Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
Amrut Pattnaik, (born 13th September,1991)to Indian parents had his schooling from St. Aloysius Anglo Indian High School, Visakhapatnam. He currently pursues Bachelor,s Degree in Chemical Engineering at one of the prestigious private engineering colleges in Eastern India. The first book of his, ‘The Horror Nights’ had been penned down by him while still in school. ‘The Horror Nights’ has in it all the childhood stories he had come across, concerning the paranormal in the interiors and villages of India. His second book being ‘A Tryst With Hell’, part love story, part revelatory, is based upon his experiences during his stay at the engineering college hostel.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
A Tryst With Hell, the book is based upon my experiences at an Engineering College hostel.

What authors, or books have influenced you?

Dan Brown, Salman Rushdie

What are you working on now?
The Valmiki Scrolls, A book based upon Conspiracy Theories on The Ramayana, an Indian Epic.

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

Do you have any advice for new authors?
write from your heart, dont force upon yourself something which just doesnt fit with you

What is the best advice you have ever heard?

What are you reading now?
Inferno (Dan Brown)

What’s next for you as a 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?
Oxford English Dictionary, The DaVinci Code, Julius Caesar(Shakespeare) and of course a Desert Survival Guide (LOL)

Author Websites and Profiles
Amrut Pattnaik Website
Amrut Pattnaik Amazon Profile

Amrut Pattnaik’s Social Media Links
Facebook Profile
Twitter Account

Amrut Pattnaik is a post from Awesome Gang

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I am a math enthusiast and love inspiring people. Founded a fashion brand following a dream I had and bought a small socialmedia business after I noticed how effective it is in bringing exposure to my business. I don’t like spending time on social media, so redesigned the social media business model of my company to provide only word of mouth and viral marketing.

In 2008 I wrote a book about a system that guide companies on their automation decisions. In 2013, I re-named the book to 7 alpha 3 Advanced E-Management Model. I have had some seminars internationally about the concepts in the book and will be releasing it in mid 2014.

Recently, seeing how most of my talented friends and clients struggle succeeding not because they don’t have what it takes but because they question their self-worth, partnering with another marketing company based in Rome I release the first mini-course [30-minute read] of the Unbelievable victories series. It is a motivational read about true stories of 5 unconventional self-made entrepreneurs that ignites the dormant riches within.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
My latest book is Trash into Cash [Ignite the Riches Within]

The shocking truth is that only 2.1% of the adult population is gifted and 95.4% of us think alike. What that means to most of us is that there are at least 1000s of people in our city alone who share our talents, our knowledge, and skills. Even worse is that no matter how hard you try to come up with a unique idea, there is at least one person in the world who has already thought of it, is thinking of it right now, or will be thinking of it quite soon. This makes you wonder if your ideas, your talents, or your skills, as is, can ever be worth $100,000 set aside a million dollar.

My journey in life has introduced me to many talented and creative individuals who are struggling and are yet to hit success mainly because they question their self-worth or the value of their skills or products.

I wrote the book to show how being ordinary is not only bad by the key to building extraordinary wealth.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
Not when it comes to business books. With fiction writings, I have the habit of mixing two style of writing. I start with Borges-Like writing, shift to engaging style, and shift back to Borges, or vice versa. It makes it difficult for me to find reviewers for the fiction books.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
I guess when it comes to fiction, I use my natural ability to engage the audience. The philosophical part is however inspired by philosophical writers such as Borges and Italo Calvino.

When it comes to business and non-fiction, I try to use my knowledge of human psychology and sometimes NLP to write in a manner that makes it easy for the reader to follow and remember.

What are you working on now?
Nothing, waiting to see readers’ response to Trash into Cash before writing the next book of the series. I have written this book with the pure intention of changing lives. Want to make sure I am doing it rightly.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
for Trash into Cash [Amazon] and social media word of mouth.

for 7alpha3 Advanced E-Management Model; I also hold seminars and it has a dedicated website: 7alpha3model.com

Do you have any advice for new authors?
If you have a business mind: Write your own book, don’t outsource it.

