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Justin Marcell Russell 

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I was born and raised in the Lower Ninth Ward of New Orleans, Louisiana. There is where i fell in love with the history and culture that filled the Holy Cross neighborhood on Dauphine street. With my grandfather part of the Yellow Pocahontas, Mardi Gras Indian tribe. As their Wild Man, it add to the love and passion that i have for history and culture.
I have written one book so far, with another on the way at the end of this year. I really enjoy writing dark fantasy, though i started writing poetry when i was in the 7th grade.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
Moonlight; Chronicles of the Four Arrows.
Learned about my family background, coming from Haiti after the revolution, and my Grandmother’s parents who were Louisiana natives from French Acadia. Taking both of my cultures and turning folktales into an epic high fantasy thrill ride.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I write with pen and paper before typing it up on a Word document.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
James Patterson, Darren Shan, J. K. Rowling, and my dear friend L. D. Goodman

What are you working on now?
A Christmas story that takes place in New Orleans, and I’m using my Louisiana Creole traditions that I grew up with to show readers that there is more to the Big Easy other than Mardi Gras. This city has so much rich history and diverse culture that is overflowing with amazing stories.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
Facebook and Instagram ads, using their adverting to promote your page to pull more people to your website. Local book stores, and using websites that best work with the type of audience you are trying to build.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Don’t second guess yourself, you become your own biggest enemy that way. Get out of your head!

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
School is important, and important to do well.

What are you reading now?
Blue, By Lisa Glass

What’s next for you as a writer?
Use my passion for history and culture as a way to reach those who are eager to discover, and learn about new cultures. A voice for those who don’t yet have a voice of their own or are not heard. literature is the most powerful knowledge that everyone should have access to.

If you were going to be stranded on a desert island and allowed to take 3 or 4 books with you what books would you bring?
The complete 4-book set of the Red Queen by Victoria Aveyard.

Author Websites and Profiles
Justin Marcell Russell Website
Justin Marcell Russell Amazon Profile

Justin Marcell Russell’s Social Media Links
Facebook Profile

Brian Sachetta 

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I’m a Boston native and a software engineer by trade. On nights and weekends, I run “Get Out of Your Head,” a brand, blog, and book series that seeks to help folks overcome mental illness.

I’ve been mostly vegan for close to ten years now. You’ll see that pop up in various places in my work. I also love football, Harry Potter, Disney World, and heavy metal. You might notice that last one in my company’s branding. That was intentional; we were going for some serious metal vibes there. It’s just such a powerful remedy for me and my audience.

As of 2021, I’ve written two books, both in the “Get Out of Your Head” series. The first is about living with and overcoming anxiety, and the second is on coping with and managing depression. Both books are decently heavy reads, emotionally, but they’re also brutally honest. I write with candor because I want folks to be able to understand what they’re dealing with and make strides as quickly as possible.

I hate to see folks suffer, especially psychologically, and that’s really what motivated me to start writing. I saw myself in those dealing with anxiety and depression and thought to myself, “What can I do to mitigate the difficulty these people are experiencing?” My writing seemed to be the clear answer to me.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
As I write this, my latest book is called, “Get Out of Your Head Vol. 2: Navigating the Abyss of Depression.” It was inspired by a personal bout of depression I experienced in 2018 and the insights that came out of that battle. Like the book that came before it, I said to myself, “When I figure out how to manage what I’m dealing with here, I’ll share my insights with the world. And that’s how Volume 2 came about.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
Nothing crazy, no. Coffee helps, but I wouldn’t say that’s unusual in any sense. I do, however, try to make sure I don’t drink caffeine within eight hours of going to bed. Otherwise, I’m tossing and turning all night.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
Some of these you’ll see in my work, some of them you won’t, but: Tony Robbins, JK Rowling, Jordan Peterson, and Mark Manson.

