lyrical verses reminding of another century, singing love, eternal questions, joy and loneliness. They will warm your soul and make you feel as if you were part of an endless time.
If you look for that indefinite feeling that only love and reflection could bring, then this is the book for you. 

ASCENT OF HER DESIRE 

She was travelling by night 
in the twilight jubbah; 
crying behind the cloud ascent of her 
desire asking....: 
who took away her harlot night?

​
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INTERVIEW SERIES - ABU SUFIAN, THE SILENT POET

5/1/2017

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Photo: © ELITS IIUM)
Abu Sufian is at a Q/A session in a Talk at International Islamic University Malaysia, Kuala Lumpur)
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Abu Sufian – who is also known as The Silent Poet – is a poet, writer and social worker whose writings have appeared in many national and international publications that include newspaper, magazine, literary journals and books. Sufian currently lives in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia and he can be reached at his official Facebook poetry page, The Silent Poet (facebook.com/Sufian.Author). During his undergraduate years when he studied English literature as an academic subject, he fell in love with the poetic world. Finishing his bachelor, he moved to Malaysia in 2013 and recently he earned his MA degree in English literature. During his Master’s study, he has been exposed to Sufi poets like Rumi, Saadi Shirazi, Hafiz, Omar Khayyam. His poems have been greatly influenced by these Sufi and mystic writers and have been published in literary journals including Scarlet Leaf Review, Criterion, Literary Voyage, The Literary Herald, Tuck Magazine, Clairvoyance, and also in the poetry anthologies, Voice of Monarch Butterflies (2016) and Apple Fruits of an Old Oak (2016), Dandelion in a Vase of Roses (2017). All these anthologies were published in USA. His poems have been accepted for publications in a bilingual poetry anthology Where Are You From? which is expected to be published in May 2017.

Photo: © Mahadi Kamaluddin
Abu Sufian is delivering talk on a Research Symposium at International Islamic University Malaysia, Kuala Lumpur


Welcome to Scarlet Leaf Review, Abu Sufian!


Scarlet Leaf Review: Tell us a little about yourself and your background.
Abu Sufian: First of all, thanks for taking this interview. It is a great pleasure for me to be interviewed by Scarlet Leaf Review. I was born in Comilla district of Bangladesh. Since my school years I have been a curious boy. I studied science in my school, and then I moved to college to study business studies. Although I liked literature since my school days, I never thought in a million years that I would become a writer or a poet someday. I did my bachelor in English language and literature, and this gave me an opportunity to read literature more extensively and dive deep into the literary realm. I was amazed by Robert Frost’s magnificent poems; Shakespeare’s enthralling plays; Jane Austen’s reformative novels; and many as such. However, beside my study, I worked as a journalist in Bangladesh for a few years. In 2013, I moved to Malaysia to pursue higher education.

SLR: Do you think that your school years have had an impact in your writing career? If so, what were you like at school?
AS: Yes, indeed. I think everyone’s school days are remarkable and unforgettable; so are mine. And school years have great impact on whatever you do later in your life, because that’s where our mind’s ideas are initially formulated. I am not an exception. I can mention one thing in particular: studying science in school have had a great impact on my writing. Although I quit science and moved to other areas of studies, what I learned about physics, chemistry and biology has been very genuinely stuck in my mind. So, I continued my journey of own to know more about science, our world, life and the universe at large, going beyond the academic study and classrooms. You will see many references of scientific things in my poems and writings. I am very happy about it and that is what makes my school years so dear and important to me.
 
SLR: Were you good at English or like Einstein you excel now in a field that was a nightmare for you as a student?
AS: I was good at English compared to my peers during my school and college years. Over the years, I tried to improve my English as it was the medium of my study both in my undergraduate and in Master’s. By the way, Einstein is my most favorite scientist after the great astronomer Galileo.
 
SLR: What are your future ambitions for your writing career?
AS: When it comes to literature, I don’t aim for any material gain as it is very close to my heart and I nurture creative works as something that will serve the society by entertaining and reforming. So, there is no monetary ambition. My ambition mainly is to transcend some of my messages that I want to convey to the society. And I believe literary works are the most effective ways to influence and reform people’s mind. Other than composing poetry, I am also interested in writing novels and short stories which you will see in coming years, hopefully. In a nutshell, my ambition as a writer and poet is to reform society in a positive way without getting any material gain from it.
 
SLR: Which poets have inspired you and how? What was their impact on your work or your literary perspective?
AS: This is my favorite question to answer. I would divide it in two segments: first, the writers who made me love literature and the ones who inspired me to write. Firstly, my love for literature is formulated and fueled by some poets from my motherland (Bangladesh) and some English writers. Among the Bengali (national language of Bangladesh) writers, Kazi Nazrul Islam, Sufia Kamal, Begum Rokeya, Jahir Raihan, Rabindranath Tagore and many more. The English writers include T. S. Eliot, Robert Frost, Jane Austen, John Keats, Tennessee Williams, Eugene O'Neill, Virginia Wolf, Arthur Miller, Walt Whitman, and many more to count. Secondly, the poets and writers who inspired me to write are not the English or Bengali writers; they are the Sufi writers. In 2014, during my Master’s study, I studied legendary Sufi poets and mystics Rumi, Omar Khayyam, Hafiz, Sa’adi, and Shams Tabrizi. These great poets actually very much formulated and convinced me to write more and more. Although I used to write poems when I was eight, I never thought to get my works published till I am exposed these Sufi writers. I never experienced anything like that before in my life. Their writings are unbelievably enthralling and there are no words to explain the depth and gravity of their poems until and unless someone read their poems and try to comprehend the ideas himself/herself.
 
SLR: So, would you mind telling us what you have written so far?
AS: So far, I have mainly composed poetry, both in English and Bengali (also known as Bangla) and two short stories. Among the poems, I have about 70+ poems that were published in books and literary magazines. I have not published my short stories yet. However, as I am researcher of English literature, I also produce critical writings that include journal articles, newspaper articles, book reviews, interviews and so on. The readers may have a glimpse of my critical writing at https://iium.academia.edu/AbuSufian. So far, my poems have been published in literary journals including Scarlet Leaf Review, Criterion, Literary Voyage, The Literary Herald, Tuck Magazine, and Clairvoyance. My poems also got published in the poetry anthologies, Voice of Monarch Butterflies (2016) and Apple Fruits of an Old Oak (2016) and Dandelion in a Vase of Roses (2017), these anthologies were published from USA. Some poems have been accepted for publication a bilingual poetry anthology, Where Are You From? It is supposed to be published in May, 2017.
 
SLR: Where can we buy or see them? 
AS: You can buy and see them using the following links:
 
Anthologies:
Voice of Monarch Butterflies: https://www.amazon.com/Voice-Monarch-Butterflies-Eastern-Anthology/dp/1533565198
Apple Fruits of an Old Oak: https://www.amazon.com/Apple-Fruits-Old-Oak-Contemporary/dp/1539428974
 
Literary Journals/Magazines:
Scarlet Leaf Review: http://www.scarletleafreview.com/poems6/abu-sufian-poems
The Criterion: http://www.the-criterion.com/V5/n6/Abu.pdf
The Literary Herald:  http://tlhjournal.com/uploads/products/36__abu_sufian_poem.pdf
Tuck Magazine: http://tuckmagazine.com/2016/10/13/poetry-566/
Hall of Poets: http://www.hallofpoets.com/2016/08/hall-of-poets-poetry-of-week-abu-sufian.html
 
SLR: What are you working on at the minute?  What’s it about?
AS: Currently I am working on some short stories. Writing poems – in both English and Bengali – is something I do on a regular basis. I have been invited by some journals to submit poems, I am working on it. I am planning to start of writing a novel. Hopefully, I will start it soon after the gestation period of thinking process and a little of research. 

SLR: What genre are your books and what draws you to this genre?
AS: As per as genre is concerned, I follow the postmodern trend. Literature should be open and diverse, there should not be any set rules that writers should follow. In the early 19th century, the romantic poets successfully broke the long-standing tradition of “order, accuracy, and structure” of the Neoclassical period (1660 – 1798), and thus the Romantic Era (1798–1832) brought a tremendous change in literary thinking. If we still follow rigid structure or genre, then we will go backward in history. So, I don’t want to subscribe my work into any genre. But if you want to define it, my poems would fall under the genres of narrative, satirical, haiku, prose poetry and so on. I have plans to write some science fiction novels in future.
 
