Dr. Joel Anthony Hamilton is the author of the Mud Crab Kingdom series, which is set in a world where “being mud-skinned is worse than murder, and being “different” is worse than being mud-skinned.”
Hamilton’s works include three books in the Mud Crab Kingdom series: The Soft-Shelled Prince, My People or My Peace?, and Let It Be Known, I Exist and Black Brilliance, the unheard ancient Egyptian tale of the great musician and scientist, Aqil.
Q: When did you first catch the writing bug? What drove you to persist?
A: I began writing after the death of my father in 2022. Growing up, I was not the most emotionally available child. I am gay and was fearful of “outing” myself if I exposed too much of my emotions. So, I had a hard time making my dad smile via my personality. However, I could make him smile by earning awards and degrees, which I excelled at. After his passing, writing the Mud Crab Kingdom book series was the first thing that I wanted to do for myself. I persisted in finishing the trilogy because I felt like it was one of my life purposes to finish it. So, I endured through months of writers block and finally finished it this year!
Q: What inspires you to keep writing?
A: Dreams! I have a very vivid imagination. I also have the same dreams for months on end and remember them. Some of these dreams got included in the Mud Crab Kingdom series. Others became stand-alone series. Some become short stories. So, as long as I keep dreaming, I plan to keep writing.
Q: What kind of music or sounds do you like to listen to as you write, or do you prefer complete silence?
A: I listen to anime soundtracks! It is fun to re-read my books because I can recall what soundtrack I listened to when writing different scenes. The music also shapes how the story turns out. For example, the first book in the Mud Crab Kingdom series was written to the Beastars original soundtrack. Books 2 and 3 were written with a mix of this same original soundtrack and that of Violet Evergarden/Made In Abyss.
Q: If you had to do something differently as a child or teenager to become a better writer as an adult, what would you do?
A: I would (1) get glasses before the fourth grade and (2) focus more on spelling/grammar. Without spellcheck/an editor my books would be a disaster!
Q: What is your favorite book from your childhood?
A: A hard tie between the Chronicles of Vladimir Tod and The Bluford Series!
Q: What do your plans for future projects include?
A: My future plans are to turn the Mud Crab Kingdom series into an animated series! I applied for a book to film competition but did not win. However, a set back will not make me quit!
Now available in print and on Kindle!
While you’re here, don’t forget to check out my latest suspense novel, It Had to Happen, now available in print and on Kindle!
Book Summary
When Jack Utley loses his daughter just as his business is about to soar, it seems he’s traded financial gain for Callie’s life. After an encounter with a mysterious woman on the eve of Callie’s funeral, Jack wakes up to find that time has somehow rewound to the morning of Callie’s accident. Jack gets an opportunity that most grieving parents can only dream of – he saves his daughter’s life.
Now that Jack has been forced to reflect on everything he has to lose, he resolves to do better. He’s determined to spend more time at home with his family and repair the relationships that have suffered over the years while he’s been so focused on work. But as Callie’s behavior becomes increasingly bizarre, Jack realizes he has a lot more room to improve than he realized – and it might be too late to save his daughter after all.
For fans of We Need to Talk About Kevin, The Push, and Baby Teeth.
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Write on the World 