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Billy J. Barnum 

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I just released my 2nd book which I am extremely proud of.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
The Unbelievable Believable More Tales from the Baron. People that have bought and loved my 1st book asking will there be another.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
Sometimes I can’t sleep at night and the words and vision take over so I have to get up no matter what time it is and write them down.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
I have not been influenced by any books or anybody. I just write and hope people enjoy my works.

What are you working on now?
Nothing. My new book was released March, 30th 2022 and I leave it up to everyone who reads it if there should be another. If I get great reviews and many requests I will then put myself in the frame of mind to plan on and hopefully start another.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
Twitter and Facebook have to be the #1 best promotion. I have many friends and supporters on there.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
If you put your hard work into it and wrote it and think it’s good enough then release it and let it fly.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Dream Big!

What are you reading now?
Sometimes a poem or two that sounds interesting.

What’s next for you as a writer?
Watch my new book take flight and watch to see how high it soars.

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 newspaper to read about days gone by news events and both of my poetry books.

Author Websites and Profiles
Billy J. Barnum Website
Billy J. Barnum Amazon Profile

Billy J. Barnum’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile
Facebook Profile
Twitter Account

ETHAN KOIL 

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I currently live near Bristol, in the UK. I’ve previously written 8 (unpublished) novels: Floating Hair is my 9th, which I have self-published.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
Floating Hair. The starting point was Salem’s Lot by Stephen King, which is my favourite of his novels. I just liked the idea of a character living in the town as a child, and having a traumatic experience. He leaves, becomes an adult, and goes through a tragedy: returning to the womb-like safety of his childhood town. His childhood trauma then ties in with the adult plot.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I usually write between 2 and 4 in the morning.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
Stephen King was the author who inspired me to become a writer: Salem’s Lot particularly influencing me.

What are you working on now?
I am currently working on a sequel to Floating Hair.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I’ve had some success using Amazon Ads, albeit the costs greatly outweigh the royalties from sales. Bargain Booksy and Robin Reads have been the 2 most successful promotion sites so far. Will be interested to see how my promotions across the 5 awesomebookpromotion.com websites perform in April!

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Every author is different. By all means listen to what works for other authors, but don’t feel obliged to follow their advice.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Don’t wear grey and green together.

What are you reading now?
Complete ghost stories by M R James.

What’s next for you as a writer?
Continue working upon my Floating Hair sequel.

If you were going to be stranded on a desert island and allowed to take 3 or 4 books with you what books would you bring?
Fellowship of the Ring, The Silence of the Lambs, A Christmas Carol, and Complete Books of Charles Fort (I’m cheating a little, but I’ve got them in a single volume!)

Author Websites and Profiles
ETHAN KOIL Amazon Profile

ETHAN KOIL’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile
Facebook Profile
Twitter Account

S.M. Nottage 

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
Taking The Plunge is my inaugural novel, after having 5 non-fiction books published some years ago. Writing fiction has been such an enjoyable experience, in terms of the creativity and freedom it offers, and connecting with readers via bringing stories and experience to life.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
In short, Taking The Plunge named itself. The novel’s protagonist (Anna) is stepping out of her comfort zone in terms of the swimming adventure that is proposed to her, and in her personal life when she is caught between two romances and must make a choice.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
LOL, I’ve never thought about unusual writing habits. Writing at dawn works well for me. I like to visit the places about which I’m writing, in order to experience them directly.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
Many authors and books have provided influence, for which I’m immensely grateful. Reading Sarah Waters’ novels first gave me the idea of writing myself. I like to read widely to experience different writing styles, to understand how other authors bring their ideas to life.

What are you working on now?
I have the completed basic structure for Troubled Waters, the sequel to Taking The Plunge. I’m working on how the characters, including new ones, interplay, and their motivations are revealed to readers.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
To be honest, I’m still learning the best way to promote books. Surprisingly, some seemingly obvious ways haven’t worked, and word-of-mouth has been more effective than I expected.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Just write. Be yourself. Read other authors. Have a trusted critic (in my case it’s a friend who is good at being honest) who can help make your ideas better by seeing what you’ve missed.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Understand the landscape around your novel, i.e. how does it compare / contrast to other novels in the same genre.

