Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I am a freelance writer, minister’s wife, and former missionary with a passion for spy thrillers and mystery novels. While I’ve been a freelance writer for many years, One Night in Tehran is my first Christian thriller. For several years, I have been writing articles about the conversion experiences of a wide variety of people for Baptist Press, a news organization, and I did a similar type of reporting for The Indiana Baptist, a state Baptist newspaper. While living in Indiana, I wrote a weekly column on the stories of everyday people, and how they were brought to faith in Christ.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
My new release is entitled One Night in Tehran and I was inspired to write it when I heard about the persecution experienced by Iranian Christians in Iran. Then, since I’ve always had a passion for the mystery/suspense/thriller genre, I asked, “What would happen to a veteran CIA intelligence officer if he encountered the faith and commitment of a group of Iranian Christians? What if he made a commitment of faith because of their influence? What changes might he have to make in his career and lifestyle if he tried live a totally different life, a life of faith?

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
Unlike most authors, I don’t outline my chapters before I start writing. I have a two to three sentence plot in mind when I begin the story. From the opening paragraphs, the scenes begin to come into focus, and from that point on, I can clearly see how the book will end. Since I’m writing a series of books featuring Titus Ray, a CIA intelligence officer, he has an endless amount of stories to tell, and I have plots in mind for the next two in the series.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
Because I’ve been reading mystery/suspense/thriller books since I was eleven years old, and there were times in my life when I was able to read this type of fiction every two to three days, I’ve been greatly influenced by the elements of a good read in this genre. I have no doubt my style of writing has been shaped by the writing styles of Adam Hall, Daniel Silva, Nelson DeMille, Joel Rosenberg, Vince Flynn, Michael Connelly, Lee Child, and John Sandford.

What are you working on now?
Right now, I’m three-fourths of the way through the second book in the Titus Ray Thriller Series. It’s entitled, Two Days in Caracas. In this second book, the reader will see a more romantic side of Titus, plus be treated to further insight into his character. In addition, Two Days in Caracas will continue several aspects of the plot from One Night in Tehran. The third book in the series doesn’t have a title yet, but it will take the form of Three Weeks in . . . While I’m not prepared to say where Titus will end up in the third book, I already have a pretty good idea where that will be.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I’m still in the process of discovering all the marketing websites available for promoting Christian fiction books. This website, Awesomegang, has been very accommodating for a new author, and I highly recommend it to my author friends. It was the first one I used after my book was released, and I always enjoy receiving updates from it.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Because my writing was born out of being a reader, I always tell new authors to read and write, read and write, read and write.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
There have been several bits of advice I’ve either heard or read from other authors. One is to edit, edit, and then edit some more. Another is to make sure every bit of dialogue moves the story along in some way. If not, then take it out.

What are you reading now?
For fiction, I’m reading Lee Child’s latest book entitled Personal. Then, I’m always reading a devotional or theology book. Right now, it’s Yawning at Tigers by Drew Dyck.

What’s next for you as a writer?
I’m continuing to market One Night in Tehran while writing Two Days in Caracas. I’m also staying in touch with my readers–I love to hear from them–and doing book signings and speaking to women’s groups. One Night in Tehran is an excellent tool to use for witnessing because a fiction book in a non-threatening way of delivering the gospel, and, since the gospel message is a part of Titus Ray’s background, it’s been easy for me or anyone else, for that matter, to do that with this 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?
The first book would undoubtedly be my Bible. I couldn’t survive long without it. Then, I’d take along John Piper’s book, The Pleasures of God. After that, J. I. Packer’s book, Knowing God, and finally, I’d bring along A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens.

Author Websites and Profiles
Luana Ehrlich Website
Luana Ehrlich Amazon Profile

Luana Ehrlich’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile
Facebook Profile
Twitter Account

Luana Ehrlich is a post from Awesome Gang

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I come from a family of prizefighters and grew up in Toronto’s Little Italy. At age twenty, I sifted through journals I’d been keeping for eleven years, searching for clues; somewhere inside, there had to be a whisper of an idea, some hint of what I could do with my life. A year later after noticing I was ankle-deep in journals, I decided to try writing.

With a dream to live in the country but still be near a city, I left Toronto in ’99 and now reside in Napanee, Ontario. As a dedicated Christian, I often wonder what makes God laugh. I work part-time as a secretary for a parish in the Kingston Archdiocese. God has fascinated me since I floated down half a flight of stairs at age eight—which, I happily learned, is a common occurrence for children.

I bartended for ten years, worked nights as a front desk clerk in an eleven-hundred-room hotel in Toronto, hold an almost-green belt in tae kwon do, took modeling and acting lessons, studied portraiture at Toronto’s Three Schools of Art and Magazine Writing and Editing at Humber College. I recommend bartending to every writer out there—at least try it for a week.

I’ve written six books (Dark Angels Prey is a brick at a meaty 826 Kindle pages) and presently I’m backlisting for Amazon KDP. What a wonderful new era for writer’s we’re in!

Aside from books and movies, I likes a lot of things! Some are—

• anything to do with Woodstock.

• Toronto’s rooftop bars in autumn

• cats and horses

• computers and the Undo button

• looking for character names by reading movie credits when they’re big enough to read

• anything Secretariat

• walls plastered with vintage black and white photos

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
I’m working on ‘The Sculptor’s Clay’, (mentioned below) which veers off from the supernatural.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
Unusual? No.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
Stephen King, Joy Fielding, Elmore Leonard, Mitch Albom, Arthur Golden, Stieg Larsson, Winston Groom, David Rosenfelt, James Patterson, Oscar Wilde

What are you working on now?
A novel about ‘passive’ obsession. A vulnerable woman destroys her health idealizing a disturbed man.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
At the moment I haven’t progressed beyond Facebook and Twitter. But I’m working on it.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Oh yes–lose the fear! Know going in that it’s all subjective. Not everyone will like it. And never look at the enormity of a project. Tackle it in slices–a few pages becomes a chapter. A few chapters evolve into more chapters. Let us never overwhelm ourselves at any stage of the process. The rest you know–read voraciously and write, write, write.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Tranxu, a Chinese sage said: “When the archer shoots for no particular prize, he has all his skills; when he shoots to win a brass buckle, he is already nervous; when he shoots for a gold prize, he goes blind, sees two targets, and is out of his mind. His skill has not changed, but the prize divides him. He cares! He thinks more of winning than of shooting, and the need to win drains him of power.”

Tied with Tranxu is the following:

The more you write, the more you will like writing. The more you like writing, the more you will want to write. The more you want to write, the more thought, time and effort you will put into your writing. The more thought, time and effort you put into your writing, the better your writing will become. The better your writing becomes, the more confidence you will have. The more confidence you have, the more you will write and want to write. And then the pattern repeats itself. Forever.

Creativity guru, Mihály Csíkszentmihályi, calls this “The Circle of Write”

What are you reading now?
The White Masai by Corinne Hofmann

What’s next for you as a writer?
Thought I’d look into Amazon’s ACX Program for audiobooks

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

Secretariat, The Making of a Champion by William Nack

Forrest Gump by Winston Groom

Eddie and the Cruisers by P.F. Kluge

On Borrowed Time by David Roselfelt

I’d want inspirational, uplifting, funny, cozy reads on that island.

Author Websites and Profiles
Elizabeth Genovese Website
Elizabeth Genovese Amazon Profile

Elizabeth Genovese’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile
Facebook Profile
Twitter Account

Elizabeth Genovese is a post from Awesome Gang

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I was born in the beautiful gray city of Seattle, but transplanted to Los Angeles 16 years ago. During my career journey as a flight attendant, I decided to explore my love for writing by penning a whimsical children’s book in 2003, “Have You Ever Tasted a Rainbow?”. As a hard-core narrative non-fiction reader with an adoration for memoirs, I never expected to ever write fiction. But what started as my personal musings over heartbreak in 2004 later turned into my first novel, “Love Is As Strong As Death”. I had only 50 pages that sat in my computer for eight years before I finally opened up the file and pounded out the rest of the story in two months. Love Is – a spikey tale of both tragic consequences and spiritual hope – won the 2013 Beverly Hills Book Award and garnered a five-star Readers’ Favorite review. I wrote and published the sequel, “Desperate Hope Arise” after surviving one of the most traumatic years of my life last year. Currently, my two recent novels just hitting the market are “Forever Dolls”, an unorthodox smalltown romance, and “Wherever You Are”, a wrenching novella releasing the week before Thanksgiving.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
“Wherever You Are” is probably my favorite project yet. For some reason, I love to write about the dark places we sojourn through and how we emerge, who we become on the other side. Actually, I woke up one morning with nothing to do and decided to write a short-short story. Having never been married, I was imagining what it would be like to be loved blissfully by a husband who literally filled me with breath. Then I imagined what it would feel like for him to die. That’s what “Wherever You Are” is about — with other riveting plot lines woven into the tale that push my protagonist to her emotional and triumphant limits.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I write really real, so as I pen a story I’ll have my calendar out to figure out which day such-and-such a thing happened. I’ll decide what day a character’s birthday is, or what week it was when they last went to the market or visited a friend. I’m chronically detailed and I want my books to live as close to real-life as possible. I comb over my manuscripts meticulously to make sure there aren’t any discrepancies that could distract readers.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
I recently read Harper Lee’s “To Kill a Mockingbird” and I marveled at her command of storytelling. She explored such a multi-layered topic as racism and ethics in an way that was both entertaining and incredibly emotive. And as I said before, I love memoirs, so the most memorable books I’ve read are, “All Souls: A Family Story from Southie” by Michael Patrick MacDonald; “Crazy: A Father’s Search Through America’s Mental Health Madness” by Pete Early; “The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks” by Rebecca Skloot; and, of course, the new classic novel I adore, “The Help” by Kathryn Stockett. All these books traverse incredibly harrowing themes, but still manage to shed light and inform in a very human way.

What are you working on now?
Funny enough, I posed myself with a writing challenge. That’s one thing, among many, that I love about my craft. Anyway, I stumbled upon a website looking for speculative fiction short stories. I actually didn’t even know what that was. After I researched it, it seemed so outside of my interest and expertise… But I decided to see if I could formulate a concept. I came up with a story idea that explores evil attributes inherently at war with what’s redemptive. It’s kind of fun to craft something “real but not real”. I did manage to write one paragraph — we’ll see where it goes.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I’m still nailing that down! In my opinion and experience, successful promotion is less like hitting one gi-normous bullseye and more like a farmer scattering a multitude of little seeds that yield a tremendous harvest.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
No matter how good you are when you start, you’re not that good. Every novice writer needs to grow and fail and learn and keep on moving. With every project I sit down to write, I want to write better. I want to produce something more excellent. That can only happen by having people you don’t know and who don’t necessarily like you read your stuff. That’s what I had to do with my first novel to find out what I had not mastered and needed to work on. Also — a big thing — all writing needs to sit and relax. Come back to what you’ve written with new eyes and no glowing expectations. That’s when your flaws will jump out at you.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
“There are some things you’ll do (write) that absolutely no one will get.” I heard Tom Hanks say that to a man interested in breaking into screenwriting. That was pretty liberating, because it’s so true. Some things we create are brilliant and meaningful to no one else but us. But that’s why a true writer writes — for the love of writing; not for the fanfare or notoriety.

What are you reading now?
The novel, “At First Sight” by Nicholas Sparks.

What’s next for you as a writer?
I need to finish the last book in my series that started with “Love Is As Strong As Death”. The story is a trilogy and readers have been asking me about it since Love Is was published. I just have to be in a certain emotional place for that book… I’ve needed a break, but I’m gonna get on it soon. Within the next 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?
My study Bible – absolutely. A dictionary. “Autumn Blue” – a sweet little novel I read and truly love. And “The Power of His Presence” – a memoir about a man facing possible death as he battles multiple myeloma, but is surrounded by the largest, most adoring family of faith I’ve ever seen.

Author Websites and Profiles
Ci’Monique Green Website
Ci’Monique Green Amazon Profile

Ci’Monique Green’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile
Facebook Profile
Twitter Account

Ci’Monique Green is a post from Awesome Gang

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
Thanks to Awesomegang for this entirely unsolicited opportunity to share an interview with me, I hope my responses can be interesting and worthwhile!

My name is Branden Holder and I live with my wife near the big ol’ Midwestern city of Indianapolis, Indiana. We both graduated from Anderson University just up the road in Anderson, myself with a degree in Psychology/Religious Studies and a Bachelor’s of Science in Nursing for her.

To date, I have written five books and/or novellas: ‘How to Die’, ‘Fragmentum’, ‘When the Cold Wind Blows’ (The District Trilogy Book #1), ‘Sons of Vice & Virtue’ (The District Trilogy Book #2), and ‘Patriots Under Fire’ (The District Trilogy Book #3). However, if you are searching for ‘How to Die’ or ‘Fragmentum’, you are certainly in for an adventure since both of those books are no longer in print!

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
My most recent release was the conclusion of ‘The District Trilogy’, an alternate history crime-noir novella series. That book, titled ‘Patriots Under Fire’, delivered a thrilling final installment to a gritty and powerful series of novellas written off and on over the course of three years.

In 2011 after graduating college, I initially planned to write a “just for fun” crime-noir story modeled closely after the style of Frank Miller’s ‘Sin City’, the graphic novel series I was reading at the time. However, as the world and characters began to take shape, I found myself writing an alternate 1950s Washington, D.C., where the issues in the books reflected many of my own thoughts and feelings on where our modern-day populace, government, and country had fallen into relative disrepair. And it certainly was not in the ways the conservative or liberal media portrayed it.

Ever since, ‘The District Trilogy’ has morphed into a meaningful, fictitious exploration of my own political and societal thoughts/ideas regarding various topics of importance in human existence.

Through the development of the characters in this trilogy, I examined the fine line between good and evil, as well as the convoluted areas that exist between the two. The question in these three books, above all else, is how far is an individual willing to go for their ideologies, friends, family, countrymen, and country? And once you cross from one side of the spectrum into the other, can you ever reclaim the pieces that are lost along the way?

At its core, I personally feel the most recent volume, ‘Patriots Under Fire’ is very psychological in nature, introducing living and breathing manifestations of the id, ego, and superego into this gritty, war-torn alternate Washington, D.C., and watching how they overcome the obstacles they are facing.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
Not typically, but I have found that recently while I’m writing on my laptop, I have to angle myself to the left or right of my desk instead of staring head on at my computer. Otherwise I lose all focus and start obsessively correcting my straight back’s posture. Slouching for the win!

Also, I write better barefoot than with socks on. So, yeah, that’s unusual.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
As far as my crime fiction goes, I would have to attribute a significant portion of my early style and word choice to Frank Miller, despite the fact that he writes comics and graphic novels. What I started with in 2011, while reading ‘Sin City’ as mentioned above, was a foundation for noir focused on Frank Miller’s particular brand of hard-boiled characters. From that point on, I built up and crafted my own style that was successfully able to integrate emotion, dark humor, grit, and a bevy of other characteristics.

For the thriller aspects of my writing, I’m most likely influenced by writers such as Dan Brown and Stieg Larsson. These men each bring something different to the table in all of their works, and while I cannot place what particular themes or influences they have inspired, I am always learning another twist or plot device that can be stored away for future reference.

And lastly, Ray Bradbury. His works overall inspired me from a relatively young age (okay, high school) to always write meaning into your words. When I picked up ‘The Martian Chronicles’ from Goodwill and pored over the pages, the themes and ideas expressed fictitiously spoke to my inner intellectual. They made me question my positions on topics and think deeper about the world in general. And I will never forget that.

What are you working on now?
I have several projects underway as of right now. With NaNoWriMo currently in full swing, I am working on the first draft of a ~50,000 word horror thriller, revolving around a group of private military contractors sent to the fallen republic of North Korea on an intelligence gathering mission in one of the gulags hidden deep in the mountains.

My primary project at this time, however, is a new hard-boiled crime thriller called ‘What Shadows Walk Among Us’, which tells the story of Seattle Police Detective Aiden Winters as he hunts a faceless serial killer leaving a trail of unidentifiable bodies while struggling to find answers about the murder of his partner.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
Blog reviews, interviews, and promo spots from website just like Awesomegang.com!

No, seriously.

As I have found out recently, these sites are invaluable to aspiring full-time writers/authors such as myself. In 2011, I had a significant following, but once my trajectory changed and slowed wayyyyyy down for me to build up my other business, I lost a lot of traction in the marketplace. Now in 2014, I’ve discovered just how useful these connecting opportunities are and how important it is that they exist for the indie-publishing industry.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
During my time away from writing in 2012-early 2014, I came to understand just how unique it is to possess the ability to put creative, comprehensive ideas onto pages and have people read them, be they fiction or non-fiction.

My secondary business is graphic design and apparel printing, but those industries are cut-throat with the acquisition of new (loyal) customers and pricing your services so that you both attract customers as well as make a living. I’ve come to terms with the reality that everything my business offers, a machine or factory can do…1) exactly the same, 2) faster, and 3) probably cheaper. While this is disheartening for the future of “that” business, it showed me precisely how valuable our talents are as writers and even artists.

A machine might be able to print a t-shirt graphic or cut vinyl for a sign, but a machine cannot print MEANING, it cannot print INTRINSIC VALUE. And in both art as well as writing, that is what we offer the world as creatives…MEANING. We write meaning into the very fabric of our books, our short stories, and hell, even our self-conducted interviews.

On the journey to becoming an author or full-time writer, focus on the meaning you give your words and the meaning it has for those who read them. In a world of automation, meaning and intrinsic value are just two of life’s verses that humanity will forever own.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Measure twice, cut once. Not sure why it is considered the best advice I have ever heard, but for some uncanny reason, every time I prepare to do something new, uncomfortable, or stressful, these four words flash in my mind. I think it might be my brain’s way of reminding me that you only get one shot at a first impression/chance/opportunity and not to waste it by assuming there will be others later on.

What are you reading now?
At this time, I am reading a horror novel called ‘For We Are Many’ by Stuart Thaman. I am thoroughly enjoying this book so far and can already highly recommend it to anyone who enjoys a good creepy read.

What’s next for you as a writer?
I have hinted at it a little bit in my previous answers, but I plan on bringing my design/printing business to a stop soon and plunging myself even further into the world of writing. I love setting my own schedule (in case you could not tell–it is 3AM while I am doing this interview) and writing provides this while allowing me to live inside the worlds that populate my head.

I am never happier than when I am putting words onto paper, a reality that has not changed since halfway through college. In the coming months, amidst holiday get-togethers and snow, I hope to continue working on my new books and building my future as a full-time writer. It is a long journey, but one I am excited to continue taking.

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 Martian Chronicles’ by Ray Bradbury, ‘Republic’ by Plato, ‘The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo’ by Stieg Larsson, and ‘The Series of Unfortunate Events’ by Lemony Snicket (I know, I cheated).

