Simon Menkes

My journey as a writer began when I was seventeen. I felt isolated as a teen and trapped in a cage. I was determined to break free but didn't have a clue how to do this. I couldn't find a novelist that spoke to me about these feelings, so I began to journal to make sure I'd never forget what I was going through. I was determined I'd return from adulthood one day and write a coming-of-age novel for someone like me. 

I'm a very creative person. In addition to writing, I paint, dance, cook, and act and have won awards for cooking and acting. These other arts help connect me to Universal Creative Energy and strengthen my writing. They also encourage a child-like enjoyment of life, which is a key to being happy, I believe.

A part of me writes selfishly. I love when a character speaks to me and tells me what she's thinking or what he wants to do next, and I just take dictation!

But I also write for my readers - my tribe. I write to connect with them and give them a great story filled with quirky, interesting characters that feel like old friends. My stories share life's magic and mystery, a sense of that unknowable Intelligence some call God. (The animals around us are part of that invisible fabric, so I always write animals into my novels.) 

My stories are as much about the journeys my characters take as the end-goals they achieve. I've spent 99% of my life traveling and maybe 1% arriving at my goals. As we voyage through life, it's important we laugh as much as possible, cry when we need to, love when we can, and dance in whatever way dancing means to us. My stories help my readers celebrate their lives, not just the sweet parts, but the salty times as well. 

Life isn't always easy. I feel compassion for how hard we human beings try to get it right. My deepest wish is that my stories encourage my readers on their journey and give them hope!