playwright

Author Interview Cleveland O. McLeish

.
Cleveland O. McLeish

Today’s Author Interview is with Cleveland O. McLeish, a prolific writer, screenwriter and play wright. 

Cleveland, thanks for telling us a bit more about yourself and your books. How would you describe your book to someone who has not yet read it? For example your latest work Chloe.

Chloe represents everyone who has ever made a difference in somebody’s life. She was that unplanned pregnancy that came with an option to abort, who grew up to change the world…or did she.

Chloe is a mystery/thriller that will keep the reader guessing. I have a friend who read the book, and skipped to the end, only to be forced to go back and read the book from where she left off.
.

What inspired you to start writing ?
I have been writing plays for my church since 1999. It was fun to be able to add some structure to the productions we did, as opposed to just improvising. That led to my online ministry at www.christianplaywright.org. I loved writing so much, that I have tried my hand at all types of writing.
.
ChloeHow did you get the idea for the novel?

It was originally a play, that morphed into a screenplay that ended up as a novel. Each version has won an award, so it’s easily one of my favorite stories. I was inspired to write it many years ago from a “What if” thought I had.

.
Who is your favorite character and why?
Chloe, of course. She has easily grown to be a part of me….a part of the family. She is real, honest and open about how she feels and what she is thinking. She is not afraid to be herself, despite what others may think of her.
.
.
Are your characters based on real people?
Fragments of real people, no one particular character.
.
Give us an excerpted quote from your favorite review of this book:
This was written by a non-Christian:  “I don’t agree with the message of this book and I think some of its points are a bit of a stretch, but that doesn’t mean that the story didn’t catch me by surprise and present an argument that was not only concise but well written. Instead of shoving points of view in your face, it guides you through a scenario that is a valid way to approach this topic. (I won’t spoil it for you future readers)I didn’t realize the impact of what was going to happen to the characters until it really hit me and I realized the intent of the story. It did make me think for a moment about my own personal beliefs and though they differ than what is in the book, I still think it’s a good read because of how thought out and well written it is.”
.
If Oprah invited you onto her show to talk about your book, what would the theme of the show be?
Purpose of Life
.
How much of the book is based on real life (either yours or someone you know)?
Not much. I created a world I was not familiar with, and characters I was meeting for the very first time.
.
Thinking way back to the beginning, what’s the most important thing you have learned as a writer from then to now?
Being persistent and consistent in writing will make us better writers.
.
What scene or bit of dialogue in the book are you most proud of, and why?
Well, it’s hard to say with spoiling it for future readers, but without saying it…I am sure everyone who reads the book will agree that that is the best part lol.
.
If your book would be made into a movie, who should play the main character?
Emma Watson would do well as Chloe.
.
How did you get published? Please share your own personal journey.
I have had written material for a while, as well as hundreds of length plays. I have approached trade Who-I-am-in-Godpublishers in the past, but found it to be too tedious a task, so I was quite content with the reach and success of my website. One day while browsing, Amazon took me to CreateSpace.com.  It caught my interest, so I tested the system with a few of my plays, as customers keep asking me for hard copies of plays from my website. It worked out pretty well, and I was sold on their system…so I have been using them since.
.
What general advice do you have for other writers?
Keep writing, and never stop. Write everyday. Write consistently everyday. Rejection from publishers and peers is not a failing grade for your talent. Most of all, believe in yourself, and what you write.
.
What is the best part of being a writer?
Touching and prompting a change for the better in someone…maybe bringing comfort or laughter to those who mourn or are dejected.
.
Considering a book from the first word you write to the moment you see it on a bookstore shelf, what’s your favorite part of the process?  What’s your least favorite? Creating a story on a blank piece of paper is priceless. Marketing and getting the book on the shelves is a difficult stage for me.
.
What is ONE thing that you have done that brought you more readers? 
Announce the availability of my book during a Church service.
.
What’s the most challenging part of being a writer?
Writing everyday.
.
Where’s the one place in the world you’d like to visit?
Jerusalem.
.
What is your favorite book?
Anything by Frank Peretti or Randy Alcorn
.
How would a close friend describe you?
Troublesome. LOL
.
Where can people learn more about your writing?
My website www.christianplaywright.org
.
.

These are Cleveland McLeish’s latest books:

Chloe: A Novel, available on Amazon as paperback and e-book

Who I Am In Christ: 101 Daily Declarations of Faithpaperback and e-book

or meet him at Facebook
or his webpage to learn more about this multi-award-winning playwright and screenwriter, who considers himself one of God’s modern-day scribes. He has penned over 100 plays and several
screen plays, some of which have won Bronze, Silver and Gold medals in competition, including the Screenplay Chloe Cleopatra Taylor. He is also a youth director and lay minister in the Church of God of Prophecy in Jamaica. He is a born Jamaican living in Kingston with his lovely wife, Nordia.
.
<><><><><>
.

If you would like to get more support in all things publishing, have your book intensively promoted and learn how to navigate social media sites – or to learn how you can make yourself a name as an author through content writing: We offer all this and more for only $159 for three months! Learn more about this individual book marketing help: http://www.111Publishing.com/Seminars
Or visit http://www.e-book-pr.com/book-promo/  to advertise your new book, specials, your KDP Select Free Days or the new Kindle Countdown Deals.

Please check out all previous posts of this blog (there are more than 980 of them : ) if you haven’t already. Why not sign up to receive them regularly by email? Just click on “Follow” in the upper line on each page – and then on “LIKE” next to it. There is also the “SHARE” button underneath each article where you can submit the article to Pinterest, Google+, Twitter, Facebook, Tumblr and StumpleUpon.
Thanks a lot for following:

@111publishing

http://www.111publishing.com

http://www.e-Book-PR.com/

http://www.international-ebooks.com/

http://bit.ly/VmtVAS 111Publishing @ Google+

.

Hyper Smash

Pingate


Tagged: Chloe, Cleveland McLeish, Declarations of Faith, playwright, screenwriter, Thriller, Who I Am In Christ, www.christianplaywright.org