Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I’m a full time writer, living in Pennsylvania with my husband and six children. We have a large home in the country, surrounded by lots of wildlife. I have a completed epic fantasy series, The Futhark Chronicles, available to readers. First Dragon is the first book in my next fantasy series, The Morbunda Saga. I also write romance and science fiction using the pen name, Susan Kelley. I work with two different publishers as Susan Kelley and have eight books published, including the best selling science fiction novel, The Marine’s Queen.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
First Dragon is set in the classical medieval setting of high fantasy. Kerik, the main character in this series, was actually inspired by Superman. When I think of Superman, what I think of is how alone he is. There’s no one else like him and no one else who carries the responsibilities of his great powers. Kerik is the only dragon in existence in his land of Morbunda. Though he fights by the side of his human friends, none of them really understand his thoughts or motives. He’s the only one of his kind and his dragon nature adds a lot of internal conflict to all his actions.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
My family laughs at me, but I must have a movie or TV show playing while I write. Perhaps because I grew up in a family of seven children and had six of my own, I need some noise in the background at all times. Usually I have Netflix or Amazon Prime playing on my Kindle Fire while I’m writing in my office. My next favorite place to write is in a busy coffee shop with lots of chaos to help me concentrate on the keyboard in front of me.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
Like most fantasy lovers, I started out by reading Tolkien. My ninth grade English teacher introduced me to his books. My current bookshelves hold Brandon Sanderson, John Marco, Michael J. Sullivan and Miles Cameron.

What are you working on now?
I’m working on the second draft of The Recon Marines science fiction series I write as Susan Kelley. The first book, The Marine’s Queen, was a bestseller on Kindle and the second book, The Marine’s Heiress, will be out early in 2014. I also have edits to complete on War Dragon, the follow up novel to First Dragon.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
Oh, if I only knew what would work best. I do some promotional posts on Facebook and Twitter and have a very active blog. For my next release, I’ll be running a contest on Goodreads and use that to promote. I’m not sure there is a ‘best’ way.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Don’t do this alone. Find a group of writers to network with, either in person or online. They will keep you going when your feel frustrated or rejections get you down.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
I’m not sure who told me this first but I’ve heard it from lots of editors and agents. After you submit a piece of work, don’t wait around to hear back about it. Start work on your next project. When and if the rejections come in, you’ll feel better if you’re enthused about another project. Always have more than one thing going.

What are you reading now?
I’m starting in on Brandon Sanderson’s The Way of Kings in anticipation of the next book in the series being released in March.

What’s next for you as a writer?
I’m outlining my next science fiction series, creating a world and the science involved in the futuristic setting. I like my science to make sense even if it’s fictional.

If you were going to be stranded on a desert island and allowed to take 3 or 4 books with you what books would you bring?
The Lord of the Rings, my big book of Jane Austen and The Count of Monte Cristo. I covered lots of genres with those three.

Author Websites and Profiles
Susan Gourley Website
Susan Gourley Amazon Profile
Susan Gourley Author Profile on Smashwords

Susan Gourley’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile
Facebook Profile
Twitter Account
Pinterest Account

Susan Gourley is a post from Awesome Gang

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I am a native Californian living in North County San Diego. He is a graduate of Chapman University and is employed by California State University San Marcos. This is the first book I’ve published.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
Return To Violet was inspired by the desire to create something that is entertaining and humorous, yet contains elements of truth, beauty and goodness sprinkled throughout the story.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
First, I outline the story and then I create a full bio of each character. That gives me a skeleton for the story and then I begin writing. As I write, many new ideas come to mind that fill in the flesh of the story.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
Mark Twain, Hunter S. Thompson, Jack Kerouac, Shakespeare.

What are you working on now?
My sanity.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I’m finding that out now and don’t know the answer yet.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
If possible, have someone knowledgeable read your work aloud to you. The weak parts stick out like a sore thumb when you hear that reader stumble over the wording in a sentence that needs to be reworked.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Rewrite and have it read out loud to you.

What are you reading now?
Things about marketing.

What’s next for you as a writer?
If I recover from writing this book, then hopefully another.

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?
Mark Twain, Hunter S. Thompson, and Shakespeare.

