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Randi-Lee Bowslaugh 

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
Randi is a passionate advocate for mental health. She has written 10 books and hosts a YouTube channel called the Write or Die Show. In 2018 she battled cancer and came out fighting. She is the mom to 2 and grandmother to 1. T

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
Be Selfish – Your Self-Care Journal. It is a journal with 7 sections (1 for each day of the week) and 52 ideas per section (for each week of the year). It came from wanting something more than just a journal. There are recipes, workout ideas and lots more. I wanted something that could encompass many aspects of our self-care.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I don’t write every day. I write when I have inspiration which is frequent but I don’t force it.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
The first author I read a novel through and wanted to keep reading was Stephen King. I now review many types of books and find that there is a lot of value in indie authors.

What are you working on now?
A book about losing my brother to a drug overdose. The hope is to show that people with addiction have family who loves them even when it is difficult. As well as bring hope to other families experiencing the same thing.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
My best method is going on other people’s podcasts, I love doing interviews and chatting with people from around the world.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Write. Don’t let anyone tell you what you should write. Follow your passion.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Write the book as if you would want to read it.

What are you reading now?
Hive

What’s next for you as a writer?
To continue working on my new book. As well throughout the year, I will be releasing new kids’ books and scary stories.

If you were going to be stranded on a desert island and allowed to take 3 or 4 books with you what books would you bring?
Anything by Sherrilyn Kenyon.

Author Websites and Profiles
Randi-Lee Bowslaugh Website
Randi-Lee Bowslaugh Amazon Profile

Randi-Lee Bowslaugh’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile
Facebook Profile

Richard Stephens 

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I am an epic fantasy author who has created an ever expanding fantasy world known as ‘The Soul Forge Universe.’ Since late 2017 I have written and published 13 books and will be releasing 2 more in 2022

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
The book we will be discussing will be ‘Keeper of the Jewel,’ book 1 in the ‘Highcliff Guardians’ series. While writing a previous series in the Soul Forge Universe, I mentioned a 700-year-old elf queen. After mentioning the queen, I immediately knew I had to write her story from the beginning.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
Not particularly. I listen to all sorts of music when I write. Depending on the scene it can range from inspirational music, to sad epic music, to heavy metal, to death metal.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
‘The Sword of Shannara’ by Terry Brooks and ‘Lord Foul’s Bane’ by Stephens R. Donaldson inspired my love of reading and writing fantasy.

What are you working on now?
‘Windwalkewr,’ book 3 in the ‘Highcliff Guardians.’

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
Website: www.richardhstephens.com

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Don’t try to be Stephen King or J.K. Rowling. The world already has one of them What we need is you.

And, when you finally put yourself out there, above all things, believe in yourself. If you believe in what you do, the world will follow.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Write it once, write it clean, edit, and move on.

What are you reading now?
‘Small Magic’ by Terry Brooks

What’s next for you as a writer?
Writing book 4 in the ‘Highcliff Guardians:’ ‘When Legends Rise.’

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 combined trilogy of the Sword of Shannara series by Terry Brooks, a combined trilogy of Thomas Covenant, the Unbeliever (includes Lord Foul’s Bane) by Stephens R. Donaldson, a combined trilogy Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien, and a hefty tome that includes everything written in the Soul Forge Universe by epic fantasy author, Richard H. Stephens.

Author Websites and Profiles
Richard Stephens Website
Richard Stephens Amazon Profile

Richard Stephens’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile
Facebook Profile
Twitter Account

Laurie Yetzer 

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I am a self-proclaimed crazy cat lady, who is passionate about cats and helping cats get adopted from shelters. I volunteer at the Dallas Animal Services and, with the help from other non-profit organizations Awwdoptable and Cat Behavior Solutions, have been able to help save cats’ lives. I reside in Dallas with my husband and three cats. The Kid too Cool for Cats is my first children’s book.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
The Kid Too Cool for Cats
The book was inspired by my husband and his negative stereotype of cats. I wrote the book to prove that cats are cool.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I am not sure if they are unusual but when I am feeling stuck, I love to go to our nearby park and sit on the bench and observe.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
Published by Chandler Bolt, Pete the Cat Books by Kimberly and James Dean

What are you working on now?
Learning how to market and sell my first book.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
That is a great question since I have just started the process I’ll have to get back to you on that.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Take the leap, it’s been a slow start for me but it is the most amazing feeling holding my first published book and seeing it live on Amazon.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Just because you don’t know how to do it, doesn’t mean it can’t be done. Strengthen your belief it will happen, and watch the opportunities and resources come your way.

What are you reading now?
Atomic Habits by James Clear

What’s next for you as a writer?
Trying to figure that out.

