Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I’ve written two young adult novels which are currently available on Amazon. I’ve almost finished a children’s chapter book which will be available soon. I’m currently working on a YA novella (or possibly novel depending on how long it gets) and a sci-fi book which I hope to have finished by the end of the year. The sci-fi book will be the first book I’ve written which isn’t aimed at a youth audience.
What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
My latest book is called ‘The Girl at the Well.’ The main inspiration came from reading about the wealth gap in the United States. The top 1 percent own the same amount of wealth as the bottom 90 percent. That’s a bad thing because it stifles long term economic growth. If you’re rich it’s likely because you’re selling products and/or services. The more your potential consumers struggle financially, the less you can sell. Yet in the United States it’s the rich, often through the buying off of politicians, who are pushing wealth upwards and leaving the majority with less. They are actually hurting their own customers and in the process hurting themselves because people can’t afford to buy as many things.
In ‘The Girl at the Well’ I created the Kingdom of the Nine Regions as a kind of microcosm that’s representative of what’s happening in much of the world. King Cameron and Queen Stella represent a kind of callous capitalism where only the rich do well and the rest of the population exists to be exploited by them. But as the majority (mainly represented by the seven lesser regions) struggles, less wealth is flowing upwards. As a result, the King and Queen aren’t able to carry out many of the ambitious projects they have planned. They resort to cruel punishments to increase the productivity of their subjects, but it’s their own greed and selfishness that’s limiting what they can accomplish. Their daughter Liralexa represents a kinder capitalism that wants to give everyone opportunities to do well.
Do you have any unusual writing habits?
Nothing unusual, but I like to use text-to-speech apps to help with editing. I like to hear how the book sounds. It helps to catch errors and clumsily written sentences.
What authors, or books have influenced you?
The BBC show Merlin provided a lot of inspiration for ‘The Girl at the Well’ because the book is set in a Middle Ages-like setting where magic is a big part of life. I think anyone who has seen Merlin will pick up on the inspiration. For my sci-fi book, I’m being influenced by The Hunger Games, Pines by Blake Crouch and Alien by Alan Dean Foster.
What are you working on now?
I’m working on a sci-fi novel which will be my first book not aimed at a youth audience.
What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I read a lot of reviews before choosing where to promote because I don’t want to waste money on sites that won’t work. But I also want to diversify and not target the same group of readers again and again. bknights on Fiverr helped me move a lot of free books recently.
Do you have any advice for new authors?
I am still new, so I’m still learning the ropes myself.
What is the best advice you have ever heard?
I can’t think of anything at the moment.
What are you reading now?
I’m reading a lot of books by indie authors, but also re-reading the Hunger Games series, Pines and Alien to serve as inspiration for my new book.
What’s next for you as a writer?
I want to finish up the sci-fi book I’m working on and then start a prequel to ‘The Girl at the Well.”
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?
It would be too hard to choose. There are so many books I could easily re-read again and again.
Author Websites and Profiles
J.C. Ahmed Website
J.C. Ahmed Amazon Profile
J.C. Ahmed’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile
Twitter Account