If you have a creative mind: Learn to love your book and believe in the value of your work. Market your book before moving to the next.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Nike: Just do it

What are you reading now?
Very Interesting Question: I volunteered to help a new author with review and well after that I noticed the book is about how to marry a rich guy…Still on the 1st chapter

What’s next for you as a writer?
Hitting Best Seller for Amazon for Trash into Cash not because I love the title but because I believe everyone should read this 30 minute book. I myself read it whenever I am exhausted by the challenges of the day. It is what keeps me motivated and get me going.

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?
Trash into Cash [no kidding], a Raw Vegan Recipe Book, some book of faith…

Author Websites and Profiles
Zara Xanian Website
Zara Xanian Amazon Profile

Zara Xanian is a post from Awesome Gang

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I grew up in NJ, went for a couple of college degrees and worked for several years as a social worker, therapist and administrator. I liked to write poetry and short stories when I was younger and always thought about writing more seriously when I retired. I began studying more about writing in December, 2011 and self-published my first short story in September, 2013. My second one was published in March, 2014. These are short story westerns with a strong female protagonist.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
My latest publication is a short story entitled, “Return to Texas.” This is a stand-alone sequel to my first short story, “That’s Just the Way It Is.” Both have roots in a dream or past life memory of a man I visioned as a cowboy in the late 1800’s, a man I know in a different way in the present.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
Not really. I primarily write when I am inspired. Sometimes a story, a scene, or a piece of an essay will begin writing in my head, and I have to stop whatever I’m doing to write it down. There have been times when I haven’t been able to do this, and I’m usually sorry afterward because I’ve lost the passion of that moment. When I’m focused on a particular project, I try to write more on a daily schedule, but that’s hard for me.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
I can’t say that there is any one author or book that has influenced my writing. When I graduated from college I had experienced so much literature being thrust upon me, that it killed my joy for reading for a number of years. I am not sure that I ever fully returned to the love of reading that I had as a child. I read a lot of non-fiction— books about spirituality, Italy, creative consciousness, etc. I don’t read as much fiction as a fiction-writer probably should. I will be writing non-fiction at some point, though, and I do now on my blog.

What are you working on now?
Right now I am working on a novel which will probably be called, “Trip to a Lifetime.” It’s a story about reincarnation where two people meet and one of them instinctively remembers the other. I’m really looking forward to completing it and getting it out there. At the same time I’m editing a small book about my grandmother and her poetry written around 1900 because I believe her words should be put in print before the pages they are written upon crumble any further. It will be titled, “Martha’s Words.”

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
As a self-published author, I do all the marketing and am still in the process of learning what works best for me. I know I’ve received sales both from a Facebook presence and my WordPress blog. I heard recently that Goodreads works better for some so I have become more active on that site. There is so much out there and what works for one author may not for another. Unfortunately, it’s so easy to get lost in the marketing that you don’t have time to write. That’s an issue I’m dealing with.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
I’m a relatively new author myself so my experience is limited. I would say what has been told to me: write, write, write and make sure you know the basics of the craft. Then start keeping up with what’s going on in the publishing industry. Don’t sacrifice your writing time, no matter what, because the more you write, the more you will have to share with the world and get noticed. Also, as you continue to write, the quality of your writing will improve.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
To write from the deepest part of myself so that I can touch others in the same place. The best quality of any art form is its ability to put you in touch with your emotions.

What are you reading now?
At the moment, it’s “The Untethered Soul” by Michael A. Singer and “The Gospel of Mary Magdalene” by Jean-Yves Leloup.

What’s next for you as a writer?
Now that I have two short stories under my belt, I’m ready to focus a lot more on the novel I’ve been working on for a few years. I’m setting April, 2015 as the drop dead date for publication.