What are you reading now?
I’m reading poetry at present, to expose my brain to different ways of articulating ideas, which I’d like to incorporate into my next novel.

What’s next for you as a writer?
I’d love to get more feedback from readers about Anna and Taking The Plunge, and incorporate it into the next novel in the series, Troubled Waters.

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?
That’s a tough question. I loved Sally Friedman’s ‘Swimming The Channel: a memoir of love and loss.’ Anita Shreve’s ‘The Weight Of Water’ captivated me when I read it. Perhaps ‘Catcher In The Rye’ because it was the first time I had been exposed to that style of writing.

Author Websites and Profiles
S.M. Nottage Amazon Profile

Michael Franchetti 

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
When I was younger, I fell in love with my overactive imagination. I could keep myself entertained for hours it seemed, but if you ask my parents, it was far less. I have always wanted to tell stories in one form or another. I have taken on many different roles in my life and now it is time to focus on my writing. I am continually improving, listen to my fans about improvements, and am dedicated to making the next story better than the ones before it.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
“The Telling of Two Worlds, Vol 1: Exiled”
I have always loved science fiction, fantasy, and adventure. “The Telling of Two Worlds” combines the best of what I have been developing for years in a fun Fantasy Adventure Series.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
Yes, I always rearrange my office between books

What authors, or books have influenced you?
C.S. Lewis, “The Chronicles of Narnia”; Bill Watterson, “Calvin and Hobbes”; Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, “Sherlock Holmes”; A.A. Milne “The Tales of Winnie-the-Pooh”

What are you working on now?
“Cornelius Montegue, Unlicensed Junior Private Investigator: The Case of the Displaced Art Class” releasing on April 15th, 2022

I have always loved mysteries and have also found it difficult to express who I am. Therefore, I was inspired to create Cornelius Montegue to capture both qualities

While in the finishing stages of Cornelius’ first adventure, I have started the sequel to “The Telling of Two Worlds”

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
So far it has been word of mouth, my website, and a blog synced with Amazon.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Keep writing, take a break and look at it again, and do not lose faith. Once you find your author’s voice, the rest will follow.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Write everyday, take time for family, and write everyday.

What are you reading now?
Lee Child’s “The Killing Floor”

What’s next for you as a writer?
So much is in the works, but to keep it simple, I intend to do my best and keep pushing forward

If you were going to be stranded on a desert island and allowed to take 3 or 4 books with you what books would you bring?
“The Complete Tales of Winnie-the-Pooh”, by A.A. Milne
“The Complete works of Sherlock Holmes”, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
A survival book on how to survive on a desert island

Author Websites and Profiles
Michael Franchetti Website
Michael Franchetti Amazon Profile

Michael Franchetti’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile

Danique Motzheim 

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
My name is Danique Motzheim from The Netherlands, now living in Spain. I’m the founder and the CEO of The Luxury Beauty app. I published my first book in 2022, called The Global Thought Leader Mindset series.
I wrote this book because I’ve been nominated as the Global Thought leader in Beauty Technology. But I can not be the only leader to create a bigger impact for a better tomorrow. Thats why the world needs more global Thought leaders in diffrent fields and that is the reason why I started writing my book. The Global Thought leader mindset.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
My biggest inspiration of writting the Global Thought Leader Mindset is because I wanna more great leader who creates a better and bigger impact for others in this of world.
It doesnt matter of you working in retail, beauty or technology. I believe that we are born here on Earth to help others.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
Lol! yes I do have. I first start writing different chapters of the book and later on I make it more clear.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
Jay Shetty, Lifepass, Tony Robbins..

What are you working on now?
I’m working now on the Global Thought Leader Mindset book serie 2. This book is full of knowledge, interviews, practices from all the podcast speaker I had on The Luxury beauty podcast – The Global Thought Leader. I bundle all their knowledge into the serie 2 book. Pretty excited about that one! I also create a Journal so your can write your impact goals for the day. To have some happy good vibes!
Because together we can make a change!

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

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Just start, it dont have to be perfect. This can be done along your way. If you one little step, one little chapter every day… You will see major results after 2 months!

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Just do it! By nike.

What are you reading now?
LifePass

What’s next for you as a writer?
Building Luxury Beauty for Impact. You can have a loook if you want, how we create a better tomorrow for people from all around the world. https://global-impact.co

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?
LifePass, De kracht in jezelf, Life-force.

