Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
Soy um autor argentino, egresado de la Universidad de Buenos Aires. En la actualidad me desempeño como profesional independiente pero mi pasión siempre ha sido la literatura, arte en el que comencé a incursionar desde temprana edad.

Hace muy poco tiempo pude cumplir con uma deuda pendiente que tenia conmigo mismo: la edición de mi primera novela de ciencia ficción.

Uma historia repleta de controversiales revelaciones en base a teorías que, a pesar de no ser más que solo eso, sugieren respuestas a muchos de los misterios que el ser humano desde sus comienzos pugnó por resolver y aun continúan sin respuesta.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
EL SALTO CUANTICO.

Soy un amante de la ciencia ficción.

Me encanta leer em libros y ver en películas como historias que hasta la fecha son imposibles de suceder, se vuelven tan reales.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
Soy profesional independiente y por ahora la escritura no es mi médio de vida, aunque espero algún día que llegue a serlo porque la literatura es mi pasión.

Entonces me gusta escribir para salir de la rutina y así poder zambullirme en un mundo que considero mucho mejor que el real, aunque considero que no tengo hábitos que podrían llegar a catalogarse como inusuales.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
Stephen King fue el primero de ellos. Comencé a leerlo en mi adolescência;

Arthur C. Clarke, Isaac Asimov y Michael Crichton son otros que vienen a mi mente en este momento.

What are you working on now?
En este momento me hallo promocionando mi novela.

Debo confesar con cierta verguenza que no estaba presente en las redes sociales porque no me interesaba, pero seguí el consejo de expertos y para lograr mi objetivo hoy en día puedo decir que (no sin esfuerzo) he logrado incursionar con êxito en Facebook y Goodreads

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
Como mencione en el punto anterior, aprendí que la presencia en internet es crucial para lograr mi objetivo, así que no solo me inicie en las páginas mencionadas sino que también he creado la propia de la novela> www.el-salto-cuantico.com.ar

Allí podrán encontrar también un trailer de presentación del libro que armé por mi cuenta, también a fuerza de perseverancia y voluntad para aprender a utilizar una herramienta que no manejaba pero que hallé muy interesante: Windows Movie Maker.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
No me considero aun capacitado para dar consejos. Por el contrario, al ser yo también un autor novel, es que me siento en una etapa de aprendizaje donde estoy mas dispuesto a recibir consejos de los que saben que a darlos.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
PERSEVERAR es la clave. Nunca rendirse si el objtivo es cumplir un sueño.

What are you reading now?
Corazones en la Atlântida, de Stephen King

What’s next for you as a writer?
Espero poder promocionar mi novela con éxito. Considero fundamental ver si la misma resulta de interés para los lectores. Eso me impulsaría sin dudas a escribir una segunda parte, dado que el final de la historia es aberto.

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?
Cementerio de Animales y El Pasillo de la Muerte (Milagros Inesperados), de Stephen King.

El Hombre Mediocre, de José Ingenieros.

Los Secretos de la Mente Millonaria, de Eker, T. Harv

Author Websites and Profiles
Carlos Daniel Marchio Website
Carlos Daniel Marchio Amazon Profile

Carlos Daniel Marchio’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile

Carlos Daniel Marchio is a post from Awesome Gang

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I decided to become a writer when I was twelve years old thanks to a rusted screw with a crooked tip. One day, I was playing with blades of grass when my fingers brushed something deep in the roots. I dug it out to find a pathetic screw, but the impact it had on me was phenomenal; a story idea came to me. I grabbed a pen and notebook to write the beginning of that story, and just like that I was a writer.

I have completed quite a few manuscripts, including a four-book supernatural-thriller series.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
Hurricane Crimes is my latest release and is also my debut. It is a romantic-suspense short story published as an eBook by The Wild Rose Press.

I was inspired to write Hurricane Crimes on Christmas morning 2011, after I finished reading a book set during a blizzard, but since I’ve never been in a blizzard I thought: What about a book set during a hurricane? I started writing before Santa was even back at the North Pole!

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I act things out -especially movements as I’ve written a lot of fights. I’ve also had quite a few conversations with myself to create good dialogue.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
Nora Roberts and J.K. Rowling are my biggest influences. I aspire to be a fraction as good as these wonderful ladies, and although I may never get there I am willing to try.

What are you working on now?
I am currently working on my next romantic-suspense, 30 Seconds, with my editor. “When a woman finds herself in the middle of a war between a police force and a deadly mob, 30 seconds is a long time!”

I am also in the middle of writing another romance called In the Ring, which is about an unlikely but cute couple: a wrestler and a librarian.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
Social media. Any form of social media from Facebook to Goodreads is golden.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Keep dreaming, keep believing, keep writing!

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Become friends with other writers. This is by far the best advice I have ever heard and taken. Writers and authors are amazingly supportive and are willingly to help out their peers in any way they can.

What are you reading now?
Fifty Shades of Grey by E.L. James

I figured I should read it myself to develop my own opinion and not let other people’s opinions sway me.

What’s next for you as a writer?
More writing, of course!

If you were going to be stranded on a desert island and allowed to take 3 or 4 books with you what books would you bring?
1. Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte

2. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows by J.K. Rowling

3. The Host by Stephenie Meyer

4. After the Night by Linda Howard

Author Websites and Profiles
Chrys Fey Website
Chrys Fey Amazon Profile

Chrys Fey’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile
Facebook Profile

Chrys Fey is a post from Awesome Gang

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I am primarily a filmmaker, which means I write fiction in between writing, directing, and producing films. I’ve written six short stories and a novel or three, as well as several short films and TV scripts.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
The 13th Prophet is my latest story. I was inspired by Film Noir, and a very silly fashion accessory I saw on the subway one day. Like many sci-fi stories, it began with “What if….”

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I write at work and in the middle of parties, surrounded by people. Apparently, I focus best when distracted.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
Chuck Palahniuk didn’t as much influence my style as clear the path for my aspirations. Don DeLillo and William Gibson both greatly influenced my style. And when I’m writing about the British, I try to channel my inner Terry Pratchett.

What are you working on now?
I’m working on a YA fantasy with an anthropological flavor, as well as several short stories, films, and a sci-fi trilogy featuring my usual blend of deep philosophical musings, cyborgs, and really strange relationships.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
There’s a method?

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Find someone whose opinion you trust. Show them your work early and often.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Write a short story every week. (Great advice from Ray Bradbury. I wish I could follow it.)

What are you reading now?
“Scenes from an Unfinished War: Low-Intensity Conflict in Korea, 1966-1969″

What’s next for you as a writer?
The Nobel Prize, or a steady job – I’ll take whichever comes first.

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’m not sure, but “Special Forces Survival Guide: Wilderness Survival Skills from the World’s Most Elite Military Units” by Chris McNab would certainly be useful.

Author Websites and Profiles
T. Lucas Earle Website

T. Lucas Earle is a post from Awesome Gang

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I first started writing seriously after I had backpacked over half the world. I wanted to share my experience of travelling Australia, New Zealand and Canada so I wrote two memoirs about my adventures. I wanted to entertain my readers and make them laugh. These two books aren’t Lonely Planet travel guides by any means. I enjoyed writing these books so much I was inspired to write a fiction novel.

I’ve settled down now so I write full time. I have the company of my two dogs on most days and we all sit by the fire when it’s cold.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
It is called: ‘A Step Too Far’ and it’s my first fiction novel. After the success of the ‘Secret Confessions of a Backpacker’ series I was inspired to take my writing further. A Step Too Far is a light hearted chick-lit with many humorous moments. It’s the story of a woman who is challenged to make the most of her life but faces many surprising twists along the way.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
Not really I don’t think. I’m pretty boring like that. When I have an idea growing inside my mind I like to write a brief outline of the story. I outline chapter by chapter and often the framework is loose. This is done on purpose so when I actually write I am free to alter plotlines and ideas where I see fit. I don’t think I could sit down and start writing without doing any preparation first.

I usually spend my mornings on social media and then afternoons are spent writing. I work five days a week and promotional activities are done over the weekend.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
There are many, many authors who have influenced me. When I first started writing, I admired Belle de Jour’s candid, humorous style. My style, like hers, has often been described as frank and witty.

I think Sophie Kinsella and Chris Manby have influenced me because I have read so many of their books.

What are you working on now?
I’m currently writing my fourth book which is another ‘Confessions’ story. But this time it’s fiction.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
Like many, many other writers I still don’t feel experienced when it comes to promotion. All I can do is maintain a blog where my books are listed and try to sound interesting. I use social media sites like Facebook and Twitter but I can’t honestly say how effective they are at promoting my books. I’m constantly on the lookout for websites like this where I hope to reach more readers through advertising and newsletters. A lot of writers swear by mailing lists. So far, I’m hoping my luck lies in newsletters.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Keep on writing and don’t spend too much time trying to promote just one book.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
‘Keep on writing and don’t spend too much time trying to promote just one book.’

What are you reading now?
I got a Kindle for Christmas so I’m currently reading a very interesting story about a foster mother’s account. I like biographical books as well as chick-lit. A writer’s life can be lonely at times so these kind of books provide a connection with the outside world.

What’s next for you as a writer?
I want to finish my fourth book next year and I want to plan out my fifth and sixth book. The last two books are going to be chick-lit again. Maybe I’ll concoct a story about a woman whose lifetime goal is to have a baby. Then she has one and disasters ensue.

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?
Probably some memoirs which would provide a connection to the outside world. Or self help books that are aimed at getting off a desert island.

Author Websites and Profiles
L.K. Watts Website
L.K. Watts Amazon Profile
L.K. Watts Author Profile on Smashwords

L.K. Watts’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile
Facebook Profile
Twitter Account

L.K. Watts is a post from Awesome Gang

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
Donna Zadunajsky Malacina was born and raised in Bristolville, Ohio. She is 41 years old and resides in Homer Glen, Illinois. Ever since she was a teenager, she had an interest and a dream to write books. Six years ago that dream came true. She has written seven children’s books that are about her daughter and all the adventures that she has done in her young life. They are currently on the Barnes and Noble and Amazon website and at www.littletscorner.com, available in eBook and paperback.

She spends her time writing short stories as well as novels. She published her first novel, “Broken Promises,” June 2012, which is based on her life with an alcoholic and has currently finished her second novel “Not Forgotten” in May 2013, which is fiction and deals with some aspects of her life.

Besides writing, she enjoys spending time with her twelve-year-old daughter and her husband, their two dogs and two cats. She enjoys collecting Elvis Presley memorabilia, reading, working on crafts, and gardening. She graduated from The Institute of Children’s Literature.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
Not Forgotten, is my latest book. It was a story I started about seven years ago and decided it needed finished, though the complete story has changed to what I originally had.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
My writing habits have changed, I write characters and parts of my plots out before I even begin writing. I also do lots and I mean lots of research as I tend to add tons of facts in my novels.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
Stephen King inspired me when I was a teenager and as I got older he still is at the top of my list, but I also like Kristin Hannah and Nicholas Sparks and many many more different authors.

What are you working on now?
I am working on my third novel, though I’m not sure of the title yet. After my last novel “Not Forgotten”, which at the end of the book should have named it “Destiny Lane”. So now I wait until the first draft is finished before giving my book a title.

I don’t really like to discuss to much of the book before I’m finished, mostly because things change as I’m writing.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I love Amazon, but there are hundreds of different places I go to promote my books. I also post on Facebook and twitter. I have a blog that I use to talk about my books as well.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
My advice to other authors, especially new. Never stop trying. Write as much as you can everyday or when you can write because the more you work with it the better you will become.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
The best advice I got when I first started writing novels was to sit and finish the book no matter what. I had two books going at the same time and was always making up excuses not to continue. I went to my local library that was having an Author Event and one author said to just pick one and work on it until it is finished. Make a goal when you want to complete the book and work towards that goal.

What are you reading now?
I read many books at a time, never was like that before but I seem to be able to absorb multiple books at once.

I am reading Barely Breathing by Heather Allen.

What’s next for you as a writer?
I hope to continue writing, it’s what I love to do. I want to write to inspire other people and have them read what I write.

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?
Tough question! “A Bend in the Road” by Nicholas Sparks, “Misery” by Stephen King, “Fly Away Lane” by Kristin Hannah and “Magic Hour” by Kristin Hannah.

