Here Is Your Awesomegang Authors Newsletter
Published: Tue, 06/28/22
Please check out the authors below and share them if you like on social media and help them out.
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James R. Olson
Interview With Author James R. Olson
Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
My Dad was a professional soldier, so I grew up as an Army brat living on military posts both here and abroad. I did my own service as a tank driver in the Marine Corps. I love history and although I began my writing career concentrating on historical fiction I’m currently engaged in writing stories from obscure history, which I define as little known or seldom remembered events from history. I’m halfway through Volume Four of my series of Fascinating Tales From Obscure History. Counting my three published Fascinating Tales books, I’ve written eight novels, three of which are historical fiction. I currently live and write in East Texas.What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
Not counting my Fascinating Tales books, my latest novel is “Suffer The Children”. I was inspired by the people who work to save abused children. It’s the story of Jonathon Wilson who suddenly finds himself the guardian of two abused children, the son and daughter of his addict sister who died of an overdose. Not only must he heal their physical and emotional scars, he must attempt to keep them alive when their mother’s drug supplier wants to question them concerning a shipment of missing drugs. This novel won a Global Book Award.Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I’m not sure you’d call it an unusual writing style, but I don’t know any other writer who does it. I believe a well told story should flow smoothly when read aloud. Therefore I read my stories into a recorder and then listen to them. This forces me to hear inconsistencies, and awkward phrasings. I believe this makes my writing easy to follow.What authors, or books have influenced you?
Every books I’ve ever read has taught me something valuable. I enjoy John Steinbeck’s “Of Mice and Men” for telling a compelling story in a condensed form. I’ve always wished I could develop characters was well as Leon Uris. And finally, I wish I could construct stories as compelling as Harlan Coben.What are you working on now?
I’m currently working on Volume Four of Fascinating Tales, and I suspect I will be writing these stories of obscure history until someone takes the pen from my cold dead hand.What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I’m hoping Awesome Gang will become my favorite way to promote my books. I suspect most of my promotion has been by word of mouth from folks who’ve read my books. My readers tend to be very loyal. Hopefully Awesome Gang will open a whole world of new readers to my writing.Do you have any advice for new authors?
Be true to your inner self, but listen to any friends who will give you honest criticism. You don’t learn anything from people who tell you how well you write Except for perhaps William Shakespeare, we all can improve in our craft.What is the best advice you have ever heard?
I believe this story is credited to Abraham Lincoln. A king tasked his wise men to come up with an expression that would be true in all circumstances. They told him, “This too shall pass away.” So, no matter how high you’ve climbed, you will have occasions to fall down. No matter bad things seem to be, they will improve.What are you reading now?
I’m a very eclectic reader. Currently I’m reading a steampunk novel (a genre I’d never heard of before) by C. I. Chevron, “Cogs and Fur”. It a very interesting genre.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?
Not likely I’d have these books with me when I got stranded, but If I could plan ahead, I think I’d like to have the Bible, the collected works of Shakespeare and a blank diary so I could record my own story on that desert island.Author Websites and Profiles
Stephen Moody
Interview With Author Stephen Moody
Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I am a Scottsdale artist, who specializes in abstract art of the human form.I graduated in Communications, studying Broadcast Journalism, but followed my passion creating art.
This is my debut novel, but I have written for several industry publications, with my own monthly column: You Heard It from Moody.”
My love for art and women inspired this story of passion with a spiritual element that resonates in the heart of a twin flame.
I am currently writing the sequel to this novel, this is a trilogy. Hold On to the Love – Forbidden Love is the first of three novels.
What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
Hold On to the Love: Forbidden Love is my first book. I had a dream about a friend of mine. I sent her the dream on Messenger, not knowing what to expect as it was an erotic dream. I was surprised by her response – she said, “You need to write a book.” Long story short, she convinced me and this book was inspired by that conversation.Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I would have to ask what are normal writing habits. My book editor was always surprised at how quickly I worked to make changes to the manuscript. But it is not uncommon for me to write all night and watch the sun come up. I feel free when there is no one to disturb me when I’m in the zone.What authors, or books have influenced you?
I fell in love with Shakespeare at the age of 13, visiting Stratford Upon Avon and seeing Romeo and Juliet and The Comedy of Errors as well as a futuristic Hamlet in an open air theatre on the Thames. I love the work of John Grisham & Robert Ludlam.What are you working on now?
I am working on book 2 of this series. This will be a trilogy when it is all said and done. I’m hoping to have the next book out to the public by the first of then new year.What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I’ve spent a lot of time marketing the book. Given this is my first book I have spent a lot of time going through the school of hard knocks…..making my way through the process. It’s been a great learning experience. I’ve been working my social media accounts to help get the book out there as well as a number of book sites to help spread the word.Do you have any advice for new authors?
Write every day. Write at the same time. And, if you don’t have anything to write about, just write what ever is in your head. Don’t give up.What are you reading now?
The Journey of Souls by Michael Newton.What’s next for you as a writer?
Finishing book two and then heading to Spain for a few months to do research for book 3.If you were going to be stranded on a desert island and allowed to take 3 or 4 books with you what books would you bring?
1 – How to survive on a desert island.
2 – Great Island Recipes when you’re stranded on a Desert Island.
3- How to build an amazing hut and comfortable bed on a desert islandAuthor Websites and Profiles
Stephen Moody’s Social Media Links
Nichole Chestnut-Boatwright
Interview With Author Nichole Chestnut-Boatwright
Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
Hello, I am Nichole Chestnut-Boatwright, I am a South Carolina Certified Special Education Teacher. I was born and raised in South Carolina, most recently I have written three eBooks in June 2022. My first book is about verbal and emotional abuse from my mother for 42/43 years and finally standing up to her. My second book is about a positive mindset change, that I went through before I stood up to my mother. The third book is a classroom guide for teacher and leaders to use for social & emotional learning (SEL) which has five different areas with worksheets included in the eBook. It covers positive mindset, manifesting, affirmations, gratitude, visualization and reflection.What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
Rise Up Everyone, my inspiration was seeing a mother verbally abuse a preteen/teenager in public at a local place I was eating dinner at. I wrote Rise Up Everyone, as a classroom guide for teacher and leaders in a school setting needing guidance on social & emotional learning. The book includes positive mindset, affirmations, visualization, meditation, and reflection along with worksheets to guide teachers.Do you have any unusual writing habits?
Normally for that book, I was not planning on writing and I was given a vision/desire to write, so maybe that one girl would be allowed to see a different side of life.What authors, or books have influenced you?
Branden LaNette – F*ck Luck Bitches (a lot of language in her books)What are you working on now?
Yesterday, i just finished Rise Up Everyone, which I wrote in 7 hours. When a vision/idea hits me, I just write. So, I am unsure of what I will be writing next.What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I just use my social media accounts to promote my books right now, I am looking into other ways to promote them.Do you have any advice for new authors?
Do it, put those words on paper — do not let anyone hold you back. You have got this and don’t worry there will be haters, but it your story, your life and someone needs to read about it.What is the best advice you have ever heard?
When God gives you a vision, you run with it with all of the passion and desire in hoping to change one person life for the good.What are you reading now?
Abundance Now, by Lisa NicholasWhat’s next for you as a writer?
Most likely there will be more books — at the moment, I am not sure what my next book will be. I am open to writing more.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 – ESV
F*uck Luck Bitches
Stormy Wellington’s Books
Ginny Dye
Interview With Author Ginny Dye
Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I was only 16 years old when my dying grandfather called me to his bedside, took my hand and said, “You have the gift of writing that I never used. Whatever you do, don’t let it go to waste like I did.”Scared I wasn’t as talented as my beloved “Dandy”, I quit writing. 14 years later, bedridden in California from one of the first diagnosed cases of Epstein-Barr Virus, this athletic, active woman wrote her first book to keep from going crazy. I finished the book, got better, and stuffed the book in an envelope – never intending to do anything with it.
3 and a 1/2 years later the book was discovered by a friend who then proceeded to harangue me about publication. Worn down, I finally submitted it. It was my first book published. Almost 25 years later, there are now 50+ books published, but that is just the beginning. I have so many more inside me!
I believe in the power of the written word to change lives. I also believe that historical novels can implant the Bregdan Principle in people’s hearts and minds.
The Bregdan Principle…Every life that has been lived until today is a part of the woven braid of life. It takes every person’s story to create history. Your life will help determine the course of history. You may think you don’t have much of an impact. You do. Every action you take will reflect in someone else’s life. Someone else’s decisions. Someone else’s future. Both good and bad.
My passion is to write powerful and entertaining historical fiction through the sweeping saga called the Bregdan Chronicles. I published # 19 in my series in April of this year. #20 will come out this year, and then I’ll just keep rolling.
I am also passionate about the Bregdan Woman Journals, my BEST EVER DREAM Series, the Pepper Crest High Series, my World Changer Series, and everything else that can be communicated via writing! Basically – I’m just PASSIONATE!
When I decided to write Children’s books, I never imagined how much FUN I would have! The fact that children and parents love them so much makes it even MORE FUN! The BEST EVER DREAM Series has 20 titles right now, with more coming. I hope you’ll read them all!
I will admit writing is not my only passion, however. I am also the CEO and Founder of Millions For Positive Change. This amazing organization is committed to providing all the resources people need to make a difference with their life – and mobilizing them all over the world. Want to make a difference? What to know your life counts? Go to www.MillionsForPositiveChange.com.
And when I’m not writing or running my company? I love anything outdoors, but tops on my list are hiking in the mountains with my dog, rowing, biking, swimming, tennis, windsurfing, snowshoeing… I have a very big “tops on my list”!
Mostly, I am just very happy to have you in my world! You can come visit me anytime at www.BregdanPublishing.com!
And, you can read my BLOG at https://iamavoiceintheworld.wordpress.com/
What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
Courage To Stand is #19 in The Bregdan Chronicles. It takes place during the end of 1872 – a time in the history of the United States that demanded tremendous courage to stand for your beliefs and your principles. Reconstruction brought our country back together, but it also created chaos and havoc for so many. Women were fighting for the right to vote… medicine was in transition… Blacks were striving for equality in a badly divided country… women were making strides in areas they had never ventured into before.This book was fascinating to research and write! I’m already deep into # 20 – learning just as much and receiving just as much inspiration as I have from every other book I’ve written! I love all my characters and am thrilled to discover how history will pull them forward into their lives.