Ron Mattos is a post from Awesome Gang

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I’ve been writing for as long as I can remember, but “Eyes of Ice” is my first book! It’s definitely been a learning experience from start to finish. I’m really excited about the finished product, though, and so pleased that the early readers that I’m hearing from are also enjoying what I’ve written.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
My new novel is an erotic romance called “Eyes of Ice.” I’ve always been one of those readers (especially of romance and erotica) that would groan and think “I could do better than this.” I often felt like such genres alienated the reader by refusing to respect their intelligence and needs, and eventually I became so frustrated that I decided to write my take on the vampire romance genre. That writing developed into “Eyes of Ice.” Though “Eyes of Ice” was accepted by numerous publishers such as Ellora’s Cave, many took issue with the conflicted nature of the heroine. In “Eyes of Ice,” the young protagonist, Cecelia, struggles with her own sexual awakening and budding romance in contrast to the imperatives of her career. The aforementioned publishers informed me that they would love to publish the novel, if only I reworked Cecelia’s narrative to end on a formulaic “Happily Ever After.” Suddenly, I saw how so many writers did fall into the traps that I’d been reading for the past few years, and I knew that I should do all I could to avoid such repression. I discarded the opportunities offered by these publishers, refused to compromise Cecelia’s story, and published “Eyes of Ice” on Amazon myself.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I can’t write without a mug of peppermint tea; if I run out, it throws my entire writing schedule out of whack and results in an angry trip to the grocery store.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
Obviously, since “Eyes of Ice” is in the vampire novel genre, I’ve been influenced by the vampire popularity of recent years. But I remember Bram Stoker’s “Dracula” as a very important book to me at a young age, too. Like so many others, I’m constantly drawn to the dramatic tension and symbolism provided by the vampire romance novel, where the danger of sexuality is frequently written as indistinguishable from a danger of darkness and monstrosity.

What are you working on now?
I’m working on the sequel to “Eyes of Ice,” and an as-yet untitled erotic romance about a medical student’s brush with the escort industry.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I’ve been promoting all over, but I think the most helpful promotion tools have been the reviews and comments of my readers. I appreciate them so much.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Keep working at it and don’t get discouraged! Practically anyone you ask will say that they want to write a novel some day — but they don’t right? This demonstrates that if writing was easy, then EVERYONE would have followed through and written something substantial. So, remember that even if you enjoy it (and I do) writing will still feel like a lot of work. During these times, when writing or promoting your book feels like a slog, remember that you’ll get that enjoyment back through your readers.

I mean, this is all what I keep telling myself, anyway!

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
I don’t know that it’s advice, but there’s a Henri Matisse quote that I think of frequently: “Creativity takes courage.” Look at me; I’m writing within a VERY well-defined genre (erotica, vampire romance), a genre so well-defined that publishers wanted me to adhere more to its homogenizing standards. This all means that my creativity takes a very large amount of courage. I think it’s worth it!

What are you reading now?
“Lady Chatterley’s Lover”! What a classic, right?

What’s next for you as a writer?
I’m still trying to promote myself, create a fan base, and reach as many discerning readers as possible. I’m hoping that as “Eyes of Ice” gains in further popularity, I that can learn even more about what it is that readers appreciate and what they would like to see more of. And, of course, I’m working on those two books that I plan to release before April!

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?
Robinson Crusoe, of course! It’s like a Desert Island Survival DIY! All right, humor aside, I’d also bring Allende’s “The House of the Spirits,” and George Orwell’s “Down and Out in Paris and London.” I find myself able to return to Allende again and again and find different things each time, and I always feel as if I can learn from Orwell’s cleverness.

Author Websites and Profiles
Emily Rose Amazon Profile

Emily Rose’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile
Facebook Profile
Twitter Account

Emily Rose is a post from Awesome Gang

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I’ve been passionate about writing and books for as long as I can remember. It started with short stories on a typewriter and now I’ve written about 8 different full length novels in various genres.

I write to entertain and my dream, like most writers, is to have my work recognized and appreciated.

In my spare time I like to stay fit with weight training and martial arts, anything outdoors, and unwinding with a movie or good book.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
My latest novel LUCKY SEVENS is a thriller set in Las Vegas. It is the story of Luca Luchazi, head of security for Saints and Sinners Casino, who has to find a killer on the loose when famous names start winding up dead.

I wrote LUCKY SEVENS because I grew up in Las Vegas and I was tired of all the stereotyped, fluff pieces people portrayed on TV, movies, and even in song. Yes, Vegas is a party town but there are also REAL people who live here. It was my intent to showcase that above all else.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I still prefer to write long hand on a legal tablet and then go back and put everything in the computer.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
Dean Koontz was my first influence. It was after reading his work that I decided I wanted to be a full on author. I’ve also enjoyed Mary Higgins Clark and I like finding new voices.

