Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
When my first novel was published in 1981, I had no idea where I was headed. Since then, I’ve published thirty-six novels, thirty-three of them with traditional publishers, but in 2008, I decided I wanted more freedom than the traditional publishers would allow and began a new phase in my life as an Independent Author.

I live and write in a small village about thirty miles upstate of NYC, and share my house with my wife, Bonnie and our dog Alfie, an apricot poodle. Our three children have ventured out into the world on their own (or so they think). Our son Zach works on the CBS show 48 Hours. Our daughter Devon, her husband Russell and my grandson Sawyer live in New Jersey where Devon teaches Special Education. Alana, our youngest daughter, is a Pastry Chef in San Francisco.

I write Science Fiction & Fantasy, Thrillers, Suspense and Mysteries.

In 2008, I published Angels In Mourning, my ‘homage’ to the old time private detective books of the 50’s and the 60’s. I used to love to sneak them from my parents’ night-tables and read them as a young boy. Angels, is a modern day take on the old style hardboiled detective. In April of that year, Angels In Mourning won the Amazon.com Book of the Month Reader’s Choice Award.

My Medieval Fantasy, Queen Of Knights, reached #2 on the amazon.com bestseller lists for historical fantasy and medieval fantasy, and my sci-fi of parallel worlds, The Others, received wide acclaim.

I am currently working on the third volume of the Tales of Nevaeh. Volume II will be out in the late spring.

My novels have been translated into 11 languages and published in 15 countries.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
Born To Magic, Tales Of Nevaeh, Volume I. Released Date 2/15/15

Born To Magic, came form the terrible situation the world faces today from the various terrorist organizations. When I started this novel (began to put down ideas) two years ago, the terrorists were just terrorists, today, they are banding together. This is what I had seen back then, and Born To Magic grew out of the question, what would happen to our future if the terrorists began a world war using nuclear weapons.

Born To Magic, takes place 3000 years after the terrorists did just that.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
No, it might make a good story, but I simply get up, have some breakfast and go to work. I do have a process, which is to write in the mornings, than after lunch, edit what I’ve written. The next morning I go over the work I did the day before, and continue on. I am a contributor for the book, The LIfeboat: Surviving The Writer’s Life, in which six authors describe their processes, their life and what is necessary to do to survive as a writer.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
My reading has always been a polyglot mixture and to list it all is more than will fit here. Edgar Rice Burroughs, Andre Norton, Sidney Sheldon, Yerby, Asimov, King, Costain, Bradberry, Ludlum, Spillane, Heinlein, Van Vogt, Bester, etc…

What are you working on now?
Volume III of Tales Of Nevaeh. Volume II, The Dark Masters is in the editorial process.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I don;t have a handle on the very “best”, but am working on that.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Write, don;t be distracted by others. Don;t give your work to family members until its finished and you have a few ‘outside’ opinions. Family members will either LOVE IT, or won;t say anything other than “interesting”. Find a writer group where you can show your work and read others. Both help tremendously.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
There were two instances: The first was in a writing course at The New School in NYC. The professor sent back a chapter I was working on and said, ‘Don’t bother, you can’t write’. This naturally pissed me off and I sold my first book to a publisher 7 months later.

The second was from Andre Norton, who told me to just stick with it.

What are you reading now?
I’m about to start reading a new book by a writer friend of mine, Lisa Verge-Higgins title, ‘Senseless Acts Of Beauty’

What’s next for you as a writer?
I’ve been talking to my co-writer about a sequel to “The Cured”. Terese Daly Ramin and I wrote The Cured, in 2013 and two of the characters have good ‘legs’ and we are working out an outline for another 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?
Heinlein’s, Stranger In A Strange Land, An Asimov book or possibly trilogy, Ludlum’s The Chancellor Manuscript, and at least one great PI mystery.

Author Websites and Profiles
David` Wind Website
David` Wind Amazon Profile

David` Wind’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile
Facebook Profile
Twitter Account

David` Wind is a post from Awesome Gang

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I am an editor, writing coach, and author. My whose emotionally charged stories remind the reader that God is always in the details. I’ve contracted three series. Stalking Willow and Better than Revenge, Books 1 and 2 in the Amazing Grace romantic suspense series are currently available for purchase. Charisse and Libby the first two novels in her The Ties That Bind contemporary romance series have been released. I have also had the pleasure of collaborating on four romance novellas: The Christmas Three Treasure Hunt, A Ruby Christmas, A Dozen Apologies, and the newest adventure The Love Boat Bachelor. An adventurous spirit has taken me into the realm of non-fiction with The Art of Characterization: How to Use the Elements of Storytelling to Connect Readers to an Unforgettable Cast.
Storms in Serenity (release February 2015), is the first novel in the Serenity Key series.
Future releases from me will be: Everybody’s Broken and Frozen Notes, Books 3 and 4 of Amazing Grace and Hope and Delilah, Books 3 and 4 from The Ties that Bind.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
The Love Boat Bachelor is a multi-collaborative novella released by my publisher, Write Integrity Press. This novella sprang from last year’s A Dozen Roses, and is actually a sequel to that novella. Write Integrity Press writers are a family, and we enjoying working together. The Valentine’s novellas are known because we allow the readers to vote for their favorite hero or heroine to win the lead character. We always make the voting “blind” as we don’t want readers voting on the author but on the character. We find it so much fun to cheer each other on, and we love it when we hear that the work reads as if it was written by one individual. That is our greatest compliment.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I tend to not write for awhile. Then I sit and write until I have a work completed, critique, edited, and ready for the publisher. On occasion, I’ll get in the rhythm of a daily word count, but my life is more than hectic these days. I do what I can to get the best out of story.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
As an editor, I am constantly being influenced my new writers every day. As an author, James A. Michener intrigued me. My writing is so unlike his, but yet, get past the ancient bubbling oozing of evolution, which I do not believe in, and into the meat of the story, no one wrote better than Mr. Michener. I’m actually writing a novel similar to The Drifters, a story of lost youth within the culture of the 1960s. My novel is set in current day and centers around the world of professional surfing.