Do you have any unusual writing habits?
Not really – other than the fact that I tend to ignore the rest of the world when I’m writing. My friends dread the words, “I’m in Book Mode”, because they know pretty much everything else will be put on the back burner until I hit Publish!When I’m in Book Mode, I write, I play outside with my puppy, and I strive to make the most important people in my life a priority!
What authors, or books have influenced you?
Oh, wow! How in the world do I answer that question. The list is endless. It started when I was a child growing up in an abusive situation. I couldn’t tell you a book title or an author, but I can tell you that books gave me hope that my life could be different from the reality I was living!As I grew, non-fiction books helped me figure out my life, while fiction expanded my heart and soul, while also giving me endless hours of entertainment.
The MOST influential writer was probably Eugenia Price – a historical novelist who wrote about the South. I started reading her books when I was a teenager, and devoured every one of them. She gave me my love for historical fiction and gave me valuable advice – which I’ll talk about in a minute.
What are you working on now?
#20 in The Bregdan Chronicles – Walking Toward Freedom.1873 was a wild, vibrant time in the United States. I’m not going to tell you what I find so fascinating, because then I would be giving away what I’ll be writing about! Let’s just say I’m having tremendous fun and I pray every day that my words will do justice to the year!
What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
Amazon Ads have been amazing for me. Granted, they are so successful because I have so many books in print. It makes the Return on Investment worth the expense. If I had only a few books in print, it wouldn’t be worth it.Facebook has been a valuable addition to my marketing for the last ten years. The ROI has dropped some as the competition has increased, but it’s still a viable option. I usually have 3 or 4 ads running.
Pinterest is a fairly new addition to my marketing. I knew I couldn’t do it justice and still write, so I hired a Pinterest manager from Pakistan who is working miracles! We’re only 2 months into this adventure. I know the results will continue to grow exponentially.
Do you have any advice for new authors?
Become a marketing expert. I know… I know… it’s not what you want to hear. Most authors simply want the joy of writing – without having to tackle the business aspect. That is great in theory, but doesn’t work in reality. You have to know how to market. You have to research, experiment, fail, try again, fail, try again, fail, try again… with lots to celebrate when all the wheels start to turn at the same time!What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Eugenia Price gave me the best advice: No one writes for everyone.5 words, yet they hold so much wisdom. No matter what you write, someone is going to hate it – even when most people love it. You can write the best historical fiction in the world, but if someone only reads Sci-Fi, they’re going to hate your books.
That’s okay. I find MY market. I write to MY readers. I communicate with the people who love what I write.
If someone writes a review about how much they hate my writing, Eugenia’s advice gives me the freedom to laugh and let it go with grace.
What are you reading now?
At this exact moment I’m reading The Singing Trees by Boo Walker. I’m enjoying it tremendously.People think that because I write historical fiction, I must love to read it all the time. NOT. After research and writing all day, I choose to dive into suspense or contemporary fiction. It gives my brain a break!
What’s next for you as a writer?
I’m going to WRITE! My goal is to write and publish 100+ books. I’m going to write until I’m 108 and then die.If I can’t write, I’m ready to go.
I’m continuing on with The Bregdan Chronicles, and delving into new projects that fascinate me. I’ll never live long enough to write everything I want to write, but I’m certainly going to try!
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?
Seriously? Someone can actually answer this question?? Not me. Since the question reveals I know I’m going to be stranded on this island, I’m going to replace the space for my books with a Kindle (loaded with 1000’s of books) and a solar recharger so I never run out of juice!Author Websites and Profiles
Ginny Dye’s Social Media Links
Kris Neri
Interview With Author Kris Neri
Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I have written professionally for half of my life, first as a magazine article writer, then through short stories, and finally, novels. I’ve lost count of the articles I’ve written, but I’ve had some sixty-plus short stories published, two of which were Derringer Award winners and two Pushcart Prizes.In the novel arena…while I’ve loved mysteries since Nancy Drew first led me into a life of crime, and I do love writing mysteries, I also write paranormals, thrillers, and women’s fiction. I’m drawn to writing quirky characters, with an offbeat path, and my greatest love is writing in humorous, sarcastic voices.
My latest novel, Hopscotch Life, is an accept-yourself-in-all-your-glory, women’s fiction-crime crossover. I also write the Tracy Eaton mysteries, featuring the daughter of eccentric Hollywood stars. And the Samantha Brennan and Annabelle Haggerty magical series, featuring a questionable psychic who teams up with a modern goddess who is also an FBI agent. The books of these two series and this standalone have attracted an incredible amount of award interest, including the Agatha, Anthony, Macavity, Lefty, New Mexico-Arizona, and the International Book Award. My books have been three-time Lefty Award finalists for their humor, and four-time New Mexico-Arizona Book Award winners for my novels and the books I’ve contributed to. I’ve had eleven novels published, and have another two books in the pipeline.
I’ve also been a bookseller. My husband Joe and I owned and operated The Well Red Coyote bookstore in Sedona, AZ for ten years, where we hosted a couple of thousand author appearances. Nothing has taught me as much about the book biz like being a bookseller. And I’m an online writing instructor for the Writers’ Program of the UCLA Extension School, and other organizations. I’ve been teaching writing for around twenty-five years.
I live in the funky town of Silver City in New Mexico, the Land of Enchantment, with my husband and two pushy terriers.
What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
My latest book is Hopscotch Life. Every piece of fiction I’ve ever written comes to me first as a voice I hear in my head, telling me something about some unnamed person’s life. It always comes as a strong, distinctive voice. In what became Hopscotch Life, it began with the voice of the quirky protagonist, Plum Tardy. Plum began by telling me she thought everyone else had received a rulebook at birth, with all the instructions needed to lead a successful life. Since Plum not only didn’t receive one, and couldn’t even imagine how it would read, she was forced to hop erratically through life as if it were a giant hopscotch court. Naturally, I related to that since I always thought everyone else received a rulebook, too.As I came to know Plum and the story she wanted me to tell, I knew there were issues I wanted to address, such as the fact that sometimes we don’t have the best options when we’re forced to make a choice. Later, we sometimes look back and ask, “Why did I do that?” But often what we picked was the best of all the choices available to us. Mostly, I wanted to look at how essential self-acceptance is, how we all need to connect with our authentic selves.
Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I’ve always had a habit of what I call “sneaking up on my writing.” I find myself working through parts of a scene or chapter, then putting all if it together. Sometimes I essentially write it mentally at night when I should be sleeping. And all of that occurs in my thinking before I ever begin to write it in the computer. Then, often when I write that scene, it goes onto the page quite quickly.I develop a book by writing in a book journal. Every day I add whatever new material I know about the story. Sometimes it’s a little, sometimes a lot. Lots of days the new material contradicts what I developed at an earlier time. But I never worry about that, I just keep building it. Some entries deal with story, others with characters. I keep adding until I feel such a depth of understanding, I know it’s ready to write.
Although I have a comfortable study, and often write there, I also like to write in other spots around my house, including my front porch, my kitchen, and sitting on the bed.
What authors, or books have influenced you?
Where to begin…? I learn something from every book I read. When I was a bookseller, I was influenced by every author who did an appearance with us. Some genuinely changed my life. I’m enormously grateful I had that opportunity. I work with a critique group of excellent writers who keep me on my toes: Alethea Eason, Kate Rauner, and EJ Randolph. Together we formed a writers’ group called The Borderland Writers Co-op, for writers living along the Southwest US border.What are you working on now?
I’m close to finishing the third book in my Samantha Brennan & Annabelle Haggerty magical series. It’s called Magical Mushrooms, and features a quirky new psychic trying to learn to use her paranormal gifts, who typically teams up with a contemporary Celtic goddess of great power who is also an FBI agent. I’ve had such fun with it.What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I’d have to credit my own website and Facebook as my best outlets when it comes to online sites As for in-person appearances, I enjoy presenting writing workshops to newer writers.Do you have any advice for new authors?
It’s going to be harder to become an accomplished writer than you’re probably expecting. Commit to the long haul. Celebrate even your smallest victories, and let your losses go. Be kind to yourself — you’re on a brave and rewarding path.What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Successful people do the things that unsuccessful people don’t like to do. Basically, it’s a matter of choosing a pleasing outcome over a pleasing method.What are you reading now?
Clark and Division by Naomi Hirahara. A fabulous story, on one level it’s a mystery in which a young Japanese-American woman struggles to discover who killed her sister, but in a larger sense, it’s a look at the post WWII lives of the Japanese after they leave the internment camps. Highly recommended. I usually also have a stack of nonfiction self-help books that I dip into now and then.What’s next for you as a writer?
I’m working on a novel idea that features a complex woman, with an unusual background. She came from a formerly wealthy family, which lost its money, who now operates a junkyard. I want to look at the unusual paths that life sometimes takes us along. Tentatively, I might call it A Junkyard Dog.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?
Hmmm…clearly, they have to be books I’d enjoy re-reading again and again…maybe:
The Tightrope Walker. by Dorothy Gilman
Excuse Me, Your Life is Waiting by Lynn Grabhorn
I’m sure I’d want a book on surviving on a desert island, since I’m not exactly the survivor type.
And maybe, 100 Places to Visit Before You Die, so I could travel in my mind.Couldn’t we make it three or four hundred books?
Author Websites and Profiles
Kris Neri’s Social Media Links
Wallace Briggs
Interview With Author Wallace Briggs
Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
Within touching distance of eighty years of age, I came to self-publishing only after I retired from a long career in technical sales. There are now 7 children’s MG & YA books published via KDP/Amazon. I first met my wife, Pat, when we were walking a common path home from different schools when we were eleven years old. Within the next year, my family moved to a different village and we lost touch even though we were only separated by four or five miles. At that age, in those days, it could have been on the other side of the world. Approaching eighteen years of age I was ‘courting’ a lovely young lady, the daughter of a local Methodist Minister when I crossed paths with Pat again. She was visiting a mutual friend who lived twenty five yards away, over the road. Neither recognised the other but there was an incandescent meeting of minds and it was months later before we recognised our prior association, by which time I had parted company with my prior girlfriend. Marriage was delayed until we were twenty-one years old because parental approval was not forthcoming because of our different faiths. How times have changed. We have now been happily married for almost fifty-eight years.What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
The fourth in the series of Jimmy Crikey Adventures is about what lies at the bottom of the Emerald Lake. I have just put pen to paper for the fifth, and possible final, adventure of Jimmy Crikey, which revolves around the exploits of his young friend, Jade, as she strives to qualify as a witch. Jimmy Crikey was born approx. forty-plus years ago on a family seaside holiday in Norfolk. My then four-year-old son was playing in the sand with three or four newfound friends when the heavens opened and the ‘gang’ sought shelter in our crowded beach tent. The noise levels grew considerably and Pat pleaded that I tell them a story, or something, to quieten them down. The story of the bullied redheaded boy who overcame and grew into a hero, was borne. Jimmy Crikey’s exp[loits expanded over the following few afternoon showers to meet a demand for ‘more’.Do you have any unusual writing habits?
