Christy Landers Tallamy - The IAN Interview

Christy Landers Tallamy

Christy Landers Tallamy is a writer whose work explores the beauty and complexity of ordinary lives. Her style has been compared to Italian novelist Elena Ferrante, and her poetry and essays have appeared in several creative writing anthologies. She has also worked as a ghostwriter, blogger, and essayist. Her historical trilogy draws on her Southern roots to examine family loyalty, faith, and generational legacy. Christy is drawn to stories of people navigating survival in the grey areas between right and wrong, and to the seemingly small choices that ripple across generations. An engaging speaker, she offers author programs on literature, family dynamics, and the power of storytelling.

IAN: Please tell us about your latest books.

Christy Landers Tallamy: The Ruth Trilogy traces the generational cost of silence, faith, and survival in the 20th-century American South. Born in 1912 at the foot of Stone Mountain, Georgia, Ruth Shurlington grows up steeped in evangelical tradition and rigid expectations of womanhood. After the death of a beloved patriarch shatters her family’s stability, Ruth’s longing for love and certainty leads her into the arms of Leonidas Brantley—a much older man with a criminal history and whose charm masks a brutal need for control. Their marriage becomes a crucible of isolation and violence, binding Ruth to a life she once believed was divinely ordained.

As the years unfold through Sugarcane Saint and Sipping Mercury, Ruth’s private suffering ripples outward, shaping the lives of her children and entangling them in a legacy of buried truths. Sisters, neighbors, and fleeting flashes of courage offer the possibility of escape, but each attempt carries a cost—and each silence feeds the darkness growing inside the Brantley home. What begins as one woman’s private submission slowly hardens into a family inheritance, until the past is no longer something they remember, but something they are forced to survive.

IAN: Is The Ruth Trilogy published in print, e-book or both?

Christy Landers Tallamy: The Ruth Trilogy is available in paperback, hardback and e-book formats. We will be releasing the audio versions in 2027.

IAN: Where can we go to buy your books?

Christy Landers Tallamy: Christylanderstallamy.com/shop Sugarcane Saint at Amazon.com and Sipping Mercury at Amazon.com

IAN: What inspired you to write trilogy?

Christy Landers Tallamy: This story had been pressing on my family for generations. My grandfather was a moonshiner, a witch doctor, a community leader — and a deeply violent man. My grandmother, by contrast, embodied the image of the sweet Southern woman. That pairing cast a long shadow. They had seven sons, and every one of them became abusers. Their four daughters became, in very different ways, studies in female survival.

For most of my life, the stories of this family were a series of contradictions and whispers and pieces of unspeakable moments of violence. It was only after my mother’s last living brother passed away — the final gatekeeper of those secrets — that a weight lifted. In a moment of grief, over cocktails and appetizers at Carraba’s, my mother asked a piercing question: Who was my mother?

I had grown up under the weight of this legacy, carrying questions and wounds and unspoken truths of my own. Her question became my turning point. I began digging into my maternal family line, trying to understand who my grandmother really was and how she came to marry my grandfather. That search — for truth, for context, for compassion — became the seed of this trilogy.

IAN: Did you use an outline or do you just wing the first draft?

Christy Landers Tallamy: I did have an outline, though it didn’t start out looking very official. I began by gathering family stories and lining them up alongside real historical events, which turned into a document that was almost 100 pages long. It was basically a big, chronological brain dump of everything I’d learned about this family. From there, I went deep into research — visiting cemeteries, spending a full day at the Library of Congress, and reading years’ worth of historical newspapers to understand the world they were living in. I layered all of that into the timeline. Once I had that foundation, I curled up with my laptop and started doing the storytelling work — connecting the dots with narrative, character arcs, and imagined dialogue.

IAN: How long did it take to write the trilogy?

Christy Landers Tallamy: Between the deep research, the many interviews with family members, and the emotional weight of uncovering and writing about family secrets, it took nearly six years just to release the first book. Originally, the entire story was one very ambitious manuscript — about 1,200 pages — which my editor gently (and wisely) suggested might be… a bit much for a single novel. Breaking it into a trilogy was absolutely the right call, but it did stretch the timeline! By the time the final book is released, the whole journey will have taken about eight years from start to finish.

IAN: What do you hope your readers come away with after reading your books?