What are you working on now?
As I write this, I just finished “Get Out of Your Head Vol. 2.” Combined with my day job, it was a slog. That means I’m ready to take a short break. But, when I come back, it will be more blog posts for “Get Out of Your Head,” more podcasts appearances, and possibly a podcast of my own. I do also plan to write a third GOOYH book in time, but I’m waiting for proper inspiration to strike first.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
As an indie author, promotion is the hardest part of the process. In other words, I’m still learning the ropes. I did get featured on BookBub in 2020, however, and that was awesome.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Your book will not write itself. In fact, it will wrestle with you even after you’ve fully committed to finishing it. That means you need to be disciplined. Clear your schedule when possible and fill it with big blocks for writing. Let the wheels get rolling and remove as much distraction as possible (phone on do-not-disturb is a must).

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
It’s super cheesy, but: Follow your heart. You know what you want for yourself and your life; go make it happen. If you mess up, you will learn and autocorrect.

What are you reading now?
I’ve got a few books going at once right now, but since we’re talking about writing, I’ll say “Bird by Bird” by Anne Lamott.

What’s next for you as a writer?
That’s a good question, and I’m not sure. I’m curious to see how “Get Out of Your Head Vol. 2” performs. Not that I’d ever let commercial viability prevent me from writing another book, but I do want to see where that one goes first. I’ve got plenty of other ideas and ways to help folks with mental illness, so I’m really just trying to find the path that best helps me do that at the moment.

If you were going to be stranded on a desert island and allowed to take 3 or 4 books with you what books would you bring?
Easy. Harry Potter 4, 5, 6, and 7. Though I’d be missing the rest of the series, I’d be getting the most bang for my buck since those are the longest ones, anyway. I could re-read them plenty of times and never get sick of them. In fact, I already have

Author Websites and Profiles
Brian Sachetta Website
Brian Sachetta Amazon Profile

Brian Sachetta’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile

Gladys Lau 

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I used to work as a licensed medical doctor in Hong Kong. In 2020, I came to the United States to pursue a new career as an engineer.

I wrote my first book titled “Career Switched: Break Into Your Dream Job by Executing a Plan That Finally Works”.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
My new book is titled “Career Switched: Break Into Your Dream Job by Executing a Plan That Finally Works”.

I switched careers from medicine to engineering to fulfill my teenage wish to be an engineer. I know many friends and colleagues that are unhappy in their careers but did not see a way out. I therefore decided to write a book to tell others it is not difficult to transition into new careers they are passionate about.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I use a mind map to plan my writing. I set my timer for fifteen minutes as I write my ideas in the mind map. When fifteen minutes run out, I set the timer for another fifteen minutes as I continue working. This motivates me to quickly write down unfiltered ideas.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
I heeded advice from the book “Published: The Proven Path From Blank Page To Published Author” by Chandler Bolt on how to launch my first book.

What are you working on now?
Right now I am focusing on building up my engineering knowledge and experience.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I strive to write high-quality content and then invite my friends to help with the book launch by downloading it for free and writing reviews.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Writing my first book is not as difficult as I initially thought. In my opinion, speed is king. It is important to set a deadline and then consistently work on your book to make sure it is finished on time.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Make the most of the resources you have on hand to finish the task.

What are you reading now?
Elon Musk: Tesla, SpaceX, and the Quest for a Fantastic Future

What’s next for you as a writer?
I am thinking of writing another book specifically on how to transition from a non-technical field to a technical field.

If you were going to be stranded on a desert island and allowed to take 3 or 4 books with you what books would you bring?
Marks’ Standard Handbook for Mechanical Engineers
Introduction to Linear Algebra by Gilbert Strang
C++ Primer

Author Websites and Profiles
Gladys Lau Website
Gladys Lau Amazon Profile

MOHAMMED SHAHEZAMA 

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I have written two books. The first book is going under some final touches it will be published soon. And recently I published a short story by name ‘The Proxy Frau’, this is an dark horror story and it has sequels to come in the future. And I am working on a Novel.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
The Proxy Frau – Dark Dwellers Vol 01

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
Well I work in corporate, so whenever I am free, I write.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
JK Rowling

What are you working on now?
The sequels of Dark Dwellers and a novel.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I am new to this, so far I think Ebook publishing sites are good to go. You know go green.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Don’t give up, keep writing. Eventually you will get notified.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Never give up!