SLR: When did you decide to become a poet? What was the decisive factor or you just took a pen and starting writing poems?
AS: I think to become a poet does not have much to do with decision or planning as we do it related to many other stuff in our life. It is something like an Epiphany, a feeling and/or a moment of truth. There is an urge deep inside the heart that wants to speak out for truth and beauty. As per as I am concerned, I got the real inspiration from the legendary sufi poets to compose poems and publish. I would especially like to mention the Sufi poets Jalaluddin Rumi (1207–1273), Omar Khayyam (1048–1131) and English poet Robert Frost (1874–1963). Apart from these inspirations, personally I also felt an indomitable urge from within myself to speak out against the corruption and the human sufferings all around the globe. I was thinking a way out to spread my words, and I found poetry as a very powerful tool through which I can inspire many people and thus transcend the ideas I have in my brain.

SLR
: What makes you write? What’s the force behind taking your pen and put verses down?
AS: Again, I would say the urge that I feel from within. I feel a strong sense of responsibility as I consider myself to be privileged with a pen and paper, and food in my mouth. Many people in the world can’t even eat 3 times a day, millions of people are homeless. 1 out of every 7 people living on this planet go to bed with hungry stomach; 20,000 children die every day due to malnutrition (according to UN). Having seen all these statistics and the sheer horror they bring along, I could not resist me. I am not a politician, nor am I a wealthy person; so, I can’t fix this thing directly. That’s why I decided to write and raise human consciousness.
 
SLR: Do you write full-time or part-time? Do you have a special time to write or do you write everyday, 5 days a week or as and when?
AS: I am a part-time writer now. Writing is not my profession, I outlined above why I am eager to write. From my part, there is almost no monetary ambition when it comes to producing literature. I don’t have any specific time, but I love to write at night, especially late at night when most of the people are at sleep. It is a great experience of waking up the whole night and at the end of the night you start writing.
 
SLR: Where do your ideas come from? Or is it just the spur of the moment, a special feeling you experience or a specific conjuncture that offers you inspiration?
AS: I am not sure where do they (ideas) come from. In my childhood, I heard that, ‘ideas come from God’. I am not sure about ideas’ origin: is it a human mechanism resulting from our biological evolution of the brain, or does a divine source put the ideas in human brain? However, I am sure that ideas exist and they are the key players in whatever we do as human race. My ideas are inspired by a number of things. They include: a movie, a song, a poem, a piece of art, a painting, a photograph, a moment of joy/sadness, an experience and a dream. I don’t see any specific conjuncture, maybe a photograph could be so.
 
SLR: How do you think you’ve evolved creatively?
AS: Relying on undeniable scientific evidence, I believe it very strongly that all living things evolve and everything evolves including humans, plants and the universe at large. But to be honest, I have not noticed how I have evolved creativity. It is so spontaneous and unplanned process that it is tough to detect the nature of creative evolution. It is something like growing up from infancy to boyhood, and boyhood to adolescence. You know you are growing up, but you can’t detect the process.

SLR: In your opinion, what is the hardest thing about writing?
AS: I think the hardest thing about writing is to force the brain to write when it is exhausted, and some occasions, to forget an amazing idea which you previously planned to write something on.
 
SLR: Now, what about the easiest thing about writing?
AS: I think there nothing easiest in writing. It’s all about hard work, pushing yourself and strong sense of commitment to society.

SLR: Do you ever get writer’s Block and if so do you have any tips on how to get through the dreaded writer’s block?
AS: Yes, many times in a year I suffer from ‘writer’s block’. I handle it so nicely that it is no more a problem for me. I simply stop writing and try to go somewhere far from where I live, somewhere close to nature. Nature can heal it so perfectly. In the case of ‘writer’s block’, my simple advice for other writers would be: stop writing and go to nature.

SLR
: Do you read much and if so who are your favorite authors? For your own reading, do you prefer eBooks or traditional paper/hard back books?
AS: As a student of literature, I read a lot of literary stuff. In last few years I have given my focus to many other areas other than literature. The areas include philosophy, science, theology and psychology. It is difficult to give a short list of writers as favorite. However, they include Reza Aslan, Tariq Ramadan, John Hick, Richard Dawkins, Yuval Harari, Alain de Botton and Paulo Coelho. Though I read lots of soft copies, I prefer traditional paperback books.

SLR
: What book/s are you reading at present?
AS: Currently I am reading Excellence Without a Soul by Harry Lewis.
 
SLR: Do you proofread/edit all your own books or do you get someone to do that for you?
AS: At the moment, I myself do the editing.
 
SLR: What are your views on social media for marketing? Which social network worked best for you? Any tips on what to do and what not to do?
AS: As I can observer, Facebook is an effective medium for promotion or marketing as it has over a billion users worldwide. Publishers can run ads in Facebook to attract more people to buy their books.

SLR
: What is your favorite motivational phrase? What is your favorite positive saying?
AS: My favorite motivational saying is a quote by English novelist & essayist George Orwell: “In a time of universal deceit - telling the truth is a revolutionary act.” The favorite positive sayings are too many to count. However, here is a glimpse of them:
“Silence is the language of God, all else is poor translation.” ~Rumi
“Education is the ability to listen to almost anything without losing your temper or your self-confidence.” ~ Robert Frost
“I may disagree with what you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it.” ~Voltaire
“It's the mark of an educated mind to be able to entertain a thought without accepting it.” ~Aristotle
 
SLR: What advice would you give to your younger self?
AS: Don’t let yourself be convinced by the ideas that are not true.
 
SLR: Which famous person, living or dead would you like to meet and why?
AS: I would love to meet the Sufi poet Rumi. He was a great human being. Till today, he is an inspiration for billions of people. I like honesty and truthfulness in a writer. Rumi does not pretend to know all the truths about life, world and the universe. He tried to know and showed his ignorance and inability to fathom the truth. This is why I like him.
 
SLR: What advice would you give to aspiring writers?
AS: Write with honesty and truthfulness. Your writing should spread love and kindness in people. That’s all.
 
SLR: Where do you see publishing going in the future?
AS: It is very evident. The publishing norms will change radically in a about a century’s time. Almost all the publishing will be online publication. Hardcopies will be outdated.
 
SLR: Is there anything else you would like to add that I haven’t included?
AS: Yes, you might ask me about people who helped and inspired me to publish. I would like to thank the editor and poet, Soodabeh Saeidnia. She is a very good friend of mine as well. Her contribution to my writing career is immense and incomparable. She inspires me every step of the way and helps me to get my works published in poetry anthologies that she edited. I can never repay her selfless care and support for my creative writings. Secondly, I would like to thank the editor Michael Lee Johnson who is a great inspiration. Other than this, my friends, family members and most important of them all—the readers who read and like my poems, send me emails, like my Facebook poetry page and thank me for my poems.
 
SLR: How can readers discover more about you and you work?
AS: They can get me via my Facebook poetry page: https://www.facebook.com/Sufian.Author/
They can also search me in Google: ‘Poet Abu Sufian’ or email me at sufiand2k@yahoo.com

Facebook: facebook.com/sufian.iium
Twitter: twitter.com/AuthorSufian
Linkedin: linkedin.com/in/abu-sufian-b41253a4/
Instagram: instagram.com/the.silent.poet/
Google Plus: plus.google.com/+SufianImon
Poem Hunter: www.poemhunter.com/abu-sufian/
 
SLR: Thank you very much for taking the time out of your busy schedule to take part in this interview.
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INTERVIEW WITH PHYLLIS LABRIE MORNEAU

2/28/2017

1 Comment

 
INTERVIEW WITH PHYLLIS LABRIE MORNEAU
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Phyllis Labrie Morneau was born in 1953 in Manchester, NH and was blessed with a loving Mom and Dad and 2 wonderful Sisters. She has been happily married to her husband, Rich, for almost 45 years and is blessed with 3 sons, 1 daughter, 1 daughter-in-law, and 7 grandchildren. The desire to write a personal memoir for her family, especially her grandchildren, was the reason for writing her 1st book "From My Heart to Yours: A Legacy of Love". She wanted to share her family's story and their love and also share God's story and His amazing love, too. It was originally published in May 2011. Her 2nd book "My Season of Writing" was also written with her grandchildren in mind. It is a collection of Bible Bedtime Stories, Poems, Prayers, and Songs written during a recent season of her life. Her grandchildren enjoy reading before going to bed so have enjoyed reading the stories and poems from each book. 

