Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I am married to my wonderful wife of 15 years and the father of 3 young boys and another on the way. I am a working professional and MMA practitioner who loves to express himself through writing. I’ve found the writing process to be incredibly therapeutic and healing and a way to reclaim and rewrite some of the challenging parts of my life. Sometimes it can be difficult to express myself fully in conversation and writing gives me the time and attention to express myself creatively to the fullest. To date I’ve only written one book but am halfway finished with my second book.
What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
My latest book is Capturing the Ghost and is about my process of acknowledging and accepting the parts of my childhood that were too painful to believe or hold in my conscious memory. At around age 35 I began slipping into a mental breakdown as memories and flashbacks of my own childhood abuse overwhelmed my everyday life. It was at that time that I met a part of myself who stored up all the trauma from my past and knew everything that happened to me. Over the course of 2 years he showed me what really happened to me through regular flashbacks, body memories, and panic attacks. It is a story about finally accepting just how painful life can be but also an acknowledgment of how resilient and powerful a human being can be.
I decided to write this book as a therapeutic release. It was a perfect outlet for me to dive into my past on my own terms and make sense of it creatively. I decided to publish it as a means of finally owning my past and hopefully be an encouragement to others suffering from PTSD and childhood trauma.
Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I write off of pure emotion and it seems like the words just spill out of my brain. I only write when I’ve felt compelled to do so and when the mood hits me it can be very difficult to interrupt or postpone the writing process. I wrote the first draft of Capturing the Ghost in 2 weeks and it took me roughly another 3 weeks of editing before I sent it off to my copy editor. Carl Jung once said that the creative mind is never free and I believe that is definitely true for me.
What authors, or books have influenced you?
Friedrich Nietzsche’s “Thus Spake Zarathustra” is a huge influence on me and is a book I reread regularly. Anything by Paulo Coelho is also a huge influence on me but most notably are “The Zahir,” and “The Alchemist.” The Bible is another book that resonates with me, particularly the works of the minor prophets. Jack Donovan and David Deida are authors whose works have shaped my view of the masculine journey.
What are you working on now?
I am working on a prequel to Capturing the Ghost which tells the story of my childhood abuse from the lense of a child. Whereas Capturing the Ghost is following my life as an adult reliving the past, my next book will be following my life as a child and understanding how I made sense of and survived the childhood trauma as it was happening. It will explore the power of the mind and the concept of disassociation and how suggestible a child can be without the guidance and support of capable parents. It will also convey how difficult it can be to accept life’s greatest tragedies and the propensity for people to create alternate stories about their lives to help cope with the pain of the truth.
What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I lean pretty heavily on Amazon at the moment. I am still getting familiar with the various ways of promoting my work and plan on expanding my network in the future.
Do you have any advice for new authors?
Just do it. Start writing and don’t talk yourself out of it.
What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Always tell the truth. Once you start lying to yourself you begin rationalizing poor and destructive choices and can find yourself in situations you would have never imagined.
What are you reading now?
Fight Club by Chuck Palahniuk.
What’s next for you as a writer?
To enjoy the creative process and write when I am so inclined.
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?
1. The Bible
2. The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho
3. The Last Temptation of Christ by Nikos Kazantzakis
4. Beginning to Pray by Anthony Bloom
Author Websites and Profiles
David Tanner Lauka Website
David Tanner Lauka Amazon Profile