Welcome to my blog! I’m so excited to introduce one of my favorite indie authors, the talented, brilliant, and (very) funny, Grant Leishman. I recently finished Leishman’s The Second Coming, which had me laughing, crying, and wanting to know more about the man behind the story, and creative force to be reckoned with. So, without further ado, let’s ask away!
Hello, Grant, thank you for sharing some time with us! Please tell us a little about yourself.
Hi Kristy, thanks for having me.
I’m not sure you have the space for me to tell you too much about myself, but if your readers want the full oil on my life, I strongly suggest they read: Just a Drop in the Ocean, which is a fictionalized (but essentially true) story of my life. The main character Nick’s story; is my story. I hasten to add that the other main character Teresa’s story is definitely not my darling wife Thess’ story.
So, what can I tell you about myself? I’m a fifty-nine-year-old New Zealander, who is now domiciled in the beautiful islands of the Philippines. After careers in finance and journalism, I decided to run away from real life to a tropical island and that’s exactly what I did. I live in Manila, with my lovely wife and two of my seven step-children. I am technically a full-time author now, but reality insists that I spend some time as an editor/proofreader to pay the bills. Let’s face it; it’s damn hard to make a living as an author.
That being said, I am doing exactly what I want to be doing – following my bliss and “living the dream”.
Reviewers have described your latest five-star book as, “fantastic, inspiring, original, comedic, thought-provoking, witty, a modern-day spin on an ancient story…” What inspired you to write The Second Coming?
The Second Coming was my first book, and originally I didn’t have a clue what I wanted to write about, but I did know I wanted to write a novel, so I looked at Amazon and asked myself; what’s selling right now? As it happened, the number one book at that time was a little book by Mitch Albom called; The First Phone Call From Heaven. Aha! I thought – God sells! That got me thinking and being a good Presbyterian boy brought up in Dunedin, New Zealand, I had gone to Sunday School and learnt all the bible stories about Jesus. What if? I thought; what if one day God looked down from Heaven and despaired at the mess mankind had made of Earth? He decided to destroy Earth and write it all off as a failed experiment – start again from scratch, so to speak. If Jesus intervened and asked for one more chance to turn us around, what would happen? Thus, The Second Coming was born. Of course, it then went on to become a trilogy, with Rise of the AntiChrist and Holy War, but that’s a whole ‘nother story.
What do you enjoy most about writing?
The freedom! I used to live vicariously through reading (still do – to a great extent) but with writing, I can not only live vicariously through my characters, but I can create them to be and do anything I damn well please. I am in control and if I want to use my characters to say something insightful, quirky, funny, or even downright controversial – I can, and for a naturally introverted person, that’s real freedom.
Who designs your book covers?
I’ve tried a few different ones, including someone I used from Fiverr, but the more books I’ve written, the more I’ve understood how important a professional cover really is to a book’s credibility. At the moment, I have two designers I use, depending on what I’m looking for. Rachel McGrath of McGrath House and Eeva Lancaster of The Book Khaleesi Both Rachel and Eeva are excellent at what they do.
What are you currently working on?
I wish I could say I’m writing, Kristy, but I’m not. At the moment, I’m busy editing and/or proofreading books for my clients. My editing business has certainly taken off this year, but sadly at the expense of my writing. Still, needs must come first and we gotta pay the bills – right?
I finished my latest novel; Love Beyond, about three months ago, but I have not even had time to edit it myself and get it out there. I will get there though. Love Beyond is a Historical Romance, set at the time of the Philippine Revolution against the Spanish Colonial rule – circa 1896. When a Spanish Officer falls in love with a Filipina maiden, who just also happens to be a member of the revolutionary army (the KKK), things are bound to be fraught with difficulty. I am really happy with the book and already have my cover made, so am excited to get it to market, since it is my first historical novel. I like to change things up when I write.
What advice would you give to aspiring authors?
Who am I to give advice to anyone? I am an author who doesn’t sell, like so many of us.
My only advice is this; don’t listen to the naysayers, believe in yourself and always, always, follow your dreams. If you want to write – then write, but don’t write because you want to be a famous, best-selling author – write because it is your bliss.
What kinds of things do you like do for fun? Hobbies?
My only real hobby apart from spending time with my family is reading. I read exclusively “indie” books and read between 175 and 200 books a year. I also have a bit of fun every December with the annual “Grunter Awards for Excellence in Indie Publishing” where I give out awards for the best books I’ve read in a number of genres, over the past year, culminating in the Supreme Grunter Award, for my book of the year. I’ve been doing that for the past three years now and get a lot of fun from it.
If you could choose any destination in the world to spend six months writing, where would you go and why?
A Nipa Hut on the beach at Lagundian Bay, Mamburao, Occidental Mindoro, the Philippines.
Why? Because it is “heaven on earth” and so incredibly beautiful, peaceful, and inspirational. Of course, I would need my darling wife there to inspire my writing and to kick me in the butt when I goofed off to go swimming in the pristine waters.
What would you like your readers to know?
The only thing I can say is; I write for you, so when you do choose to read one of my books, I am deeply humbled and pleased. It’s a bit like the tree that falls in the forest. If there’s nobody around; does it make a noise? If I write a book and nobody reads it – then did I really write it? Readers are everything.
Where can we find your books?
Almost all my books are exclusive to Amazon, except for The Second Coming and Rise of the AntiChrist, but all of them can be accessed from my Amazon author page.
I love interacting with readers and fellow authors. All of the many ways of getting in touch with me are here:
Website: Author Support Services Website:
Email Address:
Facebook Author Page (Please Like):
Facebook Personal Page (Happy to friend you):
Twitter:
Google +
Pinterest:
Goodreads Author Page
Instagram
LinkedIn
#FastFunFacts:
*Last movie you watched – Little Big League (A Soppy Family One)
*Favorite place to write – Staring at the Beach
*Three things you can’t live without – Laptop, Real Coffee, and my Kindle
*Last book you read – The Socratic Contract by D C Russell (Excellent!)
*Top three favorite bands of all time – This is so embarrassing to admit: Abba, The Beatles, and Queen
*Favorite colors – Pink and Blue
*A particular food you could eat every day for a one year and still love: Lumpiang Gulay (A Philippine Spring Roll, filled with fresh vegetables and deep-fried) OMG! SARAP!
Thank you so much for the candid Q&A, Grant! Wishing you much success on all your books and future projects~ Have a blessed, prosperous, and wonderful summer!
Kristy Jo Volchko 