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?
Think and Grow Rich by Napolean Hill, David Baldacci – Absolute Power, How to Win Friends and Influence People by Dale Dale Carnegie

Author Websites and Profiles
Laurie Yetzer Website
Laurie Yetzer Amazon Profile

Laurie Yetzer’s Social Media Links
Facebook Profile

Declan Finn 

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I write under the name Declan Finn, and I’ve published nearly 30 novels. They vary in genre from thrillers to urban fantasy to space opera. I’ve only been published for ten years, but I’ve been writing for over 20.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
My latest book is White Ops #3, Main Street, DOA. The book was inspired by my father while I first wrote the series. He had suggested the hostage takeover of a planet-sized amusement park.

Me, being a smartass, called it Yesdin Planet. If you scramble the letters, you’ll see what I was shooting for.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
Unusual? I don’t think so. I roll out of bed and into my office, and I write from nine to five.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
J. Michael Stracznski.
Timothy Zahn
John Ringo
Fred Saberhagen
David Weber

What are you working on now?
I’m working on three projects right now.

One project is the next two books of my space opera series White Ops. Basically, I use alien space mafia.

A second project is a sequel series to my “Love at First Bite” novels, called “Honeymoon from Hell.” I’ve finished book one, “The Neck Romancer,” and I’m in the middle of “Blood Country.” Can you tell they involve vampires?

A third project is an open world urban fantasy where I use magic as an excuse to have superheroes.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
Social media. As much as I loathe the eternal dumpster fire, I find that the moment I stop posting about my books online, my sales take a hit.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
There is a difference between wanting to be a writer and being a writer.

If you want to be a writer … trust me, you don’t. In retrospect, I would rather have been an electrician.

But if you feel compelled to write, and you need to write, then there are two routes for you. 1) Get a marketable skill, like plumbing or welding, or electrical work. You can make money doing that, and you’ll probably find that you can use it in your writing. Or 2) Get skills in marketing and graphic designs, because they’ll come in handy for selling books and making your own book covers. Those are the priciest parts of the book selling business. And you better treat it like a business.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Write fast and publish often. It comes in handy with Amazon algorithms.

What are you reading now?
John Ringo’s Into The Real.

What’s next for you as a writer?
See the “What are you working on now?” answer.

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 Silmarillion.
Les Miserables.
Shogun, James Clavell
The collected Father Brown, by GK Chesterton

They’re big books, and no way in heck am I going to be able to memorize them all. I can literally reread them without losing much in the way of value.

Though if you meant what are my favorite books…
Verticle Run, Joseph Garber.
Princess of Wands, John Ringo
Heir to the Empire, by Timothy Zahn.
Lord of the Rings.

Author Websites and Profiles
Declan Finn Website
Declan Finn Amazon Profile

Declan Finn’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile
Facebook Profile
Twitter Account

Stephen Jaggers (CryptoJaggz) 

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I am a Cryptocurrency enthusiast. I have written only one book so far about Crypto. I am a serial entrepreneur that has a strong technical background. I spent 30 years as a programmer, tester, and Software Engineer working in Telecom. I have written an Android application that is available on Google Play called MathWizard. And, I have built up four separate affiliate websites where I have written a lot over the past decade about Coffee, White Teeth Health, Lotions and Skin Care, and Dog Supplies.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
I retired a year and a half ago and was looking to create another revenue stream that might take up my newly found free time, I watched a video about how to make money on Audible. I had been investing into Cryptocurrencies since late 2017 and had learned a LOT about that space. I was trying to come up with a book idea to use to hire an author to ghost write for my Audible book. A friend of mine suggested that since I talk a LOT about Crypto, that I should just write the book myself and make it about Crypto. Since I had really been deeply involved in Crypto for a few years, the writing of the book turned out to be a lot easier than I ever expected. It took about a year from start to finish to get the book onto Amazon. It turns out that the difficult part for me wasn’t the writing of the book, but the editing, cover creation, and navigation of the KDP websites that consumed probably over 30% of that time. Anyway, I had a lot of fun writing the book. I hope that comes through if you choose to read it!

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I set a goal of writing 10,000 words a month. And, I planned to stop at 100,000 words. I created the TOC first and just started filling it out. Not sure any of that is unusual. But, it was effective for me to see the end of a month approaching and how that spurred me to focus on completing each monthly milestone. As it turned out, I thought I was done at around 93,000 words. But, as I kept thinking of stuff that “‘needed” to be in the book, it ended up about about 128,000 words (pre-editor). The professional Editor cut maybe 5K to 10K words off of that number.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
My experience writing for my own websites had the most influence on me. I started off by thinking I could just slap together keyword stuffed webpages and Google would flood me with traffic. Well, Google quickly taught me that quality matters. That was the best lesson I could have learned. I then began the process of converting websites that I was kind of embarrassed to tell friends about, to four somewhat high quality sites that I no longer feel self-conscious about. In fact, I am actually pretty proud of most of the content I have on those websites.

