Here Is Your Awesomegang Authors Newsletter
Published: Sat, 07/23/22
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Vandross Idiake
Interview With Author Vandross Idiake
Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
My name is Vandross and I am 29 years old. I have been to 15 different countries and I currently live in Germany but I am moving to Bulgaria soon. I am originally from the U.S. I also haven’t had any social media for approximately seven years. I have only written one book. I am currently in the process of writing two more books that I plan to launch at the end of 2024.What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
My latest book is called “Hey Bro, I’m Just Trolling”. I was inspired to write it as a reaction to the death of Kobe Bryant in January of 2020. He was one of the greatest basketball players who ever lived and created this mentality called “the mamba mentality”. He gave everything he had to this life and so it inspired me to do the same.Do you have any unusual writing habits?
Yes! I write in an unconventional and unorthodox fashion. I feel like the current literary arts space hasn’t changed much over the years and my book is designed to change that. You may open one construct and its written in paragraph format and you open up another construct and it’s written as a poem. Every construct is written differently to convey a certain point but at the same time keep the reader engaged.What authors, or books have influenced you?
Rich Dad, Poor Dad – Robert Kiyosaki
The Subtle Art of not Giving a Fuck – Mark Manson
The Mamba Mentality – Kobe BryantWhat are you working on now?
Outside of my business, I am writing two books currently. One is based on a true story about a Nigerian woman and the other one is a sequel to my first book. I will also be launching my first book as an NFT and an audiobook NFT.What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I actually am very new into the book space. In terms of promotion, this is my first promotional campaign from this website and I am hoping to spread the word about my book and inspire many to think differently on how “books” can be written. I don’t even really consider my “book” a book and I don’t consider myself an author. I’m more of an artist that paints pictures into words. My “book” is a reflective piece of provocative art.Do you have any advice for new authors?
Finish! No matter what you start, make sure you finish it no matter what! Someone in the world is out there willing to listen to what you say. Also if you are not passionate about the message you are trying to spread and just want to make quick money, than this profession is probably not for you.What is the best advice you have ever heard?
If you have a dream, PROTECT IT at all cost. Don’t let anyone rob you of your dreams.What are you reading now?
Layered Money by Nik BhatiaWhat’s next for you as a writer?
As previously stated, I am writing two other books and will push more content as NFTs to protect my intellectual property moving forward.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 48 Laws of Power
The Art of War
The Mamba MentalityAuthor Websites and Profiles
Christopher Francis
Interview With Author Christopher Francis
Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I’m a grade school teacher who started writing books to entertain my students. I wrote “The Bullying Mission: Solving Damian Dermite” years ago, and the kids liked it so much they wanted me to write a sequel. From there, I started working for the Newspapers in Education where they wanted me to create serial stories. In total, over the years, I’m written about twenty books ranging from ages six to eighteen.What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
My latest book is actually for my daughter. It’s the fifth in a series title, “The Dream Catcher Rescue Sqaud: The Fear of School”. The inspiration came from my daughter’s struggle with bad dreams. I got her a dream catcher and it helped ease her mind before bed. We both thought it would be cool to create a story about dream catchers.Do you have any unusual writing habits?
Yes. I only spend about five to ten minutes at a time working on my stories. With four young children at home, I can only grab a few moments here and there to put my ideas onto my computer.What authors, or books have influenced you?
At this point, strangely, I don’t have any authors who have influenced me. My ideas mainly come from my students and my own experiences.What are you working on now?
I’m trying to finish the sequel to “They Came from the Trees”. It’s taking me ages!What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I use KDP amazon ads.Do you have any advice for new authors?
Yes. Accept constructive criticism.What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Don’t let constructive criticism deter you from writing.What are you reading now?
An end of the world novel. The name escapes me at the moment. Truthfully, I haven’t had time to read it lately.What’s next for you as a writer?
What’s next? Continue to balance my day job, focusing on my children, and squeezing in time to write. Writing will always be on the side, and I’m okay with that.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?