Author Websites and Profiles
Branden Holder Website
Branden Holder Amazon Profile

Branden Holder’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile
Facebook Profile
Twitter Account
Pinterest Account

Branden Holder is a post from Awesome Gang

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
Well, the first part of this question is always difficult to answer without sounding like I’m standing in front of a sixth grade class on the first day of school, but here it goes… My name is Brandon Charles West and I am an Army veteran and graduate of the College in William and Mary, where I met my beautiful wife (incidentally I also got degrees in Psychology and Government, but I’m more partial to the wife). After leaving the military I became a firefighter and paramedic. I am the author of six books and the Scarlet Hopewell Series is currently in publication with Manor Minor Press.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
Scarlet and the Keepers of Light is the first in the Scarlet Hopewell Series and is my latest publication. I’m actually writing the forth book, Scarlet and the Barrier’s Fall, at present (generally speaking, right now I’m actually typing answers to an interview). The series was inspired by two things. The first, a wonderful German Shepard who came into my family’s life and grew into quite a large and intelligent creature. She was an exceptional dog and an even better friend. The second inspirational occurrence was really more of a realization. I had been writing for some time, trying my uninformed best to become a published working author, but more than anything, to develop an audience, when, while reading my eldest daughter the Harry Potter Series something occurred to me. As she watched me read, I realized that in my precious child I had the greatest audience any author good ever hope for. The next day I set to work on a book that I could read to her and her sister.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
Not that I’m aware of. I don’t spin around in my chair three times, or set up my desk a particular way, or even have a regular scheduled time in which I write. I’m not a planner or an outliner. I just sit down and let the characters and plot go where my imagination takes me. So far, they have taken me on some pretty incredible adventures.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
As I mentioned, the Harry Potter Series was pretty influential in that it inspired me to try my hand at young adult fiction. Stephen King, specifically his book “On Writing”, has been a like a mentor of sorts, although he no doubt has no idea he’s been providing me with such a service. “The Count of Monte Cristo” was the book that made me realize I wanted to be an author, and Ernest Hemingway has taught me over the years to remember that sometimes less is more.

What are you working on now?
The forth and final novel in the Scarlet Hopewell Series, Scarlet and the Barrier’s Fall.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
My website is www.brandoncharleswest.com.
As a self promoter I’m not very talented. My most successful promotions have been generated by my publisher, Manor Minor Press.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Take joy, not in success, but in the writing itself. Enjoy your characters and the story you’re telling. It’ll keep you going through times of feast and famine.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Read a lot. Write a lot. To paraphrase Stephen King.

What are you reading now?
I’m currently reading “It” by Stephen King. Somehow I had missed this one.

What’s next for you as a writer?
After Scarlet, I’m considering an adult fantasy novel. Quite a few ideas have been bouncing around in my head though, so who knows.

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 love these type of questions. As a side note: my cd would by Crash by the Dave Matthews Band; my food, crab legs; and my one clothing idem, a pair of Levis. But this is about books. The Count of Monte Cristo, A Moveable Feast, The Stand, and The Complete Sherlock Homes.

Author Websites and Profiles
Brandon Charles West Website
Brandon Charles West Amazon Profile

Brandon Charles West’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile
Facebook Profile

Brandon Charles West is a post from Awesome Gang

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
Hi, my name is Jesse Frankel, and I write under the name of J.S. Frankel. I was born in Toronto, Canada, but moved to Japan when I was twenty-six and I’ve been here ever since. I’m married, have two children, and love writing although I make my living as an English teacher.

As for my novels, to date, I’ve written six YA novels and have a few more on submission. In order, they are The Tower, Death Bytes, Twisted, Lindsay Versus the Marauders, Lindsay, Jo and the Tree of Forever, and Catnip. The final novel in the Lindsay/Jo trilogy, Lindsay, Jo and the Well of Nevermore, will be released next August.

I should also say that the Lindsay/Jo trilogy features a lesbian heroine. It was the first time I ever tried writing from a young woman’s perspective and I have to say, I’m very proud of how the stories turned out.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
It’s called Catnip, and the idea came to me one day while watching a picture of cat playing with a ball of string. The story is about a young genius-nerd named Harry Goldman who is involved in transgenic research (although only on a theoretical level) and is tossed into jail for it. The F.B.I. frees him and brings him to New York on the condition he work for them. There, he meets Anastasia, a transgenic cat-girl with amnesia, who has no memory of how she came to be this way. Not long after, they’re attacked by another a transgenic bear creature, they flee, fall for each other, and Harry learns just who and what Anastasia is, and what she was created to do.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
Not really. I just sit my butt in the chair and begin typing. Thinking things over is fine; doing is better.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
Growing up, I was greatly influenced by Ray Bradbury and Frederik Pohl. Robert Heinlein, Larry Niven and Jerry Pournelle also shaped my ideas of what S/F and Fantasy could be.

What are you working on now?
Now, I’m working on a novel called Arcana, about an Indiana Jones-type who searches for the ultimate in treasure…and finds out that all things have a price.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
For websites, Goodreads and Facebook are essential. That way you get a lot of people at the very least looking at what you’ve written. The other way, also effective, is to participate in group discussions and sooner or later they’ll get around to discussing what you’ve written. But these days, being an online presence is essential.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Keep writing. Read. Research, and then write some more.

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

What are you reading now?
My manuscript. I have to edit every day or else I forget things and get lazy. However, I recently reread Gone South by Robert McCammon, another favorite author of mine. Marvelous writer!

What’s next for you as a writer?
To continue refining my craft and get noticed!

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?
Good question! I’d probably take along at least two classics, Robinson Crusoe and To Kill A Mockingbird. I’d also take two S/F (to me) classics, Inferno and Lucifer’s Hammer, both by Niven and Pournelle.

Author Websites and Profiles
Jesse Frankel Website
Jesse Frankel Amazon Profile

Jesse Frankel’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile
Facebook Profile

Jesse Frankel is a post from Awesome Gang

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I have just completed and published my first book, “The Power of Twin Soul Love”, which is a short fiction romance exploring the theory of twin souls (soul mates) and the reality of true love.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
My own life and relationships inspired me to write this book. I have held a longtime believe in the soul mate theory and have experienced it first hand.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I meditate before I write.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
I’ve always had a preference for short books. The first one I read was back in high school — J.D. Salinger’s “Cather in the Rye” — and it impressed me because it was the first book that actually made me feel something.

