Author’s
Bio: TJ Butler writes fiction and essays that are not all fun and
games, teaches workshops, and coaches writers. Her work has appeared in media
outlets such as Huffington Post, Insider, and various literary journals. She
owns a business that supports the arts, and she was one of those kids who
wanted to be a writer when they grew up. BUST Magazine calls her recent short
story collection, Dating Silky Maxwell “gritty, realistic, often
unnerving, and far from glamorous.” Connect with her at TJButlerAuthor.com. 

Deliah
Lawrence: What inspired you to write your book?

TJ Butler: I’d
written a few short stories, then I attended a summer writing conference. The
instructor suggested I write more and put them into a collection. It felt like
a revolutionary idea. 

DL: How do
you overcome the challenges of writer’s block?

TJB: I take
long walks with my dog and give the words some time to flow. I don’t believe
you can force them. If a story isn’t coming to you, work on something else. 

DL: What
is your writing process?

TJB: I write
short stories so I need to create unique characters and new storylines pretty
often. I get the seed of an idea and let it live rent free in my head for a
while. I become obsessed. Before I begin writing I need to know what the
conflict and tension are and how it is resolved. Even when I have those things,
I don’t start writing until I how the story begins. 

DL: Is
there a specific author or book that influenced you in any way either growing
up or as an adult?

TJB: I read
voraciously when I was younger. While I don’t have a specific book or author,
reading about a variety of fiction and nonfiction topics before I was old
enough to figure them out impacted my desire to be a writer. 

DL: What
was the most valuable piece of writing advice you’ve ever been given?

TJB: Every
story needs conflict of some kind. 

DL: What
are three books you’ll never part with?

TJB: Clockwork
Orange, Alice in Wonderland, I Who Have Never Known A Man. 

DL: What
are three fun facts about yourself?

TJB: I’ve
worked as a magician’s assistant, I love the beach in the winter and hate it in
the summer, and my husband and I got married alone in Ireland on a rocky,
windswept bay by a Celtic monk. 

DL: Would
you like to share an excerpt from Dating Silky Maxwell?

TJB: Sure,
here you go: 

From “The
Wings That Follow Fear” Two nights before Ryder’s coming home day, I walked
down the hill to the barn to say goodnight to the animals. My hair was hanging
loose over my thin cotton nightgown, the long plain one I wear in the summer
when he’s gone. The air was soft and still. The field beyond the barn twinkled
with lightning bugs like a scene in a movie. I walked past the barn to the edge
of the field and picked out one glowing flash, still and low to the ground. I
counted the morse code of brilliance that flared in a pulsing yes to entice a
mate. I thought of Ryder as I turned toward the barn, wishing for his hand in
mine on the edge of this field and longing to watch the flickering display with
him. I plucked his old plaid shirt from the nail by the barn door. I’d
worn it so many times since he’d been gone that it smelled all of me and none
of him. I could not get closer to him than the flannel sleeves around my arms
but I did not mind. His coming home day was so close. As I slipped my arms into
the soft worn sleeves, I heard the faraway crunch of tires on our gravel
drive. I stepped out of the barn, heart pounding deep inside my chest.
Ryder was not due home for a couple of days. 

DL: What
new projects are you currently working on?

TJB: I’m
working on two short story collections. One will have flash and short short
stories, and the second will have longer stories. 

DL: Where
can readers learn more about you and purchase your book(s)?

TJB: Readers can
get more information here:

• Website:  TJ Butler Author
• Amazon
  Author Page: https://www.amazon.com/stores/TJ-Butler/author/B0CL124L57?ref=ap_rdr&isDramIntegrated=true&shoppingPortalEnabled=tru
• Instagram:
  @TJButlerAuthor
• Book Buy Links:
  https://www.tjbutlerauthor.com/dating-silky-maxwell-1 

DL: Thanks so
much for being here with us today. I know my readers will enjoy getting to know
you and your work. 

TJB: I
appreciate the opportunity to share my book with your readers! 

Originally Published on https://vocalexpressions.blogspot.com

Deliah Lawrence Attorney, Author, Blogger, Workshop Facilitator

Deliah Lawrence is a Maryland-based attorney and award-winning author of two romantic suspense novels (Gotta Let It Go and Gotta Get It Back) set in Baltimore. She’s also a blogger and workshop facilitator who writes poetry and short stories.

When Deliah isn’t writing, you can find her reading a book, indulging in her addiction to investigation discovery shows; or painting her yet-to-be exhibited oil artworks of landscapes, portraits or whatever else comes to her creative mind. Constantly on the go, she is also a member of the Black Writers’ Guild of Maryland and Sisters in Crime.