What are you working on now?
I’m currently working on the third novel in my Amazing Grace series. Everybody’s Broken. This romantic suspense novel once again takes the reader to the fictional town of Amazing Grace, North Carolina and introduces you to Abra Carmichael and Shane Browne and their families, who are all broken over the death of one man and the mystery surrounding his death. When death comes looking for Abra, she and Shane must find a way to ferret out the killer before he can take the life of anyone else they love.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I love websites that our for readers. Writers get caught up in the promotion, but often they aren’t talking to their audience. Instead, they’re talking to the same individuals (authors) who are seeking the same audience (readers), and we never get out of that circle. So websites like Awesome Gang and others who introduce readers to writers are the best.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Don’t give up. Never give up. However, don’t work forward unless you’re in a critique group you can trust and you are continuing learning the art of story.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
When it comes to networking it is not what you can get from others but what you can give. Volunteer without thought of what you will get out of it. You’ll be wealthier in friendship and in business for the long run.

What are you reading now?
I have just finished Veiled at Midnight by Christine Lindsay, an excellent novel in an excellent series. I am in the process of reviewing my to-be-read pile as I want to find my next interviewee for my blog, Inner Source, in which I interview the author and a character about the story.

What’s next for you as a writer?
A new magazine, Imaginate, is being launched in June of this year. I hope to be a part of this innovate work that will bring reader and writers together with author interviews, writing contests, photography contests, reviews, and so much 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?
The Bible as it is the source of all my inspiration; Michener’s The Drifters, Redeeming Love, by Francine Rivers, and the last book would have to be a “How-to” on getting off a desert island because once I’m finished re-reading the books I brought with me, I’d be desperate for more.

Author Websites and Profiles
Fay Lamb Website
Fay Lamb Amazon Profile

Fay Lamb’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile
Facebook Profile
Twitter Account
Pinterest Account

Fay Lamb is a post from Awesome Gang

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I’m a fairly new author. I participated in the A Dozen Apologies novella, and now its sequel, The Love Boat Bachelor. In addition, my own standalone first full length novel, Imperfect Wings, was published in August 2014. It’s the first in a 5-book series.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
Book 2 of the Imperfect Series is called Imperfect Trust. It’s due out in the Summer 2015. The story revolves around a young woman who specializes in computer security. Since I’m surrounded by “geeks” — my husband, son, and daughter all breathe this stuff — I thought it would be fun to take advantage of their knowledge and expertise.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I’ve always heard you’re either a Pantser or a Plotter, but I tend to be a bit of a dreamer first.I envision these really crazy scenes. If I can bring them to life on paper, they stay. If not, I tuck them away for later consideration. The plotting and pantsing follow when I bridge the scenes together.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
No one tells a story better than Stephen King. No one pictures a location like James Michener, no one wrenches tears out of you like John Green, and absolutely no one can describe the rain like Dean Koontz. They’re all amazing storytellers.

One little known author stands out as my favorite though. His claim to fame comes from a very long series he wrote (until he died and someone else had to finish it for him). Robert Jordan’s Wheel of Time fantasy series has it all: adventure, good vs. evil, romance, politics, war, heroes, heroines, good guys gone bad, bad guys turned good, monsters, nightmares, evil, magic, hope, despair — you name it.

What are you working on now?
Most of the plotting and some of the scenes have been completed for Book 3 of the Imperfect Series, called Imperfect Truth. Now comes the pantsing part. That’s when you sit down and lose yourself for hours at a time as the story flows through your fingers. I think this is my favorite part of the process–seeing your characters come alive through a story.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I utilize Social Media (Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn) and my growing email list of interested fans. I also have a website where I post updates, and I participate in Blog interviews when and where possible.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
My mantra before being published was, “I’m still going to write, whether someone thinks enough of my work to publish it or not. It’s who I am.” My advice to new authors is know why you write, and then persevere.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Learn everything you can about your passion, and then listen to your heart.

What are you reading now?
I’m just now getting to The Hunger Games trilogy. Such a visceral, gripping story.

What’s next for you as a writer?
I want to get the rest of the Imperfect books in print because I have another batch of characters vying for attention. They can be very distracting. I find myself trying to work them into the current plot, but I don’t want that. They deserve their own story.

If you were going to be stranded on a desert island and allowed to take 3 or 4 books with you what books would you bring?
First and foremost is the Bible. After that I’d choose Rebecca, Jane Eyre, and The Thorn Birds.