Christy Landers Tallamy: Part of why I wanted to tell this story is to honor the ways our ancestry shapes us and to validate the wounds we inherit. Just about a hundred years ago, my grandmother made a choice — she stayed with a violent man — and that decision rippled through my mother’s life, my own, and even my own little family so far removed from my grandmother’s life. But the story is also a reminder that every choice matters. Even when we feel small or insignificant, our actions have impact, shaping the lives of those who come after us.

In some ways, the trilogy is an insistence: You have value. You matter. The choices you make are important, and they shape not only your life but the world that unfolds around you.

IAN: How much of the trilogy is realistic?

Christy Landers Tallamy: The trilogy is rooted in real people and real events from my maternal history. As I pieced together stories, records, and memories, I built the emotional and historical truth of what happened. I carefully held truth in any violent scenes, only including them if I had multiple factual or witness sources to draw from. The truth of that legacy did not call for embellishment. From there, I shaped a narrative — compressing timelines, reimagining dialogue, and sometimes blending or altering identifying details to protect the wounded, if not the innocent. In other words, most of it is true.

IAN: What books have most influenced your life most?

Christy Landers Tallamy: It may be a cliché, but The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde has been incredibly influential for me. I still remember the mental churn the first time I read it — especially the idea that even a sin that goes “unseen” still causes damage. That concept stayed with me and, in many ways, planted the earliest seeds for the Ruth Trilogy. At its heart, my series explores that same truth: “sins” don’t disappear just because they are hidden — it lingers, shaping lives in ways we may not immediately see.

IAN: What book are you reading now?

Christy Landers Tallamy: As a personal reading challenge for myself this year, I’m (re)reading all the books that influenced me in my adolescence and early adulthood– including The Picture of Dorian Gray. I just recently finished The Witch of Blackbird Pond by Elizabeth Speare and Across Five Aprils by Irene Hunt. Both were still just as powerful to me in surprisingly new ways.

IAN: Is there anything you find particularly challenging in your writing?

Christy Landers Tallamy: Fragments. Broken thoughts. Streams of consciousness. This has always been my style—my way of finding the creative current. I move through an emotional landscape first and let my words follow the wandering, which sometimes means the reader feels every stumble and turn along the way.

That is a difficult style to navigate when applied to long form. It can be confusing. Disruptive. Misinterpreted. The period, the em dash, the comma, the use of italics, the repetition of a single word. These all come to represent something much deeper than grammatical accuracy.

Writing this way is a risk, but it’s also the most honest way I know to translate interior experience onto the page.

IAN: Who designed the covers?

Christy Landers Tallamy: In a world grappling with AI versus human art, I chose to remain old school. The cover art is a pastel series created by a young Virginia Commonwealth University art student, Mackenzie Haskell. I’ve been a fan of her work since I first came across it in a high school gymnasium, and the original pieces now hang framed in my office.

In our conversations about the covers, we focused heavily on the shadow in the background and how it moves closer with each book. We talked about evoking a sense of foreboding and creating images that felt like they were telling the story on their own. It was an ambitious vision for a first cover series, and I’m incredibly proud of where she landed.

IAN: Did you learn anything from writing your books and what was it?

Christy Landers Tallamy: I learned that the past — and our memories of it — are fractured, elusive things. Laying out the strands of my research felt like looking at the same image under shifting angles of light; each perspective revealed something new, sometimes contradicting what I thought I understood. I went searching for answers and discovered that was a futile goal. I didn’t find answers. I found compassion — for the people in my family, for the choices they made, and for myself.

Exploring such a deeply personal history also helped me unravel the hold it had on my own life. Heading into the final book of the trilogy, I have a clearer understanding that I am a melting pot of the people who came before me — the good and the bad. I can’t ignore the place I came from; doing so would leave me incomplete. Understanding my origin has given me perspective and strength.

At the same time, I’ve come to see that my story is my own. I am not bound by the ideas or the missteps of my ancestry. I get to define my particular branch of a very old tree.

IAN: What were the challenges (research, literary, psychological, and logistical) in bringing your books to life?

Christy Landers Tallamy: Choosing to tangle my art with my childhood traumas had a profound impact on my life. During the six years of active writing, I became deeply immersed in the lives of certain individuals. I uncovered family secrets that had to be processed all over again. At times, I found myself enraged by what had been done to my mother and her siblings, and I had to learn how to channel that rage into the work rather than let it consume me.

