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V K Copsewood 

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
Born in 1979 in the West Midlands of England and raised in the countryside, where they would often walk with the family and explore the local woodland. Walking through woods remains an enjoyable pastime and is where VK first learned about the world of mythology and was taught about space from a young age. This is something V K Copsewood enjoys writing about within the poems as well as inspirational messages often flowing through the writing to the reader. Copsewood is known as a caring warm-hearted person who volunteers for local charities. Enjoying learning various subjects from Business, Cryptozoological, Finance. The study of Ufology and history, paranormal. Also writes short stories on a range of subjects from murder mystery through to science fiction, creating worlds and civilisations within the stories and poetry. A dark and Mysterious world is the first poetry book which is the start of the Redemption House stories and poetry.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
From out of the Darkness I was inspired to write this fantasy story due to the level of homelessness and crime in my community.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I would say my writing habits are fairly normal, Music and plenty of coffee with a bag of peanuts.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
H G Welles, R L Stein,

What are you working on now?
Right now I am working on the second short story in The Redemption House series entitled ‘The Orphans’

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I am new to publishing so I am still trying to find ways to promote my work

Do you have any advice for new authors?
I do not have any advice other than never to give up

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Edit your work and hire an editor

What are you reading now?
The flower that went mad which is a poetry book based on Bipolar Depression

What’s next for you as a writer?
The next thing for me is to finish writing the 2nd Redemption house short story and then to research and write the 3rd. Theres 10 shorts based on this series of books

If you were going to be stranded on a desert island and allowed to take 3 or 4 books with you what books would you bring?
1984
Poetry of a dark mind
The bible

Author Websites and Profiles
V K Copsewood Website
V K Copsewood Amazon Profile

V K Copsewood’s Social Media Links
Facebook Profile

Ben Le Fort 

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
My name is Ben Le Fort, I am an economist by day and a personal finance writer by night. I live in Waterloo, Ontario with my wife Trish, son Harrison and cat Trixie.

I’ve been writing about personal finance since 2018 and in 2022 I self-published my first book “The Financial Freedom Equation.”

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
The name of the book is The Financial Freedom Equation. This book is a summation of everything I learned over a 10-year period where I paid off $50,000 in debt and put myself in a financial position to do work that I love and help those closest to me who were struggling financially.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I write 5 blog posts per week. I spend one day writing all the posts, another day working on the headlines for each post, and another day finding the right cover images for each post.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
In the personal finance space, my favorite book is probably “The 7 Most Important Equations for Your Retirement: The Fascinating People and Ideas Behind Planning Your Retirement Income” by Moshe A. Milevsky. It’s a brilliant book on retirement savings.

In the non-fiction space, my favorite series is a song of ice and fire. George, we are rooting for you to finish the books!

What are you working on now?
I am working on my second book, with the working title “Invest like an economist.”

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I write articles on Medium dot com and I have a Substack newsletter.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Get on a writing platform like Medium, write and publish as much as you can, collect feedback from readers and turn your best ideas into a book to self publish on Amazon.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
The best investment you can ever make is in yourself.

What are you reading now?
“Turning pro” by Steven Pressfield

What’s next for you as a writer?
My goals are to continue to grow my readers on Substack and publish a new book every 1-3 years.

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 final-yet to be written- entries in a Song of Ice and Fire!

Author Websites and Profiles
Ben Le Fort Website
Ben Le Fort Amazon Profile

Ben Le Fort’s Social Media Links
Twitter Account

Erin Leigh 

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I am the mother of four children. I was born and raised in the northwest suburbs of Chicago, Illinois. I attended Vanderbilt University in Nashville, Tennessee for my undergraduate education, where I competed in Division 1 cross country and track and field for four years. I attended Loyola University Chicago School of Law where I received my J.D. I enjoy swimming, running, reading, hiking, biking, playing the piano, and spending time outdoors.
I have enjoyed writing since I was a child. I find writing to be rewarding, challenging, and fulfilling. I love journaling, brainstorming ideas, researching issues, and writing about topics that are meaningful to me. I published my first nonfiction book in January 2022.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
Navigating the Newborn Months and Beyond is my latest book. As the mother of four children, I wanted to help other mothers feel less overwhelmed and more confident.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I consider myself to be old school in my writing habits. I make lists of ideas on paper. I outline. I research. I write. I revise. I revise. I revise. It may sound boring but it works for me.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
I enjoy reading books by Lisa Genova, Kristin Hannah, Lisa See, John Steinbeck, Glennon Doyle, Jodi Piccolo, Ken Follett, and many other authors. Untamed by Glennon Doyle is one of the best books I’ve read in a long time. A few others that made an impact on me were A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius, Becoming, Educated, and the Book Thief.