Four empty notebooks and a pencilAuthor Websites and Profiles
Christopher Francis Amazon Profile
Christopher Francis’s Social Media Links
Douglas Bell
Interview With Author Douglas Bell
Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I am an African American writer from Houston, Texas. I was raised in an upper-middle-class family attending majority-white non-coed Jesuit schools in the 80s. I consider myself well-balanced between the analytical, obtaining an architectural engineering degree UT@Austin and an MBA from Texas A&M; and being creative, communicative, and a bit of a risk-taker such that I earned a living as a professional magician in the early 2000’s.Most importantly, my empathetic worldview drives my primary reason for serving on several non-profit boards, speaking about the importance of allyship, and is the foundation for my meditation practice. Blog — Douglas Bell (douglasbellbooks.com)
I enjoy exercising, being fashionable or fashion-forward, cooking, going to art museums, attending live contemporary dance performances, and collecting fountain pens.
I’ve written one book, CAKEWALK, and my second book is in the editing phase.
What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
CAKEWALK is the name of my debut novel.Through CAKEWALK, I wanted to bring to life the societal and family constructs which generated a cisgender man’s shame and confusion for loving a transgender woman. The protagonist’s journey revealed the harm the privileged straight, cisgender community inflicts on the LGBTQ+ community and provides a possible example of what contemporary love could resemble. CAKEWALK is narrated through a Black perspective to unpack the intersectionality of racism and sexual identity.
CAKEWALK looks deeply into the compartmentalization of our lives as a form of self-preservation or avoidance of vulnerability which only stifles our maturity.
CAKEWALK gives the reader a perspective into the healing power of meditation as a way to find answers to your life and the faith to trust your intuition. When you stop to listen, your intuition is the answer the universe gives you.
Ultimately, CAKEWALK was my way of honoring the humanity of the trans women specifically (and all LGBTQ+ people) in my life.
Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I don’t know if this is unusual, but I like to pour around 3 ounces of brandy while snacking on a few crème sandwich cookies while writing or editing.What authors, or books have influenced you?
Because of his ability to articulate the Black experience in a deeply meaningful way, James Baldwin gives me a roadmap for my voice.Authors like Tessa Hadley and Lilly King have very easy-going styles that have made reading fun and enjoyable.
Books like Real Queer America by Samantha Allen, and The Argonauts by Maggie Nelson, revealed nuances to my current experiences and relationships with close LGBTQ+ friends. I want to add the documentary Disclosure as another source of inspiration for my writings.
What are you working on now?
My second novel is in deep developmental editing now. I decided to continue Bryan and Nadia’s relationship from CAKEWALK as they build a thriving bakery business. I spent so much time on Bryan’s journey to love that I could not focus on who they could become as a couple.The second novel tackles the definition of tokenism versus allyship. I show this construct through Lindsey, Bryan’s daughter, who becomes a MAGA supporter. At the same time, Bryan wants to prove his support of the trans and LGBTQ+ community goes beyond his relationship with Nadia.
Racism and transphobia are common threads in the second novel, just as seen in CAKEWALK as Bryan contemplates how best to protect everyone amidst the latest police shootings of Black males and the social conservative agendas of red-leaning Texas.
The second novel reflects society’s need for sensationalism to deliver viewers and generate advertising revenue.
In the end, love wins in ways Bryan and Nadia never expected.
What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
If you are self-publishing, I believe you must hire a publicist. One thing I learned in business school and being a full-time magician; work on what you are good at and delegate everything else to the experts in that field because you will get it back.Trying to do everything yourself or having a hoarding mentality is only cutting you short of what’s possible. You must be willing to give of yourself to the universe. Making things happen has to start with you and leaving it to the experts allows you the freedom to be a better writer because you have the opportunity now to work on that.
Get your Ingramsparks, Goodreads, and Amazon accounts set up.
Do you have any advice for new authors?
Writing a book is no different than any other endeavor. I believe you must create a plan, an outline of tasks with duration and dates. Creating a plan does two things: a plan tells where you are going, the directions you need, and when you will get there, and having a plan informs you where you are.Take your small wins when you get them.
What is the best advice you have ever heard?
My finance professor, Ms. McAnally, at the Texas A&M Mays Executive MBA program, stated you should start every answer with “It deepens.” Starting your answer this way allows you to set the context of your answer. This consideration becomes important as an author because this logic defines the environment in which your character exists.What are you reading now?
A Burning by Megha Majundar. She gives a real view of the harshness of being lower class in the Indian caste system. I am enjoying it.What’s next for you as a writer?