What are you working on now?
I’m writing a spin off to my acclaimed Demon Hunter series. And I’m also developing two more series that I plan to get off the ground in the next few years.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I use Facebook alot and it is linked to my Twitter page.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Write the book first, then worry about how you’re going to publish it.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
“Write for the wastebasket.”

It takes the pressure off of trying to deliver a perfect first draft.

What are you reading now?
Off Season by Jack Ketchum…its fabulous!

What’s next for you as a writer?
This year I’m looking to attain a traditional publishing contract with a major house. For all the benefits of self-publishing I would still like to see what happens when a larger company is behind my work.

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?
Intensity by Dean Koontz…that’s what started it all.

Lord of the Rings so I could finally finish it!

A book of blank paper to write in.

And a survival manual

Author Websites and Profiles
Cynthia Vespia Website
Cynthia Vespia Amazon Profile
Cynthia Vespia Author Profile on Smashwords

Cynthia Vespia’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile
Facebook Profile
Twitter Account

Cynthia Vespia is a post from Awesome Gang

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I grew up in Georgia, moved to California with the Navy and served on submarines and then went to college in California and New York. Writing was a hobby of mine from an early age, but I didn’t sit down and write a complete novel until my son was born in 2009. After my first novel was complete, I joined a critique group, the SCBWI and started numerous revisions which sharpening my craft. I began other novels as well to help further my skills as a writer and finished several which I plan to publish in the Future.

Currently, I have two novels published, “Joshua’s Tree,” and “The Father,” which are the first and second books in the “Joshua’s Tree Trilogy.”

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
My latest published book is “The Father.” It is the second book in the “Joshua’s Tree Trilogy.” The trilogy was inspired by my love of science fiction, genetic engineering, and because I feel there is a need for more young adult novels that boys will enjoy as much as girls. Where “Joshua’s Tree” was a novel that followed Josh from a shy and rather wimpy geek to a young hero, “The Father” delves into some darker subject matter, involving the human desire to gain and maintain power over others.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
Not sure its unusual, but I like to write first thing in the morning until I’m drained and then write again every night before I fall asleep. Otherwise, I love my coffee while I write, and I try to do short burst of exercise periodically while writing to keep the juices flowing.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
Every author and every book I’ve read has some influence on me. I love the classics, “Tale of Two Cities,” “Treasure Island,” etc. I love Tolkien, JK Rowling, Dan Brown, James Dashner–too many more to list. My favorite book to date is “The Count of Monte Cristo.”

What are you working on now?
I’m currently working on the third and final book in the “Joshua’s Tree Trilogy” and am working on a book I’m very fond of called “The Last Orphans.” I’m hoping to have the third book in the JT Trilogy, “The Truth,” published next summer and am planing on entering “The Last Orphans” in a few contest before publishing it. A handful of awards can go a long way to help market a book. “The Last Orphans” is about kids struggling to survive in a world where all the adults have been killed, and it’s set in the south where I grew up.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I haven’t found one method or website that is the cure all for book promotion. I’m still learning the ropes, but it seems to me that a writer must do a little marketing work everyday. A blog and/or website helps, but make sure it is easy to click through and buy the book or you may lose a lot of frustrated customers.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Write for the love of writing, not to make money. It can take years for a writer to make enough money off their craft to live on, and many never will. If you write because you love to write, and plan on writing everyday for the rest of your life as a means of meditation, as a way to add joy to your life, then your craft will evolve and your chances of success will increase.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Join a critique group. Find one with good writers and listen to their advice. Also, read, read, read… I know it can be hard to read when you’ve been staring at the computer all day, working on your book. I like audio books because they give the eyes a break and you can listen to them while doing chores around the house or exercising.

What are you reading now?
“The Age of Innocence” by Edith Wharton, “A Pirate, a Blockade Runner, and a Cat” by Beverly Stowe McClure, and “This Side of Paradise” by F. Scott Fitzgerald.

What’s next for you as a writer?
I want to continue in the practice of writing with hopes that someday I will write that novel that will rise to the top of the best sellers lists (isn’t that every writer’s dream after all?)

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?
Easy, “Count of Monte Cristo,” “Hobbit,” “Tale of Two Cities,” and “Treasure Island.” I know, they are all old books, but they are my favorites to date.

Author Websites and Profiles
N.W. Harris Website
N.W. Harris Amazon Profile

N.W. Harris’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile
Facebook Profile
Twitter Account

N.W. Harris is a post from Awesome Gang

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I am a highly decorated former police officer and graduate of the FBI National Police Academy. I have gotten to know murders, rapists and others who live according to their own edicts. I’ve written two stories, JusThis & Brand of Justice.

