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Elena Jagar 

Interview With Author Elena Jagar

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I write books for children as well as short stories and cozy mysteries (under a pen name). My debut title, Conspirators’ Club, is Book 1 in a new mystery series for middle-grade readers. It takes place at a boarding school on a remote island, and is full of adventure.

It is my hope that young readers will come away from my books feeling that nothing is impossible, no matter how difficult things may appear.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
My latest book is titled THE RAINBOW WEAVER’S APPRENTICE. It’s about a carefree girl, Addie, who is learning the delicate magic of trapping rainbows and harvesting rainbow seeds. Her teacher tries to pass on her knowledge of how to plant and grow the seeds to make magic rainbow yarn. This magic sustains Addie’s village, but requires constant tending to and Addie just doesn’t have the discipline for it yet. When she fails in her duties, she discovers that without the rainbow yarn, her village is vulnerable to the spells of the neighboring Fairy Realm. In order to restore the balance of magic, she must travel through the mysterious Fairy Tunnel that lies between her village and the next one, where she can get help. Unfortunately, the fairies require heavy tolls for passage, and if Addie fails to pay she’ll be trapped in the Fairy Realm forever.

Readers are often surprised to find out that this book was actually inspired by a garden near which I once lived. It was very large, and there was always some new corner to explore. I found it extremely fascinating that some of its remote parts were connected by tree tunnels as shortcuts, kind of like a giant green labyrinth. From exploring this garden, the idea came of a world where a person can walk through a magical tree tunnel and cut down his journey from many weeks to just a few hours. Of course, this would come at a price Apart from the setting, some of the people I encountered in that garden became the inspiration for the characters in the book, i.e. Verna the Rainbow Weaver and the sinister Bird Whisperer.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
While I do prefer to be in a quiet place when I’m writing (with a teapot within reaching distance), I don’t really have any peculiar writing habits or requirements. Case in point: I once wrote a chapter while waiting on line at the DMV.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
There’s been so many it’s hard to pinpoint just a few, but if I had to then Tolkien would be at the top of the list, followed closely by C.S. Lewis, Jules Verne, Astrid Lindgren, Diana Wynne Jones, Ursula K. Le Guin, and Scott Fitzgerald.

What are you working on now?
At the moment, I’m working on the companion novel to The Rainbow Weaver’s Apprentice. The title of the book is The Last Gatekeeper. Technically, it’s going to be book 2 in the Fairy Tunnels series, as it features the same world building, a nature-entwined magic system, and yes, fairies. There is an all-new cast of characters, but I hope readers will be happy to know that Addie and a few of her friends from book 1 will be making cameo appearances.

What are you reading now?
I recently finished reading Electric Midnight, a time traveling noir mystery by Nathan Van Coops, a writer whose time-travelling novels I’ve enjoyed very much. I have to say, this one didn’t disappoint, so I’m looking forward to reading the third installment in the series.

What’s next for you as a writer?
For the moment, I’m working on The Last Gatekeeper and having a lot of fun at it. Once that book is finished and out in the word, I’m looking forward to writing book 2 in the Conspirators series. It already has a title and a general plot direction, so I’m anxious to get started on it 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?
That’s easy:
The Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien,
In Search of Castaways by Jules Verne,
Howl’s Moving Castle by Diana Wynne Jones,
A Wizard of Earthsea by Ursula K. Le Guin

Author Websites and Profiles

Elena Jagar Amazon Profile

Elena Jagar Author Profile on Smashwords

Elena Jagar’s Social Media Links

Facebook Profile

Twitter Account

Gary Blaine Randolph 

Interview With Author Gary Blaine Randolph

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I am an author and storyteller. Over my career I have owned a software company, been a college professor, and developed websites and computer programs. And it seems that I have always been writing, whether for business or pleasure — novels, computer manuals, magazine articles, blogs, textbooks, drama sketches, poems, stories for telling, and more.

I have seven books out. Five are in the Galactic Detective Agency series, a comedic sci-fi mystery series. One is a serious standalone sci fi book called Alien World. The last book comes from my work as a storyteller. It’s called Stories from Celtic Lands: A Storyteller’s Tales and Poems.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
My latest is book five of the Galactic Detective Agency, Murder on the Girsu Express. It is a sci-fi mystery comedy. As the name suggests, it is an homage to Agatha Christie’s Murder on the Orient Express, with a death occurring on an elegant space cruiser. In addition, two of the main characters are a tribute to the Jeeves and Wooster series of books by the great P.G. Wodehouse. It was a blast writing those characters.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
So far I have never experienced writer’s block. If I’m stuck in one part of a story or blog, I turn to writing another part.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
So many. In no particular order, Terry Pratchett, Rex Stout, P.G. Wodehouse, Caimh McDonnell, C. S. Lewis, J.R.R. Tolkien, Barbara Tuckman, David McCullough, Sue Grafton.

