Welcome to Introduce Yourself, a new and exciting blog segment of The PBS Blog dedicated to introducing to you new and established authors and their books.

Today I’d like to extend a warm welcome to Sojourner McConnell. Welcome to The PBS Blog! Let’s get started.

What is your name and where are you from?

Sojourner McConnell is my pen name and I am from Alabama, Birmingham to be specific. I now live in Kentucky and visit Alabama every few months.

Cool. My family is originally from Alabama (though I’ve never been). I also love your pen name. Sojourner, what do you think of the world we live in?

All in all, I think it is a pretty wonderful place. It has problems, but as long as free thinking individuals are making decisions, there will be problems. I also see it as a changing and evolving place. A place where people can make a difference with love and peaceful intentions.

What’s the most difficult thing about being a writer? The most exciting thing?

The most difficult thing about writing to me is to focus on just one project at a time. I tend to always be writing or creating. So I have several complete and competing projects going on in my head. That is also what I find so exciting about writing. The stories that dwell in my head can be put on paper and other people can find them as fun or interesting as I do.

That is interesting. I think we writers always have a lot going on! Speaking of writers and writing, does blogging help you to write?

I find that blogging frees up the creative juices and gets them flowing in the mornings. I find that I have something to write about on each of my blogs and still plenty left over to add to my current WIP. Since I write in several different genres, I can focus on one genre on Monday and another different story on Tuesday. Sometimes I spend weeks on the same one before I move to a different manuscript while doing blogs on various subjects at the same time.

Neat. What’s your favorite Historical figure?

I would say, Helen Keller. She was a strong woman that could have spent her life being guided about and no one would have thought less of her for it, instead, she did everything that she put her mind to. She wrote, spoke, taught, and inspired everyone. Not just inspiring those with handicaps that were like hers, but inspired everyone that heard her, read her works, and saw her story. She was still alive when I was a child, and I was and still am so inspired by her.

Wow. Great figure! I love how unlimited her life was. Like you said, she could have lived within the boundaries of her disability but instead she didn’t. What kind of music do you like?

I love music, I love the bumping music heavy with percussion. I love Imagine Dragons and their many drums, I love North River Run with their delightful drummer and I love Indie music in general. I love the humor in songs like Middle Fingers, and sweet sounding love songs. I think I can safely say, I love most all music. I certainly will sing along with most.

Who’s That in the Cat Pajamas is AVAILABLE NOW on Amazon.

Why is writing important to you?

Writing is the one place where I can let me be me. If it comes off as a little bit wonky, it is considered a comedy, if it comes off a little bit mean, it is a thriller. I can be me and it is all okay. I am not just one dimensional and neither is my writing. Some days, I write a children’s story, other days I write on space and science fiction work. Some days, I just write a goofy song that makes me laugh. But with each word and each line, I get another little piece of myself out there. It is good for me to let some of all this busyness (yes busyness not business) in my head go. As my mother used to say, “there is a lot more room our there for your thoughts and stories than in your head, get it out!”

I love how you are thinking outside the box and not tying yourself down to any specific genre. In your own words, what is love?

To me, love is the giving and taking of time, enjoyment, and contentment with another person. Finding someone that you can spend your days sharing your most inane thoughts and dreams with. A feeling of belonging with another person. Love is that emotional connection with another person. Love is wanting the other person to be as fulfilled with you as you are them.

Let’s switch gears a little bit, what is your favorite color?

Usually, it is blue, that dark midnight blue. On some occasions it is pink. That sweet icing pink that goes so well with midnight blue.

Sweet icing pink…I like that. What’s your favorite drink?

This is one question that has a lot of answers.  I love coffee in the morning. It wakes me up and warms me up and it is perfect. Once noon arrives, I am all about the sweet tea. I am from the south and I have obtained quite a fondness for the sweet syrupy tea we are known for. A wonderful day was when I found Milo’s Tea in the grocery store.  Sometimes, I just want a glass of Diet Coke. Many hours, many drinks. Mimosa’s are fun when on vacation!

Thank you Sojourner for spending this time with us. We enjoyed you!

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Born and raised in Birmingham, Alabama. Sojourner McConnell lives in Winchester, Kentucky with one of her daughters and three of her thirteen grandchildren. She has six grandchildren in Alabama and four that live in Michigan. Sojourner’s new book is a children’s chapter book, Who’s That in the Cat Pajamas  released June 2, 2017.

Her next book, Blip, is a sci-fi book with humor and intrigue and is due out by December 2017. The Path of the Child, The Power of Forgiveness, and 31 Days of October are available in paperback and in eBook format on Amazon and other retailers. Sojourner brings a taste of strong personalities with a healthy dose of southern charm to her characters.

As co-founder and part of the organizing team of Mystery Thriller Week, she has become fascinated with writing a mystery of her own. In fact, there might be a little mystery woven into one of the two books she is writing at present.

When not writing, she is busy entertaining her Australian Shepherd, Beau. Unfortunately, Beau tends to get jealous when she spends too much time working on the computer.

Be Sure to Follow Sojourner online:

Blog: The Path of the Writer

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

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/8283786.Sojourner_McConnell

Twitter: https://twitter.com/ThePageTurner1

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Sojourner-McConnell/e/B008IQDX4S/ 

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/vicki_reads/