I will continue to take on social justice topics. I want my writing skill to elevate to a level that overcomes any apprehension to read a story with these human decency issues front and center.I’ve already started outlining my third book. I think I will dig into why our society needs to look into prison reform and how the current system is not working for anyone.
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?
It deepens.I will need books that must continually nourish every part of me until I’m hopefully found. There is a Spiritual Solution to Every Problem by Wayne Dyer and How to Know God by Deepak Chopra. I think about Kink Stories edited by R.O. Kwon and Garth Greenwell, and I am Dandy, The Return of the Elegant Gentleman by Gestalten.
Author Websites and Profiles
Douglas Bell’s Social Media Links
Anik Chowdhury
Interview With Author Anik Chowdhury
Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
Hi, I am Anik Chowdhury. I study in 8th. I live in Hyderabad, India. I have the passion of writing comedy and horror/thriller novels. I have written books like MY STUPID LIFE.What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
My Latest book is My Stupid Life. If I say that from where I got this inspiration to write this book, then it is my own life. it is my own life with my own life twists and family members with a taste of humour.Do you have any unusual writing habits?
No, I don’t think I have any unusual writing habits. I am just like other authors, love to write stories till late night.What authors, or books have influenced you?
Well, If I talk about my Comedy series, then it is Jeff Kinney, the writer of the Diary Of A Wimpy Kid.What are you working on now?
I am working on My Stupid life:The Fault. Which is completed by the way, just going to be published. And I am also working on many horror novels.What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
Well, I use twitter to promote my booksDo you have any advice for new authors?
I would say, I too have been almost 5 months in writing career. But, I would say that, If you have the talent to write a engaging story, nothing can stop you.What is the best advice you have ever heard?
The Best advice I have ever heard was from my father. He said that you should never be proud of your achievement. Which is damn true. If anybody flies in the air without a parachute, he has too free fall. Which can be fatal. So it is simple just to be calm and keep your feet on the ground.What are you reading now?
I am reading Goosebumps:Monster blood for breakfast.What’s next for you as a writer?
Well, Next big challenge for me is to win the IHRAF contest. WHich I think is going to be hard.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?
It would be Dairy Of A Wimpy Kid by Jeff Kinney, Goosebumps by R.L Stine, Big Nate by Lincoln Pierce, and The Bad Guys by Aaron Blabey.Author Websites and Profiles
Anik Chowdhury’s Social Media Links
L. M. Sanguinette
Interview With Author L. M. Sanguinette
Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
What can I say? I’m an avid reader, coffee/tea drinker, lover of animals (especially sea turtles). I studied computer engineering because I was too afraid to share my stories. During the day I’m in tech, but at night I’m in my imagination. Those are the things you’re supposed to say, right? In truth, I’m just a girl from the Caribbean searching for magic and sharing her fantastical stories along the way.I’ve written two poetry collections, The Days I Dream of Coffee & The Days I Dream of Chocolate, and my debut novel Welcome to Visanthe releases September 2nd 2022.
What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
My latest book, Welcome to Visanthe, was inspired by a dream I had almost 10 years ago about jumping into a fantastical world of elemental magic. I used to close my eyes and leap from my staircase, visualizing myself actually jumping worlds. Crazy right? I’ve always loved the world of Avatar the Last Airbender—my favourite series growing up (and to this day)—so I think this started as a love letter to it and became something more.Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I drink entire pots of coffee/tea (depending on how I’m feeling that day) before 11AM. I talk out scenes—sometimes I even pretend to be the characters.What authors, or books have influenced you?
I definitely grew up a Harry Potter girl. It was the Lord of the Rings of my generation. As I got older, I found myself drawn to books by V.E.Schwab, Philip Pullman (his dark materials is one of my favourite trilogies of all time), I love Stephanie Garnet’s Caraval and Erin Morgenstern’s The Night Circus (the latter being the reason I decided to become an author).What are you working on now?
A free standalone story set in Visanthe (my fictional world), and the second book in the Visanthe trilogy. All my novels are character based, because I believe that nothing is more interesting than delving into the who’s and why’s of a story rather than the where’s and what’s.What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
Right now, I’m using Instagram and TikTok, though I’m an antisocial a** that cannot seem to manage posting daily.Do you have any advice for new authors?
