Merry Wanderer of the Night + TIME

Author Interview — Daniel Coleman

Hey everyone! Joining us today is author Daniel Coleman. If you remember back to yesterday, I just reviewed Coleman's novel, Jabberwocky. (click the link to read my review) It was a great story, one I felt definitely did the poem justice, and I'm really happy to have him here on the blog today for an interview! So, here's Daniel! BIO:
When he’s not firefighting, Daniel Coleman spends his free time jumping genres in fiction. In 2006 he discovered small-town living and isn’t looking back. Jabberwocky, a novella, is available now. Hatter comes out June 10th. If you’ve got a few hours to kill he’d be happy to discuss PEZ, ice cream, or Scrabble.
The Interview:
What made you decide to become a writer?
This may seem scripted, but I started writing novels so I could tell the story behind the Jabberwocky poem.

Why Jabberwocky? What made you want to turn this poem into a story?
I learned the poem in college and fell in love with the imagery and heroism. If this monster was so horrible, how could a boy kill it? And what’s the significance of the Tumtum tree? And why was the hero so uffish while he stood there leaning against it? Of course, in any decent hero story there’s got to be a girl involved. Who is she and how does she fit in? For more than a decade the questions percolated in my mind before I came up with the story for Jabberwocky.

If you weren't a writer, what would be your dream job?
I’m the luckiest guy alive because my two dream jobs are writer and Fireman, and I get paid to do both! I’m a Firefighter/Paramedic with the biggest department in Utah. While firefighting involves real life-and-death situations, writing gives me a chance to escape and decide on the outcome for myself. I see people on the worst day of their lives, and I do my best to channel that emotion when I write.

Do you have another project currently in the works? If so, can you share anything about it with us?
I’ve written another novel set in the same world as Jabberwocky. It’s inspired by the Mad Hatter and tells his backstory—how he ended up going mad and why he’s such an influential character in Wonderland. For those who’ve read Jabberwocky, you’ll recognize Chism; he’s one of the main characters in Hatter. It will be available through Amazon on June 10th! The first two chapters are available on my website: www.dcolemanbooks.com.

If you had only one thing to say to your readers, what would it be?
I realize it takes a tremendous amount of trust to try a new author. Your time is valuable and your reading time is invaluable, so I try to make every word worthwhile while building to a surprisingly satisfying climax. But it’s a very small investment to read some sample chapters or download a sample and give it a try.
You heard him folks! Stop by and read a few sample chapters! Also, I think it bears mentioning the right now, you can purchase your own copy as an ebook on Amazon or Smashwords for only. 99! (Link) Jabberwocky Or, you can purchase the paperback for only $4.99! Jabberwocky How great is that?! I definitely recommend checking this book out! And Daniel, thanks again for joining us today! I loved reading your story, loved the interview, and I look forward to reading more from you in the future!

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Author Interview — Daniel Coleman + TIME