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Tanja Waltrip 

Interview With Author Tanja Waltrip

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
As a single mother and unabashed wanderlust, I moved from my hometown in the ‘burbs of Chicago to the warmer, sultry weather and I’m (somewhat!) settled on a charming lake in Florida. Despite the tumultuous nature of chasing the sun, one thing has remained the same—my voracious reading habit. I’ve always known that I would one day turn this passion for the Contemporary Romance genre into my own writing pursuit. Five Dates is my debut novel that was released in July 2022.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
Fives Dates is about a charming community called Lake Harmony which sits west of Chicago and the first book for my debut series. This little town and all its characters have been floating around in my head for a couple of years, and I knew it was time to write them down and bring them to life. I am an avid reader and at this point in my life I wanted to read a more mature love story with people closer to my own age dealing with real world issues.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I have to plot out my stories and outline it all on paper. I need to be able to have all my people, places and things on paper so I can "see" them.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
Many authors have influenced me but I would say the ones that shaped my writing style would be Melissa Foster, Nicole Snow, Carly Phillips, Carrie Ann Ryan, Elle Kennedy and Meghan Quinn. They can all spin a fantastic steamy love story.

What are you working on now?
I am currently writing the next book in the Lake Harmony series Sexy Secrets which I hope to have ready for my readers by October 2022.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
Still working on that, but I have my website and newsletter, facebook page and I use TikTok to promote almost daily.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Do your research! Have beta readers in your genre and find someone to edit your final book draft.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Just start writing!

What are you reading now?
I like to find an author that writes books in contemporary romance and then binge through their entire catalog. I am currently reading through Melanie Harlow books.

What’s next for you as a writer?
Keep writing! I hope to have close to 10 books for this 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?
I love the beach and the sun so I would most likely be out in the water floating around but books….Anything by Meghan Quinn for her ease of writing love with humor and then a Nora Roberts trilogy-any because they are all great.

Author Websites and Profiles

Tanja Waltrip Website

Tanja Waltrip Amazon Profile

Tanja Waltrip’s Social Media Links

Goodreads Profile

Facebook Profile

Kennedy Lee 

Interview With Author Kennedy Lee

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I love the history of coastal Georgia and have written three large volumes of the history here. At present I have written three novels and am working on my fourth.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
My latest book is You Leave Me No Choice which is out on Amazon in ebook, paperback and hardcover forms. I've worked as a newspaper editor and historian and always dreamed of writing fiction. Two of my books are romance/crime/action works, and one is historical fiction set in St. Marys, Georgia.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I write at least 1000 words a day and sometimes much more. It is inspiring to visit our waterfront and have lunch overlooking the river and marshes where I live. These scenes are encompassed in my books. As I sit there, I text ideas and descriptions of what I see to my email address. It's such a free feeling to write while looking at the beautiful view.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
My favorite authors are Daphne DuMaurier, Jane Austen, and Edith Wharton. They draw you into their world which is the way I hope my readers feel when reading my books.

What are you working on now?
My latest work is nearing completion and is set in coastal Georgia as well. Danny Meers is investigating pollution of the beautiful Satilla River when she meets a young archaeologist working on a project of his own. While fully capable of taking care of herself, she finds that he is a source of comfort in what turns out to be a very dangerous mission.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Forget everything else and just sit down and write. The first paragraph is always the hardest, but once you have something on paper, the words will start to flow more easily.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Write every day. No excuses.

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?
Persuasion by Jane Austen, Frenchman's Creek by Daphne DuMaurier, Ethan Frome by Edith Wharton

Author Websites and Profiles

Kennedy Lee Amazon Profile

Grace Tierney 

Interview With Author Grace Tierney

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I write on the east coast of Ireland and have been at it since 2001. I'll happily pen both fiction and nonfiction (hey it's all words) and am a columnist, author, and blogger. I also mentor the Ireland North East region for National Novel Writing Month every November and actually enjoy the challenge of writing 50,000 words in one month while helping my local writers to reach their own word count.

I've been blogging about unusual English words and their history as Wordfoolery on WordPress every Monday since 2009. That led me to write several books on the subject. My first was “How To Get Your Name In The Dictionary” (the extraordinary lives of those who gave their names as eponyms to English) which gave me a chance to explore the biographies of hundreds of amazing people. Then I started my Words Series with “Words The Sea Gave Us” (nautical nouns from fishermen, pirates, and explorers) inspired by my lifetime living within the call of the waves.