Welcome to Scarlet Leaf Review!
 
Q: Tell us a little about yourself and your background.

I am 64 years old, retired, and have been married for almost 45 years to my best friend - my husband, Rich. I have 3 sons, 1 daughter, 1 daughter-in-law, and 7 grandchildren. I currently live in Tennessee but I grew up in New England. I was blessed with a loving Mom and Dad and 2 wonderful Sisters. I was raised in the Catholic Church, which gave me a good foundation for my faith. However, although I knew about God, it wasn't until I was 20 years old, that I surrendered my life to God and really came to know Him as my Lord and Savior. Actually, it is this knowledge of His love and saving grace that inspires me to share it with everyone who has an open heart to receive it through my writing.
 
Q: Do you think that your school years have had an impact in your writing career? If so, what were you like at school?

I really enjoyed school and my favorite subject was always English. My favorite assignment would be to read a book and then write a report about it. I found it very easy to write but, if we had to give an oral report, that was more difficult for me. I have always been a little shy and do not feel comfortable speaking in public. Although my speaking voice has not been my strength, my writing voice has always been strong.

 
Q: Were you good at English or like Einstein you excel now in a field that was a nightmare for you as a student?

I always got good grades for English in school. I remember that I took my Scholastic Aptitude Test in high school and scored such a high mark on the English and Essay portion that I was nominated for the National Honor Society as a result. You mentioned Einstein and it reminded me of the time when I visited the Amercian Museum of Science and Energy in Oak Ridge, TN. It was very interesting and informative but spending a few hours learning about all the mathematics and science involved actually gave me a headache. I remember thinking that I would like to visit a Museum of Storytelling next time. :)
 
Q: What are your future ambitions for your writing career?

I would like to continue to write as I feel led by the Lord. For me, I think of my writing not so much as a career, but as a ministry.
 
Q: Which poets have inspired you and how?  What was their impact on your work or your literary perspective?

My favorite poet is Maya Angelou. Everything that she wrote - whether books, poetry, essays, or a memoir - she wrote from her heart. Her poetry, especially, touches my heart and affects me in a profound way. Each poem expresses her incredible wisdom and strength of character. I think that many people, including myself, have a new appreciation of poetry because of her.
 
Q: So, would you mind telling us what you have written so far?

I have written 2 books. The 1st book that I wrote is a memoir called "From My Heart to Yours: A Legacy of Love". The 2nd book that I wrote is called "My Season of Writing: Bible Bedtime Stories, Poems, Prayers, and Songs". My husband teases me that I can make a short story long and I guess that I can make a short title for a book long also. :)
 
Q: Where can we buy or see them?

They are both available for the Kindle and Paperback on amazon.com. They are also available for Paperback on barnesandnoble.com. They are also listed on Goodreads website.
 
Q: What are you working on at the minute? What's it about?

At the moment, I enjoy writing essays about hope for my community Facebook page "Hope for the Daily Grind: Morning Meditations on God's Word". It focuses on the importance of having hope for daily life and the very real hope that we can have by meditating on the Promises of God in His Word. I also enjoy writing poetry as I feel inspired to do so.

 
Q: What genre are your books and what draws you to this genre?

My books are Christian non-fiction and Christian poetry. I have been inspired by reading books in that genre and hope that my books will inspire people as well.

 
Q: How much research do you do for your books?

For my memoir, I was blessed to be able to ask questions of my Mom and Dad to hear the stories of their life as well as those of their parents. I also looked at family photographs to help me remember stories about my own life. It was a way for me to share the love of our family with my children and grandchildren. For my book of poetry of Bible stories, I spent a lot of time studying the Bible. It was a way for me to share my faith with everyone.

 
Q: When did you decide to become a writer and why? What was the principal reason for taking up a pen (metaphorically speaking) and write that first sentence?

To be honest, although I loved reading books as a child, I didn't have a passion to write until I was 51 years old, in 2004, when my husband was stationed in Iraq. I wrote to my husband faithfully every day, either by email or by letter, sharing news of life back home in West Hartford, CT.  It was therapeutic for me to write creatively from my heart in a positive and humorous manner. It helped me to continue to be optimistic and lighthearted during a difficult year when my husband was so far from home.

 
Q: Do you write full-time or part-time? Do you have a special time to write or do you write every day, 5 days a week or as and when?

I write part-time - a few hours a day. My favorite time to write is during my quiet time with the Lord in the morning. That is usually when the Lord places an idea about something on my heart. For example, my 2nd book "My Season of Writing: Bible Bedtime Stories, Poems, Prayers, and Songs" was written during my morning quiet time with the Lord. That is when I first got the deep desire to write some bible bedtime stories and prayers as nursery rhymes for my grandchildren to read at bedtime. After many months of writing, I decided to have the collection of poems published to share not only with my grandchildren but with my family and friends.

 
Q: Where do your ideas come from? Or is it just the spur of the moment, a special feeling you experience or a specific conjuncture that offers you inspiration?

Usually my ideas come when I am praying or reading the Bible. But they have also come from a conversation with someone or a song that touches my heart or an inspirational book that I have read. I try to stay open to whatever I feel the Lord is placing on my heart to share with others through writing.

 
Q: How do you think you've evolved creatively?

I am enjoying the process of writing more than in the past. I used to be so focused and intense and serious about getting it done, that I really didn't enjoy writing as much as I do now. I had to take breaks every once in a while because I burned myself out. So now, although I definitely want to finish whatever I am working on at some point, I don't put as much pressure on myself to do it as soon as possible.

 
Q: Do you work to an outline or plot or do you prefer just see where an idea takes you?

For my memoir, I originally made an outline for the book, which is the story of over 100 years of my family's history. For the book of poetry, I originally got the idea for it during a quiet time with the Lord.

 
Q: In your opinion, what is the hardest thing about writing?

When I am in the flow of writing, I lose all sense of time and can easily write for hours. When I wrote my 1st book "From My Heart to Yours: A Legacy of Love" I spent many hours at a time sitting in my recliner using my laptop computer to write. I remember one time that I was literally sitting for hours writing and found that, when I finally did stand up, I was so stiff that I actually had trouble walking. :) So, for me, the most difficult part of writing is to be patient, pace myself, and take breaks periodically.

 
Q: Now, what about the easiest thing about writing?

The easiest and most rewarding thing about writing is the ability to share it on my Facebook page and have friends and family read it and respond to it.

 
Q: Do you ever get writer's block and if so do you have any tips on how to get through the dreaded writer's block?

I have gotten writer's block, when it feels that the well has gone dry, and the only way for me to deal with it is to take a break from writing for a little while. It is usually because I overdue it and then feel burned out and just need some time to get refreshed and renewed.

 
Q: Do you read much and if so who are your favorite authors? For your own reading, do you prefer eBooks or traditional paper/hard back books?

I love to read! My favorite authors are John Eldredge and Philip Yancey. I prefer eBooks because you can change the font to make it larger. I know that I am showing my age now. :)

 
Q: What book are you reading at present?

I am currently reading a book called Prayer by Philip Yancey.

 
Q: Tell us about the covers of your books. How did it/they come about?

The graphics for the original cover of my 1st book was done by one of my sons. I had originally self-published on 48hrbooks.com. However, it did not have enough resolution to be used as the cover for the kindle version of the book on amazon.com. But I liked it so much that I included it on the 1st page of the kindle book.

 
Q: Do you think that the cover plays an important part in the buying process?

Yes - I think that the cover definitely plays an important part in the buying process.

 
Q: What would you say are the main advantages and disadvantages of self-publishing against being published or the other way around?

The main advantage to self-publishing is the ability to get your work published quickly and not have to wait to get it accepted by a publishing house.

 
Q: What do you do to get book reviews?

The main way that I have gotten book reviews is to make the books available for free during the 5 day free kindle book promotion on amazon.com every 3 months. That is usually when most people will obtain my book and write a review.

 
Q: What are your views on social media for marketing? Which social network works best for you?