Author Websites and Profiles
Elizabeth Noyes Website
Elizabeth Noyes Amazon Profile

Elizabeth Noyes’s Social Media Links
Facebook Profile
Twitter Account

Elizabeth Noyes is a post from Awesome Gang

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
My passion is to encourage readers to find freedom through surrender. I realize it has to start with me, so I invite everyone to join me as I surrender “the good, the bad, and—maybe one day—the chocolate.” I enjoy writing contemporary romances that feature Upstate NY settings and surrender issues. Of course, chocolate is mentioned, too.

I now live in NE Ohio but spent most of my life in Upstate NY. I’m married with two children, and I’m also a step-mom to two adult children and a son-in-law who live in Wisconsin.

Entrusted is Book One in the Adirondack Surrender romance series. It’s available now through Amazon, Barnes and Noble, and cbd.com. The Love Boat Bachelor is a collaborative effort with the authors from Write Integrity Press, and I wrote one of the chapters.

Available for pre-order is A Walk in the Valley, an infertility devotional I wrote with five other authors. This will be available April 28th.

Coming soon are books two and three in the Adirondack romances: Entangled and Engaged.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
My work with The Love Boat Bachelor was inspired by author Jerusha Agen. She was part of the 2014 bestseller, A Dozen Apologies and wondered what would happen if we took one of the heroes from last year’s book and made him the central character on a cruise ship. Each of us wrote a port-of-call and a heroine for Brent Teague and readers chose the one they wanted to see Brent have a happy ending with.

As far as my own contemporary romance, Entrusted, years ago I visited the real village of Speculator in the Upstate NY Adirondack Mountains. As I walked around I thought about different characters who would make up a village similar to Speculator. I added a heroine to my imagination, wondering what would it be like if she came from the city and was determined to belong, but not everyone wanted her there? I kept plotting it out and by 2010, I used it as the plot for my NaNoWriMo challenge and kept working on it.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I don’t know if it’s unusual but I enjoy listening to music as I write. I also like having a candle going in the scent that most reminds me of the setting I’m writing.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
Karen Kingsbury, Susan May Warren, Rachel Hauck, Kristin Billerbeck.

What are you working on now?
Book two in the Adirondack series, Entangled. This will be Carla Rowling’s story, the single mom and sheriff who is transitioning to full time cosmetology student. She’s been given the gift of a lifetime and she doesn’t feel worthy. She regrets her past choices so much she’s bent on destroying her future with truck driver Will Marshall.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I love how all of us at WIP work together with Tracy. We truly are a family and I don’t think I’ve really seen that with any publisher. We’re for each other, and not just one author. We work daily on ways to promote our work.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Write every day, even if it’s just for twenty minutes. Read everything you can in the genre you enjoy and plan to write in. I started out submitting to the weekly challenges at FaithWriters.com, I highly recommend that. I continue to use Susan May Warren and Rachel Hauck’s book, From the Inside Out as a way to plot and flesh out my story. Most of all, I have a team that prays for me. Each November I pray about who to ask and they consider praying for my writing on a year-to-year basis. On a monthly basis I share my writing updates and requests on a deeper level than if I were on Facebook and put on my update that I needed prayer. I am indebted to that team. I wouldn’t be published without their prayers laying the groundwork.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
My mentor heard from her pastor that we should all have “the skin of a rhino and the heart of the dove.” That has carried me through fears of rejection and what others might think, and helped me when I received my first (but I’m sure not last) less than wonderful review.

What are you reading now?
Miracle at the Higher Grounds Cafe by Max Lucado and How to Catch a Prince by Rachel Hauck.

What’s next for you as a writer?
I will finish the Adirondack series and would like to continue writing surrender fiction using new Upstate NY settings. Right now I have a novella for Julie Arduini newsletter subscribers that features the Finger Lakes region.

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 Bible, Secrets of the Secret Place by Bob Sorge and What a Girl Wants by Kristin Billerbeck.

Author Websites and Profiles
Julie Arduini Website
Julie Arduini Amazon Profile

Julie Arduini’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile
Facebook Profile
Twitter Account
Pinterest Account

Julie Arduini is a post from Awesome Gang

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I live in beautiful Southern California. I am a full time writer. My first book Knock, Knock, Knocking on Heaven’s Door was recently released on Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Kindle and Nook.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
Knock, Knock, Knocking on Heaven’s Door – By Tammy Lyons

My love of music inspired this book. “There is something mysterious about the deaths of Janis Joplin, Jimmy Hendrix, and Jim Morrison. They were members of the 27 Club, young musicians at the height of their careers, cut short.

Their influences as musicians are still felt today. I took a dream and weaved a tale of what could be.” Her second book will be a romantic novel with ethereal undertones.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I love to drink green tea and write a quit book store when not looking for peace you can find my nose buried in a book or two.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
Christopher Moore books are always written with a twist you do not see coming. He is one of my favorite authors of today.

What are you working on now?
I am currently writing a romance story with a twist of two, including a dream that comes alive.

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

http://sbprabooks.com/TammyLyons

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Rejection can motivate you to keep going. Don’t let anyone tell you your not good enough because you don’t see their name on a book do you?

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
No review is bad. Its better to get your name out then to worry about what it says. Keep plugging away it does not matter what others think it matters what you think.

What are you reading now?
“OK” magazine I cannot stop laughing at the one sided observations. It’s just too funny. Did you know some celebrity was born with web toes? You just have to laugh.

