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Isla Ryder 

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
Isla Ryder grew up around horses but never owned one of her own, instead settling for riding lessons and every horse book she could find. When those books stopped being enough, she began writing her own. Throughout school, she loved creative writing classes and earned a BDIC degree from UMass Amherst. She has published a series of sweet cowboy romance novellas and loves working with other authors as an alpha reader and developmental editor.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
Boundary Lines is the final book in my Harris Twins Series. It follows two brothers and their family ranch. I have always loved horses and have been riding as long as I can remember. I’ve been at many farms over the years, in all different riding disciplines and situations—show barns, auction barns, family farms—and I wanted to write something that I could use all those little experiences to make feel authentic. When I started book one of the series, I wasn’t sure it would be a series at all, but as I began, I knew there was much deeper to go and I couldn’t stand to leave the ranch just yet. Soon after, books two and three followed to round out the series.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I tend to write fast. I don’t do a lot of plotting or planning. I sit down and just type with a vague outline in mind. Characters always come to me through dialog and the way they speak for before I have a physical idea of them and I don’t worry much about searching my mind for those types of descriptions until I start revising. If I pause too long to worry about it, my flow is broken. Understanding what a first draft is for (getting the story down) has really helped my writing.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
I like to read many genres. I don’t have many favorites, but I admire prolific writers—the ones that can’t seem to stop producing creative work. I connect with that need to create and hope someday to be among them.

What are you working on now?
Right now I am putting the finishing touches on a short story prequel to my Harris Twins Series that features the twins’ parents meet-cute and first date. It can be a total stand-alone but gives some fun tidbits for the main series, such as how the ranch gets its name. When I hit publish on Boundary Lines (book 3) I was bereft—I wasn’t ready to leave the ranch, so that same day I started this story and I can’t wait to share it with readers.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I am still learning about marketing, and love exploring really niche groups within my genre of sweet cowboy romance. I also love stepping outside of ‘reader specific’ areas and jumping into horse groups and pages. Horse people can be leery of horse fiction, and with good reason, as many writers don’t do enough research and have never lived the life. I enjoy offering something authentic to them and seeing them come around and get back into horse fiction without being worried about being pulled from the story by inaccuracies.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Just start writing! I know that seems obvious but you can edit a draft but you can’t turn a blank page into a bestseller. Find someone who believes in you and your story and work with them or trade critiques. Be open to suggestions but know that you aren’t obligated to take 100% of someone’s advice. It is your story, after all!

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
The best advice I’ve heard echos the advice I like to give. I think I got the sentiment originally from a NaNoWriMo pep talk back in my senior year of high school when I did not know what I was doing, only that I wanted to write. And I did. I ‘won’ Nano that year with my 50k novel. Was it good? No, but it was finished—I had done it and that was enough to show me I could do it. The next time would be better, and the time after that it would be even more so. Even now, if I look back at my writing from only a few years ago, I can see how I’ve improved. You just have to keep writing and keep revising and you will make progress.

What are you reading now?
I am currently reading Like Water Catching Fire by E.M. Lindsey. While it is not a typical pick for me, I won it in a contest and am pleasantly surprised by it. It portrays a deaf character in a very realistic and sensible way that doesn’t feel likes it’s just for show or hashtags. It is also surprisingly sweet. I may look into more books from them.

What’s next for you as a writer?
Right now, I am working with a group of writer friends to create a sweet romance anthology. Collecting, critiquing and polishing up stories from many authors—both new and established is so fun and rewarding and has prompted me to make sure that my submissions are as good as they can be too. Next up will probably be a stand-alone equestrian romance based in the show-jumping world.

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?
There are very few books that I ever re-read but I can list them off in a heart-beat: The Phantom Tollbooth by Norton Juster, Einsteins Dreams by Alan Lightman, and Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets. My fourth would likely be House of Leaves by Mark Z. Danielewski. It’s a gorgeous book, but it has been on my nightstand waiting to be read for far too long.

Author Websites and Profiles
Isla Ryder Website
Isla Ryder Amazon Profile

Isla Ryder’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile
Facebook Profile

Michael Walker-Thomas 

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I am an Educator, Author, Poet and Owner from Philadelphia, Pa. I found my love for writing at a young age by reading Encyclopedia Brown, Magic School Bus and Goosebumps. My writing influences are W.E.B. Du Bois, Carter G. Woodson, Jean Michel Basquiat and James Baldwin. I also love the movies Finding Forrester, He Got Game, Super 8 and Inception as writing inspirations. I am the author of several books, including A Boy With a Dream, Sibling Strong, Chess Moves, The Voices You May Not Hear and The Voices You May Not Hear:The Lost Pages.

