Meet Donald Samson | Waldorf mentor and author of fantasy and historical fiction for ‘tweens, teens, and just about anybody

We had the good fortune of connecting with Donald Samson and we’ve shared our conversation below.
Hi Donald, as a parent, what do you feel is the most meaningful thing you’ve done for them?
In addition to the obvious, raising them with kindness, understanding and love, there are numerous things we did that made a lasting impact. We ate as many meals together as possible. As soon as they showed interest, we integrated them in the cooking process (yes, get ready to do clean up afterwards). We told them and read to them lots of stories. They had zero screen exposure until they were 10. They learned how to respect a ‘no’ and celebrate a ‘yes.’ We gave them chores in accordance with their age. We set them limits, which, as they got older, we renegotiated with them. In order to teach them how to clean their room (or any repeating chore), we did it with them until they had developed the habit. We did our best to teach them how to fight fairly with one another. Since children imitate what they see, we strove to be worthy of imitation in our own behaviors and habits.
Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
I write novels that can be enjoyed by the target age (‘tweens and teens), as well as by their parents. I believe what sets me apart is that I do not write with any eye on what is popular and what is selling. These stories come to me and demand to be told. So, this is a direct interaction with the creative process, and I am always crossing my fingers that those who will be touched by the stories will find their way to them. This is not an easy process, since, for the most part, writing takes time. I do not write ‘page turners,’ though I know that once a reader enters the world I have created, they are committed.
Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
When a friend visits the area for longer than a day or so, we make sure to spend a day in the Rocky Mountain National Park, 40 minutes away. We have our favorite lakes, trails and overlooks, which we happily share with our visitors. Of course, there are numerous excellent trails on the periphery of our town, and we would pick one each day to go and explore, whether it was following a mountain stream, or hiking up to get a view into the plains stretching away from the foothills. There is a small lake to walk around every morning, accessible from our front door. Our town has a cultivated, popular pedestrian mall where we would also spend some time. Just a block from the mall is an authentic tea house from our town’s sister city in Tajikistan. It is a beautiful place to go for tea or have dinner. On Saturdays, there is a Farmer’s Market, which is perhaps the best in the state. When I did not want to cook (I enjoy cooking for my friends), our town has numerous cafes, pubs, taverns and specialty restaurants to choose from. We would never manage to visit them all. There are numerous venues during the week to go dance in the evening.
The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
The children I have taught over twenty years in the classroom, the teachers I have and continue to mentor, and the enthusiastic readers who speak a kind word to encourage me to keep on writing.
Website: www.donaldsamsonbooks.com
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