My writing habits are not unusual – to me. I pick up a pen, figurately, and start writing. Usually the words flow but if they don’t I take a break and play some music on my Hammond organ, or decorate a china plate with fairies or castles of flowers or copy Heinrich Schlitt gnome paintings.What authors, or books have influenced you?
Without doubt, becasue I read her work to my sons, Enid Blighton. Latterly Tolkein’s works Lord of the Rings and in the modern idiom Wilbur Smith from the Where the Lion Roars (or is it Where the Lion Feeds?) and everything he written since – a truly magnificent writer.What are you working on now?
Still working on Jimmy Crikey but concentrating on Jade’s story as she seeks to become a fully qualified witch.What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I am hopeless at promotion so I scattershot my efforts wherever appears attractive at that moment. All Author is a mainstay, Facebook groups regularly, Book Goodies, Good Reads and Amazon all extract some of my limited budget.Do you have any advice for new authors?
Grow a thick skin, lower expectations but most importantly NEVER stop writing.What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Don’t ever give up if you believe you have something to say that will entertain your chosen audienceWhat are you reading now?
Wilbur Smith -The New KingdomWhat’s next for you as a writer?
Try to get my memoir into shapeIf 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
Gibbon’s Rise and Fall of the Roman Empire
An encyclopedia about the Natural world and wildlifeAuthor Websites and Profiles
Wallace Briggs’s Social Media Links
Camoya Ellis
Interview With Author Camoya Ellis
Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I am an author who has written 5 books. The one which I promote is my first written work. I am a fun loving and patient author who ensures that fun and lessons from patience are in my books. I am aspiring to be a recognized author. I have had experience in business, administrative professions, career, entrepreneurship and writing.What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
My latest published book is The Princess & The GIANT. It is a book that was inspired by my daughter. It was a challenge that she gave me with just the statement of 4 words: walking up the king’s. I did not ask what I should write about, I just wrote based on an inspiring name.Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I write freestyle without thinking of corrections and perfection and then I perfect it.What authors, or books have influenced you?
Michele Obama Becoming and Rich Dad Poor Dad.What are you working on now?
publishing books.What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I research for platforms to promote my books; I have been trying to get a press release as well.Do you have any advice for new authors?
Write and enjoy writing if you enjoy writing, as writing is an inspiration it is not a force. Also, stop freaking out and being anxious, oh my God I want to write a book, what should I write about, what should be the title; I don’t know where to start – this is because the inspiration should come from inside you.What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Always be yourself and be a change in the changing world.What are you reading now?
Men Are From Mars, Women Are From VenusWhat’s next for you as a writer?
I have other editions of my book to work on and I wish to do so and have them completedIf 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?
Rich Dad Poor Dad, Confident Woman, Act Like A Lady, Think Like A Man and Men Are From Mars Women Are From VenusAuthor Websites and Profiles
Igor Kraus
Interview With Author Igor Kraus
Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I have published 30 children’s booksWhat is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
Erste Buchstaben Schreiben LernenDo you have any unusual writing habits?
No bad habitsWhat are you working on now?
I’m trying to figure out the advertising of books. I’ve ignored this topic for too long.What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I don’t know yet. I’m trying to figure it out.Do you have any advice for new authors?
What advice can there be? I’m a beginner.What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Learn, learn and learn!Author Websites and Profiles
Purll The Benztwin
Interview With Author Purll The Benztwin
Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
Benztwin is a passionate author who is hooked on reading all sorts of books from an early age. He is very familiar with telling and writing short but meaningful stories for children of all ages.
He had always been in love with the art of writing that could save souls and inspire hearts. His strong passion led him to choose children’s books for they are the hope of the future.
Our books could be easily read by children themselves thanks to a simple vocabulary we chose for them, or by their parents as a goodnight story.
He had written three books and is looking forward to write more.What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
GIRLS ARE MADE OF POWER Inspirational Stories For Rebel girls.
We notice nowadays a lot of children getting through challenges, hard ones, bullying, for instance. However, we want to see them grow up confdently and amazingly. and that is why I wrote this book.
Children are our future, and we have to raise them well.Do you have any unusual writing habits?
hmmmmmmm, I listen to Lana Del Rey sad songs while writing lolWhat authors, or books have influenced you?
Dostoevsky- The idiotWhat are you working on now?
A new inspirational book for little boysWhat is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
don’t have anyDo you have any advice for new authors?
Just believe in yourself, and with time, you’ll become even a better writer.What is the best advice you have ever heard?
If you want to be heard, you risk being offensiveWhat are you reading now?
Milk and honey by Rupi KaurWhat’s next for you as a writer?
writing a lot and a lot of booksIf 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?
all books of Dostoevsky, I guess
Alana Winters
Interview With Author Alana Winters
Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I have a wildly creative imagination and writing romance stories has become the perfect outlet for me. I’ve published ten books in a year and a half. I’m working on numbers eleven and twelve currently.What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
Forbidden Muse was inspired by love for music and mafia movies. I couldn’t wait to combine the two things that entertain me so much.Do you have any unusual writing habits?
Oh, yeah. I’m very into senses so I will light a candle that smells like my character while I’m writing their POV. I’ve become so obsessed with them that I began making my own candles and I will be selling them soon.What authors, or books have influenced you?
I’m only going to list my favorite authors because picking a favorite book of theirs is too difficult. Nicole Rose, Fern Fraser, Matilda Martel and S. E Isaac are not only some of my biggest influences they’re also my mentors and I’m very fortunate to be able to call them my friends as well.What are you working on now?
Commanding Her Heart which is in the Heart of a Wounded Hero series. I’m still in shock that I’m in a series that is being run by Hope Ford. Cortez was a naval commander and he’s now raising his nephew as his own. He falls for a beautiful, bombshell that is guarded since she’s lost everyone she’s loved.What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
Using Amazon ads and TikTok.Do you have any advice for new authors?
Collect as much advice as you can from other authors and join as many Facebook author groups as you can.What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Write what you know and what you love to read.What are you reading now?
The Heir by Nichole Rose.What’s next for you as a writer?
I’ve begun doing conventions. I will be at Meet Me in Milwaukee in August.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 survival guide for idiots, Princess Bride, The Godfather and The Wizard of Oz.Author Websites and Profiles
Alana Winters’s Social Media Links
Rod Karn
Interview With Author Rod Karn
Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I love a good, well-spun tale (sometimes one that induces shivers) with strong characters. I have now written three books.What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
“Cold Hunger” was originally a scene in search of a book. I wandered out into a blizzard one winter day in New York City, into a large park, and I was amazed at how quiet and peaceful and empty it was. I imagined a man walking into this same park, much as I had done, but with a much sadder purpose: to end his life. I wrote this up as a short scene.Then I had to figure out why he wanted to kill himself, and of course, so much more.
Do you have any unusual writing habits?
Not really. During the endless rewrites, I sometimes tinker with fonts and layouts (I have a book-page layout where I sometimes paste in works in progress). I do this to try to see the same words in a new way. By doing so, I hope to spot problems that I was unable to detect before because I’m too familiar with the material.What authors, or books have influenced you?
I read pretty much like an omnivore. I love all sorts of books, from John Gardiner’s “Grendel” to Stephen King’s “Pet Sematary.” I have a soft spot for King. I know he was derided early in his career as a horror schlock-meister, but it was apparent to me that he was a better writer than he was being given credit for, and he has an absolute genius for storytelling and pacing.What are you working on now?
I have some short stories kicking around in the mental attic; I have written down all the plot points in some detail. I also have some thoughts about the second part of the “Where Evil Lies” series that need fleshing out. Mainly, at the moment I am seeing whether fortune smiles on “Cold Hunger.”What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I think this is a cool website honestly, and love this idea of author interviews (that give the interested reader something to click into).Do you have any advice for new authors?
You just have to write through everything. If you’re blocked, tired, depressed, just write through it. The next morning, what you wrote will never seem as bad as you thought it was. And if it is, well, that gives you something to rewrite to start your day, and to warm up a cold engine. Writers sometimes do themselves a disservice by over-romanticizing what we do. There is no idea fairy that delivers fully formed, well-plotted novels destined for a bestseller list; you have to work at it, constantly.What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Something along the lines of “the art of writing is the art of applying the seat of the pants to the seat of the chair.” On some level, it’s about that simple, and that frustrating.What are you reading now?
I’m straddling two books at the moment, “Executive Orders” by Clancy (which I’m finding rather painful; it was a sidewalk throwaway book that I rescued) and “The Tommyknockers” by Stephen King (it’s not as well-paced as most of his fiction).What’s next for you as a writer?
I honestly don’t know. Much depends on what happens with “Cold Hunger.” This one was a long, difficult birthing process. Faith was lost. Faith was regained. I wrote and rewrote many times and hope that I finally got it right (or close enough). Some cool stuff emerged on the rewriting. I loved one line in particular that I figured out while on my exercise bike: “There are no truths, only tellers of truths, and the truths change with the tellers.”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?
One would definitely be a book of short stories by Stephen King. I reread them a lot, just to study how he masterfully draws in readers and pulls them along to a conclusion. One would be a nonfiction book: “The Religions of Man” or “The Irrational Man” probably; they’re both well-written primer texts. Then I suppose I’d go for an old Russian novel (“Anna Karenina”?) and, after that, something more modern (Thomas Pynchon, David Foster Wallace?).
Beth A. Freely
Interview With Author Beth A. Freely
Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I was born and raised in upstate New York, with a brief and very influential stint living in Great Britain. I now call Texas my home.With more than 14 years of writing experience as a copywriter, I hold a bachelor’s degree in Journalism and Mass Media Communication with a minor in Marketing and a master’s degree in English and Creative Writing.