Author Websites and Profiles
Danique Motzheim Website
Danique Motzheim Amazon Profile

Danique Motzheim’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile
Twitter Account
Pinterest Account

Lou Collins 

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I’m a wife and mother to two incredible teenagers and live in the beautiful East of England. In my life B.C. (before children!) I practised as a solicitor, specialising in litigation. My career satisfied my passion for words, for medical matters minus the gore and for winning arguments!

In 2020, after a long illness which I’ve never quite got over fully, I took the plunge and wrote a first draft novel as part of National Novel Writing month (NaNoWriMo).

I drew inspiration from my legal background, and traditional mystery writers such as Agatha Christie and Sir Arthur Conan Doyle to pen a fast-paced murder mystery, The Death of Knowledge.

This is the first of what I hope is many books to come!

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
The Death of Knowledge grew from the fact that theatres and the arts were closed down by the pandemic. I wondered what it would be like to live in a society where the creative arts were considered dangerous and thus rendered illegal.

From that spark of an idea it wasn’t hard to imagine how the citizens of that society might react to that scenario and the consequences were murderous!

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I write by dictating into my phone. I see the scene in my head as if I were looking down on the action from above.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
SO many amazing authors and books to choose from! C.S. Lewis, Tolkien, Neil Gaiman, Philip Pullman, Margaret Attwood, Bernard Cornwell, Thomas Hardy, Charles Dickens… the list is endless.

Books are the one constant in my life!

What are you working on now?
I’m deep into the first draft of the next in the mystery series, The Death of Light, Book 2.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
Your own mailing list is the no. 1 promotional tool and I love connecting with readers that way too.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
I’m new myself so I’m not sure I’m qualified to give any?!

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
‘It takes 10 years to make an overnight success’. Can’t remember who said it, but writing and publishing is a long game, so chip away every day at your goals and never give up.

What are you reading now?
J.D. Robb, ‘Naked In Death’. I love the fact that this is a crime thriller but set in the future. A brilliant genre twist, not dissimilar from The Death of Knowledge, which is a mystery that takes place in a fictional setting.

What’s next for you as a writer?
Keep writing every day! Finish The Death of Light and then I have another project I’ve started which is a more traditional cozy, set near to where I live in the East of England.

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?
Tess of The D’Urbervilles, Thomas Hardy
The Northern Lights Trilogy, Philip Pullman (is that cheating?)
Rebecca, Daphne Du Maurier

Author Websites and Profiles
Lou Collins Website
Lou Collins Amazon Profile

Lou Collins’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile
Facebook Profile
Pinterest Account

T.C.M. Nancy 

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
Hey! So I’ve always wanted to write, but lost the confidence to do so when I was in grade 4. I would still write…but usually kept it to myself or couldn’t finish it. Then in 2016, I had learned a lot about written surrealism from University and I started using that to help me get over some of the fears. I wrote freely, and expressed exactly what I wanted to plus a lot of other things I didn’t intend (that’s the beauty of real surrealism). I ended up self-publishing a few of those short surrealist stories. Arthur Untold is my first self-published “regular” writing, though.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
My latest book is Arthur Untold! It’s a mythological fantasy about King Arthur and a lot of the key players from that legend (plus some time travel). And what inspired it was…mainly my love for the legends themselves, but also my own spiritual journey. I’ve learned and come across a lot of interesting things and ideas in the last few years that have blown my mind. While some of it might just be fiction, it’s still been an interesting time being able to think about all of these things. So I wanted to share that with the world in an entertaining way that would (hopefully!) spark imagination and wonder. It’s subtly embedded in small details and (hopefully) makes it a unique fantasy story.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I’m a binge writer! I’ll usually put on a movie in the background (wearing headphones!) and that’s the only way I keep track of how much time has passed. There have been times where I’ve switched movies and taken a short break, so I know I’ve been at it in the past for at least 4 hours. Someone once told me that “800 words” was not bad but…well, try 20,000 in 3 days. I just like to write.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
I’m actually really bad at author names, and I’m on the road so I didn’t have room for any of my books, so please forgive (one of the) vague descriptions about to follow!
Paulo Coelho is a big one for me. The Alchemist, and Brida, gave me lots to think about at a time when I was especially lost in life. They gave me hope and a sense of wonder for the possibilities of life.
Eat, Pray, Love was something I read in my…mid 20’s? And helped a lot with grief. I tried to read it again later, but it didn’t click the same. But it got me through some of the really deep grief that I faced with chronic illness and losing someone very important to me. While life still goes on, we also still live with the memories and things we go through, and that book helped me understand and handle that with grace.
And then the one that impacted me enough to (finally) start writing my own novel…is at home and I cannot remember the name nor the author. It’s about a girl who is chosen to serve the Dragon lord for 10 years. The evil in the nearby forests are taking over land, and the dragon watches over and protects them all from it but takes a girl every 10 years and “changes” them. I’m not sure if I’m doing it justice and I don’t want to spoil anything, but it was FULL of magic and adventure and it’s a beautiful novel that I wish I could experience again and again. It was the right kind of magic that I needed in my life. It helped move my mind from heartbreak towards possibilities, and made me realise that I had my own stories to tell.