What are you working on now?
I’m working on book six of the Galactic Detective Agency, The Cormabite Maneuver. I’m also playing around with a non-sci-fi detective story set in 1930s Chicago. Every detective needs a quirk, and this detective’s quirk is that he is something of an idiot who manages to get by on his charm and with the help of others.

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

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Write. Write. Write. G.K. Chesterton said that anything worth doing is worth doing poorly. Which means you shouldn’t worry about not starting out as an expert or even not being very good at first. Practice and get better.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Measure twice, cut once. It applies to many aspects of life. Interestingly though, it does not apply to writing at all. In writing, the first thing is to just get something down. If you don’t know the best way to say something, just take a stab at it. You can always improve it in a later draft.

What are you reading now?
The Curse of Braeburn Castle by Karen Baugh Menuhin. I’m a sucker for anything Scottish or Irish, especially with a mystery in the plot.

What’s next for you as a writer?
I just want to keep honing my craft. I want to do more serious sci-fi as well as a non-sic-fi detective mystery. I also have a coming of age story in me that will work its way out someday.

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?
Well, it’s hard to beat G.K. Chesterton’s advice of A Practical Guide to Shipbuilding. There are very few books I have read over and over. But I’m sure The Lord of the Rings could be mined over and over.

Author Websites and Profiles

Gary Blaine Randolph Website

Gary Blaine Randolph Amazon Profile

Gary Blaine Randolph’s Social Media Links

Goodreads Profile

Facebook Profile

Stratis Kamatsos 

Interview With Author Stratis Kamatsos

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I am lawyer and social entrepreneur who started my business path by reviving my 3-generational, family tradition of olive oil production on the island of Lesvos, Greece, with my company evo3 olive farms. Through my love and knowledge of olive oil, I began to advocate for its health benefits and the role it played in the Greek way of life. I not only promoted olive oil’s health benefits, but also saw that the Greek village diet was much more than just food, but a lifestyle, and I witnessed first-hand that it could make someone live longer, happier and healthier.

I am the founder and CEO of evo3 olive farms. The CSR that underlies evo3 olive farms’ efforts is that for every product sold, a tree is planted in a deforested area in Africa and Haiti putting planet over profit. I work with Eden Reforestation Projects with the tree planting. By teaming up with Eden, evo3 olive farms not only plants trees – through its valued customers and partner – but also gives work to impoverished local people dedicated to earn a supplemental income by planting these trees and reviving their local forests and farmlands.

My olive oil has won many taste and branding awards, including from the New York International Olive Oil Competition, the Los Angeles International Olive Oil Competition, the London Great Taste awards, the AVPA olive oil competition in France, and Gold in the International Organic Awards.

I am an olive oil sommelier giving olive oil taste lectures on how to taste olive oil and choosing the right one, and also the benefits of using olive oil and the role it plays in the SLOW Life diet.

I was also a TedX speaker. My talk focused on creating a business based on social value rather than only financial value. It is called, “Entrepreneurship and Empathy” (please turn on the subtitles as the original language is Greek).

The is the first book I have written and published, and thus, it is a new and exciting journey for me.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
The name of my book is SLOW Life Diet – Greek Village Living: The Pathway to a Healthier Lifestyle, Healthy Habits, and a Happier You.

Having grown up in the United States, but being of Greek origin, every summer we would go to my parents’ villages in Greece (Lesvos) and immerse ourselves in the village way of life. Things that I observed, lived, practiced and learned, stayed with me throughout my life. However, they became thoroughly important when my health slightly suffered as a young adult. It allowed me to alter my path to a healthier lifestyle and aging well. And with all the scientific research that has been done on the subject to show its positive health benefits, it allowed me to invigorate my inspiration to write the book and to share my knowledge about the subject.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I wouldn’t call them unusual (or at least from my perspective!), but when I write, I like to make a mental sketch (something of a mental map) of what the book will look like. Then I make an outline (content skeleton) on paper. After this, I take each section/heading one by one and write notes. I then go back and research anything I need to to back up opinions that I make. Lastly, I start writing the book.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
From the old writers, I like reading Plato.
From the more modern ones, being a lawyer, I grew up reading John Grisham. And for his thought provoking writing and thorough history of society, Yuval Noah Harari.