Editors are your best friends. Costly, but worth it. It doesn’t matter if you’ve got a doctorate in literature, EVERYONE NEEDS AN EDITOR.What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Finish your draft, leave it for a month, come back with a new mind and a red pen.What are you reading now?
Making my way through the Cassie Clare, mortal instruments series and I have my doubts, but I’m sticking around because I don’t like to leave a story unfinished.What’s next for you as a writer?
Hopefully more books from Visanthe, I have to get out a third poetry collection some time this year as well, and there’s a beautiful standalone that has been bouncing around my mind about tarot cards and fate (but you’ll have to wait for that one).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 Night Circus,
Maybe a survival guide (would be useful, no?),
One of the Caraval books,
Ready Player OneAuthor Websites and Profiles
L. M. Sanguinette Amazon Profile
L. M. Sanguinette’s Social Media Links
Jose Nessin Abbo
Interview With Author Jose Nessin Abbo
Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I have been a financial markets practioner for 35 years. Written three books.
1 – Divisando Wall Street Desde el Sur de America (2000)
2 – The Big Gamble Are You Investing or Speculating? (2008)
3 – From Asteroids to Pandemics, living a world of spontaneous risks (2022)What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
My latest book is “From Asteroids to Pandemics, living a world of spontaneous riks”. It was inspired during the most critical period of the current pandemic. It got me thinking about all those risks we do not consider since our civilization has not gone through yet, not realizing how vulnerable we are to such unknown risks. How do we prepare for something which has not happened yet in our times? For example, a killer asteroid crashing on Earth, an all out nuclear war, an unknown evolving catastrophic event.Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I do. The three books I have written, came from sudden eureka moments. But, as you can tell from my three books, these eureka moments do not come very often. It took me eight years to come up with my second book, and then another fourteen to write my latest one. Confident that I would be able to keep writing for at least the next twenty years, I am willing to wait that many years, until the next eureka thunder strikes me again.What authors, or books have influenced you?
Niall Ferguson, Hamish McRae, Maggie Mahar, Peter Lynch, Frank Partnoy, Dan Ariely, Kevin Philips, George Glider, Joseph P. Lash, John L. Casti.What are you working on now?
Focused on promoting “From Asteroids to Pandemics”.Author Websites and Profiles
Jose Nessin Abbo Amazon Profile
Jose Nessin Abbo’s Social Media Links
Lenny Cavallaro
Interview With Author Lenny Cavallaro
Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
My first novel was TROJAN DIALOGUES: THE MEMOIRS OF DIOMEDES. This was followed by a novella, THE GREATEST CHAMPION WHO NEVER WAS. Both were later re-released in digital format on Kindle.I have a couple of co-authored nonfiction credits as well. SUPERSTITION AND SABOTAGE presents Viktor Korchnoi’s account of his 1978 match for the world chess championship as well as an update written after the grandmaster’s demise. SOLVED: THE MYSTERY OF THE GENERAL ARNOLD was the first book to “solve” the riddle concerning that ill-fated Revolutionary War vessel.
I hope to get a publisher for TWO OEDIPAL PLAYS. These include a one-act HAMLET (with a very strange twist at the end) and the conjectural “completion” of ODYSSEUS ACANTHOPLEX, a “lost” drama by Sophocles. [Only thirteen lines remain, but we know the source material on which the famous Greek tragedian based his story.]
I am also a concert pianist and composer. Eleven volumes of my music have been published, along with another conjectural “completion,” this one to Bach’s unfinished masterpiece, THE ART OF THE FUGUE.
Otherwise: I practiced hypnosis and reiki professionally for many years. I have also boxed, competed in chess tournaments, refereed futsal (a form of indoor soccer), and run marathons.
What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
My series, THE PASSION OF ELENA BIANCHI is completed, although only the prequel (“CURSED LOVE”) and first two volumes (IF MUSIC BE THE FOOD OF LOVE and PARADISE REGAINED AND LOST AGAIN) have been published (all in 2022). The death of the publisher and demise of her company (White Bird Publications) leave things “up in the air” at the moment.What inspired it? After my father’s death, I discovered a beautiful song he had composed. I also spent time along the magnificent Amalfi Coast in southern Italy. I was introduced to “soul fractions” and wanted to present this esoteric concept of reincarnation in a work of fiction. I believe that “literature” and “pornography” need not be mutually exclusive, and I wanted to discuss REAL sadomasochism and other kinks (as opposed to the sanitized presentations in FIFTY SHADES). Finally, I have been profoundly moved by the music of Beethoven ever since my childhood. THE PASSION is a love story with classical music, kinky sex, the Holocaust, the Mafia, the pscyhic/occult, “soul fractions,” and a 2,000-year-old curse!
Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I tend to slip into trance and let the story evolve. I am often quite surprised by what emerges!Much of my music has come to me in dreams. Similarly, some of my literary ideas, lines, and passages have been “dictated” to me through my subconscious mind.
What authors, or books have influenced you?
Many, including: Mark Twain (THE MYSTERIOUS STRANGER), Kurt Vonnegut (CAT’S CRADLE et al.), the Marquis de Sade (JULIETTE), Robert Graves (I, CLAUDIUS), David Lindsay (A VOYAGE TO ARCTURUS), Shakespeare (HAMLET, KING LEAR, MACBETH), Sophocles (OEDIPUS THE KING), Euripides (MEDEA), Robert Frost (almost all his poetry!), and T. S. Eliot (“The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock” — my favorite poem).What are you working on now?
I would like to see the rest of THE PASSION published, but I may have to self-publish.Later in 2022, Fomite Press will release PAGANINI AGITATO, a novel by Ann Abelson “edited and revised” by me), and Russell Enterprises will publish SHERLOCK HOLMES AND THE MYSTERIES OF THE CHESS WORLD.
I am writing a novel that involves an “ibbur,” drawn from the Jewish belief in possession by a spirit. An “ibbur” is a benevolent spirit, unlike the better-known “dybbuk.”
What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I am frightfully new and ignorant about self-promotion, so I am still looking for the answer. Who knows? Perhaps Awesome Gang will help!Do you have any advice for new authors?
Get used to disappointment and discouragement, but don’t let the external factors deflect you. The value of your creativity is not quantified financially, and many artistic giants labored in relative obscurity during their lifetimes.What is the best advice you have ever heard?
It came from a Zen master, and it is echoed by Serena, the psychic healer in THE PASSION OF ELENA BIANCHI: << When bad things happen, we should be grateful. When people hurt us, we should always express gratitude, for only the pain they give us can bring those parts of the karmic cycle to a close. >>What are you reading now?
THE HOUSE OF THE SPIRITS (Isabel Allende).What’s next for you as a writer?
Completion of the ibbur project, although I am actually more focused on getting the remaining volumes of THE PASSION… published or self-published — and marketed!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 make a last-minute decision and draw from some of the titles that have influenced me!Author Websites and Profiles
Lenny Cavallaro Amazon Profile
Lenny Cavallaro’s Social Media Links
Paul Yoder
Interview With Author Paul Yoder
Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
There’re a few things that really come through in my writing from my upbringing. I was a big pen and paper gamer and I gravitated towards fantasy fiction novels heavily from a very early age. That combination ended up pretty much ensuring I remained a huge fan of the genre for life. I’m just as in love with dragons, elves, magical treasure, undead, and the like to this day and write about it from sun up till sun down, day in and day out.I’ve written three books in my dark fantasy adventure series titled Lands of Wanderlust. Before that, I had published a few other books, but my main focus is the Lands of Wanderlust series and a fantasy romance series I’m currently working on. (The romance will be my first story published on Kindle Vella!)
What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
Heart of the Maiden is the third book in the Lands of Wanderlust fantasy series, and it was a conclusion to the Lords of the Deep Hells trilogy. I’m super excited for the next trilogy in the series to come out here in a month or so!My inspiration for all my books has been: I write what I want to read. That’s the main reason I started writing in the first place. There are endless possibilities we have with the fantasy genre. Literally anything we imagine can have a story told about it—no matter how fantastical. I love that about our genre.
Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I’m not too interesting there, other than while writing some intense sections, I’ll get up and do some laps around the house geeking out over what my characters are doing. You know how dogs can get a case of the zoomies? Yeah, I totally get that feeling my furry friends.What authors, or books have influenced you?
The Coldfire Trilogy by Celia S. Friedman was huge for me as a kid. Before that it was, of course, Lord of the Rings. My first ever series that I picked up on my own (around eight), was the Redwall series by Brian Jacques. Another series that helped through youth was the Dark Elf trilogy by R. A. Salvatore. Thanks Drizzt for guiding a lost young teen through those years! It was then I realized how powerful being an author could be to reach across time and space to speak to someone one who was going through a tough time and help them through it. How amazing is the written word!What are you working on now?