Social media is a wonderful tool to market my books. I use Facebook to get the word out about my books. I have over 4,500 friends on Facebook so I often share information about my books on my personal page. I also belong to several book groups on Facebook so share information about my books on there, too. Many of my Facebook friends have book blogs so I have done some author interviews and book spotlights on there as well.

 
Q: Do you think that giving books away free works and why?

What works best for me, to have the most people read my books, is the 5 day free kindle book promotion on amazon.com every 3 months.

 
Q: How do you relax?

My husband and I enjoy retirement. I actually wrote a poem called When You Retire about the fact that every day is now a holiday. We love to go on long walks and enjoy nature together. We also enjoy going to the movies, too. And I love to find new recipes to cook for my family. We also enjoy travelling where I always take many pictures and then later enjoy organizing them and putting them into photo albums.

 
Q: What is your favorite motivational phrase? What is your favorite positive saying?

My favorite motivational phrase or positive saying is actually a quote by Maya Angelou. It is "If you find it in your heart to care for somebody else, you will have succeeded".

 
Q: What is your favorite book and why?

I think that my favorite book is Epic: The Story God is Telling and The Role That Is Yours To Play by John Eldredge. It is a book that delivers a powerful message of truth about the reality of our life being a grand drama with God as the Central Character and the Hero in our own story. It is very interesting and inspiring.

 
Q: What is your favorite quote?

My favorite quote from the book Epic is "The Lover of our souls, the One who has pursued us down through space and time, who gave His own life to rescue us from the Kingdom of Darkness, has made it clear: He does not want to lose us. He longs to be with us forever."

 
Q: Where can you see yourself in 5 years-time?

I hope that, five years from now, I will continue to spend time with the Lord as a priority every morning. I pray that I will continue to be open to write whatever He wants me to share. I also hope to continue to enjoy long walks with my husband every day and just be able to spend time with my children and my grandchildren.

 
Q: What advice would you give to your younger self?

I would tell my younger self to always write for the same reason as when I first began -- to simply bless and encourage another person with the right words at the right time, sharing what's on my heart, and hopefully make a significant impact on their life. 

 
Q: What advice would you give to aspiring writers?

I would simply advise any aspiring writers to just start writing. If you have the desire to share something that is on your heart or something about your life that would benefit others, than do it. It is not easy but it is very rewarding.

 
Q: Where do you see publishing going in the future?

I think that self-publishng is increasing each day and will continue to do so.

 
Q: Is there anything else you would like to add that I haven't included?

I would like to encourage my older readers to take time to write your own memoir for your family and friends. Everyone has a unique story that is significant and can enrich and inspire other people by sharing it. I also would like to encourage the poets who are reading this interview. I feel that poetry is important as a creative way to share and express what is on our hearts with one another.  I originally started writing nursery rhyme poems for my grandchildren based on stories from the Bible as a way to share my faith with them. It was a challenge for me to write in rhyming prose but also very rewarding. I also wrote poems about my love for God and for my family. And I enjoyed writing some inspiring poems about the hope we have in God and also a few humorous poems about my life as well. 

 
Q: How can readers discover more about you and your work?

Information about me and my books and my writings can be found on the following links . . .

 
Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/phyllislabriemorneau/
https://www.facebook.com/phyllislmorneau/
https://www.facebook.com/search/top/?q=hope%20for%20the%20daily%20grind%3A%20morning%20meditations%20on%20god%27s%20word
 
Amazon Author Page:
https://www.amazon.com/Phyllis-Morneau/e/B010R8THEY/ref=ntt_dp_epwbk_0
 
Goodreads:
https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/14781769.Phyllis_L_Morneau
 
Thank you very much for taking the time out of your busy schedule to take part in this interview.
 
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INTERVIEW SERIES - TEODORA DUMITRIU

1/8/2017

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​Teodora Dumitriu was born and lives in Campina, Romania. Passions: children, books and English. Sometimes, she writes. 

INTERVIEW WITH TEODORA DUMITRIU

Welcome to Scarlet Leaf Review!

Q: Tell us a little about yourself and your background.

Funnily enough, I used to be an engineer because I’ve always loved the poetry of mathematics too. Spent twenty-eight years in the field of Power Engineering. Switched this year to teaching English to small children – an old dream come true.

Q: Do you think that your school years have had an impact in your writing career? If so, what were you like at school?

School years have had a huge impact on my whole life. Teachers made me see the difference between doing the thing(s) you love and just doing your job. I used to be an avid reader and a curious kid anyway. School made me develop a fascination for the dynamics of teaching and learning, of giving and receiving. School years made me even more curious about the whole of existence.

Q: What are your future ambitions for your writing career?

Well, to begin with, I’m not yet a writer/poet – and my wish is to become one.

Q: Which poets have inspired you and how? What was their impact on your work or your literary perspective?

You know, I took the question very seriously and began to make a list: Rumi, Yeats, Neruda, Hafiz, Baudelaire, Robert Frost, T.S. Eliot, Sylvia Plath, Maya Angelou, Mary Oliver… and at some point the ridiculousness of the list made me laugh, feeling like a donkey rating and labeling birds’ voices in order to DESCRIBE the way they inspired it (the donkey) to sing. Then the hypocrisy of name-dropping made me sad - there are many non-famous poets whose names I can’t remember (out of laziness and carelessness - Internet era, everybody’s out there, so much to read and you just skip the names sometimes, go straight to the verses and then jump from one webpage to another, from one thing to another and can’t find your way back) but whose poems equally made me GASP.
Goodness me. ALL poets inspire(d) me – by making me ache with the wish of being able one day to make one poem that would make one person gasp. And then another. And another.
And if I were to pick only ONE poet that I love, that would be e. e. cummings – his poetry simply makes me ANGRY it wasn’t ME who wrote it! .

Q: So, would you mind telling us what you have written so far?

In English, PRECISELY 12 [sic] poems FINISHED (I’d add a LOL, the editor permitting). A bit more prolific  in Romanian.

Q: Where can we buy or see them?

Every poem I ever wrote so far is here, within The Scarlet Leaf Review.
 
Q: What are you working on at the minute?  What’s it about?

Trying to convince myself it’s the right time to try to find that splendidly unyielding frame of mind so as to stop procrastinating and begin thinking seriously about beginning to refurbish a moth-eaten writing called The Game.
 It’s a kind of patchwork prosetry which sort of sums up random thoughts that crossed my mind some times … based on rhymes - that are meant to distract the reader from noticing that there’s no structure, plot or reason and metaphors - to mask the author’s apprehension for precision.

Q: What makes you write? What’s the force behind taking your pen (or your keyboard) and put verses down?

 Hesse put it like this: “We fear death, we shudder at life's instability, we grieve to see the flowers wilt again and again, and the leaves fall, and in our hearts we know that we, too, are transitory and will soon disappear. When artists create pictures and thinkers search for laws and formulate thoughts, it is in order to salvage something from the great dance of death, to make something last longer than we do.”

Q: Where do your ideas come from? Or is it just the spur of the moment, a special feeling you experience or a specific conjuncture that offers you inspiration?

Funnily enough, sometimes i see pictures in a flash but look for words to paint them until the cows come home; some other times words just whizz by splashing against the canvas/paper like crazed colours, so fast so fast so fast that the ear/eye can’t keep up with the nonsensical mess... BUT these ones are the best sort – basically, in a few months/years they write themselves (you just have to find something productive to do meanwhile).

Q: How do you think you’ve evolved creatively?

I’m getting used to using fewer and fewer adjectives.

Q: In your opinion, what is the hardest thing about writing?

In English - DEFINITELY phrasal verbs.

Q: Now, what about the easiest thing about writing?

Hanging around, hands in pockets, in a state a total bliss, while an equally elated doppelganger scribbles, frenziedly, the BEST verses you’ve ever read. Usually, in the morning, they (the verses) look different.

Q: Do you ever get writer’s Block and if so do you have any tips on how to get through the dreaded writer’s block?

Oh, I get it all the time. My method is simple, low-cost and effective: cross out-replace, cross out-replace cross out-replace until it sounds really TERRIBLE and you get REALLY mad. Then tear up the piece of paper (very, VERY small bits) and SWEAR you won’t be doing the bloody thing EVER again. Then QUIT (for a few days/weeks/years). Do the dishes, make babies, walk the dog, get a PROPER job. You won’t believe the SURGE of inspiration this method brings forth. Oops, I’ve disclosed THE tip. Yes, I do use PAPER. The advantage being that i can destroy the abhorred words THEMSELVES and not another innocent object that happens to be around – which makes the ritual, as stated before, HIGHLY effective.

