I’m John
Calicchia and I write stories of fantasy, action and adventure. In the fall of
2015 my book Mirror World was released! It's a story of two powerful young
sisters and their epic battle against evil. But, this book has something in it
most do not: hidden secrets. It's a teen and young adult fiction book with a
self-help book hidden inside. You see… after publishing in psychology books and
journals for decades I felt my writing was not helping the young people I love
to work with. So, I took famous psychology studies and put it in the characters
and plot in Mirror
World. As you become part of the story you can learn about psychology
or you can just enjoy the story! You can also get a free copy of the users
guide to help you understand the psychology behind the book by joining my website www.johncalicchia.com
John Calicchia Ph.D. is a professor
of psychology who also works with children and young adults as a licensed
psychologist. He lives near Boston
with his lovely wife and two amazing daughters. You can usually find him in the
pool swimming with his two big dogs.
For
More Information
- Visit John Calicchia’s website.
- Connect with John on Facebook and Twitter.
- Find out more about John at Goodreads.
What would you do if you saw the future apocalypse of the world in a mirror? Would you try to save the world and those you love, or die trying?
Welcome
to my life, this is the vision of the future I've been cursed to see.
– Cailyssa Larkin
When
Cailyssa Larkin looks in a mirror she has an ominous feeling that someone is
watching her. Stranger still, she has visions that foretell the future. While
visiting her Uncle Spencer, Cailyssa gazes into a mirror and sees a dark future
that only she can change. With the future of her own world hanging in the
balance, Cailyssa bravely enters the portal to the Mirror World. Here, the Dark
Lord controls all the mirrors and bends reflections so all creatures see evil
within themselves. With her sister Terry, her mysterious best friend Daemon,
and a host of weird and wonderful creatures, Cailyssa embarks on an epic quest
to overcome the evil forces trying to destroy her world. She can only defeat
the Dark Lord by finding her true self and discovering the family secret that
has led her to Mirror World.
This book, written by a psychology
professor, integrates famous psychological studies in the story. Readers will
enjoy learning important life lessons through the psychological concepts
illustrated in the book.
For More Information
Thank you
for this interview! I’d like to know more about you as a person first.
What do you do when you’re not writing?
I’m John
Calicchia and I write stories of fantasy, action and adventure. In the fall of
2015 my book Mirror World was released! I am also a professor of psychology who
works with children and young adults as a licensed psychologist. I live near Boston with my lovely wife and two amazing daughters. You can
usually find me in the pool swimming with my two big dogs. I also love food,
sports and have been reading young adult, fantasy, and science fiction books
for 40 years!
When did
you start writing?
I wrote
my first story in sixth grade, and the class loved it and laughed so hard, I
was asked to be the first one to read my stories for the rest of the year –
motivation for an aspiring writer?
As a
published author, what would you say was the most pivotal point of your writing
life?
The day I
decided to stop traditional publishing in academic literature! I decided
to turn to what I truly love to do – write exciting young adult fiction
stories.
If you
could go anywhere in the world to start writing your next book, where would
that be and why?
I own an
apartment in the Dominican
Republic
and my family loves to spend time at the beach there, this idyllic paradise
frees the mind and makes me very productive!
If you
had 4 hours of extra time today, what would you do?
Spend it
with my family first, then do some writing and reading.
Where
would you like to set a story that you haven’t done yet?
This may
sound a little ambitious, but I want to integrate two genres that are very
popular. I plan to integrate contemporary realism with a bit of a dystopian
theme. I have plans for a psychological thriller
PSYOPS which is this world in which the government and the military
control dreams through neuroscience and psychology.
Back to
your present book, Mirror World, how did you publish it?
My
publishing experience with Mirror World is probably different from many
authors who write fiction. I came from an academic background and have
been traditionally published in the psychology field since the early 90s.
So I decided to self-publish using Create Space and KDP from Amazon and
it was a wonderful experience. The editorial staff was top-notch and the
platform is easy to use.
In writing your book, did you travel anywhere for research?
Only to the deep recesses of my mind.
Why was
writing Mirror World so important to you?
I wrote Mirror World because the world needs more strong female heroines! I was always disappointed in science fiction and fantasy books because of a lack of strong female lead characters. Before Katniss Everdean and Trish Prior, few books or movies ever featured a strong female in the lead role. I love the fact that the my book is told from the first-person perspective and has two exceptionally strong female lead characters, who of course also have their vulnerabilities
Any final
words?
I didn't feel that my published academic books and journal articles were helping the young people I love to work with. So, I decided to write a teen and young adult fiction book that had famous concepts in psychology embedded in the characters and the plot; almost like a self-help book hidden within a fiction book! This book, written by a psychology professor, integrates famous psychological studies in the story. Readers will enjoy learning important life lessons through the psychological concepts illustrated in the book.
No comments:
Post a Comment