indie author – C.M. Rushi

Today, I am interviewing debut author, Hailey Sawyer. A native Rhode-Islander, Hailey holds a fascination with Japanese culture and writes that into her novel “Kenji and Yuki: A Japanese Tale” which is expected to debut on November 10, 2021.

What inspired you to write a novel?

I would say that the idea for Kenji and Yuki: A Japanese Tale inspired me to write a novel. It was one of those ideas that just sort of popped into my head one day in 2017. Although I wasn’t sure if this was an idea I wanted to turn into a novel at first, I eventually went ahead with it.

What drew you to Japanese culture?

I’ve been a fan of Japanese culture since I was about nine or ten years old. It’s a bit fuzzy since I was still kind of young when it happened, but I think what drew me to Japanese culture was a few different things, including the book Hachiko Waits by Leslia Newman.

How would you describe your writing process? Do you plot, pants, or “plants”?

I would describe myself as a plotter. So whenever I write a story, I like to start by creating character sheets. These contain things such as a character’s role in a story, their likes and dislikes, and so on. I’ll even throw in bits of plot that’s relevant to that character. After the sheets are created, I move onto writing the plot outline and once that’s done, I start writing the actual story.

What led you to choose the self-publishing route?

I chose the self-publishing route based on the research I’ve done on different publishing options. During my research, I discovered two things. The existence of self-publishing platforms such as Draft2Digital and Smashwords and the abundance of author and beta reading groups, marketers, editors, cover designers, and many others on Goodreads alone. As a result of these discoveries, I realized that I didn’t have to go through a traditional publisher in order to publish my novel or get the resources I needed for it.

Do you have any projects planned after Kenji and Yuki?

At this time, I don’t have any projects planned after Kenji and Yuki: A Japanese Tale.

What do you love most about living in Rhode Island?

What I love about living in Rhode Island the most is just how many beautiful beaches there are. Not only that, but there’s also so many types of beaches. There’s big beaches, small beaches, sandy beaches, rocky beaches, and so on.

How have you been spending time during this pandemic?

I’ve been working on Kenji and Yuki: A Japanese Tale and not paying attention to the news too much.

What is one thing you would like to do but have never done?

The one thing that I’d like to do but have never done is go on a really long hike in one of America’s national parks.

What is the last book you read?

The last book I read was Demon Slayer Volume One. This book is awesome. The pacing is really brisk, but I was never confused as to what was going on or who certain characters were. Speaking of characters, I really felt for the main character Tanjiro. Like, this guy had almost his entire family slaughtered by a demon and had his sister turned into a demon. Despite this though, he still sees his sister as a person and does what he can to help her. He also constantly tries and fails to conquer his demon slayer training. Yet, he doesn’t stop trying and when he actually succeeds, it’s really satisfying. Some people might say that it’s kind of generic as far as shounen works go, but I say it’s still very well done.

Do you prefer concrete or open endings?

For me, I think it depends on two things. The execution and whether or not it fits the story.

For more information on Hailey’s work, follow the links below and please consider supporting her. In addition to purchasing an author’s works, there are many non-monetary ways to support them such as leaving a review, giving them a shoutout on social media, telling your friends about them, sharing their posts, or leaving a supportive comment.

Website: https://haileysawyer.wordpress.com/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/HaileySawyer101

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/78172698-hailey-sawyer

Kenji and Yuki: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/57990976-kenji-and-yuki

Today, I am interviewing debut author, Constantine Dhonau. Constantine defied tradition by publishing a hybrid poetry book/memoir compilation of poetry, letters, journal entries, and various notes that spans ten years of his life, from his late teens to his late twenties. You can purchase Constantine’s debut “Collateral Intentions” on Amazon, Apple Books, and Smashwords.

What was the last book you read?

“The Tao Of Physics” by Fritjof Capra. I bought it during my initial manic-fury-buying of everything Tao. I expected no more than pure poppycock and woo-woo soothe-saying about quasi-cosmic-something-or-other. Come to find out, that thing is IMPRESSIVELY scientific. It incorporates and explains the deepest parts of modern quantum mechanics in relation to Eastern mysticism. If you don’t read “Collateral Intentions,” you need to check out “The Tao Of Physics”.

With life returning to “normal” in some countries, what is one thing you are looking forward to doing?

I’d like to travel to Japan! Never been to the East but I looooove the culture. They are a people who embody “aesthetic”. From what I see, they have a deep respect for nature and go to great lengths to live in harmony with nature. Their identity is rooted deeply in rich traditions and ceremonies which are renowned for being honed to a scientifically artful execution. And, as much as Japan is known for serious, awe-inspired reverence, they’re just as famous for their silly, outrageous sense of humor.