Q: Do you read much and if so who are your favorite authors? For your own reading, do you prefer eBooks or traditional paper/hard back books?

Used to be a voracious reader; not anymore – who knows why. Twain, Vonnegut, Thackeray, Tolstoy, Twain, Rushdie, Hesse, Voltaire, Twain, Coelho, Huxley, Tolkien, Twain. All the aforementioned poets. Oh, and Mark Twain.
Paper books FOREVER (nothing whatsoever against Kindle, BUT).
 
Q: What book/s are you reading at present?

Am re-re-re-re-re-reading Narcissus and Goldmund. And it’s only the interviewer’s fault!
Seriously now, NOTHING compares with re-re-re-re-re-re-reading a book that you love.
 
Q: What is your favorite motivational phrase? What is your favorite positive saying?

Huck Finn’s "All right, then, I'll go to hell”!
 

Q: What is your favorite book and why?

“Narcissus and Goldmund” – Hermann Hesse.
Because it’s absolutely perfect – the form complimenting the content and vice-versa, in the way described by the author himself: “Art was a union of the father and mother worlds, of mind and blood. It might start in utter sensuality and lead to total abstraction; then again it might originate in pure concept and end in bleeding flesh. Any work of art that was truly sublime, not just a good juggler's trick; that was filled with the eternal secret, like the master's madonna; every obviously genuine work of art had this dangerous, smiling double face, was male-female, a merging of instinct and pure spirituality.”
 
Q: What is your favorite quote?

It is better to keep your mouth closed and let people think you are a fool than to open it and remove all doubt. -  Mark Twain


Q: Which famous person, living or dead would you like to meet and why?

Mark Twain. I’d like to hear him speak.

Thank you for taking the time to talk to us!

​

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INTERVIEW SERIES - NGOZI OLIVIA OSUOHA

1/7/2017

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INTERVIEW WITH NGOZI OLIVIA OSUOHA
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Ngozi Olivia Osuoha is a young Nigerian poet/ writer and a graduate of Estate Management. She has some experience in banking and broadcasting. She has published some works abroad in some foreign magazines in Ghana, Liberia, India and Canada, among others. She enjoys writing.



Welcome to Scarlet Leaf Review!

 
Q1: Tell us a little about yourself and your background?
 
Born and bred in my hometown Nkwerre. Raised by great teachers, i have three male and two female siblings. The fourth child but second daughter of my parents. A Nigerian and a Christian. I have been writing for more than fifteen years. My home is about ink.
I love, respect and salute teachers, especially the old school ones. Those who heard and had it tough and rough, harnessing heavy heads and handling harzardious hands.
I want people to love and admire the teaching profession again.
 
 
Q: Do you think that your school years have had an impact in your writing career? If so, what were you like at school?
 
Yes. My School years really impacted on my writing carreer. I finished from the Federal Polytechnic Nekede Owerri, Imo State where i obtained an HND in Estate Management.
Then, i was once the vice president for my local government students association,
I was once my departmental vice president,
I was the vice chairman for Departmental Vice Presidents Association (DEVA) a new body we nearly hatched,
I was a poet/presenter at the mass communication studio, polynek fm
I anchored the swearing in programme of the Students'Union Government behind my set,
I paired with the School Orator Dr. Nnamdi Anumihe at some occasions,
I did a pamphlet for the Rector, Engr. O. I. Nwankwo,
I interviewed a Dr. Mrs. Ngozi Osuagwu on air, a representive of the then Education Minister, Dr. Igwe Ajah Nwachukwu, at NACOSTE
I took the citation for a black American Miss Claudia Remy Thompson who came for ICT training,
I presented a lecture on DREAMS at a departmental picnic and crowned the pioneer Miss Estate Management,
At the NYSC Orientation Camp, i was the OBS major writer and newscaster,
And a few other things. I think my school years really helped me.
 
 
Q: Were you good at English or like Einstein you excel now in a field that was a nightmare for you as a student?

I was not "good" in English. In fact, till now i am not "good". I want to be excellent, i wish to be an amazing polyglot, not just being good at English language.
 
 
Q: What are your future ambitions for your writing career?

I want to be read by everyone. I want to be a household poet/writer. I want to leave a footprint that no one can ever  duplicate.
 
Q: Which poets have inspired you and how? What was their impact on your work or your literary perspective?
 
As an Anglican, the hymn book ministers to me. I do not know those poets and hymnists but they always inspire me. I understand hymns in a crazily different way.
However, the social media has a bunch of great talents.
 
 
Q: Now, what about the easiest thing about writing?

The easiest thing about writing is picking up my pen and the hardest is dropping it.
 
Q: Do you read much and if so who are your favorite authors? For your own reading, do you prefer eBooks or traditional paper/hard back books?
 
I do not really read. But i like Chinua Achebe, Abraham Lincoln, Nelson Mandela, William Shakespeare and others.
 
 
Q: Do you proofread/edit all your own books or do you get someone to do that for you?
 
I proofread my works by myself and edit them, for now.
 
 
Q: Where do your ideas come from? Or is it just the spur of the moment, a special feeling you experience or a specific conjuncture that offers you inspiration?

Ideas come from everywhere and everything but the primary source is God.
 
 
I love poetry. I have written countless works like...
Letter to my teacher
Letter to Mandela
Politics, my wayward brother
Politics, a tetra-headed dragon
Rape a desecrating monster
Religion angel lucifer
Ink and root
Come home beloved Chibok
Extravagant epistle to my purple mum
Mum my golden dove
The stinking holiday
Kinsmen
July 19th
Feeling like a celebrity
Africa recounts
................just the few i can recall now.
 
THE TRANSFORMATION TRAIN AND LETTER TO MY UNBORN.....two pieces though unpublished, my longest rhymes so far....358 and 560 verses respectively.
A whole lot of unpublished works. Writing is life. Life is writing. Living is a book.
 
Thank you very much for taking the time out of your busy schedule to take part in this interview.
 

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INTERVIEW SERIES - KEN ALLAN DRONSFIELD

1/5/2017

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Ken Allan Dronsfield is a published poet who has recently been nominated for The Best of the Net and 2 Pushcart Awards for Poetry in 2016. His poetry has been published world-wide in various publications throughout North America, Europe, Asia, Australia and Africa. Ken loves thunderstorms, walking in the woods at night, and spending time with his cat Willa. Ken's new book, "The Cellaring", a collection of haunting, paranormal, weird and wonderful poems, has been released and is available through Amazon.com. He is the co-editor of the poetry anthology titled, Moonlight Dreamers of Yellow Haze available at Amazon.com. A second anthology, Dandelion in a Vase of Roses will be released around the first of the new year.

INTERVIEW WITH KEN ALLAN DRONSFIELD

Welcome to Scarlet Leaf Review!
 

Q: Tell us a little about yourself and your background.

I was born in the ‘50s in the Northeast corner of the US. I was brought up in the small town of Hampton New Hampshire, the oldest of 6 kids.
 
Q: Do you think that your school years have had an impact in your writing career? If so, what were you like at school?

I believe that ALL experiences, whether school in the ‘60s, work, or play, parental support, all contribute to my writing as a career.
 
Q: Were you good at English or like Einstein you excel now in a field that was a nightmare for you as a student?

I was basically ‘invisible’ during my school years. I was pretty shy and didn’t say much. English was a pretty good subject although, at the time, I had NO idea I would decide to fall back upon it and make it a huge part of my life today.
 
Q: What are your future ambitions for your writing career?

I want to continue writing poetry and short stories, and strive to keep those reading my work fully entertained and wanting more…..to be recognized by my peers with my recent Nomination for “Best of the Net” Poetry is a dream come true and I look forward to what tomorrow might bring!
 
Q: Which poets have inspired you and how? What was their impact on your work or your literary perspective?

I would have to say, Edgar Allan Poe, Sylvia Plath, Leonard Cohen, Shakespeare and as writers go it would be Stephen King.
 
Q: So, would you mind telling us what you have written so far?