What’s next for you as a writer?
Continue to travel the world and observe people in their natural habitats. You can learn a lot by sitting at a café and watching the world go by.

If you were going to be stranded on a desert island and allowed to take 3 or 4 books with you what books would you bring?
Anything by Christopher Moore. I hope I have a flashlight because I wont be able to sleep at night. So not bringing Stephen King.

Author Websites and Profiles
Tammy Lyons Website

Tammy Lyons’s Social Media Links
Facebook Profile
Twitter Account

Tammy Lyons is a post from Awesome Gang

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I am an American author with the independent publisher, Creativia. I currently have six books published, with at least three scheduled to be released in the year ahead. I enjoy trying new things so I have written in many genres and most of my books cross genres as well. I have books for all ages and tastes, to include children’s, young adult/new adult, dark fiction, romance, and even erotica.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
My last publication was my children’s book, FELINE FASCINATIONS: The Adventures of Boris and Olga. It is an educational collection of stories which together, make a larger tale about two adorable cats and their adventures on a dairy farm.
As most of my work is too mature for my nephew to read, he asked me to write a book he could read. This book was written for him. I also wrote it in remembrance of my beloved cats, Boris and Olga.
I am very proud of this book. I got incredible feedback from all of my beta readers (which were various families around the United States and in the United Kingdom, with children ranging from ages 5 to 16). The parents seemed to enjoy reading it as much as the kids and it did exactly what I hoped, got the families talking about what they read together and interested in the various topics covered.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I don’t think I have any unusual writing habits. I mean, each writer has their own style. I guess mine is to let the story move me, writing scenes which I weave together. I don’t really write I a linear way, but rather, I write the moment speaking to me and then go back through, smoothing and blending it all together for a polished finish.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
For sure Kathleen O’Neal Gear and W. Micheal Gear have been incredibly influential for me, their books and them, their selves. Not only am I a huge fan of their work, but I can say I have had the pleasure to speak with them on several occasions. They’ve read some of my books and offered me valuable advice for my career.
My friend, colleague, and co-author, Simone Beaudelaire has been an incredible gift in my life as well. She has also taught me a great deal, showing me how to hone my skills and increase my art.
Other writers I absolutely love are Ray Bradbury, Stephenie Meyer, Suzanne Collins, Charlaine Harris, and Margaret Mitchell.

What are you working on now?
The book I am currently working on is called MAKING MIKE. It is the third installment to the new erotic military romance series, The Wounded Warriors, which I am writing with my co-author, Simone Beaudelaire.
This series started when my friend was discussing her book, SAVING SAM with me. She had the vision for the novel, but she lacked the expertise I had. I began to help her with the story and somehow, the characters all just came to life and the series was born. SAVING SAM (Book 1) is available now for pre-order and will be officially released on February 20, 2015. JUSTIFYING JACK (Book 2) is in post-production, being finalized for publication. MAKING MIKE (Book 3) is about half-way written!
Simone and I are really proud of this series. Not only is it meant to honor our military men and women, but their families as well. We have named the series as such because we will be donating a portion of all personal profits we make to The Wounded Warrior Project, but also, we named it the way we did because each book faces a different sort of wound that war can and does inflict.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I have to say that my Author Facebook Page is my most active website and where readers can speak to me directly. www.facebook.com/authorjmnorthup
I also have a Facebook Book Group which I invite all booklovers to come join and participate in. https://www.facebook.com/groups/952331691462763/
I have tried to become more active on my blog and in doing so, I am posting a lot about different authors’ WIPs, New Releases, and interviews I do with them. http://jmnorthup.blogspot.com/

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Be true to your story and listen to your characters. Don’t write the story you think someone wants to read, but write the story you need to tell and let out. If you aren’t passionate about your work then you can’t expect anyone else to be either.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
I think the best advice was something Wil Wheaton is noted for saying. He said, “don’t be a dick.” That is simply put, just like Whoopi Goldberg, as her character Fontaine said, “He who is without dog shit on his sneaker, go ahead, walk on the white carpet.”
Essentially, and more eloquently put, the best advice is also my favorite passage from the Holy Bible: Ephesians 4:32 “Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.”

What are you reading now?
I am reading several books at one time, as I tend to do. I am reading High Plains Holiday (Love on the High Plains Book 1) by Simone Beaudelaire, Freya 800AD by Jean Mead, and People of the Moon (North America’s Forgotten Past Book 13) by Kathleen O’Neal Gear and W. Michael Gear.

What’s next for you as a writer?
I am finishing MAKING MIKE (Book 3 in The Wounded Warriors series), I am working on A WINTER OF FEAR (Book 3 in my Fears of Dakota series), and I am working on another Young Adult novel, SNOQUALMIE VALLEY SASQUATCH. I am researching and developing another children’s book, Books 4 and 5 in Fears of Dakota, and I hope to work with Simone Beaudelaire more, though I have no idea where our partnership will lead us.