The greatest challenge came when my editor told me I had permission to write the antagonist, Leonidas, as a flat embodiment of evil. She said it would be understandable — even acceptable. But then she challenged me to stay true to my deeper goal: to understand who my grandparents were and what shaped their lives.

So I didn’t write him as a caricature of violence. Instead, I researched cult leaders, violent offenders, and the psychology of abuse. I forced myself to step into his perspective in certain scenes and try to see the world through his eyes, even as he harmed his family. That work was truly soul-numbing. I chose to work with a counselor during this process to help safeguard my emotional well-being while writing such a dark character.

My hope is that I’ve portrayed Leonidas Brantley as a full human being — not to excuse his actions, but to explore the conditions that can give rise to such harm. Writing him with care was emotionally grueling, but it felt necessary. In many ways, it became a warning set down on paper: violence breeds violence.

IAN: Tell us about your next book or a work in progress. Is it a sequel or a stand-alone?

Christy Landers Tallamy: The Ruth Trilogy concludes in What Was Done to Me (releasing September 2026), where Ruth’s youngest daughter, Carolina, comes of age under her father’s cultish control. Her fight to break the cycle forces a fatal reckoning—revealing how one woman’s silence can echo across generations, and how one survivor’s voice might finally bring it to an end.

Yellow Heights-The IAN Interview

 Yellow Heights

I am an immigrant who came to the U.S. for graduate study. After twenty years of working in software engineering and investment management, I went to a top-ten education school to get a teaching degree and started teaching math, a subject that deeply inspired me and guided me through my life and careers.

Currently, I am taking a health break, writing a book, and teaching math and bridge to my community on a part-time basis. I like the outdoors and hope to run Boston Marathon again; it was during my last run that I decided to become a teacher.

IAN: Please tell us about your latest book.

Yellow Heights: Parent. Math coach. Climate science researcher. Software engineer and manager at Microsoft. Investment analyst, trader, and risk manager at hedge funds. Entrepreneur. A forty-five-year-old new teacher.

This book is about the journey of a first-generation immigrant becoming a math teacher in the United States. This book recounts his Kafkaesque experiences at education school, where he was labeled a white supremacist simply for asking questions. He shares firsthand accounts of teaching math at a public and a private school, offering a panoramic view of the issues surrounding wokeness, coddling, and the lack of accountability in education.

He critically examines the U.S. education system, drawing from the experiences of other teachers, parents and students he has worked with. His journey through different societies and education systems, and multiple careers-where math was his critical edge-adds depth and credibility to the final reflections.

From Book Reviews Cafe: ”Unbalanced is more than just one person’s narrative; it’s a monument to perseverance, flexibility, and the bravery to keep pushing forward even when the ground beneath you feels unstable. Readers will leave not just comprehending the author’s path, but also pondering on the larger immigrant experience and, perhaps, their own balancing acts in life.”

IAN: Is Unbalanced published in print, e-book or both?

Yellow Heights: The book is published in both print and e-book.

IAN: Where can we go to buy Unbalanced?

Yellow Heights: Amazon.com, Barnes & Noble, etc.

IAN: What inspired you to write Unbalanced?

The idea first came to me while I was pursuing an education degree during COVID. What I witnessed completely shocked me: a white classmate and I (an Asian immigrant) were labeled “white supremacists” simply for asking learning-related questions; students made a kind, well-intentioned teacher cry by accusing her of lacking empathy; I was called a “traitor of people of color” and “ideologically violent” for defending standardized testing—not even wholeheartedly; and teacher candidates were encouraged to “make good trouble within the education system.” I thought to myself, Is this the America I came for? How many people would consider this normal?

During my first year of teaching, I got along well with my students, but some of my colleagues puzzled me, and I experienced a few difficult conflicts. I began writing about these incidents—partly to document them, partly to clear my mind. I didn’t know what to do with my writing until I decided to take a break after receiving an unexpectedly poor review from my principal.

As I reflected on my experiences, I started to realize they might illustrate a broader story about the current state of education. When I searched for similar books, I found almost none. The few that existed were written long ago and didn’t capture what has happened in the past decade—when ideology became prominent, students more fragile, and teacher accountability more elusive.