What are you reading now?
Well I am just proof reading my books which may be published soon.

What’s next for you as a writer?
Write the next sequel.

If you were going to be stranded on a desert island and allowed to take 3 or 4 books with you what books would you bring?
Harry Potters Series

 

HS Burney 

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
The Lake Templeton Murders is my first book. But I’ve always longed to be an author. I did a Creative Writing degree at Lafayette College fifteen years ago and then promptly stopped writing once I entered the corporate world. I’ve had a lot of success in my banking career but my heart still wants to tell stories that entertain people and keep them guessing. A couple of years ago, I rekindled my creative spark when I started blogging on Medium.com. Once the spark was lit, I couldn’t stop writing, and it culminated into my debut book. It will not be the last!

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
The Lake Templeton Murders. It’s a murder mystery set in an idyllic fictional town on Vancouver Island. It’s inspired by the detective stories I have always loved to read and the TV shows I cannot stop watching. It brings the analytical, problem-solving side of my brain together with the creative side of my brain.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
Because I have a busy day job, I write first thing in the morning at 5:30 a.m. This is when I am at my sharpest. And in the home stretch of finishing my book, I often took afternoons off from work to write.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
Growing up, I used to read the epics of Sidney Sheldon. I was riveted by the quick-moving tales and how once I cracked a book, I had to stay up the whole night to finish it. I also loved how Sidney Sheldon was ahead of his time in building strong, central female characters that were powerful, determined, and flawed. Most of his books were written in the 1980s and 1990s.
More recently, Harlan Coben is one of my favorite authors. I will pick up any new book he releases. I am also discovering more indie crime thriller authors such as LJ Ross. Ever since I started reading on Kindle, it’s made it much easier for me to incorporate reading into my daily routine.

What are you working on now?
My next book. It’s a new tangled case Private Detective Fati Rizvi has become embroiled in. The case of the missing twins who disappeared on their nineteenth birthday.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I will admit that marketing and promotion is something I am still learning! But I am putting most of my focus on my email list. You can join my email list here:
https://mailchi.mp/d6b48197e368/hsburneyemaillist

Do you have any advice for new authors?
A book seems like a gigantic undertaking when you sit down to start writing it. But as you keep chipping away at it over weeks and months, you’d be shocked when you wake up one day and have 100,000 words. So my advice is to not be overwhelmed by the scale of the project. Just keep writing!

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
When it comes to becoming a writer, consistency is everything. When I first decided to write a book, I started and abandoned many projects. I would start with a rush of excitement and then get to the messy middle where things get hard, and then I would give up and chase after the next shiny object. When I started The Lake Templeton Murders, I determined that I will see it through. I gave myself permission to write badly, taking comfort in the fact that I can simply fix what I don’t like in the editing process.

What are you reading now?
The West London Murders by Biba Pearce, a new mystery author I have just discovered.

What’s next for you as a writer?
Keep writing! I’ve found my passion in the murder mystery genre and I have enough ideas to last me 20 more books!

If you were going to be stranded on a desert island and allowed to take 3 or 4 books with you what books would you bring?
The latest Harlan Coben novel, my favorite epic from Sidney Sheldon (maybe Master of the Game) and Stephen King (maybe The Shining), and one inspirational non-fiction book (e.g. Victor Frankl’s Man’s Search for Meaning)

Author Websites and Profiles
HS Burney Amazon Profile

 

Laken Honeycutt 

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
Hello. I write adult fantasy novels about celestial wonders, dark histories, and the magic of trees. I currently have one published novel, The Chrysillium Tree, and am currently writing the sequel, Star of Shalik, which is will be released in September 2022.

