JOHANNA K PITCAIRN: Author Interview

Dear Reader, today on the blog we Interview Johanna K Pitcairn, author of 32 Seconds.

What inspired you to write this book?

My own struggles, my life experiences, my failures, all the challenges I had to go through. 32 Seconds is a very personal story, mixed with fictional elements.

Can you give us an interesting fact about your book that isn't in the blurb?

If I tell you, then the ending is ruined. LOL Let’s just say the world where Julie travels to is called the Underworld.

How did you choose your title?

I wanted to call this book The Truth Within. Then I realized 32 Seconds sounded better, and made more sense with the ending.

Tell us about the cover and how it came to be.

My tattoo artist Beau Brady designed it, and he did a fantastic job. I asked him if he could design the cover for me, and told him I wanted a skyline, roses, and the number 32. And the rest was all his.

Did you self-publish or publish traditionally and why?

I self-published. I feel more free when I’m in control of my product from beginning to end. I worked in the past for an indie publisher, and our relationship just didn’t work. I didn’t feel like I could write about what really touched me.

What do you consider the most important part of a good story?

The beginning, and the ending.

What is your writing process?

I’d say I start with an idea that I then develop into something very logical. A beginning, a middle, and an end. Then, knowing these three elements, I start writing. I shape my characters, push them in various directions, and as I write, I let the organic process take place. I don’t stick to a script. I change my plot twists many times. I add and remove characters, kill or resurrect them, make them fall in love or break up. I consider writing like painting on a blank canvas. I have an idea, but the end result can be so remote from the original plan. I don’t like to plot. Many authors told me they write so much faster when they plot, but I found that plotting hinders my creative process. I plot in a way, but my structure is very loose, and changes constantly. As long as I know what my characters are doing, I’m good to go. All my stories are character driven, not plot driven.

How long have you been writing?

Since I’ve been nine years old.

How did you get started writing?

By reading.

What part of the writing process is the hardest for you?

The first draft.

What tips can you give on how to get through writers block?

Watch a movie. Distract yourself. I haven’t had the writer’s block in a really long time. I just don’t write if my mind is not ready.

What kind of music do you like to listen to while you write?

The Man of Steel soundtrack by Hans Zimmer.

Who is your favorite author?

Ayn Rand.

Who is your favorite character from a book?

Sherlock Holmes.

What is your favorite book?

Atlas Shrugged.

Read anything good lately?

Yes. Seeing Ghosts by James Garcia Jr.

What do you like to do when you're not writing?

I sleep, work out, or pet my cats. I also like long walks by the water. And shopping.

What advice would you give an author just starting out?

Keep writing, make it a habit, don’t give up, listen to your editor, and don’t be sad if you don’t sell any books at the beginning. The purpose of being a writer isn’t to make money, it’s to have fun.

Have you had anything else published?

Yes, an anthology of horror short stories, Stories From The Underworld

What's your next project?

I’m working on an urban fantasy/sci-fi trilogy called The Manicheans. The Manicheans are individuals with superhuman qualities – but they’re unaware of them until they realize they have been chosen to save mankind from extinction by ill-intentioned aliens. The first volume, titled Esperanza, will be ready for release next Christmas 2015. 

Thanks, Johanna, for coming here are answering so many questions. 

Now...about 32 Seconds:

To the average onlooker, the city of Los Angeles represents glitz, glamour, and the celebrity lifestyle. But to seventeen-year-old Julie Jones, the city is a vast host of problems she’s longing to get away from. The latest? An unfortunate disagreement with her ex-boyfriend Mark—one that could land her in some serious hot water.

So rather than face the troubles that torment her, Julie decides to run away from her old life and start fresh somewhere new. But her parents aren’t on board with the plan, and she soon finds her bank accounts frozen and her wallet empty.

With just seventy-five dollars and a full tank of gas, the troubled teen is far too stubborn to turn around and head home. So what’s a girl to do?

What Julie doesn’t know is that her travels are about to take her somewhere unexpected—a place where she’ll be forced to come face to face with the ghosts of her past in order to secure her future.

A tale of redemption, hope, and freedom lost and found, 32 Seconds is a thought-provoking exploration into the human spirit and the nature of forgiveness.

Available on Amazon

About the Author

Johanna K. Pitcairn has dreamed of becoming a writer since childhood--authoring her first novel at the age of nine, and countless poems, stories, and screenplays by the age of seventeen. Later, rather than pursuing a career as a director and screenwriter, she decided to go to law school, driven by her father's opinion that "writing does not pay the bills."

Ten years later, she moved to New York City, which inspired her to go back to the excitement, wonder, and constant change of being a writer. Pitcairn is a huge fan of psychological-thriller novels and movies, and delves into her hopes, fears, friends, enemies, and everything in between in her own writing.

Contact the Author:

Website I Blog I Facebook I Twitter I Goodreads I The Independent Author Network 

Tour Schedule