Library Mosaic: Interview with Andi Katsina

Saturday, October 27, 2012

Interview with Andi Katsina

Interview with Andi Katsina

1 - Have you always wanted to be a writer? If not, when did you really you wanted to write?

In my case Carla, it’s not so much whether I’ve always wanted to be a writer, I was a writer, aged nine years onwards, I used to write plays, did this into my teenage years, but then going to college, working in accountancy etc, took my attention. It’s wasn’t until a decade ago that I picked up my pen again, since then I haven’t looked back, each time finishing a book I immediately start on another one. It might be because I so enjoyed writing as a child that it now comes very naturally to me.

2 - What inspired you to write Rick & Wylie's Fantastical, Magical Adventures?

A two-month stay on the Island of Kaua’i, Hawaii, gave me everything I needed to better understand some of the Hawaiian legends. With a polytheistic belief system, there was lots of material to work with, and what better place to formulate a fantastical story… somewhere of great beauty and mystery. I imagined a mystical forest deep inside the island, almost big as the island above, and along with some Tibetan myths, unleashed the legends; a most amazing, magical world was born.

3 - What was the biggest challenge you face when writing?

I can honestly say I don’t face any challenges when writing. I mentioned being a writer in my early years, it’s a thing I’ve always loved to do, and along with a great imagination, a quality I share with a great many of my readers, there’s always something rather good to write about. There is the odd time when a couple of days break is needed, usually when working on an exceedingly complicated scene. But other than that, though long hours and arduous, thankfully it’s all plane sailing.

4 - Can you name a few of your favorite authors and books?

Because there are so many to choose from, let me mention some of the favourite books from my childhood;; The Call of the Wild and White Fang by Jack London;; Fluke by James Herbert ;; Jonathan Livingston Seagull by Richard Bach ;; Animal Farm by George Orwell ;; The Lord of the Rings & The Hobbit by J. R.R. Tolkien ;; The Weirdstone of Brisingamen, The Moon of Gomrath & The Owl Service by Alan Garner ;; The Jungle Book by Rudyard Kipling ;; and many, many more….

5 - Is there anything else you would like your readers to know about you and your books?

Thanks for the opportunity to get the word out Carla. I’m a dedicated writer, covering primarily fantasy, and to a lesser degree, science fiction genre. It’s such a pleasure to be able to offer my readers a wonderful, fantastic world where they can be thoroughly entertained, and also exercise their own limitless imaginations. I’m currently working on publicising my book, Rick & Wylie’s Fantastical, Magical Adventures book 1 [Journey to the Kingdom]. It's an epic fantasy adventure of trilogy length. It's already been pegged to knock Harry Potter off the shelves (let's see : ) and in California there has been talk about making a movie based on the book, very cool. It's currently being translated in Japan. Book 2 is due to be released late Spring 2013.

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ABOUT ME

Hello my friends

I'm English, of rich Irish, African descent. Born in the sound of bow bells, an orphan, I grew up in Manchester, England. Quite a bit more than forty, I‘m a vegan, though occasionally lapse into vegetarianism.

Throughout my school years I was a champion athlete and swimmer, going on to become an athletics coach, swimming teacher and youth leader. After which time I was trained as a Chartered Accountant. Interrupting my training, I branched out, working freelance as a troubleshooter in the field of accountancy. Six years of adding and subtracting, was followed by two years of trading as an international commodities broker. This led me to the sedentary position of ‘trader in antique, oriental carpets’. It was at this juncture that I became completely inspired to become a writer.

As a ‘school kid’ I very much enjoyed writing plays in English, Latin and French. Fortunately for me, writing came naturally. I so, so like writing stories that give people, especially young people, and people young at heart, the chance to exercise their own imagination.

I love taking my readers on fantastic journeys. The enjoyment and taste of adventure my stories give to my readers, warms me greatly.

Best wishes from Andi Katsina

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