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Morgan Quaid 

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I’m an Australian author and music producer from sunny Queensland. I write primarily fast-paced fantasy/sci-fi books, comics and graphic novels all with a weird fiction bent.
To date I’ve written five novels (most to be launched in 2022) with my first novel coming out in Nov 21.
I’ve also written 15 comic books, a graphic novella and I’m in the process of developing a further 10 comic books.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
Whiplash! The book was inspired by my love of fantasy, but also my own impatience with the old school fantasy genre (slow, lumbering plot lines, three or four stories slowly progressing, chapter by chapter etc.). I love fantasy and I’m a huge fan of the classics, but I wanted to write something that was closer in kind to television or film than a traditional novel.
I love the idea of a fast-paced book which still has solid world building and an intriguing history behind it. Also, I love the idea of dreams intersecting with reality and wanted to explore a different magic system than what I’ve exprienced before. I also wrote the book in first person to really make a close connection between the protagonist and the reader.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
Other than writing at 4am in my music studio, not really, no.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
Jack Vance, China Mieville, Joe Aberchrombie, Robert Jordan, Philip K Dick – and so many more!

What are you working on now?
Book 4 in the Whiplash series, a spin of novel “Absinthe Annie” based on one of the main characters in the Rust Chronicles world, 2 x comic scripts for projects with other creators (a vampire/crime book and a gritty post-apocalyptic survival story), 4 of my own comic scripts, …oh, and a new novel/comic entitled We Eat the Young, with an urban fantasy, horror vibe.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
The aim is to get everything going through my main website (https://www.morganquaid.com/), but you know how it is…I’m on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, everywhere really. Wherever people want to get in touch, I’m there! Just excited to have people reading what I’m writing, if I’m honest

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Learn from others, but don’t be afraid to forge your own path. It’s important to leverage off the experience of those that have gone before, but don’t let that deter you from trying something new and different. There’s always a first!

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Writing is like boxing, if you step into the ring expect to get hit.

What are you reading now?
Low Town by Daniel Polanski,
Promise of Blood by Brian McClellan

What’s next for you as a writer?
PROMOTION!!! I’ve spent so long writing, planning, finding a publisher etc.
Now, with 5 novels and 10 comics landing in the next year, I need to promote and connect with readers (the second bit I love, the first….not so much).

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?
Probably the largest Fantasy/sci-fi books I could find. Maybe something by George R R Martin, or Robert Jordan. Definitely a copy of Dune. I’d have to include Perdido St Station or Kraken from China Mieville.
Honestly though, a desert island? For how long? Is there wifi? Do I have a laptop and some source of power?
I’m starting to hyperventilate!

Author Websites and Profiles
Morgan Quaid Website
Morgan Quaid Amazon Profile

Morgan Quaid’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile
Facebook Profile
Twitter Account
Pinterest Account

Jessica Hendrix 

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I have written two books. The first was a poetry book and the second is a young adult book about mental health issues and romance.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
I Don’t Belong Here
I was going through a tough time when I was 16. I was the type of girl who feared the consequences of partying instead of being drawn to it. My friends lied to me about their partying habits, and soon abandoned me. So I wanted to write a book about someone like me, and how depressed and hurt I was. It helped me through it.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I tend to write in short bursts, so big projects take awhile.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
Laurie Halse Anderson was a huge influence for this book. Her book Speak was one of my favorite books.

What are you working on now?
The sequel to I Don’t Belong Here. It’ll cover some issues as the main character, Brie, grows up.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I’m still figuring that out! I am a big fan of Facebook and Instagram, though. I know TikTok has become a great way to promote as well.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
If you want to be an author, do it. There’s so much to learn and find out. I started as an indie author, and then found a publishing company later on. I promote at comic cons and it’s a great market

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Believe in yourself. Surround yourself with love and support. Don’t settle for less than what you want and deserve.

What are you reading now?
I just started the Sookie Stackhouse series by Charlaine Harris.

What’s next for you as a writer?
The next two sequels, and eventually exploring other genres. I have some supernatural stories and horror stories in mind.

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?
Eat Pray Love, Speak, IT (Stephen King) and Twilight

Author Websites and Profiles
Jessica Hendrix Amazon Profile

Jessica Hendrix’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile
Facebook Profile
Twitter Account

Randy Cade 

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
Probably have written about a dozen inspired by the crime genius writing of Elmore Leonard I decided to try it on my own. From 2013 (Call Me Harry), to now as I am working on a novella (The Dead Guy), and also the 3rd in the Harry Parnes Series called “Snares of Hope”. I hope you like this stuff you know where to find me. – RC

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
Still working on thge 3rd book in the Harry Parnes series called “Snares of Hope” a conclusion to the life of a 70+ year old petty criminal, con man and rogue who gets out of prison after serving 14 years for Murder1. He hitchhikes into a town in New Mexico and later becomes major of the town, and builds a criminal enterprises which is forced into a war with a Mexican Cartel. What’s not to like?

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
Yes. I am nocturnal and often have my best ideas while unconscious. I have written entire novels by dreams and taken entire chunks out of my lifetime to serve as nightmares.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
Elmore Leonard, Carl Hiassen, Ernest H., Scott Fitz, Kinky Friedman, Allen Ginsberg, Damon Runyon, The Writers of the Bible, John D. MacDonald, Harlan Ellison, Robert Heinlein, Mark Twain, LeHaye & Jenkins, Raymond Chandler, Ross MacDonald, oh I could go on but you get the idea.

What are you working on now?
Harry Parne #2 “Stages of the Con”.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
You guys.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Yeah, turn around and run. Fast.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Don’t distract men who are working in trees.

What are you reading now?
This application.

What’s next for you as a writer?
I would like to get published by a real publishing company and have hard copy books which sell too fast to keep up with production.

