By: Michael Beas – Atlas Elite Publishing
J. Denison Reed is the creative force behind the cutting-edge Clifford’s War series. Reed has a gift for sweeping readers away with his riveting storytelling style and compelling characters, while also keeping them wondering what is going to happen next until the very last page. In this interview we talk with him about his recent win in the Four Seasons Book Awards, his fascinating creative process, and his inspirations.
What sets your writing style apart from other authors in the same genre?
Although I feel that I am still improving my style as a writer, I tend to write in third-person or present tense, to give the reader a feeling they are in the story, witnessing it as it is happening around them. I feel that for an action-style story, this creates a faster pace that has the potential to immerse the reader in the pages.
Can you discuss your recent win in the Four Seasons Book Awards and what it means to you as an author?
Contests are always fun and a little stressful, but they are good marketing tools that give you a few more things to discuss with your readers than just your story. I worked with Atlas Elite on some promotional projects for my books when they mentioned the Four Seasons Awards. It was a seasonal award, so I decided to give it a shot. After becoming a finalist in spring I was entered in their yearly awards and finished third. After I was notified, I took to social media to spread the word and it has created a lot of extra exposure, which is hard to come by as a writer.
How do you balance writing with your other creative pursuits, such as photography and candle making?
Life, in my opinion, is all about balance. You have to create the time to work on your passions. I have worked my photography passion, which my wife also shares, into our candle business to help with events and promotions, but she is the better photographer by far. I still work full-time as an IT professional and write part-time. But I hope to flip those roles in the near future. If you allow yourself the time to enjoy your passion, balancing work and life becomes easier the more you do it.
Can you tell us more about your small candle company and how it came about?
Candle making became a hobby that my current wife and I decided to start together, while combining our families after we both went through ugly divorces. We were broke and struggling and made candles as gifts. This caught on and became a functioning business that my wife runs, solely by herself today. She has done an amazing job by educating herself, reading up on trends, and diving into the science behind expert candle making. Please do me a favor and try one of our candles at “Reeds in the Valley.” You will not be disappointed. They are amazing.
Do you find that your experiences in different creative endeavors influence each other?
Definitely! Helping my wife with the creative process of making candles has helped my ability with descriptions. Trying to tell someone across the internet what a candle smells like is more difficult than you think, especially when a candle has layers of fragrances, with top notes, base notes, and different hot and cold throws. It challenges the mind to describe to someone, completely node-blind on what to expect when they eventually smell the fragrance.
Outside of candle making, this still rings true. Reading aside, I have found inspiration in song lyrics, TV shows, and movies as well.
Can you share any insights or lessons you’ve learned from your experiences as an author?
The best way to sum up is that it will not come easy. After writing is rewriting and more rewriting until you feel it’s perfect. After that is publishing, then finally marketing and selling your book. To me, that is the most difficult and uses most of my energy. If you want to be successful, stick with it. There will be highs and lows, but you have to ride the lows to help build momentum for your highs.
Download J. Denison Reed’s Bestselling Series today!
Published by: Holy Minoza