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 want my Kindle, unlimited access to electricity to run it, and internet with an unlimited amount of resources for purchasing books! LOL
Seriously, I would want the Bible because it has poetry and stories galore, the Twilight Saga because I love it so much, and I think… Hmmm… you know, I can’t just pick 3 or 4. LOL

Author Websites and Profiles
J.M. Northup Website
J.M. Northup Amazon Profile

J.M. Northup’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile
Facebook Profile
Twitter Account
Pinterest Account

J.M. Northup is a post from Awesome Gang

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I’ve been honored and delighted to participate in all four of the collaborative novellas by Write Integrity Press. I love working with other authors. The creativity it stems. The synergistic enthusiasm that builds. And I’ve enjoyed the stories that have been developed.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
The latest book, The Love Boat Bachelor, was the sequel to last year’s collaborative novella, A Dozen Apologies. Brent, a church pastor, is one of the men that last year’s gal didn’t choose. This year he agrees to help a buddy by stepping in as the chaplain for a Caribbean cruise ship. He doesn’t realize until it’s too late that the trip is a “Love Boat,” especially for singles. Each of the authors created a lady especially for Brent and set her in one of the beautiful ports of call.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I’m a planner to the extreme. I use a program called Scrivener to set up my stories – even the chapters of these collaborative novellas. And I fill out the same data for each scene so I know exactly where I’m going as I write through it. The good thing about it is that I can pen my first draft quickly. The tough part comes when I veer off the course I’ve set. As much as I love the planning, there are times when the characters take me places I don’t expect.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
Phyllis A. Whitney was my favorite author as I was growing up. I loved the way she twisted a romance into a mystery with just enough suspense to keep me page turning, sometimes with a flashlight under the blankets.

I love writing stories in that romance/mystery genre, but with a strong message of faith in the Lord. As far as the writing has gone, several authors, teachers, and mentors influence me. Susan May Warren and Rachel Hauck. I love their writing series. Lena Nelson Dooley and Elizabeth Goddard have served as inspiration. Jill Elizabeth Nelson’s book, Rivet Your Reader with Deep POV made an impact on my writing as did workshops with Jim Rubart, Chip MacGregor and James Scott Bell.

What are you working on now?
I’m working on a series of novellas set in Dallas. A crime scene cleaner is supposed to be laying low and staying safe in a witness security program. But she has a knack for ferreting out mysteries. Especially when they deal with people she cares about.

The first of the books is complete and the second is will follow quickly. So far, I have four “episodes” in all, but I’m thinking about spinning off with a second character and creating another short series.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I know as a reader, I look at reviews. Sometimes from blogs, but always from Amazon and often on Goodreads.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Finish the book. That’s the biggest part of the battle.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Keep writing. The marketing is important. The promotions are key. Networking, social media, etc. But keep writing. Without the books, I have nothing.

What are you reading now?
I just finished PETTICOAT DETECTIVE by Margaret Brownley. Thoroughly enjoyed the story. I’m about to start DEADLY ECHOES by Nancy Mehl. I do love a good mystery and suspense!

What’s next for you as a writer?
This novella series is a new experience. I’m also working on Write Integrity Press’s newest novella collaboration, and a group of Dallas authors are going to publish a collection of novellas this fall entitled Warm Mulled Kisses.

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. I really do love reading God’s love letter. But other than that, I just don’t have that many books I’d want to reread. I like finding new styles and authors, but I seldom read things a second time.

Author Websites and Profiles
Marji Laine Website
Marji Laine Amazon Profile

Marji Laine’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile
Facebook Profile
Twitter Account
Pinterest Account

Marji Laine is a post from Awesome Gang

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I have been writing since I was little. The first story I ever wrote was a Hercules fanfic based on the TV show starring Kevin Sorbo. I have only published one book so far, but have two others in the works (one in the editing stages and another 2/3’s of the way finished.)

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
The Murder in Stall #4. I have always been intrigued by murder mysteries and was a huge Nancy Drew fan as a kid. As an adult I love reading Mary Higgins Clark, so you could say that both played a huge part in inspiring me for this book.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I write late at night, after my husband has gone to bed. I like to take notes first, and I prefer to write the main plot of the story and then go back and add in details and other things after the fact.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
Mary Higgins Clark, V.C. Andrews, Daphne Du’Maurier, J.R.R. Tolkein just to name a few.

Rebecca was a book that I vastly enjoyed when I was younger.

What are you working on now?
A young adult book about two sisters who are so un-alike that they wish they weren’t related and wake up one morning to discover that they no longer are. The story unfolds as they learn to accept each other as is and realize that they love and care for each other.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
Right now I’m still learning the ropes of this whole promoting thing. Facebook has been a great help at getting my book out there so far.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Don’t give up. It may seem like a lot of work and a long road, but keep at it and keep plugging away. No one is going to write your story for you and no one can write it your way.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Don’t discount traditional publishing. It may not be the fastest way to publish but it never hurts to try.

What are you reading now?
Salem’s Lot by Stephen King

What’s next for you as a writer?
Next for me is to publish my next book, which I aim to do by June of this year.

If you were going to be stranded on a desert island and allowed to take 3 or 4 books with you what books would you bring?
Rebecca
Game of Thrones (any of the five)
The Lightning Thief (for light reading)
The Bible

Author Websites and Profiles
Renee Marski Amazon Profile

Renee Marski’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile
Facebook Profile

Renee Marski is a post from Awesome Gang

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I am a former pastor, an insider who was privy to many of the escapades and shenanigans employed to build congregations calling it church; to build hope and call it faith. I quit. However, instead of tossing the whole package, I committed to an objective read of the Scriptures.