That realization made me want to write this book. And as an immigrant whose native language is not English, I saw it as both a challenge and an opportunity. I’ve always loved a good challenge.

IAN: What do you hope your readers come away with after reading Unbalanced?

Yellow Heights: Maybe a clearer picture on the current state of K-12 education;

Maybe a deeper appreciation of the immigrant’s struggles and unique perspective;

Maybe a better understanding why second-career teachers often can’t fit in;

Maybe a glimpse into how learning, especially math learning, can work;

Maybe how learning is a life-long journey and school is just one stop…

IAN: Are experiences based on someone you know, or events in your own life?

Yellow Heights: This is primarily based on my life, although several parts were stories of other people’s life, told from my perspective. At times I omitted or deliberately changed identifying characteristics to preserve a degree of anonymity, but everything in this book were based on real events.

IAN: How is Unbalanced different from others in your genre?

Yellow Heights: The most popular teacher biography by far is Teacher Man by one of my favorite writers, Frank McCourt. Most of the other influential books on teaching, however, were written long ago, and the educational landscape has changed dramatically over the past decade.

In general, it’s difficult to write a book about education while actively teaching. Yet when teachers leave the profession, they often lose the desire to revisit their experiences—especially if those experiences were painful or disappointing.

I haven’t found a math teacher’s memoir. I was a math teacher with twenty years of professional experience and several years of volunteer teaching, so I had a clear sense of what good math instruction should look like. When that ideal clashed so sharply with reality, I felt I could offer readers a unique perspective. As an immigrant who also had to struggle to find my place in this country, I believed my story could bring something new to the conversation.

IAN: Is there anything you find particularly challenging in your writing?

Yellow Heights: Writing in good English was the biggest challenge. Even during my many years working in finance, English had not been an impediment for me, so I thought I could write well in English. But it took me a long time even to realize the gap. My earlier version had usage of English that I thought was creative, with immigrant characteristics, but it turned out most were just bad English.

My wife said I invented words with a grimace on her face, and although I proudly said “Shakespear also invented word”, the truth was that I slowly realized and improved the book’s grammar and expression, over the two years of writing and revisions. Since I self-published the book, I couldn’t hire an editor every time I made changes, and I made many rounds of changes. Even the first edition of this book had some mistakes that were undetected, which was being corrected for the second edition.

IAN: What was the hardest part of writing Unbalanced?

Yellow Heights: The hardest part was to confront my past failures. The way I left the school made me feel I was fired for being a bad teacher and I couldn’t get over it, until I wrote about it honestly. I also had to examine my motivation for becoming a teacher at the age of 45. It was only when I became completely honest with myself that the book became something I was truly proud of.

IAN: Did you learn anything from writing Unbalanced and what was it?

Yellow Heights: I find that writing is first and foremost for the author. It is a form of being really honest with oneself, and as open as possible with the whole world. It is often a form of reconciliation and healing.

That being said, one has to be considerate for the readers. I don’t want to sacrifice my value simply to please the reader, but I will try very hard to make it easier for the reader to get the message, to resonate and to enjoy. There are always blind spots and having objective beta readers who can give honest feedback is super important.

Like the book title suggests, finding the balance is often the key. I enjoyed the process of finding the balance of being true to oneself and respecting the readers.

IAN: Do you have anything specific that you want to say to your readers?

Yellow Heights: First of all, I hope you enjoy reading the stories.

Secondly, I hope it make you think.

Lastly, I hope it stimulates you to some kind of action, either by sharing it quietly, discussing with friends, or raising your concerns loudly to improve education, for the future of this country.

JJ Winston: The IAN Interview

JJ Winston

JJ Winston is a Behavioral Health Fiction Writer who is the Author of the award-winning fictional novels, “The Anniversary,” released in April 2017 and “The Commemoration” released in June 2020, “The Revelation,” released in April 2025 and the non-fictional “The Anniversary Guide to Behavioral Health and Workbook,” released in April 2018.  Ms. Winston’s uses her extensive behavioral health and legal education along with her professional and personal experiences to write fiction that is entertaining but informative with the aim of raising awareness about mental health, human trafficking, and sickle cell disease.  Ms. Winston is now employed as a Post Decree Magistrate in Family Court and in her personal time she serves on various boards and committees whose aim is to improve the lives of those living with behavioral health issues.

