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Judy Bloomberg 

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I have always had a passion for adventure … not the kind where you climb Mt Everest to prove to yourself and the world that you have amazing endurance and ability to withstand cold, but the “Around the World in 80 Days” kind of adventure, the kind where you set off for countries whose names you can’t even pronounce, to explore other cultures and other peoples, to learn how we are different and (perhaps even more importantly, how we are the same). Over the last 50+ years, I have visited about 115 different countries, on all seven continents. Among my favorites have been Papua New Guinea, Ethiopia, Bhutan, Mongolia, Laos, Myanmar, and Antarctica, all of which feature prominently in my book. Whenever possible, I try to immerse myself in the culture and daily life of the places I visit through home stays, volunteer work, and participation in the celebrations and life cycle events of the inhabitants. I have stayed as the guest in the ger (yurt) of a famous eagle hunter in western Mongolia and with members of the Hamer tribe in southern Ethiopia. I have had a lovely conversation with the Queen Mother of Bhutan, whom I encountered randomly in a Bhutanese temple. I have been the guest of honor (and only non-Kazakh person) at a 300 person wedding near the border of Kazakhstan. I have semi-circumnavigated Antarctica from Argentina to New Zealand, viewing not just hundreds of thousands of penguins, but also the rarely-seen huts of Antarctic explorers like Shackleton and Scott, left just as they were when they were abandoned over 100 years ago. I have attended enormous tribal festivals in Papua New Guinea, where more than 100 different tribes gathered together to show off their unique dress, face decorations, and dances. I have taught English classes in places as far-flung as Haiti, Laos, Indonesia, and Ethiopia. These are just a few of the experiences that have helped shape my debut book, Always A Traveler, Never a Tourist: In Search of People and Places on the Road Less Traveled. When not traveling, I live in Massachusetts (USA) and plan my next adventure.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
My latest book is called Always a Traveler, Never a Tourist: In Search of People and Places on the Road Less Traveled. It was inspired by my travels to countries all over the world, and my desire to share images and stories about people who live traditional lifestyles in countries that most readers will never have the chance to visit. While many travel photography books focus mainly on wildlife and scenery, I am fascinated by people (although there are some incredible wildlife photos and scenery as well – especially in
Africa and Antarctica). Most of the book depicts daily life, festivals, and amazing portrait photos of ethnic people with traditional tribal dress, body and facial decoration, and so on. It is really a riot of color and a feast for the eyes! The idea for the book took hold during COVID, when the world was stuck at home, unable to travel. I started curating my collection of thousands of travel photos and posting the best of them on Facebook. People were so impressed with the photos, that they begged me to turn them into a book, and to include background info and personal anecdotes about these little-known places. The result is Always a Traveler, Never a Tourist: In Search of People and Places on the Road Less Traveled.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?

What authors, or books have influenced you?
A Year in Provence (Peter Mayle)
Under the Tuscan Sun (Frances Mayes)
Eat, Pray, Love (Elizabeth Gilbert)
Portraits (Steve McCurry)
Photographs (Annie Leibovitz)
Coming of Age in Samoa (Margaret Mead)

What are you working on now?
I am not currently working on another book, but I am thinking about writing a book about my experiences living in a small village in France for a year (2002-2003). The village is in northern Burgundy, about 1 1/2 hours south of Paris. It is a village of about 3,000 people, and I lived in a “suburb” of that village, a tiny hamlet of just nine houses. I purposely chose not to live in Paris, because in Paris I would always be considered a tourist, whereas in rural France I could really try to become part of the community. I was amazed to learn that I really could become part of that community, working as a volunteer in the local nursery school, taking weekly hikes in the forest with the locals, being invited to dinner parties at the homes of my neighbors, and attending town-wide soirees (including a memorable New Year’s Eve party that lasted until 6am). I learned a lot about myself that year, and also learned a lot about the lifestyles of people in that village – how we are different and (perhaps even more importantly) how we are the same. I have a ton of funny anecdotes and heartwarming stories from that year, which I hope to eventually turn into a book.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
Facebook, Instagram

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
The world is an amazing place. Try to see as much of it as you can.

Author Websites and Profiles
Judy Bloomberg Amazon Profile

Judy Bloomberg’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile
Facebook Profile
Twitter Account
Pinterest Account

David Färber 

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I’m a 26 year old South African young man. I’ve only written the single book that I’ve published on Amazon. I’m a very calm person and wish to be successful in the future, however I know it will not be easy and hard work will only get me there.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
The Divine Tears. I’ve always had a love for the medieval ages and European folklore, in which I incorporated it somewhat into my book. I was always fond of dragons and magic as well, which I heavily included it into my book, and would like to continue with an in depth look into my world’s systems of magic in the coming future.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I tend to do heavy research, nearly every sentence, to find the perfect words and flow. I also avoid common words that are overly used in today’s mediums of entertainment such as the words “because” and “literally.”

What authors, or books have influenced you?
I was influenced by writers such as Andrzej Sapkowski who wrote the popular Witcher series. And the writer who perfectly shaped the word “fantasy” for the whole world, J.R.R. Tolkien.

What are you working on now?
I am currently working on my second book in the series which for me personally is a step into the right direction, for my characters and world. And I feel that I can have more creative freedom with it. And on the other side I am marketing my first book in the series of “The Divine Tears.”

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I am currently a beginner in promoting my book, however I would wish to learn more on how to efficiently promote my books.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Do not expect the whole world will all at once buy your book. Be calm and humble, we all have our time to shine.

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

What are you reading now?
Time of Contempt by Andrzej Sapkowski

What’s next for you as a writer?
Writing my second installment for hopefully a long future in the series.

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 Children of Húrin. The Hunger Games: Catching Fire. Harry Potter And The Prisoner Of Azkaban