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 a Bible because it’s full of stories, takes a long time to read and can be a source of strength; a book about moving to Italy such as “The Reluctant Tuscan” by Phil Doran because I love reading books about people moving to Italy and experiencing the culture; an inspiring book about writing such as Stephen King’s “On Writing” because I sure would be doing a lot of writing on that island.

Author Websites and Profiles
Shirley Sorbello Website
Shirley Sorbello Amazon Profile

Shirley Sorbello’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile
Facebook Profile
Twitter Account

Shirley Sorbello is a post from Awesome Gang

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
My name is Katrina Jack. I’ve always loved reading, but never thought of becoming a writer, until someone gave me an old diary when I was fourteen. It was out of date, but had large blank pages, which I began to fill with short stories and drawings. I kept this up for a few years, until my father discovered a local writers group, called Rose Lane Writers. I joined and received invaluable advice and feedback, so much so, I expanded into writing novels. A few more years down the line, I came into a windfall, part of which I invested in taking a writing course at Liverpool John Moores University, and obtained a Masters in creative writing. Like most authors, I submitted my work time and again, with no success, until I sent my work to a new and upcoming publisher called Ecanus Publishing. They published my first book, Land of Midnight Days, on Amazon, in August 2012, and my second book, Through the Gloaming, in November 2013, also on Amazon. These books are part of The Silver Flute Trilogy and the genre is Young Adult Urban fantasy. The third book, Dawn Horizon, is a work in progress, and will be completed soon.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
My latest book is Through the Gloaming, the second in The Silver Flute Trilogy. The original inspiration for the books came from looking out of the window at work, at the Littlewoods Building on Edge Lane in Liverpool, and the 70′s rock band, Jethro Tull.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I tend to be a bit erratic, switching from one routine to another. For instance, I used to type straight onto the computer, without plotting properly, or even making notes. I soon discovered I’m not one of those writers who can produce brilliant prose first time. I then found it was best if I plotted the story from start to finish, then write out the chapters by hand, before committing it to my laptop. Initially, I would get a handful of chapters down, then go over them again and again, thus holding myself up from finishing whatever I was working on. Nowadays I still plot from start to finish, but instead of trying to edit as I go along, I get the whole book on the computer, and only when it’s finished do I go through it and edit.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
These authors: Robin Hobb, David Gemmell, Jack Vance, Jim Butcher, and Terry Pratchett, are my main influences. They all write speculative fiction, but have very different styles. It’s the uniqueness of their writing that catches my fancy, and encouraged me to write The Silver Flute Trilogy. Jim Butcher, in particular, really influenced me to try writing urban fantasy. His Harry Dresden series is an eclectic mix of faerie, fantasy, and realism.

What are you working on now?
I’m currently working on the third book in The Silver Flute Trilogy, Dawn Horizon.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
Well this site, for a start, plus my own website at: http://katrinajack.weebly.com/ and my Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/KatrinaAnneJack

Do you have any advice for new authors?
It can be very hard to get published, but never, ever give up. Writing is my passion, but over the years there were times when I wanted to pack it in. However, I kept trying, and whilst I’m not on the bestseller list yet, I achieved my dream of becoming a published writer. So keep your dreams alive, and go for it.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Do the very best you can, and never shortchange your readers.

What are you reading now?
Firelord’s Crown, by Dee Harrison. Dee is a new author, and writes high fantasy. Her work is rich in characterisation, narrative and dialogue – a must for all fantasy fans.

What’s next for you as a writer?
Once I’ve completed my current work, I’m going back to an early work of mine, called Horizon. I was looking at it the other day, and winced when I saw how overwritten and adverb swamped it was. That said, the story is sound, and the characters great, so I think it’s worthwhile applying what I’ve learned since I first wrote it, to an extensive rewrite.

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’d have to be Terry Pratchett, since he always makes me laugh. My favorites would be: Snuff, Thud, Guards, Guards, and The Light Fantastic.