What are you working on now?
I am outlining and doing research for my next book.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
Word of mouth

Do you have any advice for new authors?
I believe outlining is still important for any written piece of work. Double-checking and triple-checking your sources is also highly recommended. If you can hire a professional editor and book cover designer, it is worth it.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
I’ve received great advice from many people in my life. My mom, my coaches, and my friends have given me incredible advice over the years. “Getting out of your comfort zone” is one piece of advice I appreciate the most. Being uncomfortable can be difficult but very rewarding.

What are you reading now?
The Lincoln Highway by Amor Towles

What’s next for you as a writer?
I have a list of things I would like to write about, so I look forward to many years of research and writing.

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?
Untamed, the Bible, Grapes of Wrath, and Gone with the Wind

Author Websites and Profiles
Erin Leigh Website
Erin Leigh Amazon Profile

Erin Leigh’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile
Facebook Profile
Twitter Account

Catherine Berra 

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I am an avid writer, poet, equestrian, and world traveler, a dedicated mother and friend, a and true lover of nature. I hold a BA in communications/business management from Metropolitan State University in Denver and an Animals and Human Health graduate certification from the University of Denver. For more than twenty years, my career in Washington, D.C., revolved around senior-level logistical and management support to a U.S. Ambassador/philanthropist and technical writing at the U.S. Department of State. Upon my return to Colorado in 2014, I resumed her passion for writing and giving back to the world. I live in Littleton, Colorado, am the proud mother of my son Alexander Aziz, and relish my role as caretaker of my rescue horse, Dancer.
My previous works include:
Lucid Life: A Collection of Lyrical Poetry (Amazon)

Contact me at Sassypantspress@comcast.net

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
My latest book is These Stories Are True… I S#!+ You Not: A Humorous Look at Online Dating for the Unsuspecting Older Human. This book was a labor of love, or shall I say the result of way too many ridiculously funny bad online dates. I also include stories from men and other friends, but wanted to focus on the humorous nature of human behavior when it comes to modern-day dating for older humans.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I’ve been writing poetry since I was a young girl. My biggest inspiration was Emily Dickinson. The most unusual writing habit that I have is that I often wake up in the middle of the night and write an entire poem that just flows from where, I do not know.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
So many books have influenced me. When I was a young girl, I read The Diary of Ann Frank which, to this day, has impacted the way I view the world and the human condition; how human beings tolerate and manage through devastation by depending on their vision of hope.

What are you working on now?
I might just write a sequel to this last book because there are so many stories and so many funny adventures that people have related to me. Otherwise, my next book will somehow cover the need for levity and humor when dealing with death; whether due to illness or age.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I have recently started using TikTok (#booktok) and Instagram to engage with people in my age range. They are good passive marketing avenues – plus they are fun!

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Stay true to yourself. It is never too late to start anything. And…everyone has stories to tell. I’d also advise that if you are going to self-publish like I did, to hire editors, layout artists and publishing consultants (My Word Publishing) to help you navigate the process.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Risk it.

What are you reading now?
I did read You Have to Kiss A Lot of Frogs since it was similar to my new book. Laurie Graff, the author, has been tremendously supportive of my new book and even gave me an endorsement! I’m also reading, Sgt. Reckless, The Perfect Horse (I own a horse), and The Real Anthony Fauci.

What’s next for you as a writer?
Lot’s of marketing work, book launch parties and podcasts for 2022 to get the word out about my new book. It takes work, but it’s all good.

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?
Jane Eyre, Sense and Sensibility, Night, Rumi poetry

Author Websites and Profiles
Catherine Berra Website
Catherine Berra Amazon Profile

Catherine Berra’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile

John Robert Cameron 

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I’m Canadian… don’t hold that against me! I’ve written three books. I published the first of them (The Second Lives of Honest Men) nearly a decade ago, to positive reviews. I published my second and third novels more recently. (The Cart Massacres & Enter Final Gamer). My stories bridge science fiction with my personal beliefs: i.e., our way of life (North American living in particular) is unreal, and that society is ill. Still, I believe my stories are hopeful in nature. However, if you’re the type that likes burying your head in the sand, you may not enjoy the vibe I’m putting out. #LookUp

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
My newest work, Enter Final Gamer, was inspired by necessity. During the dark days of lockdowns, I finally reconciled how I could tell a complex story within a deep-future utopia: one I’d had rolling around in my head for years. My first two books being darker in nature, Enter Final Gamer is a pithy and bright vision of our future – perhaps a welcome change from the dystopian stories of late, and one that got me through the worst of times!