The Austin Daily Herald commented on me as such . . . “Take one dose of Rude’s prose. After 4 hours, call a friend and tell ‘em, you can’t put his book down.”

Midwest Book Reviewer Repenski stated the following . . . “His writing turns the lights off in the darkroom. He really takes a shot in Brand of Justice.”

The Total Writer states . . . “Curt Rude captures what many run from – the truth-in this captivating story of greed, lust and ego fueled off vulnerable human emotion. Dark, yet, captivating, this fast moving book will have you on the edge of your seat.”

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
Brand of Justice

I wrote this story to highlight the fallout when officers get it all wrong. Nobody is perfect, police officers are somebody, thus they make mistakes.

The story itself is dedicated to incarcerated innocence and the loved ones they left behind.

I attended the trial of a young man, Jerimie Hicks in Great Falls Montana. His comments are on the back of my book. They read as such. “It only takes a second for things to go wrong-you can never get it back again. True character comes out in the darkest moments of struggle. Only after feeling horrific pain did I see the justice system for what it is. An evil puppet show, where prosecuting attorneys hold all the strings. They prance around, play on emotion, twist and destroy truths in their lust for convictions. Only those stained by the ‘Justice Puppet Show’ will ever understand. ‘Brand of Justice’ does happen!”

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I put the shoes of my characters on. I feel their pain. The warmth of their smiles. I live, and breathe the air they breathe. Brand of Justice takes place in Casper, Wyoming. I walked the streets of Casper. I wanted to see what a sunset looks like there. I spent time on Death Row. I was belted into the Gas Chamber. I lived it. Then I wrote it. I have photographs of my efforts on my blog http://curtrude.blogspot.com/

What authors, or books have influenced you?
I studied under Roy Hazelwood, author of ‘Dark Dreams’. Another author I’ve been friends with over the years is John Campbell, who wrote, ‘Into the Minds of Madmen’. Ken Kesey has a writing style that is, in my opinion absolutely dead on. McMurtry has a method of madness that ties readers to his characters. We all got to know Gus and Captain Call as if they were our neighbors. My writing style, as in sentence structure, has been compared to Ernest Hemingway, by a reviewer. I of course took that to heart and have so far read ‘To Have and Have Not’ ‘Old Man and The Sea’ and ‘A Farewell to Arms’.

What are you working on now?
I am currently hammering out the details of an agreement to coauthor a book of short stories from the streets of America. I would write stories from a police captain’s perspective while my coauthor, a captain from a Chicagoland fire department would add stories from a fire fighters point of view.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I take the opportunity to engage my readers. To be available for them through this thing called social media. I have a website https://sites.google.com/site/curtrudewriter/home as well as a blog http://curtrude.blogspot.com/. With my stories, ‘Brand of Justice’ and ‘JusThis’, I’ve pointed out to my readers how to approach my stories. First, each chapter is subtitled with a song selection and I encourage readers to play it on their Kindle or what not, before devouring the chapter. It sets the tone. The mood.

I respond to emails or online comments. I’m honest. I’ve made guest appearances on Fox Televison, been on morning talk radio programs and been featured in newspaper articles. I am candid and point out that my stories, regard matters that ooze from the appalling side of human nature. I feel very strongly that I am writing in the direction of ‘whys’ regarding terrible headlines that haunt us almost daily.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Experience it. Write towards what you know. While putting ‘JusThis’ together I was terribly upset with having to spend so much time with a character. Chief Pullet. He disgusted me at every level. My wife, who teaches English and writing, advised me to be true to my characters. I was. That was great advice.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Thomas Edison said it perfectly. One percent inspiration, Ninety-nine percent perspiration.

What are you reading now?
‘Gone Girl’ by Gillian Flynn. I raced to the end and then immediately started a second reading. I’m taking the second reading very slowly. I want to appreciate the style and form of the story. Gillian is a master of her craft. I loved the story.

What’s next for you as a writer?
I’m considering an opportunity to work at a university. I figure being around young minds and attitudes would be inspiring. As is the nature of authors, I also have a story that is swirling around in my head. I haven’t come up with any reason as to why it shouldn’t be told.

