Interview With Author Chaz Holesworth

1. What inspired you to write this book?

 I always knew I lived an unusual life and had some interesting stories to tell but didn't start writing them down until 2019 when my only sibling, my sister Cathy, died from an aggressive form of cancer that took her just 4 months after she was diagnosed. She was only 45 years old. She was living about 8 hours away from me at the time and I made numerous trips to see her but the last one was when I got the call the end was near while she was in hospice care. I got to the hospice and my sister passed away a few minutes after I entered her room.

 

I watched her gagging for breath and seeing her having her last moments alive and it was something that shook me to my core. Especially when she finally passed, her eyes opened up and it seemed like she was looking at me, in a room with our mom and her husband and three kids. It was like she was looking at me with a look of how I only knew how bad things had been for both of us growing up and trying to navigate through our lives with the most limited of options. My sister and I had a rough and rotten childhood. Our father was a heroin addict and we lived in extreme poverty. Our mother was a high school dropout and meek and timid woman. She married out father knowing that he was a drug addict but decided to have two kids with him anyway.

 

After years of our dad doing things like stealing and being absent for days and weeks at a time, my mother found comfort in the evangelical born-again Christian faith and decided my older sister and I had to join as well. This was our life.  We had a father who was not there to provide for us and mother who had us join an extreme version of Christianity that can be labeled a cult. The cult we were in cut us off from the secular world and anyone who wasn't a born-again Christian.  It didn't cut us from the harsh reality of being poor and the crime and drug dealers we had to deal with on our block and steps but it did separate us from our Catholic relatives and the educational system that would have given my sister and me a better chance in life.

 

Instead, they had a homeschool style of teaching, with no teachers on hand and left us without a proper education. The goal was to have us dependent on the church and have us stay in their bubble. Women were especially affected by this. The church and the sorry excuse for a school we had to go to, set up girls for failure in the real world. The only options for them was having some church job like a secretary or a school job like an elementary teacher. The other main option for women was for them to be a pastor's wife. This was what my sister had chosen to do to make it in life. She married the only eligible man in the church we went to and she became a good old fashion Christian house wife. She gave into the church and the only option it gave her.

 

Me, on the other hand had enough of the church and schools that ruined me and left them behind at 17 years old after they kicked me out of school for liking rock music. Yes, rock fucking music. This was 1995 and these Christians still thought rock music was the devil's music.

 

My sister and I had a superficial relationship. We had a falling out in our teen years and I didn't talk to her for 7 years and I only made amends so I could have a relationship with her children. I wanted to be a good uncle to them. So, The day she died I was surrounded by born-again Christians from her town in Maine. They all tried to use her death to win me back to the fold. By this time it had been 24 years since I left the cult but they were always trying to win me back. It was the last thing I wanted to hear. They were using my only sibling's death to get a win for Jesus. 

 

That night I went out to get some beers in a town called Rockland, Maine and one of the bars I went to I got to talking to two girls there. One was the part owner of the bar. We were having surface level conversations about this and that and then they asked why I was in Maine. I told them my sister passed away that day and they looked shocked. I then told them about the born-again Christians and how bad my sister and I had it growing up. They were even more shocked. The next thing I knew my cool and composure I had during this traumatic day collapsed and the tears started to pour out. I told them how the religion we were raised in caused my sister and I didn't have a real relationship and how I blame them all for it. 

 

I left the bar and started my drunken walk to my hotel. I had all of the memories and the trauma of my life in front and center as I walked. I remembered how I started my journey in life and when I left the church for good, I was on a mission to find something. Much like the song from the band U2, "I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For" I looked down at my converse shoes while stubbled to my room and had an epiphany, "That's right, I still haven't found what I'm looking for." I wanted more from my life of suffering and I knew that I had to do something with it. So, I decided to do what I knew best, to be honest and tell my stories as they happened without much filters. And that's what I did that week and I am still doing it now. I know now I can't stop looking for what I need to find. 

 

2. What exactly is it about — and who is it written for?

My books are a memoir series. I have two already published with five more coming over the next few years. The books are a chronological description of my life. It starts with the first volume, Begin the Begin, which sets up how I entered such rotten conditions and how my foundations started. The music I loved and friendships I made started here. The second one, Near Wild Heaven, is the start of my wild teenage years after I am out of the church for good and start down a path that involves drugs, heartache, mental struggles and the constant desire to find what I am looking for. Every book ends where I think is a significant moment in my life and sort of a cliff hanger for the next one. The entire series will show how I went from nothing to get to a place where I belong. I say I took the long way to adulthood and along the way I got a lot of entertaining stories to tell. In the end it will be sort of a case study of how one human never gave up and tried to make something from his life of nothing. 

