I'm pleased to interview Johnny Tan. I've known him for quite a few years through his From My Mama's Kitchen projects including his book by the same name. In it, Johnny talks about his nine "moms," good food, good friends, and so much more.

Whenever I speak with Johnny, I am always inspired because he comes up with so many ambitious ideas and doesn't just think about what could be, he follows through on them. He is a person who is not afraid to go after something big and accomplish it. Along that vein, I have asked him some questions to inspire you in your own goals and ambitions. 

What follows is our interview. I hope you will be as inspired as I was and am. 

 Although I already have my own overly tall stack of to-be-read (TBR) books, I try to be a discerning buyer. I read reviews and, more importantly, peek at the allowed opening pages. When I did my pre-read peek of Accidental Mystic, I didn't find what I expected. No magic shooting through the air, just the sparks of mid-life frustrations. No philosophical answers about the meaning of life, just an emotional pull from a menopausal woman losing her family and trying to make her way through an upended life. At first glance, it didn't sound like the kind of book I might be looking for. . . except, I couldn't stop turning those free pages and something about Bethany Parker sucked me in. After I bought the book and read it. . . ooooh, boy, every page turn seemed to bring a new surprise—the kind that had me saying "No way!"—including some magical creatures and some of those philosophical life questions I might have wanted on page one. Totally hooked, I immediately bought book two and then asked fantasy author Phoebe for an interview. (She said, "Yes!")

I stumbled across an interview of rags to riches author, Marc Reklau. I read his interview with interest. Of course, I wanted to know how he had lifted himself up, but something else seemed to shine through, something I couldn't quite put my finger on, a kind of je ne sais quoi.

I wanted to know more. When you want to live your best life, you need to be willing to step out of your comfort zone. I also believe in looking around for people who are doing what you want to do and learning from them. So after scoping out a few more articles and his website, I took a chance and emailed him.

"Everyone faces what I call obstacles: blockages, fears, things that get in the way of creating the life you want to live. Sometimes we think we are alone in this. . . However, everyone will face obstacles, and every problem is solvable." 

This is how Donna Higton starts her Busting Obstacles book. I've had the pleasure of knowing Donna through a shared online group for over a year now. As you will see, she has overcome her share of obstacles and is helping others do the same.