And then we also have The Hobbit. My grandmother gave this book to me when I was young. I can’t explain what it does to me except to say…it feels very inclusive. All of the characters are important and play a unique role. It isn’t just about Gandalf, or Mr. Baggins, or any one of the dwarves. It’s about everyone, collectively. It isn’t something we see a lot of in our world’s creations today.

What are you working on now?
I’ve got an inter-dimensional fantasy series that’s about 30k words in! I started it before Arthur Untold, but suddenly switched one day. So I’ll be finishing the first book for that series as well as starting an off-shoot for Arthur Untold (to fill in some details for characters and places that were mentioned)

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I’m still new at all of this. I really, really love Pinterest and use that the most. I’m trying to branch out and look at other methods, though.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
I still consider myself as a new author so…I say this for everyone, including myself: keep trying. Edit, edit, edit, (and edit some more). But keep trying.

Author Websites and Profiles
T.C.M. Nancy Website

T.C.M. Nancy’s Social Media Links
Pinterest Account

Victoria Maurer 

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
Challenge Me- Breaking is the first book that I have written. However, I have already written the second book of the series, which is currently in editing and I am working on writing the third book, Challenge Me- Stronger. I am just your average wife and mom. I do most of my writing at night with a glass of wine, in the morning with a cup of coffee, or poolside during the summer months.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
The name of my latest book that I am working on is Challenge Me- Stronger. It is the third and final part of the the Challenge Me series. This will be where all of the characters will hopefully come out of the mess they have all made as smarter and stronger people.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I do not write my chapters in order at all. I outline and plot out the whole book first but when I actually start writing I skip around to the chapters that I just feel like I am in the mood for. Like if I am in a sad mood, I will try to work on a chapter that has something sad going on in it to really convey those feelings. I guess I am an emotional mood writer.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
There are so many that I honestly can not name them all. I will say that I am in this rather secretive writing group online. The author that runs it is a world-famous romance writer (I seriously almost died when she responded back to me in a post) She is running the group to help out new authors such as myself and I could not be more grateful for all the tips that I have gotten because the tips that I have gotten have definitely been influential!

What are you working on now?
I am currently working on writing Challenge Me- Stronger. I also have several other project ideas on the back burner that have some plot points written down just waiting for me to start on.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
Promoting my books has been all-around difficult. I have found that it is a marathon, not a sprint and that you have to just keep at it.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Do not get discouraged and just keep at it!

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

What are you reading now?
I just finished up three different books this weekend two audio and one kindle because I was sick. I just finished listening to Cavalier by T.L. Smith, I listened to The Stopover by T.L. Swan (Love listening to Sebastian York) and then I finished up Double Edged by Nyla K. I have a book hangover from those three so I have to move on to something equally as good, edgy, and sexy, no slow burns for the next one.

What’s next for you as a writer?
Hopefully, to make something big happen. I think that is everyone’s dream. I never thought that I would write a book, much less write my third. Now that I am doing it, I feel like this is what I am supposed to be doing with my life.

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?
That is not a fair question! Could I just bring 3 or 4 bookcases instead?