Author Websites and Profiles
David Färber Amazon Profile

David Färber’s Social Media Links
Facebook Profile

Kira Seamon 

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
BIOGRAPHY
Kira Kanani Seamon was born and raised in Hawaii. She attended the prestigious Punahou School as an award-winning honor student. A polymath, Kira is a gold medal/state winner in piano performance and a National and two-time Regional Dance Champion. She’s an award-winning photographer and has had her art accepted and sold in national and regional juried shows. She’s had over fifty newspaper cover stories about her art and is a fourteen-time grant recipient from cultural councils. She celebrated her first solo museum exhibit of her work in 2020. She was recently the inaugural artist-in-residence in Natick, Massachusetts. She received a personal letter from the Massachusetts Senate President and a Certificate of Recognition from the Massachusetts State Legislation in recognition of her grant from Framingham, Massachusetts. All of this culminated in her receiving the prestigious Albert Nelson Marquis Lifetime Achievement Award, for which she appeared in the Wall Street Journal in 2020.
She took a once-in-a-lifetime trip to Machu Picchu, Peru with the Punahou Alumni Association and her travel tale about that expedition is published in the 2021 September/October edition of the Writers and Readers’ Magazine. Additionally, her Peru photography is the editorial feature in the 2021 fall edition of DRIFT Travel magazine. DRIFT Travel is an upscale travel and lifestyle magazine with each issue being emailed to 4+ million digital magazine readers worldwide. Additionally, DRIFT is also part of the PressReader magazine/newspaper digital platform that puts DRIFT in thousands of hotels, cruise ships, resorts and airlines around the world, opening the door to an additional 300 million users annually. Her horror short story, A Cereus Curse, is published in Terror Tract’s Hell-o-Ween 2021 anthology. Kira has never met a story from Greek mythology that she didn’t love and has kept a daily journal since her teens. Dead Cereus is her first novel and it won First Place in the Royal Dragonfly Book Awards in the romance category.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
My book is entitled Dead Cereus, after the night-blooming cereus plant.
(Anecdote about my setting, Shellesby College greenhouse complex, which was inspired by the real-life Wellesley College greenhouse complex.)
I was born and raised in Hawaii amongst the plethora of tropical flowers and plants. It was indeed Paradise and I enjoyed the year-round summer weather. When I later moved to Boston, I eventually started to miss all the greenery and flowers during the harsh New England winters. This became especially pronounced in the winter of 2017. I had heard about the Wellesley College greenhouses from a friend and thought this might be a great time to check them out. I was enchanted when I stepped through their doors because here were the flowers of my youth growing heartily despite the bitter cold outside!
I found myself going there every day; it became the highlight of my day. I talked to master horticulturalist David Sommers, and he showed me the different Latin names of the plants and what they were commonly called. I took my dad with me every day, and he would fall asleep on the bench in what I called the “Tropical Forest Room” in the book. This bench was tucked away off the path, literally sitting amidst the tall Guadalupe palm and the giant white bird of paradise plant. The bench had very comfy cushions, and Dad would fall asleep beside me. Even though David and other staff were around, the place was often deserted, and sometimes I didn’t see another soul for the entire duration of my visit.
I remember thinking one day, This place would be a good setting for a mystery book—it’s so mysterious. About ten minutes later, with my dad snoring beside me all the while, the thought came to me: Do I need to be the one to write that mystery book about the greenhouses?
Well, once the thought took root, (pardon the botanical pun), there was no going back. Alas, the Wellesley College Greenhouses in that iteration are no more. As luck would have it, right before it was scheduled to be razed, their prize Queen of the Night night-blooming cereus plant was set to bloom! David invited me to their bloom party, and it was a true highlight of all my experiences there at the greenhouses.
That night, I couldn’t wait until David opened the greenhouses, and from the first moment I set foot inside, I was greeted by the most beautiful scent ever! Literally bouncing off the walls now with excitement, I yelped in pleasure when I saw them for the first time.. This was my first experience with the blossoms. They really do open rather quickly, almost like watching a time-lapse film in real- time. They are of the softest silken feel, and they look breathtaking. I left around 10:00 p.m., and David said that by the morning, they had totally wilted. I took photos of them, but I also purchased exquisite photos David took during his many years at the college.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I get very creative at night and would say I am a confirmed night owl. I like to keep notebooks around the house for those ideas that pop in my head.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
I was extremely inspired by The Writer’s Journey, by Christopher Vogler. The 12 stages of the hero’s journey are not only great phases to have your main character go through, but I found my own life journey drew on many of those stages as well. I was particularly impressed and inspired by his personal story at the end of the book. He says, “trust the story”, and as an author, going through a long five-year journey to bring my book into being, this was the one thing I kept holding onto with both hands. I trusted the story and allowed it to lead me to all the different members of my team and in all the right time frames that I was meant to meet them.

What are you working on now?
Dead Cereus is a cozy mystery and I plan more adventures with Holly and William…speaking of “Hollium” (Holly + William), their love story will be told in a Dead Cereus romance series in 2022! I am very excited about that because I have always wondered how they met, myself! They will tell me their story and then I will write it for you-haha!

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I am a debut author, so I am just learning the ropes. I think a very large publicity campaign is good, and I am learning about what that entails right now.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
As a new author myself, I would let others know that this is most likely the hardest it will ever be…meaning, as a debut author, you are not only promoting your book, you are likely setting up a website, a newsletter, other infrastructure, that you will not have to do with the next book! Everything will already be in place, and you will have learned what works and didn’t work in terms of promotion with the first book.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
There are a couple of nuggets that I remind myself of frequently.

1) you get out of it what you put into it. I think this applies to writing the book, promoting the book, even your own personal growth as a human being, your relationships, literally everything!

2) I always like to joke to people that I got my best career advice from the Sound of Music!
Climb every mountain.
Ford every stream.
Follow every rainbow.
‘Til il you find your dream.

A dream that will need
All the love you can give,
Every day of your life,
For as long as you live.

…if you think about it…it’s true!

What are you reading now?
I am reading some of my new FB author friend’s works.
I am re-reading Memoirs of a Geisha.
I am re-reading some Anne Rice novels.

What’s next for you as a writer?
Children’s book!
And continuing the cozy mystery series and debuting the romance series.

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?
So many to choose from, it’s hard to pick a “desert island” book…
Oh gosh…Possibly The Writer’s Journey by Christopher Vogler, though I could list easily twenty that would classify as my favorite of all time!
The Very Hungry Caterpillar.
Divergent Series
Hunger Games Series

Author Websites and Profiles
Kira Seamon Website
Kira Seamon Amazon Profile

 

Nigel Davies-Williams 

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I’ve already indie published a couple of books on Amazon under my nom de plume ‘Will Esling’ and they have achieved reasonable success, but the story of my pilot uncle I have written in my own name Nigel Davies-Williams.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
It’s called Gerald’s War. My uncle was reported missing over Greece in 1941 at the height of the Second World War. No one knew what had happened to him which set me on a forty-year quest to uncover a truly remarkable story.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I’m a middle of the night writer at times and so keep my writing paraphernalia at hand next to the bed. My mind’s always buzzing with ideas and I often wake up in the night to make notes, which my two Bernese Mountain dogs love, because they get a midnight treat.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
The author who has had the biggest influence on my life is Roald Dahl. It was Dahl who set me on a forty-year journey to search for my missing uncle Gerald Davies. In the eighties I read his autobiography ‘Going Solo’ and discovered Dahl had also been in the Royal Air Force and more pertinently he was a pilot in Greece and Egypt at the same time my uncle was there. As regards my other works, my biggest influencers are Dan Brown and J.K. Rowling but who don’t they have an influence on!

What are you working on now?
I’m currently working in a sequel to my book Armageddon’s Rod (https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B08MWS4G4P) which is called Armageddon’s Chalice. I’m also working on a collection of children’s books which I hope to publish soon. It’s all go!

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
Promotion of any book is the hardest thing to get right. Yes, I plod away with Instagram and Twitter, but it doesn’t seem to work that well. Working with people like the Awesome Gang is a great way to advertise a book. I do my best to get around the local book shops and network with the people I know.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Stop thinking other authors out there will help promote your book – they won’t, they’re only interested in their own work. Furthermore, stop doing all that work submitting your book to agents and publishers who probably will never read your work. Do it for yourself, then you’ll know it’s done, and you’ll probably be more successful!

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
If I had to give any advice on this it would be to put pen to paper and write to ‘anyone and everyone’ to help get your book out there. I feel so lucky getting in touch with Sir David Jason who agreed to write a foreword to Gerald’s War for me.

What are you reading now?
I’m reading The Fear Bubble by Ant Middleton – such an inspirational book. You’ll never fear anything after this!

What’s next for you as a writer?
I need to do much research for my book Armageddon’s Chalice and will find myself heading off across England and Wales to visit ancient locations, which will feature in the book. Then it’s a matter of typing all I’ve seen into the book. Capturing real locations in my books transports the reader to a time and place where they feel more involved with the words on the page.