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 Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest by Kesey

An Introduction to Literature by Barnet, Burto, Cain

Lonesome Dove by McMurtry

And of course . . . Outdoor Survival Skills by Olsen

Author Websites and Profiles
Curt Rude Website
Curt Rude Amazon Profile
Curt Rude Author Profile on Smashwords

Curt Rude’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile
Facebook Profile
Twitter Account
Pinterest Account

Curt Rude is a post from Awesome Gang

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I live in Cornwall and have written since I was 22 having had two agents one for my children;s books and one for my thrillers. I am bringing to publishing about fifteen children books, I have several plays and two thrillers to prepare and I have published some of my poems.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
Midrak Earthshaker came out in December 2013. It was just an idea, like all my books, of someone ending up in another world and being terrified. From that initial page I went on to make it up as I explored the characters and the storyline developed.

I did enjoy Midrak as a character though and he now appears in the epic fantasy I am publishing in the autumn of 2014, Ruzniel. I wrote the first page of this story in 1988 and knew exactly how it ended but I have had an ill mother to look after and so only picked up the threads of the story in 2009, it is now finished at 880 pages and 320,000 words. Ruzniel looks at the last three days in the life of the universe and the titanic battle to ensure the new universe created from the next big bang has life that is free to make choices and not ruled by a cruel tyrant. It draws on the laws of magic hinted at in Midrak Earthshaker and expands on the whole magician / Ruzniel theme.

There are two shorter sister stories to Midrak Earthshaker the second story I ever wrote, Fulminar the Good Magician and The Mirror of Flame which explore two themes that come out in Ruzniel, that of living again and the idea of servitude.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
Not that I know. I mean writers I have read about had to have their clothes taken away in order to get them to write, so i missed that one. I don’t stand up to write, I don;t keep to a set time. I do get up tp make tea every hour but that started when I was revising for my degree.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
I enjoyed CS Lewis, Tolkien and all the Treasuries of short stories from around the world. I was amazed at Peake, and always liked Dr Doolittle. I am influenced into believing that whatever you writ should be literature. Wind in the Willows transcends children’s book writing as does Alice in Wonderland, the Waterbabies, Watership Down and a few others.

What are you working on now?
Ruzniel is being beta read and then a final edit is planned for the summer. I am also talking to talented Eleanor Bennett about a cover for my first serious novel Helen’s Daughter. This is about a woman I met when I was 24 and how she had five children by different men and how society treated her from a child.

There is also a story Mr Binks illustrated by Nia Ellis about an alchemist who finds the secret to eternal life but it becomes a curse, and tells of how three modern day children help lift the curse.

There is also the fourth installment of the series Blueskin the Cat about a highwayman who is reincarnated as a cat and all the adventures he has. Of the many reviews only one has been negative and all the others have been four or five star out of five. The watercolours by Gabriela Sepulveda are wonderful.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
www.footsteps.co

The publishers who publish me.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
It is a hard way to try to make a living but it is the life you chose.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Life is a comedy to those who think, a tragedy to those who feel

Horace Walpole.

What are you reading now?
Trying to wade through The Origins of Totalitarianism but though it is a political classic of the twentieth century I am finding it hard to get the time.

What’s next for you as a writer?
A sequel to Ruzniel and more Blueskin books and lots of editing.

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 want a collected verse with all my favourite poems in. I would also take the complete Shänne Sands who, part from being a brilliant poet is also my mother so i am in some of them. There are very few people who can say they are in the poems of the great poets so that would be a continued honour.

I might also take a survival manual because it sounds like I would need it. And of course even in a desert I would have my pen so a notebook to write and if it came to it, to write my last words.

Author Websites and Profiles
Daniel Nanavati Website

Daniel Nanavati’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile
Facebook Profile
Pinterest Account

Daniel Nanavati is a post from Awesome Gang

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I live in Plymouth, MA and have always been a lover of all things book-related. I’ve been writing for years but only got focused about it this Summer when I moved into a new condo and met my next-door neighbor who is a published mystery writer. She invited me to join her local writers group and I’ve had a ball meeting with them twice a month. I’ve also belonged to Romance Writers of America for over ten years and recently joined Sisters-in-Crime.

I worked in journalism during and immediately after college. My part-time job for three years while in school was to spend every Sunday morning at the local Tampa Tribune offices, writing the obituaries, wedding and birth announcements. I’ve held other writing and marketing jobs since, including food blogging and writing for a local paper. But my favorite so far is writing novels.

I have two books available. Six Months in Montana, is a contemporary romance and TRUST, which just released a few days ago is a cozy mystery.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
TRUST is my latest book. It was inspired by an adult education class I took many years ago in Forensic Psychology. The class was fascinating and one of the case studies we looked at it intrigued me and I knew I wanted to use it in a book some day. It dealt with the concept of False Confession, and looked at a landmark case that changed the way police were allowed to interrogate suspects. Three teenagers were all interviewed separately and deprived breaks and even sleep. They lied to the teens and told them the others had confessed and then they wore them down until each one produced a confession and was then allowed to leave. An attorney got involved and it was determined that all three confessions were coerced, and were tossed out.