Author Websites and Profiles
Donna Zadunajsky Website
Donna Zadunajsky Amazon Profile
Donna Zadunajsky Author Profile on Smashwords

Donna Zadunajsky’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile
Facebook Profile
Twitter Account
Pinterest Account

Donna Zadunajsky is a post from Awesome Gang

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I guess you could say that violence began my journey, because I would never have been alone for hours in a college library while my mother finished her classes for the day if not for a military takeover that led to us leaving Liberia for the U.S. In Liberia, I had cousins to hang out with, in America, I dressed, acted, smelled and even ate differently from everyone else. I didn’t have a close friend until a year after we came to this country. Books filled in the gaps. I read everything I could get my hands on. I disappeared from my mother’s side in every store we went to but she never panicked because she knew she could always find me wherever the books were.

Eventually, I wanted to harness the magic for myself and I started to write. My first story featured my best friend, Jay Michael Watson and I being shrunk down by a mysterious ray from space to six inches. I don’t know exactly how I picked six inches, maybe I wanted to be small but still be able to tower over my GI Joes. Anyway, I stored that story and others like it for years in one of my mother’s discarded college three ring binders. Eventually some well meaning adult told me that writing wasn’t a good way to earn a living and I started to let my dream die slowly.

My mother and my Aunty Womi were both constantly urging me to publish, but I was always intimidated by the prospect of multiple rejections. I never doubted that I would be rejected. All of my literary influences, including both Roberts (B. Parker and E. Howard) experienced rejection at one time or another. To paraphrase Jesus, “The student is not greater than the master.”

I didn’t write creatively again until college. Professor Earl Braggs made me not only keep a journal but also create three pieces of original, creative fiction. I couldn’t stand that class! I was more interested in pledging a fraternity and girls.

I wrote random pieces here and there, even edited the Black Student Association’s campus magazine but I focused my energies on nonfiction pieces for the most part. Then once again, some well-meaning adult told brought up the years of rejection writers face and the low wages entry level journalists earn. Strangely enough, no one brought up the notion of freelancing while working another job to me at all.

Again writing fell by the wayside.

Then one day while sitting next to a howitzer outside Falluja, Iraq, bored but grateful that no one from the other side was currently shooting at me, I idly picked up a notebook and started to write. I completed twelve chapters of that novel while deployed to Falluja, Iraq. Unfortunately for my writing, I eventually returned to my day job as an insurance claim adjuster and had no more time to write. This time though, I’d seen how my life could be and I was dissatisfied with a future spent in a cubicle even if I had the only one by the window.

I ditched the cubicle and worked electrical construction for the next five years. With a little more free time, I freelanced for the now defunct ezine Digital Media Buzz and loved every minute, cranking out a tech article a week despite being woefully ignorant about tech topics and working ten hour days as an apprentice lineman!

I contacted potential sources at 6:00 p.m. after I got home and in front of my home PC, this was in the early days of cellphones before smartphones made the Internet readily accessible. Because most of my sources were on the West Coast, my contact efforts would get them in the afternoon when they were either winding down their days or else I’d just schedule an interview for the next day. My pitch was always, “I tell you what, let’s talk at 9:00 a.m. your time so you have a chance to get in the office and get settled before we talk.” They loved that I never tried to jump on them first thing in the morning. The real reason was that 9:00 a.m. for them coincided with my construction crew’s 12:00 noon lunch break! I’d jump in a spare truck by myself, break out my digital recorder and make my call. Lunch was only thirty minutes long, so I had to be concise with my questions if I wanted to be able to eat. I’d wind up the interview, telling my source that out of respect for their schedule, I’d just email any follow up questions and they could respond in the same way. They definitely loved that! But I couldn’t have them calling me at random times while I was in a ditch laying PVC pipe now could I? Anyway, despite all of that, I prided myself on never putting out a single article that looked like it was written by someone who just climbed out of a ditch.

After DMB folded, I was a little at a loss. The best time in my life seemed over. Then one day, my son Marshal turned off the radio while we were running errands around town and requested that I tell him a story. And that’s how Zac was born.

I live far enough away from Atlanta to avoid having to help pay for the long neglected sewer systems but close enough to enjoy its legendary traffic. This gave me plenty of time to give Zac a girlfriend and problems to both of them. I’d stop the story when we exited the Jeep and he’d pester me to resume whenever we got back in it. He was so into Zac’s and Mya’s story that I gave him the printed manuscript as a fifteen birthday gift. Just holding that bound manuscript from Staples snapped some of the fear chains off of my soul.

I’ve completed three books in the “A Different Kind of Giant” series with a fourth story outline in the series planned. One, Pit Stop is already out, and the rest are upcoming.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
Pit Stop (A Different Kind of Giant). After DMB folded, I was a little at a loss. The best time in my life seemed over. Then one day, my son Marshal turned off the radio while we were running errands around town and requested that I tell him a story. And that’s how Zac was born.

I live far enough away from Atlanta to avoid having to help pay for the long neglected sewer systems but close enough to enjoy its legendary traffic. This gave me plenty of time to give Zac a girlfriend and problems to both of them. I’d stop the story when we exited the Jeep and he’d pester me to resume whenever we got back in it. He was so into Zac’s and Mya’s story that I gave him the printed manuscript as a fifteen birthday gift. Just holding that bound manuscript from Staples snapped some of the fear chains off of my soul.

While trying to boost my chances of acceptance by traditional publishers I created and entered Pit Stop in a magazine contest as one final try at traditional publishing. In grand literary tradition, I was rejected hard. So I imposed a deadline on myself and started to do all of the things an independent author does, including finding an editor. I tried using friends and family as editors. No Bueno. But I was too green to know where to get help so I sent out an SOS on LinkedIn and Denise answered. She’s been a Godsend; insightful, patient and supportive. I also paid for the copyright on my work and found a cover designer. Finally, on December 14, 2013, I became a published author. I stared at the notification email that “Pit Stop” was on the site for about twenty minutes before I could talk enough to tell my wife. Dream come true.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
My family thinks it’s hysterical that if I get an inspiration, I’ll stop what I’m doing an immediately go jot it down! Maybe weird is a better word but hey I’d rather have a wet carpet ’cause I got an idea in the shower than lose it and be kicking myself later!

What authors, or books have influenced you?
As far as the writing process, there are many but Robert B. Parker’s especially the Spenser series stands out. Todd Strasser’s “Boot Camp” is a recent read that I really learned a lot from. Oddly enough I’ve picked up a great deal from reading the acknowledgments section of Eric Jerome Dickey’s books especially Chasing Destiny, which describes the process of building a character from a writing workshop and the Gideon series, which are helpful in talking about the process of entering a new genre. I enjoyed actually reading those books as well, but EJD’s acknowledgements are like taking a day workshop.

I love Robert E. Howard’s work, especially Conan and Solomon Kane, because of his ability to create multi-dimensional characters who defied then conventional wisdom to essentially create a new literary genre! I like the Bran Mak Morn stories too because they show how he developed along the way to creating Conan.

James Byron Huggins was really influential in my ability to see that heroes don’t have to be faithless or agnostic to be compelling.

The Batman stories, especially Frank Miller’s take on the character, and EJD’s “Gideon stories” showed me how to build a tragic backstory into a character as well as to show the effect of early loss on a person with resources.

In terms of my approach to this business, I’d have to say Michael Sullivan, Hugh Howey and Amanda Hocking as well as Charles Saunders, the creator of the Imaro series. Simultaneous to my rejections from publishers and literary magazines, I learned that Riyria creator Michael J. Sullivan’s work was rejected for ten years but took off when he self-published. That night, I saw an article from the March 8, 2013 edition of the Atlanta Journal Constitution discussing Hugh Howey’s success with the “Wool” series. I enjoyed Charles Saunders’ excellent “Imaro” series, if you enjoy sword and sorcery, grab it but I could never find the third book. Then I saw that although he began as a traditional author he’s now doing print on demand through Lulu. Information like that really influenced my move to indie authorship.

What are you working on now?
Aside from promoting “Pit Stop” and trying to learn all I can about this business, I’m working on the cover for my next book “A Different Kind of Giant”. Aside from cover it is complete and will be out in March. Fans of “Pit Stop” will get the chance to see Zac and Mya’s backstory and experience the twists and turns that led them to a motorcycle ride in Alabama. You’ll also see what motivated a Little Person to buy a motorcycle, find out about Zac’s love for dogs and what brought the couple together.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
Right now, Twitter and Facebook seem to be the most successful methods but I’ve got some other irons in the fire right now that may pan out as well.

I also learned that simply connecting what I read and review any way on Amazon to my own writing is a way to attract readers although I don’t necessarily only read in the genre in which I write.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
1. ACT on your dreams. Remember the barrel ride? If you wait until the river is smooth and free of attackers before you start the journey, you’ll never get anywhere.

2. PAY for editing. Too many author published books have reviews that begin with, “Could use an editor”. I’ve read somewhere that one negative review has a greater impact than five positive ones. Pay for editing.

3. PAY for the copyright! Do I really have to explain this one?

4. DON’T be social media obnoxious once the book is out. I just saw this again in a great post by Jason Matthews and basically that means don’t pull a John Greaves III and generate tons of posts urging people to buy your book, thanking people for buying your book, etc. all with helpful hyperlinks to your sales page to people you barely know. Thankfully, I’m past that.

5. KEEP writing! You don’t know which one of your books will resonate with readers and all books don’t grab all readers. However, people tend to buy multiple books by authors they like, so write a lot to increase the number of fish hooks you’ve got in the water.

6. BECOME a student of your craft! You are a wordsmith. What good would the finest swords be if the blacksmith never learned the path to getting his sword to market where warriors could buy them?

7. CHECK SALES PAGE IN IT’S ENTIRETY! I couldn’t understand why readers who viewed my book also were viewing some pretty risque romance novels until I scrolled all of the way down and discovered that Amazon had mistakenly listed my book under erotica! That also meant that Pit Stop was excluded from general searching and difficult to find by my young adult target audience! This was at Christmas time when I was trying to take advantage of any new Kindle sales. This took several phone calls and emails to resolve but I’ll never know how bad the financial impact was!

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Three things stand out:

1. I’ve heard this from several authors through the years but I most recently read it in a blog by Charles Saunders, “…concentrate on writing good stories with fast-moving plots,compelling characters and intriguing backgrounds. Readers will be attracted to those stories provided they become aware of the stories’ existence.”

2. From Joanna Penn, “Author’s are owners of a small business whose product is their writing. Ultimately, no matter if they have agents, publishers etc or not, they’re responsible for the marketing and quality control of the products that business puts out”.

3. From Professor Earl Braggs at University of Tennessee at Chattanooga, “Trust and distrust your intuition”. Not every 3 AM inspiration is a winner, but not every idea is a loser either, hone your instincts to be able to tell the difference.

What are you reading now?
Fiction: Fargo by John Benteen, this is a reprint of a classic adventure series following a soldier of fortune from the early 1900s. After that I’m planning on picking up the “Black Pulp” anthology edited by Tommy Hancock, Gary Phillips and Morgan Minor.

What’s next for you as a writer?
As I said, “A Different Kind of Giant” is complete and will be out in March. Fans of “Pit Stop” will get the chance to see Zac and Mya’s backstory and experience the twists and turns that led them to a motorcycle ride in Alabama. The next book, “It’s Not The Size Of The Dwarf In The Fight” is the sequel to “Pit Stop”, taking us back to Zac’s hometown in Rhea County, TN where he encounters a dog fighting ring. That’s going through the editing process right now.

After that, I’m switching gears to complete a manuscript for a historical fantasy novel, featuring Cain, Abel and Jesus Christ. That one will surely cause some controversy.

So my year is pretty packed out.

If you were going to be stranded on a desert island and allowed to take 3 or 4 books with you what books would you bring?
Bible, “Cain” James Byron Huggins, Kon-Tiki Across The Pacific On A Raft, SAS Survival Handbook.

Author Websites and Profiles
John Greaves III Website
John Greaves III Amazon Profile

John Greaves III’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile
Facebook Profile
Twitter Account

John Greaves III is a post from Awesome Gang

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I am a senior professor of biochemistry at two universities and a first time novelist. I have published over 200 scientific articles and edited two scientific books and am editing a third. My novel was written for the general public as a way to inform and amuse the reader about academic science competitiveness in obtaining funding and what could go wrong if someone got really upset about not getting grant funds. It’s a murder mystery with humor and romance.

