This week I am delighted to be having a slice of cake with Sean Haughton.
Sean is an independent author & blogger from England. So far, he has released Reflections: Fifty Poems, Guided by the Ghosts & The Secret In The Breeze. All three books are available in paperback & eBook on Amazon, with availability varying on Waterstones and Barnes & Noble.
What kind of stories do you write?
I write books that are, as my first poetry collection was titled, Reflections on life & society & meaning. The poems I have written are a conglomerate of personal experiences, personal viewpoints, feelings towards family, love & romance, mental health and the occasional fictional piece inspired by… inspirations.
My fictional works are a hybrid of original, fictional characters and settings blended with true life experiences & individuals that address deep, underlying themes of hurt, regret, spirituality, ostracization and meaning.
Can you describe your writing why?
Meaning & Purpose. What am I on Earth for? For years I wondered what I was truly any good at, and simultaneously I wondered how I would be able to forge a meaningful pathway for myself if I was trying to do things that I was either not meant to do or simply couldn’t very well. I left my most recent job earlier this year, and it was a case of “same old story” following my previous roles. I was generally good at the job, my work ethic was solid and I was capable of moments of brilliance, but it wasn’t the job I was suited to, nor should I have been doing, and alongside existing, long-term mental health difficulties, I needed to walk away. For a good couple of months, I was lost, genuinely wondering what I was going to do. Then, around early September, I returned to the idea of writing, which I’ve had for years since my Uni days but I could never find a way to kick down the metaphorical brick wall blocking the progress in my mind. This time, however, was different, and I suddenly had an avalanche of ideas, two, in particular, stemming from years gone by. I dived into studying about self-publishing and whatnot, and decided I was going to do it! Ultimately, I published my first poetry collection, Reflections: Fifty Poems as my debut piece, and then the first two instalments of The George & Sally Series; Guided by the Ghosts, which was inspired by a piece of homework I had around 18/19 years ago, and The Secret In The Breeze, which is the parallel to Ghosts.
Share with us your favourite passage from the book you enjoyed writing the most
I’ve enjoyed writing all my books thus far, particularly The Secret In The Breeze, but I think I’ll go with this, from Guided by the Ghosts:
“Isn’t that one of the main problems with people like us, though? That we’re too cynical?”
“Yes and no.”, the brother interjected. “Cynicism is a key tool to seeing the world in its true form. People confuse cynicism with negativity, when in actual fact cynicism prevents you from being swept away by myth and fallacy. Ironic, given that we are drifting amongst a very different realm. You should be cynical about what you are experiencing right now; being so will allow you to find greater answers.”
Tell us about your latest project
Following on from my first three publications, I have three new projects in the works as we speak. The first is my second poetry collection, the second is a collection of short dark stories and the third is the third instalment in The George & Sally Series. I’m very excited about all three.
What is your favourite cake?
Gah! I should be thinking about losing weight, not cake! I suppose I’ll punt for the cake that my family had made for my 21st; a sponge cake with jam & buttercream coated with decorative icing, including an iPod, a Manchester City badge and a Johnny Cash quote. There must have been at least 20,000 calories in that cake, but damn it was good!
Join me next week when I'm joined by Erica Drayton.
If you would like to take part in A Slice of Cake With... please fill in the form found here. I'd be delighted to have you.
You can also support my writing endeavours and buy me tea & cake - it's what makes the world go round!
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