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
Does mania count? When I’m in a good groove, I type faster than I can think. When I’m in a great groove, my fingers can’t come close to keeping up with my mind. I write organically, allowing characters and events to develop in ways that make linear sense. I’ll weave a massive tapestry, full of loose ends – then meticulously tear it apart and put it back together over and over again until my ‘crazy’ can be followed.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
Dickens, Orwell, Vonnegut, Ray Bradbury, Harper Lee, F. Scott Fitzgerald, Shakespeare, Salinger, Huxley, Timothy Zahn.

1984, Fahrenheit 451, and A Brave New World define the world we live in. Orwell, Huxley, and Bradbury were each visionary, all capturing a piece of a grander truth. I always question it when people tell me they’re “avid, astute readers”, but haven’t read any of these classics. Read THOSE books before you waste time reading mine or anyone else’s!

What are you working on now?
I’m currently turning my three existing novels into audiobooks. (I’m halfway through The Cart Massacres.) I’m also working on a prequel and the first sequel to Enter Final Gamer, with a vision of this being a 5 book saga.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
Harassing friends and family? I had built up some following a decade ago, then fell off on self-promotion. Family, job, etc. But now I’m back, trying to rebuild a reputation in the indy community.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Get beta readers! Listen to their criticism, and if you hear their voices rolling around in your head after they’ve critiqued your work, telling you certain things, those are things you need to reevaluate! Put yourself in the shoes of your reader – i.e., that person who doesn’t have your entire vision in their head. I’ve come across entirely too many indy books that were banged out quickly, with no consideration for readers being able to track the story or the author’s vision, and not enough revision process prior to publication. If you aren’t an absolute master of the language, get a professional editor, and listen to their advice.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Don’t live in debt.

Oh, was this supposed to have to do with being an author? Don’t live in debt. Don’t spend money you don’t have on the off chance you’ll see success. If it’s too good to be true, it probably is. And most importantly, people will keep moving your cheese. Anticipate this and roll with the punches. Don’t stop.

What are you reading now?
Now? Right now? This! Honestly, I don’t read enough fiction anymore. I read a lot of news and current events. When I’m old, feeble, and confined to a bed, I’ll catch up on the thousands of books I’ve missed. Too much writing and living to do in the meantime.

What’s next for you as a writer?
Hopefully, some sales! I’d love to make this my full-time living, even if that only constitutes money for coffee grounds and rent. Maybe some soup, yeah?

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 don’t care for tenting or roughing it, so I’m probably going to need to devote these choices to educational books that can teach me how not to die on a desert island. 0_0. Castaway, the novel?

Author Websites and Profiles
John Robert Cameron Website
John Robert Cameron Amazon Profile

John Robert Cameron’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile
Twitter Account

Roxie McClaine 

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I’ve written 9 books for my 11-book New Carnegie Android series, though Book #1 just debuted 02/07/22 and Book #2 is out for pre-order already!

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
Oliver: A New Carnegie Android romance is my debut. Works such as I, Robot, Transcendence, and the PS4 game Detroit Become Human (which if you haven’t played, you should! It’s AMAZING.) greatly inspired me.

I wrote a futuristic world where machines that look exactly like us are influencing our society, for better and for worse, and I wanted to explore what romantic relationships with them might be like.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
Yes – I write when I’m sad! Sometimes my best personal writing happens when I’m feeling melancholy, though I make sure not to let that sadness leak onto the page. My job is to make y’all happy, not bum you the hell out!

What authors, or books have influenced you?
Anne McCaffrey is my greatest influence. I worship the ground she stands on, the absolute Queen of female-led sci-fi! Her books are a balance of action-adventure and romance, so romance isn’t the sole focus. I knew I wanted to approach my writing with her epic scale, while homing in on relationships, because that’s what I enjoy to read. Brandon Sanderson and Yangsze Choo are a close second.

Romance authors like Karen Marie Moning, Mina Carter, Grace Goodwin have influenced me as well. They’re all so talented, one doesn’t know where to begin!

What are you working on now?
I’m working on finishing up the New Carnegie Android series. I’m on track to complete the final book by summer 2022, and after that I’m going to switch gears into another romance series.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
Email newsletters are so vital, so that is definitely my go-to! I avoid all social media solicitations to promote my books.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Have patience. We all dream of being an overnight success somehow, but it just doesn’t work that way. Just keep writing, keep marketing, and accept that it’s okay to make mistakes as you learn! We all start as padawans, but with dedication, we’ll be Jedi Masters soon enough.