I’ve been excited to try my hand at two new things: publishing in chapter form on Kindle Vella, and writing some fantasy romance. I’ll be launching the first few chapters soon over there. I think if you follow my amazon author page it should update you once I publish. Make sure to do that if you want to follow these next few publications I’ve got coming up.What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I’ve been trying out quite a few methods to promote my books lately. I’m up for trying anything out! That’s the one hard part about being an author. I can write stories all day, every day and be super happy in my own created world; however, when it comes to publishing the book…yeah, there’s a lot of work to be done there. If I was to be honest, I simply would much rather be writing than worrying about marketing and publishing. Ah well, that’s how it goes.Do you have any advice for new authors?
Um…I have a ton of advice for new authors. Just so we’re not making this interview into a novel, I’ll stick to one item: WRITE! If you are wanting to be a successful author and publish often, you’re going to need to consistently output those daily word counts. It can be a thousand words a day, five thousand, or ten thousand, but you’re going to need to start at a number that you can reasonably sustain and then slowly up it. The more you write, the more that you’re becoming what you aspire to be—a writer and author. Keep it up and get at that word count TODAY!What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Always be learning and evolve with the game. That’s true for any industry, but you can’t afford to get too comfortable in your craft. Always be learning and growing. Become accustomed to uncomfortable change and learn how to convert failures into successes by learning from what went wrong and fixing it on your next attempt. Those who make it to the top are the ones that didn’t give up when everyone else did along the way. Keep at it!What are you reading now?
I have a bad habit of reading a ton of books at once. I just finished Dune (one of the best sci-fi novels I’ve ever had the pleasure to read!) I’m reading Recursion by Blake Crouch. Guild by Raven Kennedy, Dragon’s Gift by Jada Storm, and 2001 A Space Odyssey by Arthur C. Clarke. All lovely books so far.What’s next for you as a writer?
Diving deep into the intricacies of the romance genre. I’ve played with the theme before and always found great stuff there. I’m excited to jump in and get dirty. Kindle Vella, here I come!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?
Bram Stoker’s Dracula for one, Frank Herbert’s Dune, and…can I cheat and have all the collected works of Tolkien and count it as one?Author Websites and Profiles
Paul Yoder’s Social Media Links
Chris Smith
Interview With Author Chris Smith
Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I’m an author of 12 western novels and one fantasy adventure. Book 14 is on the way and I’m hoping to write a book per month for the foreseeable future.I grew up reading the amazing stories of Louis L’Amour, Agatha Christie, Dick Francis, and Robert Ludlum, and always wanted to write my own stories. In my spare time I fish, hunt, swim at the beach, and barbecue with friends and family. I love connecting with fans on social media and my writing goal is to break into the Top 100 on Amazon and stay there.
What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
Steve Savage, Bounty Hunter: Bounty in Brimstone.It’s book 6 in the Steve Savage, Bounty Hunter series and I was inspired by recently watching Oceans 13 again. I love a good heist movie and wanted to challenge my characters by putting them up against a gang of smart, but ruthless bank robbers.
Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I like to act out the scenes sometimes, especially fight scenes where there’s hand-to-hand combat.What authors, or books have influenced you?
Robert Ludlum, Agatha Christie, Lee Child, Robert Ludlum.I try to pack a lot of action into my books along with a good plot and a bit of humor and mystery. Every now and then I throw in a plot twist or a bit of mystery to keep things interesting.
What are you working on now?
I’m currently busy with Jim Taylor, Mountain Man: Escape to the Mountain. It’s book 5 in the Jim Taylor series and a crossover between my Jim Taylor, Mountain Man and Steve Savage, Bounty Hunter series.Jim meets up with a young man who is on the run after falling afoul of an arrogant young rancher and his friends. Soon Jim and the youngster are trapped in the mountains, fighting against both the harsh elements and the vengeful ranch hands. Steve, who is Jim’s cousin, hears of their plight and come riding along to lend a hand, along with his friends Chen Lee and Xavier Colebright
What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I think that the best way to promote my books is via social media. I have a lot of support from folks on LinkedIn, Twitter, and Facebook and they’re kind enough to share my posts out and recommend me to their networks.Do you have any advice for new authors?