I am also an avid reader. I enjoy connecting with other writers. I alpha, beta, and ARC read for a number of writers and I run a blog about process and craft called The Author Nook, which can be found on my website.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
The Chrysillium Tree was inspired by a dream. The pandemic had just begun and it was a difficult time, a frightening time. I’ve always been a sensitive person, and energetically, the world felt so strange during this time. Early on during all this, I had a dream of a beautiful tree with little crystals on its branches instead of leaves and they glowed a bioluminescent indigo color. They were breathtaking to behold, but what move me more than their beauty was the sound they made as the wind moved through their branches. The soft clinking of the crystals was a sound reminiscent of something cosmic, something ancient, something old and perhaps forgotten and yet so very peaceful.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I drink lots of very black coffee that I sprinkle with just a touch of cinnamon. I do my best creative writing late at night when the house is quiet, but also there is something about the moonlight and the stars… there are owls just outside my window that I often hear as I write. Something about the quiet and the magic of nighttime really ignites my creativity. On other days where I’m struggling with words or an idea, I’ll play some music to help get me into a mood.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
Leigh Bardugo
N.K. Jemisin
Deborah Harkness
Stephen King
Robert Jordan
Toni Adeyemi
Rosalyn Briar
E.P. Stavs

What are you working on now?
I am currently writing the sequel to The Chrysillium Tree. The first draft of Star of Shalik is almost complete. Part I has been given an emphatic thumbs up from my CP. I am about to give him part II for critique. Once the first draft is complete, I will enter into the long phase of critique and multiple revisions. I use alpha readers, beta readers, a developmental editor, a content editor, and a line editor. It’s a process! And I’m enjoying writing these early stages of Star of Shalik as the idea becomes more clear to me and the characters grow more defined.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
Twitter has probably been the best method although I must admit that was not intentional. I joined Twitter about a year and a half ago to connect with other writers. I was looking for friends to talk about the writing process with, share ideas, and read each other’s work. I found all of this as well as some life-long friends and much to my surprise a slew of dedicated readers. Little did I know, as I tweeted snippets, moodboards, quotes, etc of my WIP, readers were paying attention. The result, I had a fantastic book launch! I used other methods of marketing too, of course, but the best by far was Twitter which was an organic process focused on creating relationships.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Love your work. Don’t be too critical. Let your trusted early readers do that. Don’t underestimate the power of imagining. It’s easy to get hung up on prose and structure, but honestly too much focus on those things, especially early on in the process will kill the heart of it. Dream, imagine, believe, love… be present in your story, love it, live it. Then worry about all that other writerly stuff as you edit and refine the story. The other stuff is important too, of course. Your words need to be understood and nobody likes to be distracted by bad grammar or sloppy prose, but my point is it’s a process. And the imagining, the magic of the story, is just as important.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Let your writing breath. Give it space and time. Time to think and to imagine.

What are you reading now?
Soul-Strung by Rachel Hobbs
Heart of the Rose by K.L. Bone
Gideon the Ninth by Tamsyn Muir

What’s next for you as a writer?
Keep writing… finish Star of Shalik. Then write the third and final novel which is currently drafted. After that, I have another fantasy WIP that is completely written and set in another universe. It needs a massive amount of revising. It is also a trilogy.

So those two projects will probably take the next six years, at least.

If you were going to be stranded on a desert island and allowed to take 3 or 4 books with you what books would you bring?
Frank Herbert Dune
Isaac Asimov Foundation
Robert Jordon Eye of the World
Deborah Harkness A Discovery of Witches

Author Websites and Profiles
Laken Honeycutt Website
Laken Honeycutt Amazon Profile

Laken Honeycutt’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile
Facebook Profile
Twitter Account
Pinterest Account

Annalisa Crawford 

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I am the author of three short story collections, one novella, and two novels. I’ve been writing since I was a child, submitting (without success) my first pieces to Jackie and Just 17 magazines (in the UK) when I was 16.

One of the stories which appears in my collection You. I. Us – Watching the Storm Roll In – won 3rd prize in the 2015 Costa Short Story Award. Recently, my short fiction has appeared online at Fairlight Books, Flash Fiction Magazine, and Fictive Dream.

In my spare time, I am a fitness instructor and – of course – an avid reader.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
My latest book is Small Forgotten Moments, published by Vine Leaves Press in August 2021.

Jo is an artist with amnesia who is compelled to paint the same woman over and over. She assumes the woman is someone from her past so returns to her childhood home in the hope it will stir her memories.

