Chynna Laird

I’m thrilled to have the opportunity to introduce readers to our guest today. Payton MacGregor has gone through a tremendous amount of turmoil in his fifteen years; and yet, he is wiser than adults twice his age. The reason for this is that he has learned from what he’s seen and has never allowed negative experiences he’s encountered to define who he is. That’s pretty powerful for such a young person.
Payton has squeezed in a few moments to answer a couple of questions for us today, among all the many things he does. So, let’s get straight to it.

CHYNNA: Welcome, Payton. And thank so very much for joining us for a bit. Let’s jump right in with having you introduce yourself to our readers today.

PAYTON: Cool! Well, there really isn’t that much to tell. I’m from Winnipeg, Manitoba (that’s in Canada for you non-Canadians out there!) I grew up with my mom and things could get really crazy sometimes, you know? My mom had a lot of…issues. I was luckier than a lot of other kids, I guess, because I had my grandparents and my piano. Those are the two things that kept me from losing it most days.

CHYNNA: That’s awesome that you had your grandparents. You’re right that many other kids in your situation had another support system near by. Just so we have a clue into what it was really like for you, how back could things get?

PAYTON: Well, you know, I don’t really like talking about it too much. My Grandpa always says, “What happened is past for a reason. You shouldn’t forget it but you shouldn’t let it plan out your future either.” I’ve always thought those were the wisest words out there and it’s so true. But, yeah. It was really tough sometimes. My mom had bipolar disorder but she refused to deal with it. I can’t really describe what it’s like living with a person who has bipolar because it’s just not something you can understand unless you do, you know? My mom had these massive mood swings where she’d be great one day then crashing down the next. She’d be planning out a hundred and fifty different things then got overwhelmed and leave a bunch of things in the air that she’d started. And she drank. A lot. It isn’t like that with everyone but if they aren’t on medication…well…it can be scary.

CHYNNA: Payton, I’m so sorry you had to go through all of that. What did you do? How did you cope?

PAYTON: Well, like I said, I had my awesome grandparents. I was probably harder on them than they were on me. My love for music…my gift…I got from my mom. So, for that I am so grateful to her. She was an amazing pianist and singer…wow. But she wasn’t strong enough to turn to those things instead of the booze and stuff. Such a waste of true talent. Seriously.

CHYNNA: No kidding. Well, you have a well-rounded musical background. You have been classically trained in piano but you also seem to have a very strong connection to the Beatles, particularly John Lennon. Did you want to delve a bit into that for us?

PAYTON: Sure. Well, I don’t really remember a time when the Beatles weren’t there. My mom was a huge fan, you know? She loved George. But for some reason, I was always drawn to John. I’m not totally sure why. Maybe because we both come from a tough background and never allowed that to define who we were supposed to be. His music was the same as his personality. Sort of raw, real and in your face. I remember him saying that he wrote whatever was on his mind at the time, and if people could relate to it, well, that was fine with him. He was an amazing spirit, for sure. I’ve always found him inspirational.

CHYNNA: That’s fantastic, Payton. I know you have to leave soon to go back to class but did you have any pearls of wisdom you wanted to share with readers out there, particularly the younger ones?

PAYTON: Oh geez! I don’t think I should be giving pearls of wisdom to anyone. LOL! But, well, if I was talking to someone who was in the same situation as I was in a few years ago, I guess I’d tell them just to be true to who they are. That’s it. Don’t let people put you in a category or feel sorry for you just because you have gone through a pile of crap. Find that one thing about you that makes you great, and let that be your guide. Who cares what people say you should be; be who you want to be. That probably sounds really dorky but it’s totally true. I lost someone not too long ago that I really cared about who wasn’t strong enough to believe that. So, I work really hard to make sure those I connect with understand it.

CHYNNA: Those are amazing pearls of wisdom, Payton. Thanks for your time and I encourage all of our readers to check out your story in Blackbird Flies. Good luck with all that you do, Payton. I’m sure you’ll be doing great things for a long time to come.

~~~~~~

To purchase Blackbird Flies, you can go to:

Astraea Press: http://www.astraeapress.com/#ecwid:category=662250&mode=product&product=3028835

Amazon Kindle: http://www.amazon.com/Blackbird-Flies-ebook/dp/B004V9K5S8

Smashwords: http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/54909

Barnes and Noble NOOK: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/blackbird-flies-chynna-laird/1100125503?ean=2940012297204

Fifteen year-old Payton MacGregor is a musical prodigy. To him, though, his music is merely a way for him to escape from the chaos that surrounds him. All of his life, he’s had to care for his mother, who copes with her bipolar disorder with booze instead of turning to her own musical talents. He refuses to become a statistic. Then he’s thrown a curve ball.
His mother suddenly dies, leaving him to be cared for by his aging grandparents.  As much as they love him, they decide to send him halfway across Canada to live with his father, Liam—the man Payton always believed abandoned him and his mother. Payton isn’t making the relocation easy on anyone until he finds out he's going to attend the prestigious School of the Arts for musically gifted youth. Any second thoughts he has about his new life are erased when he meets Lily Joplin. Their connection is instantaneous.

Lily is a talented singer, but her struggles with drugs and bipolar disorder hit too close to home for Payton’s comfort. And when her issues become all-consuming, he wonders if his music will be enough to carry him through.

http://www.astraeapress.com/#ecwid:category=662250&mode=product&product=3028835