Author Websites and Profiles
Victoria Maurer Website
Victoria Maurer Amazon Profile

Victoria Maurer’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile
Facebook Profile
Twitter Account

Laura Akers 

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I was born in Illinois but grew up in Brawley, California, an agricultural area in Southern California. I was a band geek, playing piano and trumpet, and editor of my high school paper. I also spent much of my free time raiding the library and riding horses.

When I was twenty-four, I became a prosecuting attorney. I handled felony cases including gang crimes, rape, domestic violence, and murder. I also continued to ride horses, competing in professional rodeo barrel racing.

I’ve written one book, Dior or Die, and the sequel will be released soon. I’m also working on a novella.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
Dior or Die was inspired by real-life events. A person I convicted made death threats against me and was being released from prison. I trained with a former CIA operative but also lived in a wealthy community. The incongruity of the two made me laugh, so I mixed them together in my book.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I listen to Korean music when I write. I’m a big K-Drama fan, but don’t speak Korean, so the words don’t register. When I write, I’m usually supervised by one of my rescue cats, so I get the occasional walk-on-my-keyboard edit.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
I read widely, but take particular pleasure in writers who mix humor and adventure into their stories. My favorites are Elmore Leonard, Terry Pratchett, Simon R. Green, Tim Dorsey, Carl Hiassen, and Carlos Ruiz Zafon. The list could go on, but those are the first authors who come to mind.

What are you working on now?
I’m finishing up the sequel to Dior or Die. I’m also writing a novella about a prosecutor set far in the future.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I have put together a fun website with a book trailer created by a talented seller from Sweden I found on Fiverr. Book Sirens has been terrific at getting early reviewers to read my book.
Book marketing is rather like going down the rabbit hole. Every time I post on Instagram, I get accounts asking me to advertise with them. I also receive many emails from alleged reviewers. My TikTok advertising campaign showed that the clicks I received were from readers too young for my work, so I focused more on Facebook ads after that. Kindlepreneuer and David Gaughran are also helpful when it comes to understanding marketing.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Just do it. So many people either want to write, but never start or start to write but never finish. Although it requires confidence to put your work out for people who might leave a less than stellar review if it’s something you feel called to do, write.

Grammarly, Autocrit, Scrivener, or other writing software programs can assist in guiding your progress, as well as joining writing groups in your community and finding beta readers.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
The only person you can control is you.

What are you reading now?
Mermaid Confidential by Tim Dorsey

What’s next for you as a writer?
I plan to keep on with the Davia Glenn series but will also explore my urge to write fantasy.

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 Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Clay by Michael Chabon
The Shadow of the Wind by Carlos Ruiz Zafon
The Discworld Witch-centric books by Terry Pratchett to make me laugh.

Author Websites and Profiles
Laura Akers Website
Laura Akers Amazon Profile

Laura Akers’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile
Facebook Profile
Twitter Account

Julia Goodfellow-Smith 

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I am an ordinary person who is doing something extraordinary — living my bucket list. I would like to help others do the same, which is why I have started to write a series of books on living your bucket list.

In my previous life, I held a variety of management and consultancy roles in a range of sectors including conservation volunteering, banking and construction. I am currently following my dream and focusing my attention on adventure, writing and presenting.

I live in Wales with my husband Mike, and love our daily walks along the beach. I am a member of Rotary International and Toastmasters International, a Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts and a Senator of Junior Chamber International (JCI).

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
Although I am not a cyclist, as soon as I heard about Cycling UK’s King Alfred’s Way route through some of England’s most iconic landscapes, I added it to my bucket list. It didn’t take long before I was cycling the path with my friend Alison. I would like to help others do the same, which is why I have written this book.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I don’t know whether it’s unusual, but I like to use mind maps when I’m planning my books. The first one is terribly messy and includes everything I think I might want to include. I then tidy it up into a clear framework and create a tidier mind map of each chapter before I start writing.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
Michael Heppell and his book ‘How to be Brilliant’ set me off on the path of self-employment, which has been totally liberating. Will Storr’s book ‘The Science of Storytelling’ helped me to better understand what makes stories work. And Tim Ferriss’ book ‘Tribe of Mentors’ has influenced me to start meditating – and training at a Crossfit gym!