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?
Bible, Catch-22, Autobio of John Huston

Author Websites and Profiles
Randy Cade Website
Randy Cade Amazon Profile

 

J.M. Holmes 

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
So you want to know who I am and something about me? OK, you asked for it: buckle up and settle in for the ride. I wonder how many of you will make it all the way through to the end…. Well, here we go:

I am an insanely lucky person. Others would say I have been overly blessed. But for whatever reason, I have been able to do whatever I wished for most of my life, and Fate has consistently smiled on my efforts.
I have been a beekeeper, harvested my own honey, and even made awesome beeswax candles. [Bees are the most amazing, fascinating creatures on earth — for instance, did you know that a bee will travel as far as two miles through country or city searching for a good food source, and then when he finds one, he comes all the way back to the hive and does a little DANCE for the rest of the bees, and that tells them exactly where his bush or tree can be found! ?? WTF??? If that doesn’t blow your mind, nothing will.]
I have been a chef in a five-star French restaurant in a five-star luxury hotel. [I lied through my teeth on the job application and the rest of my job interview consisted of making something for the head chef to eat. My mother was Parisienne, and she taught me how to make crepes suzettes. That was my entire cooking knowledge. So I made a crepe for the chef (who was himself from Paris) and he loved it so much he hired me on the spot — he almost wept with joy when he ate it. It wasn’t long, however, before I made him regret his hasty hiring decision.]
In College I was elected to be Editor of the campus newspaper, and I overturned the applecart by transforming the newspaper into a magazine for the year I ran it. I was lucky to assemble a handpicked team of just four exceptionally-talented students, and we produced the most outrageous, ire-and-admiration-inspiring gonzo journalism that became the prime subject of discussion on campus as soon as each new issue hit the street. No cow was too sacred to be barbecued, no department or institution above our critical assessment. It’s been a looooong time since I was there, and they STILL talk about that year.
I have tutored French, Latin and English to ridiculously rich, spoiled high school students. [I was a destitute college student living hand-to-mouth riding my bicycle to their parents’ mansions to give them their lessons, and they were getting Porsches and Mercedes sports cars for their 16th birthdays. I got even though — I gave them extra homework. Ha!]
I was the only anglophone member of a French-language newspaper [remember newspapers?] in Toronto, and eventually I became its Editor.
When I was fifteen I snuck on a train in Toronto and rode it to Chicago, then snuck on another and rode it to San Diego, where I attended one of the first iterations of the annual San Diego Comic Book Convention, held at the small El Cortez Hotel. In those days it was a small, intimate gathering where anyone could sit down and chat with the creators of the great films, books and comics. Nowadays it’s a huge affair that draws tens of thousands of people who might get lucky and spot a celebrity on a stage 500 meters away in a gigantic convention hall. I count my attendance lo those many decades ago as nothing less than a gift from God.
All through the eighties and nineties I tried repeatedly to get on Jeopardy! but could never score high enough on their initial application test. That’s my fault though — if I’d just kept up my subscription to People Magazine, maybe I could have done better on the pop culture questions. Forget about keeping up with the Kardashians — I can’t even keep up with Simon Cowell.
I once lived in an atelier in Paris on the Ile de la Cite, right in the smack-dab center of Paris in the 1er Arrondissement. By day I was an simultaneous translator working at the Musee Georges Pompideau [known locally as the Beaubourg], by night I was a poser in the local wine bars trying to pretend I actually knew what I was drinking. I don’t think I fooled anyone.
I was once the Editor of a haute-couture and fashion magazine and spent a year eating nothing but foie gras and canapes, going to some kind of fashion event almost every night of the week. To this day I can’t bear to even look at pate.
I have worked for the U.S. Census, and I worked for a year as a full-time unpaid volunteer at a shelter for homeless inner-city youth.
I have taught water skiing, and I myself enjoy barefoot water skiing, snowboarding, and scuba diving.
I have worked in every aspect of newspaper and magazine production. I have been photographer, typesetter, page designer, photo retoucher, writer, editor, publisher.
I was chosen by the American Red Cross to receive their Hero’s Award for the charity work I did assisting victims of Hurricane Katrina. I ran a fundraiser that raised just north of $300,000 to fund recovery efforts for that disaster. That got me commendations from the US Senate and the US Congress. [Not too shabby for a simple Canadian, eh? Wink wink.]
My spouse and I used to own a horse ranch in California and one of our mares, “Princess in Diamonds”, became one of the best-producing mares in reining history. She’s in the NRHA Hall of Fame, now. Her offspring have earned well over one million dollars. [I should be so lucky. Did you hear the one about the horse breeder who wins a million dollars in the lottery and his friends ask him what he’s going to do with his windfall, and he says, “Oh, just keep breeding horses until it’s all used up.” You laugh, but it’s true.]
In California I wrote, designed and produced a weekly newsletter for the Rotary Club that won me an award for excellence. I am still a proud Rotarian to this day.
I love long-distance bicycling. I have bicycled halfway across Canada, up the coast of Australia, and through Europe and the French Riviera. The only place I got hit by a car was in Barbados. They have a nice hospital there.
I love watching baseball. In the eighties in Toronto I attended about 40 baseball games a year, first in a frigid, torturous open-air freezer stadium on the shore of Lake Ontario, and then later in the spacious, luxurious open-or-closed-roof SkyDome. Every single ticket I ever bought, I bought from scalpers. I caught a ball at the World Series in Toronto while watching my long-suffering Blue Jays win the title for the second year in a row.
My spouse and I took a round-the-world trip for our honeymoon. [Word to the wise: a three-month honeymoon will let you know in short order if you’ve made the right marriage decision.] I was arrested by the Red Army in China for videotaping in an ancient emperor’s tomb, and my better half and I rollerbladed on the Great Wall and through the grounds of the Emperor’s Palace in Tokyo. [If you’re going to try that, make sure you can skate faster than the Palace guards can run.]
I have dived the Great Barrier Reef and I weep when I read about what climate change is doing to it. Truly one of the Modern World’s Seven Wonders and it’s disappearing before our eyes.
My spouse and I spent most of our leisure time in the 90’s in Caesar’s Palace in Las Vegas. [You can do that sort of thing before you have children.] As far as I’m concerned, if you’re not staying at Caesar’s Palace, you’re not really in Vegas. We love Caesar’s. And Caesar’s liked us back enough to invite us to see Frank Sinatra in one of his final performances, in a small, intimate theatre, with Don Rickles opening for him. I still have bruises on my arm from all the pinches I kept giving myself to prove I wasn’t dreaming.
Caesar’s is also responsible for the second-greatest concert we saw, which was Sheryl Crow performing in a small invitation-only gig. Say what you will about casinos — they may run people into financial ruin, shatter lives and destroy marriages, but they sure put on some wicked great entertainment, eh?
I have performed as a stand-up comedian and once won a comedy competition in a festival in Toronto. [The first prize was an AC/DC keychain. I still have it somewhere.]
My kids and I are avid Disney Cruise devotees, and have taken enough cruises to have risen to the “Gold Castaways” level. Every one of the Disney ships has a luxurious adults-only section and someday my children will allow me to spend a few moments in it. Maybe.
I have owned and operated several different companies in very different industries. I used to own a Screenprinting and Embroidery company in a little California college town, and I used to teach telemarketers how to sell on the phone. [Before you start cursing at me for that, let me remind you how much nicer it was when you could tell a real live person to drop dead and stop calling you, instead of just settling for angrily hanging-up on an automated robocall.]