I used that in TRUST as backstory for the heroine who becomes a person of interest when one of her students goes missing. I looked at how having once confessed to murder, how would that affect the public’s perception in this case? She’s also about to get married, and never told her husband about this long ago confession, because it was tossed out. Should he have any doubts? Or should he trust in her unconditionally?

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
Oddly enough, I’ve always been a night-owl, but find that I write best in the early morning hours. I still work full-time, so my routine is to get up early, usually around 5 or 5:30, make a cup of dark roast coffee and then dive into the writing for a few hours. I usually reread a few pages of what I wrote the day before and then set out to write at least one scene, sometimes two.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
There are so many, especially as I write both romance and mystery. In the mystery world, it’s Dennis Lehane. His writing is just gorgeous and his stories so dark and haunting. The first line of Mystic River is amazing. He has such a unique voice. We all have our own voices though and as much as I admire Dennis, I actually tried to get into that mindset, and sat down to write a dark, atmospheric mystery and what came out was light and warm instead.

Other authors I love include John Grisham, especially his first book, A Time to Kill, and The Firm. Both are entertaining page-turners. Lisa Gardner is another favorite in mystery/suspense.

For romance, I’ve always loved Barbara Taylor Bradford’s A Woman of Substance. I’ve lost count of how many times I’ve read that book. I really enjoy big sagas that you can lose yourself in. Maeve Binchy was another author I really liked. For current romance authors, Debbie Macomber is a favorite. She writes sweeter, family focused romances and women’s fiction and that’s the audience I write for as well.

What are you working on now?
I’m working on a sequel to my first book and it will be called Mistletoe in Montana. It’s a contemporary romance featuring two characters from the first book who will now have their own story. I have one more book in the series planned after that.

After that, I’ll be starting the second book in my cozy mystery series. This will introduce a new character and include many characters from the first book. Jane Cho is a former legal investigator who has a gift for numbers and computers. She was nearly killed in one of the law firm’s investigations and decided to quit and follow her passion for cooking. So she bought a condo in Waverly, MA, and opens Comfort Food, a small shop that sells…comfort food. Her next door neighbor is Ted Stanhope, the 91 year old retired town sheriff and she also meets Jack, the too handsome, thirty-something current assistant sheriff. Jack learns of her special abilities and tries to lure her into helping him on a puzzling case. Both Jack and the case are very tempting.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
Facebook is my favorite and most effective way to connect with readers and to promote my books. I enjoy spending time on Facebook and it’s a great way to share updates about the books. I also have a mailing list so readers who are interested can sign up and receive occasional emails about new releases, giveaways or special sales.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Don’t just start writing a book, finish it. It took me quite a few tries to follow this advice and it’s the most beneficial thing you can do. It’s normal to have doubts at different points in the process or to get stuck, but it’s important to push on and finish because then you can always go back and fix it. Finishing a book really teaches you so much about how to write a good story. Other advice I would give is to read widely and pay attention to what readers are responding to. My goal is always to satisfy the reader, to entertain and have them wanting to read more. I’m always trying to write the kind of story that I would love to read.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
To write what you love and to finish writing the book.

What are you reading now?
I’m going to sound like such a geek, but I read a lot of books at once. Depending on my mood I might race through or put them down and start again. So, what I have going now is Agatha Christie’s Five Little Pigs, just started that last night, Elle Dawson’s The Christmas Gift, The Cowboy’s email Order Bride by Cora Seton, A Child is Torn, Innocence Lost by Dawn Kopman Whidden, Break in Two by MJ Summers, Both Sides Now by Shawn Inmon, and Wild Montana Sky by Debra Holland.

And a pile of others in my kindle that I haven’t opened yet.

What’s next for you as a writer?
There are so many stories I want to tell and genres to explore. What’s next for me is a women’s fiction novel.

I am about 100 pages in to a story called The Restaurant, which is about three sisters who inherit a restaurant that they never knew their grandmother even owned. The three sisters live in Boston, New York City and Seattle and have established lives in those cities. In order to sell the restaurant, their grandmother has a stipulation that they must spend a year working there first. The story explores how that year changes their lives.

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 Bible, A Woman of Substance, by Barbara Taylor Bradford, The Firm by John Grisham, and something new.