Author Websites and Profiles
Katrina Jack Website
Katrina Jack Amazon Profile

Katrina Jack’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile
Facebook Profile
Twitter Account
Pinterest Account

Katrina Jack is a post from Awesome Gang

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I am a college swimming coach by day, and avid writer, swimmer and dog lover in my free time…
I have currently self-pusblished three books and a short story in the last 16 months. My first, One Degree, I started writing in 2007 and published in 2013. My latest novel, What We Leave Behind, I started in 2009 and just put out this week. I hope to be in a habit of publishing at least one book a year, minimum, form here on out…

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
What We Leave Behind.

From the Inside Flap
Prologue:

I started writing this novel in 2009, after losing my remarkable dog, Rawley, to a bone tumor in a very emotional process. As the next year continued, my other canine companion of twelve years, Max, passed away from liver cancer. In that same period, a very dear coaching colleague – far too young to deal with her medical issues – passed away from cancer. Not to be a bearer of grief, as we all deal with these events in our lives, but from 2008-2012, I watched as my father battled pancreatic cancer, fighting with amazing resolve.
Amidst so much loss and pain, it was easy to write the sad parts of this book. The trick was keeping the hope, the love, the fight, and the joy – that they all managed to hold onto – represented in my heroine, Jane.
Despite numerous challenges, I knew I wanted to push through and finish this work when a former teammate from college lost her struggle with cancer earlier this winter. This book’s dedication is for those people who struggle with illness and pain, and yet never lose their optimism or their love for others. I hope I do them – and through them, all of you – justice.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
Pretty typical habits – Love Hemingway’s quote -”Write drunk, edit sober” Seems to work for me most of the time.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
David Sedaris, Amistead Maupin, JK Rowling, David Estes

What are you working on now?
Book 2 of the “Cristman” Trilogy, A new sic-fi piece called “Tomorrow Never Came”, and a saucy look at sex and relationships called “Closet Whore”.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
Amazon and Facebook have been great to me so far. Besides you guys at AMC!

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Keep at it. Be patient. Write, edit, write, edit and then don’t be afraid to put your work out there.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
If being good was easy, everyone would do it.

What are you reading now?
David Estes – The Dweller series

What’s next for you as a writer?
Hopefully more publishing and a wider fan base. But regardless of that, I want to keep putting work out there that inspires, creates discussion, and reminds people of important things we often forget in this life. Things like striving to improve, being kind to others, and making a difference in this world. Pretty standard stuff…lol

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 Harry Potter Series (I know that’s more than 3), Me Talk Pretty One Day, and How To Survive on a Dessert Island – The Manual

Author Websites and Profiles
Matthew Alan Website
Matthew Alan Amazon Profile

Matthew Alan’s Social Media Links
Facebook Profile
Twitter Account

Matthew Alan is a post from Awesome Gang

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I.m Stephanie Jackson. I live in Clarksville, Tn with my family. I write paranormal romance novels. I’ve written:

The Undead Heart (#1 in the Blood Thirst Series)
Blood Thirst Series) (#2 in the Blood Thirst Series)
The Wrath of Potter (#3 in the 3 book Blood Thirst Series)
When Angels Fall
The Lamp
The Reaper Within
The Reaper Within (Dark Rain)
Juvenile

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
Juvenile is my newest release. I’m nt sure what inspired it. It just popped into my mind one day and I had to write it down.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
Not really. I write for a few hours just about everyday.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
Stephen Kind in my God of books. There’s nothing he’s written that I haven’t read.

What are you working on now?
Right now I’m working on a sequel to Juvenile called, Juvenile Rising. As of right now, I’m about half way done with it. I’m hoping to complete the book soon and release it by July 2014.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
Goodreads and eReader News. Bookbud is awesome to, but it’s hard to get your book on there. It’s also very pricey ($240 if you book is $1 and $600 if your book is more than $2) and results aren’t guaranteed. If it works, it’s great. If things don’t go so well, you could potentially spend more than what you make on the promotion.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Just keep writing and make sure you’re writing what you love. If you don’t like the book you’re writing, chances are no one else is going to like it either.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
When you finish a book, put it down and walk away from it. Start another book or project. Come back to the the book in a month and read it with fresh eyes. You’ll be surprised how many mistakes you missed the first time through.

