Interview

Author Scott Knutson spent a few minutes discussing his book Thursdays With Death:

So what gave you the idea for this book? The idea of a guy having conversations with Death came to me out of the blue one evening when I was trying to come up with a topic to post about on my blog. When I started to write both characters, Lanny Stone and Death, just began to flow out of me. It was really effortless.

One post became a book? Well, over the course of a couple of months, I would post another conversation between the two characters. So many of the people who read my blog mentioned that I should write a book with these characters, that I decided to do it.

There are a lot of spiritual truths discussed in this book. Why have Death deliver these truths? Spiritual truths always seem to be delivered by some sort of sage or master, which makes sense, since they became sages and masters because of their understanding of the truth. But I felt that using Death to tell these truths, kind of having death and life juxtaposed, would be fun. Also, death is not a comfortable topic for a lot of folks, so I hoped that having Death - a “guy” who is has fun and enjoys life - talk about the concepts of death, and life, would make it easier to read about.

How does it feel to have written and published "Thursdays With Death?"                      

It feels great. It started out as just a couple of vignettes on my blog, and the next thing I knew this character of Death just took on a life of his own. The writing became incredibly easy, but publishing it was a little harder.

Was the book fun to write? It was a hoot! But, in all honesty, I can’t really take credit for this book. I just sat down at the computer and typed. This story came to me from my Muse, my angel.

What does this book mean to you and what was your primary reason for writing it? 

I fell in love with Illusions: The Adventures of a Reluctant Messiah, by Richard Bach and The Way of the Peaceful Warrior, by Dan Millman, and I always wanted to be able to write a book like both of these wonderful authors did – something that is a great story and yet shares spiritual truths. So I guess that’s the main impetus for this book.

What are some of the goals you hope to accomplish with this publication?

As I’ve spoken with friends and family about this book, I’ve always said, “If it makes you laugh and makes you think, then I’m happy.” If my book can do that for a person, then I’ve passed it forward.

Who is your audience for this book? Who do you recommend should read it?

Any person who is searching for answers about what life is all about should read this. Any person who has begun to take their journey seriously should read this.

What are things you learned about yourself in the process of writing this book?

I learned so much.  Many of the truths found in this book I was not aware I knew of. It was only through the process of writing, of letting my muse guide me, where I truly learned more about my true self.

What sorts of responses have you received from those who have read your book?

The responses have been fabulous – mostly. A few of my family members weren’t quite sure what to make of the book – or me, after they read it. But that’s okay. We are all on our journeys and are right where we are supposed to be.