What are you working on now?
My second short fiction novel — another romance.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I started with Facebook long before my book was published. It has helped me immensely. I’d established a strong following that looked forward to reading my book almost as much as I looked forward to getting it out there. I’m also now expanding my visibility through other platforms, such as Twitter and Pinterest. I really like Pinterest, because it gives me another opportunity to tell people who I am via my various boards. I think that nowadays people like to know the author. It makes the book more personal to them.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Write something you know about — something you’ve experienced or lived — and have confidence in yourself and in your work. It’s very hard to market something you don’t believe in. And its very hard to do anything if you don’t believe in yourself.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
That would be from Dean Koontz from his interview: Dean Koontz: How to Write a Bestselling Novel at beliefnet.com:

“If you suffer from serious self-doubt at the keyboard, as I do, that doubt doesn’t have to grow into writer’s block. Use the doubt, turn it into a positive. The way I’ve done that is to revise and polish one page–ten times, twenty times, whatever–until I am unable to make it flow more smoothly or invest it with more tension. Only then do I move on to the next page. Of course, the doubt returns page by page, but after a while, I have a stack of pages about which my doubts have been allayed, and I can move forward with increasing confidence.”

This really worked for me.

What are you reading now?
“Quentins” by Maeve Binchy.

What’s next for you as a writer?
Promoting “The Power of Twin Soul Love” and completing my second 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?
“Quentins” — so that I can finish reading it.

“Revelations of Christ” by Swami Kriyananda — I’m in the midst of reading this book too.

“Tiny Buddha’s Guide to Loving Yourself” by Lori Deschene — I’ve contributed to it, but haven’t yet had the opportunity to start reading it.

“The World is a Waiting Lover” by Trebbe Johnson.

Author Websites and Profiles
Mary Dunlop Website
Mary Dunlop Amazon Profile

Mary Dunlop’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile
Facebook Profile
Twitter Account
Pinterest Account

Mary Dunlop is a post from Awesome Gang

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
From a quiet, introspective young boy, to whippings and scorn, I became a fighter and am only now growing back into the gentleness I had lost through so many battles. Never one to follow or acquiesce, I was swept away with the sixties and it was not until my forties that I looked back and realized I had gone down the wrong fork in the road. Then, with my mind set to writing, you could not tear me away from it.

I compiled six novels and a memoir in the span of fifteen years, all while holding down the proverbial day job, then found success as a ghostwriter four years back. In the intervening span, I have written something in the order of two dozen novels and memoirs for my clients. I feel grateful every day to wake up and know that I make my living as a writer, but of course I hope to find some modest form of recognition for my own literary efforts before this is all through. I recently relocated to the shore of New England, where I was born and don’t know that I have ever felt so much peace as I have felt since arriving here.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
The Last Love of Eleanor Sands, and let me preface any thoughts here by saying, there were always two very personal novels I needed to write, The Trip Into Milky Way, which was based on my adventures as vagabond and draft resister during the Vietnam War and my ultimate incarceration in a Mexican prison for smuggling, and Eleanor Sands, which derives its inspiration from the love affair I had with a college professor when I was a young man. That romance forever transformed my life, and as proof of its importance to me, that college professor and I remain the dearest of friends to this day. Forty years have passed and I have yet to experience a relationship that provided me with the same laughter, joy and intellectual succor.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I have three basic elements that are a constant in my writing. I am religious about going to work first thing in the morning. No phone calls. No emails. Nothing until I have written for several hours. Once locked into my work for the day, I can go off and deal with the world as responsibilities demand and return to my work productively later in the day. Like Perseus’ golden thread, once in touch with my muse, I can reel myself back in from other distractions. Conversely, if I let the world in or go off to run errands first thing, any attempt to commence my work thereafter is a monumental struggle. You may as well have people banging pots and pans next to my head. As such, you will frequently find me in my bathrobe and slippers all day. A shower first thing would be as if washing away the threads of last night’s dreams.

Second, I always start work by editing what I wrote the previous day. Editing is writing and that exercise never fails to sling me nicely into a story.

Third, I have a rain storm CD that I play constantly while working, unless of course it’s actually raining outside. I began writing seriously when I still lived up in the Seattle area and did not realize how meditative the rain had been for me until I relocated to Southern California. Distracted constantly by the bright sun and buzz of activity around my beach cottage, a light went on. I ordered the CD online and have been busy wearing out that CD ever since.

There are other tools I use, like stopping every hour or so to read something that inspires me, like Zen sayings, or simply pushing away from my desk and trying to remember where I am in the universe, i.e., in the far flung arm of a spiral galaxy, but the three above are the main ones that help me to stay productive.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
As a boy it was London, Stevenson, Kipling and the likes for the sheer adventure of a story. Later, in high school and as a young man, I read Vonnegut for his imagination and wry humor, the Russians for their realism and closeness to nature, and there was a smattering of other useful writers, like Twain and Brautigan, who showed me how to dispense with the stifling trappings of syntax. As Gertrude Stein told Hemingway, the point is to be understood, so feel free to streamline language, as long as your message is clear. I was never that much of a Hemingway fan as a young man, but once I began to write seriously, I found a few passages from The Sun Also Rises or A Farewell to Arms helped to put me back on track. I am not at all awed by Hemingway’s drinking prowess or his chauvinism, only by the sparse, economical quality of his prose. The same could be said of Bukowski. I do not find myself called to his state of debauchery, but I know of no one who writes more directly or honestly. I also enjoy reading a Simenon on occasion for the same sparse quality of his prose. Beyond that, I read mostly history and science. Enrich the mind and it will bleed into your work.

What are you working on now?
Aside from my ghostwriting work, I have a sci-fi novel in progress. It’s set in roughly the time frame of 2150. Earth is an environmental disaster, mostly depleted of natural resources, so all the action is now in raping the asteroid belt of its resources. Billionaires are a dime a dozen, trillionaires are the equivalent of today’s billionaires and your own private luxury asteroid is the equivalent of owning your own island today, since all of those are underwater and the sea is an acidic, algae ridden soup. I don’t want to give way too much here but the moral twist is, the protagonist goes off to make his fortune in this wild west of outer space, haunted by the knowledge that his quest for personal aggrandizement is simply a continuation of the very self-centeredness that led to the destruction of earth.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
You are really talking to the wrong guy here, when it comes to promotion. If I have to choose between a day of writing and a day of marketing, I always go with the writing. So, I become continuously more accomplished but no more well known.

