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| SPOTLIGHTING AA AUTHORS!!!! |
Meet Author Ben Burgess:
1. Tell us a little bit about you and
your books.
I grew up in Queensbridge which is located close to
Astoria in Queens. I moved to Freeport, Long Island at the end of 7th grade.
I currently work in Law Enforcement. Being in that
profession allows me to meet people every day, and it puts me in a lot of
situations that are interesting and I can learn from them.
I have a Bachelor’s Degree in Business Management, and
a Master’s Degree in Educational Leadership.
I published my first book in 2008 entitled "Times
Have Changed and Life is Strange. It is currently used in two schools on the
Lower East side of Manhattan.
I’m married to my wife Lauren and I have a daughter
named Jaelynn.
2. How long have you been writing? I’ve been writing since the 8th
grade.
3. What inspired you to start writing?
When I was in the 8th grade, my English teacher Mrs.
Marcus gave the class a poetry assignment. My poem was on basketball. I don't remember
what I wrote, but I remember my teacher was blown away by it. She encouraged me
to keep writing. She was one of my most influential teachers, and I promised
her if I ever wrote a book, I would write a poem about the Holocaust for her
(She was Jewish, and had family in it) my dream was to publish a book. I
continued to write throughout high school and college. My college professors
told me I had talent, so I decided to go to open mic and perform my poetry.
Hearing people cheer for me and appreciate my words, inspired me to want to
keep writing. My first published book was “Times Have Changed and Life is
Strange.” It was a poetry book. I wrote a poem for Mrs. Marcus called
“Holocaust” keeping my promise. The poem “Ugly” from “Times Have Changed and
Life is Strange” is the poem that inspired me to write “Monster” I reflected on
my life, and felt this would be a good story that would teach and possible
change people’s lives. "Monster"
is based off my life and experiences. After enduring some pretty interesting
experiences, I believe that "Monster" is a story that can benefit
everyone and it's a story that needed to be told. I was inspired to write it to
teach people. I feel that people can learn from my mistakes. I wanted people to
learn that:
1. Every action
has a consequence- It can be good or bad, but there is a result for everything
we do.
2. We need to
take time to truly heal emotionally and mentally after a break-up. If we don't
we are bound to bring that pain into future relationships.
3. We need to
be conscience of our actions. We never know the effects they can have on other
people.
4. In order to
move forward in life, we have to learn to let go of negativity, and to forgive
ourselves.
4. What are your plans as far as writing
in the future?
You can look forward to me constantly working on new
books to stimulate people’s minds with. I’m working on my next book “Love and
Happiness”, and I plan to have it published by February of 2014
5. What do you hope to accomplish in
your books to your readers?
I put my heart and soul into all of my writings. I
constantly try to improve to become a better writer for myself and my fans. The message that I try to instill in my writing is, as people
we should always strive to be better. We should always want to become better
versions of ourselves. I also want people to see that whether they like it or
not, no one is perfect. At some point even the “good guys/girls” aren’t so
good. I try to make my books very realistic.
My favorites:
Songs:
“Juicy” and “Sky’s the limit” By the
Notorious B.I.G. because both songs give me hope that I will succeed and
accomplish everything I set out to do.
Singers:
John Legend & Beyoncé
Film: My favorite movies are Fight Club, Love and Basketball, He got game,
Forrest Gump, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, Paid in Full, The Curious
Case of Benjamin Button, Django Unchained, Pulp Fiction and Kill Bill volumes 1
&2.
Books: My
favorite books are Richard Wright's Native Son, Eric Jerome Dickey's Cheaters,
and Milk in my coffee, and Between Lovers. Sapphire's Push, Zane's Addicted,
and Nervous. Carl Weber's Up to no good, and Shannon Holmes's B-More Careful.
Authors: My favorite authors are Eric Jerome Dickey,
Zane, and Carl Weber.
Actresses:
Sanaa Lathan & Taraji P. Henson
Actors:
Samuel L. Jackson & Brad Pitt
Season:
Summer
Color:
Blue
Holiday:
Christmas
Day:
April 16th because it’s my daughter’s birthday.
Outfit:
Blue Polo jeans with a Blue Polo shirt, and my Nike ACG Boots.
I currently do not have
a website, but here are the links to my author page, and my Monster's fan page:
Monster's Fan Page:
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Monster/231214637006067
Author Page:
Where can
we purchase your work (provide links)?
These are the
links where you can purchase the book:
Android Devices:
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.impelsys.monster.android#?t=W251bGwsMSwxLDIxMiwiY29tLmltcGVsc3lzLm1vbnN0ZXIuYW5kcm9pZCJd
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.impelsys.monster.android#?t=W251bGwsMSwxLDIxMiwiY29tLmltcGVsc3lzLm1vbnN0ZXIuYW5kcm9pZCJd
Barnes and Nobles:
http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/monster-ben-burgess-jr/1114313407?ean=9780988374508
http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/monster-ben-burgess-jr/1114313407?ean=9780988374508
Smashwords:
https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/283252 : Make sure the adult filter is off or you won’t be able to find the book
https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/283252 : Make sure the adult filter is off or you won’t be able to find the book
Ben shared some photos with us of his Author journey. Take a
look:
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