What are you working on now?
I am planning to spend three months in Costa Rica this summer, and anticipate that my next book will be about that experience. In the meantime, I am writing a couple of walking guidebooks, one based in England and one in Wales.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I hope that Awesome Gang is going to prove to be as awesome as their name suggests!

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Yes. Just finish writing your first draft – don’t try to get it right first time. I find it much easier to knock something into shape than to perfect it as I go along.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Always look for the silver lining. It’s a habit I have that might make me annoyingly positive at times!

What are you reading now?
Fell Asleep: Spring – Sleeping with Wainwright by Russ Moorhouse. It’s written by a man who has slept out on all of the Lake District Fells that are known as ‘Wainwrights’ across the last year, and it’s a love letter to nature, solitude and life itself.

What’s next for you as a writer?
Writing a couple of walking guidebooks.

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?
Chocolat by Joanne Harris – for pure escapism
Tribe of Mentors by Timothy Ferriss – for pearls of wisdom to keep me buoyant
The Ode Less Travelled by Stephen Fry – so that I could write an epic poem of my experience

Author Websites and Profiles
Julia Goodfellow-Smith Website
Julia Goodfellow-Smith Amazon Profile

Julia Goodfellow-Smith’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile
Facebook Profile

William B. Royalter 

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
William B. Royalter is a retired therapist that for more than five decades has studied such subjects as self-development, neurophysiology, human behaviour, cognitive processes and evolutionary psychology – just to mention a few.

Luckily, his brain is smarter than he is, and is able to break down even the most complex subjects into digestible, understandable chunks for him. And also being an alert and most effective B.S. defense radar and protection mechanism. With time, writing such a book was inevitable.

He is (or his brain is), therefore, both smart and individualistic enough to not be present in any social media. None.

This is his first work of non-fiction

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
Ego. Based on the ancient and original meaning of the word; the whole person. It is mean as a guide for anybody wanting to go from automated behavioural patterns to becoming an independent, mature self. There are simple maps and tools that can be used by anybody, without any previous education or training.

It is the culmination of a long life working with self-development, behaviour and similar subjects. But, I never planned to write it. It just popped up. one day and demanded to be, well, manifested.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
Not really, but I try to write down whatever pops up – anytime, anywhere, before I forget it. I have come to trust my subconscious as an efficient producer of ideas. It is funny, too. It is like having a second self down there doing its best to entertain me. And it is more intelligent than I am.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
Orwell, as far as fiction goes. Unfortunately, I must say, as some obviously have thought that his books were inspirational and motivational user’s manuals. And there are of course innumerable text books and academic works that are impressive. Oh, and everybody should read at least one book of Edward Bernays, to understand propaganda and manipulation of the masses.

What are you working on now?
Ego II. The second in a series of three. So stay tuned, there is more to come.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
As I am new to the game, I just keep throwing info around and look for who’s taking the bait.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
As the saying goes, the best time to plant a tree was twenty years ago, the next best time is today. So begin. Get started. You do not know how and where the journey ends: With practice, experience and maturity, it may be just you who create that masterpiece sometimes in the future – but you do not know today what your potential is, so take the first steps, and keep going.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
“Claim your rights but pay your dues”. A motto from some Scandinavian Labour movement, strangely enough. But that was a long time ago, I don’t think they use it anymore.

What are you reading now?
As a retired therapist, I enjoy reading academic works and textbooks in many fields, some are quite impressive. Neurophysiology, neuropsychology and evolutionary psychology are of special interest to me.

What’s next for you as a writer?
As mentioned, to complete Ego II and Ego III.

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?
Some how-to and survival books, obviously, and possibly “Dangerous and Poisonous Tropical Animals Illustrated”. Or “How to Escape When Stranded on a Desert Island”.

Victoria Adeshua 

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I am an African contemporary romance writer based in Nigeria. I have worked in the newsroom as an editor and currently work as a corporate communications personnel.

Reading romance novels that feature strong black women who are comfortable and proud of their heritage has always been a delight for me as I believe that women packs more strength than they show. I am also dedicated to showing black women strength in my books while encouraging them to own their sexuality and explore it as best as they can.

I have written two books (A series).
Perfectly Magical is my debut novel and Perfect addiction(Book two of the perfect romance series) will be published soon.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
My latest book is titled Perfectly Magical. As crazy as it might sound, this novel was inspired by my crush for a single dad three years ago and my participation in a writing contest.