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?
Going Solo by Roald Dahl
My Family and Other Animals by Gerald Durrell
The Templar Legacy by Steve Berry
Angels and Demons by Dan Brown

Author Websites and Profiles
Nigel Davies-Williams Website
Nigel Davies-Williams Amazon Profile

Linzi Carlisle 

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I’m a Brit chick, who grew up in a town called Dartford, in Kent, in the UK (generally with a book in my hand).
I met my husband in South Africa and we lived in Zambia for thirteen amazing years (where I generally had a book in my hand), before moving to the Garden Route in the Western Cape of South Africa (where I generally have a… ok, you get the idea!).
While I’m writing I can see the Outeniqua mountains from the window, and when I need a break, we can take a short drive to the beach for a long walk.
I’ve written two murder mysteries in The Sasha Blue Mystery Series (Village Lies and Graphic Lies), with the third one on the way.
I’ve also written one children’s book which is a labour of love inspired by and based on our three cats and three dogs from our years in Zambia
My short Christmas story – Skipping Christmas in Holly Crescent – was published just in time for Christmas – a cosy, fun, holiday read.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
My short Christmas story – Skipping Christmas in Holly Crescent – was borne from an urge to write something light-hearted, fun, uplifting, and comforting, something which we are all in need of as we continue to cope with the pandemic and associated stresses and anxieties. I hope it helps cheer my readers up and take their minds off things for a few enjoyable hours.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I often write late in the evening and a gin and tonic or two can be found beside me on my desk.
I write in my head when I’m supposed to be going to sleep, when I’m in the shower, when I’m walking around the supermarket or on the treadmill, and basically whenever I’m not physically typing at my keyboard.
I’ve been known to pop out of bed in the night and go to my desk to write down my ideas for fear of forgetting them by the morning.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
I totally absorbed Agatha Christie’s books when I was young, and my love for her books and incredible writing ability has never waned.
I subscribed to the Agatha Christie book club when I earned my first salary at the age of seventeen in my first job in London, receiving a red and gold bound hardcover book containing two stories, each month. These well-travelled books still grace my bookshelves to this day, almost forty years later, together with paperback copies because I couldn’t resist the covers.
I read her books again every few years and am impressed and amazed by them every time.
My other favourite writer is Ruth Rendell, her psychological mysteries are incredible and a great inspiration to me. Her books also sit proudly on my bookshelves and have been read many times over the years, and will be again.
I also love the comforting style of Maeve Binchy, Rosamunde Pilcher, and Penny Vincenzi, as well as the brilliant thrillers by John Grisham and Michael Connelly.

What are you working on now?
I’m currently writing the third book in The Sasha Blue Mystery series – Old Lies – which is about the murder of an elderly lady in a care home who was known for her interfering and trouble-making ways. It’s set in a fictional Engish village called Parva Crossing, the setting for book one in the series.
Sasha Blue, my female sleuth, has to find out who the killer is – it could be a fellow resident, or a member of staff, or even a visiting relative – all the while coping with her own personal life which involves an old love and a problematic fiance.
I’m having great fun with the characters and their hidden secrets and lies from their old lives.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I haven’t done much book promotion so far, but I share my progress and new releases on my Facebook page and Instagram page, as well as on my author blog.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Write what you love – if you enjoy writing it, the words will flow and readers will pick up on your enthusiasm for the story.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Write the next book.

What are you reading now?
I’m currently reading The Seven Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle by Stuart Turton – it’s an intriguing mystery and the author has a great writing style.

What’s next for you as a writer?
I’ll continue to write my Sasha Blue Mystery Series but also plan to write some standalone books with more of a psychological angle, inspired by Ruth Rendell’s style.

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?
Ruth Rendell – Thirteen Steps Down (but it could be any of her books)
Agatha Christie – After the Funeral (but it could be any of her books)
Irwin Shaw – Rich Man Poor Man
George Orwell – Animal Farm

Author Websites and Profiles
Linzi Carlisle Website
Linzi Carlisle Amazon Profile

Linzi Carlisle’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile
Facebook Profile

Inderpreet Kaur 

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
Welcome to Inderpreet Kaur/ Mast Mayuri The Intoxicated Peafowl dancing in the rain/ Chhandi The Warrior Princess’s Interview for s-cube, Seduction of the Seducer of Seducers – Another platitudinous Upanishad: A memento for an Eternal Life, my first Book. I am dedicated to giving you the very best in Talk and more Tawaaking, with a focus on my experience from living in the East and the West, experience in Bagalamukhi Meditation, experience in Software Development Methodologies.

When I started in September of 2021 my passion for Existentialism and Bhakti Yog drove me to creating a literary masterpiece ‘s-cube’, start a community of Mast-mast Mayuri believers, etc. Now I serve customers all over the whole world with translated versions of the book in all major languages, and is thrilled by the opportunity of sharing my passion with you. I sincerely hope you enjoy my memento for an Eternal Life: s-cube, Seduction of the Seducer of Seducers – Another platitudinous Upanishad. In the beginning it might seem boring but still stick with it, as I promise that the interesting part starts from the line that comes after the next line!

You are in me, and I am in you, so who better than me to not understand your constant insatiable appetite for entertainment from every moment to moment.. Enough chatter now you do your work while I do mine…

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
The great name is Seduction of the Seducer of Seducers – Another platitudinous Upanishad: A memento for an Eternal Life. Why you should choose me over my competition is because I write from my experience that comes from being exposed to both the eastern and western style of living, where in the first half of my life it was east while the other half of my life in the west, which means it puts the burden of being that missing link that is needed to unite the East and the West!
This piece of art is inspired on seeing a need of bringing awareness towards uniting the East and the West literally and East and West metaphorically where East is referring to inside while West is referring to Outside, uniting to fight all the issues that are threatening this beautiful Creation now else it is not there…

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
My writing comes out like a child’s handwriting! I feel very embarrassed when someone else sees it : -)

What authors, or books have influenced you?
Soren Kierkegaard’s either/or
Rishi Vyas’s Mahabharat
Vedic Literature’s all Stories

What are you working on now?
promotion! promotion! promotion! Yikes indeed…

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
Facebook

Do you have any advice for new authors?
When you start it may seem like this endeavor will never end but still stick with it as the most reliable Friend Time will come…

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
God does all for the best! Even if we cannot understand why we fell, know that there must be some good in it which we cannot see now due to the limitations of our physical bodies and mind to grasp.

What are you reading now?
My book again and again! Not because everyday I feel I am more wiser but because I want to ensure that my readers got the point that I am trying to convey.

What’s next for you as a writer?
I will like to continue writing in my Diary daily, over any of my daily observations and tasks I did… And be active in Facebook Posts

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?
Vedas, my Book, Soren Kierkegaard’s Books

Author Websites and Profiles
Inderpreet Kaur Website
Inderpreet Kaur Amazon Profile

Inderpreet Kaur’s Social Media Links
Facebook Profile

Maggie Anderson 

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I’m an independent author that writes urban fantasy, paranormal romance and contemporary romance. I’ve been writing for most of my life, since I was eight years old, and published my first book in 2011 – Dark Legacy. In total, currently, I have 18 books published with two more to follow. And a cozy mystery series coming next year. I love to share my stories with readers, it’s why I do what I do.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
My latest book is a holiday romance titled Christmas, Mistletoe and Me (another stand alone book in this series is Christmas, Mistletoe and You). I wrote it for the holidays and have one more to write for next Christmas.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
Not really. I write when the muse allows me to, lol. When I am writing, though, I will write until I exhaust all the words I can then stop.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
Bram Stoker’s Dracula was the book that started the love of vampire fiction for me when I was 14. My English class had to do a book review and Dracula was the teacher’s choice. After reading Shakespeare and not enjoying it at all, I thought this would be the same. I couldn’t have been more wrong. I was mesmerized by Stoker’s charismatic, unorthodox character from start to finish.

