The Interview - T.H. Forest

During the pandemic, when everyone (including me and my spouse) was watching TV and cooking, I began taking long walks where I would mull over story ideas. I was a history major, so while I am very familiar with writing long research papers, I had no real experience with writing fiction. I wrote something like 5 books before taking a class at Grub Street (a non-profit for writers located in the Seaport of Boston) on the narrative. I needed to be sure that what I had written was following the laws and rules of writing. I took a class on the narrative (all the different styles: 1st person, 2nd person, 3rd person) and my debut novel: Twinkies & Beefcake, was born out of that class. We had read an excerpt from "The Catcher in the Rye" and I was so intrigued by the writing style that I wrote my book in 6 weeks and then spent many many months editing it. I shopped it around with query letters, and received some very encouraging 'no thank yous' (amazing I know but while people loved the book they were to scared to take it on--it's a pretty controversial book). It was when a good friend told me she would help me market it that I decided to self-publish. I started a publishing company, named in honor of my dear cousin Thomas Holdorf, who I dedicate all my books too, and have never looked back!

I'm excited to open up my company for submissions from other indie authors who write queer fiction. 

I have definitely experienced writers block, which was surreal because I never believed it would happen to me. I had written 8 books in two years and couldn't imagine being at a loss for words! When it happens, i go back and edit unpublished manuscripts and I read, for inspiration.

SO much! My first book, which I started during the pandemic of 2020, I began somewhat as fan fiction for the TV show Supernatural. In that adventure romance book, "Descendants of the Gods" (Coming in 2025/26), I spent days on Google looking up Mesopotamian gods and their Greek/Roman/Egyptian counterparts. I researched the NSA, Pyramids, Antarctica, the FBI and ancient languages. I video conferenced with a man from New Zealand who goes to Antarctica and acts as a survival guide for the researchers who go there. That was super cool! I also spent a great deal of time researching Oxford and Kensington for that first book, which then led to several books about characters from there. I found it a bit limited because of the pandemic, but now I can't wait to go visit those sites!

I read mostly MM Romance, because that's part of my genre. Right now I'm reading the "Game Changers" series by Rachel Reid, but I also just finished a series by the Australian author, N.R. Walker, that was really fun and cute.

I always listen to music when I write, not so much when I edit. My music style, like my writing, is very eclectic and while I created playlists for several of my books, most of the time I would have YouTube Music curate a 'supermix' for me and that's what I would write with. If a song came on and evoked a mood for the scene I was writing, I would add it to my book playlist. Some of the artists that really influenced and spurred on my writing were (in no particular order):

Rufus du Sol, Elderbrook, Troye Sivan, Sultan + Shepard, Kings of Leon, Frank Ocean, Tove Lo, The Police, Madonna, Chvrches, and so many other one offs and random artists.

I enjoy cooking, reading, socializing, gardening, and exercise.