Here Is Your Awesomegang Authors Newsletter
Published: Sat, 05/28/22
Please check out the authors below and share them if you like on social media and help them out.
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Saylor Storma
Interview With Author Saylor Storm
Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I’ve been writing mostly romance novels for the past dozen years or so. Originally, I thought I would be writing children’s books but I kept getting ideas for romance novels so I went with it! I did just write my first children’s book recently which will be coming out for Christmas. In addition to the romance novels, I am also working on a salad cookbook to coincide with a series of salad videos I’m currently making.What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
The idea for my latest book, Ali’s Portal, came to me one day when I was visiting our local coffee shop. As the barista handed me a glass of iced tea, the idea for Ali’s Portal came to me as a download and my thought was, what would happen if I drank this tea and it gave me complete clarity? How would that change my thinking, the way I see the world, and the decisions I make in my life?Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I’m a seat-of-your-pants writer and just go with the flow. If I’m having a good writing day, I may write for 14 hours straight and never change out of my bathrobe.What authors, or books have influenced you?
Growing up I loved all of the John D. MacDonald novels; a series of stories revolving around a particular detective and were perfect little beach reads proving several hours of escape and entertainment. I’ve tried to replicate the beach reads theme of escape and entertainment in my novels.What are you working on now?
I’m working on a romance suspense. A popular social media influencer and her husband unknowing became involved in a massive government conspiracy and cover up. Its darker than what I normally write but I like to mix it up.What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
https://saylorstorm.comDo you have any advice for new authors?
Keep at it, never give up, be patient, and do your homework!What is the best advice you have ever heard?
A woman I knew who had been happily married for over sixty years said to me one day, “Don’t marry someone you can live with, marry someone who you can’t live without.”What are you reading now?
I’m reading Dr. William Li’s, Eat to Beat Disease. Its a fascinating account of the power of food and how specific foods can directly affect different diseases. I would highly recommend it to everyone.What’s next for you as a writer?
I’ll be releasing my next romance novel, Hypnagogic, in October and my first children’s book, will soon follow. I’ll be finishing my current romance suspense and then starting one of the many book ideas on my list.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 Deserted Island by Tim O’Shei
Survival Hacks by Creek Stewart
The Complete Guide to Edible Wild Plants,
The Lost Art of Reading Nature’s Signs by Tristan GooleyAuthor Websites and Profiles
Saylor Storm’s Social Media Links
Chris Courtney Martin
Interview With Author Chris Courtney Martin
Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I am currently on my first published book. I’ve written over 16 screenplays/teleplays over my career, many of which have gained accolades, and have had a critical Art History essay published in my alma mater’s anthology series The 33rd.What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
THE BOOK OF I.P. (Idle Poems) is my latest work, inspired by frustration and confusion with the Entertainment side of writing. It seems as though the more success I have seen as a screenwriter, the less I have felt respected as an artist. After going through a very intense spiritual process, I was led to compile this collection as a way of reclaiming my autonomy as an artist first.Do you have any unusual writing habits?
Instead of concentration, I allow my mind to go somewhat slack and just write what it is I feel, more than what I think.What authors, or books have influenced you?
Toni Morrison is my biggest inspiration. Beloved and Song of Solomon called to me as a student, and I knew that one day I would answer. Edgar Allan Poe and Gil Scott Heron are also favorites on the poetry side.What are you working on now?
I am already working on my next poetry collection. Working title is “Slam Poems for my Bathroom Mirror”.What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
My personal website is under construction, so please refer to my GoodReads page for now.Do you have any advice for new authors?
If you are proud of your work, there is no such thing as failure.What is the best advice you have ever heard?
A dear friend of mine, who I thank in the Acknowledgements of my book, told me his late father would say “keep your head in the work” regardless of what kind of hardships blindside me.What are you reading now?
I am reading a lot of independent poetry and prose from fellow Alien Buddha Press authors. I have a real desire to see who is out there, peer-wise. The Greats will always be on the shelf.What’s next for you as a writer?
Hopefully, I’ll see some more success in my Entertainment career, as well as lean further into my calling as a multi-interested writer. I do screenwriting, playwriting, poetry, prose, lyrics– you name it. So, I just want to see if I can have a career without feeling the need to streamline.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?