You can follow me on Instagram @ BookofMichael

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
My most recent book, The Voices You May Not Hear: The Lost Pages, is a collection of poems about life and other avenues. The book is part 2 of a series that focuses on voices that you may not hear. The stories could be real and it puts the reader in the mind of the characters.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I just sit down and write. My writing process consists of Mozart, a piece of paper, and Twizzlers haha. I love just writing what comes to my mind and typing it. I have a gift of creating stories and I can’t write them out, I have to just write what comes to my mind.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
I have many haha. Maya Angelou, W.E.B Du Bois, Gwendolyn Brooks, Langston Hughes, James Baldwin. I have more, but those are my core five. One of my biggest book inspirations is The Souls of Black Folk by Du Bois.

What are you working on now?
I am working on two new book. I have on finished that I am waiting to put out. I am waiting on a few publishers to get back to me. These next three project I am very excited about.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
Amazon or Barnes and Nobles. I love also promoting on my Instagram.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
I would tell them to write when they have an idea and thought. Do not wait to write a book or a page. If you want to write, WRITE!. A great writer loves what they do, it is the ideas that makes the writer.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Do what you love and you will never work a day in your life.

What are you reading now?
I am currently reading Barack Obama’s new book. It is a great read.

What’s next for you as a writer?
I am a few projects coming out and I am also going to be speaking at some events this summer. I have so much to look forward to as a writer. I am just getting started.

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 Souls of Black Folk by W.E.B Du Bois
A Boy With a Dream by Michael Walker-Thomas
No Name in the Street by James Baldwin
Any Encyclopedia Brown Mystery Book

Author Websites and Profiles
Michael Walker-Thomas Website
Michael Walker-Thomas Amazon Profile

Michael Walker-Thomas’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile

Leslie M. Jasper 

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
My name is Leslie M. Jasper and I am a journeywomen electrician turned site safety manager from New York. I am currently the author of (2) books as well as (11) short stories for my Construction Tales: Told By A Woman Kindle Vella Library. Since I have many years of stories while working as a journeywoman electrician, I decided to create the #ConstructionTales series. For Volume I of the Construction Tales series, I covered my 5-1/2-year apprenticeship once I joined the union. This first book of the series is entitled, Construction Tales: Volume I: A Woman’s Journey To Become An Electrician. I was concerned about young teens reading my uncensored content. Therefore, I have a censored version that is entitled, Construction Tales: A Young Person’s Guide To Accomplish Anything In Life. My second book is a children’s book that is entitled, Not All Girls Play With Dolls. The goal of this book is to empower young girls and even boys to chase their dreams even if they are non-traditional. My two books are available in audio, e-book, and paperback on Amazon, Audible, Barnes & Noble, and iTunes.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
My very first children’s book is entitled, Not All Girls Play With Dolls. This book is intended to inspire young girls and even boys to follow their passion even if it is not considered traditional. This book is loosely based upon my own childhood and teen years and my relationship with my father. My father was the person in my life who told me that, since I’m smart and strong, I’m capable of doing anything in life that I set my mind to do. I joined the military right after high school with the motivation to do exactly what I want to do. This motivation was regardless of whether or not I received push back from people who doubted my place. This book’s goal is to empower young people to push through and past life’s mishaps and hurdles. The book was beautifully illustrated by Anastasia Taranenko, from Tad_Art, who hails from Russia.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I started writing short stories for Kindle Vella since carving time to write an entire book front to back has not been feasible. My Kindle Vella Library is entitled, Construction Tales: Told By A Woman. I’m killing a few birds with one stone by writing out short stories for Kindle Vella while building the stories to morph into Construction Tales: Volume II: My Illuminated Path Continues.. and later volumes in the future. Additionally, I use my short stories and create #VerballyDisastrous podcast episodes as well. I opted to launch The Verbally Disastrous Podcast With Leslie M. Jasper and Melissa Polito back in February 2021. This podcast shares some of my stories as a chick in construction as well as discussing topics with my best friend. Perhaps this writing style is unusual since I’m sure not all people consider doing this form of writing and multi-tasking.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
Sadly, I read far more books as a kid than an adult. My favorite authors who opened my mind to the imagination that stems from the wonders of a book include: V.C. Andrews, Steven King, Ann Frank, Ayn Rand, Richard Connell, and the Bible. As an adult, I finished, “Atlas Shrugged” and enjoyed it thoroughly as well as books from Malcolm Gladwell such as, “Blink: The Power Of Thinking Without Thinking” and “The Tipping Point”. I read Sheryl Sandberg’s book, “Lean In” on a whim while on vacation. I currently have a fellow Twitter connection’s book that I’m trying to read entitled, “Turning Point” by Melissa Sak. I need to just make myself read each night in sections. I absolutely love reading. My problem is that I allow the day-to-day functions to impact my capacity to read during my down time.