WOW! I can’t believe you’ve read this far! You REALLY need a hobby.

Well, that sums up a lot of who I am — you can see a lot of water has passed under my personal bridge, and I’ve dipped my toe into just about everything I could.
But what I have always done, wherever I was, or however else I was making money, was write. I have been a writer since my age was only single digits. In college, one of my professors phoned me once and asked if I had actually written my essay myself, because if I had, he wanted to get it published. I think that was when I knew there might be something to this writing business, after all.
My first book was published when I was twenty-one years old, but I stopped writing books for a living when I found other ways of making much more money so I could give my kids a better life.
But now that my kids are grown and my life belongs me again, I’m writing full-time.
My most recent three books have been especially well-received, and two of my characters, Kat and Jerry, are garnering requests from readers for more more more. So I guess Kat and Jerry will be my new constant companions, at least for the foreseeable future.
I hope you’ll join me for the ride — it should be a blast!

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
My most recent published work is “They Left Me For DEAD”, a hardboiled noir crime novel.
I want to say it’s written in the style of the great Masters, like Raymond Chandler, James M. Cain, and Dashiell Hammett, but I think artists who compare themselves or their works to other artists are tedious and pretentious. I mean, do you think Mozart ever said something like, “Well, my music’s a lot like Bach’s or Haydn’s, but punchier, you know?”
I will admit my noir crime novel was inspired by the great noir tomes of the last century, but not by any one of them in particular. I just wanted to write a story that takes place in Texas, and a gritty, dark, murder and crime book seemed perfect for that surrounding. Apparently, the readers agree, if the feedback I’ve received is to be believed.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I have a playlist of about 500 songs that are almost exclusively jazz, such as Johnny Hodges (Duke Ellington’s famous saxophonist), Miles Davis, Stan Getz, Dizzy Gillespie, etc, and I mix in a few dozen great opera arias (I’m a huge Cecilia Bartoli fan). Once I start writing I just leave the playlist going on a continuous cycle, over and over and over, until the book is done. The only ears beside mine that are exposed to this music belong to my seven cats, and so far they haven’t complained. Anyone else would probably lose their mind the fortieth or fiftieth time the songs came around again.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
I grew up reading Graham Greene, P. G. Wodehouse, James Thurber, Somerset Maugham, Raymond Chandler and Dashiell Hammett. I remember one summer I caught a particularly bad case of mononucleosis and the doctor said I had to relax — no work of any kind — for the entire summer. I read every Shadow pulp novel and every Doc Savage book ever published. I watched old movies playing in the middle of the night on TV, and became best friends with Humphrey Bogart, Clark Gable, Myrna Loy and Rita Hayworth. I don’t want to jump to any conclusions, but I think that may have had a wee bit of influence on me.

What are you working on now?
I’m actually working on two books right now.
I’m putting the finishing touches to a new Kat & Jerry science fiction book called “Falling From Space”, and working with my insanely-talented illustrator, Francesco La Cerva.
But I’m also about a quarter of the way through a new hardboiled noir crime novel, called “Beautiful, Naked, Rich… And DEAD”. My last noir crime novel, “They Left Me For DEAD” was so well received I’m enthusiastic about completing this next one.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
This may sound like I’m either stupid or just plain nuts, but I never actually thought about promoting myself or my books. I wanted only to write them. So, as of this writing, I have no personal website, no email list of fans, and I’m completely clueless about sites that are supposed to promote books.
Give me a year or two and I’ll catch up. Right now I’m keeping busy enough as it is with just the writing.
I will say this, though: If anyone reading this wants to be one of the first readers on my nascent fanbase email list, I’d be happy to add their name. They should email me at literatiinternationalmedia@gmail.com
Maybe someday I’ll have prizes or special offers for the first fifty readers who ever reached out to me. You know — when I have thousands of followers all clamouring for any crumbs which might fall from my literary table.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Make sure you don’t need your books’ income to pay the rent. I know that hardship can be a great motivator, but in this day and age, with approximately 1.8 million new books appearing on Amazon every year, the bar for financial success is set pretty high.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Walt Disney: The way to get started is to quit talking and begin doing.

What are you reading now?
I just finished reading a PG Wodehouse novel, “The Code of the Woosters”.
I’ve actually read it before, but Wodehouse is one of those rare writers who bears rereading. I laughed just as hard this time through as I did the first time. Maybe even harder.
I do like to read new science fiction when I can find something that’s really good, but I’m insanely picky. I enjoyed “Ready Player One” and “The Martian”, but books like that are pretty few and far between. Jack Vance is still one of my favourites, though. I can waste a lot of time reading books like “Rhialto the Marvellous”. And don’t even get me started with Roger Zelazny — he sure knew how to meld noir with scifi. I weep to think we’ll never see another new book from those guys. The scifi readers of the 50’s and 60’s never knew how lucky they were.