———————-

Henry Jay Forman, Ph.D.

Distinguished Professor of Biochemistry and Chemistry

University of California, Merced

Research Professor of Gerontology

University of Southern California

President, Society for Free Radical Biology & Medicine

Reviews Editor, Free Radical Biology & Medicine

Telephone: +1 209-658-2817 Fax: +1 818-301-4918

Email: peroxideman@gmail.com

Web page: http://sites.google.com/site/hjforman/

Books: https://www.amazon.com/author/hjforman

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
Poisonous Science is a murder mystery that takes place in the academic world. But, to make sure it could be understood by a general audience, I had two non-academic non-scientists edit it. There is humor and romance woven into a well-constructed puzzle. I was inspired to write the novel because I read mysteries and thought how my own experiences could be used to write one. The first thought was about 12 years ago. About 2 years ago, the situation of funding in science became significantly worse. The novel concerns what would happen if someone whose life was altered by an unfair decision about a proposal to study a poison decided to fix the problem by poisoning people involved.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
Because I am very busy with my work, I write late at night or when I’m traveling on Amtrak between the two universities. So, it took a long time to write. It is much more difficult to write fiction than science.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
Jonathan Kellerman’s novels have the greatest influence. I also like David Baldacci, and Brad Meltzer. In the past, I read probably every Agatha Christie and Arthur Conan-Doyle story.

What are you working on now?
Two scientific papers and editing a book on a scientific topic. I also started a blog to explain research in my field to general readers.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
Sent out emails to friends and colleagues.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Decide what your goal is and who you want your audience to be.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Write about what you know.

What are you reading now?
Dazzled, a murder mystery by another author I recently met. I also read, review and edit several manuscripts each week for science journals.

What’s next for you as a writer?
A second murder mystery using some of the characters I created in the first novel.

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?
Einstein by Walter Isaacson, 11/22/63 by Stephen King, Fifth Assassin by Brad Meltzer, and identical by Scott Turow.

Author Websites and Profiles
Henry Forman Amazon Profile

Henry Forman’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile

Henry Forman is a post from Awesome Gang

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I live in a small Connecticut town with my husband. I love reading, writing, the NY Yankees, and nice beaches! My debut novel was released by E-Lit Books December 9th. I’m represented by The Literary Council and am quietly working on my second novel.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
My first and latest book, THE ART OF BEING REBEKKAH, the one released on December 9th, is women’s fiction with lots of romance and suspense. It started off as a short story, but was never published. I love Jewish fiction and I wanted to write something the market wasn’t saturated with. E.g. vampires!

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
Have to have my glass of Coke with me when I write and I prefer silence. No music, no TV, no talking. Just my cone of silence.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
Naomi Ragen; Debbie Macomber; Joan Hess; Ann B. Ross; Danielle Steele

What are you working on now?
A cozy mystery set in upstate New York.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I love doing blog tours and guest blogging.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Love what you write. Don’t write about mermaids if you hate mermaids just because everyone else is writing about them.

What are you reading now?
Joan Hess’ novel, Murder As a Second Language.

What’s next for you as a writer?
Outline my third novel while I’m promoting my first and writing my second.

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 Ann B. Ross or Joan Hess.

Author Websites and Profiles
Karoline Barrett Website

Karoline Barrett’s Social Media Links
Twitter Account

Karoline Barrett is a post from Awesome Gang

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I am from the romantic Pocono Mountains but I adore writing about about the land of paradise in the Florida Keys. The keys are filled with love, romance, moonlit nights and full moons that are so much more vivid than any place else I’ve ever been.

I’ve written two books so far, What Tomorrow Brings and Nothing Waits Forever

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
The latest book that I released is called Nothing Waits Forever, the story of Jon and Abby. What inspired it was that I loved writing What Tomorrow Brings so much that I didn’t want to stop at their story. So, I thought that Jon, Jake’s twin brother, needed his own story.

Abby dresses up like Pippi Longstocking, where she volunteers at a hopsice center. I loved the stories of Pippi when I was younger and wanted to incorporate her unique personality into my main character. Especially since Abby never lived a normal life, so I thought it would be fun to add a splash of Pippi to her character.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I have a ritual, get coffee, read online bible passages for a few minutes and then do some prayer. This all happens before I start my writing. It’s the only way I start my day but it isn’t unusual. I’m sure others do the same as well.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
So many authors have influenced me. I spent a lot of time at the library and loved reading the classics. Little House on the Prairie was one of my favorites. As far as romance, I used to “borrow” my Mom’s books and that’s how I started enjoying romance when I was about fifteen. She had this one trilogy called One Wore Blue, One Wore Gray and One Rode West. When I read the three books, I said to myself that I was going to write a romance someday.

What are you working on now?
I am currently working on Key West Wild. One of the characters from Nothing Waits Forever, Joshua Eden, an undercover agent, who spent the last ten years as a homeless man working for the government, spends some time in Key West trying to decide what he wants to do next.

Along comes Sara Rose, the sister of another agent. She had plans to stay with her brother after getting out of a bad marriage, but when she gets to Key West, her brother is missing and she winds up managing a bed and breakfast. It’s still in the works and I’m not quite sure what happens next, but the characters will often come alive and let me know in which direction they are moving. Sara just wanted to get wild in Key West and Joshua wanted peace and quiet. It’s going to be fun to see what happens next.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I am a basically new to promoting my books, but I know social media is a good way to get your name out there. I don’t think you should ‘sell’ yourself, but get to know readers and people and establish a relationship with them. It’s important to me to return mail and answer any questions as soon as I can.

Awesomegang.com is turning out to be a great support for writers. The advertising is affordable and when you have a free promo, they help promote your book. Don’t hesitate to use this website to promote.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Just keep writing. Don’t stop and never, ever give up. It may seem as if you are going nowhere at first, but no one has ever gotten where they are by throwing in the towel.

Success is out there and any genre can be successful. It’s just a matter of work and how much you want success.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
My mentor told me that I have all the tools I need to keep writing, so don’t fall for all of the ads and promotions out there. I could spend a small fortune buying everyone’s programs. She told me to write and write and write and I will become better and better every day. So, that’s what I am doing.

What are you reading now?
I just finished reading a sweet romance called Way Out West, about a man who builds a western town as a get-a-way for people to unwind and forget about their real world. It’s a great concept and I could see a series of books about it.

What’s next for you as a writer?
To keep writing every day. I actually have a historical romance in the works that I started a few years back. I may bring that out and see what I can do with it.

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, I would bring my own as you can never get done editing. Then, if I needed a good, long book to keep me going, it would have to be Stephen King’s 11/22/63. I have been meaning to read it for months and it’s so thick. I think if I were stranded, it would be a great time to start. My bible would be the one book I could not leave behind.

Author Websites and Profiles
Cyndi Raye Website
Cyndi Raye Author Profile on Smashwords

Cyndi Raye’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile
Facebook Profile
Twitter Account
Pinterest Account

Cyndi Raye is a post from Awesome Gang

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I am a college student finishing up her Bachelors in International Relations and stay at home mom. I live in Michigan with my husband, son and other assorted “kids”. If I’m not writing I’m either reading, getting random ideas from like Pinterest or gaming either on my desktop or at the table during our game nights. I started down the self publishing path when I discovered that it was now cost efficient with a small of a budget as I work with usually to put out the story I wanted to tell and not get years, if I wasn’t lucky, of rejection letters.

I just released my debut novel which is the first book in my fantasy series, Birthright Secrets called Vengeance of Segennya.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
As I mentioned my latest and first book is Vengeance of Segennya. As far as what inspired it was out of a conversation between my then boyfriend and I were having discussing a different story I was working on for possible publication. The exact moment or what it was that was the actual inspiration is sadly lost to memory since that conversation was now over seven years ago. After that I grabbed a spare notebook I had in my backseat of my car, started writing gave it to him and he fell in love with it which meant a lot because he really needs to love a book to really read it. I would have to also say though my love of fantasy books also played a big role in the book as well.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I might be unusual since I typical skirt what I guess is are the two main schools of novel writing of doing an outline or just plotting. I try not to outline too much, at any given point I will just outline just the major points only that are happening to make sure I reach them when I should. Other than that though I really prefer plotting because you go so many interesting places that you might not have thought of.

Another unusual habit I suppose I have is that I cannot write when the room is absolute silence, doesn’t matter what it is I need background noise. This also might be a side effect of having a toddler running around most of the time so this might not be that unusual though it definitely is different than the typical writing advice.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
I would have to say any books or authors I’ve read in recent years. While I know there’s more than this I would say the largest number of books I’ve read are from like authors like Brandon Sanderson, Anne Bishop and I have to add the Harry Potter books.

What are you working on now?
I’m working on a novella that is set in the Birthright Secrets universe and bridges partly the time between what happens in Vengeance and its sequel. Its currently called Kakri and will hopefully be finished and ready to go in the next few months. I’m also working on the sequel to Vengeance of Segennya which is currently called Darkness’s Fury that will hopefully be out late summer or early fall 2014.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
It is really a tie between my personal blog since I’m always getting some feedback and growing my audience on it and my Facebook page. The Facebook page would probably would be the best if not for the lack of reach it has at times but by far has the best means of direct interaction since its easy to quick get on the page to do a short announcement or question. That being said I love the depth I can get on my blog since on Facebook I feel I should be a lot shorter overall because no one wants to read a wall of text on their timelines about once a day if I’m updating a lot.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
It cannot be stressed enough to simply not give up because there are times you will doubt yourself and want to just toss everything to the back of a closet and forget it. You have to silence that voice for the most part though in certain situations sometimes that doubt can help you make a better story but for the most part let it be and ignore it.

Secondly, I would stress the importance especially if you’re publishing of not thinking of what will sell but to write what you love to tell the best story you can. That comes later worrying about that but if you’re writing to the masses writing the story will become more of a chore and headache than enjoyable.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
So much advice heard over the years, good and bad. At the moment what stands out to me is that old saying about the road less traveled being the best, or whichever version you chose. To me the well worn and used path is the more secure one yes, but is it as fun? So yeah it is an amazing idea to take that off path that no one really uses, though yes one can argue that the self publishing route is become more crowded just as much as traditional. You will stumble over a root or two at times but you have to pick yourself up and keep going to see where the path leads.

What are you reading now?
I’ve been reading a bit of a George R. R. Martin, Song of Ice and Fire and just finished a Dance with Dragons. I’ve been re-reading older books I have like from Anne Bishop because really if I don’t I would go broke since I read that fast and often. I’ve also have been working on finishing The Name of the Wind by Patrick Rothfuss.

What’s next for you as a writer?
As I said above I have two books planned for a 2014 release. I have a lot of ideas that go in the current year possibly being started but are more than likely to be seen in 2015. Admittedly most of these are in the Birthright Secrets universe but I have some that are outside but need more fine tuning before much happens with them.

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 was enjoyable but I’m going to say Dance with Dragons for length as well for number one since that took even me quite a while to get through. Warbreaker by Brandon Sanderson is my second choice, A Hundred Thousand Kingdoms by N. K. Jemisin is my third choice, and for my last choice I can’t decide which Black Jewels book by Anne Bishop since as I mentioned I tend to re-read them a lot.

Author Websites and Profiles
Tiffany Cherney Website
Tiffany Cherney Amazon Profile
Tiffany Cherney Author Profile on Smashwords

Tiffany Cherney’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile
Facebook Profile
Twitter Account
Pinterest Account

Tiffany Cherney is a post from Awesome Gang

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I live in north central Illinois though I did 8 years in Tucson and another 8 in Austin. I’m a software engineer by profession though I’d really like to change that to full time author. I’m married to a wonderful woman and have two slightly insane children and one neurotic golden retriever. I have always had to have some creative outlet in my life and this has ranged from my first horrid attempt at a novel when I was 12, to poetry and literary short fiction right after my first stint in college, a few years playing rhythm guitar in a band and now I’ve returned to writing with a vengeance.

