Hi Charlie Winters and welcome to Bayou Book Junkie.
Charlie débuted onto the MM scene in May 2015 with the absolute tearjerker, Fin
& Matt and his (unrelated) follow-up novel, Nate & Casey, came
out this summer. Charlie doesn’t at present have a website or seem to do a lot
of social media, and we’re ashamed to say that our famed nosing hasn’t come up
with much about him. 😢 So, we’re dying to find out what’s coming next and
when, as we’re sure we’ve heard rumours that he’s just got started on a new
book – right Charlie?
BBJ: Please tell BBJ readers
about yourself and how you started writing, and please, do feel free to tell ALL,
because we’re fans and nosy.
Charlie: Well, I’ve always written (studied creative
writing in college), but it wasn’t until I started to edge onto my fortieth
birthday that I told myself that I was going to write—and finish!—a novel. I wanted to take on something bigger, you
know? I’d written shorts and poetry, but
I’d never come close to tackling something like an actual novel. With the encouragement of my best friend, I
sat down and just… started. I bounced a
few ideas off of him and started sending him chapters over email—the feedback
he gave was incredible… and so fucking supportive—I ended up finishing it in
less than six months.
BBJ: Tell us a little about
your day job, please, Charlie and where the writing fits in.
Charlie: I
work in the tax department of a CPA firm by day. As far as the writing goes, I fit it in where
I can. Evenings mostly—hence the year
gap between my two books. During tax
season, I work seventy-five hours a week for four months straight, so it’s a
real challenge to make time for what I love.
BBJ: What’s the best way for
readers and fans to interact with you and where do you hang out most online?
And, IRL? Are you into clubs? Pubs? Partying? Intimate trattoria-style
eateries? Cosy evenings in?
Charlie: I do have a little bit of a social media
phobia, it’s true. I am on Twitter and
Facebook; however, I guess I feel like if I don’t have anything to say that day
that doesn’t pertain to my writing, I’m not much of a “sharer.” I don’t post selfies or share what I ate for
dinner because I guess that’s just not the person I am. I’m actually envious of other writers who
tweet fifty times a day and wish I had more of a presence, but (*shrugs*) I
guess I can’t force what’s not comfortable for me. If readers do write to me on my Facebook
page, I always take the time to respond—same with Twitter.
As for “real life,” I’m definitely not into clubs, but I do like a
good pub. I have a tight knit group of
friends and a great big covered patio at my house, so a lot of nights are spent
out there.