In 2003, I published some of my fanfiction online and won awards for my stories. Two years later, I was awarded first-place winner of the 2005 Arche Books Publishing Novel Writing Contest, Women’s Fiction with my novel “Behind the Eyes of Dorian Gray.”
“The Legend of Captain St. Pierre,” my second novel, was written with my best friend, Mariam, and is the first book in a planned trilogy.
“The Loch” is my third novel.
“Beyond The Steps of Stone” is my fourth novel and won the 2022 SPRING BOOKFEST AWARDS – 1st Place Romance/Science-Fiction and 2nd Place Science-Fiction/Aliens & Alien Invasion.
I love horseback riding, swimming, reading, and helping other authors hone their craft.
What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
“Beyond the Steps of Stone” is my latest book and it was inspired by a conversation between a friend and I. She came to me with the “what if” story scenario, of a post-apocalyptic Earth where the remnants of humanity discover aliens really do exist. I couldn’t get the story out of my mind and went home from work that night and wrote the prologue and first chapter.What’s funny about this book is that it took me 15 years to refine the story into something I was proud to publish. My dad read this book in its rawest form before he passed away and loved it. I had to make sure it was right before I published it.
Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I still enjoy sitting down with a notebook or journal and handwriting a story. It helps me reconnect with the craft and my characters. It also forces me to slow down a bit and relax. When I get into the mood to write like this, I prefer to do it at the local tea shop. I find the ambiance soothing.What authors, or books have influenced you?
I love to read all types of books, fiction, and non-fiction. I primarily write romance novels, but my stories typically contain elements of other genres, such as paranormal and historical fiction. I love well-written vampire novels, such as “Dracula” and Anne Rice’s “Vampire Chronicles.” I have also been influenced by Frank Herbert’s “Dune,” J.R.R. Tolkein’s “Lord of the Rings” and the works of Russian authors Anton Chekhov, Fyodor Dostoyevsky, and Leo Tolstoy.What are you working on now?
I am currently working on the sequel to “Beyond the Steps of Stone.” I wasn’t originally planning on writing it so soon, by the main characters are very loud in my head and won’t give me any peace!What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
Marketing and promoting my books take a bit of time. I utilize a variety of social media websites, my own author website, a podcast I am involved in, paid services, and author book signings. I also look for interview opportunities, such as this one, and occasionally run a giveaway for people who sign up for my twice-weekly blog.Do you have any advice for new authors?
Get your story on paper. Focus on that before you even worry about its publishable, if people will like it, who it is aimed at, etc. Nothing else matters unless the story is there to be read.Editing and formatting all come later—the story you need to tell matters most.
What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Never give up. Those bad reviews are just as good reviews and they will help you hone your craft…as long as you don’t give up.What are you reading now?
I’m currently reading the “Dune: Adventures In The Imperium” dungeon master’s guide for the role-playing game. My husband has been trying to get me to run a game for years and I finally found one that piqued my interest.What’s next for you as a writer?
I have started branching out into short stories for anthologies. I have always had a hard time keeping my stories under 25K so this is a good way for me to practice and get some anthology cred.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?
Dune
The Hobbit
The Picture of Dorian Gray
The Last Wish (Book 1 in The Witcher series)Author Websites and Profiles
Beth A. Freely’s Social Media Links
Shirley Spain
Interview With Author Shirley Spain
Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
Fitness instructor. Animal lover. Author of dark and chilling thrillers…I credit my love of Nancy Drew mysteries for sparking my interest in writing thrillers, although I didn’t publish my first novel until my 53rd birthday! So I consider myself a late bloomer.
Since 2013, when I published “Mistaken Trust,” I’ve written 22 books including a memoir called “One Last Kiss” and “The Late Bloomer’s Guide to Blooming,” a self-help workbook.
I’m a believer in the adage, “When the student is ready, the teacher will appear.” One day in late 2011, when I was chatting with a dear friend, out of the blue she recited the saying, “If it is to be, it is up to me.” Although we were not talking about my dream of being a writer, incredibly, she spoke those words at just the right time when I was ready to hear them, which motivated me to finish my first book, “Mistaken Trust”.
I had written the first draft of “Mistaken Trust” in the mid-1990s, then shelved my writing endeavors because of family issues. In 2011, I caught the writing bug again, updated “Mistaken Trust” then built upon it to create a series of six novels with the first letter of each title spelling MURDER … all thanks to those ten little two-letter words spoken by a dear friend at just the right time for me to hear them. Subsequently, I had (and continue to have) mega support from family and friends, which brings me to where I am today, living my dream as a writer.
I’m often asked if I do research for my novels, and the answer is: ABSOLUTELY, YES! That’s a big part of the fun of writing suspense novels, especially because I often wrangle friends into helping me perform experiments or act out scenes in the name of novel research.
Once I experimented with locking myself in the trunk of my car, then attempted to escape. Everything that could go wrong, did. To make matters worse, I didn’t tell anyone what I was doing. Though I wasn’t laughing at the time, looking back now, that experience could be a story of comedic proportions itself and offered insight into scenes in my novels.
Over the years, I’ve experimented with trying to escape handcuffs, duct tape, and even wearing a “hazmat” suit to “conceal” DNA evidence. Oh, I could write a book about the crazy experiments I’ve done and maybe I should, except people would think the book was fiction!
Perhaps now that you know I experiment when creating some of my scenes, as you read, you might find yourself wondering: “Do you think she tried that?” The answer might surprise you.
In addition to hands-on “experimenting,” I do a lot of research via experts in the law enforcement and self-defense fields because I strive for a level of “plausible realism” in my fiction.
On a personal note, I was born and raised in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and I’m a huge Pittsburgh Steelers football fan. I reside in West Jordan, Utah, have been married to the same wonderful man for 42 years (and counting), and we have two four-legged children—Ben and Charlie, both “rescue” dogs—who totally rule my life.
What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
“Countdown to Murder”—book 3 in my Pepper Jackson Thriller series—is my newest release. Halloween is one of my favorite holidays. Even at the age of 62, I still enjoy dressing up and decorating my yard with pumpkins. I hadn’t written a novel set around the Halloween holiday, so why not this one?Do you have any unusual writing habits?
Charlie, my border collie mix, “helps” me write by reminding me about every hour that I need to take a short break to go outside—rain, shine, or snow—to play a round or two of “wing-ding” (a Frisbee-like soft disk with a hole in the middle) with him. Those short breaks help me return refreshed.What authors, or books have influenced you?
Nancy Drew mysteries as a little girl top my list. Later, as an adult, James Patterson.What are you working on now?
I’m currently working on two projects. “Murder Bait”, the working title for book 4 in the Pepper Jackson Thriller series, and “The Muffin Man Murders,” a short story for a thriller anthology I want to put together to include other thriller authors.As a child, I used to sing that “The Muffin Man” rhyme all the time. As an adult, learning that the child’s song was likely based on the disturbing truth of a child serial killer in London, of course, I was intrigued. My “Muffin Man” story does not involve children but does involve a killer obsessed with homemade muffins… and that’s all I’ll say about that!
What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I mix things up. I love to learn new things and “experiment,” so I’m always looking for something new or different to me. That’s how I became involved with Awesome Gang.Do you have any advice for new authors?
Writing is hard. Don’t let anyone sugar-coat that. They’ll be days when you wonder what the hell you’re doing and why you ever thought you could write a book. When that happens, take a break, a short one like a day or two. Then consult your heart with an open mind. Ask yourself if you’re in love with telling a story or if you’re infatuated with the concept of saying you’re a writer. Big difference. I know too many people who SAY they want to write a book and maybe even START an outline or write the first paragraph or chapter then that’s it. Honestly, that was me 20 years ago. But my true desire to write was resurrected by a friend’s perfectly timed words when I was ready to hear them and I’ve never looked back.Have I been discouraged since then? Absolutely. Have I wanted to quit? Absolutely, and I have for a day or two. But my heart, my passion to write, keeps me going. And it will keep YOU going too.
What is the best advice you have ever heard?
I can’t credit a specific person for this advice, but I remember being told over and over by my mentors: “Your book is NOT for everyone,” and “Everyone will NOT like your book.”And boy can I attest to the truth of those sentences, especially the last one. People can and will be cruel when it comes to giving their opinion to leave a “review” for your book. And those negative comments hurt, which is why I’ve found those two pieces of advice invaluable. They help me keep things in perspective.
Bottom line, when the critics bash you and the naysayers cut you down, remember (this is crass, I know): Opinions are like arseholes, everybody has one!
What are you reading now?
“Twisted” and “More Twisted” by Jeffery DeaverWhat’s next for you as a writer?
Spearheading an anthology with other thriller writers.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 desert survival guide, 1,001 things you can make with sand, and the latest dictionary.Author Websites and Profiles
Shirley Spain Author Profile on Smashwords
Shirley Spain’s Social Media Links
Amanda Wilson
Interview With Author Amanda Wilson
Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
Hi, I’m Amanda, a schoolteacher turned homeschool mom of four. Besides being a busy homeschool mom, I’m also married to a preacher and very engaged in church life. I love God and kids are my jam. I’ve been blogging about life as a homeschool mom for a couple of years, but this is my very first book! I’m super excited!What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
My book is called “Heading into Homeschool: a Step-by-Step Faith-Based Plan for Beginning to Homeschool”. After 14 years in the public school classroom, eight years homeschooling and two years blogging about my experiences, I decided to write a book for families who want to begin homeschooling. Jumping into homeschool can be daunting without a roadmap showing you how to get started. Even with my background experience as a teacher, I felt totally overwhelmed when I started homeschooling. There were so many decisions to make and new ideas to understand! Wishing I had someone to walk me through it step-by-step, I created the book I wish I could have read 8 years ago! Now, I just hope it is a blessing and help to others.Do you have any unusual writing habits?
As a busy momma, I blog while my tiniest one is napping. When she wakes up – I’m done! Sometimes I squeeze in a little more writing time in the evening when the kids have all gone to bed. Mom first -author 2nd! No other unusual writing habits – unless you count nibbling on chocolate while typing.What authors, or books have influenced you?
I’m a voracious reader (when I have time!) so I’ve been inspired by many authors through the years. Hands down my fav author is L.M. Montgomery, author of Anne of Green Gables. And, of course, as a Christian, I’m super inspired by the world’s best book ever – the Bible – truly a masterpiece. But, beyond that, I love reading the classics or vacillating between non-fiction parenting books and a good historical Christian fiction. As a homeschool mom, I also devour copious amounts of kids books each year, from picture books to chapter books.What are you working on now?
