Meet S. Alini

I met author S. Alini through email. And I decided to review his Young Adult fiction book, The Strange Journal of the Boy Henry. You can read my review over at See Spot Read. Please do. I can wait...

Back? Awesome. You totally want to read it now, don't you? You should. You'll enjoy it! Okay, on with the questions because enquiring minds want to know, right?


1)How long have you been writing novels?

Hard to say because I’ve also done cartoons and screenplays over the past seventeen years.But I think I’ve written children’s books for eight years now.

2.)   Do you write full time or do you have a day job?

I trade stocks when I’m sufficiently foolish and gullible.

3.)   Is this your first published novel?

No,I’ve published four others:

Aaaack the Duck
Tired of mistreatment by humans, a feisty little duckling named Aaaack decides he’s going to become a Lawyer so he can set things right.

Aaaack in School: Book2
In this, the second in the series, Aaaack makes his way to school to fulfill his dream.

Effie the Magician
Seven year old Effie just can’t keep from getting into trouble. When she finds herGrandmother’s Secret Book of Magic and a Wand, things really get nutty.

SuperBurger
Eight year old Isaac saves up and buys a SuperBurger. Then goes to incredible lengths to hide it so he doesn’t have to share with his family.


4.)   What made you decide to go the Indie route?

I realized, early on, that I was too good for the big traditional publishers. I kid. No, they decided they were too good for me. Actually I came real close twice. Editors at Random and Harper got excited about two different books. Then each found reason to decline. But I’m glad now, because I get a bigger percentage of sales and I own all rights.

5.)   What made you decide to write middle grade novels?

I’m passionate about kids reading, and felt it was important to write stories that amuse and entertain them.

6.)   What scares you personally? Do you have any silly phobias?

Snakes. Sshhhhhh… they might be listening.

7.)   What is your writing routine?

I have no routine. I write when I feel passionate about a particular story or situation. I don’t force it because I don’t like the result when it’s forced.

8.)   What genre would you classify your writing?

Not sure. My writing is generally humorous. Even in The Strange Journal of The Boy Henry, which is a suspenseful, scary kind of story, I have funny characters.

9.)   What other authors inspire you?

JudyBlume, Louis Sachar, Mark Twain, Akhil Sharma, Irvine Welsh.

10.)What advice would you give to newbie writers out there?

You’re never gonna make it so just quit. I don’t need the competition. No, I’d say keep at it. Electronic publishing has opened up the world for writers. We can reach readers another timezone away. The possibilities are endless. So keep reading and keep writing.

Bio

I live in Atlanta, Ga. I like it because it’s the greenest (as in trees and grass) city I’ve ever been in. Also it seems to have cultural activities every weekend. I’ve written various things for many years. Started off with short stories, moved to cartoons, then screenplays (which got me an agent), then eventually children’s books. I spend my time swimming, playing soccer or watching independent films.

Blog: www.alinibooks.blogspot.com
Twitter: @SanAlini
Facebook: San Alini

The Strange Journal of the Boy Henry can be purchased on the Amazon Kindle:

http://www.amazon.com/Strange-Journal-Boy-Henry-ebook/dp/B004XJ5ZNG/ref=ntt_at_ep_dpi_2

Hope you enjoyed meeting San Alini. I did. And look forward to more books in the future!

♥Stacey