What is your poetry-writing process?

I try to step out of the way. Writing goes best for me when I forget myself. It gets worse when I start having “clever ideas”. I’ll do anything from take voice memos while walking around town at midnight, to writing notes on my phone, scribbling sentences on the back of receipts, to journaling. I’m happy that my approach has evolved over the years and continues to do so. I’d prefer not to have a “formula” to rely on. One of the pieces I’m most proud of recently was a several-month endeavour, the longest I’ve ever taken on a single poem. That one was a scattered collection of creative thoughts and observations while I was a wilderness therapy guide working with at-risk teens & young adults in the Utah desert and Colorado mountains. It also happens to be one of the final poems of “Collateral Intentions”.

What inspired you to write and publish “Collateral Intentions?”

T’was inspired by a desire to put together a book of selected works to read to my students in the field while I was a wilderness therapy guide. I made a small booklet with a few originals and many other established works. It was a fun process creating it (stirring a deep satisfaction to organize and agonize over the most minute details night after sleepless night, cursing the dawn as a landmark of time passing beyond what I could accomplish within “reason”). So, I decided to continue (how insatiable was the urge) and create a larger collection by combing through my dozen journals. Some friends caught wind of my side-project (whole-hearted obsession) that I started so I could have all my writing in one place and they began asking after it. I gave away manuscripts for the cost of printing. At some point, someone teased me about publishing. “PFEH!” I would say. “HA!” I would scoff. “HRNGH!” I would grumble. Then, after sifting through many-a-scam-site, I decided to actually get it bound in earnest.

Are you working on any new projects?

That’s classified! However, I do have something very tangibly in the works that’s drastically different from “Collateral Intentions” and ideas for about a dozen books that’s series-esque in the near future.

What is the best advice you ever received?

“Do what makes you feel good.”
– Howard
Retired, 3rd-grade Education

What do you like to do outside of writing?

Napping, watching shows, walking around, dancing at a bar, camping, random high-adventure sport excursions with friends, and/or doom-scrolling on my phone. I like tea. I’m a homebody and a space/tech nerd. I’ve been possessed by Daoism in the past two years that I’m dangerously close to calling myself a DaoIST. I play the hand drum and trombone. I’m a bit like a cat: lazy, sporadic, I purr occasionally. I’m working on letting go of fixed plans and surrendering to the current of life. For the rest and whatnot in between, you’ll have to check out the book.

The format of “Collateral Intentions” is fascinating – what led you to include the entire compilation of your work?

The entire compilation is a bit much, I admit. It may have been wiser to release several chapbooks, right? I believe that is the format that made the most sense to me because it’s beautiful to be able to see clear progress over so many years as a person and a writer. It’s also a planting of a flag: “I have accomplished all of this. Don’t forget it. Now, for my next trick…” It’s an invitation to future readers and a personal challenge to crank out more moving forward instead of relying on what’s already been done.

What do you believe makes a good writer?

Personal satisfaction is #1. Are you satisfied with yourself and what you’ve done? Were you able to put yourself out there and detach from the nitpicking of “it’s not ready yet”? Can you be whole-heartedly PROUD of yourself and your baby?
After that comes the external stuff. Less important, but still informative. It’s hard to get people to invest in something that isn’t established in its own right. So, once you get over that hurdle, how do they receive it? Are you making an impact? I believe art is about impact, intentional or unintentional. Artists unanimously and unequivocally are trying to communicate their perspective through their art—are you able to get people to understand you? If not (and most, if not all, don’t), are you able to get someone to see SOMETHING differently?

Do you have any advice for aspiring authors and poets?

Lately, I’ve reframed this book in my head as a “hobby” instead of a “job.” The distinction being mostly financial for me. You don’t spend money on a hobby expecting to make money back, you just do it for the fun of it. This book has already gone further than I thought it would. So, at each step of the process it’s been a pleasant surprise to make a new small goal for myself to see how much further I can get. For instance, I never even considered doing an author interview when I started, yet here we are!
Thank you for having me! It’s been a pleasure talking about my baby.

For more information on Constantine’s work, check out his social media at the links below and please consider supporting him. In addition to purchasing an author’s works, there are many non-monetary ways to support them such as leaving a review, giving them a shoutout on social media, telling your friends about them, sharing their posts, or leaving a supportive comment.

Author Website/Blog: https://www.constantinedhonau.com/blog

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/cdhonau/

GoodReads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/20431911.Constantine_Dhonau

Reedsy: https://reedsy.com/discovery/user/constantinedhonau