What are you working on now?
Currently, I’m working on the final book in my Moon Grove PNR series. Once that’s done I’ll start the cozy mystery series I’ve been wanting to write, plus a standalone vampire novel and a short story.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I do a lot of promoting on Facebook and find that to be ok. Instagram is another.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Yes, to write a quality book. Make sure it’s edited, revised and something readers will enjoy. Research how to publish (if you’re an indie author) and ensure you produce a professionally finished product. Your reputation as an author depends on it.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
To engage with your readers and be real. Offer your time and they will appreciate you.

What are you reading now?
I don’t read just one book. I’m currently reading Storm Front by Jim Butcher, The Girl Remains by Katherine Firkin, and The Dictionary of Lost Words by Pip Williams.

What’s next for you as a writer?
To, hopefully, be able to give up my night job and write full time in the not-too-distant future. Every writer’s dream.

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?
Good question. Would have to be practical. Wilderness Survival: Living with the Clothes on your Back and the Knife on your Belt by Mark Elbroch and Mike Pewtherer, Pepper’s Long Term Survival Guide by Jim Cobb. Then, of course, a couple of fiction books – Swiss Family Robinson and Treasure Island, lol.

Author Websites and Profiles
Maggie Anderson Website
Maggie Anderson Amazon Profile

Maggie Anderson’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile
Facebook Profile
Twitter Account
Pinterest Account

Muhafizul Haque 

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I’m an author at 13 with a passion for philosophy and theology. Currently, I hold three titles to my name. Hopefully, that number increases.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
Divine Doctrine. It’s about Islamic philosophy and theology. The idea sparked in my mind when I was in the middle of my contemplation, and I was like, “Hey, I know lots about theology, maybe I could write a book on it”, and so O started, using a book by one of my favourite scholars to guide me.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
Being only 13, I’m not entirely sure about what’s normal and what’s not, so I don’t know.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
I have a passion for philosophy and theology, so the two figures who truly inspired me are Immanuel Kant and Al-Ghazali.

What are you working on now?
I’m working on a book about the problematic rise of a drug cartel, and a town caught in the middle of a battle between an established mafia, and a vicious predecessor to the Sinaloa Cartel.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
Amazon ads.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
My advice for new authors, as a new author, is keep at it. Never expect success at the first or second book you publish. The rainbow comes after the rain, it’s a principle.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Write stories not for fame and money, but to tell the world something you want it know, something deep within your heart.

What are you reading now?
‘Critique of pure reason’ by Immanuel Kant.

What’s next for you as a writer?
I’m going to keep writing as a hobby and passion, a side huddle, whilst chasing a degree in my number one interest, philosophy. From there, I will hopefully get a job as a journalist.

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?
Al-Ghazali’s ‘Incoherence Of the Philosophers’, Abu Hanifa’s ‘The greater Knowledge’, Marcus Aurelius’ ‘Meditations’, and Immanuel Kant’s ‘The Critique of pure reason’

Author Websites and Profiles
Muhafizul Haque Amazon Profile

Donna Kaye 

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I’ve been an avid reader since my fourth-grade teacher got me hooked on books. I enjoy books from several genres, but my favorites are romances. I like the happy-ever-after endings.
For my day job I’m an accountant which takes a lot of time, so I don’t get to write as many stories as I’d like to. I only manage about one book a year right now.
When I’m not writing, I spend time with family and friends. I love playing cards and board games. I also enjoy live music and theater performances.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
My latest published book is Finding Hope.
The heroine in my story is suffering from PTSD and finds a connection with a special dog named, Murray, who helps her deal with her flashbacks. I chose this complication for her since I’ve got many family members who have or are still serving in the military. My cousin Grant has done seven tours in Afghanistan, that I know of, I could have missed one.
If my story could help one veteran realize that they aren’t alone and that asking for help doesn’t make them weak, then my book would be a success.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
Not unusual, just not as efficient as they should be. I’m a pantser. I know my characters and the main plot points, but I never know how I’m getting from one incident to the next. I expect my characters to tell me as I write. That’s not a good thing when you’re writing suspense, you end doing a lot of rewriting to connect everything.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
I have lot of favorite authors. I’ll list the ones that are still at the top of my list after many years. Linda Howard, Elizabeth Lowell, Jayne Ann Krentz, Julie Miller and Justine Davis are just a few.

What are you working on now?
My current book is called Trust Me. My hero is a former CIA operative, who gets out to move closer to his nephew and try to build a better life for himself. He becomes involved in trying to keep a local psychiatrist safe. She’s been targeted by a stalker and needs protection.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I haven’t found a good method or website yet. I’m hoping Awesome Gang will become the best one for me.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Write the stories that you’d like to read. The characters and story lines will touch other readers because they come from the heart. Happy writing.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
The best advice I’ve had is that my stories will not be for everyone. All a writer can do is write the best story they can and hope it strikes a chord with other readers.

What are you reading now?
Another Night Alone by Bernadette Jones.
A wonderful emotionally intense story with a character that was a secondary one in her earlier books. Deke Ward is a strong, proud man who does everything he can to protect those who are smaller or weaker.

What’s next for you as a writer?
I hope to continue writing at least a book a year for the Aspen Gold Series I’m part of and I want to finish the first three books in another series I’m writing. If I get lucky enough to start making a living from my writing, then I may manage more books a year. I’ll keep my fingers crossed on that.

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?
How do you pick only three books? Wow, there are so many.
Mackenzie’s Mountain by Linda Howard
A Woman Without Lies by Elizabeth Lowell
Promise Not To Tell by Jayne Ann Krentz
Operation Midnight by Justine Davis

Author Websites and Profiles
Donna Kaye Website
Donna Kaye Amazon Profile

Donna Kaye’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile
Facebook Profile
Twitter Account
Pinterest Account

Brook Peterson 

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
As long as I can remember I have been reading mysteries. By the time I was ten, I was writing my own and turning them into little stapled paperbacks to share with my family. I’m thrilled to be writing and publishing real books to share with all of you mystery lovers out there. My stories are sure to include long-held secrets, an antique or two, and a little bit of romance.

I currently have two books available in the Jericho Falls Cozy Mystery series. Book one is entitled, A History of Murder and a holiday novella is The Present Predicament. The second novel in the series will release Jan. 14, 2022.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
A Collection of Secrets is Book 2 in the Jericho Falls Cozy Mysteries and will release in Jan. 2022. Similar to A History of Murder, there are aspects of the past that continue to trouble our sleuth, Chloe Martin. But that’s not the only thing complicating her life; she also hits a snag in her burgeoning relationship with police chief, Lance Garner. Without giving too much away, I will say that readers of book one who wanted more information about Christy’s mysterious diary will be pleased.

My favorite part of writing this story was incorporating the RV park scenes. In the past, my husband’s job required extensive travel and staying in RV parks was a way of life for us. It was fun for me to bring this part of our real life into the world of Jericho Falls.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I write at a stand up desk most of the time.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
My biggest mystery author influence is Sue Grafton. Her Alphabet Series is the best P.I. series ever written, in my opinion. I also love British author Robert Goddard who writes twisty, suspenseful stories full of secrets that span generations.

