Featured Interview With Simon Williams
Tell us a little about yourself. Where were you raised? Where do you live now?
Everything about myself? Christ, can I leave out the really dumb stuff? That won’t give me much material. I was born in Australia coming up on a half a century ago. I spent 8 years at boarding school as a child, where I developed a sarcastic sense of humor to avoid getting beaten up by the older kids. I currently live in Miami, married with one child and 2 step children. Other than that, I reveal a lot of what makes me tick in my book, including the really dumb stuff that no one ever talks about.
At what age did you realize your fascination with books? When did you start writing?
My English teacher in Grade 12 told me I was a lazy student. The class was asked to write a 5-page historical story. I was so pissed at him I wrote 30 pages. It was such a satisfying experience, not only because I could subtly give him the finger without being in trouble for it. I have always loved reading, but wrote purely for my own expression and to amuse a few mates. My current foray into writing began about 4 years ago, the night I stood on my 20-story balcony and wondered if my life was worth going on.
Who are your favorite authors to read? What is your favorite genre to read. Who Inspires you in your writings?
Bill Bryson. Clive Cussler. Ben Elton. Michael Palin
I love humor. Good humor. Stuff that makes me laugh out so loud I annoy the people around me. There is something incredibly powerful about being able to achieve that effect from a book.
Tell us a little about your latest book?
I have been working on a just completed series for 3 years. It started the night I was suicidal and sat down to write a good bye note. I wrote a funny note. Humorous enough that I thought I would keep writing the next day as well. I was deeply depressed from a tragedy that had occurred in my life. Once I brought some laughter back into my life, I began to see things more clearly. I was able to get up the courage to then go and annoy the US State Department and stir up enough trouble that I was able to solve my problem in the least diplomatic way possible. I wrote all about this in the follow up two books to the original. If it is not the funniest suicide note in the world, it is the longest.
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