I also broadcast a monthly slot about the history of words on Irish radio which is great fun as we get loads of interaction from the listeners. One day I could be explained that chess sets originally included elephants and we get the term checkmate from Persia and the next time I could be talking about an obscure 15th century insult, jackanapes, and its possible connection to a murdered Duke of Suffolk and the Hundred Years' War.

So far I've published three word history books, three serialised comedy novels, and have drafted many many more. That's the thing about 15 years of participation in Novel Writing Month – lots of books and not enough time to edit them all.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
My most recent book is "Words the Vikings Gave Us", a history of the hundreds of everyday words we use in English which originated in Old Norse, the language of the Vikings which merged with Anglo-Saxon and Old English thanks to their settlement throughout the British Isles. I expected it to be a tale of weapons and battles but was surprised to find Viking roots for hug, kiss, glitter, ombudsman, parliament (yes the oldest one in the world is in Viking, not Westminster or Rome), and meek.

The book had two sources of inspiration. My previous book "Words the Sea Gave Us" involved several Viking terms because of their legacy to ship building and navigation so it reminded me that they'd influenced English. Also I grew up in Dublin and celebrated it's 1,000 years of existence in 1988. The Viking past is very much part of Irish history and I wanted to explore that and see if it had lasted into the present day. Spoiler – it had, I've included a chapter about modern Vikings and we have them to thank for kindle and bluetooth, for example.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I guess my habit of writing a first draft in a month isn't standard. The community vibe of writing 50,000 words every November really helps me. Of course, many of my books are longer when they're finished, plus editing takes months, but yes, I love a fast first draft.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
Everything I read, and I read at least 60 books per year, sinks and influences me. I often gather words for my blog/books from novels and history books, for example. I love books with a touch of humour so I'd have to cite Terry Pratchett's witty fantasy, Christopher Fowler's outlandish London detective fiction, and PG Wodehouse's crazy plotted Jeeves and Wooster stories. I try to take a witty angle in my own work thanks to their example.

What are you working on now?
I'm currently editing "Words Christmas Gave Us" which has been a head-wrecking joy to write. I'm a big festive fan but it's truly bizarre to research the history of Christmas carols in February and fact-check Norwegian marzipan pigs in April. I thought I already knew most things about the history of Christmas and its words when I started, but during the first draft I discovered at least one surprising story each day. I can't wait to share them with readers.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
Although I love Twitter and waste far too much time there, I think my best website has been my blog. My weekly posts remind readers of the fun of language history and it gives me space to list all the places to find the books (including signed copies direct from me which people love to give as gifts), provide free downloads of digital extras, and most importantly a space to interact with readers. I always ask for word suggestions when I start a new book and credit the donor in the finished book. They often give me words I wouldn't have considered and it makes the books more collaborate which I love.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
The advice I give the most when mentoring new authors during Novel Writing Month is – unplug your internet when you're writing. The first time I reached the 50,000 word goal (2009) was thanks to my husband disconnecting and hiding the internet router when he went to work each day. Brutal but it works.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
I often think of Neil Gaiman's comment that when you get feedback in your writing the person will know where something is wrong, and possibly why, but not how to fix it. He also talked about an author needed 1,000 dedicated readers to make a career. I'm working on that!

What are you reading now?
I've just started "The Paris Apartment" by Lucy Foley. I love her books, they remind of my childhood fascination with Agatha Christie (I used my pocket money to buy them secondhand and still have them). I also have "Brewer's Dictionary of Phrase and Fable" on the go which is already providing inspiration for the blog.

What’s next for you as a writer?
Next up is working with my cover designer on "Words Christmas Gave Us".

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 should say some survival book but thanks to a few years as a Scout leader I might be OK in that department. Yes, I can make fire, build shelter, signal, and filter water so if you get stranded, do it with me.
I'd bring "The Hobbit" by Tolkien which was my breakthrough book on discovering books (I struggled to learn to read and got there late), and "Bleak House" by Dickens because I adore his writing and that's one of my favourites, and maybe a very large dictionary as I can't imagine stopping learning about words.

Author Websites and Profiles

Grace Tierney Website

Grace Tierney Amazon Profile

Grace Tierney Author Profile on Smashwords

Grace Tierney’s Social Media Links

Goodreads Profile

Facebook Profile

Twitter Account

Pinterest Account