What’s next for you as a writer?
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?
I would cheat.
I would take the collected works of William Shakespeare because he’s always entertaining to read, mostly because of the way he used the language. His wordplay is so clever. His plots aren’t half-bad, either.
I would take the collected works of Dostoyevsky, because you could spend years reading that stuff. He wrote a lot. Plus, it would probably be hot on a desert island, and I remember that when I first read, “A Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich” it was a screamingly hot summer day and I was COLD. He’s that good a writer. (The story takes place in a Soviet Gulag prison camp in Siberia.)
I would take the collected works of Hunter S. Thompson. His book, “The Great Shark Hunt” might do just by itself — it’s a collection of some of his absolute best writing, from his Golden Age of Gonzo Writing. The best modern American writer, in my opinion.
And finally, I would take a collection of the greatest American noir writing, but only if it included all of Raymond Chandler’s work. That man never wrote a bad line, as far as I’m concerned. In fact, I’ve changed my mind: forget what I said about being a pretentious poser — you can compare me to Raymond Chandler any time you want, and I’ll be just fine with it.

Author Websites and Profiles
J.M. Holmes Amazon Profile

 

R. Ramey Guerrero 

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
To cope with disabling mental illnesses, R. Ramey Guerrero created a world of their own to explore. Their apartment in San Antonio transformed into forests, cliffs, and sea shore. With pen and paper, they filled their world with creatures and people as diverse as a world should be. Now, R. Ramey Guerrero edits fantastic stories written by amazing authors with a kitty on their lap. They live in the medical center in an apartment by the woods with their pets. Two cats: Iktomi and Katara. An Australian shepherd: Tlaloc. A box turtle: Gaia. Two red-eared sliders: Atl and Tera. And a ball python: Artemis.
I’ve written five books, and I am working on my sixth. Five have been in the same series, and I have just published my first book.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
Dust of a Moth’s Wing was inspired by the need to escape an environment that was toxic and sometimes abusive. I also was not allowed to read fantasy because of my guardian’s strict religion. My teenage rebellion was reading Tolkien in my room. I soon grew tired of the European backdrop, and I wanted to create a world that had a North American-like setting. I mixed that with my love of Wonderland.
My creative gods Guillermo del Torro and George R. R. Martin have really inspired me. I loved the way del Torro integrated horror and fantasy, and I sought to recreate that in my first book. Martin taught me how to structure my novel and that I should not be afraid to kill my main characters.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
Haha, I’m nocturnal. As I am writing this it is 4 am. Otherwise, no.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
The Game of Thrones series, Hunger Games, Alice in Wonderland, and Pan’s Labyrinth (movie) have all been great inspirations to me as I write The Age of Fire series.

What are you working on now?
I’m currently working on the fifth novel in my series, The Age of Fire. I’m about a third of the way through my draft. I think I might finish before the end of next year. Then on non-creative days, I’m editing my second book for publication.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
Twitter has been my best friend.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
As a new author myself, I only can pass on advice.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
As a new author myself, I think the best advice I’ve seen was from Starting from Zero, when he suggested setting up a newsletter early. I’m in preorder now for my first book, and I made my newsletter.

What are you reading now?
Kalimpura by Jay Lake. It is the third book in the Green trilogy. It follows a woman named Green who had been taken as a child to please a creepy old man. She ends up toppling that oppressive system, becoming an assassin, creating a god, and now she has to fight a god to save her baby that she’s carrying right now. It’s fantastic. Very diverse, imaginative. I love it.

What’s next for you as a writer?
My first book comes out on March 25, 2022. I’m so excited to finally become a published author. It was a dream I never thought I would realize. Then, of course, I’m off to write my next book.

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 have to say, with all the meds I’m on, I would not survive long on a desert island. But I have a survivor’s spirit, and I would bring a survival guide, a foraging guide, and how to build a raft.

Author Websites and Profiles
R. Ramey Guerrero Website
R. Ramey Guerrero Amazon Profile

R. Ramey Guerrero’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile
Facebook Profile
Twitter Account

Dmanga Lover 

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I’ve published two titles so far, one was a short story, the other a webnovel which I’m currently republishing as a series of light novels.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
Last man on earth when there is no earth?
I’ve started working on it for fun, partly as a joke, but then I got too invested in the characters and the world and now I can’t let it go.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I write mostly on my phone. Mainly because it’s the only device I have lol.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
I’ve being influenced by many light novel, such as grimgar of fantasy and ash as well as ascendance of a bookworm. Great series. I recommend them to anyone.

What are you working on now?
My current project is the third volume in my light novel series. Though I have a few others that have yet to take shape.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I usually use memes and share them on social media. Though it isn’t that effective, sadly.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
The struggle is unbearable, but don’t lose hope!

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Don’t look at the sales report!

What are you reading now?
The beginning after the end.

What’s next for you as a writer?
I’m aiming to make my own manga. I need to acquire the tools first tho.

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 volumes in the series I’m following: ascendance of a bookworm, danmashi and grimgar of fantasy and ash.

Author Websites and Profiles
Dmanga Lover Author Profile on Smashwords

 

Zane Emerson 

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
My name is Zane and I’ve been writing for at least a decade now. Before I published Cascade, I had two other completed original manuscripts that I didn’t pursue publishing on (though I might after giving them some TLC) and two full length fanfiction stories that I had written.

I’m a lover of Fantasy and YA/NA books and will often write to emulate authors I admire myself.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
My latest book is named Cascade and was actually picked to work largely within the context of the other names I have planned for my Cadinari Stream Tetralogy.

The idea of Cascade comes from that idea of water flowing and cascading down a large hill and in turn is related to various other magical influences and events that occur within the story.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I am a very strict writer for very strict periods of time. I generally have to be sitting out on my back patio to “write well” in my opinion so I structure my planned writing sprints around that. I’ll set up with my system, light some incense up (generally Vanilla or Linen) and then, most importantly, put on cartoons.

I know, for some the idea of having something going on in the background is a distraction and stops them from writing. But in truth I do some of my best writing when I have the noise of Family Guy or The Simpsons on in the background.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
It’s an evolving list, but I’d say Brandon Sanderson and Drew Hayes are both big influences for me. Neal Shusterman is also high on the list for his themes and when I’m writing stuff that’s more mystery or thriller like I tend to emulate Stephen King.

