An Interview with Gary Green, author of In Pursuit of Joy

Gary Green grew up on a small dairy farm in central Minnesota. He has worked in many different occupations, finally settling on mental health. He is the author of three published books, two of which are award-winners. He lives on a small farm with his wife, Tammy, dog Basil, and a small flock of chickens.

Who/what made you want to write? Was there a particular person, or particular writers/works/art forms that influenced you?

I am a recovering alcoholic and depressed person. reading books was an important part of my recovery. Having gotten to a place where my life was pretty good, I felt I wanted to contribute to the body of literature helping people recover around the world. My first book, In Pursuit of Joy, chronicles my recovery and talks about things I learned about recovery in my over twenty years working in mental health services.

What inspired you to start writing this book?

My intent with this book is to create a story for young adults and “tweens” that was both entertaining and had mindfulness and recovery principles incorporated as part of the plot. I had fun writing it once I got started.

Tell us the story of your book’s title. Was it easy to find, or did it take forever?

This was pretty simple. The main character is named Rebecca Pendragon. She is just a normal girl in a normal world until she finds out magic is really all around us.

What other professions have you worked in? What’s something about you that your readers wouldn’t know?

I have worked in farming, as a welder, pumped out manure pits, and had many years working in mental health services.

What is one thing you hope readers take away from reading your book? How do you envision your perfect reader?

It is my hope that people finish my book feeling a little uplifted. I hope people learn a little something about mindfulness and compassion. My perfect reader is someone who likes fantasy, is open minded, and if they like a book, they leave a great review and tell all their friends.