An Interview with Author Joy E. Held
Welcome Joy E. Held, an award-winning author who offers “everyone
information and ideas for how to create and sustain a writing career.” She
enables novice writers to begin, and engages seasoned writers to succeed. Joy
promotes a “customizable approach for any writer of any genre at any stage of
development designed to cultivate a healthy lifestyle and a satisfying writing
career.”
GM: What is the premise for your new book?
JH: The premise of my current nonfiction book is an
interactive workbook of activities for creative folks. There are exercises and
journal pages in the areas of journaling, fitness, relaxation, nutrition, and
creative play. The book is titled Writer Wellness Workbook: A guided
workbook and journal to accompany Writer Wellness: A Writer's Path to Health
and Creativity. It came out in July 2023.
GM: Who is your target audience/niche market?
JH: The target audience and niche market is anyone in the
creative arts with a desire to create and maintain a healthy life in a few
minutes a day. Especially writers.
GM: What would you like readers to take away from your book?
JH: Writer Wellness Workbook is a safe
place to spell out, experiment with, and practice your crazy, juicy ideas about
journaling, fitness, relaxation, nutrition, and creative play. As a companion
piece to the book Writer Wellness: A Writer's Path to Health and
Creativity, it is designed to be a container for a set of actionable
techniques that will contribute to your coping skills, organization tactics,
and outlook on life as a creator. All you have to do is follow the
guidance in this workbook to reflect, collect, select, and connect with
your inner wisdom. When you do, the world of creativity isn't as scary because
you recognize your strengths and how to best use them to benefit everyone;
especially you.
GM: Describe your creative space and where you like to
write...
JH: I write in an all purple office surrounded by
bookshelves loaded with my favorite fiction and tons of writing craft books as
well as books about teaching writing. I have taught creative writing and led
writer wellness workshops online for twenty years.
GM: What are you currently reading?
JH: The Sparrows of Montenegro: A Novel, BJ
Mayo
GM: What are you currently writing?
JH: I'm on the final round of edits for a young adult
historical fantasy novel based on a legend about a mermaid in Charleston, South
Carolina during Reconstruction. I'm also writing book two in a historical
romance series set in Marietta, Ohio in 1800.
GM: Do you have advice for novice writers?
JH: My advice for novice writers is to keep a journal like
your life depends on it. The life of a writer depends on writing so why not
spend a few minutes a day jotting down your dreams, plans, upsets, anything
really.
GM: List 10 things your fans may not know about you...
JH:
1.I love St. Bernard dogs.
2.Purple, any shade, is my favorite color.
3.I love doing headstands in yoga.
4.I'm a cancer survivor.
5.I will eat pizza seven days a week.
6.I love cosplay.
7.I have a subscription box business just for writers and
readers.
8.I became a writer after a career in ballet and
choreography.
9.I've been teaching yoga for 46 years.
10.I love washi tape.
Connect with Joy…
Bio:
Joy E. Held is a
college educator and award-winning published author who knew at age ten she was
going to be a writer. She has published a non-fiction book for writers, Writer Wellness: A Writer’s Path to Health and Creativity (Headline
Books, Inc. 2020,) a historical romance novel (The Wild Rose
Press, 2010) and almost 1000 articles in magazines, newspapers,
and poetry journals in 25+ years as a professional writer. Her latest release
is another historical romance novel from Boroughs Publishing Group. She is particularly charmed
by the new world of “art journaling” and the old-but-new-again world of
steampunk fiction. Her book reviews can be found in Foreword Magazine, Yoga
Journal, Book Report Network, and other publications. She has published multiple
articles as a contributing editor for Dancer Magazine and Dance Teacher Now Magazine. Her work can be found
in Yoga Journal, Woman Engineer, and Romance Writers Report as well as local and
regional publications in West Virginia. She has presented writing workshops for
over ten years for Central Ohio Fiction Writers, West Virginia Writers, Inc.,
Kentucky, Ohio, & WV Romance Writers, Ohio Valley Literary Group, WV Developmental
Education Association, Wood County Reading Association, and the West Virginia
Writing Project among others. Before writing, however, her world revolves
around two daughters, a fab husband, a wonderful son-in-love, an awesome
grandson, and their pets. She is also a devoted student of meditation and hatha
yoga. Her hobbies include herb gardening and learning to bake with spelt flour.
Getting an MFA in Writing Popular Fiction from Seton Hill University in Greensburg, PA was one of the best decisions she ever made.
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1 comment:
Thanks for contributing such a well-articulated and informative piece!
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