The characters of Jo and the painting originally appeared in a different novel which I abandoned. But I loved the idea of them and started looking for their true story. I was inspired by my own poor memory and a local beach which is the setting for most of the novel.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I think my approach to writing is pretty unusual. I don’t plan, I meander around hitting brick walls and dead ends. I write scenes out of order as they occur to me, which sometimes means I have the same scene written in different ways or at different stages of the story. On the second or third draft, I’ll have figured out what the story is. At that point, I re-type the novel from scratch which is basically like starting all over again. So, I guess the most unusual habit is I write the same novel twice, each and every time!

What authors, or books have influenced you?
I’m a huge fan of Margaret Atwood, Suzannah Dunn’s contemporary novels, Mitch Albom and Chuck Palahniuk – a very mixed bunch! I’m influenced by the way their stories unfold and how the ideas and twists in the story are drip-fed.

What are you working on now?
I’m currently at the very early stages of a new novel. I have a character in my head but she’s not telling me her story yet. I know she’s probably some kind of psychic, but a very pragmatic, reluctant one.

And I’m attempting to write a few more short stories, which have been on the back burner recently.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I probably get the most interaction via my Facebook page. It’s not ideal, with all the controversy surrounding it, but I find it easier to manage than Twitter. I’m attempting to use Instagram more, but with intermittent success.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Know the rules of good grammar, good writing, good story structure – and then know why you’re breaking them if it works for your story. Don’t be confined. Think of how many books would not have been published if they stuck to the rules – Milkman by Anna Burns or Ducks, Newburyport by Lucy Ellmann, for example.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
I’m not good at taking advice. Someone – I can’t remember who – told me to follow my heart, to not follow the trends but write what I want to write. The problem with following trends is by the time you’ve identified it and written it, the publishing world has moved on to something else. Being in the right place at the right time is down to luck and nothing else.

What are you reading now?
I’ve just this moment finished The Other Bennet Sister by Janice Hadlow (if you love Jane Austen, I think you’ll love this too – I did), and I’m eyeing my shelves for the next. Possibly it’ll be On Earth We’re Briefly Gorgeous by Ocean Vuong.

What’s next for you as a writer?
As I mentioned above, I’m gathering ideas for my next novel and a few short stories.

If you were going to be stranded on a desert island and allowed to take 3 or 4 books with you what books would you bring?
Pride & Prejudice – Jane Austen
Diary – Chuck Palahniuk
Life After Life – Kate Atkinson
At the Stroke of Nine O’Clock – Jane Davis

Author Websites and Profiles
Annalisa Crawford Website
Annalisa Crawford Amazon Profile

Annalisa Crawford’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile
Facebook Profile
Twitter Account

Richard Botelho 

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I am an author, thinker, philosopher, and social critic. My previous books include gold award winner The New Individualism: Personal Change to Transform Society, Leah’s Way, and Reason for Existence. My works are used in hundreds of colleges and universities and have been featured in The Midwest Quarterly, Library Journal, The Review of Metaphysics, and The Journal of Personal Transformation.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
The Full Extent: An Inquiry into Reality and Destiny

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
No.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
Biocentrism by Robert Lanza
The Mind of God by Paul Davies
Reality Is Not What It Seems by Carlo Rovelli
Cosmic Coincidences by John Gribbin
Passport to Magonia by Jacques Vallee
The Idea of the World by Bernardo Kastrup

What are you working on now?
The Sociology of Reality and Destiny

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
Large Reviewers like Library Journal or Booklist

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Self Publishing or Small Press

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
“All battles are won before they are ever fought.”

What are you reading now?
Research for my next book.

What’s next for you as a writer?
Explore metrics and mathematical formulas to prove concepts.

If you were going to be stranded on a desert island and allowed to take 3 or 4 books with you what books would you bring?
The Bible
The Sun Also Rises
The Fifth Discipline
The Structure of Scientific Revolutions
The New Individualism

Author Websites and Profiles
Richard Botelho Website
Richard Botelho Amazon Profile

Richard Botelho’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile