Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
Hi all! I’m Debra Kayn, and I live in the Bitterroot Mountains in N. Idaho. I’ve had 28 books published, but I don’t spend all my time writing. I love to be outdoors and any free time is spent riding, hiking, swimming, and goofing off. I’m a true romantic who got married right out of high school to the first older man who kissed me without asking first. We just celebrated our 25th wedding anniversary.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
Struggling For Justice released July 7th, it’s the 6th book in the Bantorus Motorcycle Club series. It was inspired by all the other books in the series, but because they’re all standalones that feature a different couple in each book, the hero Remmy needed his own story. You see, he’s the oldest member at age 48 years old. A huge believer in living wild and free, he never thought he’d settle down. Until he met Natalie and she had him thinking that it was better to have a woman warming his back on the rides.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I can’t write in silence. The more chaos going on around me, the better. I think it goes back to when my 4 kids were young, and I knew if the house got quiet, they were causing trouble. Now when the radio is blaring in one room, the tv in the other, and the smoke alarm is going off in the kitchen, I just tune it all out and write, because that means everything is all right in my world.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
Jude Deveraux is the queen of alpha men. They’re real men and they make no excuses. I fell in love with her stories before I started writing, and now she motivates me by being a classy author.

What are you working on now?
I’m almost finished with the 7th book of the Bantorus MC series.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I love being on Facebook, and socializing with my readers. It’s a platform that everyone is comfortable on and easy to spend 10-15 minutes having a meaningful conversations. So much of promotions today has nothing to do with talking about books, but getting to know each other as people. It’s like sitting down with friends and being a part of their lives, learning what books they read and enjoy, and sharing in the “likes”.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Keep writing. I know everyone says that, but that’s the hardest part. Once you write The End, you can fine tune everything else. Oh, and write every day. If you don’t have an hour or two, take ten minutes, but write.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Always be professional. It doesn’t matter how many publishers you’ve been with or how many editors have touched your book, you treat all of them with a professional attitude and your career will grow.

What are you reading now?
I just finished The Fault In Our Stars. I wasn’t going to read it, because I could predict the ending and I knew it’d be sad, but I caved to peer pressure. This is one of those books where I wish I was a member of a book club, because I need to talk to others about what I read. So many mixed emotions! I love when a book does that.

What’s next for you as a writer?
More books, more series, and I’m going to keep having fun with writing. The book community is a blast, and I love meeting readers. There’s been talk about having a signing next year in my town that I’m excited about. Good things happening!

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?
Thorn Birds
The first Montgomery book by Jude Deveraux
How to get off the Desert Island for Dummies book

Author Websites and Profiles
Debra Kayn Website
Debra Kayn Amazon Profile

Debra Kayn’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile
Facebook Profile
Twitter Account
Pinterest Account

Debra Kayn is a post from Awesome Gang

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I’m a small town girl at heart with a love for the ocean, mountains, dogs, and good books that take me on fantastic journeys. My mom loves to read murder mysteries and her sister loves urban fantasy. My husband wishes he had been an archaeologist and all of these influences find their way into my books. I have written three full-length novels, one short story, and a novella and I’m certain I have dozens more books in me, but the trick is finding the time to write them!

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
My most recent book is Fortunes Bought and Sold and it was inspired by a vacation I took to Salem, MA with my family. Wandering the pedestrian mall, I realized it would be a cool location for a book and my North Shore heart knew I had to put a psychic in that location. I read several stories about the art heist at the Isabella Stewart Gardner museum in Boston, and those stories inspired part of the plot for FB&S. I love art, a good psychic, and twisted plots so the book was a joy to write. It also gave me a great excuse to go back to Salem several times just to soak up some atmosphere!

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I have never, never, never been a morning person until I started writing. My books get me out of bed as early as three a.m. because I simply MUST finish a chapter or start an outline before I go to work. Then I think about the story on the commute and make little notes to myself so I have something to work from the following morning. The part I struggle with the most is crafting the book blurb so lately I’ve started making that one of my first priorities. It not only frames the story for me, but having it done takes the pressure off when I’m ready to publish.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
Wow – there have been so many! Most recently, I picked up “Playing for Pizza” by John Grisham – it nearly ruined my fourth of July barbecue because I was so engrossed in the story that I almost burned dinner! The story is so well crafted it gives you a feeling of actually being in Italy. Other writers I’ve been inspired by are Kelley Armstrong, Kim Harrison, Colleen McCullough, Jim Butcher, Faith Hunter, and Anne Rice. If you’re thinking the one name that doesn’t fit is Colleen McCullough, pick up the Master’s of Rome series – it’s as engrossing as any magical fantasy tale I’ve ever read.

What are you working on now?
Right now, I’m finishing Legendary Magic, the third book in my Relic Hunter series. Arienne Cerasola wakes me up in the middle of the night to remind me that the book needs to be finished but I’m a painstaking editor! I relate to Ari’s independent nature and I’ve had my share of disappointments in life as well. I think above all, Arienne’s an optimist and in Legendary Magic I give her the freedom to make her own choices, despite having the one thing she really, really wants dangled in front of her.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I love Awesome Gang and although I was a reluctant Facebook joiner, I’ve found a great community of people who really want to support Indie authors. I was amazed that I have found so much advice, so many tips, and so many supportive people through these venues. It’s really given me courage and just the right amount of positive pressure to finish books and make sure they’re the best they can be. Some other Facebook sites that deserve a shout out are NerdGirl and Mad About Books as well as Discover Authors- these are great places with supportive people who really want to help an indie out!

Do you have any advice for new authors?
I had Elementary Magic finished and ready for publication for at least eight months before I clicked the “publish” button on Amazon.com! I was so afraid that nobody would like it and that I’d get discouraged, but what happened really changed my life. I read my first review and actually cried happy tears because it was a “Solid 4.5 stars” and with that phrase I was addicted. I think the most important thing for new authors is to take that leap after you’ve revised your book for the tenth time. I am a ruthless editor and even I pulled my book and re-edited after it was published because I found a few mistakes!

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
I think it was Colleen McCullough who confessed that after she finished writing a book she put it away for about a year before she began editing. I can’t keep my hands off of my book for that long, but I have found that three or four months is enough time for me to forget the passages I’ve written so I see them with fresh eyes. I have read sentences dozens of times while writing and thought “Yeah, that makes sense” only to put it away for months and then read it again and think “where was I going with that???”

What are you reading now?
I’m reading The Monuments Men: Allied Heroes, Nazi Thieves, and the Greatest Treasure Hunt in History by Robert M. Edsel. My husband has a passion for WWII history and every now and again he recommends a book to me. He hasn’t been wrong yet!

What’s next for you as a writer?
Oh, I have tons of notes about stories I want to write! I’m feeling a few angels, past lives, and legal dramas coming on…it’s tentatively called “Ruffled Feathers” and I think it’s going to be a HOOT!

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?
Kim Harrison’s The Undead Pool
Colleen McCullough’s Fortunes Favorite
Marsha Canham’s Across a Moonlit Sea
Stephan Talty’s Agent Garbo: The Brilliant, Eccentric Secret Agent Who Tricked Hitler and Saved D-Day

Author Websites and Profiles
R. Leonia Shea Website
R. Leonia Shea Amazon Profile
R. Leonia Shea Author Profile on Smashwords

R. Leonia Shea’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile
Facebook Profile
Twitter Account
Pinterest Account

R. Leonia Shea is a post from Awesome Gang

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
Firstly, because I know you’re thinking it and might be too polite/constrained by the fact that this isn’t an actual conversation to ask, my name is pronounced Kine-Wen.

I’m 27 years old, and have been writing for most of my life, and professionally for the last five years. I studied film at university (and was dubbed the worst film student in history on the basis that I’m not huge on Tarantino and I still haven’t seen the Godfather) and got my first of two lucky breaks in my third year, when I was allowed to intern with a local kids TV show and was then hired for the rest of the season. My second lucky break came after I finished my Masters degree, when I won a six-week internship in the Neighbours (Australia’s longest running TV drama). I worked there for four years, making my way up from intern to storyliner to scriptwriter. I went a little scatty after spending that long focusing on the same group of people, so last year I took the time out to write my first novel, The Edge of the Woods. So far it’s the only one I have published, but it’s definitely woken up the sleeping novelist in me. As much as I love writing for TV, and will continue to do so, novels and prose was my first love. I’m very happy we’re back together.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
Although I had amassed quite a few novel ideas over the years (all of which I love and still intend to write), I decided to take the pressure off myself and write something completely new. I made a rough outline for what was supposed to be a teen romance and then mostly winged it, but it turned out Emma, my protagonist, had other ideas!

The first draft quickly veered away from a romance (though there are still touches of it in the story) to a coming of age adventure focusing on Emma’s relationships with her mother, her best friend, and the other women in her village versus the oppressive attitudes of the zealous Mayor. I wanted to focus on the courage it takes to do the right thing, standing up for yourself and the people you love. The fantasy elements are constantly present as a temptation for Emma, but as always, something too good to be true usually is.

It’s been called an anti-fantasy by one reviewer on Goodreads, which is an interesting take on it. Mostly I just wanted to take a different spin on what I’ve read in YA fantasy and give my readers a range of interesting characters.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I tie my hair up and let it out roughly every fifteen minutes when I write. I have no idea why, but it does make me look like a bit of a weirdo when I write in public.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
My earliest influence was J.R.R Tolkien. The Hobbit is the first full novel I ever read, and at last count I own five different editions of it. I love his scope, how he built an entire world out of nothing and made it feel so real you felt like you were running after Bilbo and into the unknown. As a little kid living in a tiny town with barely any other kids and one shop, I turned to books. Tolkien made me feel like I was going on an adventure, and I think he was instrumental in teaching me how to use my imagination.

I discovered Isobelle Carmody when I was ten or eleven, when Mum brought home the first book of the Obernewtyn chronicles. Suddenly I was reading a book where the protagonist was a girl my age living in an incredible dystopic world. I devoured every book by Carmody I could. She wrote interesting women and put them in fantastic worlds and fairytales, sending them on adventures and showing incredible courage, intelligence and loyalty. Her writing style is so clear and evocative. She made me want to be a writer too. I got to meet her last year and I’ve never been so starstruck!

What are you working on now?
I’m writing a new YA/children’s fantasy adventure, this time a novella. A little inspired by my childhood love of stories and films like Alice in Wonderland, Spirited Away and Labyrinth, it’s about a girl who is blackmailed into helping a witch when her father is kidnapped.

I’m only in the first draft, but it’s a lot of fun to work on. I’m hoping to have it out before the end of the year. Then I’ll get stuck back into novels.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I’m still learning that one! I’m waiting until I have more books out before I start promoting properly.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Your first draft will always be bad, so embrace it! Just write as it comes to you, experiment with POV and tense and character and don’t worry that it’s not consistent. The other drafts are for fixing up and honing. The first draft is a creative explosion. Enjoy it!

…But maybe don’t show it to people until the second draft.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Just write.

What are you reading now?
These Broken Stars by Amie Kaufman and Meagan Spooner, The Fictional Woman by Tara Moss, Elemental by Amanda Curtin, Betrayal of Thieves by C. Greenwood and American Gods by Neil Gaiman.

I have a problem, I know.

What’s next for you as a writer?
I’m getting back into some TV work and I have nine novel concepts just waiting for me to write. It’s very exciting!

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 only way I can answer this is to cheat and include whole series under one umbrella. The Hobbit and LOTR, obviously, Obernewtyn (assuming the last one is out by the time I get washed up on this island), The Hunger Games and Pride and Prejudice. And when I’m done I can strap them together and make a raft.

Author Websites and Profiles
Ceinwen Langley Website
Ceinwen Langley Amazon Profile

Ceinwen Langley’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile
Facebook Profile
Twitter Account

Ceinwen Langley is a post from Awesome Gang

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I am a high school and college English teacher who has lived in St. Louis, Missouri for most of my life. I have written two young adult novels: Spiked: A Rock and Roll Redemption Story, and A Season in Absurdica: A Rock and Roll Underground Story. I am currently working on a novella that features a girl protagonist, for a change. I am a lifelong lover of all music, but particularly rock and roll. My first clear memory is of me sitting on an old black packing crate in my older brother’s attic bedroom, listening to David Bowie’s Ziggy Stardust album, checking out the alluring album cover. I seriously thought he was from outer space. I am also a big believer in living an active, healthy life–eating well, getting out on the mountain bike, hiking.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
Spike: A Rock and Roll Redemption Story is my first. I wrote it in part as therapy, trying to work out how to live a happy life with so many arrogant jerks in the world. You barely have to do much more than live one day before you encounter the toxic, power-hungry people I’m talking about, whose dominance-oriented attitude sucks all the joy out of life–yours and theirs. I’ve been lucky to know a lot of other people, too, whose constant positivity, kindness, and high-spirited-ness make the jerks of this world look small and petty. Jason Stiles, one of my main character, is that type of person. He is based on several people I knew in college.

A Season in Absurdica: A Rock and Roll Underground Story is my second. It was inspired by all the weirdos I knew of in high school. I was not one of them, but instead an over-serious jock. I distinctly remember one spring evening in my senior year, when I was riding my bicycle down this creepy, tree-shaded road. I passed this old house, where I saw about a dozen freaky kids from my high school–punks, goths–gathering on the porch, laughing and joking around. They were probably getting ready to go see the Rocky Horror Picture Show in St. Louis. Something about their laughter suggested they enjoyed life more than I did, in my perpetual jock mode. I wanted to join them, but was way too shy, so I rode on. Years later, they ended up in my novel.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
Not really. I am pretty busy, so I write when I can. As a teacher, I obviously get more done the summer, when my “flow” isn’t as easily broken. I don’t have a special place or anything–I just find a quiet chunk of time and camp out on the couch with my computer, like I’m doing now. As far as the writing process goes, I am an elliptical writer, and not a linear one. What I mean by that is that I do not always start at the beginning of a plot, but with a character that has emerged in my head and endeared me. Soon, I can imagine the types of situations they might find themselves in, so I put them there and let them come to life. That will lead to another scene, then another. Before long, a plot emerges from these scenes.

I am a big believer in that you should allow yourself to have fun writing the first draft. Get a little crazy, don’t worry yet about mistakes, flat language. or inconsistencies. In the same way that a guitar player plays the best solos when he’s relaxed, so the writer composes his or her best stuff when he or she lets go of technical concerns (somewhat) and just lets it flow.

As William Forrester says in Finding Forrester, “Write the first draft with your heart, the second with your head.”

What authors, or books have influenced you?
Jonathan Franzen, a fellow St. Louisan, is unbelievably fantastic. I am somewhat handicapped as an English teacher, as my tastes run more toward classic, or at least not-very-contemporary, works. Flannery O’Connor, which her wicked, wicked sense of humor. is my favorite writer. I discovered a real gem just out of high school in A Confederacy of Dunces by John Kennedy Toole. It’s as outrageous a book as you could expect to find.

What are you working on now?
A novella involved a spunky, spooky, smart goth girl and her weirdo friends. Her macho football coach father would have rather had a jock boy, but as the story goes along, he will appreciate her more than he expected.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
Facebook hasn’t worked well, since it is all older people now, and my books are for young people. I in fact just opened a Twitter account today, after a few people convinced my it has a more diverse reach. Generally, I’m not a very pushy person, so I’m not a good promoter, but I realize one must promote regardless.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Don’t get discouraged by the many, many hours you will spend laboring in obscurity writing your stories early on. There is no shortcut, no matter how good you are. It takes years to develop your style and voice, Ask any singer. If you commit to putting in this hard developmental work, the whole process will get easier, and your judgment will be much better.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
The hard part begins after the book is written. You have to be humble and listen to people who can help you “brand” your work. We all want to be Edgar Allan Poe, literary genius, struck by inspiration at midnight and writing a masterpiece in some dark, dingy city apartment. But humility is essential–the humility to let other people read and honestly critique what you think is a done job, critique your cover, etc. I’ve had to admit I was wrong numerous times, but this worked out for the best.

What are you reading now?
I’m reading a lot of non-fiction essays right now, about politics, science, and other topics outside my comfort zone. I believe that the key to staying creatively spry is to vary your interests. You then understand life more broadly, and it shows up in a positive way in your writing.

What’s next for you as a writer?
I want to take a deep breath, clear my mind, and put in however much time it takes to get people to find and read my novels. I think they’re worth it. I think I can also grow as a writer once I get some significant feedback on these novels.

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) The Riverside Shakespeare.

2) The Bible

3) The complete works of Lord Byron

4) The complete works of Flannery O’Connor

Like I said, I’m an English teacher . . .

Author Websites and Profiles
David Brumfield Website
David Brumfield Amazon Profile

David Brumfield’s Social Media Links

Facebook Profile

David Brumfield is a post from Awesome Gang

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I grew up in Denver and considered the Rocky Mountains as home. However, I spent the following decades in Dallas working as a Developmental Psychologist and Program Evaluator for social service agencies. I conducted research in child and family development and was affiliated with The University of Texas–Dallas, as researcher, lecturer and Adjunct Associate Professor. In that time I collaborated on one self-help book and published research reports in the fields of Education, Psychology, and Program Evaluation. Meanwhile, I quietly wrote stories for pleasure and self-expression.

I’m a mother of two, grandmother to two, and now live with my husband and a feisty Aussie in the Salish Mountains of NW Montana. I’ve set aside a research career to incorporate what I learned into my fiction. My first novel, Burden of Breath, was self-published in 2013, and a short story entitled “Offerings” appeared in the Summer 2013 issue of Sixfold. My recently completed second novel, Serita’s Shelf Life, is in review. I’m working on a third which will be set in beautiful NW Montana.

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What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
Burden of Breath is my only novel currently on the market. It’s about an emotionally and physically scarred woman who struggles to separate from her mother’s crippling influence–even from the grave–and transform her life. My inspiration came from individuals who overcome devastating effects of early abuse to build meaningful, independent lives.

Serita’s Shelf Life is my latest completed work and should become available in the fall of 2014.

Serita is a 55-year-old woman with bipolar disorder who goes off her meds to become a more interesting person and find love. I was inspired to write this story because uncomfortable side effects of medications often compel patients to stop taking them, believing that this time it will be different.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
During the summer I like to write on my back porch. We live in the mountains and a have a view of the peaks of Glacier National Park about thirty miles away. Talk about inspiration!

What authors, or books have influenced you?
I read everything, but my favorites tend to fall into the literary fiction category. One of my favorite writers is Kent Haruf. He tells heartfelt stories in lovely, straight-forward prose. Looking back through my iPad titles, recent favorite novels include: Defending Jacob (William Landay), everything Lisa Gardner has written, Jo Nesbo’s police dramas, The Son (Philipp Meyer), Elizabeth Strout’s work especially Olive Kitteridge, Billy Lynn’s Long Halftime Walk (Ben Fountain), The Dog Stars (Peter Heller), The Fault in Our Stars (John Green), and Peace Like a River (Leif Enger)… to name a few.

What are you working on now?
I’m writing a story that finally takes place in Montana–the others had to be purged from my system before my writing could catch up to where I actually live now. The story is about a man who disappears from a previous life and responsibilities and starts over on his own in NW Montana. He soon learns that his pst catches up with him in unusual ways and that “no matter where you go, there you are.”

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I have promoted Burden of Breath as a free download six times since its publication in May 2013. Since I started with a small following of readers, this has been a useful tool for getting the book in readers’ hands. Free promotions, along with advertising on sites such as Awesome Gang during those promotions, sparks interest and the more my cover is seen, the better it will sell.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
I’m pretty new at fiction writing myself, but I’d say, find a critique group or writer friends to read your writing ang give you honest feedback. We all need fresh eyes to read the work.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Dennis Foley always says, “Finish what you’re writing, even if it’s crap.” So many writers never finish.

What are you reading now?
I’m reading What Alice Forgot by Liane Moriarty.

What’s next for you as a writer?
My immediate goal is to write my next blog post for Montana Women Writers. Long term, I intend to keep writing novels about flawed, interesting characters.

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?
Roget’s Thesaurus, All the Pretty Horses (McCarthy) and Peace Like a River

Author Websites and Profiles
Ann Minnett Website
Ann Minnett Amazon Profile

Ann Minnett’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile
Facebook Profile
Pinterest Account

Ann Minnett is a post from Awesome Gang

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I write humorous New Adult fiction and debuted this year with a series set in Lake Tahoe called the Blue Series. Book 1, DEEP BLUE, is about Cali, an overconfident college grad who meddles in her best friend’s love life.

Cali has life all figured out, until she finds herself attracted to the childhood crush she left behind. Suddenly, she’s questioning everything: the career she staked her plans on, and her choice of boyfriend.

BLUE CRUSH is the second in the series, about Cali’s roommate, Gen, who moves to Lake Tahoe with Cali. In BLUE CRUSH, Gen is determined to go it alone after being betrayed by her college boyfriend. Working at a casino and avoiding cheating jerks seems like a good plan, until she meets the one guy tempting enough to drag her back down.

The Blue Series is set during a Lake Tahoe summer amidst the alpine mountains, beaches, and casinos. Both books are available on all major outlets. TRUE BLUE, Book 3 in the Blue Series, releases late fall, 2014.

When I’m not writing New Adult fiction, I’m watching smutty television, playing/wrangling my children, reading, or hoarding cupcakes. Oh, and visiting the gym. You know, because of all the cupcakes

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
BLUE CRUSH is my latest release in the Blue Series, and it was inspired by a summer I spent in Lake Tahoe my junior year of college. I worked as a cocktail waitress at one of the casinos and fell in love with the Lake Tahoe area!

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I’ll listen to the same song on my playlist over and over if it evokes a certain emotion I need for a scene. And chocolate. Don’t know why, but writers eat a lot of chocolate.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
Oh my gosh, so many! I have a list of some of my favorites on my website: www.julesbarnard.com

What are you working on now?
TRUE BLUE, Book 3 in the Blue Series

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
awesomegang.com, of course

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Be brave. Writing and sharing your work isn’t for the faint of heart.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
You can’t edit a blank page. I think Nora Roberts said that.

What are you reading now?
Dearest Clementine and Finding Dandelion by Lex Martin.

What’s next for you as a writer?
Book 4 of the Blue Series, TBD.

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?
My Kindle Making me choose 3-4 is just cruel.

Author Websites and Profiles
Jules Barnard Website
Jules Barnard Amazon Profile

Jules Barnard’s Social Media Links
Facebook Profile
Twitter Account
Pinterest Account

Jules Barnard is a post from Awesome Gang

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
Here’s my Author Bio:

Marilyn Peake is the author of both novels and short stories. Her publications have received excellent reviews. Marilyn’s one of the contributing authors in BOOK: THE SEQUEL, published by The Perseus Books Group, with one of her entries included in serialization at THE DAILY BEAST. In addition, Marilyn has served as Editor of a number of anthologies. Her short stories have been published in seven anthologies and on the literary blog, GLASS CASES. AWARDS: Silver Award, two Honorable Mentions and eight Finalist placements in the ForeWord Magazine Book of the Year Awards, two Winner and two Finalist placements in the EPPIE Awards, and Winner of the Dream Realm Awards. Marilyn Peake’s website: http://www.marilynpeake.com

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
My latest book is SHADE, a Young Adult Mystery novel with Paranormal elements. When I decided to write a YA book, I first pictured the main character whose name would be Shade, then where she lived and problems she would be struggling with in her life. Some troubling stories that are frequently on the news influenced the later part of the novel.

Here’s a Book Summary for SHADE:

Thanks to her offbeat mother, Shade’s full name is Galactic Shade Griffin. Having a name like that while being the new girl in school is pretty much catnip for bullies. The summer before Shade’s junior year of high school, her mother breaks up with yet another boyfriend and moves them once again to a new town.

This time, they move into a dilapidated old house where Shade has an entire attic bedroom to herself—at least until she discovers it’s haunted by the ghost of a teenaged boy named Brandon Yates. When Shade’s best friend goes missing, her life becomes even more complicated. With the help of Brandon who’s struggling with his own issues in the world beyond, Shade faces the question of whether or not she has what it takes to become a true hero.

Although this novel deals with a number of serious issues—drug and alcohol abuse, cutting, and disturbing world events—it’s primarily a novel about a teenaged girl finding out who she really is and that she’s capable of so much more than she ever thought possible.

SHADE is a YA Mystery novel with Paranormal elements.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
Hmmmm … Well, I drink a lot of coffee when I write. I procrastinate. I panic that I’ll never get the book written. I surf the Internet. I end up on a ridiculously late night schedule. Oh, wait. I think those are the habits of many writers … and we all seem to be up late, chatting on social media and in online writers’ groups.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
My writing’s been influenced by authors with a variety of writing styles and many different types of books. I love reading a variety of genres: Young Adult, Mystery, Paranormal, Science Fiction, Fantasy, Magical Realism, Literary.

What are you working on now?
Right now, I’m writing a fan fiction story set in the universe of Hugh Howey’s WOOL series, and I’m delighted to have the complete blessing of Hugh Howey to write and publish it. My story introduces Evangeline Hubbard, a hoarder in the silo of Hugh Howey’s first WOOL novel. I’m now about three-quarters of the way through writing it.

And I have plans to create a series of SHADE novels. The first book took place during Shade’s junior year of high school. She goes from being a rather lost teenaged girl to a girl who has really started to find her voice as a writer, graphic novelist and amateur sleuth in SHADE. I’m thinking I might write separate novels for Shade’s senior year of high school and each year of college, and in each book she would solve another important mystery. I’ve started planning out the next two novels and I’m very excited about them!

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
My own website: http://www.marilynpeake.com

Do you have any advice for new authors?
To read a lot, to learn everything you possibly can about the craft of writing, to practice writing, and to never give up.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
To learn as much about the craft of writing as possible and to practice, practice, practice.

What are you reading now?
I just finished reading DEAD IN THE WATER, a Young Adult Paranormal Thriller with Romance, by Chrystal Vaughan – a fascinating and mysterious read! I’m also rereading the WOOL series by Hugh Howey – a wonderful Science Fiction series!

What’s next for you as a writer?
To finish writing my fan fiction short story in Hugh Howey’s WOOL series and to write five more novels in my SHADE series.

If you were going to be stranded on a desert island and allowed to take 3 or 4 books with you what books would you bring?
1. The Poisonwood Bible by Barbara Kingsolver
2. The Swiss Family Robinson
3. Life of Pi
4. And a nonfiction book about how to build a boat from materials found on any desert island!

Author Websites and Profiles
Marilyn Peake Website

Marilyn Peake’s Social Media Links

Goodreads Profile
Twitter Account

Marilyn Peake is a post from Awesome Gang

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I am a full time author with six books currently available, plus three anthologies that I collated and edited for a children’s hospital charity. The anthologies contain nearly 100 short stories donated by authors from all over the world. Look out for the Omnibus Edition in November 2014.

I love writing about young adults and devour paranormal romances, so it was inevitable that they would come together at some point. I’m best known for my Flirting Games Series, but have also recently started a Magic & Mayhem Series, soon to be followed by several other series.

I live in Pembrokeshire in Wales. Widely known as The Land of Dragons. I’m lucky enough to live by the beach, and when I’m not writing I’m generally either tipping sand out of my shoes or cleaning mud off my wellies (it also rains a lot in Wales). I’m an enthusiastic (if dreadful) cook, and love to bake chocolate brownies by the dozen. I also collect antique books and first editions of any genre at all, so my walls are filled with dusty smelly old books, on various boring subjects, that I treasure but my family hates

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
The last book I wrote was Werewolf Magic & Mayhem. It is the second in a series. I actually wrote the first book, Halloween Magic & Mayhem, just as a fun novella for Halloween, but I got such a lot of fan mail asking me if I was going to continue the story that I decided to write a full length novel for a sequel.

I’m still trying to decide whether to continue the series from there, I expect I will eventually.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I like listening to movie soundtracks to get me in the mood. Like if I’m writing teen romance then I listen to the soundtrack from teen movies like Clueless, Mean girls and American Pie.

I eat strawberry liquorice shoelaces to help me concentrate.

If I get really stuck then I go into World of Warcraft and try to complete a quest

What authors, or books have influenced you?
Is it considered a bit yesterday to say that I still love Harry Potter? My Flirting Games Series is set in an English Boarding School and I like to envision it as being a bit like Hogwarts but without the ghosts and the magic.

What are you working on now?
I’m always working on at least three books. Right now I’m trying to finish book four in The Flirting Games Series, called Good @ Games. I’m also writing another teen romance short novel called Notice Me, and I’ve started outlining a brand new series called ESP about a group of ordinary people with some special powers.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I think that interacting with readers is key to keeping up with what they want to read. So I read a lot of what they say on Goodreads, but I don’t post much. I don’t want people to think that I’m there to promote because I’m not, I’m there to learn. Basically the best method is to know what your readers want and to try to keep producing it.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Yes, lots. I actually get a lot of emails about this, so I wrote a whole blog post on the subject, check it out here: http://flirtinggames.blogspot.co.uk/2014/05/want-to-be-writer-go-for-it-tips-and.html

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Write, publish, repeat.

Also never never release anything without a professional editor.

The journey of 1000 miles starts with a single step

Writing is a marathon, not a sprint

I have all of the above on post it notes over my desk

What are you reading now?
I’ve always got several books on the go.

I’m reading Wool by Hugh Howey. It’s not my usual type of book, but it’s so good that how could I not read it?

I’m also reading Juliet Blackwell’s latest release, called A Vision in Velvet. It’s book five in her Witchcraft Mysteries Series. A great series that combines witchcraft with a murder mystery and has some wonderful characters. She’s such a good writer that I’d read a paint tin if she’d written on it.

And I’ve just started A Fault in our Stars, because it is at heart a young adult romance, even if it is a very poignant and sad one, and I think it’s really important to keep up with the books in your own genre that are popular. So far I can totally see why everyone loves it so much.

What’s next for you as a writer?
Just to keep writing. Since I quit my day job to focus on writing full-time, I’ve never been happier than I am now. Poorer yes, but happy lol

I hope that one day my income will actually be enough to cover all my bills, I think I’d better stop buying so many books!

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?
Ooh, good question.

First I would definitely take Notes from a Small Island by Bill Bryson. Just to remind me of home. You’ll end up snorting coffee out your nose, laughing at this book. I almost wet myself reading his chapter on British car-parks. Perhaps if I were American I might take The Lost Continent instead. Either way, he’s the funniest writer on the planet.

Riders by Jilly Cooper. I know, it’s totally 80′s, but never has a book been written that contains so much. Action, adventure, romance, hero’s, villains, and characters that you love and hate not to mention the horses and the dogs. It’s just got such a lot of stories all tied together that you couldn’t ever get bored of reading it, so it’s perfect for a desert island.

The Bible. I’m not religious, but this book is a tome and a half! It would keep me occupied for years. It literally contains hundreds of stories, and perhaps after a long time on the island, I might start to understand some of them…

Author Websites and Profiles
Stella Wilkinson Website
Stella Wilkinson Amazon Profile
Stella Wilkinson Author Profile on Smashwords

Stella Wilkinson’s Social Media Links
Facebook Profile
Twitter Account

Stella Wilkinson is a post from Awesome Gang

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I’ve written two books, Noise and Losing Found Things. I currently live in Palm Beach, FL, but I move once or twice a year, so by the time this comes out I’ll already be gone. Hope to finish my third book, Ren, before my time here is up, but the ocean always pulls me away.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
Losing Found Things is a collection of short stories that have been published in literary magazines around the world. Noise is about a deaf character searching NYC for his lost sister and chasing everyone with a hammer (semi-serious there). I wrote Noise while I was living in Miami, which is a noisy, drunk, drug-ridden town where no one seems to work and everyone’s name is ‘Bro.’ So I stuck in my earplugs and sat by the bay every night to write, and I didn’t once pick up a hammer. But I wanted to.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
My writing is very sporadic, with months-long breaks in between. Traveling helps, as does moving. What sucks most about that process is that sometimes I move to a new place and it turns out that I just can’t write well there. So I’ll find a reason to move again. I write on a Mac, but always edit on paper outdoors. I know there are lots of writers who develop very complex rules about their craft, but that is likely how they do everything else. I write the way I live, which is very simply.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
Chuck Palahniuk, Jay McInerney, Andy Rooney, Andrew Vachss

What are you working on now?
Ren, a third-person adventure; a little terrorism, some military here and there, homeland security and one bad-ass, who is both the hunter and the hunted in the story. It all moves very quickly, and honestly makes me, the writer, a little dizzy.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
Ha, that’s all very new to me. I’m constantly giving books away; to reviewers, bloggers, even strangers who seem like they might enjoy it. I think Goodreads is awesome…I’ve done two giveaways there so far. Kelsey McBride, of Book Publicity Services, is awesome, as is Beth Jusino, who’s advice and guidance is priceless.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
As a writer, make an honest assessment of yourself in terms of talent and skill. I’ve learned that I’m a talented writer, but not very skilled, which is something I need to consciously keep working on. It doesn’t matter too much where you are on that spectrum, but you need to know where to steer the car. Also, style vs substance; you can have both, but most likely you’ll fall more on one side, so you’ll know you need to work on the other. There are many successful writers who are solely one-track (riveting story, bland prose, etc.), but I don’t think that’s something to strive for.

Write and publish short stories first. This will help greatly when you have novels to promote later, but it will also help you find and develop your own unique voice. When you get to the point where all of your stories have a somewhat similar feel, even if the plots, characters, and tone are very different, then you’re achieved a milestone as a writer. If you want to develop a writing life, you’ll need to develop a platform; a brand. And to have a cohesive body of work is vital to that process.

Play at least one musical instrument. This is the easiest and most durable way to develop rhythm and pacing in your work.

Lastly, learn every thing you can about the publishing industry. Sooner or later, you’ll need that expertise.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Look only forward and never stop moving. I think introspection is a waste of time. Judging others is a waste of time. Nobody really gives a shit; they pretend to listen your droning just so they can spout theirs in turn. Pay attention to the world as it races by, but whatever you do keep moving. For every minute that you spend on social media or playing with your mobile, dedicate ten to walking along a beach, people watching in a foreign city, chopping wood, anything. Have relationships if you must, but end them when appropriate. Cultivate your career to afford you a measure of freedom in this complicated world. Move often. Own little. Drive fast. The more time you’ve spent with the wind in your hair, the more you have lived.

So yeah, the best advice I’ve ever heard is this: “Do something.”

What are you reading now?
Actually, nothing. I’m in a dry spell. Any recommendations?

What’s next for you as a writer?
Finish my third book, Ren. I’m also working on a book about drug addiction with my sister, who is a very successful pain doctor and addiction specialist. I thought it would be dry and boring at first, but the interviews are amazing, and I get to see inside of people that I never would have otherwise.

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?
My grandmother’s dictionary, from the sixties, which is thousands of pages, a foot-and-a-half tall, and weighs a ton. The, biggest, most dense books I could find on vegetation and crafting (tools, shelter, whatever). Maybe one on boat-building and celestial navigation, because, after several years, I’d probably want to find a new island.

Author Websites and Profiles
Brett Garcia Rose Website
Brett Garcia Rose Amazon Profile

Brett Garcia Rose’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile
Facebook Profile
Twitter Account

Brett Garcia Rose is a post from Awesome Gang

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I am an African American female experimental fiction writer and poet.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
I created a short-fiction series entiled: bluestreetluvstories. It is a story written in three parts (stories). This is my first time ever writing a love story. I was inspired just by the thought of love in general.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I like to think that writing when the world is sleep is always good for the soul. I find myself waking up in the middle of the night and sleepwalking until I reach my computer.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
I love Alice Walker’s work.

What are you working on now?
I am currently working on the last story in the short-fictions series that I’ve created, and working on my first novella.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I think that self-promotion is the key to the literary-game now in the 21st century. I just take a weekend and promote, promote, and promote in any way that I can as it pertains to getting the word out about my books.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Write.

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

What are you reading now?
Getting Mother’s Body by Suzan-Lori Parks

What’s next for you as a writer?
I will be finishing up the editing process with regard to my first novella with my editor and will be publishing the print version of my short-fiction series. I plan on having a virtual and physical tour in the second half of 2015 and writing a book of creative essays.

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?
Holy Bible (KJV)
Soul City by Toure
Mosquito by Gayle Jones
Cotton Candy on a Rainy Day by Nikki Giovanni

Author Websites and Profiles
atlas brown Website
atlas brown Amazon Profile
atlas brown Author Profile on Smashwords

atlas brown’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile
Facebook Profile
Twitter Account

atlas brown is a post from Awesome Gang

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I am a British writer and musician. I live in Staffordshire in the UK (where the pottery comes from!) with my fiancée and my two cats.

The Dimension Scales and Other Stories is my first full published collection of speculative fiction short stories. I have also had a poem published as part of an anthology ‘The Dance is New’.

I am a ‘jobbing’ writer, so I have also written for stage and radio – I’ve had credits on the BBC for comedy sketches and jokes, plus written for animations, theatre and audio plays. As a musician I compose and produce music for commercial and community projects, as well as write and play original music in my own band (singer/guitarist).

For the last four years I have been studying towards a mixed degree in creative writing and philosophy (plus a few other subjects!) which I finished this year. I’m in my early thirties, but I’ve found my ‘second wind’ when it comes to education!

All in all, I keep myself busy!

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
My latest book is called ‘The Dimension Scales and Other Stories’, and it is a collection of 14 short speculative fiction stories.

The inspiration has been a mixture of my love for North American science fiction (Asimov, Philip K Dick) and the short stories or Roald Dahl (he didn’t just do kids books!). As it is a collection, most stories have very different inspirations, but they are thematically linked by being near-future projections of contemporary fears, or set in ‘possible worlds’ which do the same. They are connected by the titular story in subtle ways that I have hidden for the readers to discover!

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I can’t listen to music of any kind – being a musician it distracts me and I can’t focus. I drink lots of tea (being British and all)… other than that, it is generally just being locked away in my office for hours stooped over a screen. I like to make notes now and again in different places (pen and paper) – and then bring them back to be written up (which gets a draft out of the way!).

What authors, or books have influenced you?
Isaac Asimov. Philip K Dick. Roald Dahl. Will Self. Martin Amis. Douglas Adams. And dozens of North American writers who I have read in huge anthologies and can’t remember the names of! Oh, and Margaret Atwood.

What are you working on now?
I am working on my next book, which will be a novel rather than short stories. It will have dystopian themes (like The Dimension Scales), but be set in a surreal present-day setting that eventually stretches forward to an even stranger near future. I am about a third of the way through the first draft…

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
There are so many, and am still finding my way around the big world of self-promotion. However, it seems that Goodreads and your Amazon profile page are pretty essential. Building up Twitter is good for getting reviews and links out there. Facebook is better for retaining existing readers, rather than getting new ones… The list goes on and on! I’ve approached dozens of sites for reviews and promotion, the most important thing is to read the submission policies carefully and engage with the site (even if that only means following them on social media or signing up to a newsletter) – if they are offering you free advertising it is only fair and will reap rewards.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Get a professional editor. Don’t try to rewrite popular/trending titles – if you are not writing what you want to write, you are in the wrong trade. Be prepared to work really hard to promote your book – as a new author, no one knows who you are, why should they read your book? It can get you down sometimes, but got to keep on going (I am at that stage now! Just keep plugging). Reviews are probably the most important thing to go after – but they must be genuine and useful. Just having a star rating is not enough. Don’t pay for them, and be careful doing ‘review swaps’ unless you already know the other author writes the kind of work you would usually buy/read. And a hundred other things that we are all still finding out for ourselves I’m sure.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Show don’t tell.

What are you reading now?
Philip K. Dick ‘Megapack’ of all his collected short stories. Love it.

What’s next for you as a writer?
The next novel, plus live theatre work and scripts for (hopefully) TV and radio. I have a lot of projects going on at any one time!

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?
This is a hard question. Let’s say, The Lord of The Rings (as I can read it over and over) – The Complete Roald Dahl collection (short stories) and the Norton Book of Science Fiction.

Author Websites and Profiles
Garry Abbott Website
Garry Abbott Amazon Profile

Garry Abbott’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile
Facebook Profile
Twitter Account
Pinterest Account

Garry Abbott is a post from Awesome Gang

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
My name is Chariss K. Walker and I live in Amarillo, Texas. I am an Indie author and I have written and published 14 books since 2009. Four of my books are nonfiction, ten are fiction. I write fiction novels that appeal to those in my own age group, the baby boomers. Those fifty+ years of age seem to want to take the journey of a good book and savor the details. They aren’t in a rush and can allow a story to unfold. We’re patient.
My nonfiction books were written to share what I have learned over 30+ years of study and research on topics such as spiritual laws, chakras, meditation, and spiritual gifts.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
Kaleidoscope, the most recent book(s) is actually the first book in a series, The Vision Chronicles. The Vision Chronicles is an eight book paranormal thriller series. Kaleidoscope introduces Mike Lewis as a 44 year old man tormented by his mystical ability to see visions of the future through the childhood toy. Mike seeks help from an old college friend, Dr. Nelson Fitch, and Nelson helps him to lose his aversion to the gift and accept it. Each book details Mike Lewis’s mystic ability and covers approximately eight weeks in his life. As the title of the book changes, so does Mike’s ability.
Kaleidoscope was inspired by my own dream. I dreamed I was watching a terrifying scene through a kaleidoscope. It was so frightening, I was awake the rest of the night and early morning thinking about what I had seen. The next morning I started the first book and the series grew from that one dream.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I would say that my writing habits are unusual because I write every day. I hear other authors talk about ‘writers block’ but I treat my writing very much like a job. I sit down to write each day. I set a goal for myself and try to stick to it.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
I have been reading for many, many years. I won’t list a specific author because that would be unfair. I think all authors have influenced me. I often find an author and devour everything they have written. Then I find another one. Now, as a writer, I don’t have as much time to read as I once did but I think it is safe to say that each book I have ever read left an impression on me.

What are you working on now?
I am currently working on a three book suspense series involving a man who is in hi s late forties and consumed by the experiences of his childhood. He wants revenge and I guess we will have to see if he gets it or it gets him.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I don’t know if there is a best method, but I use Goodreads, Facebook, LibraryThing and my own personal website.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
I would advice that all new authors figure out where they are going before they actually publish their books. You have to know where you are headed in order to get there. Know which promotions you will use and budget for them. It is not inexpensive to promote your book, so you want to get the most for your money. Do your research, take advantage of every opportunity that will work with your particular genre, and then keep plugging away at it. Stay calm and breathe. It takes a lot of effort and even more diligence.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
You have to know where you are going in order to get there.

What are you reading now?
Right this minute (July 15, 2014) I am reading Looking for Alaska by John Green. I have a teenager at home and she handed the book to me. I am sure we will discuss it later.

What’s next for you as a writer?
I intend to continue to write for at least nine months of the year and promote for three months of the year. It is my personal goal. Being an author isn’t only the writing, it is a lot more.

If you were going to be stranded on a desert island and allowed to take 3 or 4 books with you what books would you bring?
That is simply too difficult to decide on such short notice. I love books… It would really be nice if I could simply grab my Kindle on the way out the door to this island.

Author Websites and Profiles
Chariss K. Walker Website
Chariss K. Walker Amazon Profile
Chariss K. Walker Author Profile on Smashwords

Chariss K. Walker’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile
Facebook Profile
Twitter Account

Chariss K. Walker is a post from Awesome Gang