What are you reading now?
Joyland by Stephen King

What’s next for you as a writer?
More books, of course. I actually have three in the works.

Juvenile Rising
The Reaper Within (Purgatory)
Cain

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?
From a Buick 8
Under the Dome
Misery
Bag of Bones

Author Websites and Profiles
Stephanie Jackson Website
Stephanie Jackson Amazon Profile
Stephanie Jackson Author Profile on Smashwords

Stephanie Jackson’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile
Facebook Profile
Twitter Account

Stephanie Jackson is a post from Awesome Gang

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I am the author of the Agnil’s Worlds series of fantasy adventure books for children aged 7-10 years. The first two, ‘The Rise of Agnil’ and ‘Agnil and the Wizard’s Orb’ have already been published by Ant Press and the third, ‘Agnil and the Tree Spirits’ is due out in a couple of months.
At the moment, life is a balancing act between my work as a primary school teacher and my work as a writer. After the summer, however, that’s all set to change as I take the plunge into being a full-time writer. When I’m not working, there’s nothing I like better than taking my camera for a walk. Photography has been my hobby for a number of years.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
My latest book, the third in the Agnil’s Worlds series is called ‘Agnil and the Tree Spirits’. One of my roles has been an eco schools coordinator as I am very aware and interested in ‘green’ issues. In the past I have helped fundraise for rainforest charities to support their work in protecting the forests and preventing further deforestation. ‘Agnil and the Tree Spirits’ was born out of my interest in forests of all kinds. In the book, Agnil, the half-elf, finds herself trying to prevent the destruction of a particularly beautiful forest world, home to elves and, of course, tree spirits.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I’m not sure I would describe any of my writing habits as unusual! I’m sure every writer has some kind of routine that they prefer. I’m not a night owl and will start my writing early in the morning. Sometimes the ‘elves’ wake me in the night and I have to get up to listen to them and write something down or change a part of the story they’re not happy with. If I try to ignore them, they keep nudging me until I get up. They are very persistent!

What authors, or books have influenced you?
Somewhere always in the back of my mind is JRR Tolkien’s ,’Lord of the Rings’ but my earliest experience of the genre was reading all the CS Lewis ‘Narnia’ books, starting with ‘The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe’ but I also loved ‘Alice in Wonderland’ by Lewis Carroll. In more recent years I have thoroughly enjoyed the Philip Pullman trilogy, ‘His Dark Materials’.

What are you working on now?
I am still working on “Agnil and the Tree Spirits”, the third book of the ‘Agnil’s Worlds’ series as it goes through the editing and proof reading process. The illustrations are being prepared by Charlotte Moore, who also illustrated the first two books.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I have made a lot of friends through Facebook who have spread the word about my books. I am very grateful for the support and encouragement they have given me.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
1. Believe in what you are writing.
2. Get yourself the services of a good editor and proof reader.
3. Keep writing!

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Write, write, write and keep writing!

What are you reading now?
I’m reading a wonderful historical fiction called, ‘The Girl from Ithaca’ by Cherry Gregory.

What’s next for you as a writer?
I plan to continue with the Agnil’s Worlds series for now but I also have ideas for a couple of historical fiction books which I’d like to start exploring next year. I also have plans to publish a picture book for younger chidlren.

If you were going to be stranded on a desert island and allowed to take 3 or 4 books with you what books would you bring?
It would definitely have to be the Philip Pullman trilogy, ‘His Dark Materials’. I’d love to have a bit of time to re-read them.

Author Websites and Profiles
Susan Navas Website
Susan Navas Amazon Profile

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

Susan Navas is a post from Awesome Gang