One day when I was demanding answers of God, the tables turned; God became the inquisitor and I the examined one. As I answered His questions I came to a startling conclusion, “The Bible is ruining my religion.”

Then, my education began . . .

I have written three books – my fourth, an autobiography, will be published in March 2015

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
“Think Red Ink” I became fascinated with the words of Jesus Christ (printed in red ink in many Bibles) and how the lifestyle they provoke.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I look for inspiration. My first book, “The Questions of Jesus” was the result of 4 years of personal meditations/devotions. http://www.amazon.com/Questions-Jesus-Don-Harris/dp/097928290X This book is not available in kindle format, however, an email request with your mailing address to Don@DonCHarris.com will get you a free audio book.

My objective when speaking and in writing is to utilize gestalt. The mysteries of God are not to be learned academically, therefore, it is my goal to allow facts to become the connect-the-dot tapestry of God’s truth.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
The first book I read as a child was the Bible. Although I don’t hold a reckless view of infallibility of inerrancy of the Bible – I feel that it is a valuable record of the exemplars of faith. My appreciation of the Bible is not demonstrated by the liturgical adjectives that I use to describe it, but by the fact that I live by it.

Jesus said about His words what can be said by no other, “My words are Spirit and they are Life.” I believe Him. Some of the authors who inspire me – Abraham, Jeremiah, David, Job, John and Paul; but when you get the red letters (the words of Jesus) right, it ALL makes sense.

What are you working on now?
I am developing a On Faith/On Prayer flip print book. These books will also be available individually in the eBook market.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
Patience and hard work… that’s all I know for promotion of books.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
This is borrowed advice . . . “If you have any young friends who aspire to become writers, the second greatest favor you can do them is to present them with copies of ‘The Elements of Style’. The first greatest, of course, is to shoot them now, while they’re happy.” (Source: The new edition of The Elements of Style also includes a compilation of praise for the book from writers over the years. Wallraff’s favorite remark is from Dorothy Parker, who reviewed the guide for Esquire magazine.)

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
If what you believe is not true, do you want to know it?

What are you reading now?
“Think Red Ink”… is there no end to editing for typos? LOL, it’s a good life!

What’s next for you as a writer?
I am preparing the “Think Red Ink” eBook and audio book.

If you were going to be stranded on a desert island and allowed to take 3 or 4 books with you what books would you bring?
The Bible, The Questions of Jesus, Disappointed with God by Phillip Yancey, Speaking of Jesus by Carl Medearis, Shakespeare,

Author Websites and Profiles
Don C Harris Website
Don C Harris Amazon Profile
Don C Harris Author Profile on Smashwords

Don C Harris’s Social Media Links
Facebook Profile
Twitter Account

Don C Harris is a post from Awesome Gang

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I write romantic comedy, historical fiction, and fantasy-adventure. I have three novels published, Amelia’s Legacy, Book 1 in the Legacy series from Write Integrity Press (historical fiction) and two fantasy-adventure novels, The Lady of the Haven and its sequel, A Gathering of Eagles. I also have two collaborative novels, A Dozen Apologies and its sequel, The Love Boat Bachelor (Write Integrity Press). Besides my personal website blog, I’m the co-founder of a blog dedicated to inspiring writers. And later this year, I’m putting on a new hat as a contributing editor for the soon-to-be launched online magazine, Imaginate.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
The latest release is The Love Boat Bachelor, a fun romantic comedy. The story was developed by Jerusha Agen and seven other authors were invited to contribute chapters. So her introductory first chapter inspired the rest of the book. We developed our leading lady who would encounter her leading man (hero), each at a different Caribbean Island location. The chapters were released one per day on the publisher’s website– www.writeintegrity.blogspot.com — and after all the chapters were out, the readers were invited to vote for their favorite heroine. My lady won (it was a very close contest), so I also wrote the final chapter that ends the book. What an honor! I loved writing the romantic conclusion.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
When I’m struggling with a difficult scene, I turn on the TV. I usually find something I’ve seen several times then I turn my back on it and write. The voices and music (low volume) provide the ambiance I need.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
Jane Austen and Charlotte Bronte in the early days. Francine Rivers later on. Now, there are too many to count. I love to read and there are so many wonderful writers! Their books inspire me to work harder.

What are you working on now?
Carlotta’s Legacy, the second book in the Legacy series–sequel to Amelia’s Legacy. Set in the late 1920s, early 1930s, Carlotta’s Legacy is mostly set in the tranquil green heart of Italy. Rebecca Lewis leaves New York to marry an Italian count, where her new mother-in-law, Carlotta, will have a profound effect on her life.

Blurb: Rebecca Lewis’ life is in a downhill plunge. Even before Black Tuesday, her family’s money was dwindling. Marrying an Italian count will secure her and her mother’s future financially, but will it bring her the love she’s always wanted?

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I’m still perfecting that. I’ve used the social sites, Twitter and Facebook, Good Reads, and garnered help from friends with blogs.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Read. Write. Study the craft and get involved in a good, supportive critique group. Stay teachable, but develop your personal style and voice.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Don’t waste your time writing. This was said to me at a writing conference, several years ago. My initial reaction: anguish. But, it spurred me on to dig deeper, work harder. I’m still learning.