What are you working on now?
I have just completed getting my Crypto book live on Amazon. So, I’m working on doing some of the promotional marketing work. I have learned a lot from the websites. Although, I have also learned that connecting with people is one of the most important parts of marketing. I’m pretty much awful at that. So, my website marketing has been somewhat abysmal. In between fits of book work, I try to occasionally work on the websites. I do work around the house. And, I hope to do more traveling in the coming years should world wide virus events allow. And, of course, I am continuing to work my personal investment strategies in Crypto.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
Best for me is nothing to copy. My personal promotion tactics have never been very good. The one method I think is good is to include people in my book. I have a list of 20 “Crypto Characters”. Many of them have quite large followings. I have contacted each of them and let them know that they are in my book and if they find any value with my book, they are free to let anyone they want know about it.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Being new, no.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Oh, my. So many choices. I have always subscribed to the idea that no one can make you react. No matter what others are trying to tell you to do or force you to do, the one thing no one can force you to do is to react in any specific way. It is always up to you to choose your reaction to any situation.

What are you reading now?
The Happiness Advantage by Shawn Achor
There are so many great studies and strong thought processes in this book. I have actually read through it via audio book. I put in my headphones and listen to it as I go to sleep. I then rewind back to where I fell asleep the night before. I sometimes end up listening to the same chapters over and over again. I just love the idea the book tries to promote that being happy begats more happiness. I try to live by it and take advantage of the many described “Advantages” in this book.

What’s next for you as a writer?
Next is to hire a reader and to get my Crypto book onto Audible.

After that I’d like to do another Crypto book. But, I put so much into this one, I’m not sure I can come up with a full book without too much repeating from the first book. We’ll see what happens this year with my Crypto investments. Perhaps new and exciting things will surface and provide me with enough fodder.

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 Happiness Advantage by Shawn Achor
Man’s Search for Meaning by Viktor Frankl
Quiet by Susan Cain

Author Websites and Profiles
Stephen Jaggers (CryptoJaggz) Amazon Profile

Stephen Jaggers (CryptoJaggz)’s Social Media Links
Twitter Account

Diane Bator 

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
Diane Bator is a mom of three, a book coach, and the author of over a dozen mystery novels and many works-in-progress. She has also hosted the Escape With a Writer blog to promote fellow authors and is a member of Sisters in Crime Toronto, the Writers Union of Canada, and a board member of Crime Writers of Canada. When she’s not writing and coaching authors, she works for a professional theatre. No surprise she’s written her first play, which may lead to more.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
The Conned Lady is the final book in my Wild Blue Mystery series. It wraps up the story of Katie Mullins and Danny Walker and was inspired by moving across Canada from the city to a small town and not knowing anyone. My “what if” question was “What if I’d moved here on the run from someone who wanted to kill me?”

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I’ve been known to write anywhere, anytime with pretty much anything! My kids used to catch me making notes or writing scenes while cooking dinner. Raising three kids, I learned to grab any extra few minutes in the day I could to write.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
As a kid, I read as many Hardy Boys books as I could. Also anything true crime and paranormal. I’m a big fan now of Karin Slaughter, Dean Koontz, and many other authors that I’ve come across!

What are you working on now?
With The Conned Lady now in print, my upcoming release will be Dead Man’s Doll in September 2022. I’m also editing a book I wrote a couple years ago and shelved. Hopefully, it will be picked up and published soon!

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I love doing interviews like this on blogs and podcasts! I’ve started working with Creative Edge Publicity to amp up my promotions. It’s a lot of work, but I’m enjoying it!

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Write your first draft before you start to panic about your opening sentence and paragraph. I guarantee whatever you wrote will change by the end of the book.
Don’t listen to the people who say you can’t do it. Follow your heart.
Oh, and get an editor!

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Write what YOU want to write and finish that first draft!

What are you reading now?
I have a lot of books on my desk that I need to dig into. Writing and editing right now has consumed a lot of my time. I was given a copy of Paulo Coehlo’s book The Devil and Miss Prym for Christmas, so that’s the book I’ve just finished reading. Good read!

What’s next for you as a writer?
Hopefully a lot more promotional stuff!
Dead Man’s Doll, book 2 in my Sugarwood Mysteries, comes out in September 2022.
Carved in Stone is the book I’m currently editing. Hopefully, I’ll be submitting it to a couple beta readers in May then submitting either to agents or publishers.
I’m also awaiting a reading for the first play I wrote called Secrets That Haunt Them!

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 a couple journals to write in as well as Writing Down the Bones by Natalie Goldberg and something off my TBR pile!