I am the co editor for the recent anthology, “Moonlight Dreamers of Yellow Haze” available at Amazon.com
I have been seeking publication of my Poetry and Short Stories since 13 November 2015 and have thus far had 280 officially published pieces all over the Internet and in Print/Anthology venues.
 
Q: Where can we buy or see them?

Amazon.com for the Anthology, Moonlight Dreamers of Yellow Haze, priced @ $13.95
 
Q: What are you working on at the minute?  What’s it about? (*if relevant)

I’m now co-editor on the new Anthology, “Dandelion in a Vase of Rose”, with my dear friend and Editor Michael Lee Johnson.
I’m working on my own book titled, “The Cellaring” which will be available through Amazon just before Halloween.
 
Q: What genre are your books and what draws you to this genre?


I’ve always enjoyed horror, dark work, paranormal, etc….although I also write many poems on Nature.
 
 
Q: When did you decide to become a poet? What was the decisive factor or you just took a pen and starting writing poems?

I started writing at about 13 years old. I had a guitar, learned to play and decided to write my own lyrics for songs….it blossomed into poetry and after 40 years, I’ve decided to write full time.
 
 
Q: What makes you write? What’s the force behind taking your pen (or your keyboard) and put verses down?

This is a good question, I would say I have a lot to express, something inside gives me the love of the written word that I share it with everyone.The force, I would say, is a blessing.
 
 
Q: Do you write full-time or part-time? Do you have a special time to write or do you write every day, 5 days a week or as and when?

I write full time.
 
Q: Where do your ideas come from? Or is it just the spur of the moment, a special feeling you experience or a specific conjuncture that offers you inspiration?

My ideas come from experiences in my past, and everything from television, movies, books, conversations with people and, yes, even conversations with myself, my cats or dog….
 
Q: How do you think you’ve evolved creatively?

I’ve work very long and hard to branch my creativity from simple rhyming poetry to special formatted free verse work.
 
Q: Do you ever get writer’s Block and if so do you have any tips on how to get through the dreaded writer’s block?

Yes, every writer will experience ‘writer’s block’. I use art to help me work through it. I find a picture, and starting from left to right, I write short observations of what I see in the picture, ie: the birds on the branch, snow along the creek, sun behind the pines…..etc….and then I put it all together, fill in areas that need it and work my way out of the block and into a nice poem.
 
Q: Tell us about the covers of your books. How did it/they come about?

“The Moonlight Dreamers of Yellow Haze”, ‘Dandelion in a Vase of Roses” and my own book, “The Cellaring” covers were made by me and my Digital Art program.
 
Yes, it can make or break the book. The old adage, “a picture is worth a thousand words” is the truth, the potential buyer looks at the cover first….imagination kicks in, and they’re ready to buy the book if that cover ‘catches’ their eye….
 
Q: How do you relax?

I relax by going outside and sitting under the tree with a cold drink. I love walking in the woods at night and find great peace watching Thunderstorms.
 
Q: What is your favorite motivational phrase? What is your favorite positive saying?

My own quote has always been my favorite:  “When the Mind has Left; then go Write” written and copyrighted in 2011.
 
Q: What is your favorite quote?

“Freedom is being yourself without needing anyone’s permission”. Ken Allan Dronsfield, 2012
 

Q: Where can you see yourself in 5 years-time?

Perhaps looking at a nomination for the Pulitzer Prize in Poetry.
 
 
Q: Which famous person, living or dead would you like to meet and why?
Poe, I would LOVE to meet him and just listen to him talk over a drink.
 
Q: How can readers discover more about you and you work?

Website: arevnantpoet@wordpress.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/kend1
Twitter: @KenKadfield
Lnkedin: Ken Allan Dronsfield

Thank you very much for taking the time out of your busy schedule to take part in this interview.

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INTERVIEW SERIES - INDUNIL MADHUSANKHA

12/30/2016

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INTERVIEW WITH INDUNIL MADHUSANKHA
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Indunil Madhusankha is an internationally published promising young poet from Sri Lanka. He is currently an undergraduate reading for a BSc (Hons) Special Degree in Mathematics in the Faculty of Science, University of Colombo and he takes a great interest in the subjects of Mathematics, Statistics, and Computer Science. In addition to Indunil’s involvement in the field of Physical Sciences, he also pursues a notable literary career. He achieved three gold medals and a silver medal from four All Island English Essay Competitions. Further, he presented several papers related to Education and English Language Studies at several national and international level conferences, and he contributed a few review articles to a couple of peer-reviewed international journals. He has undertaken several research projects pertaining to the areas of ELT, CLIL, and English Literature. Also, he completed the TKT examination and the three specialist modules YL, KAL, and CLIL. Indunil compiled his first collection of poetry entitled, Oasis when he was sixteen and he is currently working on his second collection, Reflections of Life and also on a book titled, A Rare Kind of Beauty, Yet Unexplored: A Selection of Modern Sri Lankan Sinhala Poetry featuring a translation of a set of select Sinhala poems written by some renowned Sri Lankan poets. He also enjoys interviewing fellow poets and practising the art of performance poetry. Moreover, his creative and academic works have been published in many international journals, magazines, websites and anthologies in the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada, Africa, Nigeria, India, Sri Lanka and some other countries.

 

Welcome to Scarlet Leaf Review!

Q: Tell us a little about yourself and your background.

I am a simple person with an ardent passion for learning. I am basically a student of Mathematics and Statistics, and additionally I am involved in studies pertaining to such areas as Education, Psychology, and Language & Literary Studies. During my spare time, I read and work on poetry and several other forms of creative writing. My mother tongue is Sinhala. Also, I read works written in both English and Sinhala, but currently I write only in English.   
 
Q: Do you think that your school years have had an impact on your writing career? If so, what were you like at school?

Yes, of course. My school years have certainly had a tremendous impact on my writing career. Those days, I clinched many awards in several national and provincial level English essay competitions and creative writing contests. Also, I had many of my creative compositions published in some local newspapers when I was young. Besides that, during my school days, I used to write in Sinhala too, and even won awards for many such creations. I, therefore, believe that all these achievements have certainly influenced my writing career.
 
Q: Were you good at English or like Einstein you excel now in a field that was a nightmare for you as a student?

Actually, I was good in my English since I was ten even though English is not my first language.
 

Q: What are your future ambitions for your writing career?

Like every other writer, I also have the dream of publishing my own collection of poetry one day.
 
Q: Which poets have inspired you and how? What was their impact on your work or your literary perspective?

There is a lot, but to list a few, I have been inspired by such great poets as William Shakespeare, William Wordsworth, William Blake, Emily Dickinson, Robert Frost, W.B. Yeats and Wilfred Owen.
I also love the works of Sri Lankan English poets like Patrick Fernando, Lakdasa Wikkramasinha, Anne Ranasinghe, Yasmine Gooneratne and Jean Arasanayagam.
Apart from that, I highly appreciate the writings of Sri Lankan Sinhala poets such as Kumaratunga Munidasa, Gajaman Nona, Wimal Dissanayake, Parakrama Kodituwakku and Monika Ruwanpathirana.
I am marveled at the effective use of language and literary techniques, choice of thematic concerns and the universal appeal in the work of the above writers.
 
Q: So, would you mind telling us what you have written so far?


Basically, I am a poet. But, I occasionally write essays and short stories too. I also like to translate well-known Sri Lankan Sinhala poems into the English language.  Further, I have interviewed some of my fellow poets and I am also interested in authoring literary reviews. Moreover, I work on abstracts, research proposals and research papers.
Please see the attached documents for a list of my publications and some prominent awards that I have won.
 
Q: Where can we buy or see them?

Please refer to the links mentioned at the end for some of my writings.
 
Q: What are you working on at the minute?  What’s it about? 

I am currently working as a reader/reviewer for the upcoming anthology, Dandelion in a Vase of Roses edited by the highly acclaimed poet, Michael Lee Johnson.
This anthology comes out as a book project by his large Facebook poetry group, Contemporary Poets, Their Works, Current Poetry Projects, News, Links the link for which is given below.
https://www.facebook.com/groups/807679459328998/
 
Q: When did you decide to become a poet? What was the decisive factor or you just took a pen and started writing poems?

I decided to become a poet when I was about fourteen years old after reading and being inspired by some stunning literary texts that had been prescribed for my English Literature course.
 