What are you working on now?
I’m currently proofreading A Collection of Secrets, preparing it for release soon. Next, I will be polishing my middle grade mystery entitled, The Cameo’s Secret which will be published by Level Best Books in 2023.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
My favorite social media platform is Instagram. You can find me at @brookpetersonauthor. I find the community to be very welcoming and positive. I also enjoy connecting with my readers via my monthly newsletter.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Don’t give up. Just finish each story to the best of your ability and keep going.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
I love Stephen King’s advice, I’m paraphrasing, but he says that each story already exists–as author’s it’s just our job to excavate them and bring them into the light.

What are you reading now?
The Book of Lost Names, by Kristin Harmel. It’s a WWII story of love and espionage.

Author Websites and Profiles
Brook Peterson Website
Brook Peterson Amazon Profile
Brook Peterson Author Profile on Smashwords

Brook Peterson’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile
Facebook Profile
Pinterest Account

Amra Pajalic 

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
am an author, reader and teacher. My memoir Things Nobody Knows But Me about being parented by a Bi Polar mother from a Non-English Speaking Background was published by Transit Lounge in 2019 and was shortlisted for the 2020 National Biography Award. Read more about it here. Memoir extracts have been published in anthologies Meet Me at the Intersection and Rebellious Daughters.

I am co-editor of the anthology Growing up Muslim in Australia that was shortlisted for the 2015 Children’s Book Council of Australia Eve Pownall Award for Information Books and was selected by the Grattan Institute for the 2015 Summer Reading List for Prime Minister.

I work as a high school teacher and teach across four subject areas: English, English as an Additional Language, Humanities and Creative Writing. If you are an educator check out my Resources for Teachers page. I have written teaching notes for Growing up Muslim in Australia, Meet Me at the Intersection and memoir Muddy People by Sara El Sayed.

My non fiction has been published in Overland, Southerly, The Guardian, SBS Voices and AEU Magazine. Scroll down to view my articles.
​
I am the author of a novel for children Amir: Friend on Loan, and of award winning young adult novel The Good Daughter. I was born and raised in Melbourne’s Western Suburbs where I work as a high school teacher. I am completing a PhD in Creative Writing at La Trobe University.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
The Cuckoo’s Song: Short Stories is a short story collection featuring my previously published and prize-winning stories. The title comes from the first story in the collection and it’s the most favourite story I ever wrote and features all the spine tingling things I love: true love, prophecies, and strong women who take fate into their own hands. I’ve always wanted to publish a short story collection and when traditional publishers didn’t knock on my door, I rolled up my sleeves and self published it.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
In the past it has taken me a long time to write a novel because I was working full time as a teacher. In order to keep myself motivated I submitted extracts of my novel as short stories and had them published or placed in writing competitions. Through this I gained some much needed motivation because it confirmed the stories I was telling were worthwhile, it helped me build an audience in order to convince a publisher to publish my books, and it helped me find readers who were interested in my writing. Many of the stories in this collection are extracts of my novels that will soon be published or re-released as an indie author.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
I’m a big reader across genres. My favourite young adult books are Looking for Ali Brandi by Melina Marchetta, and None Shal Sleep by Ellie Marney, thriller authors are Sarah Bailey’s Gemma Woodstock series and Jane Harper’s novels, favourite memoirs are The Cat I Never Named by Amra Sabic-El Reyes and No Matter our Wreckage by Gemma Carey.

What are you working on now?
I’m working on re-releasing my debut novel The Good Daughter and the sequel I wrote, The Other Daughter as a duology. I’m very excited about re-branding this books and getting them out there. The Good Daughter is a prize-winning young adult novel and I loved the characters so much I had to keep writing about them in The Other Daughter.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I love using Goodreads as a reader to track my reading and find recommendations and I love seeing reader reviews.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Write, revise, submit, repeat. Writing is subjective and you can’t let rejections decide your worth. Keep fighting for your work by revising and learning.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
“It’s not what you do, it’s what you get done.” This motto has kept me going for all the years I worked at a day job until I got published.

What are you reading now?
Melanie Casey’s Hindsight, the first book in the Cass Lehman psychic detective series.

What’s next for you as a writer?
To complete a thriller trilogy and release it into the world and build on my skills and efforts as ann indie author.

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?
Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte
Divergent by Veronica Roth’
Outlander by Diana Gabaldon

Author Websites and Profiles
Amra Pajalic Website
Amra Pajalic Amazon Profile

Amra Pajalic’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile
Facebook Profile
Twitter Account
Pinterest Account

Avi Datta 

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
Professionally, I am a Professor in Strategy and Entrepreneurship at the Illinois State University. I paint, (https://avi-datta.com/about/#art), I am obsessed with coffee. I like learning about mechanical watches, and sports cars. Lastly, I am a lifelong fan of Pink Floyd, Chopin, and Liszt.
I am working on my Time Corrector series. The first book-The Winding will be published on February 3, 2022.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
The Winding. It’s the first book in the Time Correction series.
In 1994, I dreamed of speaking with a girl fluently in Japanese. But this dream seemed like a past life but set in the future. I ignored it and dived into the world of Calculus, Statistics, Quantum Mechanics. When I shut my eyes while listening to my favorite composers—from Chopin to Hans Zimmer, I can picture beautiful scenes of real places where I have never been and never seen on TV. They are almost always in Japan. (I don’t know what connection I have with that land). In 2020, the dream reappeared. And I began to write. That’s the best I can do to touch the fragments of an unlived life.
(the connection of Vincent with Japan becomes clearer in book 2)

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I have a playlist from composers like Hans Zimmer, Chopin, Liszt, Hiroyuki Sawano, Pink Floyd that often activates neurons in my brains, enabling me to picture scenes. I have no other option but to write it. This is the link to my Spotify playlist https://open.spotify.com/playlist/4fHPIYv9cGeUmpDpDAxCMc
(I must confess that I don’t enjoy high compressed music files)

What authors, or books have influenced you?
Dickens, Tolkien. I am currently reading the Book of five Rings.

What are you working on now?
The sequel to the Winding!

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I have no idea.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Write what you want to read!

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
During my second year of my Ph.D., a professor once told me, “Don’t tell me everything you know, just tell me what I need to know. But bear in mind that before you tell me anything, you need to know everything.”

What are you reading now?
Book of five Rings. I am into Manga, and recently I read the entire Shigeki no Kyojin cover to cover.

What’s next for you as a writer?
Work on Book 2 and 3.

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 LOTR trilogy!

Author Websites and Profiles
Avi Datta Website
Avi Datta Amazon Profile

Avi Datta’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile
Facebook Profile
Twitter Account

Dave Fin 

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I’ve written all my life on and off, but I got back into it about a year and a half ago when I quit my job over COVID concerns. I’m currently done one book and doing a bunch of other projects.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
(U)topian is the first and only book I’ve published, and I just got the idea when I was in the shower. Lots of very smart and very accomplished authors have written dystopian fiction, I wanted to do something a little different – make the problems come from within the main character, not external. It really started as a reverse 1984 and then evolved from there – the first idea was very philosophical and then it got a bit more fast-paced as I wrote it.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I write better in chaos. I have two young kids at home and I write best when they’re around me, playing and yelling and whatnot. Quiet can be quite, um, disquieting…

What authors, or books have influenced you?
George Orwell, Kim Stanley Robinson, Ursula K. LeGuin, Margaret Atwood, Haruki Murakami

What are you working on now?
The sequel to (U)topian – Project Elevate. I have the whole trilogy mapped out. Well, trilogy, one prequel and then one side-story that probably makes no sense but I just want to do it anyway. If I make it four books in, hopefully I can justify it.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I’m still getting a feel for promotion, I’m trying a few different methods both traditional and not, but Awesome Gang seems like a pretty great website. I need to get better at following these websites as a reader and not just a writer – it’s give and take, after all. Not take and take.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
I’m a new author, so I feel like it’s a bit gauche to give advice. But like everyone else says: Read and write. Read when you don’t feel like reading, write when you don’t feel like writing. It’s not a hobby (unless it is, in which case, ignore this), it’s a vocation and you need to treat it like that.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
“Write until you can’t anymore and then keep writing.”

