We caught up with the brilliant and insightful C. H. Smith a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

C. H. , thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. Can you talk to us about a project that’s meant a lot to you?

My first published work, The Princess Knight, was purely a passion project. It served two main roles to help me in a time I needed a creative outlet, but also and more importantly, to honor children and their parents that are fighting against extremely tall odds. After the unexpected success of my debut, I thought to try and capitalize on my momentum and write a series “to market.” I found that is not my real strength. So I wrote another passion piece, The Arrow of his Ways. It follows a young boy that will do anything to get his dog back even if that means traversing purgatory and all the dangers that implies. The response from readers has been extremely exciting for me.
Now I know that I have to write from my heart and not necessarily my head. Book 3 of the The Dragon’s Honor will be on preorder soon, and I am extremely excited to share Jaxson’s latest story. It came from the heart, and I hope it will hit readers there as well.

C. H. , love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

I’ve always scribbled on paper from middle school until now. After graduating with an English degree, I found myself selling fishing lures all over the southeast. It wasn’t until life (please read – some of my poor decisions) left me with a need to create instead of tear down that my writing became…. well, more. I have a hope with each page that I write. I hope that not only can you enjoy and find some meaning in my works, but that you can also share that story with your preteen or teenage child. The themes I explore are heavy, but I use simple language without sacrificing craft to weave these tales.
And readers really connect with my stories, and more specifically, the characters within. Sometimes we avoid thinking about bad things happening because it is uncomfortable. But there is beauty mingled in grief. There is purpose within impossible decisions. There is love despite hate.
Life can be brutal but also filled with tiny flashes of brilliance. I hope to help highlight those moments. Moments of growth, moments of realization, of small joys in the face of bleakness.

What’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative in your experience?

It happens unexpectedly, sometimes in the middle of the night when I am hunched over a keyboard in my sweltering, Texas garage. Sometimes it happens on the drive to work or when I’m tucked into bed. But for each work, it happens. There is a moment when all the work I have put in and all the struggles my characters have been through comes to head. And when the resolution comes forth, it is so “perfect”. It may not be perfectly written, but the story, the story, the story becomes whole. And that is what a chase.

Looking back, are there any resources you wish you knew about earlier in your creative journey?

I wish I would have spent more time finding my community of writers early on. Not those that wish to compete but those that wish to thrive together.

Contact Info:

• Other: linktr.ee/C.H.Smith