Interview With Author J. Traveler Pelton
Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I think at last count there are 51; I write in several genre’s. I was born in West Virginia in the last century. Dan and I have been married 48 years, parenting six adults, grandparents of nine, great grandma to the cutest baby in our world (the CBW as we call her). I am a Clinically Licensed Independent Social worker in private practice, a retired adjunct professor of social work at our local university and an avid reader. I fluctuates between writing Christian historical, science fiction and non-fiction self-help and spiritual books. Springhaven Croft, her home, is a mini farm where her husband, a small alpaca herd, a flock of spoiled chickens, four Siamese cats, five Pomeranians, a talkative Amazon parrot named Gizmo and an aviary of canaries live. I am a native Amerivcan and I enjoy the intersection of fantasy, possibility, creativity and speculation. Join me on the other side of the imagination tree. Ill be sitting there waiting for your visit.
What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
That would be Piper’s Impasse, the first of a series of American legend brought to life and from a first nations point of view. The first couple are on Bigfoot, our most famous legend. We move on to the thunderbirds by book three and morph it into other wonderfully creepy parts of the Hidden America.
Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I write between clients at my office, so one part of the screen has my calendar, another has the book I’m working on, and then I send the chapters hoe for editing. At home I write late at night once everything is quiet.
What authors, or books have influenced you?
Oh, my, there are so many! Ellis Peters, MC Beaton, Mercedes Lacky, Anne McCaffry, P. Yancy, Max Lucado, Craig MArtelle, Jean Auel. I have over 2000 books in my porivate library in actual physical form and I don’t know how many ebooks.
What are you working on now?
I keep more than one project going at a time; I am doing the third book in my Zoo mysteries series, and editing a book for hardcover, and just started putting things on vella as vella- I am projecting to put out 10 books this year.
What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I use a variety of places: KDRoi is good, Written Word, my own mailing list (around 15,000 on it) my FB author page, my website; you have to be diverse.
Do you have any advice for new authors?
Don’t listen to the naysayers and grumps. They can kill you. I wrote a short course-it’s free, 24 lessons-on my webpage and in it I tell the story of how I actually stopped writing for a time due to a few really bad experiences. i won’t go into all that here, but really, don’t give up. You can do it.
What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Believe in yourself.
What are you reading now?
I am reading a variety of books to decide who to give them to at Christmas. I always give each member of my family two or three books and I read them to be sure they are what I think they might be, so reading Edgar Allen Poe’s mysteries, most likely will go to grandson, and several others.
What’s next for you as a writer?
I attended the 10 books to 50K convention last year ad it was a blast, but this year will be concentrating on what I learned last year and applying it. I will eventually retire from my private counseling office and go full time as an author.
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?
My Bible, a couple empty journals to fill up, and a survival manual specific to desert islands..
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