Or Sith Lords, if that’s your thing. You do you, badass.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Keep writing. George R. R. Martin, Terry Brooks, Jack Campbell, and Michael J. Sullivan all told me this advice personally: keep writing. Never quit.

What are you reading now?
Batman: White Knight Deluxe Edition. It’s definitely an interesting take on Batman, and the whole “what if Joker was actually the good guy” blows my mind.

What’s next for you as a writer?
Vampires, shifters, hopefully a dragon-rider type series down the line, too. But Orcs are the new smash hit, so I might just have to write a few green hunks into a series of their own, too.

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 too hard! But Lord of the Rings by Tolkien and Dragons of Dorcastle by Jack Campbell would definitely be up there. Also anything by Anne McCaffrey, Delta James, or Mina Carter.

Author Websites and Profiles
Roxie McClaine Website
Roxie McClaine Amazon Profile

Roxie McClaine’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile
Facebook Profile
Twitter Account

Michael Polelle 

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I’m a lawyer and emeritus professor of constitutional law from UIC-School of Law. Before teaching I practiced civil law in Chicago. After becoming an emeritus professor, my wife and I moved to Sarasota, Florida where I was able to give vent ot my bottled-up urge to write a novel. The floral beauty, the sunny days, life on the beach, all deprived me of any “too busy” excuse I used to have in Chicago. Aside from an unpublished novel, I have published two novels. My first is THE MITHRAS CONSPIRACY (Lido Press: 2019), a history-based mystery. An Italian detective uncovers a plot, based on an ancient Roman cult, to take down the Catholic hierarchy and take over the Italian government in a political coup. He must overcome a tragic family history going back to World War II to overcome the coup. My second novel is AMERICAN CONSPIRACY (Lido Press: 2021). Though related to my first novel, it is a standalone novel that can be read without reference to the first.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
AMERICAN CONSPIRACY. When the presumed president-elect is assassinate, Detective Jim Murphy of the Chicago PD because the scapegoat for a security lapse. To regarin his reputation, Murphy volunteers to investigate the mysterious disappearances and grisly murders of the city’s gangbanger. His investigation points to an aged and ailing pharmaceutical tycoon who conducts secret blood research to cheat his impending death and plots to unleash a reactionary coup against a United States in crisis. To top this delusional ringleader Murphy must team up with the interim “backdoor” president. The fate of the United States is at stake. How far will one man go to save his life and exercise his power over the next generation of Americans?

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
Abolsutely. When visiting the University of Luxembourg on a professional trip, I received some university stationery. When i started my first novel I just doodled and scribbled on the stationery in my favorite coffee shop to get some ideas. The creative ideas came. So whenever I needed to rev up the creative engine , I went back to doodling and scribbling on the stationery over a cup of cappuccino. I’m afraid the “magic” will disappear if I ever lose copies I’ve made of this stationery. Superstitious I know, but it works for me. Less unusual is my need to read the morning newspaper and have a copy of coffee before starting my writing day. I usually have a bite of dark chocolate for good measure before I write the first sentence of the day.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
Ernest Hemingway and Graham Greene for general influence. Dan Brown for the realization that a novel based on history could be informative as well as entertaining for a general audience. The controversy surrounding the history only added to the appeal of such novels. For my specific genere of mystery/thriller I am indebted to Steve Berry. We are both lawyers and both love the riddle of historical mysteries that challenge the creative imagination.

What are you working on now?
Nothing specific. All I can say is what Stephen King basically said. The boys inside are cooking something. I can tell because I make doodles and scribble every so often on my stationery from the University of Luxembourg. Can’t say when the meal will be served.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
My best method is to get interested person to my website, one way or another., The website is: www. mjpolelle.com. The website has more iformation about me and my novels, including a free copy of the historical research on which THE MITHRAS CONSPIRACY is based. I can also be contacted through my website.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
The only ultimate success in writing is the joy you take in the project. The rest is byproduct.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Shakpespear gave it long ago. To your own self be true and you can’t then be false to anyone else. Writing a book invites you to dig inside to find that self.

What are you reading now?
The Power of Now by Eckhart Tolle

What’s next for you as a writer?
The answer is blowing in the wind.

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 Razor’s Edge, Animal Farm, Farewell to Arms, and The Heart of the Matter.

Author Websites and Profiles
Michael Polelle Website
Michael Polelle Amazon Profile

Michael Polelle’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile
Pinterest Account

Angela Lam 

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I am a writing instructor at Gotham Writers’ Workshop and the author of ten published books. Love Again, the first book in the Women of the Crush series, debuts February 28, 2022.

