Literary/Historical Fiction
Date Published: 8/12/25
Publisher: Greenleaf Book Group
Narrator: Scott Brick
Run Time: 8 hours and 35 minutes
“Ordinary Soil brings to haunting life the desperate realities of
the American heartland but also offers a glimpse into a better future ... a
call to action for all of us.” — WOODY HARRELSON
Haunted by a shadow from the past, a young farmer attempts suicide beneath a rotting burial elm, unearthing a dark ancestral history. But deep beneath the diseased generational roots lies a powerful secret — one that could save both the man and the land.
Interview
Is There a Message in Your Novel That You Want Readers to Grasp?
Yes…you get out what you put in. From your body to mind and spirit, from the land to your relationships...everything reflects what you give it.
Is there anything you find particularly challenging in your writing?
The first steps are always the hardest, in almost anything. Same for writing…those initial words are the steepest hill to climb, even if I’ve already started writing the book and I’m just sitting down to start work. But once I get going, momentum takes over.
How many books have you written and which is your favorite?
I’ve had three published traditionally, two on my own, and two on a hybrid. I can’t pick my favorite…that’s like asking me to pick my favorite dog. They’ve all taught me something, and I love them all.
If You had the chance to cast your main character from Hollywood today, who would you pick and why?
Hopper from Stranger Things. Not sure who that actor is (and I’m 30000 feet in the air right now, without internet). But he’s got the look and the temperament (stubborn and tough with a good heart). Also, I just saw Stranger Things on Broadway in NYC, so that might be affecting my opinion.
When did you begin writing?
I was a singer-songwriter for a long, long time…still am, but the writing career took over about 15 years ago when I received a letter from a fan in Connecticut. She told me my songs were pieces of myself that I was giving to the world, and she wanted to give me a piece of herself in return…so she included a letter she’d written to her soulmate, who’d been gone for several years. It was so moving that I wrote a song about it with a friend and sent it to her as a thank you. That one song about one letter evolved into a project featuring Grammy-winning, platinum-selling artists called For The Sender that turned letters into songs. I produced the album, and wrote a companion book with the lyrics and backstories…which was my first foray into writing books. That book/album package fell into Wayne Dyer’s hands, who shepherded it into my first book deal.
How long did it take to complete your first book?
Not much time at all, because I didn’t know what I didn’t know. Probably 2 weeks.
Did you have an author who inspired you to become a writer?
If Stephen King and John Steinbeck sat in the rear booth at a dive bar and got to talking, the rest of my world would fall away.
What is your favorite part of the writing process?
Losing myself, to be honest. I don’t chart or plan out plot lines and characters. I write to see where they go, and that’s my favorite part.
Describe your latest book in 4 words.
I have an audiobook releasing, as well as that book’s sequel, at the same time, so I’m going to give you the whole narrative in four consecutive words...even all starting with the same letter: Reckless. Ruin. Realization. Redemption.
Can you share a little bit about your current work or what is in the future for your writing?
Like I mentioned, there are two releases happening at once. One is the release of the audiobook for ‘Ordinary Soil,’ narrated by the legendary Scott Brick. That book follows a family living on the same piece of land in the Oklahoma Panhandle for 150 years, and found an early supporter in Woody Harrelson who said “Ordinary Soil brings to haunting life the desperate realities of the American heartland but also offers a glimpse into a better future... a call to action for all of us.”
The other story is called ‘Analog Sun,’ which is the sequel to ‘Ordinary Soil.’ The novella follows the brother of the main character in ‘Ordinary Soil,’ who stumbles onto a hidden path, untouched by code or concrete, in his search for redemption. It’s a modern fable about navigating between the world we’ve built and the one that built us…essentially a small book with a big message for anyone searching for life beyond the algorithm.
About the Author
Alex Woodard has toured nationally behind several critically acclaimed
albums, earning a few prestigious industry nods while sharing the stage with
some of his heroes. His “For The Sender” book, album, and concert
series has garnered praise from Huffington Post (“important,
enlightening, and ultimately inspiring”), Deepak Chopra (“a
beautiful tribute to the resilience of the human spirit”), Dr. Wayne
Dyer (“an inspiring, thought-provoking, and life-changing work”),
and Billboard magazine (“one of the year’s most touching, unique
releases”), among others. Alex lives with three horses, two dogs, two
chickens, and two beautiful humans on a small ranch near the California coast.
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