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 Shaun M Jooste. Welcome to The PBS Blog! Let’s get started.
What is your name and where are you from?
Shaun M Jooste, and I am from Cape Town, South Africa
Alright now. Africa is in the house yall. Shaun, what would your perfect writing / reading room look like?
A large study / library in a large tower overlooking the lake. Cabin in the woods will do fine too.
What job do you think you’d be really good at?
Besides writing novels and games? Screenwriting for movies.
Sadgi: Book 3 of the Celenic Earth Chronicles is Available now on Amazon
Ohh. Yess. What was your childhood dream?
Becoming a published author was one, so I guess I can check that one off my list. Becoming a Formula 1 racer was another, and I guess I can check that off my list for a very different reason (too late for that now).
OK. What skill would you like to master?
In an ideal world? Mastering the natural elements like in my epic fantasy series, the Celenic Earth Chronicles.
What skill do you think you’ve mastered?
I still have a long road ahead. Every time I think I’ve mastered something, I realize I’ve only scraped the dust off the top. I think I’m pretty good at storytelling though.
I feel you. In your own words, what is humility?
Knowing your absolute potential and ability, without having to scream it out to the whole wide world and using it only to improve yourself even further.
I like that. Shaun, if you had unlimited funds to build a house that you would live in for the rest of your life, what would the finished house be like?
Like my massive fortress and surrounding walls that I built on Minecraft. Castle on an island – bucket list item.
Not minecraft Lol. What’s your favorite drink?
Coffee to get the creative juices flowing, Sprite or Orange juice on a warm day, Shiraz for when the mood gets going.
What state or country do you never want to go back to?
Sadly, I only know South Africa. I don’t really know if all the other continents really exist.
Lol. What do you love most about living in Africa?
I love South Africa, specifically Cape Town, the most because of our wild diversity, not just in human culture, but also in fauna and flora. I love the landscapes and nature, it is just so wonderful.
Nice. I know you’re into music. What songs have you completely memorized?
Not so much songs as albums…Disturbed, Linkin Park, Evanescence, Bon Jovi, PVRIS, Skillet, Fall Out Boyz. I generally stick to an artist, get all their music and sing them to death.
Visit Shaun on the web at https://celenicearth.wordpress.com/
Does blogging help you to write?
Yes. When I wrote Celenic Earth Chronicles between 2002 and 2009, I was very much alone and isolated. No one knew what I was doing and what was going to be published. I was my own motivation. With Silent Hill: Betrayal in 2016, I started my blog and shared so many details while I developed the story and wrote the novel. It was so encouraging getting positive feedback and encouragement that it still motivates me to this day.
Who is your favorite writer?
I grew up with fantasy. Stephen Donaldson’s Thomas Covenant series, JRR Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings, Raymond E Feist’s Riftwar Saga… they were my mentors.
When did you publish your first book? What was that like?
My answer for this is twofold. I had Windfarer first published by a self-publishing company in 2007. It was really exciting to get my work out there, but the trust and fear that the publisher wasn’t conning me was huge.
Then in 2016, I established my own publishing label, Celenic Earth Publications, and republished my fantasy series and published Silent Hill: Betrayal. It was great having all the creative control and putting my own work out like I wanted it.
Congrats on your publishing label! If you could live in a movie, which would it be?
If they adapted my epic fantasy series to film, it would be on Celenic Earth. I created that world, and I dearly want to live in it myself.
For existing movies, I would live in Hogwarts. Not study, live there. Like in one of the towers (see question 10 again. lol)
Cool beans. Shaun, married? How long?
Yes, I’ve been married to Tammy 7 years this August.
Awwue. Hey Tammy! Children?
Yes, I have two wonderful children. Nathan, my six year old son, and Avril, my two year old daughter. They inspire everything I do now.
Double awwue! What do you wish you knew more about?
Effective marketing strategies and promotion of books that actually translates into sales. Real sales.
I heard that. What do you think of the world we live in?
It needs more magic, or divine energy, or something. We are so focused on this industrial and technological ages, we’re losing touch with our souls and the divine. And I’m not talking yoga and meditation. We need to ignite that spiritual spark that lifts us up to… something higher.
Are you religious?
No. I believe in God, and was brought up Catholic until something happened when I was 25 and my eyes started to open up. I’m not fond of religion, or what some religions have done to this world. However, I am close to God in my own way and am very spiritual, and still classify myself as Christian, although no one else ever will. To me, religion and spirituality are very different, the first one being a swear word to me. I believe religion to be the heart of all evil… or rather, the way we as humans use it.
I’m not fond of religion either. Speaking of spiritual matters, what is the most thought provoking book you’ve ever read?
The Celestine Prophecy by James Redfield.
What’s the most difficult thing about being a writer? The most exciting thing?
The most difficult – getting my novels out there. The most exciting – getting my novels out there. lol
Lol. I know that’s right. Why is writing important to you?
I tried living without it for 3 years while I was doing my degree. It led to some severe depression when I thought about what I gave up. Clearly I cannot live without it.
What do you love about yourself?
My intellect that comes up with these amazing stories, and my mental endurance and perseverance through everything I have been through. Also, I have heard I have beautiful eyes.
Lol! Alright handsome, watch out now. What don’t you like about yourself?
That I run out of energy way too quickly.
If you had one superpower that could change the world, what would it be? Why?
Again, mastering the elements. Pollution in the air, greenhouse effect, water crises, drought, earthquakes and tsunamis… all gone.
What genre do you write in, why?
I specialize in fantasy and horror, sometimes both at the same time. My epic fantasy novels have hints of horror, and my horror novels always have some fantasy elements in them. I grew up reading and watching fantasy, and I adore horror to the point where very few movies or games really scare me these days. So I immerse myself in those genres further with my writing.
Shaun, it was a pleasure. Thank you for spending this time with us!
Bio.
Shaun is the published author of the epic fantasy trilogy, the Celenic Earth Chronicles, and the horror novel, Silent Hill: Betrayal, which is based on the popular Silent Hill game franchise. He is also the screenwriter of the sci-fi space travelling screenplay, ‘The Space Drifter’, which was recommended by the 2015 Cinequest Screenwriting Festival.
Shaun is busy working on several writing projects, which includes the soon to be released romantic fantasy novel, ‘Dream Whispers’. He was appointed as an official Choice of Games author of text-based games, and expects to release an adventure novel in 2017. Silent Hill: Obversion is also to be expected to be released at the end of 2017, as well as his volume of almost 600 poems written over his adolescent years.
Under his publishing label, Celenic Earth Anthologies, several short story collections by various authors from around the world will be published. The Anthologies currently being edited and developed include ‘CEA Through the Dark’ (horror), ‘CEA No Boundaries’ (Cape Town NaNoWriMo collection), ‘CEA Into the Beyond’ (sci-fi) and CEA Past your Reality (fantasy).
Shaun has also been appointed as an online article writer for game reviews and announcements, namely for Pulse Entertainment U.K. and GameTyrant.
For me, indie publishing has consisted of a lot of trial-and-error to determine what things work and what things do not. Unlike other types of sales and marketing, as an author it is not only about selling books, but, to some degree, you are selling yourself. This is something I’m extremely uncomfortable with, but I’ve found some ways to adjust my approach to make it more tolerable.
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