IAN: Please tell us about your latest book.

JJ Winston: The Revelation is a gripping tale of love and resilience, Juliette and Grandville Stubbs face challenges that would break even the strongest bonds. Having endured the tragic loss of their daughter, wrongful imprisonment, and the horrifying truth about Juliette's missing cousin, their love has been put to the test. But just when they think they've rebuilt their lives, a global pandemic strikes, and Grandville unexpected disappearance sends Juliette into a spiral of fear and uncertainty. As she battles to keep her family together amidst new crises, the stakes have never been higher. Will their love prove strong enough to weather yet another storm?

IAN: Is The Revelation in print, e-book or both?

JJ Winston: Both, at my website NovelistJJWinston.com and Amazon.com.

IAN: What inspired you to write The Revelation?

JJ Winston: As a mental health and legal professional, I have been struck by how many people do not want to speak about mental health, and how much stigma exists regarding this subject. In my first novel, The Anniversary, I was determined to write an engaging novel that was entertaining but also educational.  I wanted to use my characters to teach my readers about how trauma can have a significant impact on our mental health and how important treatment is.  In my second and third novels, The Commemoration and The Revelation, I also introduced other topics that are important to me.  The first is Sickle Cell Disease (SCD).  My daughter and several of my nieces and one nephew are living with this disease, and advocating for my daughter has made me aware that many people know nothing about SCD and that I could use the words contained with my novels to teach my readers about it and raise awareness.  Lastly, I introduced human trafficking because the State of Ohio where I reside is number fourth in the nation for this issue.  I wanted to use my work to teach my readers that human trafficking is modern day slavery and raise awareness about this important subject.

IAN: Did you use an outline, or do you just wing the first draft?

JJ Winston: I did not outline any of my novels and just started writing. My first novel, The Anniversary, was a short story that I wrote years ago.  I allowed a professional writer to read it to gain feedback, and she liked it so much that she suggested that I develop it into a book.  I took her advice years after she gave it to me, and I just kept writing until I had it done.  For my second and third novels, The Commemoration and The Revelation, I also wrote without the use of an outline.

IAN: How long did it take to write The Revelation?

JJ Winston: It took me four years to write my debut novel, The Anniversary and three years to write my second novel The Commemoration and my about four and a half years to write my series conclusion The Revelation.

IAN: What do you hope your readers come away with after reading The
Revelation?

JJ Winston: It is my hope that after my readers finish my series that they are entertained but also have more knowledge and awareness about mental health, trauma, Sickle Cell Disease and Human Trafficking.  I also hope that my readers also learn through my novels the importance of forgiveness.

IAN: How much The Revelation of is realistic?

JJ Winston: My novels are very realistic, and I am often asked for the name of the individuals that my fictional family is based on. As a social worker and legal professional, I have worked with hundreds of families throughout my career and the problems experienced by the members of my fictional family feel real though the characters and what they are dealing with are made up.  It is my hope that when people finish my novels that they are moved by how realistic my story feels and that they see themselves and their family members and friends in my characters.

IAN: Name one entity that you feel supported you outside of family members.

JJ Winston: The beautiful women of my Sorority, Alpha Kappa Alpha Inc, have been extremely supportive to me in respect to my writing.  They have celebrated both me and my writing and they have allowed me to be a vendor at numerous events where the members of my Sorority have purchased my novels.

IAN: Do you recall how your interest in writing originated?

JJ Winston: I learned how to read when I was three years old and this is where I developed my love for words.  When I was in junior high school and high school, I would often write poetry, and I was always placed in gifted English Classes.  Oprah Winfrey advised that everyone should have a bucket list with at least 100 tasks to complete in their lifetime and writing and publishing a novel was somewhere near the top of my list.

IAN: Did you learn anything from writing your book and what was it?

JJ Winston: I learned that it is important to have the right team when writing your book.  You must surround yourself with individuals who have talent and skill who can offer feedback, editing, and can assist you with marketing and formatting and love and care about your story as much as you do. 

IAN: Do you have any advice for other writers?

JJ Winston: Never give up and don’t let anyone discourage you from reaching your dream.  Find the time to write for at least 15 minutes a day and overtime you will have a novel.  Once you finish your novel, be sure to connect with professionals who can ensure that your book is the very best it can be before publishing it.