What are you reading now?
A book on parenting – “No Drama Discipline”. I’m perpetually re-reading Norwegian Wood, though. It’s the only book I’ve read more than twice, for whatever reason.

What’s next for you as a writer?
As I mentioned, I’m working on a sequel to “(U)topian” and I’m about a quarter done the first draft. I have a few ideas about the prequel, and doing it in a dramatically different format – screenplay, maybe?

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?
Norwegian Wood, 1984, and probably some kind of desert island survival book, I would think. Or some kind of magic book that lets you make portals off deserted islands. Does that exist?d

Author Websites and Profiles
Dave Fin Website
Dave Fin Amazon Profile

Dave Fin’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile
Facebook Profile

M D Cornell 

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I live in rural New Mexico. I make knives, blacksmiths, and other metal art. I’m an avid reader who loves horror and dystopian fiction.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
Freak is my latest book. It was inspired by a personal loss.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
While writing my first novel ALONE, I practiced extreme self-deprivation. It was a miserable month, but it kept me in the mindset to write the book.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
Stephen King, Dean Koontz, and Anthony Burgess.

What are you working on now?
The sequel to Alone.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
Awesome Gang has worked out well for me. I’m honestly just learning about promoting books.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Write and then edit. By this, I mean finish your project and then go back and edit.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Quit overthinking where the story is heading. Just write it.

What are you reading now?
Blood Meridian by Cormac McCarthy

What’s next for you as a writer?
Finishing the sequel to Alone and learning more about promoting.

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 Stand by Stephen King
The Road by Cormac McCarthy
A Clockwork Orange by Anthony Burgess

 

Nikki Rome 

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I’ve been a romance junky since a young age. As a girl I reached for book after book, looking for that happily ever after I always believed in. I write contemporary romance with a touch of danger. So far I have published 7 books and I have many more to come!

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
Unsettled Mind just released. It is a free novella and is a introductory book to my series The Heroes of Calvano Security. The story was inspired by a need for some free content! I wanted something to provide my readers and Silvi is a side character from the first book I wrote. Her sassy attitude appealed to me. Before long her love interest popped into my head and on it went.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
Unusual? Well I don’t plan a thing. I am a panster or a discovery writer which many people think is crazy. I’m also a total binge writer. It’s not uncommon for me to write nonstop for a week straight and get an entire book done. Oh and snickers, I always need snickers.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
Maya Banks, Ann Rice and Laurell K Hamiliton are a few authors I adored when I was younger. Reading there stuff made me believe I could write my own. As a self published author I have grown to adore so many in the community. Sarah Bailey, Nicole Banks, Ayla Asher, and so many more and simply killing it and I admire the heck out of them.

What are you working on now?
My next series is a Billionaire trope. Book One is done but needs some edits. It’s a three book series about two brothers and a sister they never knew they had. Since all of my books are created within the same universe you get to see some of the characters from my first series as well. I can’t wait to get it out there!

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I have the most success with things like newsletter swaps and group promos. I have dabbled in AMS advertising and Facebook advertising but I don’t have that down to a science just yet. I prefer connecting with readers through other authors.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Keep moving forward! Publish that book and don’t look back. It will never be perfect, the first one is always the hardest so get it done.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
To do things my own way. I was always told to never edit as I write but that just doesn’t work for me. I need a clean first draft otherwise I get too overwhelmed by the amount of work that needs to go into edits. An author friend told me to ignore that advice and do what I need to do. It was the best advice ever and it’s the process I follow to this day.

What are you reading now?
My Cameron by M.A. Innes

What’s next for you as a writer?
More books! That’s what should be next for most writers. I have 7 planned for 2022 plus my first entry to an anthology that is coming out next year.

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?
It would have the be The Devil’s Syndicate series by Sarah Bailey

Author Websites and Profiles
Nikki Rome Website
Nikki Rome Amazon Profile

Nikki Rome’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile
Facebook Profile
Twitter Account
Pinterest Account

Risha Chaurasia 

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I am Risha Chaurasia, a 14 year old Indian author, blogger and literature advocate spreading positivity through writing. I have published 2 books so far, TRUCE and Tales of Twinkling Tweens. I hail from Indore, India.
TRUCE is a novel exploring themes of friendship, love and self discovery, which I started writing at age 12. It even made it to the Kindle Bestseller list at 24 rank.
The story revolves around 5 protagonists-Tiya, Ron, Udit, Cayra and Edi, with each one of them facing their own challenges.The story takes you through their journey of tackling their problems and blooming into confident young adults.

I began writing at age 8 and started off with plays performed in my school. I wrote my first novel Tales of Twinkling Tweens at age 11.
This book touched various aspects of a tween’s life. It took the readers through school experiences—teachers, relationships with friends, experiencing bullying, examination pressure, annoying habits of tween boys and girls, their complex emotions and embracing many changes they undergo.

Both novels have received much love and admiration from the readers .
Currently I’m working on a 3rd novel, which I started writing at age 13.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
The name of my latest book is To My Homies and its inspired by my own life and friends and their experiences. It is a story of friendship, love and self love, detailing the journey of a group of young adults to become confident people.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
Yess! I can go months on end without writing, or write like crazy everyday.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
I have always been a voracious reader and have loved reading. Enid Blyton and John Green have influenced me. I also loved reading Geronimo Stilton as a kid.

What are you working on now?
I am working on my 3rd novel and 4th novel, which are young adult novels.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I use social media to promote my writing.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
2 pieces of advice:
To keep on writing and write everyday.
To believe in yourself and never give up.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
My mom said this to me, ‘You write for yourself, not the world.’

What are you reading now?
I am currently reading Rick Riordian’s Heroes of Olympus Series

What’s next for you as a writer?
My third novel To My Homies and my 4th novel.

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?
TRUCE (my own)
Turtles all the way down
Unbreakable
Sun is also a star

 

Brian Price 

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I’ve been in PR and marketing for about a decade. I’ve worked with some incredible and smart people, but I felt trapped. I always knew where I was going to be and had a general idea of what I’d be doing. The mundaneness drove me mad. When the pandemic happened, it burned any faith I had left in the traditional 9 to 5.

Staring the end of the world in the face, I promised myself I’d try to make the most out of this horrible crisis. If the world was going to end, I’d chase my dream. I mean, how many people died too soon from the virus or lost their lives from our leaders’ neglectful actions during COVID? I had to take advantage of what I could control. And I was fortunate enough to be able to write. And that’s what I did. I sat in a chair and wrote. It was hard. I never thought I’d even make it here, if I’m being honest.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
My first book is called Last Chance California. It’s a dark humor and contemporary literary fiction novel. It showcases our world, on the verge of the COVID-19 pandemic, through the eyes of a sarcastic and stubborn millennial as he attempts to break his family’s cycle of abuse. That’s just a romantic way of saying a depressed and lost man goes full-blown alcoholic after moving to California to escape his violent childhood.

The story follows a disillusioned Wyatt Lewis, who moves to California after realizing he’s more like his abusive father than he realizes. There’s romance, sex, drugs, exotic locations, depression, and substance abuse rampant through the novel. Last Chance California highlights some of the glaring deficiencies in our society while also reminding readers of the complexity of families, the imperfections of humans, and the burdens we carry every day.

