Featured Interview With Jocelyn Soriano
Tell us a little about yourself. Where were you raised? Where do you live now?
I’m a bookworm and a coffee lover. I enjoy watching sunsets and taking a walk along the beach. I also love music. I have composed some songs, and I can even sing my heart out when inspired!
I have written more than 10 books as per my latest count. Most of them were inspirational and self-help books. I have also written two books on poetry, a novel and a children’s book. Before I became a writer, I was working as a CPA and Internal Auditor.
I was raised in the Philippines and had a chance to be a resident of Australia.
I have no pet at the moment, but I remember having a chick when I was young.
At what age did you realize your fascination with books? When did you start writing?
I think I have always wanted to write for as long as I could possibly remember. However, it was when I was about 15 years old when I was able to write my first book in order to comply with a school project.
Who are your favorite authors to read? What is your favorite genre to read. Who Inspires you in your writings?
I read a variety of books and I appreciate various genre. I like to read self-help books, inspirational/religious books, fantasy books, books on poetry, mystery books, cozy novels and children’s books.
Books can influence us in many ways. They can change us as a person, they can give us ideas about writing, or they can open certain doors for us to follow. Authors, on the other hand, can influence us by the way they live or by the way that they write.
Based on the above, I can say that some of the authors that have influenced me were J.R.R. Tolkien, C.S.Lewis, J.K.Rowling, P.L.Travers, Antoine de Saint-Exupéry, Paulo Coelho, Kahlil Gibran, Og Mandino, Mitch Albom, L.B.Cowman, Mother Angelica, Mother Teresa, Fr. Robert Barron and Pope Benedict XVI. If I include the saints among those who have written their own books, I could include St. Therese of Lisieux, St. Teresa of Avila, St. Augustine and St. Faustina Kowalska. Last but not the least, my sister Dulce Amor Soriano who is also my beta reader, editor, and consultant for design.
Tell us a little about your latest book?
THE GOOD FOR NOTHING BOY is my latest book. I was inspired to write it when I was younger and felt unsure of my self-worth and my purpose in life. I was also trying to explore the limits of my imagination. Through books, I wanted people to be able to travel to magical places, even if only for a while. I also wanted to impart certain values through the perspective of an innocent child.
I keep in mind a quote by Madeleine L’Engle: “You have to write the book that wants to be written. And if the book will be too difficult for grown-ups, then you write it for children.”
When I wrote The Good For Nothing Boy, I was not really aware whether I was writing a book for children or a book for grownups. I just wanted to write a book that needs to be written, a book that needs to be born from within me.
The Good For Nothing Boy is a story about searching for one’s worth and one’s purpose. I remember the times I felt like the boy in the story, not knowing what I’m really good at and not knowing my mission in life. Even though I have certain skills and talents, I often felt as though I’m not good enough. In today’s world where competition is commended and where we need to stand out from the rest every day, how do we prove our worth?
My sister told me that THE GOOD FOR NOTHING BOY bears some resemblance to the following books: The Little Prince, The Wizard of Oz and Alice in Wonderland. When I heard her say that, I was thrilled and scared at the same time. Who wouldn’t be honored with such a comparison? On the other hand, who wouldn’t be afraid?
Deep within me however, I could agree that “The Good For Nothing Boy” bears some resemblance to “The Little Prince”. And if I could say more, I’d like to say that it also bears some similarity with “The Alchemist” or even “The Chronicles of Narnia”. Despite all that, I’d like to say that my book can still stand on its own and has never lost its uniqueness.
It is much like a person who may look like someone you knew, but who will never really be exactly alike anyhow. Books, like people are influenced by many things. I guess that’s why we can say that a particular book is somewhat similar to this and that book we’ve read before. In the end, however, a book grows a character that is all its own. There is that secret ingredient that makes it different from all the mixture of influences it has ever had. A book grows its own soul, and then it is no longer afraid to be compared with any other.
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