Wanderlust Chronicles: An Interview with Scott Looney, author of Finding the Elixir

Scott Looney was born and raised in Caldwell, Idaho. As the second-born in a family of six kids, he learned to share, play fair, and mediate disagreements at a young age. When not working and traveling, Scott loves hiking, playing tennis, and golfing with friends and family. He has enjoyed many travel opportunities throughout his life—including some involving baseball—and is looking forward to returning to his favorite places. He attended Boise State University and lives in Boise. Finding the Elixir is his first published book.

You can buy Finding the Elixir here.

Are you a writer, too? Submit your manuscript to Atmosphere Press.

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

The title took a while to develop. It wasn’t until a couple of months before publishing that I decided on the final version of my title and subtitle.

How did it feel when you first saw your book cover? Or when you first held your book in your hands?

Seeing my book cover and holding the first book out of the box on that first order was truly a surreal experience. The feeling was a mix of emotions: disbelief, then relief mixed with happiness. The artwork they art department came up with was phenomenal and there have been so many people who’ve bought the book that commented on the exquisite front and back cover. I was (and am) so very happy with the work Ronaldo and his team put into the book cover!

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

I’ve always had an itch to write and the amazing amount of travel and the incredible people I’ve been able to meet and spend time with truly motivated me to write this story. Honestly, there wasn’t necessarily a particular person or style that influenced me. In fact, I spent nearly two and a half years writing my book, which left next to no time to read books written by others. I also felt that reading Hemingway, F. Scott Fitzgerald, etc. would only lead to an abundance of self-doubt, which no writer needs, especially when writing their first book.

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

I have a marketing degree, so I worked in a couple of ad agencies right after graduating from college. I liked the work but didn’t love it. After going back for my history degree, I decided becoming an educator was right for me a few years later. I returned to school for a third time to earn my Graduate Certification in Education and have been teaching U.S. History to high schoolers for nearly seven years now.

Something readers wouldn’t know about me is despite being an extrovert, I’ve really embraced more of my introverted self. The alone time we all experienced during Covid taught me a lot, but especially taught me that I truly needed more alone time than I realized.

What was the most rewarding/meaningful part of publishing your book?

The most rewarding/meaningful part of publishing my book was all of the support and love I received from family and friends when I had my first couple of book signings. Publishing a book was a dream come true.

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

I hope and envision readers will take away the idea that there is hope out there despite the hardships we all experience. Staying focused more on the positives rather than the negatives is a big step I hope more people strive toward. It truly can be and is life-changing.

What new writing projects are you currently working on? Or, other projects that are not writing?

No new projects underway…yet. Working full-time as a teacher and constantly working on marketing stuff for Finding the Elixir alone and with others keeps me more than busy, which doesn’t leave much extra time for other writing projects at the moment.

How was working with Atmosphere Press? What would you tell other writers who want to publish?

Working with the editors, artists, book ordering and publicity people at Atmosphere Press has been incredible! The team is full of professional, supportive, and friendly people. I’ve recommended Atmosphere to so many people already and plan to continue doing so into the future!

You can buy Finding the Elixir here.

Are you a writer, too? Submit your manuscript to Atmosphere Press.