Happy Thursday Everyone,

It’s time for another author interview, this time with T.T. Handfield!

I bet you’re surprised to see another author interview so quickly, huh? I am too!

After last week’s interview with J.E. Nelson, I shared my interview on a Facebook group and got some really positive feedback. I mentioned that I’d love to interview more authors, and it turns out that plenty were interested, so for the time being Meet The Author will be a weekly post.

All right, let’s get right into it!

T.T. Handfield

T.T. Handfield was born June 8th 1991, a date she believes was filled with storm clouds and sunlight. She lived the best portion of her life on the lovely island of North Caicos which is located in the tranquil country of the Turks and Caicos Islands.

She draws inspiration for her art of writing from the bountiful island of North Caicos and has a passion for portraying the natural world in her works. She is passionate about the culture and history of the Turks and Caicos Islands and this is also vividly portrayed in her writing. She believes in helping others to bring their gift of writing to life and strives to create a space for the aspiring young artists of the Turks and Caicos Islands.

She enjoys writing short stories, poems, plays and children’s books which displays and celebrates the vibrantly unique culture of the Turks and Caicos Islands. She is passionate about teaching others to write and encouraging children to unlock their creative potential.

She’s also here today to tell you a little more about her two recent releases, Fragile Mind and Merilla City-Rising Tides. 

The Interview

Hi Tatiana, thanks so much for stopping by. To keep things interesting, I like to ask my interviewees a random question to get the blood flowing. Here’s yours! 

A spaceship comes crashing out of the sky into your backyard. As a last act of kindness, the alien is willing to bestow upon you any power you choose. What is your decision?

Before I answer, let me say I LOVE Science Fiction and I’ve been waiting my entire life to answer this question! I’ve always wanted the ability to transfer positive emotions to people. I don’t enjoy seeing people suffering emotionally (just like any normal human being would), so if I had the ability to help people heal emotionally, I would relish in the moment.

Wow, that is intriguing and super positive. Extra brownie points for you! I would pick ice powers, mainly because I feel hot all the time, haha! 

All right, let’s really get things going. For starters, tell us a little bit about your writing.

By nature, I am a children’s writer, but I also enjoy writing poetry. My writing is reflective of my environment; I grew on a tiny island in the Caribbean which is basically paradise and I use a lot my personal experiences along with the experiences of others to build an imaginary world of ideas which I hope entertains readers.

Very cool! I’ve considered writing middle-grade fiction, but so far have written in mainly YA style. I bet growing up on an island was amazing! 

How long have you been writing? 

I’ve been writing since I was 9 years old! I self -published my first book when I was around 14 and that basically expanded my understanding of the publishing world.

Oh my gosh, seriously? Wow, you must be a prodigy then! I’ve always heard of certain people publishing at a young age, but I’ve never talked to one before. 

Since, you’ve been writing for so long, why do you do it? 

I write because I have stories to tell and I enjoy telling stories. I couldn’t imagine one day where my mind was empty of story ideas.

I totally hear you there. I love a good story and love telling them even more. 

How do you usually find the inspiration to write?  

Inspiration usually finds me (cheesy I know)! I’m kind of a spontaneous writer, so at times an idea will come to me and I’ll try framing a story or poem using it. Eventually I’ll do all the other bits and pieces like research and organizing once I have a central idea composed.

No, not cheesy at all! Inspiration tends to find me as well. I usually carry either a journal or my laptop on me so I can jot down my ideas when they hit me. 

When you’re not spontaneously writing, what kind of setting do you write in most times? 

Usually in a quiet spot with a book and pen. As of late I’ve been doing quite a bit of writing on my phone. I have a Keep Notes App and that helps me to organize the starting point for a lot of stories and poems.

Oh nice! I usually lock myself in my room and crank up some ambient music for concentration. I haven’t thought of a note app. I’ve been doing it old school texting myself my ideas. I’ll definitely have to look into a note app. 

So outside of writing, what is your dayjob? Do you enjoy it?

I am a High School English Language Teacher! Yes, although it can be challenging, I do thoroughly enjoy teaching. It’s just one big adventure!

Wow, I bet! I once toyed with the idea of becoming a math teacher. Can you believe that?

Okay, let’s segue a bit more into your writing for a bit. Tell us about some of your newer works. 

I recently published two new books. Fragile Mind is a poetry collection centred on a collection of poems based on relationships, nature and everyday life. My second book is Merilla City-Rising Tides and it is a children’s adventure book about a brother-sister duo who are trapped in an alternate universe.

How did you know I love parallel universes? It’s actually one of my favorite kinds of plots to date. I’ll definitely have to check that out!

How’d you come up with the titles for these books?

Fragile Mind basically was born in the moment. I liked the idea that as a writer, as a human being, we should still be able to embrace the idea that we are not all perfect.

Merilla City Rising Tides is a part of a series, It is actually part two to the first book I wrote when I was 14. At the time I was still very captivated by C.S.Lewis’ The Chronicles of Narnia series and that prompted me into some serious name thinking which led to the city of Merila being formed. 

That’s really great. To be honest, I always have difficulty naming my works. I usually think of an initial name that I end up throwing away as the true name comes to me later. 

All right, we’re at the tail end of this interview, so before we go let’s ask some fun ones. 

Who are your favorite writers?

Toni Morrison, Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, Zadie Smith, C.S.Lewis

Wow, nice choices. I, for one, am a huge fan of C.S. Lewis. 

How about books? What are you reading right now?

Currently I’m reading An American Marriage by Tayari Jones.

I’ve heard of that one, but haven’t read it yet. Hope its really good!

How about tv shows and movies? What are you favorites right now?

I enjoy watching Thrillers, Sci-Fi, Crime Documentaries and Drama based shows and movies. At the moment I’m watching Stranger Things (yes I’ve only just started watching it!)

Oh my gosh, I’m so excited for you! Stranger Things is so amazing. That show is seriously addictive! I’m huge on thrillers and scifi too. Definitely let me know if you see anything binge-worthy! 

All right, our time’s up here, but let’s sneak one more in. What advice would you give to new writers?

Research, experiment and always keep writing!

I couldn’t agree more! Thanks again for stopping by Tatiana!

That’s a Wrap!

All right, that wraps up my interview with T.T. Handfield. I had a lot of fun getting to know her better, and I hope you did too!

If you’d like to learn more about T.T. Handfield and her work, she can be reached at the following social media links below. Thank you all for stopping by, and have a great day!

Facebook

Website

Goodreads

Instagram: Cyril Dorsie Publishing