What are you reading now?
With Every Letter, by Sarah Sundin

What’s next for you as a writer?
I have another book releasing this year. A story inspired by the Book of Ruth and a short interval of my mother’s life, called “Annabelle’s Ruth.” It’s set in 1950s rural Tennessee with a cotton harvest, instead of grain. I’m really looking forward to this release, because of the settings, and memories from my childhood.

There will be a final book in June of this year that concludes the collaborative novellas. It’s in the early planning stages.

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?
Redeeming Love by Francine Rivers – can’t read it too many times

Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte

Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen

Swiss Family Robinson – for ideas on how to survive on a deserted island!

Author Websites and Profiles
Betty Owens Website
Betty Owens Amazon Profile
Betty Owens Author Profile on Smashwords

Betty Owens’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile
Facebook Profile
Twitter Account
Pinterest Account

Betty Owens is a post from Awesome Gang

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I started writing just over a year ago, and I’m pleased…and a little proud, to have written and published five full-length novels. For me it’s an accomplishment because I’m also managing the demands of a corporate career and the task of raising two young daughters.

I live in Ontario, Canada where I’m the CEO of a government firm by day. I put my vivid imagination to work during my ‘free time’ to create characters that both men and women enjoy reading about.

Another manuscript is in the works.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
‘Loans Lust and Lies’ is a departure from my contemporary erotica writing. With this novel, I wanted to weave in suspense, plot twists, and a surprise ending that NO ONE sees coming. Don’t worry, there is still plenty of steamy content to enjoy.

This erotica mystery was inspired by a text conversation with a friend and fan. He knew I’d just finished writing ‘Every Second Weekend’ and he wondered what I planned to tackle next. I had just typed THE END and really hadn’t thought ahead to my next novel. We chatted back and forth for a moment and before I knew it, I’d thrown out the idea for a suspense novel involving embezzlement, deception, forensic accounting, computer hacking, and a love triangle involving the investigator and two key suspects. As a joke, I quickly added a comment suggesting a surprise ending that no one would suspect. As I re-read my own message I realized how much fun I would have telling the story in a way to support the ending, without giving it away. Within a ten minute text conversation, I had the entire outline of my novel. I began writing it immediately and finished it twenty-one days later.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I’m busy. I don’t have time to sit for hours at a laptop and write the thoughts that are in my head. Sometimes a phrase or scene comes into my mind in the middle of the day when I’m in a meeting and I have to capture it immediately. On many occasions, I’ve typed out a conversation or narrative on my iPhone, just to capture the essence of my thought before it’s gone.

With a busy schedule and on-site meetings around the province, I spend far too much time in the car. I’ve made use of this idle time to dictate entire chapters using the ‘talk-to-text’ function on my phone.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
I’ve always been a fan of Tom Clancy’s writing. I know it’s in a completely different genre, but I find his books filled with so much detail that supports the story. Writing ‘Loans Lust and Lies’ as a mystery was my stepping stone to writing more detailed yet enthralling novels like Clancy’s.

I also love Dr. Seuss. I can’t explain that one.

What are you working on now?
I’m about a third of the way into a manuscript with the working title, ‘Rode Hard’. This novel is about the cowboys of the Canadian Professional Rodeo. As a Canadian, I always write a little canadiana into my books, but this one is pure Canada.

As a five-time rodeo champion, Blane Walker is secretly dealing with the physical and physiological impact of an injury as he faces Wade Cunningham, his long time rival. Having been forced to leave another sport, TV Commentator Hailey is working to fit in with her new surroundings. Friends and foes interact in competition and in life in this novel which is currently titled, ‘Rode Hard’.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
No question, it’s Twitter. I have found that fans really enjoy the opportunity to engage with me as they’re reading. I’m happy to answer questions about what inspired dialogue and events or to answer questions about characters and plot ideas. It’s a rush to know that fans are actively reading and curious to know more about what made that book come together.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
So many people ask me how to make the leap from writer to author. I am constantly amazed at how many writers have completed manuscripts that they edit and edit and rewrite and edit again. If you want your work published, you’re going to have to take the leap and submit it to some publishers. While you wait for a response…start writing a new book.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
I’ll let you know when I hear it.

What are you reading now?
I’m reading a few different novels by a number of indie authors. I’m pleased with the quality of writing by most.

What’s next for you as a writer?
Another manuscript is always in the works. I’m challenging myself to write three full-length novels a 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?
If it’s okay with you, I’d rather be left with my imagination, a pad of paper, and a pen.

Author Websites and Profiles
Cara Addison Website
Cara Addison Amazon Profile
Cara Addison Author Profile on Smashwords

Cara Addison’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile
Facebook Profile
Twitter Account

Cara Addison is a post from Awesome Gang

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
Most folk believe that technology rules their lives. They’re wrong. Dark conspiracies and ancient magic actually dominate this planet. My one mission in life is to open people’s eyes to that fact.

My name is Ken Magee and I tell people I write contemporary fantasies which blend adventure and humour with technology and magic. My books live under the tagline ‘ancient magic meets the Internet’. I pretend that they’re works of fiction, because I’m afraid of the powerful people behind the conspiracies… I’m hoping a ‘fiction’ writer will slip under their radar.