The inspiration came from the current state of the world… combined with the chaos of my life. I mean, can you imagine finally being on the path to lead your dream life, only to have a once in a generation pandemic mess it all up? That broke me. It’s where the inspiration started for me.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I light an Ecto Cooler candle, yeah, there’s a candle that smells like those old Hi-C juice boxes. Or are those back now too? A nice, sweet aroma of nostalgia really stimulates the writing senses. (It also leads to awful and unnecessary Hollywood reboots and remakes, but this isn’t the time or place.)

Once I get my room smelling decent, I read famous writers or listen to writers talking about their craft. Then I throw on some headphones, dance around my house listening to classic rock, and once I get a good burst of energy, I sit down and start writing. I usually keep the music on as I write. It’s always too loud if I’m being honest.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
Charles Bukowski, Neil Strauss, John Fante, Chuck Palahniuk, Hunter S. Thompson, and Ernest Hemingway. Besides Neil Strauss, I didn’t read any of those writers listed until the pandemic. Reading those writers flipped a switch in my mind and really made me want to write Last Chance California. And enrolling in a Writing Masterclass with Neil Strauss. Those two things sent me down a path.

As far as books that influenced me, Ask the Dust, The Dirt, Ham on Rye, Invisible Monsters, Choke, and Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas.

I’m a big fan of contemporary fiction or realism. I also like to dabble in history or self-help books.

What are you working on now?
The biggest thing for me right now is building a readership and promoting Last Chance California. I really think I wrote something special, but I am also extremely biased. Since I wrote the thing and all.

I learned quickly that once the book is done, the real work starts. Depressing news, my fellow writers. Besides that, my next big project is Once Upon a Subway, a modern romance novel that I’ve been trying to write for the better part of a decade.

I am also writing something personal for me. A blink 182 musical. Because I honestly think the world needs it. And it’s funny to write.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I did see a significant increase in downloads after posting on Awesome Gang and other free book promotion sites. I also released a short story collection and a short poetry collection in addition to my debut novel. This way, I could try and build a following and use the collection books as marketing tools to introduce readers to my style of writing. I gave the eBooks away for free the first few days of my book’s release.

Maybe it’ll work.

Maybe it won’t.

It seems to be so far.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
I’m still new myself. But if I had to give advice, I’d say be honest with your words. Don’t try and write like someone else. Don’t try to write something for fame or fortune. Write what you want, a story you would want to read. If it comes from the heart, people will be able to connect with the words.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
The world is a mirror. It reflects back our attitude and expectations.

That perspective shift has made me see things a lot differently. It definitely taught me some empathy. Cause Lord knows I needed some of that.

What are you reading now?
The Rinzai Zen Way: A Guide to Practice by Meido Moore. Rinzai Zen is the type of Buddhism samurai practiced, so I wanted to learn about it. I’ve had a recent obsession with learning about samurais. There’s something special about these (mostly) honorable warriors. So, any resources to educate myself including badass samurai movie recommendations would be greatly appreciated.

What’s next for you as a writer?
To quote Indiana Jones, “Fortune and glory.”

Kidding.

I want to keep writing books. Or telling stories. Being creative with words is my next goal. Ideally, more books, but I’m open to whatever finds me. But to be able to write books for a living would be a life I’d be grateful for every day.

Well, most days.

I’m sure I’d curse my career choice on those writer’s block and imposter syndrome days.

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?
Ayn Rand’s Atlas Shrugged, because it would take forever to read. The Thomas Jefferson Bible, to stimulate my mind with some important lessons. The Divine Comedy, because reading about Hell has always been something that interested me. And I’d bring How to Survive on a Deserted Island by Tim O’ Shei to stay alive, obviously. My only concern with that last book is that it’s only 32 pages. And a children’s book. Here’s to hoping there’s a lot of important information crammed into those pages.

Author Websites and Profiles
Brian Price Website
Brian Price Amazon Profile

Brian Price’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile

Steve Haywood 

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
Along with my wife, Kate Haywood, I’ve written three quiz books so far. We both really enjoy taking part in and also writing quizzes on all sorts of topics. I’ve also recently written a guide to British crime fiction novels.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
The Ultimate Film Quiz Book. We really like watching films, so this seemed like a natural next book to write.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
We brainstorm what quizzes we want in a quiz book, and plan out who is going to write what. We then separately go away and write the quizzes, then at the end of the day test each other on what we’ve come up with.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
Lots of authors! I love learning new things, so read a lot of non-fiction books including history, travel, popular science and lots more.

What are you working on now?
We’ve nearly finished a quiz book all about books and reading which is a subject really close to my heart. If you enjoy books and reading, then this is the book for you! After that we’re doing a ‘Who, What, Where?’ quiz book, as this has been a really popular question type in our quiz books so far and there have been requests for more of these quizzes.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
So far, our Facebook group is the best promotion we’ve done. If we do a free Kindle book promotion, it doesn’t get us as many downloads as some other outlets, but we get more people actually reading and enjoying our books.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
You’ve got to keep working at it. If at first you don’t succeed, keep at it and don’t give up.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Know why you want to write and what you want to achieve. If you are going to get to your destination, you’ve got to know where you want to go!

What are you reading now?
I’m reading a Adventure of English by Melvyn Bragg. It’s a fascinating book about the English language, which allows me to geek out on words and history – two of my favourite topics!

What’s next for you as a writer?
Writing more quiz books – we’ve got a list of 10 we want to get done in 2022, so it is going to be a busy year. I’m also working on a Crime Fiction Guide to Europe, a follow up to my Crime Fiction Tour of Britain.

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?
An encyclopedia, a history of the world, and a really long fiction book – maybe one of those historical epics by Ken Follett or James Michener.

Author Websites and Profiles
Steve Haywood Website

Steve Haywood’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile
Facebook Profile
Twitter Account

Donnette Smith 

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I think my love for writing developed more than anything in the 4th grade. I remember my teacher used to have us students get up in front of the classroom and read a story we’d written. He pulled me aside once and told me he thought one day I’d be a great writer. My journey began in that classroom long ago and from there I wrote poems as a teen, tried my hand at a few novels in my twenties, worked for a local newspaper as a journalist for a time, and then became more of a serious writer in my thirties when my first mystery/romance book, Lady Gabriella was published. Ten years later, I wrote Cunja, a mystery/suspense/romance book with an element of horror. Cunja was published in 2012. My latest book, Killing Dreams is a paranormal/romance and was published by The Wild Rose Press just this year in September. Killing Dreams is book 1 of what I call the Spirit Walker Series. In between writing, I ran my own business for a few years and sold it. Now, I am writing full-time. No more distractions. No more life getting in the way. Finally! Just me, my laptop, and one great adventure after another.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
The name of my latest book is Buried Alive. It is book 2 of the Spirit Walker Series. And the name says it all. Yes, my heroine, Jenna Langely gets buried alive. It’s all up to my hero, Cole Rainwater to find out who is behind this unspeakable crime before the clock runs out for the woman he loves. The series was inspired by my editor at The Wild Rose Press. When I submitted Killing Dreams, I had no intention of turning the book into a series. In fact, I’d never tried my hand at a series before. She is the one who encouraged me to do so. I could not be happier that I agreed to take this plunge. It has been such a blast giving these two characters more adventures to live. Besides, if any of my characters ever deserved to live on in my imagination, it’s Jenna Langley and Cole Rainwater hands down.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I’ve gotten out of bed at 4 am to write. My best ideas come to me early in the morning. I have to have a cup of hot tea sitting beside me. Don’t ask me why. I’ll go through five or six cups before I walk away from my laptop and take a break from writing for a while. Although I can’t listen to music or the TV while writing, I seem to be able to block out people talking around me. I know, it’s just weird.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
I am a huge John Grisham fan. The man has quite the talent for drawing readers into his stories. I would say I have also been influenced by Dean Koontz and Sandra Brown.