What are you working on now?
As I have just recently published my first book, I am trying to market it and get more readership for it. In the near future, I will look to expand this series with other books talking about the SLOW life diet and Greek village living.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I think that generally, platforms like Awesome Gang, which connect authors to readers and other authors in an authentic way, are extremely valuable to budding authors. These platforms will become even more promising in the future of publishing and for promoting books.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Although it took me a few years (on and off) in finishing my book, in the end, I did not want to hesitate to “perfect” my book, but to just go ahead and publish it. You need to let go of all the anxieties and worries you may have about what others may think of your book. There will people that will not agree with you or not like what you write, but there will be many others who do. And remember, to stimulate conversation on both sides of the table is what writing is all about and a success for writers. Go for it because you only live once.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Everything is impossible until you do it.

What are you reading now?
Keep Sharp: How to Build a Better Brain at Any Age by Dr. Sanjay Gupta

What’s next for you as a writer?
Just to build upon the momentum of my first book; to write a whole series on the subject and to keep increasing my knowledge on the subject.

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 Laws by Plato
Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind by Yuval Noah Harari
The Adventures of Tom Sawyer by Mark Twain
Moby-Dick by Herman Melville

Author Websites and Profiles

Stratis Kamatsos Amazon Profile

Stratis Kamatsos’s Social Media Links

Facebook Profile

Nalinee Shantè Van Zyl 

Interview With Author Nalinee Shantè Van Zyl

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
Author, Nalinee Shante van Zyl, who prefers to go by simply, Shante, is an introspective, extrovert. Loves reading, anything that has a twist. Be it a thriller, a fantasy, drama, etc. All genres are great! Period dramas that take you back in time and place you in eras you did not get to grow up in. Any story that can grab you from page one is a book worth reading to the end….

Shante has had a love for reading and writing since the very young age of five and often wrote poetry as well as short stories. She has two little boys of her own who she has read bedtime stories to since birth. She is passionate about encouraging them to create their own stories and comics, as preferred by her elder son, Ethan.

Shante is one of those moms who puts a great deal of time and effort into the mental well-being of her kids. Therefore her first series of kiddies custom books were all based on milestones, achievements, failures and peer pressure experienced by kids today. The book series uses the names and pictures (converted to cartoon format) of real life kids and tells their stories of emotions and feelings they struggle with daily so they can better identify with the story as well as increasing their willingness to read books. At the end of each book is a series of questions for parents or caregivers to ask the kids in order to better resolve important themes brought up in the stories. If you would like a custom kiddies book for your own child aged between 4 and 9 please feel free to drop her an email at shante1000@hotmail.com or shante@theartofcreativity.co.za. You may include any milestone, achievement or adversity you would like a story created around.

Unfortunately due to the POPI Act, parents have not given permission for their books to be circulated as examples or for sale on Amazon as it includes the kids real names and pictures. Shante is currently adapting a whole new series of books as well as those that are written especially for special needs kids and will publish those by the end of June. These were inspired by her second son Nathan, who was born with Down Syndrome, but his competence and determination has taught Shante a thing or two about determination as well.

She has been on a spiritual journey for the last two years. Her marriage of fourteen years went through a rocky patch and life as she knew it came tumbling down. Her career path that she chose and followed for eighteen years and left for the proper development of her second son for the last 6 years was no longer an option to return to when her husband and herself decided to split. The COVID-19 pandemic also posed problems for employment and therefore Shantè chose instead to follow her passions of writing, reading and cooking and baking. She started freelancing and writing stories for her own boys but, as word got out about the kinds of books that she wrote, she started marketing them at schools and other institutions. This is what led to her opening her own Publishing House to help writers like herself to be able to publish their works that came from humble beginnings, passions and those who would like to share their knowledge on different topics. Her personal adversities through life is what inspired her own book, which although a fantasy/supernatural romance novel, has elements with underlying themes of narcissism, non-conformity, revenge, control and ultimately freedom and love. Her spiritual journey has kept her away from her sons for a longer time than she has wanted, however, it is through these raw emotions that she is able to pen some of the most controversial poems and stories on Commaful where she also writes daily.

