Featured Interview With Justine Johnston Hemmestad
Tell us a little about yourself. Where were you raised? Where do you live now?
I’ve been married for 27 years and my husband and I have seven children and one grandchild. We live in the midwest.
At what age did you realize your fascination with books? When did you start writing?
In 1990 (I was 19 and living in San Diego with my husband of three months) my car was hit by a city bus as I was driving home from work – I sustained a severe brain injury, I was resuscitated, in a coma, paralyzed, and the doctors thought I wouldn’t recover. Within a few months I was walking again and my husband and I moved to Iowa where we started our family of 7 kids (doctors also told us we would never have kids after my crash). After we moved I began writing to cope with my severe PTSD, and I began my story about Alexander the Great a few years later. In the mid 2000s I started college part-time – with my first course being world religions, which helped me understand Alexander’s motivations and was also therapeutic for my mind. I had become interested in Alexander’s story in the mid ’90s after watching a documentary about him because I identified so much with his persistence and perseverance. I kept researching until I was able to integrate his soul into the story I had been working on. I continued college, earned my BLS from The University of Iowa, and I’m now working on a Master’s Degree in Literature through Northern Arizona University.
Who are your favorite authors to read? What is your favorite genre to read. Who Inspires you in your writings?
Shakespeare is my ultimate favorite and I feel I’ve learned the most about character development and freedom in character story lines through reading him. Emily Bronte has also taught me about depth in writing through her book “Wuthering Heights.” Rumi has taught me symbolism and metaphor in writing. Mary Shelley has taught me how cool it is when the writing style reflects the story itself through her book “Frankenstein.”
Tell us a little about your latest book?
“Visions of a Dream” focuses on the spiritual fire that ignites Alexander the Great’s actions as he learns from the other cultures he comes into contact with. His closest relationships vie for his love but they also provide the steel he needs to be sharpened spiritually and emotionally, for before he conquers the world he must first conquer his own mind. He’s inclusive of all people, all cultures, and all religions and he honors that belief. Alexander’s relationships with his fellow man know no restrictions, nor does his love of the sublime. He immerses himself in the Persian culture when there, the Egyptian Culture when there, and also the Indian culture when there, for he believed in the individual beauty of each culture rather than assimilation. The exploration of his heart and mind becomes the greatest legacy he leaves behind in the world. The romance of the story is highlighted in the book trailer on youtube at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lFMe1DFLyRs&t=25s and I’ve been interviewed on CBS Radio’s People of Distinction with Al Cole.
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