Toni Morrison’s Beloved, Chesya Burke’s Let’s Play White, The Complete Works of Edgar Allan Poe, a nicely curated anthology of Octavia S. Butler’s stuff.Author Websites and Profiles
Chris Courtney Martin Amazon Profile
Chris Courtney Martin’s Social Media Links
Dr Andrew C S Koh
Interview With Author Dr Andrew C S Koh
Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I am an author, publisher, blogger, retired cardiologist, and Bible expositor. My first book, Memoirs of a Doctor, told the amazing story of his spiritual journey and full recovery from tetraplegia. Since then, I have authored 36 Christian books, including commentaries on every book of the New Testament from John to Revelation. I studied Theology at Laidlaw Bible College, Auckland, New Zealand.What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
Faith Journey of Abraham: Genesis 12-25. This is a bible study, commentary, and devotional book on the faith journey, adventures, and life story of father Abraham of the Old TestamentDo you have any unusual writing habits?
No, Nothing really in particular.What authors, or books have influenced you?
Mark Twain, Charles Dickens, C S LewisWhat are you working on now?
Faith Journey of Jacob: Genesis 26-36What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
storyorigin.app.comDo you have any advice for new authors?
Keep on writing, persevere, persistent, diligentWhat is the best advice you have ever heard?
A journey of a thousand miles begins with one stepWhat are you reading now?
The BibleWhat’s next for you as a writer?
Go on writing and publishingIf 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
Robinson Crusoe
Treasure IslandAuthor Websites and Profiles
Dr Andrew C S Koh Amazon Profile
Dr Andrew C S Koh’s Social Media Links
Claudia Klein
Interview With Author Claudia Klein
Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I’m a stay at home mom by day and a young adult fantasy author by night. I’ve published two books so far in my epic fantasy series, Erlingue.What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
The name of my latest book is The Crown, book 2 in the Erlingue series. The series was inspired by me trying to write a story where the bad guy wins. I discovered I just can’t write that kind of story, lol. My fantasy is also heavily inspired by Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings and C S Lewis’s Narnia books. Those are the two authors that got me writing in the epic fantasy genre to begin with. Brandon Sanderson and Robert Jordan are what keep me writing in this genre.Do you have any unusual writing habits?
Not currently. I used to diffuse this one essential oil called Clarity that helped me write seriosly twice as fast as normal. It was awesome! I need to get back into using that stuff…What authors, or books have influenced you?
Tolkien, C S Lewis, Brandon Sanderson, Robert Jordan, John Flanagan, Veronica Roth, and Suzanne CollinsWhat are you working on now?
Right now I’m working on book 1 of a different trilogy than Erlingue. It’s in a world of all high Elves called Karafyllon.What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
Right now, Instagram. But I’m brand new in the world of book promotions.Do you have any advice for new authors?
Just keep writing. Write as many well-written books as fast as you can to build up a backlist. If you’re going Indie, make sure you publish a series and not a stand alone. It’s a pay to play game in the India world right now, so make sure you have some sort of $$$ to spend on marketing your books.What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Put your book on sale then advertise the sale like crazy. That’s how you get most of your book sales. People love to buy discounted books.What are you reading now?
The Eye of the World by Robert Jordan.What’s next for you as a writer?
I’m going to try and get traditionally published. Mainly to find out if I like the process of publishing traditionally better than I like publishing in the Indie world. So testing out things to see what I’m going to focus on in the my author career.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 Lord of the Rings in 1 volume and the Hunger Games.Author Websites and Profiles
Claudia Klein’s Social Media Links
Bethany Nicholls
Interview With Author Bethany Nicholls
Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
Hi, my name is Beth. I’m a full-time dog mum and business analyst, as well as a part-time creative writer. As of now, I’ve completed one full length novel which is the first of a four-part series, though I have had different short stories and poems published in anthologies over the past decade.What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
The name of my latest book is Waning, and it was inspired by a conversation I had with my boyfriend nearly six years ago. We were talking about Twilight and how, as I got older, I couldn’t help but pick up on plot holes and various aspects which teenage me didn’t see as red flags. Instead of focusing on the weirdness of someone watching you sleep, the only thing he really struggled to accept was the whole ‘sparkling in the sunlight’ concept.
I tried my hardest to defend the creative choices that were made – “Do you know how hard it is to think of new ideas for something that’s been done at least a dozen times before?” – but the only positive that came from the discussion was the belief that I could maybe be the next person to re-invent vampires successfully.Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I have an unusual habit of acting out scenes that I’m struggling to write, just to see how they would feel or sound.What authors, or books have influenced you?
Stephanie Meyer. Bram Stoker. Bethany Atazadeh.What are you working on now?
