Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I’m from Massachusetts and consider myself still fairly young at 28. I enjoy writing because it allows me to express myself and let’s me get out my creative ideas out on paper. To me writing is a way of life and I do my best to be inspired and write whatever comes to mind. When I’m not writing I enjoy watching football and learning about history oddly enough. I have written 4 books and have stories and poems published in four anthologies.
What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
My latest book is called Opium Warfare. It was inspired after the words Opium Warfare randomly popped into my head. I thought it would make a great title for a book and a great idea for a book. After much thought about the origins and happenings of opium I decided to base it in Shanghai where the inspiration simply took off from there. The first two chapters were thought of before hand while the rest took me time to come up with. Overall I was inspired on many levels and put my all into this book.
Do you have any unusual writing habits?
Hmm..Nothing too unusual thought I’ve recently found that I use the words “to which” way too much! I tend to ramble and write a bunch of nonsense on my screen and then I analyze it to see if anything is worth using and if it is I buckle down and get serious by incorporating the two together. I’d say that qualifies as unusual.
What authors, or books have influenced you?
Edgar Allan Poe, Rod Serling and Robert Frost are big influences. I feel I’ve taken a bit of inspiration from each of them in their own right. Poe’s eerie style of horror poetry, Serlings weird and strange twist endings of Twilight Zone nature and Robert Frosts smooth, calm and collective way he tells a simple tale. My poetry varies depending on my mood as I’ve even been known to be inspired by poetry works of Jim Morrison. All of these men have had a great impact on me.
What are you working on now?
Right now I’m focused on promoting and marketing Opium Warfare. I have been writing more blog posts and have been keeping up a horror blog on Goodreads which I am looking to expand elsewhere. I just finished writing 31 poems for October which will be for a future work in 2016.
What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
Goodreads and Authors Marketing Club. I’m always on Goodreads either promoting my work or trying to find new ways to do so. I enjoy the people on there and I enjoy the simple way the site is set up. I’ve recently taken a liking to Authors Marketing Club as they are a very promising site. They have free webinars and many other tools to help authors reach their potential. Of course I also use social media like most people though I try not to invest too much time on certain ones as I find I don’t have the same reach as other people but I do my best.
Do you have any advice for new authors?
Don’t give up so quick and don’t let criticism get you down! I’ve heard many authors say they want to quit because writing just ins’t for them or it’s too much pressure. I’ve also heard these same authors give up because people were too critical of them. To new authors I’ll say this, don’t let it get to you. You wanted to write for a reason, because you enjoy it and because your good at it so stick to it and keep it up. Don’t let the critics get you down, not everyone is going to like your work, the best thing to do is take any positive of it and pick yourself up and carry on.
What is the best advice you have ever heard?
That’s hard to say as I’ve heard and received a lot of good advice but I’ll say the best advice I’ve ever heard is(not to sound too cliche) but to never give up. Aside from what I said above, I find that even though times get tough for me and I feel like I want to give up on something not just writing or promoting, I don’t. I hate not finishing something or seeing it all the way though and I always try to make sure I don’t give up.
What are you reading now?
It’s been a while since I read anything since I’ve been busy writing. I am currently reading Red Dust: The Fall, a weird Western.
What’s next for you as a writer?
Well right now I’m trying to build a following and get some steady sales. Writing wise in general I may write a few poems and short stories to get into more anthologies. I’m taking a break from writing another novel, at least for right now.
What is your favorite book of all time?
The Endlands by Vincent Hobbes. It’s a collection of short stories with a Twilight Zone like theme to them. It features Hobbes and many of his friends who have several stories in the book. All of them are outstanding and I highly recommend the book.
Author Websites and Profiles
Justin Bienvenue Website
Justin Bienvenue Amazon Profile
Justin Bienvenue’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile
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