In addition to writing and teaching, I am a landscape artist and an avid reader.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
Love Again was inspired by my love of senior softball. My husband belongs to a tournament league, and the women in the stands always nagged me to write about the sport and include the love lives of the wives and girlfriends for a soap opera-like drama. After several years, I succumbed to the peer pressure and the Women of the Crush series was born.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I get up at 5 AM to write. I used to listen to music, but now I babysit a geriatric dog who needs constant attention.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
Sophie Kinsella introduced me to chick-lit. Amy Tan inspired me to dive deep into my culture. Michael Chabon gave me permission to write outside my comfort zone. And Ernest Hemingway reminds me to write succinctly. My books tend to be shorter.

What are you working on now?
I just submitted the final book in the Women of the Crush series to my publisher, The Wild Rose Press. I am currently querying my midlife memoir, The Fool and the Magician.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I’m still exploring the best methods. Before the pandemic, I had the most success with in-person events, including book signings and book festivals. My contemporary sweetheart romance, Friends First, debuted in the midst of the pandemic, and I feel I didn’t give that book the launch it deserved.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Make writing a priority. You might have to sacrifice time, sleep, or other hobbies, but you need to make that investment to see results. Consistency is important, whether you write every day or once a week. Find a community of writers. Take a class to improve your craft skills. And, most importantly, respect the need to lay fallow between big projects. Even the fields need a season to replenish the soil. Give yourself permission to just be. Don’t worry. The words will return when they are ready.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Do not be tossed away. Too often we have ideas of what a successful writing career looks like, and if we don’t achieve that goal, we fall into despair. A healthier approach is to put in the effort and let go of any expected results.

What are you reading now?
I just finished Dear Memory by Victoria Chang, a lovely meditation on family history, personal memories, and the sense of self.

What’s next for you as a writer?
I don’t know. I am open to the universe.

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, Emily’s Quest by L.M. Montgomery, and whatever two books I have purchased but haven’t read yet. Today those books would be What Happens in Chicago by Liz Crowe, a hot contemporary romance, and The Energy Codes by Dr. Sue Morter, a mind-body-spiritual healing instruction manual.

Author Websites and Profiles
Angela Lam Website
Angela Lam Amazon Profile

Angela Lam’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile
Facebook Profile
Twitter Account

B. Frohby 

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
Describing oneself is always the hardest question: How to walk that fine line between self-praise and self-effacing, especially when you’re promoting a self-published book?

For my attempt I will begin and end with my loves. What else is important, or what better way to help my readers relate to myself and my characters? I love to travel abroad, but I haven’t been everywhere. I love to read widely, but my habit is to stick to the classics. I love to cook, and am getting some serious chops as a pizza baker. Who doesn’t love pizza? I can relate.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
Death to Janus, inspired by the general sentiment surrounding the titular villain who becomes a despotic, seemingly divine figure to the ancients in the spirit of Joseph Conrad’s enigmatic Mr. Kurtz in Heart of Darkness, or even the “Naziesque” alien dictator who subverts a world culture in an original Star Trek episode. The type of charismatic leader who upends the natural order, violates the Prime Directive and makes playthings of humanity. Without fail such petty tyrants are better off…removed from power.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
For years I would have said it was my singular obsession with spinning this yarn morning, day and night, but somehow I doubt that sets me apart. Nowadays it’s a different story: I’ve taken to editing my work during my morning Peloton rides, and this despite the intense workout, profuse sweating, blaring soundtrack and frankly gorgeous spin-class instructor that might otherwise distract me from reading the novel at hand. Whatever the case it’s become the perfect recipe for concentrating on my work while staying in shape at the same time, and it goes without saying I can’t ignore the instructor’s charms completely. A double victory.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
Above all my attraction to irreverent sci-fi authors like Alfred Bester, Kurt Vonnegut, Roger Zelazny, the list goes on. Too many books have influenced me personally to take stab at listing them here, but when it comes to my own work I’ve drawn inspiration from classic books set in the ancient Mediterranean world (as an aside, Spartacus by Howard Fast was an unexpectedly powerful and poignant work, and it is easy to see why Ben Hur was immensely popular in its day); several of the “classical” works themselves, some of which I thankfully held on to after college (break out the Plutarch!); and lastly the obscure 1939 alternate history novel Lest Darkness Fall by L. Sprague de Camp, about a history professor unexpectedly teleported to the ancient Byzantine Empire, of all places. And while I can’t blame old L. Sprague for eschewing the Roman Empire as the setting for that already ambitious novel, I can and should object to the deplorable anti-Islamic sentiments he inks in a bizarre afterword to the story. Give it a read if you’re more than passably interested in an experimental 1930s alternate history novel, and by all means ignore the addendum if you don’t want ruin an otherwise decent adventure story. If it were me, I would suggest skipping his book entirely and immediately burying your nose in Death to Janus.

