When first looking at C.J. Hudson, the last thing one would expect him to be is a multi-award-winning romance author, but that is exactly what the bald-headed, barrel-chested disabled navy veteran is. His debut memoir “Destiny Lives on Fairhaven Street” was written in homage to his twin five-year old sons, telling of his eight-year journey where he ended 100 years of abuse in their family in the name of returning to the first woman he ever loved. Destiny was written entirely on an iPhone over four years, being re-written eight times, undergoing six full editing cycles and being rejected 138 times before landing at Mindstir Media. Destiny quickly became critically acclaimed and won over seven awards. C.J. resides in Pflugerville, Texas and enjoys a life spent with his wife and sons, all while living the very motto he plans on passing down to them one day: “the man you are destined to become is the one you choose to be.”
Hello CJ, Welcome to BrandEducation! What’s your favorite thing about being a writer?
Being able to connect with your audience and make them feel whatever you want them to.
If you could tell yourself anything, what would it be?
Don’t listen to the naysayers. Keep pushing forward because it will pay off in the end
What Inspired you to start writing?
I fell in love with the girl next door.
Do you hear from your readers much? What do they say?
I’ve heard from quite a few since I finished the first draft. I had one who immediately told me “you don’t see books like this anymore.” One called it a masterpiece; another called it the “self help guide they needed.” I even had one tell me that it inspired them to get in touch with their first love!
As a child, what did you want to do when you grew up?
I wanted to be an astronaut and go up in the Space Shuttle (I’m showing my age here).
What are your guilty pleasures?
I love Hallmark Christmas movies. That’s not something people expect to find out when they meet me, but I love them. I also love Ashley Williams (the actress and Kimberly Williams’s sister)…that smile of hers could cure cancer.
What motivates you?
The fear of failure. It’s something I picked up in the military and it’s something that has lead me to a great deal of success in life. Most people freeze and fold when that fear sneaks in that they might not be successful at what they are trying to do…then there are a select few who use it as fuel.
Anything you would like to say to those just starting out in the craft?
There are people who seem to have this idea that they are omnipotent when it comes to the next big thing in literature. They may even try to tell you that your product isn’t it. I had one publisher tell me that “this book will not be popular”. A week later, Destiny won its first award. Over the course of a month, it won six more and became critically acclaimed. Nobody is omnipotent.
State a random fact about yourself that would surprise our readers.
Destiny was completely re-written eight times, went through six complete editing cycles, was rejected 138 times before I decided to publish it myself. Oh, and it was completely written on an iPhone over four years.
What’s the single most important reason for your success?
I’m legitimately stubborn. You can ask my wife. I’m going to be successful, even if I must dig, claw and scratch to do it. Many people talk about that kind of life, but few live it.
What is the tipping point for your book?
When my editor, Cassandra Pereira, lost her mind after reading Destiny’s finished manuscript for the first time. When I showed her the first draft, she was lukewarm on it, saying that “we’ll do what we can to make it as good as we can.” Eight months and many, many revisions later, I get this voicemail from her after my final revision, going on and on for almost ten minutes about how amazing the book is, saying “this book is f@cking great!” and calling it a masterpiece, saying that it “deserves to be a huge success in the niche of memoir” and that “people who like romance and memoir will absolutely love this book”.
Cassandra is not an easy person to impress. She will tell it to you like it is. I saved the message on my phone and listen to it when I need a boost of confidence. I love Cassandra…she’s a dear, dear friend.
Find out more at: Website: https://thefairhavenseries.com
Twitter: C.J. Hudson (@CJHudson1978) / Twitter
Linkedin: (1) C.J. Hudson | LinkedIn