Author Websites and Profiles
Pamela M. Kelley Website
Pamela M. Kelley Amazon Profile

Pamela M. Kelley’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile
Facebook Profile
Twitter Account
Pinterest Account

Pamela M. Kelley is a post from Awesome Gang

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I’m a stay at home mum of three from Sydney Australia who recently finished a teaching degree and got a contract to publish my first novel, Doctors Beyond Borders with Escape Publishing, the digital arm of Harlequin in Australia. It’s been a busy 18 months! My contemporary romance novel was released on 1 January, 2014. It’s been a fantastic journey of learning and discovery. I’ve had so much support and inspiration from fellow authors and my friends and community. It’s been quite overwhelming. My husband has been my rock and when I’m feeling insecure and a bit scared he’s there to brighten me up. But whether I’ve got characters talking in my head pushing to get new stories onto my laptop, when you’re a mum it can get a bit tricky, especially when the kids are on summer holidays. For those of you that live in the northern hemisphere, it’s summer down here in Oz and we find ourselves at the beach most days.

Anyway, I won’t rabbit on. I’m so glad I found this ‘awesomegang’ and hope to get to know some of you guys as we continue on this writing journey.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
My latest and debut book is called Doctors Beyond Borders. It is set in Sudan and my main characters are doctors who work for Medecins Sans Frontieres. I have sponsored children in Sudan over the years through a charity organisation and corresponded with them via mail. I guess my interactions with these families is what inspired me.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I have about 7 note books lying around the house and in my different handbags and one in the car, and whenever something comes to me I usually have a notebook at hand so I can jot the idea down. This occurs at red lights sometimes too!

What authors, or books have influenced you?
Since I’m romance writer, I’m a romance reader so authors like Nora Roberts, Laura Kaye, Caitlyn Nicholas, Kylie Scott have influenced me mostly. However, I’m a lover of anything Charles Dickens and love the Bronte sisters, and Dante!

What are you working on now?
My WIP is called Cuffs. I’m editing it at the moment. It’s a gritty story set in the inner city involving the criminal underbelly. My editor likes it and has asked me to tweak a few things before I send it back to her hopefully by the end of January.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
Not sure yet. Am really new to all of this! Any advice???

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Persistence. I have received some awesome reviews from readers and a couple of ‘meh’ reviews which have knocked my confidence a bit. But, I keep telling myself that it’s all ok and I keep going.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Don’t read reviews below 4 stars!!

What are you reading now?
Just finished reading a book my critique partner has just submitted. It’s awesome and I have no doubt we’ll be seeing it out on the virtual shelves sometime this year. I’ll let you guys know when it’s out!

What’s next for you as a writer?
A series. Cuffs, hopefully will be the first of a series I think I’m going to call ‘The Bulletproof Series’. I’ve made a start on the next book currently called Base.

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?
Hahaha! Definitely not romance if I’m going to be on my own!! Maybe something DIY to help me learn how to fish and build a shelter and Great Expectations by Charles Dickens!

Author Websites and Profiles
Georgie Tyler Website

Georgie Tyler’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile
Facebook Profile

Georgie Tyler is a post from Awesome Gang

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I’m Kari Aguila, and I have recently sefl-published my first novel, WOMEN’S WORK. I was a geologist for the USGS for many years before I started having children and decided to be a stay-at-home mom. For the first six years of mom-hood, I read several books every day, but they always seemed to have little duckies, pooh-bears, or fairies in them. When all three of my kids were finally sleeping more than two-hour stretches, I took a deep breath and dove back into reading, soaking up so many great stories that I had missed during the baby years.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
When my oldest daughter started Kindergarten and the two younger kids were in pre-school one morning per week, I suddenly found I had three whole hours of freedom! Each week!! I had no idea what real people did with such vast swaths of time — I could clean the house, exercise, do laundry, or finally write that novel. Well, I certainly didn’t want to do a few of those things, so… WOMEN’S WORK is the result of those three glorious hours of freedom.