What are you working on now?
Overflow! It is Book 2 of The Cadinari Stream and I’m currently about 60% done with the first draft. I’m also working on a teleplay with a writing partner that we aren’t giving away too many details on just yet.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I’ve been doing a lot of research in on this myself and honestly sites that talk about books and generally interact with book readers. I spend some time on Twitter, Reddit, and of course Facebook, but for Twitter largely it can feel like an echo chamber for promoting your work, though it is pretty good for networking and connecting with other indie authors!

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Write what you would want to read. I know it’s cliche advice but it really is true. I’ve tried writing stuff that is more contemporary or modern but what I was trying to write wasn’t appealing to me.

I know what I like and what I have read, so I write the stories I want to read because often times when I’m writing I’ll find myself surprised by the direction my story has taken.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Be open to criticism, but don’t let it stop you from writing.

One of the first books I ever wrote and let people read got absolutely torn apart by one of the readers. My writing was cliched and “laborious” to read as she put it and that wording has ALWAYS stuck with me. But, as others put it, that beta reader was just trying to help me out, even if they didn’t provide more information on what I should do.

Just keep practicing, keep writing, and really just try to emulate the writing styles of the books you like and admire, and you’ll find your voice.

What are you reading now?
Renegades by Marissa Meyer!

What’s next for you as a writer?
Continuing to work on Overflow and my teleplay. I’m also working on an idea for a story and trope breakdown based Youtube channel but I want to find my own right voice for 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?
Oof this one is tough because you can’t really bring one book of a series without bringing the others too! But even with that, I’d probably bring (in no particular order):

-11/22/63 by Stephen King
-Super Powereds Year 4 by Drew Hayes
-Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy (deluxe edition so I get all the books, take that rules!) by Douglas Adams

Author Websites and Profiles
Zane Emerson Website
Zane Emerson Amazon Profile

Zane Emerson’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile

Dave Lager 

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I have been a writer in one form or another for my entire adult life. I started writing in junior high school, experimenting with plays, poetry, and essays – of course, it was junk, but it was still “writing.” In college, I majored in English and Journalism. My career has included nearly two decades as a journalist, a decade and a half in freelance public relations and marketing, and adjunct teaching.

I have previously published seven non-fiction books under my own name – Dave Ramacitti – for the small business market. They are still available on Amazon.

Under a pen name, Dave Lager, I have published three Ro Delahanty novels– Ro’s Handle, Hear Evil, and Losses. Two more have been written and are awaiting polishing.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
Losses, the third book in the Ro Delahanty series, was published earlier this fall. Ro is a deputy sheriff in a semi-rural county in Iowa, but don’t be fooled; she is quite good at getting herself into trouble.

I have always liked strong female characters – Sarah Connor (the Terminator films), Ellen Ripley (the Alien series), and Katniss Everdeen (The Hunger Games).

The primary motivation is I have always wanted to write fiction; they just provided the role model for my protagonist.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I listen to straight-ahead jazz, no be-bop or progressive while writing; it helps me focus. In fact, I have several thousand songs on my Spotify playlists.

I am a morning person, so I am often at my keyboard at 4 a.m.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
I read Anna Sewell’s Black Beauty in fifth grade. Looking back, I understand that was my initial inspiration for wanting to become a writer.

I read Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings in college. It taught me how a story can have grandeur and sweep and fanciful characters yet still be about human strengths and weaknesses.

Finally, while I do not consciously emulate Ernest Hemingway’s style, he has undoubtedly influenced my hope to make every word count in my writing.

What are you working on now?
Books four and five of the Ro Delahanty series: Secrets Never End and Secrets Never End: Revelations. While complete stories in themselves, they also build on plotlines introduced in the earlier books. Both have been drafted but need polishing. I hope to publish Secrets early in 2022 and Revelations next summer.

Oh, and then there’s Sniper’s Day, a companion novella to Revelations. In Revelations, Ro has dual with a former military sniper who’s gone off the deep end. In that book, it is told entirely from her point of view. Sniper’s Day tells the same story from his point of view. I plan to publish it simultaneously with Revelations.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
Don’t know; still trying to find my way in the book marketing jungle. I can tell you my favorite is book signings and book fairs, because I get to meet and talk to readers one-on-one. And I have a few women helpers too.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Write! Write! Write!
If it’s actual chapters for your story, good. Sketch notes on the back of an envelope about your characters’ backgrounds are OK, too. But even if it’s a just blog post or a one or two-sentence response to an email…Keep writing!

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
I was a naïve and frightened college freshman in my first journalism course. One day, in a private conversation, the professor told me I was a “cursed man.”

Of course, my initial reaction was, “What did I do wrong?” He then explained most people are “how” people, they just want to know what the rules are for how to get along. Then there are the few “why” people, who want to know why we are doing something in a certain way and whether there is maybe a better way.

Being a why person was a curse because they are known as the boat-rockers and are not popular. My curse was to be a ‘why-people.’

However, his advice changed my life, because for the first time I had an inkling of who I really was. Why-people write novels because they have to, ‘how people,’ don’t bother.

What are you reading now?
Who has time to read when I am always writing? Lol.

What’s next for you as a writer?
Mourning Dove, book six of the Ro Delahanty series. While it has yet to be written, I have a fairly detailed chapter-by-chapter outline. To say nothing of developing ideas for books seven and eight and perhaps beyond.

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?
Like in W. Somerset Maugham’s famous short story “The Book Bag,” I would need more than three of four books on such a journey.

The complete works of William Shakespeare, of course. All of John Steinbeck and Ernest Hemingway. The previously mentioned Tolkien masterpiece, plus The Hobbit.

The Bible, as literature rather than for its religious content. A philosophy textbook. And then at least one book each from the giants in my genre: James Patterson, Jim Thompson, Dashiell Hammett, Patricia Cornwall, Agatha Christie, Robert Parker, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, Louise Penny, Ann Cleves, David Baldacci, Stephen King, Harlan Coben, Lee Child, Michael Connelly, Tana French, Dean Koontz, Dorothy L. Sayers, Karen Slaughter, Martin Cruz Smith, Sara Paretsky…

Needless to say, it would be a rather weighty bag.

