#ThisorThatThursday Author Interview with Bjorn Leesson
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I’d like to welcome Bjorn Leesson back to the blog for #ThisorThatThursday.
Things you never want to run out of: Wonder at everything in the world. I always find something about everything that is interesting to me, and I would hate to stop finding things of interest. I’m pretty sure it won’t happen. Ha.
Things you wish you’d never bought: I can’t think of a single thing. I learn from the mistakes I make, to include bad purchases, and those “learning through pain” moments are also what makes each of us – us.
Things you need for your writing sessions: Just a functioning brain and an idea. And the functioning brain is maybe a little less reliable than it once was.
Things that hamper your writing: The self-imposed idea that “this isn’t any good” before I have given the story or character a chance to develop. I am getting better about this, but every once in a while, I have to resist the urge to purge what I have written en masse. I walk away from it for a while, and nearly always discover the spark needed for me to be happy with it.
A few of your favorite things: The forest, open desolate country roads, and the babbling of water features (water fountains, rocky streams, etc).
Things you need to throw out: Eventually, I need to shed all the material things that aren’t necessary. But, that is hard for us humans to do. One day, though.
Favorite music or song: I like a little bit of everything, but my favorites are ragtime, big band, classical, historical themed songs (such as Johnny Horton), and comedic (such as Ray Stevens and Spike Jones.)
Music that drives you crazy: Most rap. Sorry, it just isn’t music to me. It is only loud, unimaginative storytelling that rarely seems to have a positive message. Just one guy’s opinion.
The last thing you ordered online: Author copies of Runes of Revenge, the next release of the Outside the Thalsparr series. February 25, 2025, and I am very excited about it.
The last thing you regret buying: A hamburger from a local fast food chain that I already know is not very good, but I did it anyway – and paid the digestive price for it later. Ha.
Things you’d walk a mile for: The perfect field or forest to sit in and just enjoy the serenity, wildlife, and natural noises to be heard. It’s my idea of heaven on earth.
Things that make you want to run screaming from the room: People who want to dominate a room, force their opinions on others, and can not just agree to disagree and let it go at that. I don’t want to think for others, and I surely don’t want them to think for me. I don’t speak of healthy debate – I love healthy debate – but there is a point where an impasse is encountered. Some people just won’t stop until they have tried to beat someone else into the dirt.
Things you always put in your books: A wide emotional range for each character. It is my goal to make the reader laugh, gasp, cry, and wonder. Essentially, I want it to feel like “life,” even if it is a fiction fantasy story.
Things you never put in your books: The “f” word. It is just a word, yes, and it is very popular these days. But just like pointless sex scenes, the “f” word is just gratuitous, overused, and unnecessary in my opinion. Its use would not stop me from reading a book, but I don’t put it into my own writing. (Having said that, the word is alluded to a few times in my books, but not used in its entirety.)
Favorite places you’ve been: I label my answer here as “best” in the sense that I have only been once, and it isn’t likely I will be able to go back anytime soon – Great Britain. I went on vacation there many years ago to visit friends with more friends, and I enjoyed pretty much every second. Fabulous place.
Places you never want to go to again: Anywhere that contains a large number of drunk people in a confined space. Some of them are entertaining, while others are more trouble than it’s worth. Ha.
People you’d like to invite to dinner: Alive – Jeremy Clarkson, George RR Martin, and William Shatner. Dead – Einstein, J RR Tolkien, and my father.
People you’d cancel dinner on: Pretty much any of the internet, radio, or television rabble-rousers who just employ shock and awe for ratings with no regard to any ethical responsibility to society.
Most daring thing you’ve ever done: I drove a street stock car at the local race track for a season. It was very fun, but became a little too expensive for someone just out of high school.
Something you chickened out from doing: Not as much as chickening out as much as just refusing to do it outright. Ha. My friend (who got me into stock car racing to begin with) wanted me to go sky-diving with him. That was a hard “no.”
About Bjorn:
Bjorn was born in the Lowcountry of South Carolina a long, long time ago. He has worked in manufacturing all his working life to feed himself but has nourished his mind with the study of many topics; history of all eras, the paranormal, astronomy, writing of different types, photography, archeology, genealogy, vexillology, some other -ologies, even stock car racing for a couple of years, and on and on. Bjorn finds just about everything fascinating in some way and has been accused of being too easily entertained. A blend of a few of his interests led to the creation of the Thalsparr Universe. The first installment of the series will be “Runes of the Dokkrsdottir,” with a release date to be determined. He currently lives in the Midlands of South Carolina with his wife of 25 years on their hobby farm.
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Website: Thalsparr.com