 

3. What do you hope readers will get out of reading your book? 

I hope the reader will enjoy the books and be entertained. I'd like to bring some sort of lasting feelings of hope and inspiration to those who need it. 

 

4. How did you decide on your book’s title and cover design? 

The title of the series, Life and How to Live It, sounds like it's a self-help book. It is not. It is just how I lived my life without many options. I tried to live in the moment and experience being alive at the fullest. Even when it was too hard to deal with. The title comes from a song from my favorite band, R.E.M. They have a song of the same title and in the song the singer, Michael Stipe, says "If I was to write a book it would be called Life and How to Live it" and I decided to take him literally there. R.E.M. is a bigger part of my story and life. Them and their music was the constant I needed and clung to. The series is almost a long love letter to them. Each book has a subtitle that is also from a R.E.M. song. The first one is Begin the Begin because it's the beginning of my story. Second one is Near Wild Heaven, since it's the start of my wild teenage years. The next one, which is almost fully edited, is called So Fast, So Numb because that's how I lived during those years. I was a party animal maniac who lived everyday as fast as I could and never wanted a dull moment. I also was numb from the trauma I had endured and was battling within myself to feel and stay focused on those feelings as much as I could. 

 

5. What advice or words of wisdom do you have for fellow writers – other than run!?

I have learned a lot about self-publishing and I have made a lot of financial mistakes over the last 2 years when I first published my first memoir. I would tell my fellow writers to avoid vanity publishers and if you can't get a traditional publishing deal, self-publishing is not as hard as one might think and just do it all yourself or through freelancers from legitimate sources like Reedys.com and Fivver. 

 

My final book in the series, which I haven't started yet, is going to be about starting the process of writing and all the troubles that came with it. It will be sort of like a warning to future indie writers to avoid certain things that I wish I had. 

The other thing I would tell fellow writers is to never give up. It is extremely frustrating to try to get one's books visibility and traction. It's an uphill battle and things are stacked against us. But the process can also be a learning experience and will give one a sense of accomplishment when the books are out there and especially when someone buys the book. 

 

6. What trends in the book world do you see -- and where do you think the book publishing industry is heading? 

The biggest trend I see is AI. Which is the trend in most areas of the world right now. AI is not going away and I see companies using it to do everything from promotions to make movies out of books. And of course, there are those who use AI to write books. Which is a hard pass for me. Even the AI turning books to movies is a no for me. I get using it for promotions but there has to be a line drawn. Humans are capable of so much. Especially when it comes to storytelling. The human touch is what moves the story and makes it worth reading. The other trend is Audiobooks. They're rising in popularity and since most people are on the go and don't have time to read a physical book, the audiobook is a good option for those who want to experience good stories while multitasking. 

 

7. Were there specific experiences in your personal life or career that came in handy when writing this book? 

Since they're memoirs, my experiences in life are the book.  I honestly tell the story of my traumatic life but also have the human flair in there when it comes to what makes me keep going (music and friends) and of course the reactions that follow the actions of those who were in charge of my life. 

 

8. How would you describe your writing style? Which writers or books is your writing similar to?

I write like I am telling stories to a friend. The style is raw and straight to the point. The honest way I write gives the reader a glimpse into my mind and what I was thinking and feeling at any given moment. The chapters I have are short and read almost like a letter to a friend or diary entry. I also have a sort of stream of consciousness style at points in the second book. That one is when I try to think out loud my thoughts on god, life and existence all while experimenting with drugs like LSD. It's almost like an anmetur philosophical take on things. 

Since I don't sugar coat anything and tell it like it is I have been told my style is similar to Charles Bukowski. Since I talk about my dysfunctional family life with dark wit and humor, I have been compared to authors like Augusten Burroughs and David Sedaris. 