At this time I’ve got one book published, another in a hefty rewrite and cleanup and three more in various stages of completion.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
My novel is called Waking Dreams: The Torment of Colin Pierce. As with nearly everything I write it was inspired by a scene that played out in my head while running with music blasting in my headphones. The scene was one where a boy dreams of a house fire and when he wakes up he’s covered in burns. I’ve always had a fascination with dreams. It’s not really the hidden meanings of dreams that capture my attention. It’s how the mind stretches to create and live in the small, temporary realities we create while we dream. The mechanics of how dreams work, how we perceive them and how they affect us. I think one of my favorite dream mechanic is when you’re dreaming along a storyline and all of a sudden everything changes and your sleeping mind has to backtrack and change the history of your dream to account for huge shifts in context. One minute you’re flying in an airplane talking to an ex-lover wistfully, and the next you’re is school being chased by zombies. The transition feels smooth and it’s not only you wake up that things seem ridiculous. Someone once said that fiction has to make more sense than reality, and the marriage of dreams and fiction feels like a wonderful setting.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
Nothing really unusual I suppose. I write everyday for at least an hour, sometimes more. I use a MacBook Pro and story board with post-it notes on a huge whiteboard. I like to write in coffee shops with my headphones on blaring out something raucous and emotional–the louder the better. I do my best thinking while either driving or running.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
My two favorite authors are Charles DeLint and Neil Gaiman. They represent what I strive for in terms of the simple act of creating a story. Both authors are masters at introducing magic and mystery into the world we actually live in. They create worlds that exist within our world and that gives the reader this feeling that he or she could actually see or visit that world–it’s not completely out of reach. I also read a lot of other things. I love space opera–David Weber is my guilty pleasure there. I enjoy all the usual epic fantasy writers, especially Brandon Sanderson. I also have enjoyed the early and latest works of Neal Stephenson.

What are you working on now?
My current novel, The Scary Girls, is about a young guitarist that through a chance meeting with 4 mysterious and slightly scary women is introduced to a world that exists within the one he has always lived in. It is a world populated by monsters, myths and magic and it lurks just out of sight of the real world. He joins a band with the Scary Girls and is set on a path of self discovery and exploration. Music and magic lead him to a shocking discovery about who he really is.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I use Facebook, Twitter, Goodreads and my own website. So far Goodreads and Facebook have been my best points of exposure.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Build the habit of writing often and on a regular schedule. Define your ideal working environment. Go to that place and keep your habit alive. Stopping is the enemy. Don’t be afraid to table something if you’re stuck. Come back to it a few days or weeks later and in the meantime work on something else. It’s all about momentum.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
My short fiction teacher at the University of Illinois, Jean Thompson, once told me that all good writers have one thing in common–they all have a builtin bullshit detector. You have to be able to look at what you’ve written and identify what is bad. Often it’s the very parts you love the best and it’s hard to look at those things objectively.

What are you reading now?
I’m in the middle of a few things. NOS4A2 by Joe Hill, REAMDE by Neal Stephenson and the second Sandman Slim book by Richard Kadrey. I’ve got other things in various stages of read but those are the ones that are sitting closest to my hands. I also read some non-fiction and right now that includes On War by Carl Von Clausewitz and The Physics of the Future by Michio Kaku.

What’s next for you as a writer?
I really want to get a couple more books on my list of published works. I’m fighting for exposure at this point. Marketing the first book, working on the current one, and planning the third. Juggling. I am working hard to change careers to be a full time writer.

If you were going to be stranded on a desert island and allowed to take 3 or 4 books with you what books would you bring?
I’d bring:

Someplace to be Flying by Charles De Lint

American Gods by Neil Gaiman

Interface by Stephen Bury (Neal Stephenson)

The Way of Kings by Brandon Sanderson

Author Websites and Profiles
JD Kaplan Website
JD Kaplan Amazon Profile

JD Kaplan’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile
Facebook Profile
Twitter Account

JD Kaplan is a post from Awesome Gang

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
The Andromeda Incident and The Captain’s Propensity is R.J. DeNardo’s first and second in his trilogy, novel. In 1990, he self-published a small book of poems and accompanying black-and-white photographs of Key West, Florida, where he lived for four years. This book is the culmination of a nearly one-year effort to develop it from a short story to a full-length novel. He is currently writing his second novel, a sequel to The Andromeda Incident and The Captain’s Propensiy, titled: “Out of Chaos Comes Hope”. The author is also a professional wholistic therapist who lives, writes and practices in Jasper, Georgia, Palm Springs, California and Key West, Florida. The Author can be contacted via email only at: daotaoist@yahoo.com or by phone at 760-980-2078

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
“Out of Chaos Comes Hope” It was inspired by my wanting to complete my Sci-Fi Fantasy trilogy adventure series.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I write the whole truth and nothing but the truth when it comes to life, both Hu-man and Alien alike. No holds barred. I also write in the first, second and third persons.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
All of Arthur C. Clarke’s Sci-Fi novels

What are you working on now?
The Sci-Fi Fantasy Adventure of the Ages, Part 2

The Captain’s Propensity:

The Andromeda Incident II

The sci-fi fantasy novel The Captain’s Propensity tells the amazing story of the sometimes buffoonish, former United League of Planets Captain Robert Michael Calyx and his adventures and misadventures in the fortieth century.
This once venerable but now decommissioned captain is presumably just along for the ride aboard the Starship Americus III, a newly upgraded, powerful, and swift tachyon-driven starship that’s capable of traveling one thousand times the speed of light.
Americus III is on its maiden voyage to the planetary system of Rigel, a most bewildering star located in the constellation Orion. The trip will take the starship 860 light years from the United League of Planets’ humongous Star-Station, Earth II, which asynchronously orbits high above the extremely polluted and dying planet Earth.
Holy Jeranian Cow! Find out what’s in store for the captain, the extraterrestrial beings he meets, and more importantly, for planet Earth in this mixed-up tale of adventure and wittiness.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?

http://sun-ergy.net/ero.aspx

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Just hang in there. Do not let anyone discourage you from writing, in exactly the way you want to write it.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Just hang in there. Do not let anyone discourage you from writing, in exactly the way you want to write it.

What are you reading now?
Nothing, too busy finishing up my third novel

What’s next for you as a writer?
Writing a murder mystery

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?
Childhood’s End

I Robot

2001 Space Odyssey.

Author Websites and Profiles
R.J. DeNardo Website
R.J. DeNardo Amazon Profile

R.J. DeNardo is a post from Awesome Gang

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
First, I want to thank Awesome Gang for this service. My wife has heard all my stories, so it’s nice to get to torture/entertain other people.

I’m never quite sure how to tell people about myself. I end up sounding like a robot: Hello, my name is James, I live in Montana, I like woodworking and chips and salsa (insert robot sounding voice here).

Seriously though, I really do live in Montana and like those things. I also have a Mini-Schnauzer named Jonesy, my wife is my high-school sweetheart, and I’m a US Army veteran. Like most writers, I have three jobs and hope one day to whittle that down to just one job…writing! However, I will happily work three jobs forever if that is what it takes to keep writing. It is my dream and passion in life. And I am very fortunate to have a supportive family, although my other passion in life is pranking my wife, so some days the support is a little less than normal

I’ve written thousands of words over the last 15 years, and currently I have seven novels published. I also have one published short story. My eighth novel is nearing completion! Thank goodness I already finished playing Halo 4, or it probably wouldn’t be as far along as it is. Just kidding, I write everyday!

The last thing I can think of to say is a huge thank you to all the readers out there. I truly mean that. My dream is to live my life doing what I love, and to write stories that let you escape into new, and hopefully, exciting worlds. Without you that isn’t possible, so thank you!

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
The name of my latest book is Wrath of the Fallen, and it is the last volume in my Heirs of the Fallen series. I think the main inspiration for this story was, believe it or not, the main character Leitos Valara. He was living in my mind a long time before I wrote this series. He was supposed to be a character in another story, but it just didn’t work out. I really liked him though. I kept thinking about him, and I decided to write a series with him at the center. I think he inspires me because he is all the things my inner child/self wants to be. His life is hard, but he rises to the challenge. He may not handle it the best way all the time, but in the end he always comes back around! I heard someone say once, “Adversity doesn’t just reveal who you are, it reveals who you decide to become.”. That is what Leitos, and this series, represents. He has the strength to stand up for what he believes in, and that is who I hope to be as well.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
Oh boy. Yep! I seem to write best starting at 4:30am, even though for years I argued with my brain about this schedule. My brain won. I also have to listen to music, and I swing from one end of the spectrum to the other here. One day it’s metal, the next day I want classical. And last but not least, if I hit a wall I find that a generous serving of chips and salsa fixes me right up

What authors, or books have influenced you?
I love this question because I get to talk about my favorite authors! I would say my biggest influences are Stephen King, Robert Jordan, and George R. R. Martin. I can read their books over and over again. I read The Talisman when I was a kid, and my life was never the same. I have many more authors and books that I love, but those three made a real impact on me.

What are you working on now?
Currently I’m working on the next book in my Songs of the Scorpion series. It’s called Skin of the Dragon, and I hope to have it out by the end of February. That’s all I can say, no spoilers!

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
This is a hard question, because I really struggle with marketing. The business side of writing is very difficult for me, mostly because I have no idea what I am doing. If I have to pick something, I would say advertising is my best method. It has really helped me reach new readers. My blog also helps quite a bit, even though I don’t put up new posts all the time.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
I know they hear this all the time, but keep writing new books and never quit. Ever. You never know what will work. It has taken me over two years to finally break onto the Amazon bestseller lists, and start reaching readers. Promotion is hard, and it takes time and trial and error to figure out what works. Keep plugging away, because if you want it bad enough you will accomplish your goals.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
What a question! I love it. I’ve heard so much excellent advice over the years, but I can think of one piece that really resonated with me. Surround yourself with positive people.

It is so easy to be negative and pessimistic. I am guilty of that more often than I care to admit. But when you surround yourself with positive people, they lift you up and keep you going on your bad days.

What are you reading now?
I am reading The Way of Kings, by Brandon Sanderson.

What’s next for you as a writer?
I hope to keep pushing the limits of my craft, and hopefully not the limits of my brain I’m shooting for a productive, and fun, 2014!

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?
Another great question!

Okay, here are the books I would bring:

The Eye of the World, by Robert Jordan, because it is 814 pages of awesome that I never get tired of.

The Talisman, by Stephen King, for the same reason I am bringing The Eye of the World.

The Man Called Noon, by Louis L’Amour, because I loved westerns as a kid and this one was my favorite.

And last but not least:

How to Survive Being Stranded on a Desert Island, by anyone who has written a book like that, because what good does it do me to bring my favorite books if I don’t survive long enough to enjoy them?!

Author Websites and Profiles
James A. West Website
James A. West Amazon Profile

James A. West’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile
Facebook Profile
Twitter Account

James A. West is a post from Awesome Gang

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I work as a full-time technical writer/editor for a large software company. Though my love of books reaches back to my childhood, I had never read romance novels until one Christmas when my sister gave me the latest bestseller by Nora Roberts. I was hooked from page one (actually, it was the first love scene). I had always wanted to write fiction, so I combined my love of history, romance and a happy ending to write my debut novel Cera’s Place. My short story, The Gypsy Casts a Spell, is available for free on my website http://elizabethmckenna.com/. I hope you will enjoy my latest novel, Venice in the Moonlight, as much as others have enjoyed my previous works.

I live in Wisconsin with my understanding husband, two beautiful daughters, and a sassy Labrador. When I’m not writing, working, or being a mom, I’m sleeping.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
My latest novel is “Venice in the Moonlight.” A young widow discovers her father’s murderer is related to the man she’s falling in love with and must decide between vengeance, forgiveness and love. When I start writing a novel, I first pick a romantic locale and then research the history of the city. I wanted to write a story that was different than the typical English/Scottish historical romance. My husband and I had visited Venice about 20 years ago and I fell in love with it, so the story just fell into place.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I have a bit of OCD, so before I can concentrate on my writing, I have to check all my social media sites and book links in a specific order. Then I can settle down and work.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
Nora Roberts was my initial influence. I love her way with dialog, and the love scenes are hot without being overly raunchy.

What are you working on now?
I am trying my hand at a contemporary romance. The short description is “At her 15th high school reunion, Jessie Baxter must confront her failed marriage and her own insecurities to find happiness with The One Who Got Away.” Of course – the story may change the more I get into it and work with the characters!