The story was inspired during a long walk through Discovery Park, along the coast of the Puget Sound. There are all these old dilapidated roads in that park, and I started thinking about a whole neighborhood struggling to survive after the infrastructure falls apart. A couple nights earlier, I had heard an interview with a female member of the U.S. Congress. She was asked why the government wasn’t able to get much done and replied, “If there were more women in Congress, we’d get more done.” The women in the audience cheered, and the man interviewing her was obviously offended. It got me thinking about that idea, and the story in WOMEN’S WORK evolved from there.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I tried to write at home, but was easily distracted. Instead, I started bringing my laptop to a local coffee shop and writing there. I have heard that coffee shops get mad when a person just buys one cup of tea and then sits at their laptop all morning taking up space, so I tried to sit at the bar section, and once each hour I would buy another cup of tea.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
I like books with strong female leads. Unfortunately, strong women are usually overcoming terrible things — rotten childhoods, awful men, oppression — so I have to make sure not to read too many depressing stories. The Outlander was an unusual story that I enjoyed, and of course Handmaid’s Tale was a real game-changer for so many people. When I look at my bookshelf (I still read paper books, so my bookshelf takes up several walls in my house) I notice I have several Cormac McCarthy books. This is very strange, because I never like his books! Yes, they are amazing works of fiction. Yes, they absolutely transport the reader to a time and place. Yes, the characters are memorable. But, they are so bleak and dark and ‘manly’. And yet, every few years, I wind up with one of them in my hand at the check-out line of the bookstore.

What are you working on now?
WOMEN’S WORK just came out about two months ago, so I have been spending a lot of time publicizing that. I don’t have an agent, so I have been reading a lot online to figure out how to go about getting the word out about my book. I have two story ideas in my head that will need a lot of research, but the characters are beginning to take shape. Next year another one of my children will start Kindergarten, so maybe I’ll find the time to start writing again then.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I’ve sent out dozens and dozens of emails to bloggers, but have only gotten a few responses. I think they are really inundated with book review requests these days. One blogger is highlighting WOMEN’S WORK on her blog in February when she focusses on the theme of “Smart Is Sexy”. Amazon has a list of their top 1000 reviewers, and I sent emails to some of them asking if they would write a review. Got a couple of hits there. So far the best exposure I have had is on the GoodReads site. I have sponsored two giveaways of my book, and many many people have requested it and added it to their to-read shelf. I will be hosting a Q&A there in March, and hope to hear readers questions and comments at that time.

There are several pay-for-review sites. I have sent WOMEN’S WORK to the Portland Book Review, San Francisco Book Review, Indie Review, and Publishers Weekly PW Select. Each of these cost money, but they guarantee a review in their publication, and will hopefully drum up some readers. Kirkus Review is very expensive, and I was able to get three of these other reviews for the price of one Kirkus, so decided against using them.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
There are often writing groups you can join if you live in a mid- to large-sized town. Check at your local college or university. This would be a great resource for info about writing and publishing. If you don’t have a writing group, start telling people you are writing a book — you’d be surprised how many people you meet have also written something! Bookstores try to have book signings and launch parties — go to them and meet the authors. Writing can feel lonely and it is easy to lose focus, but if you connect with other authors, you will start to feel like part of the community.

Don’t get discouraged when you get your beautiful, perfect, wonderful novel back from your first editor and find it completely ripped to shreds. Almost all of their comments are going to help you make your story even better. And you have to hire a stranger to edit for you. A friend isn’t going to be able to point out all the weak spots without hurting your feelings.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
If god gives you a daisy, don’t try to make it into a rose.

Ok, that’s not necessarily about writing, but it could be. If your work is your daisy, you have to treat it with respect and kindness. Be positive and love it for what it is. Believe in your story and let it grow into what it will — the ending you thought you had when you started your book isn’t necessarily the ending you wind up with.

What are you reading now?
I have read a few great books lately — Blindness, Major Pettigrew’s Last Stand, Transatlantic, Tell the Wolves I’m Home. I have just started West of Here and like it because I live near the Olympic Peninsula and can relate to the setting in the book. I’m interested in learning more about the history of the Pacific Northwest, but don’t usually like non-fiction history books, so this is a compromise.

What’s next for you as a writer?
Ideally, I’d love to find an agent who can help me navigate the world of publicizing WOMEN’S WORK. It’s been like a part-time job for me during the last two months, and I’m not sure I’m spending all my time in the best ways. I really believe this book could take off once sales reach a tipping point — it’s gotten a lot of very positive reviews so far.

As for my next project, one of the story ideas in my head is set in the Philippines. My husband’s family is from there and I have visited twice, but would want to go back again with this story in mind to really do some research. My kids are still a bit young for that big trip, though, so it might take a couple years to get there. I’m also looking into some local writing groups and classes to help me hone my skills and become a better writer. One can always get better.

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?
Leaves of Grass — Walt Whitman’s best book of poems.

A Tale of Two Cities because I love it.

Anna Karenina because I’ve never read it.

A very thick empty notebook and pencils.

Author Websites and Profiles
Kari Aguila Amazon Profile

Kari Aguila’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile
Facebook Profile
Twitter Account

Kari Aguila is a post from Awesome Gang