Samara Leigh has spent her entire lifetime writing. As a child she journaled, wrote stories and poems and spun magical tales in her head. As a teen she penned stories that reflected the pain and tumultuousness of a girl who lost the father with whom she had a love/hate relationship at the age of 15 and who couldn’t quite find her place in the world. Now, we have this opportunity of having an email interview with her, which I am presenting before you and I am sure, you’ll just love the way she responded to all the queries. 1. Just tell us in one sentence, who’s Samara Leigh? Samara: A girl who loves stories – written, spoken, acted, sculpted, painted, or pantomimed. 2. Samara, how do you select and decide about the topics you’ve to write on? What fuels the fire within you to keep going on and on? Samara: There are many things about which I am passionate. The two the stand out the most are injustice in any form and strong women with inspirational stories of self-discovery and triumph. I also love art and culture so I often write about music, books and movies that tell an engaging story. 3. If you could sit on the shoulders of readers and reviewers, how would you tell them to regard your work? Samara: As being sincere. Whether I’m tackling a business subject, a music review, or even writing a snarky editorial, I am genuine in my treatment of the subject and my feelings about it. 4. What special efforts do you put together that make your readers incline to your work? Samara: I write to suit my target audience in my copywriting work, but I don’t really think in those terms in my editorial and fiction writing. Every writer, of course, wants to be well-read and well-regarded. However, I write what I am passionate about, what moves me, in the hope that others will be moved by it or find the same things amusing. 5. Do you feel like creating things that have ability to change the world, I mean pulling a rabbit out of a hat? Samara: I would love to make the world a happier, shinier, more loving place, even if for a moment. If I can do that with a piece I’ve written I’d be absolutely ecstatic. 6. Samara, what are your other interests besides your work? How are you able to snatch out time for so many things? I would appreciate if you can share your working and lifestyle with us. Samara: I have a variety of interests. Art, travel, culture, sports, just to name a few. It’s the NBA Playoffs now so I’m spending an awful lot of time cheering on the Cleveland Cavaliers and plotting their long-awaited trip to the Eastern Finals. I also love playing tennis or Scrabble with my husband. We’re both pretty competitive, but always in good fun. It took awhile for me to learn the importance of tearing myself away from the computer. It can easily take over your life, if you let it. I’ve discovered that I get some of my best ideas AWAY from my computer. Recreation, exercise, and spending time with family and friends refresh your creativity. I always carry a pen and pad with me in case I’m inspired. 7. Keeping in mind that the world out here on internet changes with blazing speed and also, everything reaches a culmination point sooner or later, we would love to know your views on the concept of blogging as a whole, how far do you think the concept will enjoy its success (if you really think that the way it has emerged, a success) and what’s fresh waiting to gobble it up? Samara: Blogging has become quite the phenomenon. One that savvy entrepreneurs do well to take advantage of while it is so popular. I think podcasting and vodcasting have stepped in and really made a mark. It really gives entrepreneurs and other podcasters an opportunity to interact with their audiences in a powerful and potentially profitable way. 8. The whole Internet, of course, as a media is moving towards Web 2.0. How far do you think the phenomenon has emerged successfully? Samara: The idea of the internet being a platform that businesses should embrace and use to collaborate with others is a particular passion of mine. I love discussing the great products that are out there. There are some really incredible collaborative technologies available at no-cost, or a very low-cost for entrepreneurs and freelancers. I actually spend quite a bit of time teaching entrepreneurs to use these tools to grow their businesses. 9. Where do you see yourself after five years? I mean, any dreams, or plans for the coming future? Samara: Hmm… I always hated this question on job interviews! However, I love this question now. Where do I see myself in five years? Traveling the world in search of the next great story that will inspire me. Writing stories that have a powerful impact my readers and finance my addiction to food and shelter. Supporting my husband and son in the pursuit of their dreams. 10. What’s the biggest lesson you’ve learned from your tryst with life? Samara: What a great way to put it. I usually consider it a journey, but a tryst sounds more fun. One of the biggest lessons I’ve learned is the importance of believing in yourself. No matter how many other people shout your accolades, if you don’t have confidence in your own abilities, your efforts will fall short of the success of which you are capable. Putting that same kind of faith in others can definitely help them find their way to success. Before signing off, I’d like to thank Samara for this excellent interview and would like to wish her luck for all her future endeavors.