Right now I’m simply writing for my blog – maestramom.com. I’ve been working on releasing Bible songs for kids each week that I’m hoping to pull together into a book format in the future.What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
My website is www.maestramom.comDo you have any advice for new authors?
Still being a new author myself, the only thing I can say is – just go for it!What is the best advice you have ever heard?
The best advice ever is from scripture – Love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your mind and love your neighbor as yourself.What are you reading now?
I just finished reading the journals of L.M Montgomery and simultaneously Gregor the Overlander – a phenomenal kids book by Suzanne Collins. My older kids have been reading them and begged me to read them, too. So glad I did!What’s next for you as a writer?
I plan to continue connecting with my audience at maestramom.com where I talk about everything from mom life to homeschooling to Bible songs for kids. I’d love for you to join me!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. My Bible
2. Anne of Green Gables (can I bring the whole series?????)
3. a hymn book
4. Pride and PrejudiceAuthor Websites and Profiles
Amanda Wilson’s Social Media Links
William Brinkman
Interview With Author William Brinkman
Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I created the Bolingbrook Babbler back in 1998 as a work of web fiction, and today I write for Freethought Blogs, and I’ve been active in progressive politics and organized secularism for decades.I got my start in professional fiction writing as a contributor for White Wolf Studio’s Demon: The Fallen game line. After working on the Babbler for several years, I decided to self-publish books inspired by the setting of the Bolingbrook Babbler stories on my website.
My self-published Books:
Pathways to Bolingbrook (Free to newsletter subscribers)
The Rift (Releases 7/13/22)What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
The Rift: A Bolingbrook Babbler Story. It was inspired by a rift within the secular movement between the libertarian/anti-feminists and progressives/feminists. As in the book, things exploded when a female podcaster mentioned that a man hit on her in an elevator at 2 AM, and she merely asked her followers not to do that. The incident itself wasn’t a big deal, but I was stunned by the backlash against the podcaster. She started receiving death threats, while at the same time, most of the movement’s leaders downplayed harassment, and seemed more concerned with protecting the reputations of questionable male figures, like Lawrance Kruss.I watched as my progressive friends were hurt by the hatred directed at them. That compelled to write The Rift in response. Sadly, the harassment tactics used against women and progressives were later used in Gamergame and by the Alt-right.
Do you have any unusual writing habits?
Sometimes I’ll check the Bolingbrook, IL government sites for ideas.What authors, or books have influenced you?
William Gibson, Stephen King, Bruce Sterling, and the Spenser books.I really like the idea of stories where all the characters can’t see the big picture, and that’s a major theme in the Bolingbrook Babbler books.
What are you working on now?
After releasing The Rift, I will start work on the next book, Phantoms of Bolingbrook. I also plan on releasing a collection of early Bolingbrook Babbler web posts.What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
Ask me next year.Do you have any advice for new authors?
Everyone needs an editor and/or someone to shoot ideas off of.What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Even if you’re doing satire, if you’re using a real person as a character, make sure their actions fit their personality. Otherwise, it won’t be funny/believable.What are you reading now?
Cloud Cuckoo LandWhat’s next for you as a writer?
Trying to finish the Bolingbrook Babbler Stories in my lifetime.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 book on survival, and William Gibson’s Bridge Trilogy.Author Websites and Profiles
William Brinkman Amazon Profile
William Brinkman’s Social Media Links
Andie Campbell
Interview With Author Andie Campbell
Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I’ve written one book (so far) under the name of Andie Campbell (I should have a new release soon), one book under the name of April Cox, and one book under the name Mildred Armstrong.What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
Believe in Yourself: Nutmeg’s Story will be coming out soon. It’s about a little squirrel who believes she can fly, despite her friends’ insistence that she can’t. Desperate to convince them, she leads them up on a journey into the mountains to meet the wise old phoenix. Through this journey, her friends come to believe her, and Nutmeg becomes the world’s very first flying squirrel.To be entirely honest, I wrote this as part of a school assignment. My friends each chose an animal to represent them, and then I wrote the story based on those characters. I do want to say that the animals do not actually represent my friends’ personalities, but there are a few inside jokes in there about some of them.
Do you have any unusual writing habits?
At most I only write a few paragraphs at a time usually. If the words are really flowing, then I may write more, but sometimes it’s a sentence or even less before moving onto something else for a little while. This allows me to write everyday (or nearly everyday) even if I’m blocked.What authors, or books have influenced you?
Harry Potter for sure. Although I disagree with a lot of J.K. Rowling’s politics, I love the series. Twilight by Stephenie Meyer as well was a huge influence. While I’m not a huge fan of the series, her style of writing point of view is a huge influence on my own writing. I usually write in third person, but I try to maintain that narrative closeness in my novel writing.What are you working on now?
I’m working on an urban fantasy novel series inspired by Harry Potter.What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I’m still learning about marketing. When it comes to free publication, social media is your best friend, but I think having a website is helpful as well, although that you have to pay for. There are also other paid avenues that are important. Facebook ads and similar are relatively inexpensive as compared to other forms of marketing.Do you have any advice for new authors?
Keep writing, keep learning, and if it’s important to you to be a published author, then never give up.What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Honestly, I can’t think of any at the moment.What are you reading now?
I’ve mostly been reading children’s books to review for my blog and a little bit of fanfictions. I’m hoping to delve into some more novels soon.What’s next for you as a writer?
I’m working on revising my first novel to hopefully get published within the next 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?
That’s a really tough one because I haven’t really read physical books in a long time–they’re all on the computer. I honestly don’t know. I’ve reread the Harry Potter series a few times already, and I used to read J.D. Robb’s In Death series, but I found one of the more recent books to be a bit offensive, so I haven’t been reading those so much. And, I haven’t found a new series that I really love to follow since then.Author Websites and Profiles
Andie Campbell’s Social Media Links
Raven Mills
Interview With Author Raven Mills
Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I am married, and a mother of two. I enjoy larping, writing, dancing, drawing, acting, and singing. I am a huge musical fan (and I have been in a few as well during my theatre days). I am in two films on Tubi called Die by the Sword and King of Britons as Princess Dove. I am currently a student at USC Upstate as a Performance Theatre major and English Literature cognate. I love all things fantasy and my favorite trilogy is the Inkheart series by Cornelia Funke. I started writing when I was 14. I wrote a 6 book series. I have to get around to typing it. However, I have another book that I am working on under the working title “Eraser”. It will be completed once the other two books under the Black Rain trilogy are completed.What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
Black Rain book one is the first book I’ve ever published. It is a ten year old book. We started it when I was in high school. Eli already graduated from high school. The book was inspired by a dream he had of us in the mountains back in 2012. We ended up coming up with Black Rain in the process. We also pulled from our own ancestry here and there. Amira is my clone with several differences and Rain is his clone with differences as well. We also chose the spirit animals based on our birthday and their totems. So the beaver is an April totem and the raven is the October totem. They ended up being perfect matches for the characters in general.Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I do not believe I have unusual writing habits but I guess I can say that I have to have a book inspired playlist going to keep myself immersed. I play the scenes out like a movie and translate it into paper. I will day dream about how it will go until I am satisfied with the idea.What authors, or books have influenced you?
Edgar Allan Poe is a huge influence with the flow and sentence structure (sometimes). I love the way he tells stories. I also love Cornelia Funke’s Inkheart; a well written fantasy; along with LOTR/the Hobbit by Tolkien.What are you working on now?
I am working on the second book of the Black Rain Trilogy. It is already typed and ready for editing along with the 3rd book.What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
Facebook is my main and best method. I have more reach there.Do you have any advice for new authors?
Do your own research on the best options for you if you choose to self publish. If not, and you want to go through a traditional publisher, get prepared to write a cover letter and polish your work so much that you can see yourself in it. You want to send your best work to them. Be prepared for a lot of no’s before you receive your first yes. Don’t get discouraged. It is ok. Rejection is part of the process of success. Utilize your resources. Fiverr, Twitter, IG, Reedsy, Booksie, Facebook groups, YT for tips, Canva for creating videos and pictures for marketing.What is the best advice you have ever heard?
BEWARE OF VANITY PRESSES. DO NOT GO TO PUBLISHAMERICA. THEY WILL TRY TO STEAL YOUR WORK. THEY ARE SCAMMERS. A group of people saved me from them and I still have a copy of their letter to me promising they will never use any or part of my work. Just in case they try.What are you reading now?
I am currently reading the 48 Laws of Power and Art of War.What’s next for you as a writer?
Writing the next two books in the Black Rain Trilogy with my co-author, Eli Salas.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 Edgar Allan Poe collections “bible”, 48 Laws of Power, a copy of my own book, and a Nancy Drew bookAuthor Websites and Profiles
Raven Mills’s Social Media Links
Eli Salas III
Interview With Author Eli Salas III
Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I have written four books but I have only published one so far.What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
The name of my latest book is black rain. It was inspired by a dream I had, it was me on a mountain. And as I am a student of History I wondered how I could be there in the 18th century and I went from there.
I had my friend, Alexis and we came up with the story and everything together and that’s how it formed. So it was a process that came together and it was a group effort. Alexis being African-American we get the story of Amira and as a slave in what she goes through as a woman.And then we have rain, the character in my perspective and he is a native American.
Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I don’t really have any unusual writing habits. But for this book we did go back and forth.What authors, or books have influenced you?
I love biographies. I love being informed. I love Jean plaidy, Antonia Fraser, Margaret George. I love reading and I don’t understand why some people don’t do it. It just fascinates me. I guess because in the old days there was no internet there was no TV. There was nothing. The only thing that was for entertainment was books and writing stuff down on the black pieces of paper.That’s really where my writing journey begin. Out of loneliness and desperation. But of course turned every negative into a positive. And I just never stopped writing. And now I love it. It’s a lot of fun and it’s very therapeutic. To just close my eyes and get everything out.
What are you working on now?
Currently Farewell My Prince. It takes place in the Middle ages. With no magic whatsoever but it’s on another planet.What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
https://linktr.ee/elisalasthethird?utm_source=linktree_profile_share<sid=628c7984-8bea-4681-aa00-bc0b82fcaf90Do you have any advice for new authors?
Just to never give up.What is the best advice you have ever heard?