What are you working on now?
I am so excited to be working on book 3 of the Spirit Walker Series, The Stolen. More trouble for poor Jenna. This time her psychic abilities have altered. Because of what happened in book 2 (of which I’m not about to let the cat out of the bag) she can now see dead people. Things take a bizarre turn when she is haunted by the murder victim of a sex trafficking ring. They get worse when Jenna finds herself abducted by these brutal people. She must rely on the guidance of a dead girl and her instincts to do what it takes to survive. I am roughly halfway through the manuscript now and hope to have it completed within the next month or two.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I’ve found good success with running Facebook ads. Also, reaching out to newspapers and getting a feature story with one of their journalists. I like reaching out to libraries too. I occasionally run contests and give away cool prizes, like gift cards. I love involving my readers in the writing of my books. I ran a contest once asking my readers to pick the name of my hero. The one that chose the best name won a $50 Amazon gift card.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Not only is thick skin a requirement, but the ability to utilize constructive criticism is a must. Don’t get hurt when people knock your writing. That’s not to say you should take all criticism to heart, but use what makes sense to you as a tool to improve your writing. Before becoming a writer, be a reader. Much of what you can use to sharpen your writing skills are buried in the pages of your favorite books. That’s learning from the pros and it doesn’t cost more than the price of a book.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Don’t get revenge, just write that person into your next book as the villain.

What are you reading now?
Nothing. Not that I don’t love to read, but when I’m in the middle of writing a book, reading one is too distracting.

What’s next for you as a writer?
I’m not sure where the Spirit Walker Series will take me. Book 3 could be it, or book 10 could be. This series seems to be writing itself. I’m just along for the ride. But when the final book has been written, I am certain it will be onward to the next series. I’m loving series writing. I’m just sorry I didn’t do this much earlier in my life. I know, I’m like a kid that discovered a new, awesome candy.

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?
Without a doubt, The Notebook from Nicholas Sparks is coming with me. I’m a hopeless romantic. But I also love me some horror, so, It, from Stephen King is also coming along for the duration. Then I’ll also pack The Testament, from John Grisham because Grisham made Nate O’Riley’s dangerous and adventurous trek through the Brazilian jungle so darn real I’ve not forgotten it to this day.

Author Websites and Profiles
Donnette Smith Website
Donnette Smith Amazon Profile

Donnette Smith’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile
Facebook Profile
Twitter Account

Akera Franklyn 

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I live by Romans 8:28, believing that all things work together to accomplish God’s divine plan for His called out people. I serve in church ministries and is also a part of the group Pray Without Ceasing. I am a 2014 Jamaica Cultural Development Commission writing awardee with two published books. I have also served as a speaker at organizations and through my YouTube channel Heart to Him Ministries. I hold a Bachelor’s degree and work in the Maritime field. I was also named among the Ignite Caribbean 30 under 30, Emerging Caribbean American Leaders in Washington DC in 2018 and is the founder of Just Write Media Concepts and Just Ads & Jobs. I do not count it that I have apprehended but seek to forget those things which are behind, and is reaching for those things which are before me. I am pressing toward winning the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus (Philippians 3:13-14). I enjoy being in nature and find the beach to be exceptionally calming.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
My last book was Baptized & Broken – Finding Identity & True Love. I was inspired to share my journey from being a lost and broken woman to one who is determined to live a purpose-driven life in the hope that it will inspire others to do the same.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I am not sure if it’s unusual but I scribble ideas on a phone memo pad or email them to myself for future use.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
I am particularly fond of the late Dr. Myles Munroe.

What are you working on now?
I just ended a series on Youtube surrounding my book Baptized & Broken – Finding Identity & True Love, called Dear Younger Me. We had some amazing guests who shared their stories. The new series starts on Friday, January 7 entitled Baptized & Broken – Teaching The Younger Women. It will be inspirational so I am working towards getting everything in order.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
As I am new to the promotional side of writing, I am utilizing social media to promote e.g. Facebook, LinkedIn, YouTube and Instagram.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
My advice for new writers is to stay true to what is on your heart. Do not change to fit the status quo. You are unique and so is your story, do not try to be like anyone else.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
You were made to write, allow the Holy Spirit to guide you and just do it.

What are you reading now?
Praying Through The Promises of God by Archbishop Nicolas Duncan Williams and The Rules of Engagement by Dr. Cindy Trimm.

What’s next for you as a writer?
I am seeking to promote my newest book Baptized & Broken – Finding Identity & True Love and my first one, Heart To Him: Prayers & Poetry from an heir to the King and I want to complete a fasting and prayer guide.

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?
1. The Bible

2. The Incredible Power of A Praying Woman by Archbishop Nicholas Duncan Williams

3. Understanding Your Place in God’s Kingdom: Your Original Purpose for Existence by Dr. Myles Munroe

4. Kingdom Woman: Embracing Your Purpose, Power, and Possibilities by Dr. Tony Evans and Chrystal Evans Hurst

Author Websites and Profiles
Akera Franklyn Website
Akera Franklyn Amazon Profile

Akera Franklyn’s Social Media Links
Facebook Profile
Twitter Account

Corinna Underwood 

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I have written two non fiction books – A Haunted History of Atlanta and North Georgia, and Murder and Mystery in Atlanta. This is my third fiction book in my Darkside Chronicles Trilogy, featuring author and paranormal investigator Pearl Blackthorn.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
My latest book is called, Return To The Darkside. It is the sequel to A Walk On The Darkside and Beyond The Darkside. In this book, I wanted to explore the main character’s – Pearl Blackthorn – past and how it is influencing her present. She is in for lots of surprises, and not all of them pleasant.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
If I’m struggling with a scene, I think about it before I go to sleep. I invariably wake up during the night with a solution. Sometimes I can even remember dreaming about it.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
I love magical realism, particularly the writings of Italo Calvino. I also enjoy contemporary writers that merge genres such as Neil Gaiman, Dean Koontz, and Clive Barker.

What are you working on now?
I am currently working on a futuristic detective series and a Sci Fi screen play.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I like to reach out to my readers and talk to them personally, through physical or online readings, bookclubs, or soirees.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Read everything you can and writer down everything you think of, even if it ends up in the wastebasket. It’s all part of building your writer’s muscles.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
“Better to write for yourself and have no public, than to write for the public and have no self.”
Cyril Connolly
[The New Statesman, February 25, 1933]

What are you reading now?
The Hummingbird’s Daughter by Luis Alberto Urrea, Grey Wolf Island by Tracsy Neithercott, and Zen and the Art of Postmodern Philosophy by Carl Olson.

What’s next for you as a writer?
I’m still planning to finish my fantasy trilogy, Elsewhere, Otherwise, and Evermore. I would like to start a fiction podcast collaborating with other writers. If anyone out there is interested, let me know.

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?
I only need one – A Thousand Plateaus by Giles Deleuze and Felix Guattari.

Author Websites and Profiles
Corinna Underwood Website
Corinna Underwood Amazon Profile

Corinna Underwood’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile
Facebook Profile
Twitter Account