Author Websites and Profiles
Diane Bator Website
Diane Bator Amazon Profile
Diane Bator Author Profile on Smashwords

Diane Bator’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile
Facebook Profile
Twitter Account
Pinterest Account

Eileen Joyce Donovan 

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
Although born in New York City, where I spent most of my life, I’ve lived in six states and visited most of the others. I earned my MA in English at Northern Arizona University. In one way or another, I’ve been writing my entire life, whether it was imaginative stories for friends, or advertising copy for industrial clients.
But I never felt my stories were “good enough” to be published. At the persistent urging of my husband, I finally agreed to seriously edit and revise one of them and take the plunge. Although accepted for publication, the book never made it all the way to print. However, this gave me the courage to pursue my dream of becoming a published author.
Years later, my persistence paid off and my debut historical fiction, Promises, won the 2019 Marie M Irvine Award for Literary Excellence. My 5-Star review historical novel, A Lady Newspaperman’s Dilemma, won the 2021 When Words Count nationwide competition and will be released on Sept 6, 2022. My short stories have appeared in various anthologies, including the 2021 Chicken Soup for the Soul, Blessings of Christmas.
I live in Manhattan, New York and am a member of Authors Guild, Women’s National Book Association, Women Fiction Writers Association, and The Historical Novel Society.
https://www.ejdonovan.com
https://www.facebook.com/eileen.donovan
https://www.twitter.com/@etdonovan1

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
My latest 5-Star Review book, A Lady Newspaperman’s Dilemma came to life because of a clipping a friend sent me about the one and only time the US Army bombed a US city. Taht fact intrigued me, and I went down the rabbit hole to learn more about this event. The more I read the more I knew I could fictionalize it and write a book. Thus, Alex was born, and the story told.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
Some think it’s unusual that I write my manuscripts in pen and then transcribe them to my computer. I find my thoughts flow better this way. Plus, I’m a terrible typist so I’d spend more time correcting my typos than writing.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
So many I can hardly count them all. I guess the most recent ones would be Sara Donati, Kate Morton, Mary Doria Russell, to name a few. It was their historical novels that solidified my idea that that was the genre I liked most and should write in.

What are you working on now?
Right now, I’ve finished a novel about three sisters in 1955 New York City. One wants to get married. One wants to be the toast of the town. One wants to become a doctor. And, in 1955 New York City, each one will have to jump hurdles to achieve her dream. And I’ve begun researching a novel about a New York woman who rose from abject poverty to millionaire status in the nineteenth century.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I’m really a neophyte at promoting my books, so I’m not sure. Right now, I’m working with a publicist and hoping to learn a lot about promotion.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Read everything you can get your hands on and write as often as possible. Submitting short stories to journals is also an excellent way to add some credentials to your bio.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Don’t give up. Don’t sell yourself short. Stay focused on your goals.

What are you reading now?
The Titanic Sisters by Patricia Falvey

What’s next for you as a writer?
I need to find an agent or publisher for my sisters book and I need to do more research for 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?
Oh, don’t make me choose! I guess if I had to Winter’s Tale would be there. Crime and Punishment, The Little Lame Prince, and Forever Amber. But there are so many other great contemporary ones that I keep on my bookshelves.

Author Websites and Profiles
Eileen Joyce Donovan Website

Robert French 

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
After a great career in software, I turned my mind to writing. After several false starts, I finally produced a book that I was happy with. That book, Junkie, turned out to be the first book in the Cal Rogan series which now has seven books with the eighth in the works.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
The latest Cal Rogan book is Jailed. It was inspired by a couple of events. I got interested in the Innocence project whose mission is to get wrongly convicted people out of jail. They usually succeed due to DNA evidence showing that the convicted person was not the perpetrator of the crime. I thought it would be a challenge for Cal to exonerate a convicted kid when the DNA evidence against him seemed irrefutable. The other inspiration was from two friends who have seen the insides of Canada’s two most notorious (and shameful) prisons.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I do very little planning. I get a general idea of the book and the general direction I want it to go, then I start writing and let the book unfold. There can be some frustrations with this approach but they are balanced by the wonderful surprises that emerge in the writing process.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
Michael Connelly, Lee Child, Harlan Coben and John Steinbeck.

What are you working on now?
The eighth Cal Rogan book and planning the first Ellie Rogan book. Ellie is Cal’s twelve-year-old daughter and the first book will be set in 2040 when she will be 30.

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

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Focus on the craft of writing. Learn the craft, hone the craft, love the craft and never stop learning. Do everything you can to find a mentor.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
From Don Maass. “Make sure there is tension on every page.”

What are you reading now?
A Good Bunch of Men by Danny R. Smith. A great hard-boiled detective novel with great characters and a terrific plot.