The best way to gain knowledge is to read. Or was it, the best way to be a good writer is to be a good reader. I think that was itWhat are you reading now?
Mary, Queen of Scots by Antonia FrasierWhat’s next for you as a writer?
I just want to do so much more. Comics. I do them already here and here. More books to write. The journey never endsIf 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?
Cleopatra by Margaret George.Lady in the Tower by Jean Plaidy
Black Rain by Eli Salas III and Raven
Author Websites and Profiles
Eli Salas III’s Social Media Links
Freddie Idiaquez
Interview With Author Freddie Idiaquez
Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I am a Non – LEO (Retired Officer) and a US Veteran
My Hindu Gods wish – Video “Enchanted Ganesh Blessings.”
Is to provide this Positive Book to the World.
This Book Is the First One.What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
LEARN TO LIVE LIFE –
This was inspired by my Fiji Indian Family and Learning how to Cope.Do you have any unusual writing habits?
noWhat authors, or books have influenced you?
Book: SRIMAD BHAGAVATAM
AUTHOR – His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami PrabhupadaWhat are you working on now?
Enjoying Retirement.What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I use Amazon as a tool and a lot of soul searching.Do you have any advice for new authors?
Always write an inspiring book that has a positive value.What is the best advice you have ever heard?
The pen is mightier than the sword.
and it’s true in our society.
So don’t break the Law.What are you reading now?
I’LL MAKE YOU AN OFFER YOU CAN’T REFUSE
FROM: Michael Franzese
Insider business Tips from a Former Mob Boss — It’s an eye opener. Great Book.What’s next for you as a writer?
Currently nothing.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?
Only books that are Hinduism Based so I may Pray to God.Author Websites and Profiles
Freddie Idiaquez Amazon Profile
Freddie Idiaquez’s Social Media Links
Lucky Noma
Interview With Author Lucky Noma
Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
Fantasy author, with two books.What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
The New Defeat was inspired by Tolkien.Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I use multiple povs to tell a storyWhat authors, or books have influenced you?
Tolkien’s The Hobbit, and Martin’s A song of Ice and Fire. Also liked The Axe and the Throne.What are you working on now?
When a kingdom bleeds lords weep. An Epic high fantasy novel.What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
For now, none.Do you have any advice for new authors?
Patience. It all comes together with time, and strategic planning.What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Every obstacle… Make impossible possible. Even when winning is illogical, losing is still far from optional.What are you reading now?
Dresdan filesWhat’s next for you as a writer?
Who knows, a writing deal? Netflix? I’ll settle for a single review for now.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 five books from a Song of Fire series by R.R MartinAuthor Websites and Profiles
Lucky Noma’s Social Media Links
Kevin Bryant
Interview With Author Kevin Bryant
Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I am an Army veteran and a former Special agent that has turned to writing books because I’m a glutton for punishment. I have written one fiction book (that I scrapped after two years!) and another nonfiction book (being published after eight years of research and writing).What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
The name of my current book is Spies on the Sidelines: The High-Stakes World of NFL Espionage. It is all about how teams spy on each other trying to gain a game day advantage, the various collection methods used to do this, and the countermeasures employed to defend against these efforts. I became intrigued by the subject after Spygate and began wondering how much spying goes on in the NFL. After about a month of research I realized nobody had that answer. So, I set out to to answer that question.Do you have any unusual writing habits?
No (as I sit here typing at 1:30 in the morning). Hmmm, I don’t know about strange habits. I’m pretty methodical. Everything is a process for me. I have stages of review: Rough draft, clean it up, polish, polish again, insert humor, review for word choice, fact check . . . it takes forever, but that’s how I’m wired.What authors, or books have influenced you?
As for influences, I’ve always wanted to write. It’s just a need. It simply took me a long time to find a topic that fit me. As someone with a bachelor’s degree in history and master’s degrees in intelligence studies and sports management, and having worked for 23 years for the Department of Defense collecting and protecting information, I felt like the topic of spying in football just fit me. More than anything I love to read fantasy (especially Robert Jordan). That inspired me to try writing fiction, but I crashed and burned. That failure told me to move along to nonfiction.What are you working on now?
I’m writing a follow-up to Spies on the Sidelines about spying in college football, which sounds like almost the same book but is actually very different. I don’t want to give away too many secrets and spoilers here. I have about ten ideas for additional books floating around in my head as well, so I just need to make sure I live to 200 to finish them all.What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
The website for Spies on the Sidelines is https://www.spiesonthesidelines.com. All the purchase options for the hardcover, ebook, and audiobook are there, as well as author information, social media handles, and information about upcoming podcast, radio, and tv interviews.Do you have any advice for new authors?
If you’re writing for money, get a job at McDonalds instead. Seriously! But if you just can’t stop writing because you have a story that has to get out, well, welcome to the club. As for real advice, have fun with it, keep your day job, and just refuse to quit!What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Try to get advice and feedback during the writing process. This will save you a lot of time in the long run if flaws and issues can be identified early. Hopefully you’re reading this advice early in the writing process (instead of six years into your book like I was).What are you reading now?
Right now I’m reading three books at the same time. I’m rereading Wheel of Time (book 2), reading a random David Baldacci book that was in a freebie pile (I give a lot of stray books a home), and reading Twilight (book 1 in French).What’s next for you as a writer?
For the next six months or so I’m going to be promoting Spies on the Sidelines like crazy. After that madness slows down a little bit I’m going to get back to working on book two. I’m not sure where this crazy adventure of being a newly published author will lead, but it’s exciting nonetheless and I’m looking forward to hearing how everyone likes the 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 Huckleberry Finn (Nobody makes me laugh like Mark Twain); the entire Wheel of Time series (I’ll have them smuggled in via contraband if needed), and what I have written of my book 2 (because I’m not starting over from scratch).Author Websites and Profiles
Kevin Bryant’s Social Media Links
Hollister Peter
Interview With Author Hollister Peter
Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
So, I’m a budding writer and I’m into “Romance, Sci-fi, Thrilling and suspense themed books.” I just published my first book and I’ve got more on the way, still processing them, lol. Y’all stay tuned.What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
It’s titled “Sinful Desires”
Oh my source of inspiration was from years of reading other books written by other authors. It’s like a book filled with different spheres of romance. I just sat and thought about how people would love to read a book filled with different spheres of romance, since everyone has a different point of view, you know.Do you have any unusual writing habits?
Yes i do.
Like acting out dialogues, lying down while writing, writing without clothes, facing a wall while writing. It’s pretty weird though.What authors, or books have influenced you?
Oh that’d be J.K Rowling’s and E.L James.What are you working on now?
Currently working on developing myself to achieve the perfect work and write balance and also a couple of thrilling books on the way.What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
uhm I think free book promotions at first for exposure, i don’t really have a best website.Do you have any advice for new authors?
Read alot, Read stuff that’s similar to what you’d write and then read stuff that’s more literary too. Decide on your own genre, Do your first draft , don’t be afraid to self edit. Have your own voice.What is the best advice you have ever heard?
“Whatever you do give it a 100%”What are you reading now?
Oh I’m currently reading “Half of a Yellow Sun” by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie.What’s next for you as a writer?
Oh working towards developing myself into a renowned author,
getting a large audience, explore life itself.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?
Oliver twist by Charles Dickens, Lord of the Flies by William Golding, Fifty shades of grey by E.L James, that’s all.Author Websites and Profiles
Hollister Peter Amazon Profile
Hollister Peter’s Social Media Links
Jonathan Ross
Interview With Author Jonathan Ross
Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I grew up on the Caribbean island of St. Thomas, a hotbed of activity during the buccaneer years of the early eighteenth century. As an adult, I lived for two years in the south of Spain, where he learned to speak Spanish at the breakneck speed of his señorita friends, and danced their Sevillanas at Semana Santa. I have explored France, Germany, and other European countries. I reside with my wife near Annapolis, Maryland, USA.What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
My latest book, “Reluctant Host,” tells a tale of romance and adventure inspired by wondering what it would be like if someone tried to take over my mind.Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I scribble all my brainstorm ideas for a potential new book on scraps of paper. After about two weeks, I decide if I have enough material, and if so, begin the book.What authors, or books have influenced you?
Andrew Mayne (writes with palpable tension), John Grisham (seamless writing), Cap Daniels (adventure and romance), and Louis L’Amour (downright entertaining story telling)What are you working on now?
“Hunted in Guadeloupe,” about a woman coming of age, figuring out how to reconcile her dual heritage of jumbee and American woman. Her name is Anika Hegner, and she first appeared in my romantic suspense novel, “The Jumbee’s Daughter.”What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I mostly prefer to use Amazon KDP.Do you have any advice for new authors?
Always meld in tension – at the people level.What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Tension always.What are you reading now?
“Private” by James Patterson and Maxine Paetro.What’s next for you as a writer?
Keep my readers supplied with fun romantic suspense: complete writing “Hunted in Guadeloupe” and continue on the next two books of the 3-book 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?
Beach reads. Nothing serious.Author Websites and Profiles
Mike Messier
Interview With Author Mike Messier
Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
Hello Vinny and Awesome Gang! I was born in Virginia and have lived in Rhode Island, North Carolina, and currently, Florida. I have six titles currently on Amazon; two novels, one graphic novel, one film book tutorial, and one other novel under a pen name.I was a creative writing major in college, although most of my adult life, I have been involved in the film and entertainment world in various roles including screenwriter, actor, acting coach, and independent film director. I once played Cybill Shepherd’s son in an action film titled Hard Luck, in which I also had a fight scene against Wesley Snipes and Mario Van Peebles. I also have a fun bar scene with Meryl Streep and Elisabeth Shue in Hope Springs.
During the pandemic, I began to adapt some of my better screenplays into novels with the idea that this would be a great way to get my work read by more people.
What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
Fight or Play Basketball: every shot counts is a coming-of-age sports novel about Jack Scratch, a high school senior with possibilities for a college scholarship for basketball. Through a turn of events involving his single mom Janet, Jack gets caught up in the world of boxing. Jack begins to favor the individual nature of boxing over the team aspects of basketball, which is the conflict that leads us to the book’s title.I started writing this story as a screenplay in 2012. At the time, I was inspired to write my own “sequel” to the Rocky movies (this was before Creed was released). After writing a few pages, I called Stallone’s management and asked them whenever I was to finish my proposed “Rocky Seven” script if anyone on their end would actually read it. They told me that unless I had financing in place already, this was unlikely to happen.