At the moment, I’m working on ‘Full’ which is the third book of ‘The Lunar Phases’.What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
To be honest, I’m pretty new to this side of publishing so I’m still trying to figure it all out.Do you have any advice for new authors?
I think the best piece of advice I can offer is: Don’t focus on what every other writer is doing, and don’t worry if you’re not doing the same thing.
If there’s one thing I’ve learned, it’s that there are thousands of ways to tell a story so who cares if yours isn’t like anyone else’s?
Do you want to write a 2nd person story in the present tense? Go for it!
Do you think a 1st person thriller in the future tense would be epic? Take a chance!
Follow the story wherever it goes, because you never know… maybe you’re the person who is supposed to write it.What is the best advice you have ever heard?
“This is how you do it: you sit down at the keyboard and you put one word after another until it’s done. It’s that easy, and that hard.”What are you reading now?
Nothing – While I’m writing, I try not to read as to avoid accidental cross-contamination of any sort.What’s next for you as a writer?
I’m going to finish the first draft of ‘Full’ then circle back around and finish the re-write of my second 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?
The Complete Works of Sherlock Holmes, Jane Eyre, Wuthering Heights, and The Phantom of the Opera.Author Websites and Profiles
Bethany Nicholls Amazon Profile
Bethany Nicholls’s Social Media Links
Gordon Doherty
Interview With Author Gordon Doherty
Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I’m a Scottish writer, addicted to reading and writing historical fiction. My love of history was first kindled by visits to the misty Roman ruins of Britain and the sun-baked antiquities of Turkey and Greece. My expeditions since have taken me all over the world and back and forth through time (metaphorically, at least), allowing me to write tales of the later Roman Empire, Byzantium, Classical Greece and even the distant Bronze Age.Twenty one books so far (and counting!)
What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
Empires of Bronze: THE DARK EARTH is a tale of devastation in the distant past.Clay tablets excavated from underneath the 3,000 year-old ruins in the highlands of central Turkey tell of a mighty empire – the empire of the Hittites – which thrived in the Bronze Age, dominating the region. They were the world’s supreme power for a time… and then it all changed.
The tablets tell of King Hattu and his son, Tudha, and of the absolute carnage they would face… when the Sea Peoples came and blew the Hittites and every other power of the Bronze Age into historyDo you have any unusual writing habits?
A cat who doubles as a foot warmerWhat authors, or books have influenced you?
Stories fascinated me when I was a boy, particularly those that offered adventure and escapism. I’d plough through the yarns of C.S. Lewis, Enid Blyton and Roald Dahl, then try my hand at storytelling with semi-illustrated tales of my own. I quickly found the sense of escapism was heightened when writing my own stuff. I think that’s why historical fiction works so well for me, spiriting me away to a long-lost time and place.
There are three authors who have chiefly shaped and influenced my adult writing style and reading interests: Valerio Massimo Manfredi for his passionately-told stories of Alexander, Troy and Rome, Sam Barone for his wonderfully detailed and absorbing tales of early antiquity and the dawn of the Bronze Age city-states, and David Gemmell for his unerring ability to create life from words (his characters positively leap from the page and sear themselves into your mind) while offering simple, earnest lessons in morality to boot.What are you working on now?
I’m now editing book 9 in my Late Roman ‘Legionary’ series. http://www.gordondoherty.co.uk/LegionaryWhat is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I genuinely haven’t found one ‘silver bullet’ website. It’s getting harder and harder to get readers to notice books these days!Do you have any advice for new authors?
“The first draft of everything is shit”, is a quote attributed to Ernest Hemingway. I can confirm that my first drafts certainly are
But that’s the point – they give you something to work with and make better. Just as Michelangelo needed a brutish block of marble in order to create David!
I now refer to my first drafts as “The vomit draft”. Just let it all come out onto the page, rattle on through it, don’t get sidelined by intricate historical detail (just leave a comment or highlight at that point and you can come back to it later). So that’s my tip: vomit!What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Writing rule #9: ignore anything that claims to be a writing “rule”What are you reading now?
Hawk Eternal by David Gemmell. Simply wonderful!What’s next for you as a writer?
I have a brand new series planned and ready to go – I have to keep the subject matter and era under wraps for now though.
If you want to stay informed, you can join my newsletter mailing list (only one or two letters a year) at: https://www.gordondoherty.co.uk/newsletter.htmlIf 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?
Lion of Macedon, David Gemmell
Helen of Troy, Margaret George
The Time Machine, H.G. WellsAuthor Websites and Profiles
Gordon Doherty Author Profile on Smashwords
Gordon Doherty’s Social Media Links