What’s next for you as a writer?
Apart from Cal and Ellie, I have an intriguing idea for a standalone novel. So many book ideas – so little time.

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 Grapes of Wrath”
“The Lord of the Rings” trilogy
Michael Connolly’s next book
“How to Survive on a Desert Island”

Author Websites and Profiles
Robert French Website
Robert French Amazon Profile

Robert French’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile
Facebook Profile

Bo Demont 

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
My name is Bo Demont, and I welcome you to this page to introduce myself, my new book, “THE NEMESIS VECTOR” and those that have supported me through this journey. As a young girl, growing up in California, I loved the warm summer nights when I could spread out a blanket in the back yard and count the seemingly endless number of shooting stars; making a wish on every one of them. Loving to study the night sky and remembering the thrill of seeing Saturn for the first time through a backyard telescope was an inspiration to write this book. Although being a hopeless romantic, and a Sci-Fi lover certainly would seem to be an unlikely combination, I have tried to give my readers a glimpse into this near-future world which is filled with twists and turns, fears and tears and even a few laughs in hopes of giving a fresh look to a Science Fiction novel. Even after all of the years that have passed since that time, I cannot help but look to the heavens and imagine what could be.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
My second book is “Forbidden Knowledge” and its a sequel to the Nemesis Vector.
Man has obtained the technology to terra form the moon and live off planet. Work in progress and not published.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
The Nemesis Vector took the good part of a year to write it is 334 pages and I believe the word count is 91,000. I write steady and slow. It takes arduous thought to get the right words layed down so the ongoing situation the characters are in makes perfect sense and is fun to read.

What are you working on now?
Forbidden Knowledge

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
Word of mouth and I do not have a website since the Nemesis Vector is listed on Amazon and acts like a website in my opinion.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Promotion of your work is the tough job, bring money!

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
“If all you have to fight with are sticks and stones, then that’s what you fight with.”

What are you reading now?
Nothing at the moment since I am busy writing.

What’s next for you as a writer?
A book tour would be nice!

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?
Moby Dick
Hunger Games
Dune

Mandy Eve-Barnett 

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I am a multi-genre author writing children’s, YA and adult books with nine books published since 2011 and another six awaiting publication. I regularly blog twice a week, once for readers and once for writers. I am a writing community advocate and am prolific on social media. As the current Secretary of my local writers group, the Writers Foundation of Strathcona County, I host the monthly sharing meetings and create weekly writing prompts for their website. My stories can also be found in several anthologies, I collaborated to produce a memoir workbook and have written a hybrid fiction business book for a client. I also write for a monthly writer’s magazine, and regularly write for a local newsletter and newspaper.
Writing is my passion and my legacy.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
My last published novel was The Commodore’s Gift, which is a steampunk adventure with a strong, determined female protagonist. It began as a short story inspired by a writing retreat prompt. We were given random titles and mine was The Toymaker. I wrote about a toymaker imprisoned to make a ‘toy’ for the King. The protagonist was a man and the story was around eight thousand words. It was accepted for a steampunk anthology, but alas the project did not come to fruition, so I put the story on the back-burner. Go forward a year and I decided to expand the original story into a novel. However, another character, Owena, forced herself into the forefront and thus the novel you see today came into being.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I’m not sure if it is unusual per se, but I write as the story unfolds in my mind. It relays like a movie. I literally type as I think without editing and let the story flow in whatever direction it wants to. My characters are quick to steer me in interesting directions! So I’m as surprised with the finished product as my readers are when reading it as I write it. This is the fun of writing, the creation of a new imaginary world. It is limitless.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
I am in awe of Stephen King’s storytelling ability, his skill at capturing your attention and sympathetic response to his characters is incredible. Before I began writing, his books were always first on my reading pile. As I learnt the rules and various genres, I found other authors who have drawn me into their worlds, such as Kate Morton, Felix de Palma. M.J. Arlidge and James Long. I now read the genre I am writing not only for research but to understand the complexities of the genres.

What are you working on now?
My current project is a detective trilogy, set in three Albertan cities with female detectives in each city chasing an elusive murderer. Book one is in the revision stage, book 2 is being reviewed and edited and book 3 is planned for later this year. Once all three books are finalized, I will be launching them in sequence. Currently the timeline for the launches is unknown. As with most of my stories all the women within these narratives are strong, independent and forthright.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
My promotions span many methods, because I write in multiple genres for all ages and readers. Due to this fact to enable me to capture my readership it cannot be on one social media platform. However, I do have a website where everything about my books, writing life, events, presentations, etc. is the main portal to me!