I am grateful for their honesty as it saved me a lot of time. Still wanting to write my own sports story, I changed the “Rocky” character to “Sweet” Sugar Brown and Rocky’s Philadelphia became Fight or Play Basketball’s Providence (Rhode Island). Within a few months, I had written the first draft of the screenplay, which was well received by a writer’s group I was in at the time (Carl Dupre, writer of Detroit Rock City, was also in the group.) Eventually, the screenplay won a few awards, including The Rhode Island International Film Festival’s Spotlight on New England First Prize Award.
Flash forward to 2022, when I adapted the screenplay into novel form. Now that I’ve done so, I have to go back and rewrite the screenplay again, as I have discovered even more layers by writing the story as a novel!
Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I prefer typing over longhand. I often write while in coffee houses or restaurants as the background noise helps me to focus somehow.What authors, or books have influenced you?
Laurence G. Boldt has written several books that I enjoy, including Zen and the Art of Making a Living.
Muscle: Confessions of an Unlikely Bodybuilder by Samuel Wilson Fussell is another favorite.What are you working on now?
I’ll be filming “Many Keys – The Heartbreak monologue” as a proof-of-concept video for my A Distance from Avalon series this August. I will then enter the finished piece into film festivals and eventually upload it to “Subscribe to Mike Messier YouTube Channel” (yes, that’s the name of the channel). I put a lot of time into my YouTube Channel and most of my film and video work can be enjoyed right there for free!What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I’m really just getting started with promoting my books. Awesome Gang is the first website I’ve worked with beyond my own www.mikemessier.comDo you have any advice for new authors?
For promotion and marketing, the resources I’ve used so far include the “Self Publishing with Dale” YouTube Channel and the Publisher Rocket app. I just listened to the audio version of
Self-Publishing Secrets by Keith Everett, which I found to be very helpful.
As far as actually writing goes, I had some fun writing with the episodic Amazon Kindle Vella system before adapting my Vella stories to the traditional formats.What is the best advice you have ever heard?
“Never refuse a gift” and “never throw away anything you write.”What are you reading now?
I just finished the audio version of “Still Foolin’ Em” by Billy Crystal which was very endearing. I just bought a copy of A Catcher in the Rye which I haven’t read since my freshman year in college. I’ve been ordering some comic books from eBay of titles that I enjoyed as a kid.What’s next for you as a writer?
A Distance from Avalon: Strange Beast, which is my follow-up to my first novel A Distance from Avalon: when the dying and the dead reunite.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 aforementioned Zen and the Art of Making a Living. How to Survive on a Deserted Island Picture Book by Samantha Bell would probably be good for the adventure!Author Websites and Profiles
Mike Messier’s Social Media Links
Mike Messier
Interview With Author Mike Messier
Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
Hello Vinny and Awesome Gang! I was born in Virginia and have lived in Rhode Island, North Carolina, and currently, Florida. I have six titles currently on Amazon; two novels, one graphic novel, one film book tutorial, and one other novel under a pen name.I was a creative writing major in college, although most of my adult life, I have been involved in the film and entertainment world in various roles including screenwriter, actor, acting coach, and independent film director. I once played Cybill Shepherd’s son in an action film titled Hard Luck, in which I also had a fight scene against Wesley Snipes and Mario Van Peebles. I also have a fun bar scene with Meryl Streep and Elisabeth Shue in Hope Springs.
During the pandemic, I began to adapt some of my better screenplays into novels with the idea that this would be a great way to get my work read by more people.
What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
Fight or Play Basketball: every shot counts is a coming-of-age sports novel about Jack Scratch, a high school senior with possibilities for a college scholarship for basketball. Through a turn of events involving his single mom Janet, Jack gets caught up in the world of boxing. Jack begins to favor the individual nature of boxing over the team aspects of basketball, which is the conflict that leads us to the book’s title.I started writing this story as a screenplay in 2012. At the time, I was inspired to write my own “sequel” to the Rocky movies (this was before Creed was released). After writing a few pages, I called Stallone’s management and asked them whenever I was to finish my proposed “Rocky Seven” script if anyone on their end would actually read it. They told me that unless I had financing in place already, this was unlikely to happen.
I am grateful for their honesty as it saved me a lot of time. Still wanting to write my own sports story, I changed the “Rocky” character to “Sweet” Sugar Brown and Rocky’s Philadelphia became Fight or Play Basketball’s Providence (Rhode Island). Within a few months, I had written the first draft of the screenplay, which was well received by a writer’s group I was in at the time (Carl Dupre, writer of Detroit Rock City, was also in the group.) Eventually, the screenplay won a few awards, including The Rhode Island International Film Festival’s Spotlight on New England First Prize Award.
Flash forward to 2022, when I adapted the screenplay into novel form. Now that I’ve done so, I have to go back and rewrite the screenplay again, as I have discovered even more layers by writing the story as a novel!
Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I prefer typing over longhand. I often write while in coffee houses or restaurants as the background noise helps me to focus somehow.What authors, or books have influenced you?
Laurence G. Boldt has written several books that I enjoy, including Zen and the Art of Making a Living.
Muscle: Confessions of an Unlikely Bodybuilder by Samuel Wilson Fussell is another favorite.What are you working on now?
I’ll be filming “Many Keys – The Heartbreak monologue” as a proof-of-concept video for my A Distance from Avalon series this August. I will then enter the finished piece into film festivals and eventually upload it to “Subscribe to Mike Messier YouTube Channel” (yes, that’s the name of the channel). I put a lot of time into my YouTube Channel and most of my film and video work can be enjoyed right there for free!What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I’m really just getting started with promoting my books. Awesome Gang is the first website I’ve worked with beyond my own www.mikemessier.comDo you have any advice for new authors?
For promotion and marketing, the resources I’ve used so far include the “Self Publishing with Dale” YouTube Channel and the Publisher Rocket app. I just listened to the audio version of
Self-Publishing Secrets by Keith Everett, which I found to be very helpful.
As far as actually writing goes, I had some fun writing with the episodic Amazon Kindle Vella system before adapting my Vella stories to the traditional formats.What is the best advice you have ever heard?
“Never refuse a gift” and “never throw away anything you write.”What are you reading now?
I just finished the audio version of “Still Foolin’ Em” by Billy Crystal which was very endearing. I just bought a copy of A Catcher in the Rye which I haven’t read since my freshman year in college. I’ve been ordering some comic books from eBay of titles that I enjoyed as a kid.What’s next for you as a writer?
A Distance from Avalon: Strange Beast, which is my follow-up to my first novel A Distance from Avalon: when the dying and the dead reunite.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 aforementioned Zen and the Art of Making a Living. How to Survive on a Deserted Island Picture Book by Samantha Bell would probably be good for the adventure!Author Websites and Profiles
Mike Messier’s Social Media Links
April Stutzman
Interview With Author April Stutzman
Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
Chronicles of a Discerner is a practical yet powerful guide that will help you gain an understanding of the gift of discernment in greater depths. April walks you through her own personal journey of this unique gift and shares how she grew “spiritual muscles” to carry the weight of what the Lord has shown her over the years of cultivating a beautiful and personal relationship with the Holy Spirit. April also helps you to navigate what you may already be experiencing or will experience in your own life and calling. Not only will this book give you language, but it will also stir up a hunger to go after an intimate relationship with the Spirit of the Living God and to partner with Him in everything that you discern. Get ready to learn how to walk out this gift in the love of the Father!I have written 2 books
What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
The Chronicles of a Discerner and the gift of discerning of spirits became a gift to me to carry and blessed the body of Christ.Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I do not.What authors, or books have influenced you?
Charlie ShampWhat are you working on now?
I am working on a deliverance manual now.What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
www.kingdomflameministries.comDo you have any advice for new authors?
Don’t give up and keep writing your book.What is the best advice you have ever heard?
If you have to take a break and take it and then come back to write.What are you reading now?
The power of healing in the NT.What’s next for you as a writer?
I am starting to write my 3rd 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?
Bible
Golden Glory books
Charlie Shamp booksAuthor Websites and Profiles
Lester Fisher
Interview With Author Lester Fisher
Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
Born Lester Fisher on Feb. 1 1947, I later took the surname of my step-father, James G. Klungness. My education, after Catholic school and seminary, included a baccalaureate in Botany from the Univ. of Washington. After two years of Peace Corps as Youth Extension Officer in Taita, Kenya, I began a career with Weyerhaeuser Co., serving in the Wood Morphology and the Genetics Research Divisions. After five years, I returned to finish my Master’s degree in International Agricultural Development from Univ. of Cal. Davis. My thesis on honeybee digestion was published in three scientific papers. After 6 years of service in the Dept. of Pomology, I worked for the University of Hawaii for 10 yrs., performing research on fruit fly parasitoids. I then transferred to the US Dept. of Agriculture to pursue research on fruit fly suppression and management for eight years. I went back to the Univ. of Hawaii to assist on a program to protect the honey bee industry in Hawaii from invasive species such as the vorroa mite and small hive beetle. Health issues forced me into full retirement in 2010. I had authored or co-authored 21 peer-reviewed scientific papers, and many presentations to scientific and public meetings. I developed microscopic techniques, and invented the augmentorium for disposal of infested fruit and augmentation of parasitoids. I am married to my high school sweetheart and have a son and a daughter, a step-son, one grandchild, and two step-grandchildren.
I have written three books, two of which have been published. My first wife was Kenyan, and she had 5 children when I met her and we had my son after we married in the America. I brought all 5 children and a grandchild to the USA, and they have grown up to be a businessman, a SDA missionary, a certified Public Accountant, a Forest Ecologist for the USDA, a Veteran of Iraq and Afghanistan, and a MS in Public Health. The rest have been prolific workers, students, and parents! My own daughter is from my second marriage.What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
My books are 3 volumes of one memoir. They are Happenstance, Against the Tide and Three’s a Charm. I have led such a diverse life, and been involved in so much that my three families don’t all know, that I thought it was time to give them my perspective. At the same time I am giving my overview of the 20th century, starting with both sets of my great grandparents who homesteaded in Oregon.Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I was well trained by the Franciscan Fathers (with the exception of my spelling dyslexia). I have studied Latin, Greek, Spanish, French and Swahili. English, Spanish and Swahili are the languages I know best. Consequently, I have a rich background in the Romance languages and the styles of authors, like Caesar, Cicero, Cervantes, Shakespeare and Shaw, to name just a few. Consequently, my style is not Hemingwayesque; rather, I appreciate varied and complex structure, strong vocabulary, and figurative language. Or do you mean how do I schedule my writing? I don’t. If I start and if is going well, I will continue. If I am not inspired, I set it aside for another day.What authors, or books have influenced you?
