Blow Your Own Trumpet

Have  you noticed how the most successful people are always those who are great storytellers?

This page lists  all the interviews that we have had the honour of conducting with the very many storytellers people from all over the world. Click on the title of the interview you’d like to read and you’ll be taken to the appropriate webpage.

If you would like to be interviewed, please do not hesitate to contact us at editor @ howtotellagreatstory.com

Starr Burgess worked as an elementary teacher and school counselor for a total of seven years. She has a Master’s Degree in Professional Counseling from Texas State University. Starr is busy working on her second children’s book: Counselor Dynamite Befuddles the Bullyville Crew. She currently resides with her husband, Clyde, and their daughter in Pflugerville, TX. Tell us a little about your main character, Counselor Dynamite, and what makes her compelling? Counselor Dynamite is full of light and joy. She made the decision to work with children in schools because she understands what it is like to feel invisible, unloved,…
Introduction Please welcome my special guest, international bestselling Canadian author Cheryl Kaye Tardif. Cheryl is best known for Submerged, a psychological thriller that has had over 49,000 downloads on Amazon alone in March 2013, Children of the Fog, a supernatural suspense thriller that has sold over 50,000 copies and has made Amazon’s Top 100 bestsellers list (overall list) multiple times, and Whale Song, a much-loved, inspiring family tale with a hint of mystery, now available in its third edition–plus a school edition with a discussion guide. Learn more about Cheryl Kaye Tardif at http://www.cherylktardif.com and follow her on Twitter. Enter…
Today my guest is horror author Vincent Hobbes, whose latest novel, KHOST, is a military horror set in the Soviet Union and Afghanistan. In 2004 he founded Hobbes End Publishing, but later sold the company and now writes full time. He’s the author of The Contrived Senator, Exiles, Plight of the Warrior, and, together with 17 other authors, of the anthology The Endlands. He recently finished producing the second volume of The Endlands. His latest novel, KHOST, released last year, is currently being considering for production in Hollywood. He resides in North Texas with his wife and German short-haired pointer.…
My guest today is award-winning author Christine Amsden, whose novel, Cassie Scot: ParaNormal Detective, has just been released by Twilight Times Books. Amsden has written stories since she was eight, always with a touch of the strange or unusual. She started writing seriously in 2003, after attending a boot camp with Orson Scott Card. She finished Touch of Fate shortly afterward, then penned The Immortality Virus, which has won two awards. It’s great to have you here, Christine. Why don’t you start by telling us a bit about your latest book, and what inspired you to write it? Cassie herself…
Introduction: [Interview by Joanna Celeste http://joannaceleste.com] I read How to be a Writer in the E-Age… And Keep Your E-Sanity! by Catherine Ryan Hyde and Anne R. Allen last year and I’m thrilled that their first update was recently released in e-book form. The title of their book is right on the money. I had the wonderful opportunity to interview both ladies on their collaboration on this project, and their warmth and generosity shines. They will also teach a workshop on the subject: The Tech Savvy Author, with local radio personality Dave Congalton, set for March 2nd in San Luis…
Introduction [Originally published on You Read It Here First. I was introduced to Ms. Ball through the Founder of You Read It Here First, Christina Hamlett. Her interview with Ms. Ball is here for reference.] Interview by Joanna Celeste http://joannaceleste.com Q: Why did you write and assemble The Art of Assessment? A: The Art of Assessment was actually my first book, written about 14 years ago. I wrote it initially as an adjunct to The Compulsive Reader to be used as a how-to guide for my reviewers to help them write more thorough and consistent reviews. It started off as…
Introduction Late last year, Jack sent us his new novel and asked that it be reviewed. When the review was completed, before I could ask Jack if he would agree to an interview, he asked me. I was glad he did as his story is fascinating ... as you will see below. Aneeta: Hello Jack. Thank you for agreeing to this interview. Jack: And thank you, Aneeta. Also, thank you again for the great review of The Moroni Deception one of your reviewers recently posted. Aneeta: Let's start with something about you. Please tell me where you were born, where…
Introduction Dominick Domingo is a veteran Animation Artist (Lion King, Pocahontas, Hunchback, Tarzan, Fantasia) who’s illustrated YA books for Penguin, Random House, Lowell House, Disney Publishing, Hyperion Books, and Harcourt. Developing original screenplays as a filmmaker led to a growing writing resume. To capitalize on it, Dominick recently penned a collection of Narrative Nonfiction essays titled “Jesus Shoes,” two of which have been included in anthologies. One of the essays, ‘L’Epiphanie,’ was awarded the 2011 Solas award in the humor category for ‘Best Travel Writing.’ The Nameless Prince represents Dominick’s foray into Young Adult urban fantasy. He’d be happy to…
Introduction About two weeks ago, I received an email from the publisher (Joe Gregory) for 'How to Tell a Great Story'. In it, Joe wrote about a call for submissions for works of fiction and asked if we could help promote this via FB and twitter. Well, I don't have either of those. So, I asked Lucy if she was willing to be interviewed for this column and she said yes. So, without further ado, here is the story of Lucy McCarraher ... Aneeta: Lucy, thank you for agreeing to this interview. Let’s start with a little about you. Tell…
Introduction Hannah wrote to me some time ago to ask if I'd interview her for this site. I agreed and her story to publication is as fascinating as the gist of the story she wrote. Without further ado, here's Hannah Clark. Aneeta: Hannah, thank you for writing to me. Hannah: No problem J This is a great website, so why wouldn’t I want to be interviewed? Well, other than self-whoring and promotion *nervous laugh* Sorry, I make rubbish jokes when I’m nervous. Aneeta: Let’s start with a little about you. Tell me, please, where were you born, where did you…

Latest Posts

  • Sakshi
    I have been in a state of ‘emotional unwell-being’ for seven years. There, I’ve said it. Why? Well, after my father died, I believed that if I reached out with love to ‘good friends’, counsellors, suitors, and relatives, there could be pockets of joy to offset my grief and loneliness,…
  • The Creative Industry Needs to Look at Things Differently Post Budget 2022
    On 29 October 2021, the Finance Minister, Datuk Seri Tengku Zafrul Tengku Abdul Aziz tabled Budget 2022 in the Malaysian parliament. RM50 million has been allocated for the arts and culture industry. This comes after a year and a half after the entire industry came to an absolute standstill. With…
  • ‘The Covid Positives’ – life lessons learnt from the pandemic by Phanindra Ivatury
    After a long drawn battle with the biggest catastrophe in our living memory, global humanity is finally getting to see some quintessential ray of light at the end of the treacherous tunnel in the form of COVID-19 vaccines, currently being rolled out to all parts of the globe. A ‘COVID-19…
  • Chaos of Whole Books
    Is it possible to read several books at once? Aneeta Sundararaj finds out. When I was a child, my cousin used to boast that he could read four storybooks at a time. As an adult, when he invested in an e-Reader, he continued to boast that he could…
  • Writing for You? Or for Me?
    Writing for You? Or for Me? ‘You must always write with your reader in mind.’ This was one of the first pieces of advice that I received when I began my writing career. Honestly, I found this extremely hard to do because more often than not, I couldn’t picture my…