Author Life - T J Weekes

1. Did you always dream of becoming an author?

At the beginning no. I wanted to be an English teacher over in Korea but as I started writing, my love for story telling grew and took over everything I did.

2. What was your first job?

My very first job was working in Childcare. I had worked in childcare for two years, before starting work elsewhere.

3. How did you come about writing your book? Was that your intention or did you start writing for fun?

I originally started writing due to being very badly bullied. My mother and I, were watching Eragon and as it started an idea popped into my head. Since that day, The Dragon Rider just continued to grow.

4. What was your life like before you became an author?

Before publishing my book, I would normal just go to work come home then write and post onto Wattpad. Life was a little bland but now that I’m an author, it’s opened so many doors and I can’t wait to explore them all.

5. Did you face any struggles before becoming an author? If so, how did you overcome them?

A lot of company’s would turn down your work, and that’s okay! The more people turn down the work, the more determination you get to work hard, to improve in your story telling skills. I found with ever one that turned me down, I had to keep pushing and hold strong to what I wanted. It taught me to re-read my work, maybe there was something in there that shouldn’t have been? The more I re-read my work, the more I found more I could add. It worked, because now I’m published with a company that’s been amazing.

6. Now that you are a published author, how has your life changed, if at all?

It has. Becoming an author has opened a lot of doors for me. There are chances if your book is chosen to become available on Audiobooks, to become a movie and so many more. I’ve found my fan base on Wattpad has been inspired by my main characters actions and gotten letters from people showing their support for my work. I’ve had a young girl suffering through some hard times, took strength from the main character in ‘The Dragon Rider,’ and was able to push through and fight. This has become the reason now to why I write.

7. Can you please describe a typical day in your life now?

I usually wake up early to head to work as a Disability Support Worker. I get to work with some amazing and inspiring young adults, who more times often than not, give me ideas for my books.

After work I head home, turn on my T.V and start writing. I live a very mundane yet amazing life.

8. What is your most memorable moment of your life as an author?

Three years ago when I started publishing on wattpad, I got a message from a young girl who was going through a really tough time. She went on to tell me how Abagail, the main character in The Dragon Rider, inspired her to keep pushing through in life. She described Abagail as a good role model in life, due to all the hardship she was getting and still fighting to be whom she wanted to be in life.

To this day, that has stuck with me and I have promised to make sure all my readers know how special and loved they are in life. Because of this young girl, I have now worked harder to make characters that are relatable, and that everyone can go, ‘Yeah, I’m dealing with this too but if she can fight then so can I.’

9. In a few words, how would you review your experience with Pegasus Publishers?

Pegasus publishing since the very first email have been amazing. Whenever I had any questions, they were quick to answer them in the most professional way I’ve seen yet. They are so friendly, and helpful that if I hadn’t signed with them, I don’t think I would’ve signed with anyone. Pegasus has definitely set the bar high in terms for publishing companies. They’ve continued to email me throughout the publishing experience and after too.

I’m very grateful for Pegasus and all the hard work they have done.

10. Why did you choose Pegasus Publishers?

Pegasus just seemed to stick out for me. They were one of the many companies I had sent my work too, and become the only one that was willing to give me a chance. The reviews were amazing, and throughout talking to them, I noticed they weren’t publishing my work just to make money, they were publishing my work due to the love of Novel’s and storytelling.

I will continue to publish my work with Pegasus.