Author Websites and Profiles
Dave Lager Website
Dave Lager Amazon Profile

Dave Lager’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile
Facebook Profile

Laraine Stephens 

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
After thirty-five years as a teacher-librarian, I decided that it was time to throw off my pink twinset, tartan skirt, string of pearls, sensible shoes and 400 denier tights to find out what life was like on the other side of the bookshelves. I was going to write historical crime fiction! I traded in my “Ssshhh” for a laptop, and joined Writers Victoria to learn the craft of writing. Eight years down the track, I have a contract with Level Best Books in the USA and have seen the first of my ‘Reggie da Costa Mysteries’ published. It’s ‘The Death Mask Murders,’ with ‘A Dose of Death’ to be released in May 2022. I’m working on my fourth novel right now!

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
‘The Death Mask Murders’ is inspired by my work as a volunteer guide at the Old Melbourne Gaol. I have always been fascinated by history, architecture and, I have to admit, crime and punishment, having been a teacher for 40 years (haha). Passing through into the 1852 cell block is like an excursion into the past, with its forbidding bluestone walls, grey slate floor and, of course, the scaffold where fifty-one men and women were executed over the course of seventy years, including the infamous bushranger, Ned Kelly. It is atmospheric, to say the least.
In the cells are death masks, crafted in plaster, capturing the accurate physical appearance of the departed, frozen in time. As a guide, I learned that death masks were made to prove that criminality could be predicted, using the pseudo-science of phrenology, widely popularised in the nineteenth century. This theory claimed that a person’s character was determined by the shape, or contours, of the skull. This led me to explore another theme: can a person be born evil?
The seed of an idea for my first novel was sown. What if the psychopath in ‘The Death Mask Murders’ had developed a fixation with death masks and created them as ‘trophies’ of his victims?

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I love to think about plot lines and characters when I walk. I solve problems, recognise the viability of whether a character would act in a particular way, think up red herrings and come up with good ideas as I let my mind relax. It’s easier than staring at a screen or having your fingers hover above a keyboard, waiting for inspiration. As I walk, I send myself messages so that I don’t forget these thoughts, and then I transfer them to a notebook to be considered later.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
I’ve been a reader all my life. ‘Wuthering Heights’ introduced me to gothic elements. ‘The Hound of the Baskervilles,’ (or ‘The Hound of the Basketballs,’ as my husband calls it), sparked my interest in all things Sherlock Holmes. Agatha Christie engaged me in my later teenage years, despite that rotten library patron who tore out the last few pages of ‘And then there were none.’ These days I love Val McDermid and Adrian McKinty.

What are you working on now?
I’m working on ‘Death by Deception.’ In the 1920s, there were so many confidence tricksters: ‘snake oil’ salesmen selling patent medicine remedies for all ills; blackmailers who seduced gullible men and women then threatened to expose them unless they paid money; swindlers who took cash for non-existent money-making ventures; fortune tellers; card sharks; pickpockets. Nothing has changed! I’m integrating some of these into my next novel, with the death of a confidence man at the centre. But who dun it???

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I like giving author talks. It’s a two-way street with questions coming from the audience about writing and inspiration. ‘The Death Mask Murders’ has an authentic historical setting, as you’d expect from a former teacher-librarian. I enjoy talking about its historical context and the research that I did to create it. It’s probably the teacher in me. Whether it’s the best method for promotion, I can’t say, but it’s certainly the most enjoyable.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Here’s what I have learned:
Read in the genre you’re writing. Learn from reading other authors’ work. I would advise aspiring writers to join a writers’ group, which offers workshops and support services. You need objective appraisals of your manuscript, not the advice of friends and family. Be prepared to write numerous drafts before you submit. Leave your final draft for a few weeks then come back and read it with fresh eyes. Once you’ve sent it to a publisher and it’s rejected, that’s it, folks! If a publisher asks for three chapters, a 200 word biography, a 500 word synopsis, that’s what you send. Keep versions of cover letters, synopses, etc. and adapt them to suit submission requirements. Think outside the publishers you know. I started with Australian ones, then branched out into the United Kingdom, then to the USA. My main recommendation is to persevere.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
When it comes to reviews, remember that the reviewer is writing for the intended reader, not the writer. You have to develop a thick skin and, if you can’t cope with criticism, don’t read them.

What are you reading now?
‘The Darkness Knows’ by Arnaldur Indridason. I have a thing about Icelandic and Scandinavian writers.

What’s next for you as a writer?
I’m thinking about whether Reggie da Costa, senior crime reporter for ‘The Argus’ lives on to Book Number 5, or whether I should retire his immaculately cut suits and flamboyant cars and move on. But I’m going to need a bigger wardrobe and an even larger garage if he stays.

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’d take ‘Pride and Prejudice’ and ‘Persuasion’ by Jane Austen, the ‘Sean Duffy’ series by Adrian McKinty to make me laugh, and the ‘Tony Hill’ series by Val McDermid for that psychological edge. I know, I know, it’s more that 3-4 books but they can drop them into me by drone these days.

Author Websites and Profiles
Laraine Stephens Website
Laraine Stephens Amazon Profile

Laraine Stephens’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile
Facebook Profile

Seth Fentress 

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I make novels, comics, games, and animated films. In short, I’m a story teller! I love punk, emo, and industrial music and aesthetics. I just recently completed my first novel “Age Of Bipeds: Sai-Locked” a cyberpunk, space opera extravaganza.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
My latest book is “Age Of Bipeds: Sai-Locked”. The worries of the day are towering and numerous. I sought to escape them unto a world of my own making. However, a wonderful alchemy occurred while doing so, one I did not expect. What I thought was my desperate retreat into fantasy turned out to be my brain’s method of chewing on issues of classism, nihilism, as well as AI and other oncoming existential threats, but from a safe distance. I mean, it’s still mostly about mech wielding cat-and-dog people blasting around on spaceships battling super artificially intelligent interdimensional beings… but I guess my brain just likes the “make them think they’re eating cookies while feeding them carrots” strategy of processing heavy social issues.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
No.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
David Foster Wallace, Rainer Maria Rilke, Frank Herbert, Terry Pratchett, Heraclitus. To many to list. A special shout out needs to go to Philip Jose’ Farmer author of “To Your Scattered Bodies Go” and the Riverworld series.

