Tell us about yourself.
I was born in Southfield, MI.
Raised in Detroit. I grew
up in the Watch Tower Bible
& Tract Society as a Jehovah's
Witness, and was groomed to
revere Hebrew Bible during my
childhood/adolescent years.
I am a citizen of Heaven
first and foremost.
Subsequently, I am a son,
brother, husband, and a friend.
Where did you grow up, and how did this influence your writing?
I grew up in Detroit, Michigan.
I wouldn't say Detroit influenced
my writing. I would say my Kingdom
of Heaven citizenship is the dominant
influence of my writing style and material.
My high school English Literature teacher
introducing me to colloquial writing styles
revealed to me that writing doesn't have to be
uber-formal and stringent.
What was your journey to getting published like?
Revelatory. I'm an indie author, so I mainly have all of my books
hosted an a website that my wife and I co-manage.
I do have my authorial debut on Amazon KDP and on Audible.
This was definitely a learning curve.
What’s the best piece of feedback you’ve ever received?
One person who is a part and parcel of my readership said I should continue writing, because my authorial debut left them wanting more. Another person who read my authorial debut said it was written in a very academic manner.
What advice would you give to aspiring writers?
If you want to become a better writer, read. Being an avid reader introduces you to a heterogeneity of writing styles, intelligence, novel writing styles, tones, and rhythms.
What’s a fun fact about you that your readers might not know?
I can do impersonations. I think they're quality, but I'm biased.
What’s your guilty pleasure book or genre?
I love reading the Hebrew Bible, and I feel guilt free doing so.
Right now my favorite genre is social science.
What’s your favorite quote about writing?
{"If there is a book that you want to read, but it hasn't been written yet, then you must write it." Toni Morrison
When you’re not writing, how do you like to spend your time?
I love studying the Hebrew language, watching clean movies, clean stand up, spending time with my wife, friends, and my faith family.
Do you remember the first story you ever read, and the impact it had on you?
I don't. However, I remember reading Matthew 4:17 in Hebrew, and this impacted me because it was the first time that I heard the original Good News message.
Dr. Myles Munroe's Kingdom Principles:
Preparing for Kingdom
Experience and Expansion,
really opened my eyes to
a plethora of Kingdom
of Heaven concepts.
What has inspired you and your writing style?
For me, it's more of who inspires me and my writing style.
King Yahweh is the One who imbues me to write, via His Word,
His Governor, and the experiential wisdom He grants me.
How do you deal with negative reviews?
I pray to King Yahweh for encouragement on a soulical level. I realize that I am not everyone's cup of tea. People have different sensibilities and preferences. I accept the existential reality that I can't be everyone for everybody. That takes the pressure off.
How do you connect with your readers?
I connect with my readership via my podcast, the Kingdom Besorah Podcast, and my various social media accounts.
What’s next for you as a writer?
I am currently working on a few book manuscripts. One is about marriage advice from Genesis chapters 1-3. Another is the second volume of the Hebrew/English children's book series that I was blessed to write. Lastly, I'm wrapping up the script of an audio musical.
Are there any Easter eggs or hidden messages in your work?
Definitely. Most of them are Biblical in nature.
How do you approach writing dialogue for your characters?
First I build the entire avatar of the character. Then I curate dialogue that complements and exhibits their idiosyncratic personality traits, characteristics, and mindset.
If you could share one thing with your fans, what would that be?
When I get fans, I'll let you know. Until then, I'd like to share with my readership that we all need to change our mind, because the Kingdom of Heaven has arrived.
Yoel ben Yisrael’s Author Websites and Profiles
Website
Amazon Profile
Yoel ben Yisrael’s Social Media Links
Facebook Page
Instagram
YouTube Account
All information in this post is presented “as is” supplied by the author. We don’t edit to allow you the reader to hear the author in their own voice.