Do you have any advice for new authors?
There are as many ways to write as there are genres, so always be open to learn your craft, ask for advice and take courses, be part of your local and virtual writing community, find a writing group and above all write as much as you can. Your perspective, ideas and experience are unique use them in your craft.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Read and draw on wide influences but don’t cram your work with others’ ideas.

What are you reading now?
The House We Grew Up In by Lisa Jewell.
A fascinating glimpse into the lives and perceptions of four siblings, their parents and events that shape them. It is written well with hints at underlining emotional hurt, abandonment and tragedy.

What’s next for you as a writer?
In my writing schedule, I will finish my detective trilogy and get it published. Return to another series and write a prequel novella. Decide on which back-burner novel I will then tackle, there are three. This obviously may not go to plan, we all know that happens! A shiny new idea may strike and that will take precedence. Apart from that I have freelance projects, writing retreats and events to attend for the reminder of 2022.

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 a difficult question as I have eclectic taste. I read books in the genre I am writing, but also a broad range of others for pleasure. One book I do know I would take is Ferney by James Long. It is a reincarnation based story I reread regularly. It is like returning to old friends and a subject I have been fascinated in for decades. (In fact I wrote my own reincarnation based novel, The Twesome Loop because of it). As a voracious Stephen King reader any of his books, would be a welcome companion, but probably The Mercedes trilogy (yes I know I’m cheating!). Then the classic The Thirteenth Tale by Diane Setterfield and as it is such fun and a place I would love to live too, The Bar Harbour Retirement Home for Famous Writers by Terri-Lynne DeFino.

Author Websites and Profiles
Mandy Eve-Barnett Website
Mandy Eve-Barnett Amazon Profile
Mandy Eve-Barnett Author Profile on Smashwords

Mandy Eve-Barnett’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile
Facebook Profile
Twitter Account
Pinterest Account

Craig Copeland 

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
This is now my third book, but this one took the longest to write, fourteen years of research. I wanted something that was going to define disruptive thinking in a new way, apart from the old, stale way the business word uses it. I think this is a fresh approach, and it’s the first time someone has provided the tools used by genius-level Disruptors to illustrate just how easy it is to learn.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
The title is – Disruptors: The Gateway to Genius Level Thinking. My original thought was to write a book about what made people successful. But then I thought about Napoleon Hill’s book, Think and Grow Rich, and one day it occurred to me that the word “rich” didn’t necessarily refer to monetary rich. Suddenly, I thought, “well, what if success doesn’t always mean what we think it means?” And as I interviewed people and dug in a bit deeper, I noticed that most of them had no clue why they were successful, but that they all thought success was tied to financial wealth. I just didn’t like that answer, so I kept looking.

Disruptive thinking, which I actually stumbled upon, and is founded on intuitive thinking, is something that we all possess, it’s just either been forgotten or, like most people, it’s been taught out of us at an early age by our school systems. The one’s who have made the biggest disruptive breakthroughs are those people who have maintained their true intuitive nature. This was a path I wanted to explore and cultivate.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I am old-fashioned. I like writing it out by hand first. Then I type everything into my computer, and then I print everything out and lay it on the floor for sometimes months, while reworking the order of pages and chapters. It’s a long process, but it kind of reminds me of those quirky professors who worked out their theorems and ideas on a blackboard. Since I never went to college, I kinda like the process. Makes me feel collegiate.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
How much room do I have here? That’s like asking what kind of music do I like. I can say that I love how Walter Isaacson writes and researches, I love every book that Andy Weir ever wrote, I recently read NeuroTribes ny Steve Silberman, loved it! I rad Julia Child’s My Life in France, Behave, Brave New World, Richard Power’s Bewilderment, a Pulitzer Prize winner, Most anything by Lee Child (the Jack Reacher series), I like John Grisham, Adam Grant, and Steven Pinker.

I had to read a ton of lofty, heady books for research on psychology, the mind, genius, creativity, the human condition, phenomenology, ontology, etc. Phew!

What are you working on now?
I still have some writing and marketing to do for this book, and I am creating a training program for it, plus, I am developing a test for disurptive thinkers. But I am also researching for my next project which will be a series of thriller books. I am excited to try a new path.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
NO CLUE. I am not of the Social Media generation, and while I am technologically savvy about computers and electronics, I am clueless when it comes to promotion or self promotion. But I work at it every day. Don’t know if I’m making a dent, but at least trying.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
YES! We all know that writing a book is hard. It is a long, arduous, and often lonely process. And when we are done, we think we should be grandly rewarded by landing on the top of the New York Best Seller’s list, or at least win a Pulitzer. But alas, no.

My advice and recommendation is, take several months after you’ve completed your book (or during, if you are of a more determined nature), and work on the marketing. I would say to give yourself 6-10 months of just building your platform.

