Interview With Author Josiah Akhtab
Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I have been writing since I was fourteen years old and I have over fourteen works written (no, not one work per year). My first novel, The Jake Matthews Saga: Ascension, took me about ten years to write starting in high school until I was just about finished in college.
I was born and raised in Brooklyn, NY and my hobbies include Martial Arts, Calisthenics, Reading, Hanging out with my girlfriend, writing poetry or reviews for my blog, and posting content on social media.
What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
My latest novel is The Adventures of Fleeting Grace which centers around a girl of Moorish descent adopted by European parents that dies at thirteen and becomes a tangible spirit. She ends up with a magical cape and sneaks into the kings’ castle where she discovers a portal that takes her to other worlds for a series of adventures.
What inspired this novel is still a mystery to me as the idea was conceived when I was in college. It was one of those ideas that stuck around persistently and I couldn’t get it out of my head so I decided to get it down on paper and thus, The Adventures of Fleeting Grace was born.
Do you have any unusual writing habits?
No unusual writing habits to speak of here. The only thing to note is that I’m a streaky writer meaning sometimes I can write all day (literally) and sometimes the last thing in the world I want to do is write.
What authors, or books have influenced you?
Most notably, authors like Stephen King, Pierce Brown, V.E. Schwab, Leigh Bardugo and Rick Riordan have been big influences on me over the years. Rick Riordan was the author that started it all for me with his Percy Jackson and The Olympians series.
I remember reading it in high school and being completely captivated by the world-building and series of adventures the characters embarked on. The emotion, the struggle, and turmoil made everything seem so real and it was super easy to get lost in the story. It was then I decided to be a writer myself, so I can do the same for others as Rick Riordan did for me.
What are you working on now?
I’m currently working on a short story called Headhunter which centers on a war veteran trying to live a peaceful life but somehow gets dragged back into the fight, this time a covert one.
The Adventures Of Fleeting Grace, my latest novel, is also in the works and set to come out this Christmas, making the perfect gift for those who are looking for something to read on their family vacations or that perfect read to end the year on.
What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I promote my books mainly through instagram or my blog site. I’ve paid some people to review books in the past and it has helped in getting the word out there about my work. Mostly, I’ve just asked people to review my novel and that has worked as well.
Do you have any advice for new authors?
Remember that you are not only marketing your book but yourself as well. If you want people to know about your work, they need to know about you too. Too many authors believe that you can just produce a work and make money with it while maintaining complete anonymity and that’s not true.
You have to step into the light and let the world see who you are and, if the people like you, they will surely like your work.
What is the best advice you have ever heard?
The best advice I’ve heard, when it comes to writing, comes from Lee Child when he said “ignore all advice”. There should be one mind working on your novel, yours. When you let other people give their opinions you risk having someone else’s influence injected into your writing.
What are you reading now?
What I’m currently reading is a bit tricky. However, the book series I’m totally invested in is The Grand Game by Tom Elliot, a LitRPG series that focuses on a single player’s rise to power and his role in ending a centuries long war between factions.
What’s next for you as a writer?
Nothing except continuing my writing journey and trying to market myself as much as I can. My goal is to inspire young minds with the power of words and I won’t stop until it is fulfilled in the greatest capacity possible.
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?
The 48 Laws of Power by Robert Greene
Models by Mark Manson
The Psychology of Money by Morgan Housel
IT by Stephen King
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