Monday, June 13, 2022

Ben J. Wynn - Author Interview

 


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Tell your readers a little about yourself, where you grew up, where you live now, where you went to school etc. Let them get to know the personal you.

I am born and raised in a city called Lauderhill just outside the city limits of Ft. Lauderdale, Florida, but to people who don't live there, it's easier to identify as a Ft. Lauderdale resident. I graduated from Piper High School in 1999 and attended Florida A&M University before transferring and graduating from Grand Canyon University. Growing up I played football, baseball, basketball, and soccer for the city of Lauderhill and the middle and High schools I attended, but ultimately I chose basketball because of medical restrictions something that would come up several more times in my life. I grew up going to church at Williams Memorial C.M.E. church located in the heart of Ft. Lauderdale right off of Sistrunk St. Named after Dr. James Sisntrunk, a historical staple of the community. Growing up and attending the annual Sistrunk festivals were my first experiences as a youth about my culture and entrepreneurship. Something that always intrigued me, but only as a spectator.

What inspired you to author this book?

I got introduced to the thought when my wife because pregnant with our first daughter Keilani. We researched that reading is good for brain development. So, I was eager to find as many books as possible just to read and breed empowerment in my child. While I was waiting for my wife in the hospital right after giving birth to Keilani, I took a quick trip to the bookstore Barnes & Nobles to buy books to read while I was in the room with her and to read to our baby as well. Anything with ABCs always stuck with me looking at all of the titles in the store. It was such an amazing feeling looking at these books and knowing the impact they would have on my daughter made me excited. I wanted more looking at the books available and wondered how I could expand on the variety of books I could read to my daughter. Fast forward 3 years later. My wife was pregnant again with my second daughter Brielle and that meant more books to read. So that sped up my timeline to write. My first experience with children's books was ABC's, so I wanted to incorporate ABC's in my introduction to the writing world. Being able to help young children read and make it fun was an ultimate goal of mine, and I started writing.


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Where did you get the inspiration for your book’s cover?

My two daughters who are 5 and 1 years old inspired the characters used in this series. I also wanted to make them superheroes. All kids love superheroes, I know I did growing up. If you named a random superhero name, I could probably tell you a fact about them. Channeling my inner child and thinking would look fun to a child and to my daughters gave me ideas while completing the cover. Making it as colorful as possible I feel would catch the attention of my target audience.

Who has been the most significant influence on you personally and as a writer?

My immediate family(Wife, Children, Sister) and God are my foundation and support system as a writer. My wife Khadijah Wynn supports my ideas and allows me the space needed to tap into my inner self and be bold, creative, and giving me the extra assurance I needed personally. I pray constantly to God to give me a vision and the words needed to write my stories. Every day I look at my daughters and see how they respond to reading and I get an extra boost of energy and it keeps me looking for new topics to write on and what attracts them.

What were your struggles or obstacles you had to overcome to get this book written?

The biggest struggle for me is when I go to book stores and see other books on the shelf and know that is where I want to be ultimately but know that it's a process. Sometimes looking at other books and comparing them to mine sometimes made me look at my work more critically than it needs to be. Another obstacle for me is the budget for publishing the book and not knowing the do's and don’ts when writing a book. Learning on the fly and getting all of the kinks out now, although, are obstacles help me in the process of publishing more books in the future and becoming more efficient.

Tell your readers about your book.

This book is a fun adventure with twin sisters who travel throughout ABC island to help a fellow letter friend solve a mystery. They go on foot and even have a special vehicle to help them along the way. The Girls had a day planned to have fun in their backyard but when emergencies call, they always come to help. It's a fun way to learn and teach ABC's in the form of storytelling.

Who is your target audience, and why?

My target audience is parents, teachers, and caregivers of young children in preschool and kindergarten, and even elementary. This book is designed to be read to children and those in elementary can read alone. My target audience is such because this is what I can relate to firsthand. I can share my experiences with them and hopefully educate them simultaneously. Making fun learning for the kids and teaching for the adults is my mission.




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What do you consider your greatest success in life?

I have many successes in life, that are tough to narrow down. One success I can say is surviving three strokes and being alive to share my stories, life lessons, and passions with the world is truly great but being able to share them with my wife, children, family, and friends is what I would have to say is the greatest and I thank God every day about it.

What one unique thing sets you apart from other writers in your genre?

One thing that I can say about me that is unique is my vantage point in life. I have been knocked down s many times. My life has shaped me at this moment. When I was 9, I was hospitalized for a week because of a kidney issue that prevented me from playing football ever again, which I loved to do. I later suffered 2-degree burns on my hands and face from a charcoal grill explosion that was life-altering again. My mother passing unexpectedly months after that incident was challenging. Then suffering 3 strokes between 2015-2018, one of which was a massive stroke along with a seizure that required life-saving surgery, put me out of work in what I built a career. My mother always wanted me to be an avid reader and to pursue my dreams. Although she is not here physically to witness it, I know internally that she is fully aware of my progress. Through my trials in life, I know there's a calling for me and my mission is clear. Spread knowledge, love, education, and faith to all and in my books, I sprinkle in messages from my life as well. There's something for the readers and the receivers of all my books.

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FOLLOW THE AUTHOR

Author website: https://benjwynn.com

Goodreads site: https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/152041912-ben-j pending approval of author application

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/benj.wynn/

Other: Instagram. https://www.instagram.com/benjwynn/