Blog Tour: Six Weeks to Yehidah by Melissa Studdard

Welcome to my blog, Coffee Books and Me. Today, we have a tour stop of “Six Weeks to Yehidah” of author Melissa Studdard. And we’re having an interview with the author! 

                                      Six Weeks to Yehidah by Melissa Studdard

Paperback, 170 pages

Published August 2nd 2011 by All Things That Matter Press

Move over, C.S. Lewis; Melissa Studdard is here! Annalise of the Verdant Hills is one of the most delightful protagonists to skip through the pages of literature since Dorothy landed in Oz. Join Annalise and her two walking, talking wondersheep as they travel to ever more outlandish places and meet outrageous and enlightening folk on their journey to discover interconnectedness in a seemingly disconnected world. Discover with them how just one person can be the start of the change we all strive for. A book for all ages, for all time: wonderful, wacky, and bursting with truth! (from Goodreads)

Without further ado, here’s my interview with author, Melissa Studdard!

Hi Mel! Welcome to Coffee, Books and me!

Hi, Jenna. Cheers to you and a clink of the cup J

So, tell us what inspired you to write "Six Weeks to Yehidah"

I wanted to share wisdom traditions with younger people in a fun, entertaining way, through narrative and humor. The novel actually started as a short story, but I fell in love with the characters, especially the wondersheep and the zany, outlandish Hagski.  I just couldn’t quit writing about them.

Have you always dreamed of becoming an author?

You know how when you’re a kid you think your teachers live at the school (or at least you don’t picture them anywhere else), and if you run into one at the grocery store or a movie, it blows your mind? I had compartmentalized authors in much the same way. They were people who lived in the land of character and plot. Most of the ones I read were dead and had been so for a long time. So, it never even occurred to me that I could be a writer until I started to meet living writers. Thank God, they demythologized authorship for me, and I picked up the pen myself. Now, I can’t imagine my life any other way!

What genre are you particularly interested in? (both writing and reading)

I’m a literary omnivore. I love it all – poetry, fiction, drama, crossover. I do love the fantastical best, though – whether it’s fantasy, surrealism, magical realism, or any other manifestation of a highly charged imagination – I love the freedom of this style, both as a reader and a writer. I also deeply appreciate the merits of more realistic styles, but the fantastical excites and inspires me most.

Which of your characters would you like to live out?

I would love to make Annalise’s journey. She gains incredible wisdom at such a young age, and she gets to visit the most amazing places. Just one day at Acoustic Island, Utopian Falls, or the sunken city would thrill me.

Have you ever experienced "writer's block?"  If yes, what did you do to get your creative juices back? :)

Yes, yes, yes. It happens, though not so often anymore. Now I work on several projects at a time, and if I’m stuck on one, I work on another. I can always write this way. Many writers have discovered this trick. Just last week I interviewed another author who mentioned it as well.

Any upcoming sequels or probably new books?

As I mentioned, I’m always working on multiple projects. At the forefront right now is a book based on the radio interview program, Tiferet Talk, which I host for the literary journal Tiferet. The publisher, Donna Baier Stein, just started a press associated with the journal, and the first book will be a compilation of the first year of Tiferet Talk interviews. It’s filled with insight and wisdom about spirituality and writing. I was fortunate enough to interview such luminaries as Julia Cameron, Robert Pinsky, Marc Allen, and Jeffrey Davis. I can’t wait to see it all collected together as one book!

I am also considering a sequel to “Six Weeks to Yehidah” because I’ve had a lot of requests. And I am working on a poetry collection and two short story collections—one is eclectic, and the other is a series of interlinked stories set in the zany, mythical town of Halfway, Texas.

Thanks for your time! :)

Thank you for the hospitality!

I hope you enjoyed our conversation! :)

Visit Melissa Studdard on her website here:

http://www.melissastuddard.com/

like her on Facebook:
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Melissa-Studdard/148177095246272


check out her blog at:
http://melissastuddard.blogspot.com/