What are you working on now?
These days I’m hard at work self-promoting self-published books, which means enduring all the lingering doubt that entails while nursing the unyielding hope that when I find my audience I can resume writing in earnest and as a full-time novelist, the starry-eyed fiction author’s dream since time immemorial. Optimism is my life’s blood in this venture, plus an engaging writing style and a heartfelt, genre-blending sci-fi adventure story of friendship and self-sacrifice that teases an epic, if I had to describe it myself, and keep in mind I know how it ends.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
Perseverance perseverance perseverance, also an author’s profile on twitter (one among millions), a free book promotion every now and again (as enticing as any free literature from dubious sources), and this very interview, truly my first moment to shine if ever there was one. I am grateful for the opportunity, Awesome Gang!

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Never forget that as artists we have to be perfectionists. And we are artists of a sort, where the page is a medium and the best authors can practically paint with words. Also they use the entire canvas, they know how to convey big ideas obliquely, where to avoid the pitfalls…the whole bit, plus an absolute economy of materials, in our case words. A thousand artist metaphors can spring to mind now that I’ve invoked a few, and surely it is better to roll with that technique than to risk miring the plot and discouraging the reader. Keep the story moving and let their mind’s eye fill in the details wherever you can get away with it. We’re not actually painting, after all.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
“Never take a job you can’t quit.” That was a professor’s reply when I once requested an extension on a paper due to my National Guard obligations, and jokingly asked if he knew of any special tricks to get out of the army early. He didn’t laugh, either, but that was his immediate response and you could tell it was an old axiom, doubtless passed down to him at some point. I like to think so. It’s certainly one for the ages, and true.

What are you reading now?
Always a handful of books at once: I’ve just finished rereading the Left Hand of Darkness by Ursula K. Le Guin for probably the fourth time, and of course that story lingers. I’m finishing Alone in the Light by Benjamin W. Bass, a friend from college and the army and a fellow self-publisher, with his wife A.J. Bass’s debut novel Paige’s Story to follow. Meanwhile I’m halfway through Jacques Vallée’s Passport to Magonia, for some unique insight into what in the hell UFOs might be, and still putting off cracking open The Tale of Genji, a Christmas gift from my wife, who knows my love of giant tomes.

What’s next for you as a writer?
It is up to the readers to decide! I could write all day, but what is supply without demand?

If you were going to be stranded on a desert island and allowed to take 3 or 4 books with you what books would you bring?
1. The Stars My Destination by Alfred Bester – It’s hilarious, it’s eccentric, it’s creative, it’s meaningful and heartfelt, and of course it’s classic sci-fi.

2. The Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire – Gigantic, endlessly fascinating and Gibbon is a master storyteller. I might as well bring the unabridged addition, which probably hasn’t been read cover-to-cover in a long, long time.

3. Lord of Light by Roger Zelazny – I had no idea that sci-fi could be this cool. And I’m talking about sci-fi, for God’s sake. So cool.

Author Websites and Profiles
B. Frohby Amazon Profile

B. Frohby’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile
Twitter Account

Lucille J. Knight 

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I was raised in the state of Alaska and lived there for almost 20 years. I currently live in Missouri with my husband and our two Australian Shepherds, Ham and Bean.

I just released my first novel!

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
Hexen Blood: Damnation is my debut novel. I took some inspiration from Beauty and the Beast. Especially when creating my main character, Eve. Eve is basically Belle, longing for something more, not quite fitting in with “normal” people, and Alucard is her Beast, surly, angsty, and struggling with his humanity. This wasn’t intentional at first, but once I realized I had that dynamic going I just embraced it!

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I like to write in the dark… I think that might be unusual?

What authors, or books have influenced you?
Reading Star Wars novels as a kid was incredibly influential to my writing throughout the years. As I matured, I turned to other sources as well. Namely J.R.R. Tolkien and Mercedes Lackey.

What are you working on now?
I’m swept up in a couple projects right now. Namely, a sword and sorcery meets dark fantasy series with some inspiration from Avatar: The Last Airbender and Rurouni Kenshin. With dragons. You can’t forget the dragons or they get cranky!

