Authors Answer: Corey Seemiller
Authors Answer Q&A #588
Author interviews almost always focus on questions regarding an author’s latest publication (and that’s great because it’s how readers discover new books!) but sometimes it’s fun to ask authors to talk about their lives beyond the book they’ve just written. Authors Answer (started as a blog in 2020, moved onto Substack in 2025), is an attempt to give authors space to wax eloquent about the other influences on their writing. The questions posed here move beyond the formulaic classics like, “What books are on your nightstand?” or “What book inspired you to be a writer?” and even “You’re having a dinner party….which three authors (dead or alive) do you invite?” There are 20 standing questions. Authors pick FIVE that they want to answer.
Are you an author? Visit the Questions page to learn more about participating.
Today’s post features Corey Seemiller.
Corey Seemiller is an award-winning professor of leadership and global generational expert. She has authored several books and articles and speaks at events around the world. Her work has been featured in major news publications and media outlets such as NPR, The New York Times, Time Magazine, and Newsweek, and her highly popular TED Talk has garnered hundreds of thousands of views. An accredited life coach with specialties in Law of Attraction and intuitive development, Corey also co-hosts the Rock That Relationship! podcast, discussing debacles and successes with breakups, healing processes, dating, and relationships. Corey resides in Tucson, Arizona, and is an avid hiker and outdoor enthusiast.
Are there particular films that have influenced your writing?
Is there a genre of music that influences your writing/thinking? Do you listen to music while you write?
I absolutely love rap music, particularly songs by Eminem, Slick Rick, Will Smith, and others from the 80s and 90s. Many rap songs tell a profound story that can really only be felt through the combination of the lyrics and music. Because I find myself so captivated by the storylines of these songs, I don’t tend to listen when I write. Instead, I use these songs as inspiration to tell my own story.
Favorite non-reading activity?
I am an avid hiker and outdoor adventurer. When I’m not writing, I’m in nature, summiting the highest peak or traversing to the bottom of a canyon. I’ve traveled to places like Spain, Romania, Costa Rica, Iceland, and Croatia to hike. But, my favorite trek is actually in my home state – the Grand Canyon. There is something magical about hiking to the bottom of the canyon, a place that so few in this world have ever been. The majestic high walls, the trickling flow of water, the epic switchbacks, and the friendliness and support of others who are often checking off a bucket list item is unparalleled.
Is your go to comfort food sweet or savory? Is it something you make yourself? Does food inspire your writing?
My favorite food, and my go-to for stressful times, are jelly beans. I particularly enjoy tropical, fruity-flavored jelly bellies. I reference them in my writing, and everyone I hike with knows that jelly beans are my comfort food. I keep a bag stashed in my hiking backpack and a few in my kitchen for late-night cravings. I love the sweet kick they offer, and I get a little sugar rush to help me cross that finish line with writing, hiking, and other things I set out to do.
Do you have another artistic outlet in addition to your writing? Do you sew? Paint? Draw? Knit? Dance?
Two hobbies I love include singing karaoke and building Legos. They are two very different activities, but both inspire a passion in me to be creative and bold. Although I enjoy engaging in them with others, I also really like doing them solo. I have been known to whip out my microphone in the middle of my living room, put on my karaoke app, and go to town. I also have pulled out my Lego bins and crafted cool structures, not from any instruction booklet, to display throughout my house.
What piece of clothing tells the most interesting story about your life?
I live in track pants, other than in the heat of the summer in Arizona, in which I opt for workout shorts. But, this attire is probably one of the most significant reflections of how I live life – comfortably, not paying attention to any possible judgment from others, and ready to adventure at the drop of a hat. I have a few outfits that are professional and a pair of jeans that I will wear if I have to “dress up.” But, my goal in life is to not do anything I don’t want to do or be anywhere I don’t want to be. And, this goes for my clothing too – I don’t want to wear anything I don’t want to wear!
Endnotes!
This newsletter is a passion project started by me, Elizabeth Rynecki, to try to help shine a light on new-to-me authors. I am also an author (and a documentary filmmaker and podcaster) and if you want to learn more about me, you can visit my website or read my personal newsletter, Ink Trails: A Chronicle in Creativity.
I’ve never made Authors Answer specific social media accounts, but you can find me on Instagram, Threads, and BlueSky.