I had to learn the hard way because my first two books were prior to Social Media and did so well, that I thought the third book would do the same. Like Rumpelstiltskin, when I woke up, the world was completely changed. Now I spend a great deal of my time writing articles and blogs, posting (sometimes meaningless) stuff on social media sites, and doing a lot of self promoting, which is a bit counter to who I am.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Dr. Wayne Dyer’s Rule #6 – “Don’t take yourself too seriously.”

BTW – There are not rules 1-5, just 6.

What are you reading now?
I read several books at once:

Finishing Bewilderment by Richard Powers – Highly recommend, Faraday, Maxwell, and the Electromagnetic Field, by Nancy Forbes, Batman and Psychology, by Travis Langley, Plato’s The Trial and Death of Socrates, And The Reason I Jump, written by a thirteen year old boy with autism, Naoki Higashida. Just amazing.

What’s next for you as a writer?
Sleep, see if the outdoors is still out there, write some more, revisit friends I’ve had to put on hold, and enjoy 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?
My book, of course, The Complete works of Sherlock Holmes, 1Q84 trilogy by Haruki Murakami, which I forgot to mention as one of my favorites.

Author Websites and Profiles
Craig Copeland Website
Craig Copeland Amazon Profile

Craig Copeland’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile
Facebook Profile
Twitter Account

Joanna Wolford 

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I Kept a Piece of You is the very first novel I’ve ever written and published. I currently have other WIP’s that I plan to revisit. I love anything eerie or unexplained, but I also love comedies. Stephen King is my absolute favorite author. I enjoy all things nerdy and am a bit of an introvert. I would prefer to stay home to read a good book or watch a good movie in my pajamas and a blanket on the couch.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
The original title of my novel was Pieces of Her, but then Netflix came out with a movie that was based off of a novel by the same name, in a completely different genre, so I renamed it to I Kept a Piece of You. The title has both literal and metaphorical meaning. My protagonist has a strong bond with his mother, and when she dies, a piece of her stays with him, and then there are the missing girls…well, you probably get the picture.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
Not really. I write when I can. Life gets in the way sometimes, so you just have to make it work. Sometimes I’ll write late at night in my office or the bedroom. Sometimes I’m on the couch with the TV on in the background.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
Stephen King probably influenced me the most. His On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft, was the first thing I ever read of his and it was so inspiring.

What are you working on now?
I’m working on my next horror novel and working with an idea about a nightmare I had a couple of years ago.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I’m honestly still trying to figure that out!

Do you have any advice for new authors?
I’ve heard other writers say it, but I think promoting your book before it’s published is a big deal. Also, getting feedback early is super important and do hire a professional editor.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
The best advice I’ve ever heard is to hire a professional editor. Sometimes it’s so hard to step away from your own work so you’re naturally not going to see things that someone else might.

What are you reading now?
I’m currently reading one of my friend’s self-published novels called Amphibious!

What’s next for you as a writer?
I hope that I can continue to promote my debut novel, but I’m definitely going to start writing on 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 would take The 13th Tale by Diane Setterfield, Joe Hill’s N0S4A2, Stephen King’s, Doctor Sleep and The Green Mile.

Author Websites and Profiles
Joanna Wolford Website

Joanna Wolford’s Social Media Links
Twitter Account

Aaron Fyvie 

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I’m a 56 yr old former Police Officer with absolutely no previous experience of writing anything bigger than a song or a short story. I love the fantasy genre through my love of fantasy art and immersing myself in a good open world PC game. I was a musician for a while and even managed a slot at the ‘T in the Park’ festival in Perthshire, Scotland.
I am thoroughly enjoying the whole experience that writing a book involves.
Getting it noticed is the hardest part.
I have 4 ‘children’ and one stepson. I play the drums, I play a bit of golf and I enjoy football.
Oh yes…and I have two mad cats.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
The book is called The Amulet and the Oath. I needed something to occupy an idle mind while I was off on long term sick leave. It was only initially a short story idea but it grew arms legs teeth and wings and became my very first novel. The main character comes from an avatar I designed for an on-line fantasy game way back in 2006.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I can’t write if I’m wearing a matching pair of socks.
I put together a soundtrack of fantasy type music to entertain my characters so they would do something interesting.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
I’m going to be really dull here and use all the same great names everyone else probably uses. Stephen King, Douglas Adams, Terry Pratchett and Iain M Banks.
I read the Hobbit when I was at drama college in the early 80s and it knocked me for six. Many late nights spent wide-eyed, nibbling cheese in bed reading that little masterpiece.

