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It’s time for my favorite day of the week, Author Tuesday!

This week we are featuring an interview with Kenneth Logan author of of True Letters From A Fictional Life publishing on June 7, 2016 (see my review here).

It currently has a 4.15 star rating on Goodreads and you can pre-order it from Amazon.

In addition to his interview Kenneth is giving away a copy of True Letters From A Fictional Life. So please enter away, using the Rafflecopter here (US only). Giveaway will be open till 11:59 pm MST Monday, May 30, 2016.

Please provide a quick intro about yourself and your writing.

I grew up in Freehold, New Jersey. Before moving to Brooklyn, I taught high school English in Vermont and San Francisco. I’m just finishing my third year of a doctoral program in literacy education at New York University. True Letters from a Fictional Life is my first novel.

1) Why should people read your book?

I’m told the story’s a funny and realistic portrayal of the quiet turmoil experienced by some gay high school kids. (The quiet turmoil’s less funny than other parts of the story.) Apparently many people still believe that gay people choose their sexual orientation. It’s a misconception that contributes to a lot of hate and misery. I hope this book goes at least a little way toward helping people understand what it’s like to grow up as a gay kid in a straight world. And for readers who closely identify with the main character, I hope it’s a story that gives them courage and makes them feel less alone.

2) Where is your favorite place to write?

At the moment, I don’t have a favorite place to write. I write anywhere I can whenever I can do it. I’m getting better at writing on the subway.

3) What are you currently working on (new book, remodeling your home…)?

I’m working on my second novel and my dissertation. The new novel involves a suburban cult and aerial drones and a couple of boys who are reluctant thieves. The dissertation explores the relationship between students’ reading comprehension performance and vocabulary knowledge. If anyone would like to finish the dissertation for me, please get in touch.

4) What is your favorite comfort book (the book you re-read because of how it makes you think/feel)?

I reread David James Duncan’s essay The Mickey Mantle Koan often. It’s just a beautiful piece of work. It brings me back to kicking the ball around in the front yard of the house where I grew up, and it reminds me why some of us spend so much time scribbling in the first place—there’s something we’re trying to get right.

5) What is the next book in your TBR (to be read) pile?

The Road by Cormac McCarthy. I’ve never read it. Shameful, I know.

6) Turn on your music player and hit shuffle – what song/artist comes up first?

Pinocchio by Miles Davis

7) What’s your random talent (balancing a spoon on your nose, saying the alphabet backwards…)?

I can do a pretty convincing Glaswegian accent because my parents are from Glasgow, Scotland. When I was in high school, I listened to Billy Connelly’s comedy routines to hone the skill. I’m way out of practice at the moment.

8) Ask the reviewer – what question have you always wanted to ask a book reviewer?

Do you have a particular person in mind when you’re writing reviews—for instance, a specific friend or family member—or do you write for the general reading public? Laura – I write a review that I would want to read. I am always interested in the details of the book as a whole, not just the synopsis. That is why I include a brief overview of the plot, writing, pacing, world built, emotions and characters as well as my feelings and observations on the book.  

Connect with Kenneth – @KennethLogan14