What are you working on now?
I’m working on a short novella prequal to Age Of Bipeds: Sai-Locked, chronicling the Bipedal Event of 2065, an event that’s mentioned many times in the first Age Of Bipeds novel, Sai-Locked.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
Dude, I don’t know. I’m knew to this. Head on over to ageofbipeds.com and use the contact form to message me if you’ve got some good tips!

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Train your brain to enjoy writing by forcefully limiting yourself to only writing one hour, once a week for a year. Take voice notes on your phone. Eventually you’ll discover that writing is a bit like being a landlord. Most of the actual story telling will happen randomly during the week. You’ll just be folding laundry or something and then, suddenly you’ll hear a loud ruckus coming from your tenants (the characters in your brain). Just be sure to go put your ear up to the wall so you can spy on them, taking notes with your phone when they get rowdy.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Never, ever, sell any of your videogames. Ever.

What are you reading now?
Dangle’s Quest 6: Legend of The Space Pirates Beyond Outer Vector City 7 Part 3 of 4 Abridged.

What’s next for you as a writer?
Hopefully, I’m able to keep on writing. I love it dearly.

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?
Dangle’s Quest 1, 2, 3, and 5.

Author Websites and Profiles
Seth Fentress Website
Seth Fentress Amazon Profile
Seth Fentress Author Profile on Smashwords

Seth Fentress’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile
Facebook Profile
Twitter Account
Pinterest Account

Maggie Casteen 

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I have lived in North Carolina all my life. I earned my Bachelor’s degree in graphic design from Campbell University. I have worked as a librarian and as a graphic designer in the newspaper and commercial printing industry. I enjoys painting, taking long walks with my beagle/basset mix, Dakota, and last but not least….a good mystery. I also read historical fiction and classics, especially Jane Austen. I have written three books: 2 are in my Kathy Hamilton Mystery series and the other is my non-fiction book: Road Less Traveled under the pen name Elisabeth Casteen.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
My latest book is Road Less Traveled: A Trinity Bible Study. It was inspired by my love of Bible study and helping others have a better understanding of their Christian faith.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
This is hard to say since the writing habits are mine.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
The authors that have influenced me would be Mary Higgins Clark, specifically her book Weep No More, My Lady and John Grisham, specifically his book King of Torts. Both of these books I could read over and over…and I have.

What are you working on now?
I am currently working on the third book in my Kathy Hamilton Mystery series, No Good Deed. It is a continuation of Hush Now, Don’t Cry and ends with a cliffhanger that will be answered in No Good Deed.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
Right now I have the most success on Facebook.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
My advice for new authors would be to watch out for scams. What they promise sounds perfect, which generally means there’s something else going on. Keep writing and focus on becoming the best storyteller you can be.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
The best advice I’ve ever heard is no matter what keep writing and everything will follow.

What are you reading now?
I am currently reading ‘A Season for the Dead’ by David Hewson.

What’s next for you as a writer?
What’s next is, hopefully, I can expand my books into audiobook format and add to my Kathy Hamilton Mystery 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?
This is not an easy question. The three books I would take would be Jane Austen: a collection of seven novels, Weep No More, My Lady, and Rebels of Ireland by Edward Rutherford.

Author Websites and Profiles
Maggie Casteen Website
Maggie Casteen Amazon Profile

Maggie Casteen’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile
Facebook Profile

Lara Byrne 

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I have written one and am halfway through a second. Eventually, there will be a series!

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
Lotharingia is my first and last. It reimagines the youth of Matilda of Tuscany, the most powerful woman in 11th century Europe. She is still very famous in continental Europe but is somehow not well known in the anglosphere. She is an incredible character, she ruled her lands for fifty years, negotiated between Popes and emperors, and was a discreet driving force behind the First Crusade. I am lucky because the sources are so confusing and inaccurate that I can use them as a starting point and then let my imagination roam. I am a huge lover of relic and prophecy stories in the vein of Foucault’s Pendulum and Indiana Jones, and of political dramas such as The Medicis, Wolf Hall, and Hamlet. I also love heartwrenching love stories with a feminist twist. So what you get with Lotharingia is a blend of political drama, romantic novel, and a bit of mystery.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I love writing on the go – on trains and planes. There is something soothing in watching the world from the other side of the screen and then turn your attention to a white page

What authors, or books have influenced you?
The Odyssey
Sarah Dunant’s The Birth of Venus and Sacred Hearts
Bruce Chatwin’s The Songlines
Umberto Eco – The Name of the Rose and Foucault’s Pendulum
Roberto Calasso – The marriage of Cadmus and Harmony
Donna Woolfolk Cross – Pope Joan
James Heneage – The Mistra trilogy
Tom Holland – Millenium
The Greek and Roman historians, Greek tragedy, Shakespeare

What are you working on now?
The sequel to Lotharingia, entitled The Road to Canossa.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
So far my best results have come from Awesome Gang and The Historical Fiction Press.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Write write write.

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

What are you reading now?
I am almost done with Pat Barker’s The Silence of the Girls. Then moving on to Lauren Groff’s The Matrix.

What’s next for you as a writer?
Finish the Comitissa Trilogy, and start researching for a series set in the tenth century Holy Roman Empire.

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 Odyssey.
A history of mankind.
Poems to read aloud.
Chatwin’s The Songlines.

Author Websites and Profiles
Lara Byrne Website
Lara Byrne Amazon Profile

Lara Byrne’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile
Twitter Account
Pinterest Account

Richard Ferguson 

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I’ve been writing all my life. I ran for the University of Texas. After college, I wanted to run the Boston Marathon because you have to run a qualifying time to participate in it. I qualified and ran it in 2003. I have five books published: Oiorpata (a spy thriller), Blue’s Point (the story of a racist town), Death is a Machine, The Touchstone Cult, and Spirit Runner. Spirit Runner is the closest thing to an autobiography that I’ve written.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
My latest book is Spirit Runner. The idea for a story has to come to me. I can’t really explain how, but when I get the idea, it percolates in my mind for a long time. If it doesn’t fade away, I set out to write it.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
Not really. I believe in writing clean. I once read that a musician should never throw a note away. Every note should count. I believe the same thing about the words in a novel. Every word should contribute as much as it can to the story.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
Too many to give them all. A few that come to mind are Mark Twain, John Steinbeck, Ken Kesey, Larry McMurtry, Anne Rice, and Bryce Courtenay.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
If you keep plugging away and honing your craft, you might be successful. Don’t pay attention to what non-fiction writers say other than if they are bored at what you write. Never stretch your story just to have enough words for the genre.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Just write.