I can tell you that when I launched The Trip Into Milky Way this past spring, I Googled around, found a master list of all the Free & Discount Book websites, did roughly 20 different buys at 10, 20 bucks a piece and reached # 52 on Amazon’s free book rankings. However, that did not translate into actual sales.

Having been consumed with ghostwriting for the past eight months, I’m back to releasing more of my literary works and trying to figure out what works for me in terms of promotion. Facebook, Twitter, all these things help, but how much time can I dedicate to marketing and still be productive as a writer? More will be revealed.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
As already mentioned, read well. Good writers and the riches of mankind’s knowledge about the universe will always make your own writing better. Beyond that, get yourself experience, and I don’t mean a two week cruise. Go somewhere faraway with no idea where you will be when you get up the next morning. Casting my fate to the wind as a young man continues to be a wellspring of inspiration for my work. I suppose as much as anything, it lent a sense of wonder and adventure to my perception of the universe that still abides.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
When I sat down to write my first novel, lo these many years ago, I happened upon a cantankerous old writer and he told me two things. Write what you are enthusiastic about and tell the story. Stay out of your head. And there is not a day that goes by where I don’t remember that simple advice. My best diatribes always seem to rot overnight, but good storytelling always feels fresh and sincere the next morning.

What are you reading now?
I always have a stack of books going. Right now, it’s Herodotus’ history of the Persian Wars, Dee Brown’s Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee, Theodore H. White’s The Making of a President, 1960 and Gordon Wood’s Revolutionary Characters.

What’s next for you as a writer?
Once I finish with the sci-fi novel on my plate, there are three other novels brewing in my subconscious mind. One would be the second installment of my crime novel series, which started with South on Pacific Coast Highway. Long story on how I came to write a crime novel but I thoroughly enjoyed the backdrop of mystery and adventure and look forward to continuing the character of Michael Devlin. Then I have a black comedy about my Irish/Italian family that has been wanted to be told for too many years. Then I have a book which I’m not sure I can even describe yet, but if I had to choose a title off the top of my head, it would be, The Story of Life. My god, isn’t amazing that we’re here, aware that we are? And wondering how it all got started? To capture the adventure and magic of existence. I suppose that would be goal.

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’s a really tough one, but if I could have collections, I would have to say the Bhagavad Gita, for its sheer majesty of spiritual awareness, the complete Shakespeare, for a compendium of man’s many vices, virtues and aspirations, the Bible as a mythical source and the complete collection of Simenon for some simple, curl up by the fire reading. I would miss many by their absence from this list, but if I had to choose…

Author Websites and Profiles
Gary Paul Corcoran Website
Gary Paul Corcoran Amazon Profile

Gary Paul Corcoran’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile
Facebook Profile
Twitter Account
Pinterest Account

Gary Paul Corcoran is a post from Awesome Gang

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
My name is Chasity Strawder. I am married and a mother of two sons. I was a teacher for seven years in Michigan, but decided to resign in 2007 to take a break and focus on my family. In 2010, I went through a very traumatic journey that later ignited my passion to become an author. Writing has always been something that I have done in my alone time. I remember wanting to buy journals when I was a little girl, the ones that had a lock on them where no one else could get in to read my thoughts and feelings. The experience was like a private therapy session that I had with myself and God. I am an author of one book entitled, “Broken For The Promise.”

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
The name of my book is called, “Broken For The Promise.” What inspired it was a difficult journey that I had almost four years ago while pregnant with my second child. I was dying of a disease, homeless, and facing many other hardships. Earlier this year (2014), I fought myself reflecting on that horrible time in my life and felt that I needed to share my story to help others through their difficulties.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I would say that I like to write by an open window or at a beach. It is something about a cool breeze on my face and the sound of waves that opens up my mind for writing ventures.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
I like Joyce Meyer’s books. She has been an inspiration to me over the years because of her willingness to share very difficult life experiences, but also ways that she has overcome all of them to be a better person.

What are you working on now?
I am working on building my speaker platform, and I am also a book on classroom instruction for minority students. I want to train educators in providing the best classroom structure possible to reach all students, regardless of color. No child should feel left behind in the classroom.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
My best method for promoting my book has been to network on social media with other authors, particularly on Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn. There are some great people out there who don’t mind sharing what has worked well for them. I take lots of good notes.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
My advice for new authors is to explore as many ways that you can to promote your book for free or at a low cost. I am glad that I haven’t bought into some of the crazy marketing packages that can cost an arm and a leg. If you do your research, you will be surprised what you will find to push your book along successfully.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
The best advice that I have ever heard is when people show you who they are…..believe them. I live by that, and it has saved me some heartaches in life.

What are you reading now?
I am reading a book called “When Power Meets Potential” by T.D. Jakes.

What’s next for you as a writer?
I would like to write and publish at least two books in 2015.

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 bring: The Holy Bible, “Born To Prophesy” by Hakeem Collins, “When Power Meets Potential” by TD Jakes, and “Battlefield of the Mind” by Joyce Meyer.

Author Websites and Profiles
Chasity Strawder Website
Chasity Strawder Amazon Profile

Chasity Strawder’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile
Facebook Profile
Twitter Account

Chasity Strawder is a post from Awesome Gang

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
My name is Brenda Mohammed and I live In Trinidad. I am a former Bank Manager and Insurance Professional. I wrote my first book, Memoirs of Dr. Andrew Moonir Khan” in 1989, while I was still employed at the Bank. i did that book out of love for my deceased father who was a Great Educator.

His life was worthy of recording and I did so. I revised the book in November 2014 and it is the last book out of twenty seven Kindle books which I have written and published. Eight of these books are in paperback.

I started writing full time after I retired from the Bank and Insurance Company. I love writing and I am always finding time to write books.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
As I said above, the latest book that I have published is a revised edition of “Memoirs of Dr. A. M. Khan: A Great Educator.” I was inspired to revise the book because I felt there are many lessons that people can learn from Dr. Khan’s life story. He was born in 1905 to indentured immigrants in Trinidad and Tobago. It was a forbidding society in which the young boy Andrew grew up. Notwithstanding several challenges and a serious bout of illness which kept him away from school for four years, he rose to great heights and accomplished all the goals in his life.

