#AuthorInterview Emma Tyler #humor #satire

I really do meet strangers on the Internet. And maybe none stranger than Emma Tyler, author of Adderall and Juris Doctorates: A Collection: Vols 1 & 2, an irreverent and hard-hitting book that pokes your funny bone and fills your heart with existential pain.

So let's start. Emma, where are you from and how did you get started writing?

I’m originally from “Indianaland” and spent most of my life there.  I moved to Kentucky to go to law school.  I graduated and got my juris doctorate but by the time I did, I was so burnt out that I didn’t take the bar exam.  The title of my book actually comes from my last year of law school when I found out I had ADHD and was prescribed Adderall.  Right now I am unemployed, sort of looking around to take a different route other than legal.  Writing this book was partly out of boredom and partly to see if I could make it as a writer and leave plaintiffs and defendants behind.

Let's expound more on your book. You've chosen to categorize it as satire. Why is that?

The book is a collection of memories and events from my life, most of them true.  I think that everyone’s life is a satire; we are all walking parodies of ourselves.  I wanted to show that you have to laugh at yourself and the people around you, or else you’re missing out on a huge wealth of knowledge.

Where do you get your inspiration?

Inspiration? Okay, nouns, mostly. But seriously it's all the things happening to my generation (under-30) and how royally screwed we are.

What do you hope your readers get from your stories?

Herpes?  I hope that the stories make people think and reconsider some of their preconceived notions about religion, family, career, etc.  I’ve always found society to be problematic and I’m hoping that, if other people feel the way I do, then maybe things will change.

You mix some really serious dark situations with funny anecdotes. How do you think the reader will react? Are you going for shock value?

I’m not going for shock value.  I chose to mix the stories so that the reader doesn’t become too comfortable with the material.  A lot of understanding comes from contrast.  I want the reader to feel completely disoriented afterward, and, if that happens, then this book will have been a success.

Sounds like a plan. I was certainly disoriented even though I also have a warped sense of humor. Here is the book description:

The complete collection of "Adderall and Juris Doctorates: A Collection", Volumes I and II provide a unique look at modern life: in turns provocative, hilarious and touching. With subjects ranging from drugs to bikers to religion to government, "Adderall" reads like a punch in the stomach, a lightning bolt to the brain and a surge to the heart, all at once. Emma Tyler is the voice of a generation and a literary force to be reckoned with; her satirical look at life both scathing and thought-provoking.

WARNING: READER DISCRETION IS ADVISED. THIS BOOK PORTRAYS ADULT SITUATIONS AND SUBJECT MATTER.

Emma is currently working on a collection of short stories tentatively called "70% Royalty."

Adderall and Juris Doctorate is available at Amazon.com

Don't have a KINDLE? Download a FREE Kindle APP and enjoy your ebooks on PC, Mac, iPad, Android and smartphones.