 

9. What challenges did you overcome in the writing of this book?

I had these traumatic stories in my head for years.  It was hard to dive into my memory bank. I opened up things I didn't want to deal with or think about. But I knew I had to do it. I made a deal with myself to keep going and get it all out. I started writing this in 2019 and then the covid lockdown happened. I was considered an essential employee. I worked the entire time during the lockdown.  So, all I did was work long hours and write my life story any chance I got. I didn't have the usual outlets to blow off steam. There were no concerts, baseball games, parties and going to local bars.  It was a dark time for me hatching horrible memories and not having much of a social life. My poor wife had to deal with my moodiness and the depression that came from reliving my life. Once a majority of the stories were out of my head and in print, I eventually felt better about myself and started to feel like I could let go of some of the negative memories that plagued me for decades. 

 

10. If people can buy or read one book this week or month, why should it be yours?

I think that people would appreciate the realness of my books. I think they would find them entertaining and as an example of the human spirit that won't give up no matter what. I think the themes are relatable in the books, even if the reader wasn't raised in poverty and in a sort of cult. The friends I made and the pop culture references in the books are universal. If the reader is looking for a real-life story they won't be bored with, my books are for them.

 

About The Author: Chaz Holesworth grew up in Philadelphia’s Kensington neighborhood, where addiction, poverty, and faith defined his daily life. Those experiences shaped his perspective and fueled his drive to write honestly about survival, memory, and meaning. Now living in the suburbs with his wife and their dog, he still carries Philly with him in his humor and his belief in standing up for the underdog. When he isn’t writing, Chaz can be found at a live show, exploring new corners of the world, or enjoying a craft beer. A passionate advocate for social justice, he is deeply committed to championing the rights of workers and animals, striving to make a difference in the causes closest to his heart. Life and How to Live It is his memoir series told with unflinching honesty. With his gift for storytelling, he writes to connect, to remember, and to show others that even in the darkest corners of the past, there is
a way forward. For more information, please see: CHAZHOLESWORTH | Discover, Read, Inspire Now

 

Do You Need Book Marketing Help?

Brian Feinblum can be reached at brianfeinblum@gmail.com  He is available to help authors like you to promote your story, sell your book, and grow your brand. He has over 30 years of experience in successfully helping thousands of authors in all genres. Let him be your advocate, teacher, and motivator! 

 

About Brian Feinblum

This award-winning blog has generated over 6,200,000 page views. With 5,600+ posts over the past 15 years, it was named one of the best book marketing blogs  by BookBaby  http://blog.bookbaby.com/2013/09/the-best-book-marketing-blogs  and recognized by Feedspot in 2021 and 2018 as one of the top book marketing blogs. It was also named by www.WinningWriters.com as a "best resource.”  Copyright 2026.

 

For the past three decades, Brian Feinblum has helped thousands of authors. He formed his own book publicity firm in 2020. Prior to that, for 21 years as the head of marketing for the nation’s largest book publicity firm, and as the director of publicity at two independent presses, Brian has worked with many first-time, self-published, authors of all genres, right along with best-selling authors and celebrities such as: Dr. Ruth, Mark Victor Hansen, Joseph Finder, Katherine Spurway, Neil Rackham, Harvey Mackay, Ken Blanchard, Stephen Covey, Warren Adler, Cindy Adams, Todd Duncan, Susan RoAne, John C. Maxwell, Jeff Foxworthy, Seth Godin, and Henry Winkler.

 

His writings are often featured in The Writer and IBPA’s The Independent (https://pubspot.ibpa-online.org/article/whats-needed-to-promote-a-book-successfully) and (https://pubspot.ibpa-online.org/article/10-things-my-dog-taught-me-about-marketing-books). He was recently interviewed by the IBPA: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F0BhO9m8jbs

 

He hosted a panel on book publicity for Book Expo America several years ago, and has spoken at ASJA, three times at BookCAMP, Independent Book Publishers Association, Sarah Lawrence College, Nonfiction Writers Association, Cape Cod Writers Association, Willamette (Portland) Writers Association, APEX, five times at Morgan James Publishing Red Carpet, and Connecticut Authors and Publishers Association. He served as a judge for the 2024 IBPA Book Awards.

 

His letters-to-the-editor have been published in The Wall Street Journal, USA Today, New York Post, NY Daily News, Newsday, The Journal News (Westchester) and The Washington Post. His first published book was The Florida Homeowner, Condo, & Co-Op Association Handbook.  It was featured in The Sun Sentinel and Miami Herald.

 

Born and raised in Brooklyn, he now resides in Westchester with his wife, two kids, and Ferris, a black lab rescue dog, and El Chapo, a pug rescue dog.

 

You can connect with him at: https://www.linkedin.com/in/brianfeinblum/ or https://www.facebook.com/brian.feinblum