He was appointed a school principal at thirty three years of age, and the school he headed won all the top prizes and continuously received good reports during his tenure.

His Government recognizing his sterling ability granted him a scholarship to attend the London University Institute of Education to pursue a course in Post – Primary methods, and he wrote a 589 page thesis on the subject, which was used in the development of modern secondary schools.in Trinidad and Tobago.

He was further promoted to Inspector of Schools, and Senior Inspector of Schools until his retirement..

His career was studded with achievements despite several odds against him. His students, fellow teachers, and superiors, all respected and admired him, and their sentiments are expressed in the farewell speeches which form part of the Memoirs.

As an ordained Presiding Elder in his Church, he preached many sermons, and extracts of three of these sermons are included in the book. These inspiring sermons which he preached are still applicable to the present day generation. I felt that although this great man lived more than hundred years ago, his story needs to be told again and again.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I do not believe that I have unusual writing habits. I sit in front of my computer and write whatever comes to mind. I then read, re-read, and make changes accordingly.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
When I was a student in High School, I read a book, “The Power of Positive Thinking” and that book has influenced my life in a great way. I feel that maintaining positive thoughts at all times help me in my approach to life, and my resultant success. i must mention too that the books of the Bible and its teachings have a great impact on my life.

What are you working on now?
I am not working on any books right now. My husband and I will be traveling to Miami at the end of the month on a small vacation to spend time with our daughter and her family.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I believe in Amazon and Create Space. They not only publish my books free, but they advertise them.

I also like AskDavid,com as they promote all my books for a very small fee of $15.00.

Goodreads is also a reliable website with free promotions.

Book Goodies.com and AwesomeGang.com are two wonderful websites that I have recently discovered. They provide superb service and publish author interviews for free. I love them.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
My advice to new authors is , “Do not give up.” There are thousands of authors out there, but there is always room for one more. Keep on writing. There are free services out there to get your work published, so just do it.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
The best advice I have ever heard is ,”Do your best and God will do the rest.”

This is so true. This is something that I have applied in my daily life.

What are you reading now?
I ma not reading any books right now. I am looking for something interesting and motivational and when I find it I would read it.

What’s next for you as a writer?
I cannot say. I do not write for profit. I write because I need to occupy myself for part of the day when I am not watching a movie or playing with my grandchildren. I also love to travel a lot.

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?
In that case I will take the Bible. The Bible comprises of sixty – six books and that will be quite enough for me to read.

Author Websites and Profiles
Brenda Mohammed Website
Brenda Mohammed Amazon Profile

Brenda Mohammed’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile
Facebook Profile
Twitter Account
Pinterest Account

Brenda Mohammed is a post from Awesome Gang

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
Born in Perth, Western Australia. I was ushered into the world in a decade of bad hair, parachute pants, and blue eye shadow. Fortunately, I managed to avoid all three influences by immersing herself in the business of growing up, and hitched a ride with my fun-loving and adventure-filled parents to the sunny state of Queensland. I currently reside in Cairns, procrastinate constantly, and try desperately to avoid the delicious temptation that is the peanut butter aisle at the supermarket. I have written six books, editing another while half way through yet another.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
Diary of a Teenage Zombie – I had a weird little day-dream about a vampire eating a fly from someone’s shoulder……

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
Yes – I don’t write as often as I should.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
None, I am not influenced by other writers.

What are you working on now?
A human interest piece.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I find Twitter is my best source for getting the word out there, my books are available on most sites, noteably Amazon and Goodreads.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Edit….edit…..edit.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Don’t be offended by constructive criticism, always listen it is what will take you from a good writer to a great writer.

What are you reading now?
Sadly….I am a busy writer and I don’t have time to read at the moment….

What’s next for you as a writer?
Continue to follow my passion, enjoy each moment and hope it takes me somewhere 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?
Three different language books.

Author Websites and Profiles
Kristy Berridge Website
Kristy Berridge Amazon Profile

Kristy Berridge’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile
Facebook Profile
Twitter Account

Kristy Berridge is a post from Awesome Gang

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
Hi, I’m Diane Huffman; and I just published my debut novel, A Less Than Perfect Beginning. The story had been rattling around in my head for years; but since I had a very busy career in the high-technology industry, I simply never had time to focus on writing. Then I retired and moved from California with its temperate climate where I spent a great deal of time outdoors to Utah with its cold winters which necessitated my spending more time indoors. So I thought, “Now is the perfect time to put pen to paper.” I set up my laptop and desk by a window that overlooks the beautiful Wasatch Mountains and Salt Lake Valley, starting writing . . . and the rest is history.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
My novel, A Less Than Perfect Beginning, is categorized as fiction; but it is based on a true story – my childhood. Like me, little Beth, the protagonist, is raised in a very dysfunctional household. However, through her faith, a positive attitude, a sense of humor, and a secret escape plan, Beth survives and proves that the School of Hard Knocks does not have to ruin your life.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I don’t know if my writing habits would be considered unusual, but I definitely have a structured writing schedule. I pretend that I’m still at my pre-retirement office – I am at my computer and ready to write by 9:00 a.m., work for a couple of hours until brain drain sets in, take a break to refresh my creative juices, and keep repeating this process until 5:00 p.m. when I declare my workday at an end. I maintain this writing schedule for five days out of the week. Even an author deserves a weekend!

What authors, or books have influenced you?
Jeannette Walls – The Glass Castle
Dorothy Allison – Bastard out of Carolina
The Bible

What are you working on now?
I’m currently in the process of writing my second novel which is somewhat of a follow-on to A Less than Perfect Beginning. This new story deals with Beth’s adult life as a single mother raising her son and will be both poignant and comedic. However, it will be much more than a memoir – it will also be a mystery!

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
There are so many avenues to market books now, but some of my favorites are: Goodreads, Awesome Gang, membership organizations, Kirkus Reviews, speaker events, Facebook, blog interviews

Do you have any advice for new authors?
New authors would find it helpful to join writer’s groups and attend writer’s conferences. These are great places to network (and commiserate) with other authors, meet agents and publishers, and learn about the publishing industry in general. One very valuable lesson I learned from these resources is that 10% of your time will be spent on writing your book and 90% will be spent on marketing it! So it’s never too soon to accumulate marketing contacts.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Remember Little Orphan Annie? She sang a song that included the verse “the sun will come up tomorrow.” I made that my mantra during my dysfunctional childhood and credit it for my positive attitude and ultimate survival.