Where do I start? Those I mentioned in “writing habits” and Dante Alighieri, Thomas More, John Donne, Jules Vern, Samuel Clements, Rudyard Kipling, C. S. Forester, Sinclair Lewis, Somerset Maugham, Alessandro Manzoni, Farley Mowat, Tibor Déry, Isaac Asimov, Ray Bradbury, Richard P. Feynman, Robert Ardrey; of course the classics, But this is the list of authors that moved me and impacted my life.What are you working on now?
The last volume, Against the Tide, is written but I am revising it. It will only go to the marriage of my daughter in 2018. Whether I will pursue further books is questionable. I may try other forms of writing. Possibly more in the political arena or science.What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
So far I have only tried the website www.LesterFisher.com, Facebook (28 author/writing groups), Goodreads.com, and my Amazon authors page. I am currently employing Lavidge Social Media Publicists of Tucson AZ to expand my internet presence. Of these, I can’t really say which is most effective. My only feedback is the reviews on Goodreads, and the visitor count on my website.Do you have any advice for new authors?
Dogged persistence! The lyric from Damn Yankees applies :You gotta have heart, miles and miles and miles of heart. Brother you’ll never win if you put that old horse before the cart. You gotta have heart!What is the best advice you have ever heard?
This may seem odd. But my grandfather told me, at a critical juncture in my life, “If you can’t stand the heat, stay out of the kitchen.” I don’t think I understood at the time, but in retrospect, that had a profound affect on my life.What are you reading now?
Behind the Tapestry by M. Rose Peluso. She contacted me because she was concerned that I should understand the limited audience of Religion based books. I am half way through, but we have very different points of view on faith, at least by this point in her book, she is devoutly Catholic. I don’t think she realizes that my memoir is about my movement away from faith to scientific understanding. I am also reading The Devil’s Race-Track: Mark Twain’s Great Dark Writings by Mark Twain. It is a revelation to see how his style evolved. I just finished The Snow Walkers by Farley Mowat and want to read his Memoir. Recently I read The Memory of an Elephant by Alex Lasker (Loved it!)What’s next for you as a writer?
As I said, at age 75, I don’t expect to have a career in writing. I just hope I have left a legacy for my friends and family, and that my books will help people understand how the turbulent years of the 20th century impacted ordinary Americans like myself.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 come on, that is a pretty old trope. Bringing it into the 21st century I would be sure I had a solar powered satellite communication device with me, so I could continue to download any book I wanted.Author Websites and Profiles
Lester Fisher’s Social Media Links
J.M. Harrison
Interview With Author J.M. Harrison
Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
Hi, my name is Jonathan and I stumbled into writing by accident. Following a near-death experience in 2007, I became aware of who and what I really was, and started to write. I currently have six published works and have been fortunate to win several awards. Before that, back in the day, I was a singer songwriter in London in the 80’s.What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
My latest book is a collection of awakening poetry entitled EDEN THRIVES WITHIN. It was inspired by the Zen intensive I took part in. The book wasn’t planned, but the poems just happened, pouring out of me when the retreat ended, so I’m honoring that by publishing the collection. I hope they inspire readers to heal, learn and grow.Do you have any unusual writing habits?
Not as such. I find the best writing times are early mornings. My dog is always beside me.What authors, or books have influenced you?
I admire the great wordsmiths and poets, such as Wordsworth, Shakespeare and Dickens.
Spiritual teachers throughout the ages from diverse backgrounds have been an influence. I tend to take a universal approach rather than ‘belong’ to any particular belief system or philosophy. In recent times, the words of Ramana Maharshi, Eckhart Tolle, Shunryu Suzuki, David Hawkins, Gary Zukav and many others have all been an influence.What are you working on now?
I’m working on a new book about the nature of consciousness and the ordinary truth of enlightenment.What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
The work I do is about reaching the people who are authentically seeking. I’m not here to sell loads of books, that’s not why I write. I write to help people remember who and what they really are. I write from my spiritual heart as a form of service.Do you have any advice for new authors?
Believe in yourself and work at it. Try to write a few words each day, and remember not to take it personally. Once the ego steps aside, words will flow effortlessly.What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Listening to the beautiful sounds in nature; the wind, the rustling leaves, the cheerful song of a small bird.What are you reading now?
I’m not reading at the moment, as I’m very busy with my non-profit works through The Natural Being Foundation. I do monthly talks, 1:1’s, and volunteer in the Care Industry, so I tend to write (not read) as a daily practice.What’s next for you as a writer?
To continue to explore ways and means to help people wake up to their most complete understanding of who they are.If you were going to be stranded on a desert island and allowed to take 3 or 4 books with you what books would you bring?
I’d take one sacred book, a copy of ‘How To Eat Healthy and Live Well on a Desert Island’, one memoir-biography and a joke book. That would be a decent mix.Author Websites and Profiles
Johanna Squire
Interview With Author Johanna Squire
Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
This is my first book. I’m working on a sequel which a lot of people have requested.What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
Black Ivory.
Growing up in Africa and being exposed to the plight of the elephants.Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I’m a hiker and diver – so many chapters get handwritten in my tent on those long nights or in a squishy cabin.What authors, or books have influenced you?
Cry of the Kalahari.
Tony Park.
Bryce Courtenay.What are you working on now?
A sequel to Black Ivory.What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
So far – my animal loving clients when I’m at work as a vet!Do you have any advice for new authors?
Just keep going.What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Be responsible for yourself and what you do.What are you reading now?
An African Love Story by Daphne SheldrickWhat’s next for you as a writer?
More books in my African series. Will also do some set in Australia where I now live. At least one book around my work as a vet. I’ve done a lot of remote work in indigenous communities.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?
Ordinary Wolves by Seth Kanther
Cry of the Kalahari by Mark and Delia Owens.
A Path with Heart by Jack CornfieldAuthor Websites and Profiles
Meena Khan
Interview With Author Meena Khan
Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I am an apostate, artist, ailurophile and activist from Trinidad and Tobago. I was raised in the extremist organization known as The Watchtower Society. I have written twelve books that were published under a pseudonym.What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
I was inspired to write The Longest Lie because I’ve kept that lie for twenty-four years and keeping it increasingly sickened me but promoted the Watctower Society whilst I witnessed it continuously harming the innocent. Watchtower making what happened to me a secret not only harmed me at every point of my life but harmed so many in the effect. Their pedophiles are liberated to preach to you, work at your kid’s school and get married to anyone they desire even if that desire is to do so at the Kingdom Halls. I’ve observed pedophiles going on to raise kids.Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I wait for the right state of mind bacause it isn’t always available especially for non-fiction. When I have that mood, I go with the flow of things. Usually that is a very good pace. I don’t mind missing a meal or two when I am interested in sharing my own story.What authors, or books have influenced you?
I love James Patterson, my country’s own Michael Anthony and Elizabeth George Speare’s The Witch of Blackbird Pond is one of my favorite historical dramas.What are you working on now?
I am writing The Longest Lie 2 as the title is part of a trilogy. It’s almost finished and set for release on February 20th 2023.What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I am about to figure that out but I do believe TV promotions still offer something. I would never skip social media or independent news.Do you have any advice for new authors?
All you can do is be yourself in passion and with purpose. Write as much as you read and listen even if your reading is reading your own intuition and your listening is listening to your own heart. If you don’t already have a passion for reading and a passion for listening then what will your writing have to offer? What will be the purpose of sharing your words?What is the best advice you have ever heard?
It’s actually a quote from The Longest Lie which came from a schoolteacher. “What matters is fairness for all. Bottom line, in life always remember to do whatever makes you proud but not in a prideful way. Do what honors you and brings you fulfillment. Be true to yourself!”What are you reading now?
I am reading my own thoughts and the nutrition facts on the label on my water bottle.What’s next for you as a writer?
I am going to edit some of my previous titles to post on Amazon KDP under my legal name. I am a singer songwriter and hope to have my first album out soon. I have written numerous songs and would never quit one passion to focus solely on the other.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?
Those would difinitely be Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird, Scott O’Dell’s Island of the Blue Dolphins, Michael Anthony’s The Year in San Fernando and Elizabeth George Speare’s The Witch of Blackbird Pond.Author Websites and Profiles
Meena Khan’s Social Media Links
Gemima Jeudy
Interview With Author Gemima Jeudy
Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I am a high school science teacher but my passion is reading and literature. I have published two books. The first was a poetry book and the second a children’s book. However, I have several novels that I am working on and hoping to publish soon.What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
My latest book is called Insecure and it was inspired by my own insecurities. I am hoping that the book helps people to overcome their insecurities and realize that they are wonderful just the way they are.Do you have any unusual writing habits?
Sometimes when I am trying to work out a scene in a book, I go to bed thinking about it. I close my eyes and just picture myself in that scene and I work out what happens next. I eventually fall asleep, but usually, I wake up knowing where to take the book next and I write that down before I forget.Also, while I am on a long drive by myself, I turn on the voice recorder on my phone and talk out some scenes with myself. Later on, I listen to the recordings and I write any additions or changes I’ve made to the story.
What authors, or books have influenced you?
In no particular order, Jane Austen, J.K. Rowling, J.R.R. Tolkien, Margaret Peterson Haddix, and Peg Kehret have influenced my pursuit of writing.What are you working on now?
I am currently working on a Fantasy novel and some FanFiction novellas.What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
Do you have any advice for new authors?
My advice would be to read regularly. Especially in the genre you want to write in because writing and reading go hand-in-hand.What is the best advice you have ever heard?
You are under no obligation to be the same person you were five minutes ago. – UnknownWhat are you reading now?
I am currently reading “And Then There Were None” by Agatha ChristieWhat’s next for you as a writer?
I am currently publishing my work independently but I would like to work with a publishing company in the near future.If you were going to be stranded on a desert island and allowed to take 3 or 4 books with you what books would you bring?
I would take the Bible, Pride and Prejudice, Persuasion, and Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire.Author Websites and Profiles
Gemima Jeudy’s Social Media Links