IAN: Do you have anything specific that you want to say to your readers?

JJ Winston: It is my sincerest hope that my readers continue to support me and that they tell their family, friends, and social circle about my novels. I also hope that when my readers finish my novels that they have gained an understanding about numerous subjects and that they will give their time, money, service and resources to entities who mission is to raise awareness about mental health, sickle cell disease and human trafficking.

IAN: Tell us about your next book or a work in progress. Is it a sequel or a stand-alone?

JJ Winston: I have not written my next book yet and I do not yet have a new book in progress.  My last book The Relation was the conclusion of my Anniversary Series.  I am currently brainstorming my next novel, and I have not yet decided if it will be a stand alone novel or a series.

Alex Zenk-The IAN Interview

 Alex Zenk

Alex Zenk brings a fresh voice to the world of epic quests and magical realms. Born and raised in the Midwest, Alex's love for fantasy was kindled early by the works of J.R.R. Tolkien and nurtured through years of immersive role-playing games. As a pastor by day and a storyteller by night, Alex brings a unique perspective to his writing, weaving themes of morality, redemption, and the complexities of good and evil into his narratives.

Drawing inspiration from his experiences in World of Warcraft, Alex has crafted a rich and immersive world in his debut series, "The Chronicles of Ordi." His background in theology and his deep understanding of human nature inform the complex characters and intricate plot lines.

When not writing or tending to his pastoral duties, Alex can be found exploring the natural beauty of Iowa with his family, using these adventures to fuel his imagination and inspire new fantastic landscapes. With plans for multiple books set in the world of Asheros, Alex Zenk is poised to make a significant impact on the fantasy genre, offering readers a blend of classic epic fantasy with a modern, thoughtful twist.

IAN: Please tell us about The Chronicles of Ordi.

Alex Zenk: In a world where ancient magic is fading and darkness grows, one dwarf mage stands between his realm and destruction.

Ordi, a gifted mage with the rare ability to command all elemental magic, is summoned by his king on a perilous quest. Accompanied by his loyal posh hound Mira and his warrior brother Verdun, Ordi must recover the legendary Otthroite Gems—powerful artifacts thought lost to time.

As they journey through forbidden forests, abandoned dwarven cities, and haunted valleys, they discover these gems are the only hope against the rising threat of the long-banished Dark Lord. With each step, they uncover secrets of ancient magic and face betrayals that test the bonds of brotherhood.

Rich in world-building and filled with magical encounters, "The Chronicles of Ordi" blends classic fantasy elements with fresh perspectives on courage, loyalty, and the price of power.

IAN: Is The Chronicles of Ordi published in print, e-book or both? 

Alex Zenk: Yes, both. Publish date is June 12^th.

IAN: Where can we go to buy The Chronicles of Ordi?

Alex Zenk: Here https://a.co/d/52swAq0

IAN: What inspired you to write The Chronicles of Ordi?

Alex Zenk: I wanted to write because I found I was not satisfied with the current fantasy novels. I wanted a traditional quest, sword and sorcery style book, so I set out to write one.

IAN: Did you use an outline, or do you just wing the first draft?

Alex Zenk: I did a basic outline of major plot points, but beyond that, I'm just starting to type.

IAN: How long did it take to write The Chronicles of Ordi?

Alex Zenk: It took me 9 months to write it.

IAN: How did you come up with the title?

Alex Zenk: Through a process of elimination, I sought input from friends and colleagues in the industry.

IAN: What do you hope your readers come away with after reading The Chronicles of Ordi?

Alex Zenk: I want them to feel nostalgic, returning to the once-great fantasy novels. I can see this being one of those cozy fireside reads.

IAN: Are experiences based on someone you know, or events in your own life?

Alex Zenk: Not directly, but two of my characters in the story are modeled after characters my brother and I played in World of Warcraft.

IAN: How is The Chronicles of Ordi different from others in your genre?

Alex Zenk: It does not follow the current trends of “romantasy” books. It is a clean, action-packed story with deep moral and theological themes.

IAN: What books have influenced your life most?

Alex Zenk: Lord of the Rings.

IAN: If you had to choose, which writer would you consider a mentor?