What are you reading now?
My tastes are very eclectic – I read mysteries, crime, memoirs, comedy, history, political works, etc. I’m currently reading Bittersweet by Colleen McCullough because I won it on Goodreads!

What’s next for you as a writer?
As long as I continue to publish novels, I will be in perpetual marketing mode. Always looking for another sales outlet, another marketing opportunity, another way to distribute my work.

If you were going to be stranded on a desert island and allowed to take 3 or 4 books with you what books would you bring?
I would take any book by Jo Nesbo, Stieg Larsson, or Michael Connelly. Great writing and great storytelling.

Author Websites and Profiles
Diane Huffman Amazon Profile

Diane Huffman’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile
Facebook Profile
Twitter Account

Diane Huffman is a post from Awesome Gang

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I love writing. My first work, where it all kind of began, was a poem I wrote in the fourth grade called “The Sea”. I love the sea, I loved it even when I had never even been to the ocean, even though really, I had—in my dreams, in my imaginations and daydreams, I had been there tasting the salt, feeling the cold rush of water crash against me.
The day I learned to swim on my own, floatie free, I never wanted to leave the pool again. I had always wanted to be a mermaid, and even cried at times asking my mother, “Why didn’t God make me a mermaid?” I had real tears spilling from my eyes, something my Mom and Sister can attest.

“I love the Sea, and the Sea loves me,” the first line of my poem. I kept it taped to the refrigerator until the paper turned brown and had torn edges. I lost it years ago but wish I could recall every line, but to get the reason for my sharing—Poetry was the first shovel of writing for me.
I went on from fourth grade to middle school where in eighth grade I made a first attempt at writing a book, but it wasn’t until my Senior year of high school that I completed a novel, and then that summer, wrote the first draft of a second novel titled “Henry”.

And now, four years since that summer, my novel “Henry” is published.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
“Henry” is the title of my first published novel.

I remember seeing a girl who made a choice that changed her entire life. And in the background was a man in a wheelchair full of anger and hurt because of the decisions of his life. The two had to come together, she needed his help, and of course that meant interaction between the very different characters. As I wrote there came a small town in a rainy place because I love the rain, and I got to meet these awesome characters along the way as Prue made the steps. Then all these little puzzle pieces kept popping up, obscure and tattered, not seeming to match at all, but finally come together at a dramatic head.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I like having something to drink while I write, I don’t know why but I do, preferably coffee. Oh, and I only like natural light during the day. My family always knows when I’m home because all the lights are off, but at night, unless I’m watching a movie, I like to have the lights on.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
Growing up, I read many books set in the Medieval Times. Anything that looked Medieval England and had a thick width, I would grab and spend the entire week reading until finished. I was a sponge soaking up everything Tudor family, and out of left field, everything Cleopatra.
I connected most with young heroines who were bold and outspoken, something I sometimes was and often chastised for or ostracized because of.
I didn’t have many friends growing up and books were what I turned to for conversation and entertainment. (That, and great 90s movies.)
Books with laughs and tears inspire me to incorporate those things into my own writing. I aspire for my books to leave the reader with something after the last page, something deep, meaningful, and possibly even though-provoking, whether happy or bittersweet, that they can’t shake even after putting the book back on the shelf and walking away—that something from the book stays with them.
Books did that to me. They gave me hope, made me fall in love, made me laugh and a few made me cry. The best books didn’t let me walk away as if nothing happened. Something did happen, a life was lived, a journey made, and I got to taste it.
To be able to write those things . . . I thank God for letting me.

What are you working on now?
I am currently working on a poetry book with short stories I have written, another dream of mine to have come true, and also a mystery series. But who knows, things could change on what gets published next.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
Searching online websites is good, especially when you find places like Awesomegang that helps out Authors – something not always easy to find.
I think that Goodreads is a good opportunity, I have an author page there and do a blog through them. Right now I have a few book signings coming up and that gives an author the opportunity to meet potential readers. The best way is research, even seeing what your own favorite authors have done, what their advice is, and take that adding your own personal flare.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Don’t give up. Writing is tough and can feel like a tug-o-war sometimes, at least for me. The tug to write and the tug to think about writing without the doing because once you sit down then you have to face the music. Will you accomplish your goal today? Will you birth the entire first draft in a matter of hours? How awesome that would be, but it doesn’t always happen that way. Just keep going, though, don’t stop. Take breaks but not month-long vacations.
If you don’t make your word count, don’t beat yourself up.
For my first book that I completed it started with maybe less than a hundred or so pages of my favorite scenes that I knew I wanted in the book. I just wrote it all out and kept writing, skipping details and so on. After that, I went back, read through, and filled in the missing pieces.
It’s fun that way sometimes, getting to the scenes that started the idea for the book in the first place. Don’t procrastinate those scenes—when it comes to writing, lightning doesn’t always strike twice in the same place, so go for it! It’s the dessert you’ve been waiting for anyway, so have at it. Then go back and fill in the details, the before, the after, and so on.
Writing shouldn’t become a chore, and when it becomes one, you need a change. Don’t stop writing, but just change something about it.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
I’ve read many quotes and advice that I love from the Bible, from writers, and speakers but when asked this question one comes most prominently to mind, something my father told me:

“What you compromise to keep, you will lose.”

Meditate on that and it will change your life. I have to recall that advice, I need to more often, because I want to grasp the truth of it, the power of it. I’m not sure who it originated from, if there is a person that has coined the term but I do know that my Dad saw it firsthand in lives of people he knew.

Also, don’t forget to keep reading books. As writers we need to read – ask any author! That is one of the top ten advice I read from other authors tips and such. And it’s true—I have catching up to do in that department. It’s been a while since I have read a new book.

What are you reading now?
I am on the hunt for a good book (as hinted above). I have focused so much on writing and promoting that I need to have some R & R with either a cozy mystery, an action-adventure, or something completely different than my normal read.

Most likely I will re-read a book from my shelf, haha.

What’s next for you as a writer?
Many things that I am excited for!

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
How to Survive on a Deserted Island
A Company of Swans by Eva Ibbotson
The Complete Collection of Jane Austen’s Books (all of her books in one big book – that counts, right?)

Author Websites and Profiles
Sydney Paige McCutcheon Amazon Profile

Sydney Paige McCutcheon’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile

Sydney Paige McCutcheon is a post from Awesome Gang