Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
My name is A. L. Hearn and I live in the Atlanta, GA area. I am a self-publisher who recently launched her own self-publishing company called Dreamscribe Publications. I recently self-published my very first book which is a book of poetry. Following my dreams as both a writer and a therapist, I decided to merge both worlds into a body of work that blends personal growth, insight, and reflection which is what I would like my publishing company to be known for. I am originally from Jackson, Mississippi and I began writing poetry for my own enjoyment at a very early age and also began writing short stories and kept many journals prior to sharing my talent with those around me. In 2004 I began working and writing as a freelancer for various publications within my hometown of Jackson, MS. such as Jackson Free Press Alternative Newsweekly and the Metro Business Chronicle. After 4 years of being a freelance writer, although much more knowledgeable from my experience in the area of journalism, I decided that my passion aligned more with creative literary works.
What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
The name of my first and latest book is “Becoming Me: Reflection and Insight Through Poetry and Prose”. It is a book of poetry consisting of 40 poems. I guess you could simply say that life inspired this book. My intent was to evoke a sense of vulnerability by expressing my own personal experiences with the hope that, through it, readers would connect with each piece as they also reflect on their own subjective experiences. I wanted to take my personal experiences and turn them into artistic literary expressions that could be felt intensely through the emotions.
Do you have any unusual writing habits?
Late at night, in my time of solitude after I’ve done a healthy amount of procrastinating of course, then I write. However, the “writing” usually consists of gathering the small scraps of paper lying atop my dresser drawers and deep down in my purses and my bags that I’ve collected with notes that I’ve jotted down usually during very inopportune times during the day. Usually thoughts and ideas for poems and stories come to me while I’m driving or in the shower and so I must inconveniently pull over or stop everything I’m doing at that moment to catch the thought in my mind before it slips away.
What authors, or books have influenced you?
There are many great authors that have influenced me such as Toni Morrison, Langston Hughes, Zora Neale Hurston, C. S. Lewis, J. R. R. Tolkien, Maya Angelou, Anne Spencer, Gwendolyn Bennett, and even V. C. Andrews.
What are you working on now?
Right now I am working on a novel which is a fantasy. The story has a feminist theme. It is about the inner power, strength, and pain of a woman. It really speaks to the inner part of us as women who often bare so much on our shoulders in this society.
What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I promote my books on all three of my websites which includes my publishing website, http://www.dreamscribepublications.weebly.com, my personal website which is, http://www.alhearn.weebly.com, and lastly the website for my blog which is called The Enigmatic Perspective at http://www.enigmaticperspective.weebly.com.
I also promote my books on Goodreads which is a great source for authors! I can be found on Goodreads simply under my name A. L. Hearn.
Do you have any advice for new authors?
My advice to new authors is to write what is on the inside of you, even if it’s only bits and pieces of a story or a poem which at first might look like incomplete thoughts. At the very least, if you can get your thoughts down on paper, even if they are incomplete you will begin to capture the magic of your own story. You can organize, construct, and edit it later.
What is the best advice you have ever heard?
The best advice I’ve ever heard is that the best way to counteract writer’s block is to keep writing. I find that to be true and it does in fact work to get my wheels spinning and my creative juices flowing.
What are you reading now?
Right now I am reading Americanah by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie.
What’s next for you as a writer?
For me, the next thing is to finish my novel and to make it ready for release in the summer of 2015 and to continue studying towards my degree in Marriage and Family Therapy.
If you were going to be stranded on a desert island and allowed to take 3 or 4 books with you what books would you bring?
I would take the following:
1.) Great Speeches by African Americans: Frederick Douglass by James Daley
2.) The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe by C. S. Lewis
3.) I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings by Maya Angelou
4.) The Collected Poems of Langston Hughes by Langston Hughes
Author Websites and Profiles
A. L. Hearn Website
A. L. Hearn Amazon Profile
A. L. Hearn’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile
Twitter Account