Interview with Billy Larken

Published 2014-02-07.
What's the story behind your latest book?
The Secret Ingredient came from a light bulb idea for a great ending. Having daughters definitely affects the stories I write, so it made sense that the main character in this story was a young girl.
What motivated you to become an indie author?
I just want children to get something from my stories. I had a short story published in a children's magazine, and it felt so amazing knowing that kids were reading my story! I guess I just want that feeling again.
When did you first start writing?
I started writing just before I turned twenty. The amazing thing is I didn't start reading until I was about nineteen! When a teacher gave me a book to read in school, I was straight to the internet searching for book reviews to copy and paste! If only I could go back in time and hand myself some amazing books I was missing out on.
What is the greatest joy of writing for you?
I love reading my stories to my girls and seeing their smiles. Nothing's better than that!
What do your fans mean to you?
I can't wait to get some!
What are you working on next?
A group of short stories for young rascal boys. I think these ones come from my inner child. They're cheeky, funny, and one of them is scary, too. I try to have surprise endings in my books and all three of these short stories have one. I like the ending to be memorable.
Who are your favorite authors?
I had some catching up to do with my reading. I missed out on so many great books, and so I read a lot of books for children and young adults. Mainly so I could learn the art of writing. A couple of my favorite authors that have taught me a lot are Eoin Colfer, who wrote the Artemis Fowl books, and John Flanagan, who wrote the Ranger's Apprentice books.
My all time favorite books though are the Farseer books from Robin Hobb. They were amazing! I also love Patrick Rothfuss books about the young character, Kvothe. So I guess I have a soft spot for the fantasy genre.
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Books by This Author

Death's Bounty Hunter - The Shinobi Assassin
Price: Free! Words: 23,050. Language: English. Published: April 24, 2019 . Categories: Fiction » Fantasy » Contemporary, Fiction » Young adult or teen » Humor
Zeek Crabtree runs a modest ghost cleaning service sucking up poltergeists with his vacuum. But when a group of unruly souls escape from hell, Death himself employs Zeek to hunt them down and return them to their rightful place in eternal hellfire.