Tirzah Darnell – Author Spotlight

Tirzah Darnell has been a writer since she was five years old when she wrote and illustrated The Ant in Tennis Shoes. Since then, she has directed the film Unscared and starred in the musical Mazuma! Her most recent publication was the article “The Destruction of the Colombian City of Armero during the 1985 Volcanic Eruption of the Nevado del Ruiz” in The Cases in Crisis and Disaster. With an M.A. in Political Science and a specialization in disaster resilience, Tirzah lives in Beeville, Texas where she teaches Government and History at the local community college.

I asked Tirzah a few questions to help us all get to know her better.

What do you love most about writing?

I like being able to make a story turn out the way I want it to. When I was reading books at the age of five, I would get upset that they did not go the way I had hoped, so my mom told me that I could write my own books and make them turn out the way I wanted. That was when I wrote and illustrated The Ant in Tennis Shoes.

The story is about an ant that wants to run a race, but he can’t because none of the stores sell shoes his size. Finally, he finds a boy who searches far and wide, and together they finally find shoes that are the teeny tiny size the ant needs, and he wins the race. When I was a student in college, I was privileged to meet a guest speaker visiting our college, Pepe Serna from the film Scarface. He called me up on stage with him, and together we performed The Ant in Tennis Shoes. I told it in English, and he performed it in Spanish for the audience. It was a hit for the College. Everybody loved it. I would love to meet up with him again and let him know how much that encouraged me to continue with my writing.

Are you currently working on any new books or writing projects?

Currently, I am focused on writing Book 2 in the Planet of Darkness Trilogy – Book 2 is called Through the Wilderness. I also have plans for a prequel that will provide the backstory for one of my most popular characters, 1-13. Yes, the characters in this world have numbers instead of names. Fortunately, there is a guide in the back with pictures of the characters to help readers keep track of who is who.

Where can people follow you online to learn more?

VISIT AUTHOR: Website, Facebook, Instagram, Goodreads, Amazon

Do you have a favorite book or author?

The author who first drew my interest into reading was Jules Verne, particularly Mysterious Island. A close second is Alexandre Dumas with The Count of Monte Cristo and The Three Musketeers. I like complex plots and political intrigue!

Go check her out and her books and show your support!