It’s also the first book I have ever completed and I see that as a great achievement.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
Honestly, not anymore. I used to have back when I was in college. I participated in daily writing prompts that helped in sharpening my skills. But now, I just write whenever I can.

However, I’m making plans to revive my writing culture.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
Authors like Julie Garwood, Colleen Hover and Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie.

Julie Garwood and Colleen Hover inspires me with the way they craft words and how visual their romance scenes are.

Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie inspires me with the way she writes about the culture in Nigeria and how she uses her words to portray the true beauty of Nigeria.

What are you working on now?
I’m currently editing the book two of the perfect romance series, Perfect Addiction. This book features the best friend of the Female lead character and Cousin of the Male lead character in perfectly magical.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
As at the time of this interview, I’m currently trying out Awesomegang. And I look forward to the amazing opportunities I’d get to help promote my book to my target readers.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Write, edit and market your book as though your life depends on it. That’s the only way to get seen.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Take the leap!

You may think you’re not ready. But you’d never truly know until you take that leap.

What are you reading now?
I’m currently rereading The Bride by Julie Garwood.

What’s next for you as a writer?
Publish the next book in my series and pick up writing from where I left off.

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 Bride by Julie Garwood

It ends with us by Colleen Hover

Perfectly Magical by Victoria Adeshua

Purple Hibiscus by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie.

Author Websites and Profiles
Victoria Adeshua Amazon Profile

Wallace Briggs 

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
Now retired from a technical sales role marketing toxic gas analysers I have concentrated on bringing to market four, stand-alone, fantasy adventures for MG children, describing the Adventures of Jimmy Crikey. Two further children’s/YA stories compete with my aim to finish a memoir and another YA fantasy adventure.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
My fourth in a series of Jimmy Crikey’s Adventures started off life almost fifty years ago on the beach at Great Yarmouth. A few showery afternoons drove my five-year-old son and his four new friends to seek shelter in our beach tent. To keep them amused (quiet) for a while I had to tell them a story – on the hoof as we hadn’t brought any books down to the beech. Almost fifty years later they are now in print via Amazon/KDP and the latest in the series is The Adventures of Jimmy Crikey: The Emerald Lake.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
Not that I know of. I’m sure many writers pick up the pen (figuratively) and just start writing with no idea where the story will ‘go’.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
Enid Blyton’s Magic Faraway Tree entertained me and my two boys over and over. As did Rupert Bear. Later, Tolkien’s Fellowship of the Rings trilogy – an absolute standard and all of the Harry Potter adventures. Wilbur Smith’s books never fail to entertain.

What are you working on now?
Just getting over the traumas of getting Jimmy Crikey’s The Emerald Lake published on Amazon. As I get older things (processes) that once raced through now take an age and without help would never reach the market. When I recover I will have a choice of three unfinished projects. I think the memoir deserves my attention.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I am so unorganised that it’s a bit of a scattershot effort knowing which is the best return for the few bucks available for promotion.
A good cover design and a good book description help self-promo attempts.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Try to start building a fan base as soon as you can. Br active on FB & Twitter (and other online sites.) Get used to appearing online with short pieces about your life and work.
And, write, write, write. Never give up even when the going gets tough. You would be very fortunate not to hit a brick wall at some time in your career – and not just once. If you give up, you were never intended to be a writer. Have faith in your ability and never stop developing your skills

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Develop a thick skin – let it go over your head and pick up that pen again.

What are you reading now?
A David Baldacci thriller – Tomorrow

If you were going to be stranded on a desert island and allowed to take 3 or 4 books with you what books would you bring?
The Bible (Old & New testaments, Gibbon’s Rise & Fall of the Roman Empire, Wilbur Smith’s Where the Lion Feeds.