What are you reading now?
A book about writing by Ellen Metter.

What’s next for you as a writer?
A book about the future.

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?
One would be the book that got me started reading when I was about five: The Maneaters of Kumaon by Jim Corbett.

 

Julie Lomax 

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
Well, to be honest, most would describe me as quirky. I like to think of myself as the one whose mind never shuts off. Every opportunity of traveling, shopping, and discussions opens up another exciting story. I have written 4 published books, with three coming out shortly in editing mode or rewritten.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
“The Costly Wish” filled with seven chapters of short stories. Written with an EA Poe themed style and mystery, this book is not written for the faint of heart. Love, Murder and twists in each chapter with three main characters weaved throughout. There will be a second follow on book called “The Teedle Doll”. “The Costly Wish” were stories I grew up with and told to my children. Now grown, they encouraged me to share them.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
So many. It’s probably not a good thing, but it does represent what and how I write that day. Since we don’t have all day, I’ll just mention a couple. First of all, I usually dream about what I am going to write the night before. If I don’t like the ending, I will re-dream the stories repeatedly until I am satisfied with the end, then I write it. Swishing my hands in the air, erasing the parts I don’t like, and rewriting the corrected phrase or word in the air. It looks strange. I know. When writing, I talk out loud. Yep- the entire story, from beginning to end, spoke aloud to my poor dog, JuJu. What a faithful companion she is, wagging her tail and sitting there quietly pretending to enjoy my every word. I’ll stop there, what’s the next question?

What authors, or books have influenced you?
I already mentioned Edgar A Poe; O’Henry would be another. I like his stories because they were short reads, and I often just wanted to read a short story before bed. I guess this would be a good time to mention that while in high school, for a term paper, I decided to write my then favorite author, Victoria Holt. I tore off a sheet of lined ruler paper, jotted down some questions, and took the address from the back of the book, licked the stamp, and voila, off it went. Several weeks later, an envelop arrived. On the same sheet of lined paper were her penned responses and her signature at the bottom, wishing me success. That was it for me. I was hooked. This author did a wonderful thing, and I can only hope I will have the same opportunity to inspire a young writer.

What are you working on now?
I am so excited about this one YA. The title is “The Frenchman’s Table” This one is actually a true story of murder, romance, and survival.
The other children stories series are also being written- the plan is to have three different series. All the stories have a theme of moral development, safety and service.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
Sharing author pages, book promotions, Twitter feeds, Instagram, Facebook, and doing readings for schools or community groups. I have a web page, but honestly, it is difficult to find time to get back to it.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Don’t be your NO. Don’t tell yourself you can’t do this, because you will find every excuse to stop and not more forward. working through issues to par to the journey, embrace it.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Share your wealth of information. KARMA.

What are you reading now?
A book by Zachary Sichin on the Anunnaki- I think I have another idea for a book…..we will see.

What’s next for you as a writer?
Two goals right now-Finalizing the second book called “The Teedle Doll” It picks up after “The Costly Wish”.
Finishing my tour through Belgium, Germany and Poland to finalize descriptive venue in “The Frenchman’s Table”

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?
A diary, a bible, a survival book on growing food, shelter and water.

Author Websites and Profiles
Julie Lomax Website

Lasana Philbert 

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
My name is Lasana Philbert, and I’m a Trinidad-born, writer, poet, and self-published author. I write reflective poetry and prose.

In 2018, I self-published my first collection of poem titled, Thoughts from an Isolated Soul. Two years later, in 2020, I released my second collection titled, Reflections: Life in Hindsight while vacationing in Paris.

My writing career began early. But it wasn’t until college that I understood the power of writing.

After graduating from Bard College, I took my writing career seriously. I began recording my observations and feelings about everyday life in rural upstate New York.

Overtime, these recordings morphed into my first manuscript; and I never looked back since. I continued expressing myself through my writing. It was, and still is, the best outlet for self expression for me.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
Introverted Thoughts is the title of my latest collection of poems. It’s set to be released late December, 2021.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
My writing habits can be classified as unusual because I need complete Isolation to truly explore and express myself. However, wherever I’m met with inspiration to write, I write.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
“Song of Solomon” and The “Bluest Eye,” by Toni Morrison influenced me tremendously as a writer.

I consider her the catalyst of my adult writing career. The way she expressed herself through her literature, inspired me to express myself through my poetry. Touching on the same subjects like race, religion, politics, and life in general.

What are you working on now?
I’m currently putting the finishing touches on “Introverted Thoughts,” my third collection of poems.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
In the past I used Instagram and Facebook ads to promote my work. However, as of lately I’m exploring other alternatives.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
My advice to new authors is to believe in yourself, consistently produce quality work, and learn how to market that quality work. Everything else will fall in place. Don’t give up.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
“The strong is not the one who overcomes people with his strength, the strong is the one who controls himself while in a state of anger.” (Ahmed) It’s advice about employing patience when you’re angry. Because anger is the root cause of many mistakes we make in life. So if we can control anger, we can control making costly mistakes in life.

What are you reading now?
I’m currently reading “How to Market A Book: Overperform In a Crowded Market,” by Ricardo Fayet.

What’s next for you as a writer?
Broadening my knowledge of book marketing and sharing this knowledge with fellow writer’s is in the works.

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?
Song of Solomon, The Bluest Eye, A Mercy, and
The DaVinci Code, by Dan Brown are the books I rather while stranded on a desert island.

Author Websites and Profiles
Lasana Philbert Website
Lasana Philbert Amazon Profile

Lasana Philbert’s Social Media Links
Facebook Profile
Twitter Account
Pinterest Account