Q: What makes you write? What’s the force behind taking your pen (or your keyboard) and put verses down?

In most cases, it is social injustices which drive me to write. In my viewpoint, poetry is a microscope which the writer can use in order to zoom out to a subtler view of the varied social realities. But any scenery, event or situation that influences or inspires me deserves some kind of poetic exploration from my end.
 
Q: Do you write full-time or part-time? Do you have a special time to write or do you write every day, 5 days a week or as and when?

I write part-time and I do not stick to a particular time schedule when it comes to writing. I do write whenever the thoughts come to my mind, be it in a bus, at the lunch table or at a lecture hall.
 

Q: Where do your ideas come from? Or is it just the spur of the moment, a special feeling you experience or a specific conjuncture that offers you inspiration?

I think it is, in most cases, the spur of the moment.
 
Q: How do you think you’ve evolved creatively?

To be short and sweet, I think that the two clichés, Reading maketh a full man and Try and try, one day you can fly would explain it better.
 
Q: In your opinion, what is the hardest thing about writing?

To me, the hardest thing about writing is being adequately motivated.
 
Q: Now, what about the easiest thing about writing?

Well, the easiest thing about writing is, as I think, proofreading and editing.
 
Q: Do you let the book stew – leave it for a month and then come back to it to edit?

No. I try my best to finish things as quickly as possible because I find it irritating when some business remains unfinished for a long time without being attended to.
 
Q: Do you read much and if so who are your favorite authors? For your own reading, do you prefer eBooks or traditional paper/hard back books?

With my busy academic schedule and other obligations, presently I do not have a lot of time for reading books.
But whenever I get the time, I read Shakespeare, Jane Austen and a lot of other famous writers, both local and foreign.
I prefer traditional paperback books.
 
Q: What book are you reading at present?

At present, I am reading the novel, Waiting Earth by Punyakante Wijenaike who is a well-known Sri Lankan English author.
 
Q: Do you proofread/edit all your own books or do you get someone to do that for you?

Usually, I myself proofread and edit my own writings.
 

Q: What would you say are the main advantages and disadvantages of self-publishing against being published or the other way around?

Self-publishing sounds nice because the book can be tailored to our own needs but the process is really hectic.
On the contrary, if we choose to get published by an editor or some publishing house, we have barely anything to do with the publishing process. That is good because we do not have to undertake any tedious tasks with regard to publishing, but sometimes it seems disadvantageous not to have any control over the process.
 
Q: How do you relax?

I read and write poetry in order to experience a sense of relaxation.
 

Q: What is your favorite motivational phrase? What is your favorite positive saying?

The heights by great men reached and kept were not attained by sudden flight, but they, while their companions slept, were toiling upward in the night.



The mind is everything. What you think you become. – Buddha
 
Q: What is your favorite book and why?

It is really difficult to choose one when you have a personal library comprised of many enticing books belonging to various genres and cultures.
But to name a few, I love Shakespeare’s theatrical masterpiece, Macbeth, Jane Austen’s novel, Pride and Prejudice, Alexander Pope’s mock heroic, The Rape of the Lock, Anita Desai’s novel for children, The Village by the Sea and Martin Wickramasinghe’s novel, Madol Doova. 
These outstanding literary works have influenced me prodigiously throughout my writing career.

Q: What is your favorite quote?

This we know: the earth does not belong to man, man belongs to the earth. All things are connected like the blood that unites us all. Man did not weave the web of life, he is merely a strand in it. Whatever he does to the web, he does to himself.

Chief Seattle – Chief of Suquamish Indians in his letter to the American Government in 1854.
 
Q: Where can you see yourself in 5 years-time?

Most probably excelling in my postgraduate studies as a doctoral student in the United Kingdom or the United States.
                                                             
Q: Which famous person, living or dead would you like to meet and why?

I would like to meet William Wordsworth and listen to the wonderful stories of how he derived such spectacular imagery from nature.
 
Q: What advice would you give to aspiring writers?

As a beginner, it is quite important that an aspiring writer does an admirable amount of reading. Also, it is necessary to bear in mind that the harder we try, the more we reap. Therefore, try to evolve and improve your creative skill as you go on writing until some editor decides to accept your piece/s. Expert comments and reviews are also of paramount importance. It is thus better if you can get somebody to support you through the initial phase of your writing career. Further, it is vital that you refrain from being disheartened by negative feedback. Just take them as a source of inspiration.
 
Q: Where do you see publishing going in the future?

With the burgeoning increase of internet platforms, we are presently witnessing an unprecedented flourishing of creativity on the web. This has hence led to a revolutionary development in the publishing industry. Thanks to the widespread availability of so-called digital platforms, at present, anyone from any part of the globe has the opportunity to showcase his/her literary talents to a massive international readership. So, I am of the belief that with the growing advancements in the sphere of information and communication technology, publishing industry will explore new dimensions and thus will surely thrive in the years to come.
 
Q: Is there anything else you would like to add that I haven’t included?

Yes, I would like to take this opportunity to express my genuine gratitude to the team at Scarlet Leaf Review, especially Roxana Nastase, the Editor-in-Chief who has always been very supportive and kind-hearted to the readers and contributors.
Also, it is with a true sense of pride and happiness that I grab this moment to honestly thank my parents, brothers, teachers and colleagues for always being there for me in my journey through life.
                                                  
Q: How can readers discover more about you and you work?

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/indunil.madhusankha
Twitter: https://twitter.com/indunilmadhu
Google: https://plus.google.com/+IndunilMadhusankha/
Lnkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/indunil-madhusankha-31858462
Amazon Author Page: https://www.amazon.com/s?ie=UTF8&page=1&rh=n%3A283155%2Cp_27%3AIndunil%20Madhusankha%20Bassa%20Hewayalage  
Goodreads:  http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/13561134.Indunil_Madhusankha_Bassa_Hewayalage
 
Thank you very much for taking the time out of your busy schedule to take part in this interview.

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INTERVIEW SERIES - GREGORY T. JANETKA

12/29/2016

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Picture
Gregory T. Janetka is a writer from Chicago who currently lives in the outskirts of San Diego where he is inspired by pretty things. His work has previously been published in Foliate Oak, Flyover County Review, Gambling the Aisle, Deltona Howl and The Flash Fiction Press. He is terribly good at jigsaw puzzles and drinks a great deal of tea. More of his writings can be found at gregorytjanetka.com.

INTERVIEW WITH GREGORY T. JANETKA
Welcome to Scarlet Leaf Review!
 
Q: Tell us a little about yourself and your background.

I grew up in the western suburbs of Chicago, went to college in D.C. then bounced around between Chicago and Orlando before moving to Alabama and finally San Diego, where I currently reside. Chicago, however, will always be home and consistently finds its way into my work. I began creating stories in my head in order to help me fall asleep when I was very little. Soon after I started writing them down and haven’t stopped since.

Q: Do you think that your school years have had an impact in your writing career? If so, what were you like at school?

Absolutely. I was lucky to have many great teachers across many disciplines. What stood out to me across all subjects was the storytelling aspect. If the teacher was a good storyteller I’d pay more attention and get more out of the class.

Q: Were you good at English or like Einstein you excel now in a field that was a nightmare for you as a student?

I loved English in terms of reading and analyzing texts but when it came to all the grammar rules I immediately lost interest. Writing has rules and formulas, of course, but breaking it down to that level seemed like an attempt to kill the magic that words and language inherently possess so I just went with what sounded and felt right and was correct about 95 percent of the time.

Q: What are your future ambitions for your writing career?

Of course like any writer I’d like to be able to survive by writing fiction alone but realizing how unlikely that is, all I can hope for is the time to always keep writing no matter what else happens in life.

Q: So, would you mind telling us what you have written so far?

As far as published work I have had a number of short stories and poems in literary magazines, but have also finished a novel and a novella and am currently seeking representation for both.

Q: What are you working on at the minute?  What’s it about?

I have major issues with focus and so am always working on multiple projects. The two main ones at the moment include a short story dealing with the tenuous nature of friendships and the beginnings of a second novel set in early 1900s Chicago.

Q: What genre are your books and what draws you to this genre?

I suppose what I write usually falls under the general heading of literary fiction. My novel and novella, however, are historical fiction as I find it easier to fictionalize and distance myself from the real life events that inspired them. Also because I know what it’s like to live in my own time period and want to better understand and explore how others have lived in the past.