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
As I’m a new author I’m still working these things out and finding my groove. I’m expecting it to be a trial and error process for a little while until I find the strategies that work best for me.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Find an editor (or two!) that you trust and listen to what they have to say. My editors have been invaluable to me. Also, stock plenty of chocolate and coffee!

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Anything from Joanna Penn at the Creative Penn. She is a wealth of knowledge and advice for authors at various levels of their careers.

What are you reading now?
I just started reading the first Witcher book, Blood of Elves!

What’s next for you as a writer?
More writing! I have several trilogies and series planned that I’m very excited to finish and share with the world.

If you were going to be stranded on a desert island and allowed to take 3 or 4 books with you what books would you bring?
Definitely Lord of the Rings and the Silmarillion, Kenobi by John Jackson Miller, and I, Jedi by Michael A. Stackpole.

Author Websites and Profiles
Lucille J. Knight Website
Lucille J. Knight Amazon Profile

Lucille J. Knight’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile
Facebook Profile

Dr James Seligman 

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
James Seligman was the Director responsible for the Master’s in Marketing Management at the School of Management, Faculty of Management and Law, University of Southampton. An innovative 12-month international program uses the new DNA model of marketing theory and practice modules developed by the Marketing subject group. He joined Southampton University in 2008 and retired in late 2015. The MSc in Marketing Management degree has broad commercial support as it produces students who are trained for today’s marketing challenges and considers technology an enabler in modern marketing.
He has a Master’s in Marketing and three undergraduate degrees in Business Administration, Educational Studies, and Psychology. His PhD is on Customer Experience and Technology.
As a Principal Fellow, he was also engaged in educational development and the student experience. The author of several books and journal articles, James research interests lie in the marketing of education, CRM, and CEN, as well as the more comprehensive marketing characteristics of Brand, Strategic Marketing Intelligence, Analytics, Integrated Marketing Communications, Value Propositions, and Customer Insight, CEM and technology, Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning in Marketing.

Before this time, he had a successful thirty-year commercial career as an international senior executive with Coca-Cola, Pepsi, Beecham, Timberland, Commonwealth Games, and Speedo International group of companies.

I wrote books in three categories the first one is academic, the second is mystery and crime and children’s

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
OUTBACK – THE ASSASSINATION OF AN AUSTRALIAN PRIME MINISTER

The Australian Prime Minister is underwater in the poles, policies covering land rights and mining are destroying the environment slowly causing climate change.

Not known to him or his protection team are a team of terrorists in the country hell-bent on destroying the PM and his policies.

I was educated and lived in Australia, and have a strong bond with the land and its people.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I am highly detailed and research people, places, events to ensure they exist, making the story truthful and educational.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
ALL OF THEM… KNOWLEDGE IS POWER.

What are you working on now?
Further novels and research papers see jseligman at www.researchgate.com

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
jseligmanbooks.co.uk

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Keep fighting

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
You never stop learning

What are you reading now?
Research papers

What’s next for you as a writer?
Research

If you were going to be stranded on a desert island and allowed to take 3 or 4 books with you what books would you bring?
Bible, Art of War,

Author Websites and Profiles
Dr James Seligman Website

William Mesusan 

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I’ve written two books in The Andalusian Trilogy series. I’m currently working on the third book and researching a dystopian novel. A trip to northern Spain, and subsequent historical research, helped me decide to focus on 10th century Islamic Spain during the glory days of the Umayyad Caliphate. THE GALICIAN WOMAN, the first book in this trilogy, inspired additional research and a trip to southern Spain. These experiences led me to develop the two additional storylines.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
The latest book is THE BONE RELIC. It was inspired by a trip to southern Spain and research into the Great Mosque of Cordoba. I learned that the mosque kept a sacred relic, the arm bone of the prophet Muhammad, in its treasury. What if robbers stole the holy relic? I asked myself. This became the basis for the second book in the series. My protagonist, Solomon Levy, has to embark on a medieval adventure in order to preserve the legitimacy of Europe’s most enlightened culture.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
My unusual habit is not to have any set habits when it comes to writing. Oftentimes, I’ll wake up in the morning, in that twilight state between waking and the dream, and snippets of conversation and/or scenes will come into my imagination. Sometimes it’s after dinner. There is no set time or any one thing that might create an inspiration. I write mornings, afternoons, and nights whenever I have a stretch of time with no distractions.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
When I was younger I was influenced by Joseph Campbell, C.G. Jung, Anais Nin, and Erich Neumann. I read The Masks of God series, much of Jung, the Diaries of Anais Nin, and most of Neumann. Mary Ester Harding and Irene Claremont de Castillo wrote about women’s mysteries. John Fowles was my favorite novelist. I devoured all of his books. I must have read The Magus in a single sitting (or two). I was blown away. As for most other authors, I tend to read one or two of their works rather than attempt to take on an entire oeuvre.