Alex Zenk: J.R.R. Tolkien.

IAN: What book are you reading now?

Alex Zenk: Children of Telm, and I’m afraid you’ve got dragons.

IAN: Do you see writing as a career?

Alex Zenk: I do think so now, especially after this book went through the process it has gone through.

IAN: If you had to do it all over again, would you change anything in The Chronicles of Ordi?

Alex Zenk: If I could, I might alter the beginning a bit, but I am happy with what is there currently.

IAN: Do you recall how your interest in writing originated?

Alex Zenk: I got bored reading the same stuff, and having to dodge books may not have fit my preferences.

IAN: What was the hardest part of writing The Chronicles of Ordi?

Alex Zenk: The hardest part would probably be editing. I can write for days, but to go back and tweak and perfect it is a daunting task.

IAN: Did you learn anything from writing The Chronicles of Ordi and what was it?

Alex Zenk: To keep writing. If you have a story to tell, write it.

IAN: Do you have any advice for other writers?

Alex Zenk: Keep writing, even if it is only a few hundred words a day, keep writing.

IAN: Tell us about your next book or a work in progress. Is it a sequel or a stand-alone?

Alex Zenk: My next book will be book 2 of 3 for The Chronicles of Ordi.

The Shaman's Apprentice: A memoir by Vonetta Rain

The Shaman's Apprentice is more than a memoir—it is a profound testament to transformation, illuminating the power of an open heart, boundless curiosity, and the interconnectedness of humanity.

Born in Boston, Vonetta's story is one of resilience, revelation, and spiritual evolution. While pursuing her Anthropology degree at Cornell University, a life-changing study abroad in Africa evoked a deep connection to her destiny. This pivotal experience led her to the sacred teachings of a renowned Amazonian psycho-cartographer and wisdom keeper, under whom she became an apprentice in the art of healing.

Vonetta has dedicated her life to service, having led over 800 empowerment retreats worldwide, helping thousands heal from childhood trauma, emotional pain, disease, depression, anxiety, physical ailments, relational wounds, and financial stress. Her work extends beyond healing communities—she works with CEOs and industry leaders, supporting them in integrating heart-centered leadership models that foster conscious evolution at both personal and organizational levels. Her work continues to spark renewal and hope for those seeking personal alignment.

After two decades navigating life as a single mother in Los Angeles, Vonetta continues her sacred mission of healing and empowerment on a global scale.

Now Available on Amazon – The Shaman's Apprentice: A Memoir

Embark on a journey that is both an enchanting adventure and an intimate glimpse into a life devoted to healing, service, and the limitless possibilities that arise when one answers the call of the spirit.

Now Available on Amazon – The Shaman's Apprentice: A Memoir

"I couldn't put it down! Her story is a powerful reminder of how we can remember our joy and passions––even in the most stuck places." ––Dr. Nakia Gordon, Ph.D., Professor and Researcher in Behavioral Neuroscience

"Vonetta is a true visionary, a compelling storyteller. This immersive and transportive memoir will open your mind, touch your heart, and move your soul." ––Miriam Brown, MA, AMFT

For media inquiries, interviews, or event appearances, contact:

tamika@luminasuite248.com

www.vonettarain.com

Reese Balducci-The IAN Interview

 Reese Balducci

I am a fiction writer who explores themes of perseverance, longing, and the quiet heroism of everyday life. I admire rich, character-driven storytelling and draw inspiration from my family’s deep Italian roots. I have a passion for history, particularly the immigrant experience in America.

As a dual citizen, I live in Tennessee and Tuscany, surrounded by the landscapes and histories that continue to shape my  work. When not writing, I enjoy traveling, reading widely across genres, and spending time with my family.

IAN: Tell us about Letters from the Olive Tree.

Reese Balducci: Letters from the Olive Tree is a literary historical fiction short story set in the early twentieth century. Giovanni Olivi, the second son of a proud but impoverished Tuscan farming family, is bound by tradition and cut off from inheritance. He leaves behind the only life he’s known and the woman he loves, Ersilia Innocenti, in search of opportunity in America, promising to make a life abroad and one day send for her.

What follows is a transatlantic journey of grueling labor, crushing poverty, and bitter desolation for Giovanni, testing the couple’s steadfast love. Told through vivid prose and the letters they exchange, Giovanni’s story unfolds in sweat, sorrow, and relentless hope as he faces the ultimate test of his promise to Ersilia beneath the olive tree.