Get as many different kinds of people as possible to edit your book for you WHILE you’re writing. I have my chapters edited for me by 4 different readers as they chapter is finished.That way I eliminate plot errors and continuity issues. It also allows me to publish faster upon completion as a lot of errors have been eliminated.
What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Never give up. Not everybody is going to like your work so don’t try to please everyone. Write a book that you would enjoy reading. Some will love it, a few might hate it, but focus on the many positive reviews and don’t dwell on the two or three negative comments. At the end of the day, celebrate that you’ve managed to write an entire book. Not everybody can do that.What are you reading now?
I’m reading The Tenderfoot, by Robert Vaughan. I had a reader write to me and compare my book to The Tenderfoot, so I just had to get myself a copy.What’s next for you as a writer?
I’ve set myself a goal of writing a book of between 35 000 and 43 000 words each month for the foreseeable future. It’s tough, but doable.I also have a dream of seeing my movies on screen as a movie franchise or tv 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?
The Bourne Identity by Robert Ludlum
The Philosopher’s Stone by JK Rowling
The Dwarves by Markus Heitz
The Bible because there’s always something new to read thereAuthor Websites and Profiles
Chris Smith’s Social Media Links
John Barnes
Interview With Author John Barnes
Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
My name is John Barnes. While I’ve written many things–websites, brochures, ads, etc–this is the first book I’ve written.It’s called THE END. It was a concept I thought of during high school in the Midwest.
The love of my life is my wife Allison and we live in Las Vegas. We have 3 children and 3 grandchildren. I enjoys the outdoors, sports, art and travel–especially football and paddle boarding (but not at the same time).
What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
My book is called THE END. I’ve wanted to write it since high school. The inspiration behind it was a combination of things.First, I wanted a story that would be entertaining and real. While it’s fiction, it could very easily be non-fiction.
Second and most important was the messages it would deliver. THE END encourages people to be kind to everyone, regardless of differences. It invites people to step out of their comfort zone and do things for people in need. It is very focused on becoming a better person. Many readers have told me it has made them rethink their life and how they can improve on it.
Do you have any unusual writing habits?
Funny question. But I think the most unusual habit I have is that I would write 1 day a week.
I would think about elements of my story all week, and then write them on Sunday afternoons. That gave me time to play out different scenarios in my mind all week and see where those plot elements would take the story. After thinking about it all week, it became easier to write.What authors, or books have influenced you?
I love the John Grisham stories. I love that the suspense sucks me into the story.What are you working on now?
In addition to promoting THE END and doing a number of book signings, Allison and I are working on a YouTube channel called Paddleboard Places with Allison & John. We love paddle boarding together, so we started this channel to give other people ideas on where to go.What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I’m too early into the process to make a decision on that yet. My book started shipping late June. There are a lot of websites with different services and promotional methods. Ask again in 6 months…Do you have any advice for new authors?
Stay with it. There are a lot of distractions out there that keep you from writing. I’d suggest writing even when you don’t feel like it. Then you can go back later and edit it.Also, I’d have a lot of people read your manuscript before you publish it. I had 8 – 10 friends read it and then hired a professional editor too. Even with all that, I found a spelling error last week. :(.
What is the best advice you have ever heard?
My dad used to say “the only person who doesn’t have an excuse is the one who got the job done.” He taught me to work and stay with it. He taught me to never give up. Don’t quit. Keep going. Believe in yourself!What are you reading now?
Honestly, I’ve been reading the Old Testament right now. I’m not looking there for my next idea, but rather to learn about those people and activities from long ago. It’s also interesting to see how they wrote back then–very different from today.What’s next for you as a writer?
I feel very strongly that THE END is a message for the masses. So what’s next for me is to promote this book throughout the country to deliver its message to as many people as I can through book signings, social media, publicity and 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?
First would be the Bible. That’s a must.The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho
Thinking, Fast and Slow by Daniel Kahneman
And then whatever the latest adventure novel is at the time.Author Websites and Profiles
John Barnes’s Social Media Links
Emma Smith
Interview With Author Emma Smith
Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I’ve written seven books (I’m eighteen now) of novel-length, but I’ve only published one! I’ve been writing my whole life, but have been seriously writing for the last two or three years.What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
My debut is called ‘Guided’ and is inspired by my time in school. I’m passionate about ending bullying and the pressure to fit in, so decided it was important to include this in my book.Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I can only write in the morning! I physically can’t seem to write after lunch, most days.What authors, or books have influenced you?
