Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
Thanks for the interview!
I’m Tandy Mackal, an Atlanta-based freelance writer. I live with my very own Prince Charming, and we try to keep each other out of trouble. (Full-time job, that is!)
Jezebel Redeemed, a memoir, is my first book under my pen name.
What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
Jezebel Redeemed is a memoir. Friends always tell me I should write a book about my life, but the scope and magnitude of that seemed a bit overwhelming. I began exploring different themes, and decided to write about one aspect of my life that is possibly the most telling, and is definitely the most painful – the men I’ve loved over my lifetime.
Do you have any unusual writing habits?
For all my projects – books, articles, blog posts, screenplays – I write in spurts. I write small bits every day, because I can’t not write, but when I focus on a project, I pour myself into it and write as fast as I possibly can until I’m spent. This keeps the inner editor at bay for the most part.
What authors, or books have influenced you?
I’ve been a writer for decades so I’m surrounded by all different kinds of writers on a daily basis. They have all influenced my writing in some way. The fiction writers have taught me to be a better storyteller, the nonfiction writers have taught me about theme and substance. The editors have tried to teach me the difference between lay and lie, but they finally gave up.
What are you working on now?
I’m toying with the idea of writing another memoir, this one focused on the women in my life. I think I need a little more emotional recovery time before diving in though. Jezebel Redeemed was painful at times.
What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I’m still trying to figure that one out.
Do you have any advice for new authors?
I always thought I’d be a fiction writer since I devoured books like bon-bons. But writing fiction doesn’t come naturally to me, like nonfiction and screenplays. My advice is to try all different kinds of writing – don’t limit yourself to just one kind of writing. You might surprise yourself and find a gift you didn’t know you had.
What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Write simply.
I admire and respect writers who create word pictures with paragraphs of detail, but I tend to get frustrated with too much. I love writers who allow readers to use their own imaginations at times, as long as the story isn’t compromised.
What are you reading now?
Never Stop Walking by Christina Rickardsson
What’s next for you as a writer?
The dreaded M word – marketing!
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 Holy Bible
A Charles Martin book I haven’t read yet
A massive Shakespeare collection in one volume
The Oxford English Dictionary (yes, I read dictionaries)
Author Websites and Profiles
Tandy Mackal Website
Tandy Mackal Amazon Profile
Tandy Mackal’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile
Facebook Profile
Twitter Account