Writer and author Logan Stoves is using his talent for words to touch the hearts and spirits of readers across our country and beyond. For that we applaud him.
Logan’s triumphant book, the 5-star rated The Homecoming Racer, is allowing readers to escape current event worries to laugh, smile and cry tears of joy.
Logan Stoves took time out his busy schedule to answer our “2020 Twenty Questions” questionnaire! We hope THIS INTERVIEW entertains and inspires you.
On a scale of 1 to 10 how happy are you to be alive?
I would say I’m a 10.
I’m happy and grateful to be alive. I get to live life and every day brings something new.
As a child what did you want to be when you grew up?
As a kid, I wanted to be three things when I grew up.
I wanted to be a Wide-Receiver in the NFL, I wanted to run in the Olympics, and I also wanted to be an author.
Growing up, I loved football whether I was playing it, watching it on tv, or acting like I was a journalist covering it. I wanted to be like Hines Ward who played for the Pittsburgh Steelers.
I also wanted to run in the Olympics. I love running. When I am running, I don’t think about anything else. It helps me clear my mind and it’s fun.
My love for writing came when I was in third grade. I had a glimpse of writing in first grade and I wrote my first short story titled, My Day at The Beach, in second grade. From then on, I knew I wanted to be a writer.
What was your favorite cartoon?
This is a tough one because there were so many good cartoons when I was a kid, but I have to choose Foster’s Home for Imaginary Friends. It came on Cartoon Network from 2004 to like 2010.
Tell us your favorite song as a kid, as a teenager, and now as an adult.
As a kid, any songs that I can sing with or in front of my mom was my favorite.
As a teen, my favorite song was “I Just Want It All” by Kid Ink. It’s a song that keeps me calm and, motivates and helps me stay focused on my goals.
Now, I’ll probably say “The Weekend” by SZA just because it helps me write.
What’s an album that means more to you now than it did when you first heard it?
Back before cars were advanced and we were still going to stores to buy the album CDs, one of the CDs my mom bought was a MJ – Michael Jackson’s The Essential… album with all of his hits. I loved listening to his music on the way to school and still love listening to it now.
What are your 3 favorite movies?
My three favorite movies have to be Cars, XXX: State of The Union, and Cars 3.
Cars is my favorite because that is the first movie I went to see inside a movie theatre with my mom and little cousin. Cars is also what got me interested in racing more.
XXX: State of The Union would be my second favorite and it featured Ice Cube and Samuel L Jackson trying to save the president from being killed by the Secretary of Defense.
Cars 3 would be my third favorite. It’s where Lighting has gotten older and the new generation is taking over, but Lighting gives it one last try. As you can tell, I love the Cars series. Honorable mention would be The Fast and Furious movie franchise.
What’s the last film that made you cry or almost cry, and what scene did it?
I’m a wimp for a good ending where, sometimes, I have to catch myself from letting a tear fall down my face.
I think the last time a scene had my eyes watering was probably the season one ending of Outer Banks on Netflix.
What’s your all-time favorite TV show?
There’s a lot of good TV shows to choose from like On My Block, All-American, Dear White People, Containment, but right now I have to say Outer Banks. I stumbled upon it in my recommendations and from the very first time I clicked on it I was hooked.
Which character on that show do you identify with most?
I would probably say I identify with Pope. He is the lowkey one in the group and doesn’t take a lot of bad risks unless he’s talked into it by his friends.
What makes you laugh out loud or smile uncontrollably every time you see it or hear it?
My girlfriend and my mom. Love them ️. Other than that, seeing positive book reviews of The Homecoming Racer.
Who in your family served you the most delicious, unforgettable dish you’ve ever eaten?
I would have to say my grandma when she whips up her Thanksgiving Day food, especially that ham with mac-and-cheese and greens!
Tell us the most nutritious thing you’ve fed your mind.
No one is going to believe in you until you believe in yourself. You’re going to have some good moments and you’re going to have some bad moments, but as long as you keep your head up and keep working, you can do this.
When did you start to understand your value?
After my freshman year of college. I had a rough first year and I had to figure out a lot about myself. Sophomore year, I started to find out my value and purpose in life.
Who is the G.O.A.T. of your profession?
In writing, that answer is pretty tough. Everyone has their own G.O.A.T. when it comes to writing.
You have Toni Morrison, Langston Hughes, Maya Angelou, and many more from the past. I also consider Sharon Draper a G.O.A.T. I don’t think I hear her get enough recognition.
Today, you have authors like Angie Thomas, Nic Stone, and Jason Reynolds who are changing the game of writing.
Do you aspire to be like them or more like someone you have a stronger personal connection to?
In terms of success, I would say yes, but I believe every writer just wants to bring their own style and story.
Recall for us the first time you failed. What lesson did you learn from that?
During my life, I would say I have failed a lot. One of the most important times where I felt I failed was during the summertime before my junior year of high school.
My summer track teammates and I qualified for the Junior Olympics and we had a team that could win it all. During the qualifying round, we were leading when one of our teammates’ spikes fall out his foot. We instantly went from first to fourth.
I got the baton, but I couldn’t do anything about it. We ultimately didn’t qualify for the finals and I was very disappointed. I was told and learned that it is all about God’s timing and you never know what he has in store for you.
In what way have you evolved over the last 12 months?
Mentally and emotionally, I found myself happier and calmer. My writing is getting better each-and-every day in terms of grammar and editing.
When was a time that someone you didn’t know did something nice for you? What did they do?
During the COVID pandemic I have been working at this job where I interact and help customers daily. Some of the customers look out for me with water and Gatorade and making sure that I’m okay since I work in the sun most of the time.
How would you explain to someone the importance of valuing their time?
I would tell them time waits on no one and it is important to use all the time you’ll receive because you never know when your time is up.
What’s been the biggest blessing of your life?
Just being able to wake up every day. I thank God for that each-and-every day. Also, helping others and having the ability to write my ideas and turn them into books. |THIS.
[By Mr. Joe Walker and Alex aka Grand Kai]