I love British young adult fiction, but growing up, authors like Jacqueline Wilson had a huge impact on me and my writing.What are you working on now?
I’m working on a few other books and short stories, and will hopefully self-publish again over the next year!What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
Probably Facebook so far!Do you have any advice for new authors?
Don’t give up on your dreams!What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Probably to just keep going, no matter what. You have nothing to lose!What are you reading now?
Frenchman’s Creek by Daphne du MaurierWhat’s next for you as a writer?
Oooo, probably to continue promotion and write 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?
Anything by Cat Clarke or Sara BarnardAuthor Websites and Profiles
Emma Smith’s Social Media Links
Patrick McNulty
Interview With Author Patrick McNulty
Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
Patrick McNulty was born in Port Colborne, Ontario, Canada. He married his high school sweetheart straight out of high school and then went on to university where he studied Neuroscience. After finding that he would rather write about strange behaviours of the brain than study them he left Ontario for British Columbia where he studied screenwriting and ended up working with the production company called the Zanuck Co.on an original screenplay he wrote called Dark Season. In the end Dark Season was not filmed so McNulty turned that screenplay into his first novel, Sleepers Awake.
After leaving British Columbia, McNulty joined the Canadian Armed Forces where he was trained as a medical technician and was stationed in Petawawa, Ontario. Currently he is a police officer in Ontario living with his high school sweetheart, their three beautiful children and their dog, Charlie.
I’ve written 11 books in total.What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
The name of the latest book is called FOLLOW THE DEVIL and the story comes from a screenplay that I was working on. I always enjoyed stories that were claustrophobic and set in remote places so I tried to recreate that with a story set in the Wyoming mountains during a deadly blizzard and only a few characters.Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I used to write in notebooks and I still find them kicking around the house, and sometimes I dig one out and see what I can mine from me ten or twenty years ago, but now I mostly write on my phone. The screen is big enough that I don’t have to squint and I carry it with me all the time – so when an idea strikes, I’m ready.What authors, or books have influenced you?
Beyond a doubt authors such as Blake Banner, Lee Child, John Connolly (the Charlie Parker series) and Mike McCrary (the REMO COBB SERIES) They all really opened my eyes as to what a novel could be. Fast and brutal and exciting on the page.What are you working on now?
Right now I’m finishing the second book in the Danny Devlin series. FOLLOW THE DEVIL is book one and RATTLER ROAD is book 2. It follows Danny as he makes his way to a town where everything is not what it seems.What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I’ve written screenplays for a long time and was lucky enough to have my manager promote me and my work, but now I’m learning as I go. So far promotional websites like AWESOME GANG and the like have driven new readers to my books so right now I would say those work the best.Do you have any advice for new authors?
For new writers my advice would be to keep writing and reading. I know it’s boring, but it’s true. You only get better by doing and that means writing everyday and reading those writers who have been doing it longer. I learn new things everyday from rending the greats and then I use those methods and tips to make my writing better.What is the best advice you have ever heard?
The best advice I have ever heard was allow yourself to suck. Don’t wait to craft the perfect sentence or the best comeback. Just write. Get the words down on the page and come back later and do a polish. You can’t edit a blank page. Just do it and get it done – you will usually surprise yourself.What are you reading now?
I like to read several books at a time so right now I’m reading: Mark Dawson – NINE DRAGONS and Mike McCrary’s – SOMEONE SAVAGEWhat’s next for you as a writer?
Well, right now I’m writing the Danny Devlin series. The next book after RATTLER ROAD which comes out in August, is BLOOD DEBT which is scheduled to be released in September.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 THIEF OF ALWAYS – CLIVE BARKER
THE REMO COBB SERIES – MIKE MCRARY
HEART SHAPED BOX – JOE HILL
THE CHARLIE PARKER SERIES – JOHN CONNOLLYAuthor Websites and Profiles
Patrick McNulty Amazon Profile
Patrick McNulty’s Social Media Links
Vinny O'Hare Awesomegang.com, P.O. Box 940711 Rockaway Park NY 11694