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I am always looking for new ways to promote my books. There’s so much noise in our lives, and it is hard to break through that and get noticed. I think Goodreads and Facebook have been my biggest help. I have also had some success with the websites The Romance Reviews and Night Owl Reviews.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
My advice is to work with a great editor who will be honest with you (and knows grammar).

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Because I am often filled with doubts about my writing, I repeat the following quote every time I sit down to write: “There’s no right way of writing. There’s only your way.” ― Milton Lomask

What are you reading now?
I am not reading anything right now. I don’t read when I am working on a story because I don’t want to subconsciously copy anything from another author.

What’s next for you as a writer?
I hope to finish my current WIP by the end of 2014. Since it is a contemporary romance and will require less research than my other two novels, I hope it won’t take as long to write as they did.

If you were going to be stranded on a desert island and allowed to take 3 or 4 books with you what books would you bring?
Not an easy question. I would probably bring one of the Harry Potter books, one of the Hunger Games book, Romeo and Juliet, and The Fellowship of the Ring.

Author Websites and Profiles
Elizabeth McKenna Website
Elizabeth McKenna Amazon Profile

Elizabeth McKenna’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile
Facebook Profile
Twitter Account
Pinterest Account

Elizabeth McKenna is a post from Awesome Gang

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I am a retired US Army Master Sergeant who has lived in Las Vegas for more than 30 years after leaving the military. I met my wife Alejandrina in 1989 in Mazatlan, Mexico and we’ve been married ever since. It was because of her that I became fluent in Spanish, to go along with the German I learned while in service.

Since moving to Vegas, I’ve been an Amway distributor [disastrous!}, a security guard at a condo complex, ten years as a professional slot machine player [quit when the casinos took the good ones away], drove a city bus, gave guided tours while driving a tour bus, worked as a cashier in a pick-a-part junkyard, and drove a city cab.

After being declared physically disabled, I turned to my first love – writing. To date, I have self-published the following:

Lost Wages in Las Vegas – a professional’s guide to Sin City, Gambling, and more.

Blood in the Meadows – narco-terrorists plan to set off bombs downtown and on The Strip on New Year’s Eve

Waltzing in the Shadows – a tale of Cold War activities towards the end of the 1970s

Follow the Raven – a fantasy/scifi novel for all ages to include swords, dragons, and wizards.

The Sailor and The Carpenter, Book One of Father Serra’s Legacy set in 18th century Baja California

The King’s Highway, Book Two of Father Serra’s Legacy about the founding of the first 9 California Missions.

The Missions Bloom, Book Three of Father Serra’s Legacy about the establishment of the final 11 missions.

I have also completed but not yet published:

Sonora Symphony – American Indian legends, medicines, healing, and living with the land dealing with a veteran of Afghanistan and Iraq suffering from severe PTSD.

Tsalagi Tales – the sequel about discovering why the main character’s parents were killed.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
There are two novels I’m currently working on:

The Missions Wither, Book Four of Father Serra’s Legacy telling of the ruin of the missions and ruination of California Indians, either killing them off or turning them into slaves.

Leatherjacket Soldier – the story of Don Fernando Rivera who rose from simple cavalry private soldier to military commandant of California and then the governor. This came about from my research into the characters for Father Serra’s Legacy and this man’s dedication to his soldiers, his king, and the rules by which he lived showed me a true hero of New Spain who has never received his due, He was killed by Indians, leaving his family destitute with the government owing them thousands that they never received.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
Just write whenever I can and can’t even being thinking of doing it without my computer and word processor.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
I could not even begin to name them here. Isaac Asimov, Robert Heinlein, L. Frank Baum, C. S. Forester, Sir Winston Churchill – where could I possibly start.

I grew up in a home filled with National Geographic Society magazines, dictionaries, encyclopedia, Book of the Month Club selections, Life, Look, and too many others to name.

What are you working on now?
Trying as hard as possible to finish Book Four which means constant referral to research material while trying to tell and interesting, entertaining story with living characters.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
That’s the biggest problem I’ve found. Writing and researching is the easy part. Advertising and marketing is, by far, the most difficult and frustrating.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
If you want to be successful – consider it to be work. The same as any other job you might hold.

And, don’t expect overnight success. Look how many times J. K. Rowling got turned down before she hit the jackpot.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Don’t give up.

What are you reading now?
Discussion forums, this place, and all sorts of news feeds.

Who has time to read books?

What’s next for you as a writer?
To finish what I’m working on and perhaps finish my memoirs which never seem to get attention paid to them.

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 have absolutely no idea.

Author Websites and Profiles
Dale Day Website

Dale Day’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile

Dale Day is a post from Awesome Gang

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I grew up in Hungerford, Berkshire then moved around a bit in the UK, living in Oxfordshire and Kent before emigrating to Australia in August 2005.

I’ve worked in publishing, radio broadcasting, helped run a busy pub and played lead guitar in bands. Not necessarily in that order.

I’ve written two thrillers – White Gold and Under Fire – and have a third book, a romantic suspense, scheduled for release later this year.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
My latest thriller is called Under Fire and it’s the second in the Dan Taylor series (although the books, including White Gold, can be read as standalone novels).

I read a story on BBC News in 2010 about how close the UK came to running out of gas during a particularly bad winter, and how reliant the country is on imported fuel now – the rest of the story flowed from there. I felt that it wouldn’t be the last time the government found themselves in that situation, and what would happen if someone, or an organization, took advantage of that?

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I’ve developed a new habit in order to fit my writing in around a full-time job and that is to sit on the train into work in the mornings, laptop open and get my head down and write as much as I can in the 40 minutes it takes to get into the city from where I live.

I’m a better planner now, so I’ll have a separate file for each chapter with some bullet points listed at the top describing what I want to capture in that chapter and go from there. It’s proving to be a very productive exercise.

Once I’ve got the bulk of the work down, say about 50,000 words, then I’ll print it all out, do some minor edits and have my husband do a rough structural edit. Once that’s done, I sit down and repeat the original exercise to ‘plug the gaps’ and off I go again. After that’s done, I’ll use an A4 notebook to write out scenes and sequences to insert, type it all up then a second structural edit is carried out.

I also ALWAYS carry around an A5 moleskine notebook – I love these because they’ve got a pocket at the back where you can keep index cards with scenes on, character traits etc so I’m at an advantage if I come up with an idea when I’m in the middle of travelling somewhere. It’s proved invaluable – my current WIP, a romantic suspense novel, was conceptualised on a yacht off the coast of Malta last year. By the time we’d arrived back at the harbour at the end of the day trip, I had the entire plot sketched out as well as most of the character traits because I was so chilled out on the boat, the ideas just flowed!

What authors, or books have influenced you?
I’ve recently posted a blog post on the authors I read as a child (http://www.rachelamphlett.com/1/post/2013/12/-7-books-which-influenced-my-childhood.html) but as a teenager/adult, the authors which have influenced my own writing include Michael Crichton, Jack Higgins, James Rollins, Lee Child, and Stephen Leather. I have always been a voracious reader – I think you need to be if you want to write – and it was definitely these authors that made me believe I could be a storyteller.

What are you working on now?
I need a break from the action thrillers because the amount of research is incredible, and I’ve always enjoyed the books of novelists such as Sandra Brown, Cherry Adair and Suzanne Brockmann so I wanted to do something with an equally strong female protagonist. It’s going to fall into the thriller genre still, but will also sit comfortably within romantic suspense.

After that, there’s about four further projects which are clamouring for my attention, including a third Dan Taylor book, so I think I’ll be writing for the foreseeable future!

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I really like the community atmosphere on Twitter and Goodreads – I’m always been an advocate of ‘pay it forward’ and these two social media outlets are really good for that.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Firstly, you’d better be doing this because you love writing. If you’re setting out on this journey in the hope of making a quick buck, chances are you’re going to be disappointed.

Once that manuscript is as polished as you can get it, pay for professional edit. Think of it as an investment..

Pay to have a professional book cover designed. Go to them with examples of other authors’ book covers in your genre, but work with them to get what’s best for your book. Remember, they’re not psychic so give them as much information as possible at the start of the process.

Finally – be nice. Support other authors. Say thank you publicly to people who help you. Promote their work. Act professionally at all times.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
This is going to sound horrendous, but I got told this at a writers conference last year and it stuck with me so here goes :

‘If you’re writing a sex scene, pretend your parents are dead.’

There. Said it.

What are you reading now?
Rotten Gods by Greg Barron, a fellow Australian author who has been very supportive of my own writing and writes a killer thriller or two. Highly recommend checking out his books.

What’s next for you as a writer?
Finishing up my thriller/romantic suspense and releasing that about mid-2014 then developing a chapter plan for my next project. After that, there’s about four further projects which are clamouring for my attention, including a third Dan Taylor book, so I think I’ll be writing for the foreseeable future!

I’m always keen to keep learning about my craft so I’m doing a couple of workshops with my local writers centre this year, and I’m studying screenwriting with the Australian Film Television & Radio School in Sydney too.

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?
SAS Survival Guide by John Wiseman, because it’d probably be useful

Fall of Giants by Ken Follett, because it’s about the size of a door stop and I haven’t had time to start it yet so being stranded would be a perfect scenario for this one

A barbeque cookbook for pescatarians so I don’t starve (or give myself food poisoning)

Author Websites and Profiles
Rachel Amphlett Website
Rachel Amphlett Amazon Profile

Rachel Amphlett’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile
Facebook Profile
Twitter Account

Rachel Amphlett is a post from Awesome Gang

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I am a Proud Advocate of Equal Rights for Racial Harmony and the author of Different Faces. I am a caucasion female with blonde hair and blue eyes living in South Carolina and never knew what racism was really about until it was directed towards me personally, it changed my life. I had started working for a ruthless politian and one of the many twisted things in his bag of tricks was being a bigot. He disagreed with my selection of friends, which were mostly Black Americans, My parents are Irish and we have always just clicked better in the south with the Black society here. The elected official I worked for in the Judicial System couldn’t stand it so much that he permitted and allowed my coworkers bully and terrorize me on a daily basis. I ended up filing a charge with the EEOC to protect my job because I was planning to retire with the government beneifits. After EEOC finished their onsight investigation, they sided with me and had to label my charge as “Singled out and Discriminated against due to her affiliation with Black People” and “Terminated out of Retaliation for filing a complaint against Spartanburg County.” The only way I knew to let the world know how damning racism still is in the south was to write a book about my experience. I really hope you check it out……….

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
Different Faces and my inspiration is Racial Harmony and exposing the racism in politics in the south.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
Yes, I tell my story with the compassion, mercy and love that other great Advocates have inspred me to be, just be myself.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
A Testament of Hope by Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

What are you working on now?
A new book which will make its debut this upcoming spring, “Letters of Injustice: Stamped 2014″

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
Facebook, Twitter, Yelp, StudioKnow and Amazon.com

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Write from the heart and what moves you the most.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
“Hatred can not drive out hatred; Only Love can do that……’ Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

What are you reading now?
A Happy Ending, author unknown

What’s next for you as a writer?
I am writing about to brothers who were fighting separate causes, they both died never knowing what the other was doing. I wasn’t until generations later that the truth came out..,..,.,.it’s going to be a great book.

If you were going to be stranded on a desert island and allowed to take 3 or 4 books with you what books would you bring?
The Bible, A testament of Hope and and a tablet to write of my experience on that island….lol

Anita Bright’s Social Media Links

Facebook Profile
Twitter Account

Anita Bright is a post from Awesome Gang

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I was born and raised in Israel, as were my parents. However, my family lived in Rhodesia (now Zimbabwe) for a year when I was five years old–a year which ultimately changed the course of my life. I currently reside in New York City. I am a Speech Language Pathologist and Audiologist, and have been working with children of all ages for almost 25 years. I also teach internationally to child professionals, present in conferences, edit a monthly newsletter and publish a column in it, volunteer in several committees and love every moment of all of it.

“Outlawed Hope” is my first novel and my first published book. I have published articles before, as well as columns in professional newsletters, and a chapter in one of the most popular books about childhood trauma and dissociation in recent years. I am currently at work on a professional book that I was contacted to write with Routledge Publishers and which is due out sometime early next year, and I am also working on a sequel to “Outlawed Hope.”

I’ve always written. Writing is in my soul.