What are you working on now?
Now that I have just released Not All Girls Play With Dolls, it’s time to think about the concept of my next book. I’m thinking of stripping down the content and making it for a toddler to be read to in the future. I believe that I will either make it under the same title but add a subtitle that says “Toddler Version” or go with a different name. I also need to finish creating the audio version of the book for Audible.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
When I released by very first book #ConstructionTales, back in 2013, I learned that I needed every social media imaginable to promote it. I also opened up my first blog on Blogger back in 2013. As of now, I have (4) blogs that I share content with readers on a regular basis from around the globe. My WordPress www.ConstructionTales.com blog is considered my main blog. I created a book trailer for my very first book, courtesy of the Combined Book Exhibit. I have (2) YouTube channels either under my name Leslie Jasper and Verbally Disastrous where I promote book content on occasion. I even have a Tik Tok channel. My use of my hashtags #NotAllGirlsPlayWithDolls, #ConstructionTales, and #VerballyDisastrous is a handy tool when sharing my books. I remind myself in my calendar of upcoming book festivals throughout the year. Once the date arrives, I will find the book festival hashtag and put my hashtag in promo tweets on Twitter. I got some people frustrated so I had to back off with that marketing strategy. I’ve signed up for blog write-ups and even given away books as promos. I’ve reached out to fellow indie authors and have sought out cross promoting each other on each other’s blogs. Sadly, very few authors share an abundance mindset with me. It’s almost as if they put another author’s book on their blog, it’s competition and not alluring. I’m open to cross promoting if an author is interested.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
I personally believe that you can’t sell a book, in a sea of much internet content, without having every social media out there, a blog, a book trailer, YouTube channel, podcast, and a book hashtag. You have to be willing to pound the pavement to promote your book or hire someone to do it for you. Promote your book on your social media each and every time you stand in line waiting for food, on the bus, finished with lunch, or waiting for any reason. Instead of consuming other people’s content, use that time to promote your content since time is money.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
The best advice I received was to open up every social media available and build your brand and network with people in the same situation as yourself.

What are you reading now?
As mentioned before, I’m trying to get myself to read, “Turning Point” by Melissa Sak. Melissa runs the Brook Reading podcast on Spotify and other platforms.

What’s next for you as a writer?
Now that I have finished my first children’s book, I’m thinking about the concept for another children’s book. The title of the next children’s book is, “Transcend Against All Odds”. This book will be about a little boy who lost his daddy very young. The little boy grows up with his mother and goes on to do big things with his life. I’d also like to teach myself how to craft and write out a #ConstructionTales play and see if there is a market for it in 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?
I’d like to pack up and read pretty much any Stephen King novel or real stories about paranormal experiences. Creepy paranormal experiences in historic locations are even more fascinating.

Author Websites and Profiles
Leslie M. Jasper Website
Leslie M. Jasper Amazon Profile

Leslie M. Jasper’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile
Facebook Profile
Twitter Account
Pinterest Account

Jay Reace 

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I am a stay-at-home dad that loves to write, watch movies. When I’m not writing or watching T.V., you can find me playing with Legos or cooking one of my favorite vegan meals.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
My last published book was Legacy: A Scion Book Series and it was inspired by my wife and two kids. We all just wanted something that we could see ourselves in, so I wrote it.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I don’t know what you mean. I’m as normal as they come… Seriously though, the only unusual habit that I have while writing is probably that I people-watch while I write. Mainly because I write on the go and I do it in coffee shops, auto dealerships while getting my car worked on, restaurants, anywhere I’m idle and not doing anything else.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
I know it’s cliche to say but, I’m influenced by every book I read. The way other authors may put a phrase together or the font they chose or even the why they title their chapters influences me.

What are you working on now?
I am currently finishing three WIP (works in progress). The sequel to my first novel Legacy: A Scion Book Series, A comic adaptation of my first novel, and a more adult untitled fantasy novel about a couple that has to deal with the ramifications of one of them being bitten and turning into a vampire.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
Awesome Gang, of course. Wink, wink… but seriously, I tend to use social media to promote my book a lot.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
-Just write! Seriously. Your work won’t get better until you write and get constructive feedback on it.
-Read other books, whether in or out of your genre, it will help you learn more vocabulary and you never know where you’ll pick up an idea on what to or how to write. But don’t plagiarize. Emulate but don’t copy.
-Listen to other authors advice. Use what works for you and throw away the rest.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Always do the best you can with as little harm to other living beings as possible.

What are you reading now?
Renegades By Marissa Meyer

What’s next for you as a writer?
Getting a publishing routine down where I’ll have at least one to two books releases each 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?
Chop wood carry water by Joshua Medclif,
The Four Agreements by Don Miguel Ruiz
and
The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandrie Dumas

Author Websites and Profiles
Jay Reace Amazon Profile

Jay Reace’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile
Twitter Account

Nitin Raj Singh 

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I am crazy book reader. Who can live without house but can’t live without books. Till now I have written two books.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
My latest book name is Amaya. This book is based on story of a girl name Amaya who lost while coming from school when she is 5 year old.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
I highly influenced by Ruskin Bond and his books.

What are you working on now?
I am working with Patna Book Club on Amaya podcast. Which first episode release on 24/03/2022

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
Mostly I prefer social media platforms for promotion.

What are you reading now?
I am reading Gitanjali by Rabindranath Tagore

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) Amaya
2) Harry Potter
3) Wings of fire

Author Websites and Profiles
Nitin Raj Singh Author Profile on Smashwords

Nitin Raj Singh’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile
Twitter Account