Fiction
Meet indie Author of the month:
Dan Stroede
Each month we introduce you to one of our wonderful independently published authors. What’s an indie author you ask? It’s someone who has self-published their own book. It’s a massive undertaking and so, so impressive! But it’s hard too, without the support of a traditional publisher and PR agent getting your work into the public eye is tough.
So we are shining a light on these super authors each month to introduce you to their work, which you might otherwise be unfamiliar with!
This month, we sat down with Dan Stroede, author of teen book Spencer Sparkles.
Name / Pen Name:
Dan Stroede
1. Who are you, and what do you write about?
Hi, my name is Dan Stroede, and I write stories that are rooted in my personal experiences, woven together with elements of magic and fantasy.
I’ve always been drawn to that space where the real world meets imagination—where everyday moments can transform into something extraordinary. There’s something powerful about blending truth with wonder, about taking what is real and adding a touch of what could be.
For me, storytelling becomes a place where anything feels possible. A place that invites you to dream, to feel, to be inspired—and, most importantly, to simply enjoy the journey.
Because sometimes, all it takes is a little bit of magic to see the world in a whole new light. ✨
In a world that constantly tells us to push harder, to keep going, to be productive, choosing to pause felt almost counterintuitive. But every time I allowed myself to step away and rest, something unexpected happened.
2. What’s the most unusual writing habit you have that you’d never put in a “How to Be an Author” guide?
The most unusual thing I told myself during the writing process was probably, “Take a nap and just let it be.”
It might not sound all that unusual at first—but it turned out to be one of the most helpful things I could have done.
In a world that constantly tells us to push harder, to keep going, to be productive, choosing to pause felt almost counterintuitive. But every time I allowed myself to step away and rest, something unexpected happened. Not only did I wake up feeling re-energised and clearer in my mind, I also often returned with something more… something I hadn’t been able to access before.
There’s this quiet, in-between space—somewhere between being awake and asleep—where thoughts drift more freely, where logic softens and imagination takes over. And it was often in that space that ideas found me. Almost like little messages from somewhere just beyond reach, gently guiding me back to the story.
A line of dialogue, a new direction, a feeling I needed to capture—suddenly, it would all be there.
It may sound unusual, but for me, this became one of the most magical parts of the entire process. Not just writing a magical story, but experiencing something that felt a little like magic itself. ✨
3. What’s the strangest real-life place or moment that has shaped your story?
The strangest real-life moment was probably one from my childhood—simple, but somehow magical in its own way.
I remember standing behind my parents’ car one day, watching the exhaust drift into the air. Instead of just seeing smoke, I saw something else entirely. I played with it, reaching into it, moving through it, imagining it wasn’t smoke at all—but magic. The kind that swirls out of a genie’s bottle, full of mystery and possibility.
In that moment, I wasn’t just a kid standing in a driveway. I was somewhere else. Someone else. It was a moment filled with pure fun, dreams, and imagination—completely real in the way only childhood imagination can be.
I’ve always been drawn to magic and fantasy. I always wanted to have powers, to be part of something bigger, something extraordinary. And in that small, almost insignificant moment behind my parents’ car, wrapped in that drifting cloud, I did.
For a brief moment, I wasn’t imagining it.
I had magic. ✨
4. If you could meet one of your characters in real life, who would it be and why?
If I could meet any character, it would be Spencer.
Spencer is me—and he isn’t. He’s a version of me, shaped by truth but also by possibility. He carries parts of who I was, but also parts of who I wish I could have been, or what I wish I could have experienced at that time in my life.
He’s the person I would have wanted to encourage, to remind that you’re not alone, to tell that things will make sense one day—that being different isn’t something to hide, but something to embrace. And in writing this book, in a way, I’ve become that voice. For him, and maybe also for my younger self.
I think a lot of us look back at certain moments in our lives and wonder, “What if?” What if things had gone differently? What if we had been braver, or kinder to ourselves, or simply seen for who we truly are?
This story lives in that space.
It’s not just fiction, and it’s not entirely memory either—it’s something in between. A reimagining. A softer, more hopeful version of what was, and what could have been. In many ways, it’s my story… just rewritten with a little more magic, a little more courage, and a little more light. ✨
5. When you’re not writing, what are you doing instead?
When I’m not writing, I love spending time in nature—just like Spencer. There’s something grounding about it, something honest. It’s where I can breathe, slow down, and reconnect, and often it’s where new ideas quietly begin to form.
I also have a deep love for travel—discovering new places, experiencing different cultures, and collecting moments that feel special and meaningful. It’s those little things: a conversation with a stranger, a sunset in an unfamiliar place, a feeling you can’t quite put into words. Those are the moments that stay with me.
For me, life has never been about things. I don’t care about having the best car or the biggest house. What truly matters are the memories we create—the ones that linger, that shape us, that we carry with us long after the moment has passed. Memories that make you smile out of nowhere. Memories that inspire you, comfort you, and sometimes even find their way back onto the page.
Shop Dan's book here:
What if the freckles on your face held a secret—one that could change your life forever? Meet Spencer, an ordinary teenager stuck in the not-so-ordinary chaos of growing up. Struggling with relentless bullying and anxiety, Spencer’s world is flipped upside down when ominous freckles suddenly appear across his face.