My professional life is dedicated to optimizing children’s lives and to bridging understanding between professions when it comes to language, early trauma, and development.

Fifth of seven sisters, I am blessed with a very large and very amazing family. I also loves goats and beaches, books, nature, life, words, and the grace of connection.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
“Outlawed Hope” is my new book, published December 4, 2013.

It was inspired by so many things that it is hard to describe. Mostly I can say it was inspired by life: by societal norms I don’t agree with, by history’s re-writing, by children’s antics, wise women in my life, and many experiences and ideas. On a more practical level, the very beginning of “Outlawed Hope” was inspired by a ‘waking dream’, where the first scene of the book unfolded in front of my eyes and begged to be written. I did, and the two pages sat in my documents for a long while without additional work. Quite some time passed before the images rose in my mind’s eye again, along with the next step of the story, which after that unfurled itself before me as I wrote. Writing this book felt like discovery, rather than invention.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I write whenever I can. On whatever I can find. I always had paper and pen tucked in someplace in my bag or pocket, and if not, utilized napkins, re-purposed envelopes, and hijacked back pages of calendars or memo books. I never go away for any length of time without my laptop or kindle, though paper still works quite well …

Not knowing what ‘usual’ writing habits are, I cannot tell if mine are any different than those of others. I could be lying in bed at night, dozing into sleep, when a paragraph comes to mind and spreads wakefulness inside me–I have written into many nights, and sometimes those are the best hours of writing for me. At other times it is the early morning, when I wake with the thread of a dream that wove itself into the continuation of the story. On ‘regular days’ I sometimes write between clients, if I can manage–a paragraph, a sentence, a note to myself. Mostly, time is a fluid thing when it comes to writing. I would not want to change it for the world!

Being ambidextrous means that I can write with either hand, depending on where a flat surface may be most presentable, or which hand happens to be free. That does make things quite interesting sometimes, especially if I switch hands and someone notices …

What authors, or books have influenced you?
I loved and still do Jules Verne, Tolkien, Camus, Dickens, Twain, Hugo, Aesop, Sr. Conan-Doyle, Tamora Pierce, Naomi Novik, and the Fairy Tales of Grimm, Anderson and many others. I’m an avid reader still. I’ve spent my childhood reading books from the library shelf by shelf… I’ve read anything I could put my hands on, many of them Hebrew authors like Shai Agnon, Dvora Omer, and many others. My childhood and adulthood was enriched by all I’ve read.

What are you working on now?
I am working on a professional book for Routeldge Publishers, about communication disorders in children and adolescents who experienced maltreatment and trauma. It is a book that bridges the fields of speech-language-pathology and psychology, and reflects the work I’ve been doing in both those fields for the last decade or more. It is due at the publishers this summer, and planned to be on the shelves by early 2015.

I was invited to contribute a chapter to another professional books, where clinicians from around the world collaborate to collate an edited manuscript about treatment of children and adolescents.

In addition to those non-fiction venues, I am also working on another novel (unrelated to “Outlawed Hope”), as well as on the early writings of a sequel to “Outlawed Hope”.

Aside from the above, I am the long time editor of a monthly professional e-newsletter, and contribute regular and guest columns to that publication and other professional publications, on both clinical and non-clinical matters.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I am relatively new to this, so am learning as I go. I have used facebook and twitter, and my friends have shared and posted on their facebook and twitter pages, too. I have a giveaway on Goodreads (only discovered that website recently, too, and I adore it!). My book has been recommended (by readers) to a couple of reading groups, which I hope will increase the awareness to it. I have been asked to consider doing a discussion group about the book to professionals who work with young adults. A friend of mine has connections in the publishing world and in some independent bookstores, and she hopes to have the latter carry the book and sponsor a book signing event.

Mostly, I guess I am doing all kinds of little things, as I learn them. Am always open to new ideas and ways to promote my book, or rather, to raise awareness that it is there, so that people can then decide if they want to read it or not (I hope yes…).

So far the readers came back with very positive reviews, and I hope that those, too, would help spread the word and have others more likely to read it and share it.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Being a new author myself, I hardly hold myself an expert to give advice. That said, my advice would be what I would recommend as a way of life, including when it comes to writing and/or publishing: Go with your heart, think about what drives you (wish for fame? need to write? a story that just has to be told? fascinating with the process? the calming aspect of creativity? need for money?) and differentiate needs that rely on others (i.e. money, fame, recognition) from needs and calling that relies on you and comes from within you. Write about what calls you. Do your homework–learn about what you are writing, read others’ work, join with other authors, discuss their process, be brave, accept feedback, be curious.

If this is a truly good advice for authors remains to be seen … given that I cannot show that it indeed ‘works’, but it works for me … and maybe will for others.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Be compassionate and kind–to yourself as well as to others. Speak and live truth. Know gratitude. Find joy. Do not plug into what drains you and fill your cup so that you can give from it to others.

What are you reading now?
Several professional books: “Blind to Betrayal” by Freyd, “Language, learning and behavior disorders” by Beitchman et al, “When the brain can’t hear” by Bellis, “A child in pain” by Kuttner.

Also reading: “Cathedral of the sea” by Falcones and “City of Oranges” by Lebor.

For work with my clients, re-reading “The Thief Lord” by Funke, and “The Time Machine” by Wells.

What’s next for you as a writer?
More writing…

To publish my professional book, and the chapter I’m contributing to the other professional book. There is a dearth of knowledge in that particular field of working with traumatized children and I am excited to be a part of helping to share experience and insight for it.

To publish the sequel to “Outlawed Hope” and the other novel I am writing on.

To keep writing.

To keep having fun.

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?
Oy, it is always the deserted Island, never a spa in Hawaii..

Lord Of The Rings (it’ll last me a while), Grimm and Anderson compilation of Fairy Tales (for bedtime stories and because they are timeless, even if I’m an adult), Jules Verne’s compilation (maybe he’ll give me an idea of how to live on a mysterious island, form a submarine out of seaweed, tame dinosaurs, or find a way out through the center of the earth…).

Author Websites and Profiles
Na’ama Yehuda Website

Na’ama Yehuda’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile
Facebook Profile
Twitter Account

Na’ama Yehuda is a post from Awesome Gang

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I am anonymous. I am a secret scribe of horror. I am faceless and nameless.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
The Harlot Goddess is the story of Lilith, the first woman and first wife of Adam. It is a story of black magik, sex and violence.

I am inspired by the voices outside which become the voices inside and will not be silent until they are written.

The comforts of modernity have given the scribes the new medium of fiction. Where we were historians long ago, and wrote only to record, now we have the time to create, to dream, to listen to other voices and inscribe their tales.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I listen

What authors, or books have influenced you?
H. P. Lovecraft, Philip K. Dick, Henry Miller

What are you working on now?
A secret

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
There are no best methods. What works for some, damns others.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Write everything.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Read.

What are you reading now?
Chapter two of a second draft of a secret.

What’s next for you as a writer?
Write, write, write.

If you were going to be stranded on a desert island and allowed to take 3 or 4 books with you what books would you bring?
1) Dictionary.

2) Anything by H. P. Lovecraft.

3) Anything by Henry Miller.

4) Anything by Philip K. Dick.

Author Websites and Profiles
N. Onym Website

N. Onym’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile
Facebook Profile

N. Onym is a post from Awesome Gang

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I am an American expatriate author, a traveler. I have lived in several countries, most of my life has been spent in France. I have lived in Paris for the last eleven years. As of today, in 2014, I have six books published; five of which are full-length novels.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
“The Wanderess.” It was initially inspired by the XVIII Century French “aventurier” novel “Manon Lescaut.”

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
What would be a “usual” writing habit? “tapping keys”? Other than tapping keys, I have only “unusual” habits.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
At this period in my life (36 years old), I find inspiration and new style techniques in French literature of the XVIII and XIX centuries… novels such as “Paul et Virginie,” “La Dame aux camélias,” and “Carmen”; and authors such as Alfred de Musset and Lamartine. The great “Histoire de ma vie” by Casanova is no exception, as it was written in French. Besides the French, I owe my education to the Russians. Pushkin and Dostoevsky have greatly influenced me.

What are you working on now?
At present, I’m promoting my new book: “The Wanderess” (http://www.wanderess.com)

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
People love my quotes. A lot of website publishers post quotes of mine they find on Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/quotes/search?utf8=%E2%9C%93&q=roman+payne&commit=Search

I also founded a literary social network called CulturalBook (http://culturalbook.com) and a lot of the members like to connect with me there and check out my work.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Experience: Spend at least one night in jail. Spend at least one year living in a foreign country.

Always be open to any new experience that may come your way. Always, always, always carry a pen wherever you go… or some device that can note or record a new idea. Spend as much time alone as possible. Do not own a TV. Read biographies of other authors. Try to be like them until you invent yourself. Create yourself, your image. Without a unique image, you may as well be a journalist and not an author. Realize that being an author is the highest station on earth, the greatest position a human being attain. The president of a great country, the astronaut who visits the moon, the doctor who heals… they are all less than you because they do not write novels.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
“Roman Payne, stop organizing parties in Paris. Write. Write. Write!! You were born to write!!”

What are you reading now?
A French libertine novel written in the 1750s. I don’t it was ever translated into English

What’s next for you as a writer?
It could be another book, it could be a ceremonial suicide, or it could be to watch the sunrise that is just now beginning.

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?
Homer’s “The Odyssey” in English

Homer’s “The Iliad” in English

Casanova’s “Histoire de ma vie” in the original French (all 3,000 – 4,000 pages)

Author Websites and Profiles
Roman Payne Website
Roman Payne Amazon Profile

Roman Payne’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile
Facebook Profile

Roman Payne is a post from Awesome Gang

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
Adam Gillrie had the unique experience of being home schooled and turning out socially acceptable. His home schooling gave him eight hours a day to write but left him horribly behind in math. Do not buy a book by Adam Gillrie for his math skills.

After nine years of home schooling, Adam Gillrie was thrust into the public school system in his senior year of High School. Sadly, his socially acceptable skills were not able to save him as the only senior who rode the bus.

High School ended and Adam majored in Creative Writing at the prestigious University of South Florida. It was here that he gained a distinct hatred for Edgar Allen Poe (Sorry Poe fans). After a year, Adam served a full-time mission for 2 years for his church and upon returning to college he became a respectable Business Major.

Upon graduating Adam did many of the “respectable” things a talented, socially acceptable person does with their life. He started a family, had four wonderful children and became astute at consulting.

Unfortunately, Adam’s mid-life crises came early and he found himself leafing through the no less than 600 book outlines and short stories that had he’d written during his home schooled upbringing. Realizing that he had made a terrible mistake being “respectable”, Adam quit his job as a famous consultant and locked himself away to rewrite his book Silent Intrusion.

Three years later (and many many editors later), Silent Intrusion was complete. Remarkably, it rose to the top of its category in Amazon at its release (which, of course, has gone straight to Adam’s head). Adam is currently working on the sequel as he slowly makes his way through the 600 books he would like to publish before he dies.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
My latest book is Silent Intrusion. It was not inspired by Independence Day or Men In Black. Those movies came out after I had written two successive versions of Silent Intrusion.

The focus of Silent Intrusion morphed from a general alien invasion story after Independence Day came out to a greater focus on the men in black. Unfortunately that movie came out soon after my second major rewrite. So the next version of Silent Intrusion focused on a more personal level and tried to give better definition to the bad guys. Why would people waste their time with a back water society like us? I’ve never been satisfied with Hollywoods answer to this question which usually is: they are like a Hive/stupid or really really bad.

So in a nutshell terrible writing inspires me to not be as terrible.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
Yes. I am okay writing in a crowded room as long as I have my head phones on. I write in all places but I usually have a huge mechanical keyboard that I type on.

What are you working on now?

Book 2 of Silent Intrusion and I’d like to apologize now for not writing the whole series simultaneously. I am working as fast as I can to get it done. I would also like to point out the death threats have not been helpful (I’m just kidding they were merely bodily harm related).

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
Word of mouth is still king. Most of my sales come from people telling others about my books.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
The usual advice. Get a good editor. I had written 11 books before I got a good editor and I learned far more writing one with a good editor in tow.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Do what you love.

What are you reading now?
Mary Poppins. Okay don’t judge I just saw the new movie about it and it drew me in. I read all kinds of things.

