George Arnold has been a member of the Writers’ League for thirteen years. He lives in Garland, TX.
Scribe: In what genre(s) do you write?
George Arnold: I’ve written two award-winning humor books, six mysteries, eight semi-bilingual international adventure books for kids from 8-108, and one how-to book for writers.
Scribe: What authors would you like to have coffee or a beer with and which beverage?
GA: James Lee Burke, David Baldacci, Nelson DeMille, and Mark Twain.
Scribe: If you were stranded on a deserted island, what book would you want to have with you to keep you sane?
GA: Huckleberry Finn.
Scribe: What have you learned from your association with the Writers’ League?
GA: I have learned that I can be a successful author, that the WLT is a good resource for beginning and experienced writers, and the WLT seems to have been rejuvenated in the last couple of years.
Scribe: Where do you see your writing taking you (or you taking it) in the future?
GA: I have contracts for additional detective mysteries (no. 6 to be released March 2016) and semi-bilingual international adventures (no. 7 to be released fall 2015 and no. 8 underway). I have been producing one detective mystery and one international adventure annually. Adventures include Italian, Spanish, French, German, Russian, and Mandarin. My 2016 book will be Arabic.
Scribe: Is there anything else about you that you would like to share with the world? An opportunity for blatant self-promotion!
GA: I have been awarded the Violet Crown Award, the IPPY Book Award for humor, a Silver Spur—all for my first book, Growing Up Simple. Oddly, I didn’t write it as a book—wrote it for the amusement of the characters, all of whom are friends from middle school. I sold the manuscript to the first publisher the first time I approached them—and they hadn’t even read it.
I travel to each country that will be the setting for the next international adventure—to be sure settings and descriptions are accurate, and to listen to pronunciations of the local languages.
I conduct how-to workshops in Barnes & Noble stores across Texas for writers who want to be published and published authors who want to sell many more books. This is based on my how-to book Bestseller: Must-Read Author’s Guide to Successfully Selling Your Book.