Author Websites and Profiles
Wallace Briggs Website
Wallace Briggs Amazon Profile

Maggie Hawkins 

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I’ve only published one novella so far, but I’m working on a poetry chapbook and a children’s book.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
The name of my book is Hallowed Ground. It was actually inspired by the Tulsa Race Massacre that happened in Oklahoma in 1921. Even though my story isn’t related to that event, it made me wonder what other atrocities from the past have yet to be unearthed.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
It takes me a really long time to complete a story. I will jot an idea down, write the first few pages, and leave it simmering for years before finally returning to finish it. I conceived the idea for Hallowed Ground in 2013, but it took me until 2021 to feel like it was finished. The other projects that I want to publish this year have been in different stages of development for at least 2-3 years. I think this is a habit I want to break.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
I’m a huge fan or Toni Morrison, Tananarive Due, and N.K. Jemisin. I love the social commentary in Morrison’s writing, the chilling, psychological horror of Due’s work, and the intelligent, mind-bending stories of Jemison’s science fiction.

What are you working on now?
I’ve been writing poetry since I was 10, so I thought it might be a good time to put together a collection of my works. I haven’t worked out the details yet in terms of theme or design, but I’m excited about getting it out there. Also, a few years ago I wrote a children’s story for my daughter who is now 8. I didn’t write it with the intention of publishing it but over the years I kept going to back to it and developed a connection with the story. It occurred to me that there are other people who might connect with it as well, so those are both on the horizon.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
This actually IS my first rodeo (so to speak), so I don’t have a tried and true method. I’m open to exploring a lot of different options though and time will tell which works best.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Persistence, persistence, persistence. Just because something doesn’t “click” immediately, doesn’t mean it was not meant to be. Keep trying until you find the story inside you.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Nothing worth doing is ever easy. I find that I’m suspicious of anything that goes too well on the first try.

What are you reading now?
How Long ‘Till Black Future Month by N.K. Jemisin. It’s an amazing collection of short stories.

What’s next for you as a writer?
I’m a professor of English and a mom, so finding time to write can some times be challenging, but I hope to be able to carve out a few hours here and there to work on my craft. I’m currently working on a new short story about vampires. Hopefully it won’t take me 10 years to write it.

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 Poisonwood Bible by Barbara Kingsolver, Jazz by Toni Morrison, and Great Expectations by Charles Dickens

Author Websites and Profiles
Maggie Hawkins Amazon Profile

Maggie Hawkins’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile
Facebook Profile

Susan Frances 

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I live in Devon, England and when I’m not researching for my books or writing, I like to garden, walk and cycle.
I’ve written one book, the first in a series that begins in 1330 England and will finish the family story in the 1960s – at least, that’s the plan but who knows? Ideas and plots change as I write.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
The name of my book is No One Must Know Book 1 of The Chiddleigh Saga and whilst the first in the series, the story stands alone.
As a child, I was fascinated by my grandfather’s tales of his time working on a Devon farm and about our Devon family history. We spent many summers in Devon and years later, I began researching my family history which inspired me to write Book 1 of The Chiddleigh Saga.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I sometimes wake up in the middle of the night with an idea or tweak. I know I have to write it down or I will lose it.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
There is no one author but not surprisingly, I read a lot of historical fiction and one of the authors I most admire is C J Sansom. He has the skill to say so much whilst writing so little and absorbs the reader totally.

What are you working on now?
Book 2 of The Chiddleigh Saga.
Continuing from Book 1, it is 1348 and the Black Death Plague is sweeping England. The reader follows Thomas as the new young Lord de Chiddleigh as he struggles to save his people from the plague, decide where his loyalties lie and come to terms with who he is.

The first draft is finished and is going through the first edit. Hopefully, it will be published later in the year.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
Goodreads, awesome gang, Amazon, Online Book Club

Do you have any advice for new authors?
There are times when all authors doubt themselves. Believe in your writing and keep going.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Be aware of the techniques but be your own writer.

What are you reading now?
I’m re-reading the Shardlake series by C J Sansom.

What’s next for you as a writer?
To publish Book 2 in the Chiddleigh Saga and begin Book 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 Agony and the Ecstacy – the story of Michelangelo. It is inspiring.
The Jungle Book but whilst reading I would have the Disney original animation in my mind. Baloo is my hero. I love his attitude to life and think there should be a little Baloo in all of us.
Yes, again, I would take The Shardlake series – I suppose that’s cheating but I couldn’t choose just one.

Author Websites and Profiles
Susan Frances Website
Susan Frances Amazon Profile

Susan Frances’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile
Facebook Profile
Twitter Account