What’s next for you as a writer?
I am exploring a book tour to High Schools but I haven’t ruled out world domination.

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?
Enders Game. The Bible. The Book of Mormon. And Building a Satellite phone from coconuts for Dummies.

Author Websites and Profiles
Adam Gillrie Website
Adam Gillrie Amazon Profile
Adam Gillrie Author Profile on Smashwords

Adam Gillrie’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile
Facebook Profile
Twitter Account
Pinterest Account

Adam Gillrie is a post from Awesome Gang

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
A horror writer born and raised in the United Kingdom, I moved to Holland (the Netherlands) 7 and a half years ago.

Married with four children, a husky puppy called Zombie, and a busy day job, writing is my passion and something I am constantly working on.

I get up early, go to bed late and use all of my free time to write, edit or promote myself and my writing.

I have currently got 4 titles published, with another short story collection (The Musings of a Hideous Mind: Volume III) due to come out this coming Friday (January 10th).

I have 3 other novels planned for release this year and if time allows two more that I would like to get edited and published.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
My latest book is one that I have only just started, in fact, I have not actually written a single word on it yet, but it has been part of my life for the last five or six years.

My debut novel was Highway to Hell, the first in a trilogy of novels, and the current novel is to be the third installment thereof.

This is a book I have been simultaneously looking forward to writing and also putting off for as long as I can. The scope of the story as it stands is immense. There are so many different directions that I could take it, and I want to make sure that I follow the correct ones, and not rush into something.

The first two books have been very well received, and I want to wrap up the series not just in style, but in a manner that is befitting of the characters and the journey they had taken.

There will be a bit of theology in there, some psychology, quite a few of the -ologies, and of course lots of horror.

The book is, as of yet, untitled. Most of my work is, until I reach the half way point in the first draft. Usually the name just comes to me, out of the blue, and so I do not make too much of an effort to nail it first off.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I don’t think I have any unusual habits per se. With four young children, my writing habits have been formed around the philosophy of ‘grab whatever free time you can.’

I will grab just a couple of minutes here and there, jot down a few sentences or a line of dialogue. Whenever opportunity arises, I seize it.

That being said I do have certain times of day that I am better suited to certain types of writing. Early morning is when I write my best Horror, yet midday and early afternoon is when I do my best editing.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
I couldn’t really be a horror writer without mentioning Stephen King, but it almost comes as a given that the man has inspired me (and the rest of my generation) no end. He has not only written so many great novels, but he has done so covering a great many settings, story lines and scopes. From short powerful fiction to epic tomes that deserve their place on any bookshelf. He is the master of his craft and certainly influenced my early writing style.

The Shining, IT and The Stand are some of my favorite King novels, while for short fiction his story Survivor Type will always haunt me.

Another author that really helped to shape my understanding of horror, and the great ways in which it can be tweaked and distorted is Clive Barker. In specific his Books of Blood short story collections. I have read them multiple times and each time find some new thing to love about his words.

Not only are they some of the best horror stories I have ever read, but they are easy to read, the words flowing like poetry, pulling you into a complex world where there are no limits, no taboos. You never know what he is going to do.

I am now starting to read Poe and Lovecraft, there can be little doubt that their skill and ability to terrorize helped shape the genre, but, especially with Lovecraft, his wordiness now, may struggle to hold the attention of a modern age reader.

What are you working on now?
I am currently working on three different projects, including the aforementioned third installment of the Highway to Hell trilogy.

I have a new release coming this Friday (10th January) and this will be the third short story collection in a series ‘The Musings of a Hideous Mind: Volumes I, II, and III’ and these will also be combined into one paperback volume.

I am also going through the final edits on my zombie novel Diaries of the Damned, which is scheduled for release on February 22nd.

I have several more novels planned out for the year, and numerous sort stories that I would like to get written and hopefully submitted to some anthologies too.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
When it comes to self promotion I suck big time. I made a promise to myself that this year would be the year I start taking promotion seriously, investing in myself and my writing. It is only early days, but I have booked some blog tours, some release day events and also some advertising spots.

There can be no deny that the power of Facebook for the indie author is equivalent to the draw of the one ring, but at the same time, I always find myself looking at social media as a giant market stall. Everybody is just shouting as hard as they can about their books that after a while, you can no longer see the wood through the trees.

I have heard of a really cool sounding site called Awesomegang.com and they seem to really have a good package put together. I am hopeful that my promo with them goes well.

I tend to stay away from Twitter, see the Market place comment above. I used to use it a lot, but just got fed up with the lack of any real conversation on it. I am sure I will go back to it, I mean, we need to use all of the tools at our disposal after all, but it would be begrudgingly.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
My advice is nothing special, it is nothing profound, it is simple. If you want to write, and I mean make a career out of writing, then you have to make it a full time thing. You need to sit down and write every chance you get. With that comes editing, researching, proof reading. Get yourself in a good group of people. Swap work, edit for one another help out, and above all, get yourself a good… no, a great editor. No matter how well you think you can write, never publish something without having had an editor look at it.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
The best advice I have ever heard came from my grandfather as an offhand comment. We saw a man out running in the rain one stormy afternoon and he said to me.

That right there is the difference between a champion, and the next guy. The champion doesn’t care if it is raining, too hot, or too cold. The champion gets up, gets ready, and goes out to do what needs to be done.

These words stuck with me, and I often find myself repeating them. Especially when it is 4.20 am, I’ve had three hours of broken sleep because they kids were up in the night, and my alarm is going telling me it is time to get up and write.

Never snooze, never roll over for five more minutes. Just get up, and get is done!

What are you reading now?
I am currently reading Dr Sleep from Stephen King. It is the first King novel I have read for a while, having spent a lot of last year reading indie titles. So far it is a great book, and really shows that the man is still a master of the genre. Even if, and I say this not as a criticism, as it is not his style, it does not push many boundaries. It is not shocking, overly harsh of edgy. It is just a damned good read.

What’s next for you as a writer?
World Domination… I mean the best sellers list. Hell, I’d be happy with a few more sales and the chance to keep doing what I am doing.

As I mentioned above, I have two releases coming out in the first two months of the year and want to have at least three more before the year end.

Promotion is the key thing for me at the moment too, keep building the name, the ‘brand’ as people call it. Invest in myself, invest in my writing and (hopefully) see a continued progress.

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 Stand – Stephen King

The Books of Blood – Clive Barker

I am Legend – Richard Matheson

Highway to Hell – Me (Alex Laybourne) – because that way I can at least try to sell my book to the cannibals that I later find on the island, or to bribe my way onto a pirate ship as it stops off to pick up its hidden supply of Rum.

Author Websites and Profiles
Alex Laybourne Website
Alex Laybourne Amazon Profile

Alex Laybourne’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile
Facebook Profile
Twitter Account

Alex Laybourne is a post from Awesome Gang

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I am the author of the the six-time award-winning book “Cool Creatures, Hot Planet: Exploring the Seven Continents.” I am also the creator of “Around the World in 90 Minutes,” which is the live/theatrical version of my book. For the past six years I have been presenting “Around the World in 90 Minutes at colleges from coast-to-coast. It has become the second most popular slide-show of all-time, behind Al Gore’s “An Inconvenient Truth.”

Prior to the above, I was a talent agent/manager in the music business.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
At the present time “Cool Creatures, Hot Planet: Exploring the Seven Continents” is my only published book. The book was inspired by feedback from readers who enjoyed newspaper stories I had written about my adventures to the Amazon Rainforest and Australia. After writing those two articles, I did some research and found out that no one had written a book on “travel to all seven continents, looking for rare and interesting wildlife,” so I made that my theme. I visited all seven continents during a three-and-a-half-year period, with each adventure becoming a chapter.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
When I write, I do so non-stop—frequently writing sixteen-hours-a-day, seven-days-a-week. Sometimes I’ll spend an entire day getting a single paragraph just the way I want it. I am definitely not a speed-writer!

What authors, or books have influenced you?
Joe Kane (author of “Running the Amazon”) and Bill Bryson were the biggest inspirations for my first book.

What are you working on now?
I have just finished two children’s books, which have wildlife conservation themes, and I will soon start work on another adult travel/nature book.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I think it’s important to use as many promotion methods as possible. For me, I sell the most books at my live shows. But in reality, it’s my live show (based on my book) that is the most profitable. I have been able to make an excellent living for six years and counting, performing “Around the World in 90 Minutes” at colleges. A show which, of course, wouldn’t exist without my book.

I also teach a college workshop, “Cool Writing Careers,” that generates book sales.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Don’t get cocky and think you can write a book without help from others. Work with a professional editor. Listen to that editor’s advice, but if you and the editor disagree on something important, don’t give in. After all, it’s your book!

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
From my editor: Don’t just tell the reader what’s happening. Help the reader experience what is happening, using all of his or her senses!

What are you reading now?
Last night I finished an independently published book that was just okay. The story was good, but the author should have done a better job of proof-reading and/or worked with a professional editor. Since I have a policy of not publicly dissing other authors, I’m going to keep name of the author and the book confidential.

What’s next for you as a writer?
Since I have many years of experience as a talent agent/manager, I represent myself as a literary agent. I am currently shopping my two completed children’s books to publishers as well as querying different publishers about my idea for a new adult travel/nature book.

If you were going to be stranded on a desert island and allowed to take 3 or 4 books with you what books would you bring?
I seldom read books more than once, so that’s a tough question. My favorite non-fiction book is “Running the Amazon” by Joe Kane, and my favorite fiction book is “The Time Traveler’s Wife” by Audrey Niffenegger. That being said, I’m really getting a kick out of Rick Gualtieri’s hilarious “Bill the Vampire” series. So I’d probably want to bring a few of the yet-to-be-written “Bill the Vampire” books.

Author Websites and Profiles
Marty Essen Website
Marty Essen Amazon Profile

Marty Essen’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile
Facebook Profile

Marty Essen is a post from Awesome Gang

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
Well, I’m a stay at home mom of three kids. I’ve written one book and am in the process of writing two more. My life is complete chaos and I wouldn’t have it any other way.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
My first book out is Thirty-Two Going on Spinster. It was inspired by many things. Different jobs I’ve had, different people I’ve met in life, and of course there is definitely aspects of myself in the book.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I like to pile up pillows and sit on my bed and write. If I’m having a hard time concentrating or having a little writer’s block, sometimes just switching places (like to the kitchen table) helps.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
I love Sophie Kinsella. She is definitely one of my favorites. I love her wit and comedic timing. I really adore British authors, especially chick lit authors. Books with humor are always my favorite. I like an escape when I read. Life has too much “real” in it as it is.

What are you working on now?
I’m working on two books. A sequel to spinster and another book with a completely different cast called Speak Now, Or Forever Hold Your Peace. It’s a book about a girl who tries to stop a wedding. I’m having fun bouncing back between the two books. It helps when I am at a stand still with one book, I can move on to the other.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I’m a big fan of Bookbub. They catapulted my writing career into full speed. Fabulous website and wonderful people to work with. I also like ENT (Enews Reader Today) and Pixle of Ink.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Well, first you have to have a book. A good one. Secondly, you must spend money on a quality editor and a fantastic cover. Those two things will make or break you. The next thing is that you can’t just put your book out there and expect people to buy it, you have to market yourself. Be present on social media. Do blog tours, spend time on Twitter and Facebook, get your name out there. Always be looking for ways to promote yourself. And then don’t forget to keep writing.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
I’ve gotten a lot of advice along this short publishing journey of mine. But I think the best piece of advice came a long time ago, from my dad. He always told me that if I put my mind to it, I could do anything I wanted to do. And I’ve always believed that about myself.

What are you reading now?
I just finished Zoey & The Moment of Zen by Cat Lavoie. It was fabulous Chick Lit. Now I’m on to After Wimbledon by Jennifer Gilby Roberts.

What’s next for you as a writer?
More writing. I want to finish the two books I’m working on during this first quarter. Then I have a YA Trilogy that I can’t wait to start. I am also going to attend a few conferences this year. I went to my first one in Vegas last year and I can’t believe how much I learned. It was definitely worth the time and money. I’m looking forward to more this year.

