Interview with James Ungurait, Author of I’m The Same

What’s the story behind the story? What inspired you to write I’m The Same?

I was sitting on a beach in Oregon, waiting for my edit notes to be back for my first book. At that point, I was trying to figure out what was going to be next. So I was playing with some ideas, and being in Oregon at the time, it made sense to place it there. From there it was trying to figure out the story itself. When I moved back to Mississippi a few months later I started realizing how different I felt being in Oregon, how free I felt. Then coming back, I ended up feeling a weight that was added back in. In a way, the book was exploring that feeling, and once I figured that out, that was where the story really came into focus. I’m The Same turned into a story that explored the feeling of being in between two worlds, learning a new place to live, and working through past trauma.

What’s your favorite genre to read? Is it the same as your favorite genre to write?

Fantasy and Action and Adventure, along with History books.

What books are on your TBR pile right now?

Sea People: The Puzzle of Polynesia by Christina Thompson,

What scene in your book was your favorite to write?

The scenes that took place at Lake Crescent up in Olympic National Park (one of my favorite places). I really loved how those scenes turned out.

Do you have any quirky writing habits? (lucky mugs, cats on laps, etc.)

I don’t think so, I tend to write anywhere I can.

Do you have a motto, quote, or philosophy you live by?

Keep moving forward.

If you could choose one thing for readers to remember after reading your book, what would it be?

That your past doesn’t define you, and that everyone in this world belongs.

James Ungurait is the author of the new book I’m The Same

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