JD’s Radio Interview – Listen here: http://www.blogtalkradio.com/mikeandlauriekehoe/2019/01/13/jd-rutherford-author-of-dear-mom-dear-son
INTERVIEW QUESTIONS
- Tell us about yourself:
- Where do you live? Oklahoma City Oklahoma, but am a Southern California native
- How long have you lived there? 2 years
- Are you married? no
- Kids? 1 son
- Full time job? Yes I’m a Line Cook in a Five Star Restaurant
- Education? High School, Some college, and Technical School
- Who is your favorite author and book? Manly P. Hall; The Secret Teachings of All Ages
- What is your preferred genre? History, philosophy
- How did you start this journey to become a writer? I started out by writing poetry when I was a teenager. Tried to write a novel back in 2000, but never finished it
- What have you written so far? I co-authored a poetry book with my Mother called Dear Mom, Dear Son. She passed away right after we finished writing it. My second book is called; An Imprisoned Mind.
- Tell us about your current book. Both books are current, Dear Mom, Dear Son is about the experience a mother has with her incarcerated son. The poems are written like letters, and the commentary between each exchange expresses our feelings about the letters.
My second book, An Imprisoned Mind describes how the world is like a giant prison where everyone is incarcerated by something. The book is self-help geared towards the currently and formally incarcerated, yet there is valuable self-mastery information in it to help anyone looking to gain greater emotional intelligence, assertiveness, and objective thinking.
7. What is the inspiration for your current book? I was incarcerated in and out for over twenty years. The most recent book was inspired by a notebook journal I created on the inside that detailed every step, every tool, and all the information I acquired over a five-year period that I used to totally change my life. The book took me a year and a half to write, and bringing it to print, it stands as the foundation to my Non-profit Organization called Stand For Something Life, who’s purpose it is to address Criminal Justice Reform at the Re-entry into society point.
8. Who was your favorite character to write and why? There are no characters in this book
9. Is there anything of you in that character?
10. What sets your book apart? Both books are very unique in their message. The first book addresses a prison story told much like letters from Vietnam only from and to prison. All poetic, the book stands alone as a story never told in this way. There is no other book out there like it.
An Imprisoned Mind is a no holds barred brutally honest approach to gaining self-mastery for anyone looking to take back their lives from destructive behavior, and the programing of the external stressors who teach us to see the world through their eyes. It is an attempt to help people regain their freedom of thinking and assertively stand their ground on their beliefs without fear of rejection or ridicule. The goal is to use subjectivity and objectivity interchangeably, to allow rational thought to make decisions not feelings, while using feelings appropriately.
11. What’s your favorite part in the book? The Art of Dealing With Life is about designing yourself in a way that is healthy, positive and Non-judgement. It is an understanding that you are not defined by the beliefs of others, you are defined by how you see yourself and how you deal with life; especially conflict where the flexibility of mind is very important.
An Imprisoned Mind; Chapter Six; opening paragraph
12. What was the most difficult part to write? To transfer all that information from a journal to a book. My first book, Dear Mom, Dear Son was difficult all the way through because of the emotions involved
13. What was your favorite book to write? I honestly, love my books equally, but differently if that makes sense.
14. How do you write? Do you have a set time or place? How many hours a day? I write when the inspiration is there. I been known to jump up out of bed in the middle of the night and start writing for hours
15. Why did you want to be a writer? I believe it was a calling. I knew I had a special gift. Like I could see the words in my mind, I just needed paper to bring them to life
16. How do you get your ideas? I use the experience of life to inspire. I look for metaphors in everything around me and write out the mystery of the experience in a way that expresses thoughts and ideas into art, and feeling
17. What do you have planned next? I am almost done with my third book called The Laughing Boy. It is an Autobiography written like a non-fiction novel describing my experiences as a fourteen-year-old runaway living in the streets of Southern California in 1988.
I’m also creating an outline for a fourth book call The Dying Breed about my family in the International Brotherhood of Teamsters, Local 63, and Local 357
18. What advice would you give new writers? Don’t over think what you are writing. Let your words flow from your heart. Love what you are writing. Live it, feel it. make every character come to life without sounding boring or fake. If it is fiction, find people of your life to act as characters. If it is based on real people, recreate them into a character with personality.
19. How can readers get in touch with you? They can fiends request me on Facebook search J.D. Rutherford(j.d.) on Instagram@ author_j.d.rutherford, twitter @j.d_rutherford, or my and email website www.standforsomething.life email; jajaru13@outlook.com