Featured Interview With Fre’Derick “Ziggy” Redd III
Tell us a little about yourself. Where were you raised? Where do you live now?
Ziggy was originally born and raised in Greenville, MS, and later moved to Houston TX in 2014 were he underwent cancer treatment for Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia. He later transitioned (passed away) from his 7 year battle with cancer at the age of 10 in June 2018.
He didn’t have any real pets, but he did have a stuffed animal (dog) named Waffles.
At what age did you realize your fascination with books? When did you start writing?
He always had a passion for school and learning from his toddler years till his passing in 2018.
Ziggy would write all the time with his younger sister Zai who helped illustrate the book after his passing. Writing and creativity was a apart of their bonding.
Who are your favorite authors to read? What is your favorite genre to read. Who Inspires you in your writings?
There are no particular authors just those books and genres that interested him. His mother (Author Philandis Stovall) inspired him to write along with his grandmother Doris Stovall.
Tell us a little about your latest book?
As a cancer patient, attending school and learning to read was challenging for Ziggy. However, his strong determination pushed him to succeed.Ziggy was excited to be among his peers daily and looked forward to the social interaction. School gave Ziggy more knowledge and confidence in putting words that he could verbalize onto paper. Words became sentences, sentences became paragraphs, and paragraphs became stories. Ziggy would dramatically act out his stories as he and his sister Zai would play together. Often, Zai would follow Ziggy’s lead as he would give her the details of the story word for word, instructing her on what he needed her to say. He would also draw pictures to help her understand.He was the writer, director, and lead in every story he wrote!This story highlights Ziggy’s strength, a gift for entertainment, and was published as encouragement for other children and adults who are on a cancer journey. In spite of his health condition, Ziggy never lost focus on the things he wanted to do during his lifetime.”The Mystery of the Missing Ring” is a continuation of Ziggy and Zai’s beautiful sibling bond that we, his family, hope will be shared with others and thereby allowing Ziggy to live on in the hearts and minds of others for eternity.
Connect with the Author on their Websites and Social media profiles
Fre’Derick “Ziggy” Redd III’s Website