Author B.D. West is a North Carolina resident by way of Nashville, Tennessee. Her book Wynter of Wolves is about a young man who tries to find his place in the world and struggling to learn where it is he fits in. After the passing of his adoptive father, Wynter longs to know more about his biological family. It is not long until he comes face to face with his future and a world he did not even realize existed.
Photo of Author D.B. West
B.D. is from a place in the mountains of N.C. famous for the Smoky Mountain Railroad. At forty-two-years-old, this indie author enjoys writing Science Fiction but she is also known for writing about anything she says, "that my brain decides to torment me with."
B.D. has adored books and reading since she was a kid, but told The Writing Wall Blog it was truly her English teacher that inspired her to write. "My ninth-grade English teacher gave me a writing assignment and she loved it so much that she said I should be a writer someday. She is the one who gave me my voice."
In 2018 B.D. had a very vivid dream that she later recounted to her husband who encouraged her to start the story. "I am inspired by people I know, dreams, stories on the news, and I people-watch when I am out among others. I love to make up stories in my mind about who they are and what their stories could be," B.D. explained. This is exactly how she came up with her main character (MC) Wynter.
B.D. admitted that she did base his personality on that of her husband, "He is a very strong person and I wanted to put qualities that I admired in him into my character." She enjoys writing in a place of peace and quiet, the kind her home office affords.
When we caught up with her B.D. was reading Bram Stoker’s classic, Dracula. It is her favorite author quote that is also a great piece of writing advice from Anne Rice, "If you want to be a writer, write. Writing is what makes a writer, nothing more, nothing less. There are no rules to writing a story, just write the story you would want to hear."
So, will B.D. be writing more of her story? Is there a sequel in the works? She tells The Writing Wall Blog yes! "It is part 2 of Wynter Of Wolves. It is called Wynter Of Wolves: The Seven." The best advice she received as a writer B.D. said was, "never allow negativity and negative opinions to paralyze you from writing."
Her take on self-publishing is much the same as she offered this advice to writers looking to self-publish their books either now, or in the future. "I would encourage people to really do their homework on publishing services. Ask people on social media, who have already self-published, what companies they used, and ask advice on everything publishing-related. I spent years pounding out the questions to the writing community on twitter and I learned so much. I would also tell them to expect to make a few mistakes along the way but to use them as learning tools."
Even more exciting for followers and listeners B.D. West will be featured on the upcoming episode of The Writing Wall Podcast on Saturday, September 26th, at 6 p.m. (EST). Be sure to tune in to hear more about B.D., Wynter, and the upcoming sequel.
Wynter of Wolves Cover
To learn more about B.D. West, purchase a copy of her book, or to follow her on social media, visit the links below:
A new Writer of the Week will be featured every Monday. Be sure to also follow The Writing Wall on Twitter @TheWritingWall, or on Instagram @writingsonthewall85 for the latest. You can also listen to the podcast every 2nd and 4th Saturday of the month.