Q&A With Wolfe Butler

Recently I’ve had the pleasure of reading Wolfe Butler’s debut novel, Getting Home, and enjoyed it so much, I simply had to know more about the man behind the story. I greatly appreciate him stopping by to share some time with us.

Read my five-star review here: Amazon Review 

Hello, and welcome to my blog! 

Thank you so much for having me.

Kristy: Please tell us a little about yourself.

Wolfe: I grew up in a small, rural town in the Midwest. Winter was never my favorite season, so one year while vacationing in Tennessee, I decided to make it my home. I now live near Gatlinburg and get to enjoy warm weather much of the year and beautiful mountain views that offer endless inspiration.

About 10 years ago, I lost the love of my life. My wife, Laramie, was and is my muse. She is very much the basis for Chari in Getting Home, though Laramie was a much stronger person. She’s also the voice that keeps me writing most days.

I am very late coming to the writing party. Even though being an author was always my dream, I spent the last 25 years working in corporate financial services. Now I am mostly writing full-time while doing a little freelance and ghost writing on the side.

Kristy: What inspired you to write Getting Home?

Wolfe: There really wasn’t a specific inspiration. I had taken some time off from writing and was ready to return to my passion. One August afternoon, I sat down and just started writing what was happening. The Prologue was born, and slowly Tom Jacob’s voice started to talk to me. It was a long, slow process that took me 15 years to complete, though I’m not entirely sure it is really complete even now.

Kristy: What do you enjoy most about writing?

Wolfe: My favorite things would have to be the escapism and adventure. First, this world is often a dark and scary place. Writing lets you retreat to a world where you have complete control and safety. For adventure, there’s an adrenaline rush for me when a new character is born. Getting to know that character and their backstory is always so much fun.

Kristy: Who designs your book covers?

Wolfe: I designed the cover for Getting Home, but I would probably not do that again. Even though I did a fair amount of research, there was a great deal I did not know about self-publishing. At some point, I intend to revise Getting Home and have a professional cover designed. For now, though, I need a break from it to develop my other projects.

Kristy: What are you currently working on?

Wolfe: I am working on two novels right now. The first has the working title Paradise, and I am sharing it on my blog as I write it. It’s a science-fiction story about a man trapped between two very different realities with no memories to guide him. I am having a blast writing it and getting instant feedback from readers.

The second one I am calling Shadows of Doubt, and it also centers around memory loss. The first chapter is also on my blog, but I will probably not post the rest of it online. Its story starts with a young woman waking up in a large and beautiful mansion where nothing is familiar to her. I have it mapped out in my head but haven’t been giving it the time it deserves.

Kristy: What advice would you give to aspiring authors?

Wolfe: Don’t ever stop writing. If at all possible, write every day. Like any other artform, writing only improves with constant effort and commitment.

Kristy: What kinds of things do you like do for fun? Hobbies?

Wolfe: I love the outdoors, so living in Tennessee is perfect for that. Gardening has become another passion, so I spend most of the warmer months outside. Hiking, cooking and volunteering are also very important to me. I feel like I have an obligation to support my community, so I volunteer in various ways every month, primarily with helping the elderly.

Kristy: If you could choose any destination in the world to spend six months writing, where would you go and why?

Wolfe: My bucket list vacation is New Zealand and spending six months there would be amazing. For a relatively small country, it is full of natural diversity and beauty having everything from beaches to mountains and everything in between. It would probably take six months just to see everything I would like to. I might have to stay another six months just to have the time to write about it.

Kristy: Where can readers find your books?

Wolfe: Right now, my debut novel is only available on Amazon. My current work-in-progress is available on my blog with new chapters posted on Tuesdays. Links for both are below.

My blog also features my poetry, short stories and a life lessons series called I’ve Learned that will hopefully become a book of its own one day.

Twitter: https://twitter.com/wolfe_butler

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/wolfebutlerauthor/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/butler.wolfe/

Blog: https://wolfebutler.com/

Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/wolfebutler/

Getting Home:

Amazon US: http://amzn.to/2D1mKZL

Amazon UK: http://amzn.to/2GcUV0E

Book Trailer: https://youtu.be/lLuRPOUY-Uo 

Paradise WIP: https://wolfebutler.com/blog-series/paradise-wip-2/ 

#FiveFunFacts:

*Last movie you watched

I’m a bit of a sci-fi geek, so I think the last movie was Wonder Woman.

*Favorite place to write

Mostly I write at my desk, where I have an excellent view of my backyard, and almost always have a window open so I can listen to the sounds of nature outside.

*Three things you can’t live without

Cheese, pasta and my Hulu subscription. Well, maybe I could live without the last one, but I really enjoy it.

*Last book you read

Nonfiction, Influencer by Gundi Gabrielle

For fiction, the last book I completed was your fun Mall Hair Maladies

Currently I’m reading The Great Game by O.J. Lowe

*Favorite sports team

I’m not a huge sports fan, but when I take the time, I like college football and support UT (University of Tennessee). Their stadium is not far from me, and I’ve never seen anyone love football the way UT fans do.

Kristy: Thank you so much for taking the time to do this! I wish you much success with your upcoming projects. 

Wolfe: Thanks again for having me.