She currently has no place of permanent residence as she also volunteers counseling to others in similar situations as herself as well as many teenagers who struggle with depression, anxiety, dissociation and self-harm.

Book sales will bring her closer to being with her sons once again which is what she now spends most of her days doing.

Shante has also recently started writing adult fiction and her very first novel, “Darkangel999: A Divine Instrument” will soon be published via her publishing house Art and Creativity and is available here on Amazon ASIN:B09W3Q21K3, this is a fantasy/supernatural romance/suspense novel. This is a 3 book series and Book Two will be on sale as of the end of June.

Also watch out for Shante’s compilation of poetry soon to be up for sale on Amazon and Kindle.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
Darkangel999:A Divine Instrument
My very recent divorce after 15 years of marriage. It was inspired by the damage that can be caused by narcissism and conforming to society’s norms for a free spirited, creative and spiritual person.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I write all the time so simply just writing is a habit. I draw inspiration from everything and everyone around me, so there are times when I would be in the middle of a conversation or doing something and I would ask everyone to hold on while I make a note of something interesting I have heard to put in my next poem.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
I love almost all genres of books, but my favourite authors are more of your classics like John Irving, Roald Dahl, Rosalind Laker, Wilbur Smith, L. Ron Hubbard and recent books like Fifty Shades of Grey, Twilight, Divergent, etc.

What are you working on now?
I am currently working on my new kiddies fantasy books series as well as my second novel for the three book series of Darkangel999, entitled the Alternate Universe, a poetry book compilation of over 150 poems I have written over the last year and a series of recipe adventure books for well known food trucks in my area and their adventures at different festivals and markets.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
Goodreads, All Authors, Wattpad, Amazon, different blog sites and also at local bookstores.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Well I am a fairly new published author but have been writing since I was around 6 years old. It has always been a passion of mine.

My advice would be to always follow your passions as I believe they define your purpose in life. Never give up and there is no such thing as failure only not trying hard enough.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Turn your face towards the Sun, let the shadows fall behind you. Anyone who stops you from following your dreams are those who you should leave behind and never look back.

What are you reading now?
Currently I am not reading anything because much of my time is taken up with writing and promotions.

What’s next for you as a writer?
Coming up in September this year I will be hosting a Book and Book Writing Convention which features local publishers, authors, book writing competitions and interactive Storytelling Corners.

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 Uncle Oswald, Henry Sugar, A Son of the Circus and The Sugar Pavilion

Author Websites and Profiles

Nalinee Shantè Van Zyl Website

Nalinee Shantè Van Zyl Amazon Profile

Nalinee Shantè Van Zyl’s Social Media Links

Goodreads Profile

Facebook Profile

Deepak Karamungikar 

Interview With Author Deepak Karamungikar

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I’m Deepak Karamungikar and I’m originally from Hyderabad, India and now live in the US. I’ve written eight books across multiple genres including Sci-Fi, Crime, Thriller, Romance and Drama. My works have ranged from fast-paced and bold narratives to finely narrated tales of human emotions. I also write for the screen.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
My latest book is called Love Takes No Prisoners. It’s a delicate love story that ensues between a mafia accountant who’s in hiding and a married woman in India. I was inspired to write this story because I always felt that love or romance as a genre has been stereotyped as something that’s limited to young people or youngsters. My protagonist is 48. I thought people at that age deserve love too!

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
Nothing unusual as such, but I prefer writing in the mornings. I do not like late nights!

What authors, or books have influenced you?
Khushwant Singh is my all time favorite writer. Nobody narrates better than him. I also like Frederick Forsyth, Philip K Dick, George Orwell and Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. I also enjoy Edgar Allan Poe.

What are you working on now?
Resting for a week and then I’ll start my next one, which is an alternative history magnum opus. I hope it’s done in time for my next birthday!

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I’m very bad at promoting my books. I’m searching for this answer too!

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Write more, talk less!

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?
Portrait of a Lady – Khushwant Singh
1984 – George Orwell
Mossad: The Greatest Missions of the Israeli Secret Service – Michael Bar-Zohar and Nissim Mishal
The Man in the High Castle – Philip K Dick

Author Websites and Profiles

Deepak Karamungikar Amazon Profile

Deepak Karamungikar’s Social Media Links

Goodreads Profile

Twitter Account