Letters from the Olive Tree is a lyrical, emotionally resonant story about what it means to belong, in place and person. It is a timeless meditation on land, love, and the courage to keep building when everything seems lost.

IAN: Is Letters from the Olive Tree published in print, e-book or both?

Reese Balducci: Letters from the Olive Tree is published in both print and e-book formats.

IAN: Where can we go to buy Letters from the Olive Tree?

Reese Balducci: Letters from the Olive Tree is exclusively available through Amazon in print and Kindle format, and it is free for Kindle Unlimited subscribers. It is available here: Letters from the Olive Tree. An Audible exclusive audiobook version is currently in production, with a scheduled summer release.

IAN: What inspired you to write Letters from the Olive Tree?

Reese Balducci: I was inspired by a desire to explore the emotional and physical toll of immigration through a personal lens. My family history includes stories of Italian relatives who came to America with very little, driven by promises and pressures they didn’t always fully understand. I wanted to imagine what it meant to leave everything behind out of necessity and love and examine how that kind of devotion holds up under hardship.

IAN: Did you use an outline or do you just wing the first draft?

Reese Balducci: I developed the story around a three-act structure from a detailed outline. I find that historical fiction requires more planning, particularly when working with multiple settings, time periods, and emotional arcs. That said, some of the most meaningful moments in the story emerged during the drafting process, often when the characters’ lives began to take shape.

IAN: What do you hope your readers come away with after reading Letters from the Olive Tree?

Reese Balducci: I hope readers walk away with a deeper appreciation for the untold sacrifices made by those who came before us. This is a story about perseverance in the face of repeated setbacks and what it means to keep your word when everything around you is falling apart. I also hope it prompts reflection on what defines home, not just as a place, but as a relationship.

IAN: How much of Letters from the Olive Tree is realistic?

Reese Balducci: The story is fictional, but it’s grounded in historical reality. Every setting, from the Tuscan hillside to the sharecropper shacks of Mississippi, is informed by real-world research and my personal experiences. The emotional experience of immigration, dislocation, homesickness, uncertainty, and hope is something that has been documented across countless lives, and I tried to portray that with as much honesty as possible.

IAN: Are experiences based on someone you know, or events in your own life?

Reese Balducci: Yes, the inspiration for the main characters came from my real-life great-grandparents, Giovanni and Ersilia Balducci. However, I also drew inspiration from oral histories, family anecdotes, and historical accounts that reflect the time period. This story is a composite of the broader immigrant experience, a fictional narrative built on very real foundations.

IAN: How is Letters from the Olive Tree different from others in your genre?

Reese Balducci: Letters from the Olive Tree focuses more on the emotional arc of its characters than on sweeping historical events. While many historical novels focus on pivotal moments or political shifts, this story centers on the intimate emotional cost of starting over. It’s intentionally quiet and character-driven, using letters as emotional anchors to reflect the uncertainty, distance, and longing between two people navigating a changing world.

IAN: What book are you reading now?

Reese Balducci: The Splendid and the Vile by Erik Larson. It’s an excellent biography of Winston Churchill’s first year as British Prime Minister during the sustained bombing campaign against Great Britain by the Luftwaffe.

IAN: Do you have anything specific that you want to say to your readers?

Reese Balducci: Just that I’m grateful. Writing a story like this is a vulnerable process, and it means a great deal to me when a reader connects with it. If the story resonates or lingers after the last page, I’ve accomplished my goal.

IAN: Tell us about your next book or a work in progress. Is it a sequel or a stand-alone?

Reese Balducci: I am currently writing a full-length novel, Tuscany Calling. It is a contemporary romance novel, and the protagonist, Alex, is the great-great-granddaughter of Giovanni and Ersilia Olivi from Letters from the Olive Tree. It is scheduled to be released this Fall by Veridian House.

Sweeping and emotional, Tuscany Calling is a story of love’s longing, the ties that bind us to the past, and the choices that shape our future. Set against the breathtaking landscape of rural Tuscany, it is a novel about second chances, the power of home, and the undeniable call of the heart. Readers can learn more about this forthcoming project on my Official Author Website Reese Balducci.