Today we’d like to introduce you to Drew Samuelsen
Hi Drew, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
Sure! I’ve always believed that my experiences shape my writing, and my journey certainly reflects that. Before diving into the literary world, I served in the United States Marine Corps. That time in the military profoundly influenced my perspective and storytelling. After my service, I transitioned to education, teaching English and journalism at both the middle and high school levels.
My literary journey really took off with my debut novel, Restart. It was incredible to see it resonate with readers and receive accolades like the Literary Titan Book Award and five-star reviews from Readers Favorite and Lit Pick. That success opened doors for me in contemporary fiction, where I love exploring such themes as resilience, identity, and human connections.
Right now I’m excited about my upcoming release, Dawn of Shadows, which is the second installment in the Restart Chronicles, a post-apocalyptic dystopian sci-fi thriller for young adults. This book builds on the universe I created in Restart, and I can’t wait for readers to experience it.
Beyond writing novels, I’ve also ventured into the film industry, contributing to a feature film and a web series. It’s been rewarding to explore storytelling across different mediums, and I’m grateful for the opportunities that have come my way.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
The writing process itself has been smooth, which is to say I’ve always had something to say once I sat down to write. The difficulty, however, is carving out the time to write on a daily basis, making sure to achieve my word count each and every day. Once I committed to that, it became much easier because I knew what I needed to accomplish on a daily basis. Stephen King’s masterpiece, On Writing, helped set my course.
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
I’ve been in education nearly my entire adult life. From high school English teacher, administrator, to 7th Grade Language Arts Teacher, I’ve served in just about every capacity you can serve in at the secondary level of public education. During this time I’ve learned a lot from my students, which has absolutely made me a better writer!
We’d love to hear about any fond memories you have from when you were growing up?
My grandparents on both sides of the family immigrated from Norway, so we always kept in touch with the old country. When I was four my parents took us to Norway for the summer to meet relatives and experience it for ourselves. It is one of my very first memories and certainly the most magical. One of my best memories was drinking water straight from a glacier while hiking in the mountains. I’ve never tasted any water that can compare to its purity and smooth perfection. If there is any place that looks and feels more like Middle Earth than New Zealand, it’s Norway, Land of the Vikings.
Pricing:
- $15.99 Restart (paperback)
- $19.99 Restart (hardcover)
- $13.08 (Audible)
- $4.99 (Kindle)
Contact Info:
- Website: https://drewsamuelsenrestart.com
- Instagram: @udrew1
- Youtube: @drew28605