What are you working on now?
I’m currently writing the third and final book in The Andalusian Trilogy series. It’s called THE LOST MANUSCRIPT. It’s serves as a prequel to the first two novels and reveals new aspects of protagonist Solomon Levy’s life and times. The role of language and books in 10th century Islamic Spain, and the Arab world’s desire to preserve the works of the Greeks, is a constant theme.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I’m new to self-publishing so I’m starting slow and trying to minimize expenses until the series is complete. So far I’ve used Freebooksy, Discount Bookman, Awesome Gang, free99books, and a host of other mostly free promo sites. I also publish on Amazon select for the first three months to take advantage of the five free download days they offer. I hope to expand marketing efforts in the future and try new methods.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
My personal advice is to cultivate a love and receptivity for your own creative spirit. Have courage and be willing to follow where it takes you.

As for developing your craft, author Somerset Maugham wrote: “There are only three rules for writing a novel. Unfortunately, nobody knows what they are.”

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Be yourself. Everyone else is already taken.

What are you reading now?
Teachings of the Buddha. But mostly research notes for my new novel. Not a lot of extra time for outside reading because I just finished editing the proof copy of THE BONE RELIC.

What’s next for you as a writer?
I’d like to finish THE LOST MANUSCIPT this year and publish the story later this year or early next year. And, I’d like to complete research for a dystopian novel. I’m also a songwriter and I have half a dozen songs to put to music this year.

If you were going to be stranded on a desert island and allowed to take 3 or 4 books with you what books would you bring?
Don Quixote by Miguel de Cervantes. War and Peace by Leo Tolstoy. Gravity’s Rainbow by Thomas Pynchon. Gone with the Wind by Margaret Mitchell. If I’m going to be stranded I’m taking “long” books.

Author Websites and Profiles
William Mesusan Amazon Profile

A. G. Fleury 

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
My full name is Alain Gerard Fleury. I am a Canadian author born and raised in Cornwall, Ontario(Central/Eastern Canada). Currently, I reside in Kelowna, British Columbia(West coast) where it’s been my home these past 23 years. My fascination with writing began as far back as elementary school when we had short story assignments. I did not start writing seriously until September 2017. I’ve written two novels so far. The first is still in its first draft stage. The second one is my first published novel.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
The name of my book is called Kill Per View. It is a work of fiction which mainly covers crime drama, science fiction, and political thriller genres. The inspiration behind the idea was a “what if…” scenario. What if every country in the world adopted the death penalty? How would that society function? From there, the idea continued growing along with a protagonist(a Corrections Manager from the Toronto prison) and the antagonist( a serial killer). The title of the book is inspired by the reality tv show(same title) within my story where executions are live streamed on a pay per view channel.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I don’t know if this particular habit is considered unusual. I create a list of “chapter ideas”. I think of different situations and write them down. Good or bad, I write down as many as I can think of. Then, I sift through them to see which ones best suit the flow of the story and the rest are discarded.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
Authors who have influenced me the most would have to be Stephen King, Dean Koontz, H.G. Wells, and J.R.R. Tolkien.

What are you working on now?
My third novel I’m working on is a suspense/thriller where the main theme is “secret society”. Not “Illuminati” nor “One World Order” either. I can’t expand on the story at this time.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
So far, Goodreads has been pretty useful since new authors like myself need as much exposure as possible. We can plug our books through our blogs, discussion groups, and access other resources from other authors who submit their suggestions and vice versa.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
I’m still learning as I go. So, the best advice I can give other new authors prior to making big decisions is research, research, research.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
The best advice I’ve heard from many authors refers to writing the first draft of a story; don’t stress yourself out trying to write a perfect story during this first stage. Just keep writing!

What are you reading now?
Jaws by Peter Benchley.

What’s next for you as a writer?
I must finish writing the first draft of my third story. Afterwards, I wish to begin a fourth story which I already have a two-page outline written so far. Other than that, I must keep plugging my first published novel(Kill Per View).

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 War of The Worlds by H.G. Wells
The Five People You Meet In Heaven by Mitch Albom
The Lord of The Rings trilogy by J. R. R. Tolkien

Author Websites and Profiles
A. G. Fleury Website
A. G. Fleury Amazon Profile

A. G. Fleury’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile
Facebook Profile
Twitter Account