Steven Manchester Author Interview

Photo Content from Steven Manchester

Steven Manchester is the author of the #1 bestsellers Twelve Months, The Rockin’ Chair, Pressed Pennies, and Gooseberry Island as well as the novels Goodnight, Brian and The Changing Season. His work has appeared on NBC’s Today Show, CBS’s The Early Show, CNN’s American Morning, and BET’s Nightly News. Recently, three of Manchester’s short stories were selected “101 Best” for the Chicken Soup for the Soul series.

      

Why is storytelling so important for all of us? 

I believe that it helps us connect as human beings, reminding us that none of us is ever alone.

What’s one thing that readers would be surprised to find out about you? 

My sense of humor (I love to make people laugh).

What was the greatest thing you learned at school? 

That I knew so little, and would need to spend a lifetime learning.

What’s in the future for you? 

My plans include writing more, releasing more books and spending as much time as I can with my family.

What is the best piece of advice you ever received from another author? 

Never quit!

What are some of the common challenges that new and experienced authors face and what advice do you have for over-coming them? 

I work with a lot of aspiring writers. With an industry rejection rate of 96%+, this business can prove very harsh. I tell new writers:
Be true to yourself, always.
Write constantly.
Keep the faith!!!
And NEVER, EVER, EVER quit. Most people in this industry would agree that more than talent or skill or even luck, perseverance is the one trait that will always get the job done.
Knock on every door you can, and keep knocking. I promise that eventually someone will open and the warmth you feel on your face will more than validate every hour spent alone in the darkness.

Can you tell us when you started Twelve Months, how that came about? 

I'd just finished a novel entitled, The Rockin' Chair (out in April 2013). I was taking a shower when a question popped into my mind: What would you do- I mean, really do- if you had 12 months to live?
About nine months later, the first draft was completed.

What was one of the most surprising things you learned in creating Don? 

What truly surprised me- I always thought that I knew what I would do with my life if I were told I only had so much time left. Don taught me that (in reality) I would travel a different path.

If you could introduce Don to any character from another book, who would it be and why? 

Mama from Goodnight, Brian- my novel that is scheduled for release in December 2012. I think they would get along famously and have a great deal to talk about.

You have the chance to give one piece of advice to your readers. What would it be? 

Make every moment count; you only have one life, so make it a great one!

When asked, what’s the one question you always answer with a lie? 

Can you tell us something that no one else knows?

Where is the best place in the world you’ve been? 

Barbados, with my wife.

What's the worst summer job you've ever had? 

Laboring for a stone mason.

When was the last time you cried? 

While writing Goodnight, Brian.

What's the loveliest thing you have ever seen? 

My children's first smiles.

Don DiMarco has a very good life – a family he loves, a comfortable lifestyle, passions and interests that keep him amused. He also thought he had time, but that turned out not to be the case. Faced with news that might have immediately felled most, Don now wonders if he has time enough. Time enough to show his wife the romance he didn’t always lavish on her. Time enough to live out his most ambitious fantasies. Time enough to close the circle on some of his most aching unresolved relationships. Summoning an inner strength he barely realized he possessed, Don sets off to prove that twelve months is time enough to live a life in full.

A glorious celebration of each and every moment that we’re given here on Earth, as well as the eternal bonds that we all share, TWELVE MONTHS is a stirring testament to the power of the human spirit.

You can purchase Twelve Months at the following Retailers:
         

And now, The Giveaways.

Thank you STEVEN MANCHESTER for making this giveaway possible.

1 Winner will receive a Copy of Twelve Months & Bookmark by Steven Manchester.

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