Gladiator's Pen: Author Chat with M.J. Goodnow

Gladiator's Pen welcomes author MJ Goodnow to the Ludus. He is a man with a message to inspire others. So get comfortable and refill your cuppa as we chat.

Tell us about M J Goodnow

Well, I was born in New London, Connecticut and made my way around the tri-state area of Connecticut, New York and New Jersey. Eventually settling in Minneapolis.

I studied to become a Jesuit Priest before I realized the priesthood wasn’t for me. Now I am a Deans List student at Ashford University, a father and an author.

When did you begin writing?

1990, to be exact.

I was a student of the game at Norwich Free Academy. It started with 5 or 6 short stories and became what is now Red Storm Regime.

You’ve recently released two novels Evolution of the Fallen and Red Storm Regime. Evolution of the Fallen centers around four mentally challenged teens. What inspired the idea for this novel?

As a young adult counselor at an agency in Connecticut, I saw the horrors of mental illness and trauma. I too suffer from PTSD, which in-fact, is the reason I write. To let go, get it out, and to find recovery through my writing and hopefully inspiring others.

Red Storm Regime you penned with Maria Pacha. Please tell us a bit about this story.

Red Storm Regime, or the codename RG is, was, and what it is. A glimpse into the mind I carried when I was a reckless teenager living with PTSD and having been staring into walls, passed those walls and to the now.

Do you find it difficult to Co-author a novel?

No, our worlds seem to never collide with it’s story and necessary evils. There are times when words “no” and “yes” are used for deliberate purposes of the story.

These books are very different Evolution of the Fallen is a YA and Red Storm Regime is Sci Fi / Fantasy. Do you have a preference on a specific genre you like to write in?

I by my peers am considered a multi genre author. So be it.

Do you find one genre harder to write than the other?

I do, especially with research and insight into something I do know. If I don’t know about a certain thing, I don’t write about it. If I do, for instance Evolution, I’ll put my head on the chopping block to advocate for something I strongly believe in.

Inquiring minds want to know… What your favorite coffee house drink is

A bit of Columbian regular coffee with a mix of french vanilla. I am weird, geesh.

Do you have a writing space or routine?

Late nights and early mornings are specific times for me.

Is there a message or something you want your readers to be able to get out of your books?

There is always pain and suffering, but we always must rise against it, to defeat it.

Tell us 3 things people may not know about M.J. Goodnow

I am an ordained minister

Black is my favorite color

I have two children and a loving fiance

Where can we find you and your books?

Amazon.com