If you were going to be stranded on a desert island and allowed to take 3 or 4 books with you what books would you bring?
I would love to say something deep like War and Peace or something. But I am going to have to go with all chick lit:

Can You Keep A Secret – Sophie Kinsella

I’ve Got Your Number – Sophie Kinsella

Twenty’s Girl – Sophie Kinsella

Jemima J – Jane Green

Yeah, that’s a lot of Sophie Kinsella, but she makes me laugh. And if I was going to be stranded on and island, I would need to laugh.

Author Websites and Profiles
Becky Monson Website
Becky Monson Amazon Profile

Becky Monson’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile
Facebook Profile
Twitter Account
Pinterest Account

Becky Monson is a post from Awesome Gang

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I am a passionate speaker, author and mentor whose mission is to inspire and empower individuals to be resilient and turn obstacles into opportunities; to face adversity with optimism. Known for her sincerity and candid, but non-judgmental style, Shelley has helped thousands from all walks of life to live each day to its fullest potential by giving them tools to build their resiliency and step into their own strength. Experience drawn from a difficult life as a youth taught her the value of learning, making tough but intelligent choices, and hard work.

To date I have written one book and been a contributor to several books compiled by other authors.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
The latest book I have written is called Beyond the Rear View Mirror – Navigating the detours on the Road of life.

It was inspired because I wanted to write a business book however each time I attempted to write I felt the need to explain why I thought the way I did and how I was set apart from my peers. It was at this time that someone had said to me this is not the right book. your story is what is wanting to be told. once I began writing it flowed from me and I had no idea in the beginning what was to happen but the story was on paper and the process evolved.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I am not sure that they are unusual but I write in spurts. sometimes taking a whole weekend to write and then not again for quite sometimes.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
Brene Brown, Charmaine Hammond, Robin Sharma, Carolynn Jessop

What are you working on now?
I am currently speaking and spreading the message of resiliency to inspire others to defy the odds and design their own rich life.

There is a book in the works however I am taking my time to write it and allowing the process of transformation for myself to unfold along the way.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I have found speaking to be the best method. it allows people to get to know me as the author and an opportunity to get a physical copy of the book.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Do not get caught up in the small details. Pour your heart out and let the professionals take care of the details such as the editing, formatting and design process.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Just Write! They will always be naysayers and those who are intimidated or jealous of your work however you must tell the story. one story can change a persons life.

What are you reading now?
I am currently reading The Gifts of imperfection by Brene Brown

What’s next for you as a writer?
I hope to publish another book in 2015-2016.

If you were going to be stranded on a desert island and allowed to take 3 or 4 books with you what books would you bring?
I would take the books I have started and not finished.

The gifts of imperfection by Brene brown

The Leader Who Had No Title by Robin Sharma

Return to love by Marianne Williamson

Author Websites and Profiles
Shelley Streit Website
Shelley Streit Amazon Profile

Shelley Streit’s Social Media Links
Facebook Profile
Twitter Account

Shelley Streit is a post from Awesome Gang

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I’ve been a Girl Scout, trombonist, toilet-cleaner, beginner ninja, and subversive marketeer. I have an MFA in Creative Writing from the University of Arizona. My ancestry is Chinese and Russian, so you’d think I would have been a gymnast, but no, I’m not, although I’m more flexible than the average joe.

I currently live in northern Illinois with my husband, two kids, and our dog. And it’s really cold today. Like, really cold. I hear the surface of Mars is not much colder. I miss Arizona today. I also miss feeling my toes.

I’ve written three books, including a mystery, a collection of literary short stories, and also a semi-autobiographical novel that will stay on the top shelf of my closet as long as I’m able to draw breath. I’m currently working on three other novels.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
THE BRIDE WORE DEAD, A JOSIE TUCKER MYSTERY just came out about a month ago. The main character, Josie Tucker, is a tiny woman with a lot of attitude. She’s a loner at heart, but she’s a people-magnet. Ethnically, she’s half-Thai, but she’s also 100% American. She’s a food critic who can’t eat. She’s a character of many contrasts.

The story centers around a bride who dies under suspicious circumstances on her honeymoon—anaphylaxis, actually, from a bee sting. Josie, who was a fill-in bridesmaid at the wedding, goes to Arizona to find out what happened.

The inspiration for this book came from a tale I heard through a friend of a friend. It involved the Arizona desert. And a shovel. That’s all I can tell you without legal counsel.

I’m kidding.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I’m a big fan of looping a single song continuously on my iPod while I write. I pick out a song for a scene, and every time I play the song, it gets me back into the right mode, the right perspective for what I was working on. Of course, I have to use earbuds or I’d drive everyone around me totally crazy. I’ve been known to listen to the same song for a month. Is that nuts?

Otherwise, I’m not married to any medium. I have moleskin notebooks, a laptop, sticky notes, college-ruled notebook paper, and bargain-bought school supplies. Although, I’m not a fan of wide-ruled notebook paper. That stuff bugs me.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
My short list of favorite books or authors:

– Interface by Stephen Bury (Neil Stephenson)

– Nobody’s Fool by Richard Russo

– Welcome to Temptation by Jennifer Crusie

– Pride & Prejudice by . . . well, you know . . . Jane Austen

For me, these book are all about characters, dialog, and situations made humorous, not through slap-stick, but by how the characters, as they’ve been drawn, react to them. I love that.

What are you working on now?
A friend of mine, who’s also a skilled reader, just gave me review comments back on a draft of a fantasy novel, the working title of which is UPRISING: MEL OF THE MASK. I’m hoping to get it out this spring.

UPRISING paints an interesting, slightly historical world that’s pre-industrial, but on the cusp of great discoveries. The main character, Mel, is part of a race of people who have been trained to be impartial observers, arbitrators for other societies. In their capacity as judges and mediators, they are required to disguise their identities. She has to give up her personality and don a mask and a cowl. A chance encounter with a hunter changes the course of her future.

As an aside, I think the first draft might have been a little too explicit. One of my reader’s main comments was “more foreplay, less copulation,” which sounds funny. It’s no Slammerkin, for pete’s sake. She asked if I’d been watching Game of Thrones while writing it, which I hadn’t. I have read the first couple books in that series, but I stopped after getting a little queasy and heartbroken over the slaughter.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
So far, word of mouth has been really helpful. I’ve also used sites like Goodreads, Facebook, and Twitter. I’m still in the beginning stages of promotion, so I gather as much info as I can on almost a daily basis. The experience of other writers is invaluable.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
My husband, author JD Kaplan, used to have a series of self-hypnosis podcasts that cracked me up. They were specifically created for writers, and one of the key phrases or mantras you were supposed to internalize was to “WRITE. NOW. RIGHT. NOW.” I’m sorry to say I can’t remember who created the recordings–it was several years ago that we listened to them–but even after all this time, I still remember them, and darn it, it seems to have worked.

The point is, to write well, you have to write often. And now. Write now. Right now.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
The best advice I get is the kind that makes me cranky. It makes me pissed off. It makes me want to put away my project–whatever I’m working on at the moment–and take a break. Because part of me knows that it’s good advice. If criticism makes me emotional, there’s a grain of truth to it.

Usually, I put the project away for a little while so I can stew about it and internalize it. Then later, when the emotion is gone, I take the advice and apply the parts that I know are legitimate.

What are you reading now?
Hyperbole and a Half by Allie Brosh. Although it’s partly a comic book, it’s not funny. It’s actually a little painful to read. I’ve been following her online for a little while. And, like Heather Armstrong (Dooce from dooce.com), she struggles with emotional issues like Depression and anxiety. These are real women with real problems. The immediacy of access to them online through social media is creepy and addictive and wonderful all at the same time.

What’s next for you as a writer?
I’m hoping 2014 is the year I start cranking out the books. I spend my daylight hours working for Motorola (now owned by Google) as a technical writing. I write user guides for their phones, sometimes on pretty tight deadlines. This year, I want to focus on writing for me and for my readers. I want to do the kind of writing that feeds the soul.

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?
Maybe Fifty Shades of Gray because those are the only circumstances under which I might be desperate enough to read that book. Not that I have anything against an indie writer winning the lottery like that.

Otherwise,

–The Green Fairy Book by Andrew Lang (a childhood favorite)

–The Complete Calvin and Hobbes by Bill Watterson

– and a blank notebook, as long as I had something to write with. Otherwise it would be like that Twilight episode where the guy survives the destruction of the world in his library only to break his glasses.

Author Websites and Profiles
EM Kaplan Website
EM Kaplan Amazon Profile

EM Kaplan’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile
Facebook Profile
Twitter Account
Pinterest Account

EM Kaplan is a post from Awesome Gang

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
Hey, I’m Christina and I have two books published: Cat the Vamp and Wake Me.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
My new novel is called “Wake Me” and it was inspired by various spiritual and philosophical ideologies. The main ones I’ve referenced include enlightenment, pantheism, Buddhism and solipsism.

“Wake Me” is a self-published novel. You can support me fully by ordering a copy off my Createspace page: https://www.createspace.com/4526910

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I don’t always write at a desk. I love writing on my bed, with all my notes sprawled out around me. I even wrote a section of “Wake Me” in a bathtub because I needed peace and quiet!

What authors, or books have influenced you?
“Wake Me” was inspired by these novels: “The Power of Now” by Eckhart Tolle, “On the Road” by Jack Kerouac, “Tropic of Cancer” by Henry Miller and “Siddhartha” by Hermann Hesse.

What are you working on now?
I’m currently taking a break from writing another novel to work on my art. You can check out my paintings here: http://www.facebook.com/ChristinaMartineArt and they are also on my website: http://www.christinamartine.com.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I’ve submitted my novel to a few Youtubers to review. I think the first thing everyone does when they want information on anything… is go to Youtube to find a video about it.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Keep writing. Don’t give up because of criticism. Follow your heart. Everyone has a story to tell.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
You create your reality.

What are you reading now?
I just finished the extended edition of “The Stand” by Stephen King. It was the longest book I’ve ever read. It was amazing but I’m glad to be done with it finally. I’m going to read something a bit lighter next: “Eat Pray Love” by Elizabeth Gilbert.

What’s next for you as a writer?
I want to travel the world and write a book about my experiences. A non-fiction book.

If you were going to be stranded on a desert island and allowed to take 3 or 4 books with you what books would you bring?
“The Power of Now” by Eckhart Tolle, anything by Deepak Chopra, maybe a survival book of some kind… Probably more Stephen King.

Author Websites and Profiles
Christina Martine Website
Christina Martine Amazon Profile
Christina Martine Author Profile on Smashwords

Christina Martine’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile
Facebook Profile

Christina Martine is a post from Awesome Gang

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
Well, I’m your typical small town girl trying to do something different. I basically was that girl you’d see with her head buried in a Harry Potter book in the back of the classroom. I go to college, I listen to hardrock/heavy metal, and you will usually see me taking evening walks around campus with my iPod. So far I’ve only written one book, but I plan on writing many MANY more. I’ve written poems before and short stories, but only one of those were ever published.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
My latest book, also my first book, is called Locked Within. As far as inspiration goes I wanted to write a series that really spoke to readers. I didn’t want the characters to be characters, I wanted a series that made the readers feel like they were real. I wanted to write something real. I’ve always loved dark fantasy and I figured writing something in that genre would be the best step to make.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
Haha yes actually. I stare at celebrities on google images who look like my characters. It helps me picture them.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
J.K. Rowling has been a HUGE influence on me. Honestly if it were not for Harry Potter I probably wouldn’t be a writer today. Reading those books made me want to be a writer. It made me want to create worlds just like she did. Another influence of mine would be Stephen King. I’ve been a fan of his for years.

What are you working on now?
Currently I’m working on the second book for The Doubled Gate, Blood Is Thicker.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
Facebook and Twitter.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
I don’t care what ANYONE tells you NEVER stop writing, and always believe in what you create.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Probably don’t use too many adverbs

What are you reading now?
For now I’m re-reading The Shinning.

What’s next for you as a writer?
Finish the series and hopefully appear on the best seller list.

If you were going to be stranded on a desert island and allowed to take 3 or 4 books with you what books would you bring?
Oh Lord that’s a hard one. Probably the first and last Harry Potter books, Pet Semetary, and Dracula

Author Websites and Profiles
Kristen Lester Website
Kristen Lester Amazon Profile

Kristen Lester’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile
Twitter Account

Kristen Lester is a post from Awesome Gang