Q: When did you decide to become a writer and why? What was the principal reason for taking up a pen (metaphorical speaking) and write that first sentence?

I’ve always loved writing stories but didn’t seek to do anything with them until a few years ago. Out of a feeling of duty, and because I figured no one would ever want to read my stories, I studied political science in college. I spent time in class, however, filling the margins of my notebooks with story notes and ideas. The desire was always there, lurking. In December 2013, I quit my job in order to travel the country for 80 days and finish my novel and haven’t looked back since.

Q: Do you write full-time or part-time? Do you have a special time to write or do you write every day, 5 days a week or as and when?

I’d love to write full-time but without being independently wealthy that’s not an option. I write what I can when I can, usually bits at a time. When you truly love something you’ll always find a way to do it.

Q: Where do your ideas come from? Or is it just the spur of the moment, a special feeling you experience or a specific conjuncture that offers you inspiration?

We’re always surrounded by endless ideas but who knows what makes us see some and not others. And what makes us run with one over all the others that we do see. I love that there is mystery to writing.

Q: How do you think you’ve evolved creatively?

I’m not sure I have.

Q: Do you work to an outline or plot or do you prefer just see where an idea takes you?

An idea comes and I write until everything in my head is down on paper or until my arm literally goes numb and I can’t write any longer. I let that, whatever it may be, sit until I have some distance from it then I go back and see how to possibly structure it and what basic components, if any, it is missing.

Q: In your opinion, what is the hardest thing about writing?

Finding the time and quiet in which to do it.
 
Q: Now, what about the easiest thing about writing?

The fact that there is always more to be explored, always more words and language to play with.
 
Q: Do you ever get writer’s Block and if so do you have any tips on how to get through the dreaded writer’s block?

I’m not sure I understand the idea of writer’s block. If you’re a writer, you write. What you produce may be junk but everyone writes junk. If one story gets held up or isn’t working you move onto another. Writer’s write.
 
Q: Do you read much and if so who are your favorite authors? For your own reading, do you prefer eBooks or traditional paper/hard back books?

To me reading is as nearly as much a tactile as it is a mental experience and so I prefer traditional books, used ones if possible. The feel of the pages, the smell of them, of taking a pencil to them to underline great sentences, to holding in my hand a well worn book that has been read who knows how many times by how many people, of taking that journey that they’ve taken and seeing what they’ve left behind, be it notes or dog-eared pages or coffee stains. Reading is anything but a solitary experience.

Q: What book are you reading at present?

The Stories of John Cheever and Bleak House

Q: How do you relax?

I’m not sure I’ve ever been able to.

Q: What is your favorite book and why?

The Great Gatsby
. My high school English teacher Mrs. Smith assigned it for class and to her I will forever be grateful. Those sentences, each a treasure. That’s how I wanted to write. Not to just come up with stories but to be a storyteller. That work led me to the rest of Fitzgerald’s work and to a love of the Lost Generation of the 1920s.

Q: Where can you see yourself in 5 years-time?

Ideally embodying the cliche of living in a small Parisian apartment near the Seine with my love and my cat, drinking copious amounts of tea. In reality all I know is I’ll be scratching out my little stories somewhere.

Q: What advice would you give to your younger self?

Don’t change anything, just pay close attention as it will all be useful one day.

Q: What advice would you give to aspiring writers?

Have great adventures. And always carry a pen and paper with you. Once an idea is gone it’s gone.

Q: Is there anything else you would like to add that I haven’t included?

I just want to say thanks to Roxanna and Scarlet Leaf Review for this opportunity!

Q: How can readers discover more about you and you work?

Website: https://gregorytjanetka.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/g.tarsiscis.janetka
Twitter: https://twitter.com/greg_janetka
Lnkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gregory-t-janetka-5b05ab19
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/6084462-gregory-t-janetka
Thank you very much for taking the time out of your busy schedule to take part in this interview.
 

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INTERVIEW SERIES - B. CRAIG GRAFTON

12/28/2016

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INTERVIEW WITH B. CRAIG GRAFTON
​Author is a retired attorney having practiced for 35 years in Illinois who now lives in Texas and started writing stories about a year and a half ago.
Welcome to Scarlet Leaf Review!
 
Q: Tell us a little about yourself and your background.  

Retired attorney. Practiced 1973-2008 in Illinois. Retired and moved to Texas 2011..
 
Q: Do you think that your school years have had an impact in your writing career? If so, what were you like at school?

No.

Q: Were you good at English or like Einstein you excel now in a field that was a nightmare for you as a student?

Not good at English grammar but wrote clever funny essays that my last English teacher liked and gave me good grades.
 
Q: What are your future ambitions for your writing career?

None. I’m too old to have a writing career. I only have one career to look forward to, death the final career.
 
 
Q: So, would you mind telling us what you have written so far?

Just silly stories for online magazines.
 
 
Q: When did you decide to become a writer and why? What was the principal reason for taking up a pen (metaphorical speaking) and write that first sentence?

I have never have decided to become a writer.

Q: Do you write full-time or part-time? Do you have a special time to write or do you write every day, 5 days a week or as and when?

Part time three or four stories a month.
 
Q: Where do your ideas come from? Or is it just the spur of the moment, a special feeling you experience or a specific conjuncture that offers you inspiration?

I’m sixty nine. Old people have seen a lot. Thinking back it’s easy to come up with ideas.
 
Q: How do you think you’ve evolved creatively?

No. At same level as I was in high school.

Q: Do you work to an outline or plot or do you prefer just see where an idea takes you?

Outline it in my mind and see where it goes from there once I start typing.
 
Q: In your opinion, what is the hardest thing about writing?

Forcing myself to start typing.
 
Q: Now, what about the easiest thing about writing?

Once I get going it’s hard to quit.
 
Q: Do you ever get writer’s Block and if so do you have any tips on how to get through the dreaded writer’s block?

No.
 
Q: Do you read much and if so who are your favorite authors? For your own reading, do you prefer eBooks or traditional paper/hard back books?

I read fiction, mysteries and contemporary thrillers, non fiction history and biographies, and short story collections of a literary nature.
 

Q: What book/s are you reading at present?

A book about the Jewish resistance to the Nazis in Poland during WWII.
 

Q: How do you relax?  

Read.
 
Q: What is your favorite motivational phrase? What is your favorite positive saying?

“You’ll never learn any younger.” My father’s father used to say that to me when I was little. He would then proceed to learn me about whatever it was that he was just talking about. Even if my old age based on that I try to learn something new every day.


Q: What is your favorite quote?

The one above.
 
Q: Where can you see yourself in 5 years-time?    

Deceased.
 
Q: What advice would you give to your younger self?   

There’s no substitute for hard work and honesty. (I made that one up not my grandfather,)
 

 
Q: What advice would you give to aspiring writers?   

My advice would be, “Ask someone else. I’m not qualified to give advice.”
 
Q: Where do you see publishing going in the future?

Nowhere I’m too old for a future.
 
Q: Is there anything else you would like to add that I haven’t included?      

See P.S. below.
 
Q: How can readers discover more about you and you work?         

I have none of these things.

Thank you very much for taking the time out of your busy schedule to take part in this interview.

P.S.-----
 
I know that these answers aren’t much and if you don’t print them I understand. Making up these stories and committing them to paper is something I view as a challenge. Something to do in my old age. I certainly wouldn’t have had the time or even thought of doing so when I was young and in business. It’s a challenge to see if I can do it and get somebody to print them. That’s enough for me. If they ever get beyond the internet it will be sheer luck as I have no idea how to market them and one thing that I’ve learned through the years is that luck has a lot to with the outcome of one’s life. (But then again one can create his own luck by jumping at all opportunities.)   
Thank you again for printing what I have sent you. I really appreciate it.
Good luck with your magazine. I can see that you have all the necessary spirit, desire, drive and ambition to succeed. I’m sure you’ll be successful.
 
B. Craig Grafton

Thank you Mr. Grafton, both for your kind words and for your valuable contribution to our magazine. 

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    Scarlet Leaf Review No 1, 2020

    Scarlet Leaf Magazine: Scarlet Leaf Review No 1, 2020

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    ISSN 2369-8446

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    ​Scarlet Leaf Publishing House - Publisher 

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