ALEXIS MARIE CHUTE is an award-winning author, artist, filmmaker, curator, and inspirational speaker. Her memoir,
Expecting Sunshine: A Journey of Grief, Healing, and Pregnancy After Loss, was a Kirkus Best Book of 2017 and
received many literary awards. Expecting Sunshine is also a highly acclaimed feature documentary film, produced and
directed by the author, that was screened around the world in 2018 and 2019. Chute is also the author of the epic fantasy adventure series called The 8th Island Trilogy, which features multigenerational and diverse characters.
She is a highly-regarded inspirational speaker and teacher. She has presented on business, art, photography, writing,
filmmaking, bereavement, and the healing capacities of creativity around the world. She stopped by to share a little about her writing and new book Below The Moon.
Q & A with Alexis
A&RBC: When did you first realize you wanted to be a writer? Or what first inspired you to write?
AMC: I have been writing since as far back as I can remember—and even before I could hold a pen. As a child, I was very creative and cerebral. I was always coming up with stories and adventures. Fortunately, I didn’t lose that trait as I grew up. I find writing inspiration everywhere, at all times. My brain is a sponge for my environment and stimuli. Sometimes this is overwhelming, but most often I use this hyper-awareness to my advantage.
A&RBC: How does a new story idea come to you? Is it an event that sparks the plot or a character speaking to you?
AMC: I get new ideas all the time. From everywhere. From everyone. A new lightbulb is constantly illuminated above my head. My struggle is not in finding ideas, but choosing which ideas are worth my attention and which ideas should be the focus for right now.
A&BC: What inspired your story?
AMC: My 8th Island Trilogy was inspired by the belief that we will go to extreme lengths to save those we love. The three unlikely characters learn that their past selves do not define their present bravery. They rally against unsurmountable odds and learn that they possess strength they never imagined. In many ways, the trilogy is a fictionalized look at the resiliency of the human spirit. That is a topic I am obsessed with and optimistic about!
A&RBC: Is there a message/theme in your novel that you want readers to grasp?
AMC: The resiliency of the human spirit is what percolates up in most of my work. It’s the dogged determinedness that I see in so many people, No matter the hardships they face. They inspire me, and because of them, I want my work to inspire others.
A&RBC: What was your greatest challenge in writing this book?
AMC: My greatest challenge in writing any book is getting my bum in the chair, overcoming that procrastination. Once I’ve gotten over the initial hump, and am in the flow, I’m good to go in that department. Then the next struggle is when to stop editing. I am a relentless, picky, and perfectionist kind of editor. There comes a point, however, when I need to hold back and declare a book, “FINISHED!!”
A&RBC: When you are struggling to write/have writer’s block, what are some ways that help you find your creative muse again?
AMC: Free writing is the best tool I have found to break out of writer’s block. I sit down and simply start typing, no matter what it is. Getting my fingers moving and the mental juices flowing always opens the floodgate eventually.
A&RBC: Do you have any interesting writing habits or superstitions?
AMC: I am far too busy and productive to have useless superstitions about my writing. It has been valuable for me to be disciplined and approach my writing with bootcamp focus. I sit down and work. I love it, but if I only write when I feel like it, I will procrastinate till I’m dead.
A&RBC: What do you like to do when you are not writing?
AMC: Not in winter—I hate snow—but I typically love being outdoors! My favorite activities are paddle boarding, canoeing, hiking, trail running, and sitting in a hot tub outside and talking for hours with friends and family.
Also, aside from my writing, I am a visual artist, curator, filmmaker, and public speaker. So those things, plus family time, keep me super busy. I do, however, always make time for the important people in my life.
A&RBC: What is the one book no writer should be without?
AMC: A dictionary and thesaurus. Though I use these tools online now, I am constantly referring to them while writing my books.
A&RBC: Where can readers purchase your books? Where can they reach you?
AMC: My books can be purchase at Amazon.com and Barnes & Noble.
Readers can connect via my website: http://www.alexismariechute.com/
Socially at
Facebook page
@alexismariechute
Twitter handle
@_alexis_marie
YouTube
https://www.youtube.com/user/AlexisMarieChute
Instagram
@alexismariechute
About The Book
Below the Moon (Book Two in The 8th Island Trilogy)
Ella Wellsley is not your typical teenager. Cancer left her mute, but not powerless. Trapped in a parallel dimension, Ella
rallies her strength to join her family—her mother, Tessa, her grandpa Archie, and her magical boyfriend, Luggie—in locating
the cure to her illness. This cure is entangled in the fate of all worlds, and threatened by the presence of an evil Star
anchored in the sea. The Star has thrown life everywhere into chaos—and it is Ella who holds the key to unlocking its
mystery.
Caught in a web of betrayal, mistaken identities, secrets, and love triangles, Ella, Tessa, and Archie must overcome their
troubled pasts to ensure a future for all worlds. On this journey—armed with unearthly abilities and unexpected allies—each
member of the Wellsley family will learn the power of love in the face of their greatest fears.
Purchase:
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