What are you working on now?
I’m working on the sequel to The Amulet and the Oath and fully intend to make a four-book series under the title Tales from Ethratu. Book two has a working title The Bringer of Silence. I’m about two thirds done.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I only use Social media or word of mouth. Marketing and promotion is hard to master without proper advice – and expertise costs.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Have faith. Just write. Dont worry about word count or whether your story makes any sense. It’s going to need lots of reworking before it resembles a finished product.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
see above

What are you reading now?
Non-fiction. A book called The Dyatlov Incident. Not a Cold Case.
Fiction. Shuggie Bain by Douglas Stuart

What’s next for you as a writer?
Come up with a descent story line for book three and four.

If you were going to be stranded on a desert island and allowed to take 3 or 4 books with you what books would you bring?
How to survive on a Desert Island by I.M Stranded.
Christine by Stephen King.
The Hitch Hikers Guide to the Galaxy trilogy by Douglas Adams (all four books of course!)
The Martian by Andy Weir. (survival on a desert island should be a breeze compared to what that dude went thru!)

Author Websites and Profiles
Aaron Fyvie Amazon Profile

Chris Liberty 

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I published my first book in a semi-traditional way with a small publishing house in 2017. My second book — Dino Crisis – Stranded — was published in 2019. I am now releasing an updated version of Dino Crisis, along with its sequel Dino Crisis – Project Timeline.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
Dino Crisis is inspired by the old action adventure books like Treasure Island and Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s The Lost World. Jurassic Park was also an inspiration

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I’m a mood writer, meaning I have to “feel” like writing. I can’t really just sit down and type out great ideas. I tried that, but almost every time I do, I wind up deleting that material.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
Michael Crichton, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, Agatha Christie, JK Rowling.

What are you working on now?
Dino Crisis is a 4-book series, and I’m only half done with it, so I’m still working on that. I don’t usually switch to a book that has nothing to do with the series, because I like to feel like I’m “there”, in the story. I can’t do that by jumping from a ghost story, back to the dinosaur story.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
At this point, I haven’t really found good ones yet. I’m just now joining Awesome Gang, so hopefully I can put that on the list. I’ve not fully used the marketing on Amazon, and I’ll try that as well. Someone from Fiverr put me on Netgalley for a week, and up to this point it’s been quite abysmal–no sales. BKNight on Fiverr, which is getting a lot of talk hasn’t done anything for me, either. Since my book is a dinosaur action adventure, I’ll try going all out and promoting it closer to the release of the new Jurassic World movie; maybe I can piggy-back a bit of success off of that. All I can really say is that marketing is the hardest part of producing a book, yes, much harder than actually writing it.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Write your book your way, have someone else edit it, use beta readers as well, save your money so you can market it, because you will need a LOT of money for that. Good luck!

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
“Ain’t nothin’ easy”–Andy Griffith from “Matlock”. That saying is so true, especially with trying to sell a book.

What are you reading now?
I’m just working on my books, so I guess I’m reading my books. lol

What’s next for you as a writer?
Trying to finish my Dino Crisis 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?
Stranded on a desert island? I’d hope whoever stranded me would give me something I could use to survive instead of a book. lol.

Author Websites and Profiles
Chris Liberty Amazon Profile

Chris Liberty’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile

Kris Ball 

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I am a graduate of Ball State University and I live in Indiana. I began writing when I was six years old. I have a son and a grandson. I recently published my third book, Screaming In Autopilot, a collection of poetry and prose that chronicle a life time of dysfunction and healing. I also have children’s books published under a pen name. I am addicted to caffeine, and cats, so would someday love to parlay these addictions into the opening of my very own cat cafe.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
Screaming In Autopilot was just released and I have always wanted to publish a book of my poems. I don’t think poetry should be cloudy or complicated, but should leave the reader moved. I am proud of this work. It was inspired by my life and journey into healing.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
Not really. I do have to be inspired, though. Sometimes it all comes at once, the ideas; and other times there is nothing. Writers block is a troll under the bridge of my life lol.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
I love Robert Frost, but when I was a teenager I read a lot of horror and I became obsessed with Stephen King! I also love historical fiction, like Harry Turtledove’s Guns Of The South is a great book, and my absolute favorite author is James Lee Burke.

What are you working on now?
More poetry and a new project that I don’t want to divulge too many details about right now.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
Dude, you tell me!! I’m sick of Ramen noodles! lol

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Don’t give up, don’t be afraid to be yourself. Stand out. Don’t be like everyone else. You better have a marketing budget.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Be alert. The world needs more lerts. Jk No seriously, listen to your inner voice. If you think it’s too good to be true, it probably is.

What are you reading now?
Where The Crawdads Sing

What’s next for you as a writer?
Marketing this book!! Working on my next project…

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?
3 huge spiral bound notebooks so I could write and Gone With The Wind. It would take me forever to read that again lol.

Author Websites and Profiles
Kris Ball Amazon Profile