Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I live in New York, am married with five adult children ranging from 15-27 years old. I grew up on Long Island, the youngest of four and my wife was a middle child from a family of seven. Both of us were previously married and found personal faith after challenging and difficult circumstances in our lives. We met a Christmas party in 1994 and were married less than 2 years later. I adopted her 3 year son soon after our wedding and had 4 other children together.
I worked for many year as a Computer Network Specialist before following a spiritual calling. This led to many years of serving God and helping others on a much deeper level with great passion and compassion for others hurting and struggling.
I had been planning on writing a book to help those struggling with being lonely and unfulfilled being unmarried, whether never married or divorced.
Biblical Rhymes and Reasons is my first book and it was a surprise. I had other books in mind for the future, but this came about through unexpected circumstances.
What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
Biblical Rhymes and Reasons began when I started collecting the little reflections I wrote on social media as I was considering deleting all my accounts. As I reviewed some of them, I actually liked some of them, and felt encouraged to privately expand and journal upon some of them and then became inspired to wrote more. As I did so, the idea of putting them into a book collection form, for myself and to share with others, came about. In the process of inspiration, I had the vision for organizing the book into seven topical chapters and wrote a lot of new stuff to make each chapter complete and the whole book more interesting and broader in scope.
Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I consider myself an amateur and somewhat don’t know how to answer that, except with that I rely much on what I believe is inspiration. I definitely get consumed once I get started and will pull “all-nighters” because when I really don’t want to stop and need the quiet, especially in my brain.
What authors, or books have influenced you?
I grew up loving “To Kill a Mockingbird”, “Tom Sawyer”, and “The Outsiders”, various crime mysteries, and then fell in love with Stephen King, especially “The Stand” and the “Dead Zone”, which I ironically enough considered them spiritual besides horrific in nature. My mother made me read “A Road Less Traveled” as a young adult life lesson which increased my interest in books that help others as well as my self, and of course I have read many theological – spiritual materials in pursuit of my calling. I loved reading writings from the “Church Fathers” mostly because it made me feel like I was travelling through time to listen to those historical perspectives.
What are you working on now?
As I pursue a new beginning and somewhat secondary career and parallel pursuit as a “life Coach”, I have become writing a coaching booklet. I do want to start on the “singles” book I mentioned earlier, but I am juggling too much at this moment, especially with the Corona Virus pandemic overwhelming everyone and everything.
What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
Since I am just getting started, the current best website vehicle has been Facebook, but I hope to expand, which is why I am writing this.
Do you have any advice for new authors?
Don’t be in a hurry. Take the necessary time you need to make your book what you can call a finished product. Write it as if it is the only book you will ever write.
What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Try not to have any regrets, starting now!
What are you reading now?
A Farewell to Arms, by Ernest Hemingway. I am hoping it will give me a different perspective of people and life from a another time and place, as well as the experience of the world being turned upside down.
What’s next for you as a writer?
I am currently learning about the need to market, not so much because I want to sell books or expect to earn monies, but because I practically need the money to publish what I want to publish, simply as a personal project and accomplishment. I do not have grand illusions of “success” and it is not my motivation for writing. I want to write because I want to write and then share what I wrote because I believe that is part of the reason I am inspired to write. However, I do want to write some practical professional materials I doubt that I will attempt to publish, but simply use as a guide to help others with. Eventually, I want to start my “singles” book for unmarried people, which I mentioned more than once, so maybe that should become a priority.
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 Bible, because I know from personal experience it’s real and powerful effect on life, love, truth, wisdom, faith, and more…
A “Far Side” comic collection, because I need to laugh and I love the creative and somewhat twisted humor that makes you think at the same time.
Author Websites and Profiles
Stephen Maloney Website
Stephen Maloney Amazon Profile
Stephen Maloney’s Social Media Links
Facebook Profile
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