We are honoured to work with as many authors as we do at Pegasus Publishers – each with their own stories to tell. Their worlds are singular, their characters are relatable, and their creativity truly knows no bounds.

This is Author Life, a feature on the Pegasus Blog that opens the door to each of our author’s creative process and previous literary experience, offering you – the reader – an opportunity to learn a little about the mind behind the novel.

Howard Siskind is the author of the children’s book series ‘HONABEATS’ including ‘Honabeats Says: Crazy Words’ and ‘Honabeats Says: Crazy Words 2’! This is his first novel – a YA Fantasy with Dragons across fantasy realms.

This is Author Life with Howard Siskind, author of ‘SARE’.

What are the three most important things you have accomplished, aside from publishing a book?

 Certainly, my family is at the top of any list.  Not counting, here are my top three:

1)  My original songs.  I currently have 19 published songs.

2)  Putting my daughter through college.

3)  Playing the main stage at Ram's Head On Stage with my band Stillwaters.

In your own life, what influences and inspires you to write?

Topics that fascinate me inspire me to write - especially aliens, mystical objects and occurrences.

Which book or author has had the biggest impact on you, and why?

1)  Sidney Sheldon because his style is very fast paced.

2)  Dan Brown because he has mystical themes.

How would you summarise your book in as few words as possible?

SARE is a fast-paced action, adventure and portal fantasy with surprises everywhere.

What were your first experiences with writing?

1)  I wrote a lot of poetry in Junior High School.  Many years later, I found out the teacher was reading my poems to his classes over the years.

2)  I play music and wrote my first song in Junior High School.

In your opinion, what are the key ingredients for a good story or novel?

Keep the reader involved.  This includes being fast paced, lots of surprises and keeping things simple and easily understood.

How long do you spend writing every day?

I do my writing in spurts when I have time.  However, whenever I think of something, I either write it down and put a note in my pocket, or I make a note on my phone.  So, I'm constantly thinking of things that will eventually be written. 

I also do a lot of writing when I'm on vacation.  I like to use my downtime on a plane, bus or train to write and sketch. 

How long did you spend writing this novel?

SARE took approximately three years to write.  However, I've also written several songs with the title character over the past ten years.

What was the most challenging part of writing this book, and what did you learn from writing it?

Editing was the most challenging part of writing this book. Every pass through, I would find more items to correct. I learned that eventually I had to call pencil down. 

What did you find most helpful when writing your book?

Knowing that I could depend on others to help me edit was very helpful.

What writing advice would you offer to your younger self?

Get started early!  I would have told a younger me - "Unbeknownst to yourself, you will be a writer.  So, get started now!"