Author Bio:
Karl Beckstrand is the bestselling and award-winning author of 19 multicultural/multilingual books and more than 50 ebook titles (reviews by Kirkus, School Library Journal, The Horn Book’s blog, ForeWord Reviews). Raised in San Jose, CA (he knows the secret to peeling avocados), he has a B.A. in journalism from BYU, an M.A. in international relations from APU, and a broadcast/film certificate from Film A. Academy. Since 2004 he has run Premio Publishing. His survival western, To Swallow the Earth, won a 2016 International Book Award. A college media instructor, Beckstrand has presented to Taiwan’s Global Leadership for Youth, city and state governments, festivals, and schools. His nationally lauded Y.A. stories, e-book mysteries, nonfiction, ESL/ELL Spanish/bilingual books, wordless and STEM books feature ethnically diverse characters—and usually end with a twist. His work has appeared in: Amazon, Baker & Taylor, Barnes & Noble, Costco, Deseret Book, Follett, iBooks, Ingram, Papercrafts Magazine, Target.com, The U.S. Congressional Record, Walmart.com, FB
What inspires you to write?
I get ambushed by quirky ideas–mostly when I'm trying to sleep. I like twists and humor.
Tell us about your writing process.
I usually write by the seat of my pants–but for longer stories I like to make an outline. I assemble my mountain of notes on paper and start adding and tossing ideas.
For Fiction Writers: Do you listen (or talk to) to your characters?
Not at all.
Who are your favorite authors?
I love history, so anything by David McCoullugh is ideal. Other authors I love: Tolkien, Harper Lee, C.S. Lewis, Clancy, Grisham, and Shel Silverstein.
How did you decide how to publish your books?
I met a gentleman at a writer's group who said he'd publish one of my manuscripts. He died the day we were going to press–so I got a crash course in publishing.
What do you think about the future of book publishing?
I worry that interactivity and animation will end reading. I hope it won't!
What genres do you write?
juvenile, biography, YA
What formats are your books in?
eBook, Print
Website(s)
Karl Beckstrand Home Page Link
Follow Karl Beckstrand On Amazon
Link to Author Page on Smashwords
Author’s Social Media Links
Goodreads
Facebook
Twitter
Pinterest
All information is provided by the author and is presented as it was submitted so you the reader get to hear the author’s own “voice” in their interview.
