IndieReader Author Interview

Tell Us Your Story​

 In 150 words or less, give us your back-jacket summary — what's this book about?

What I Would Tell My Younger Self is a collection of life lessons drawn from the experiences, successes, mistakes, and observations of a lifetime. The lessons explore character, attitude, relationships, responsibility, goals, family, time, money, and the everyday choices that gradually shape a life.

The book asks a simple question: If I could sit down with my younger self, knowing what I know today, what would I tell him that might help him build a more contented and fulfilling life?

And for those who eavesdrop, I wish the same.

 What's the book's first line?

It is easy for a person to believe they are good.

 What inspired you to write this book?

Looking back over my life, I realized that both my successes and my mistakes had taught me lessons worth sharing. As I watched others face many of the same choices, I began to wonder whether some of what took me a lifetime to learn might be useful to someone earlier in their journey.

 That thought became the inspiration for this book.

Make the case — why should someone read this book?

You don't need this book to learn these lessons. Life will teach many of them eventually. The question is what some of those lessons may cost you if you have to learn them entirely through experience. My hope is that readers will recognize the value of advice well earned and use what is helpful as they make their own choices in life.

 Share a line from the book you're particularly proud of.

“But life does not offer do-overs. It only offers the chance to make a better choice the next time.”

We cannot go back and change those decisions, but perhaps sharing what experience has taught us can help someone else recognize the lesson before the regret.

 When did you first decide to become an author?

It happened rather unexpectedly. I never had a lifelong ambition to become an author. I simply realized one day that I wanted a way to share some of what life had taught me with people beyond those I knew personally. A book became the answer.

Somewhere along the way, almost as a consequence rather than a goal, I became an author.

What else have you written?

This is my first book. Nothing preceded this effort, but I don't expect it to be my last. I have discovered that I like having a voice and the opportunity to leave something useful for those who follow.

What do you do for work when you're not writing?

I am retired from a long career in medicine, although retirement has not meant that I stopped working. I continue to help medical organizations navigate regulatory requirements and maintain compliance.

I also devote a significant amount of my time and resources to organizations that support children with special needs. Beyond that, I enjoy spending time with my family and occasionally traveling. Sharing what I have learned with others through writing adds considerable value to my own life.

 What does your writing process look like?

My writing usually begins with an idea rather than with the words. I first try to understand what I really want to say and why it is worth saying. Then I write, revise, put it aside, and return to it—as many times as necessary.

I have learned that distance can bring clarity. Something that seemed right yesterday may look different when I return to it. For me, writing is less about finding the perfect words the first time and more about repeatedly getting closer to what I want to say to the reader.

What does being an indie author mean to you?

Being an indie author means having the freedom to decide what I want to say and how I want to say it, while accepting responsibility for everything required to bring those words to a reader. I have learned that independence and responsibility come together.

What do you wish you'd known before you published?

I wish I had understood how many steps come after finishing a manuscript before a book is actually published and distributed. On the other hand, perhaps I am glad I didn't know. Had I fully understood the complexity, I might have thought twice—but being the optimist I am, I suspect I would have started anyway.

Having survived the process, I expect the next time to be considerably more organized and efficient.

What's a great piece of advice you can share with fellow indie authors?

Don't become so attached to what you have written that you become unwilling to make it better. Put it aside, come back to it, and be willing to change it. The goal is not to preserve what you wrote. The goal is to say what you wanted to say as well as you can.

 What are you reading right now?

I am currently reading Oliver Sacks’ An Anthropologist on Mars and Jon Katz’s Running to the Mountain. They are very different books, but I find both uplifting. I seem to be increasingly drawn to stories about people overcoming obstacles and discovering something about themselves in the process. Perhaps at this stage of life, I appreciate those journeys more than I once did.

 What's next for you?

Regarding my writing, having a voice is remarkable, and I have more to say. My next book will speak directly to the reader, giving me greater freedom to share experiences and explore additional lessons I believe are worth considering and applying.