Up until the point when I discovered about the frightening plot which deliberately caused the recent global financial meltdown, I’d led a fairly normal life. I’d worked for many years in the computer industry in roles ranging from programming through to sales. In the middle of it all, I’d served in the Naval Reserve… which was hard work, but fun. Then in 2010, I decided to make time to finish Dark Tidings, the book I’d started many years earlier (writing not reading). I would have finished it sooner, but life got in the way. It’s finished now (the book, not life).

Dark Tidings is book one of the series. The Black Conspiracy and A Darker Shade of Black complete the ‘ancient magic meets the Internet’ trilogy.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
My last book was A Darker Shade of Black. It was the final book in my ‘ancient magic meets the Internet’ trilogy (probably).

I guess the trilogy was inspired by my love of reading funny fantasies – I a big fan of the work of Terry Pratchett and Neil Gaiman. Tie this into a lifelong career in IT and you have the catalyst for the series.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
It’s not particularly unusual, I guess, but I love to listen to music while I write. The choice of music will depend on the scene being written. For example, there’s nothing better than a bit of heavy metal to help drive an action piece along at pace.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
As I mentioned above, I love the work of Terry Pratchett and Neil Gaiman. They have undoubtedly influenced my writing style.

Having said that, I imagine something from every author I’ve ever read has seeped into me to create the ‘voice’ which I now have. I’m a great believer in the maxim that every great writer must be an avid reader – and I am an avid reader!

What are you working on now?
I’m working on a funny, adult thriller. It’s a complete change of genre for me and I’m enjoying the experience. Mind you, I miss the characters from my fantasy trilogy and every so often I take time off to think about what they might be doing. I hope they’re okay.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I’m hopeless at marketing and promotion, so I love a site which makes it easy for an author. Awesomegang is one of those sites, hence me doing this interview.

I do have a Twitter account, but I waste a lot of time enjoying the wide range of Tweets which fly past, rather than promoting myself and my work. It’s not productive, but it is fun!

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Keep on writing… practice makes perfect.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Keep on writing… practice makes perfect.

What are you reading now?
I’m trying to reread The Three Musketeers. It’s a fantastic adventure, but I keep being distracted by other books, mainly in the fantasy genre. I will finish the Alexandre Dumas classic soon… I will, I will.

What’s next for you as a writer?
I’m waiting for HBO to call and ask if they can give my trilogy the Game of Thrones treatment. Most of GoT is filmed in Belfast (near where I live), so I’m sure finding a local author for a new venture would be great for them. My number is…

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 Game of Thrones boxed set… rereading that would keep me going for years and I’ve no doubt that I’d find lots of gems in the writing which I missed first time round.

Author Websites and Profiles
Ken Magee Website
Ken Magee Amazon Profile

Ken Magee’s Social Media Links
Twitter Account

Ken Magee is a post from Awesome Gang

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I’ve done a number of things, traveled widely, gotten to know people from around the world. I’m an internationalist with correspondents from Australia, Africa, Europe, the Middle East, Europe, and China, plus of course many in the US. As a result, I’ve ‘reinvented myself’ a number of times during my life; I’ve also written of the process on my blog.
I’ve been a professional soldier (now retired), a teacher of middle-school science (retired from that too), a hobbyist with an astonishing number of interests. I’ve been a horse trainer and breeder (I’m in the AQHA book as a breeder), a photographer, woodworker and carver, a builder of armor that I used in fighting, so much more! I’m insatiably curious. Currently, I’m an amateur musician who performs once or twice a week, a birdwatcher, and an amateur scientist. I hope to publicize my solution to global climate change this summer; I’ve been cleared to set up the experiment at a school in Albuquerque and with luck, the media will come out and see what we’re doing. I also intend to publish an essay, with latest results, on Amazon.
I’m a grandfather and husband; my wife and I have been married almost 50 years and we’ll celebrate that anniversary in June.
I’m a member of Mensa and the Society for Creative Anachronism.
I blog on writing at http://jacklknapp.com; my other blog, http://jlknapp505.com is for everything else, including comments on science, math, economics, politics, and current events. I also post daily on Facebook. All of my activities are done using either jlknapp505 or Jack L Knapp.
I’ve written six novels, three in one series, three in another, a novella, and a short story. The short is free on Apple, B&N, Kobo, and other places. All my books are available on Amazon, most are on those other sites.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
My latest is Home, the third book in the Darwin’s World series. A number of things caused me to write about this, my own studies involving geology and paleobiology, the books and movies in the Jurassic Park series, Heinlein’s Tunnel in the Sky, and the realization that if I wanted to read a book about modern humans in the Pleistocene Epoch, the age of sabertoothed cats, mammoths, dire wolves, and shortfaced bears, I was going to have to write it myself. I also noted the increasing trend to personal isolation, the texting rather than talking, videogaming rather than coversing or interacting, that sort of thing. So I asked the age old question, “What if…” and came up with Darwin’s World. The series takes a main character from being totally alone, totally free, to realizing he needed to be part of a family, then a larger group, finally part of a community.
To avoid preachiness, I used various adventures and challenges that the characters could confront. But to illustrate the danger, not all will make it through the series. It’s only dangerous if bad things happen. I tend to be tough on my characters!

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
Not really; I write a LOT. Most of it is nonfiction, much of it is on Facebook. My longer FB posts end up on my blog.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
Heinlein, too many others to count! I’ve been a lifelong reader with a wide range of interests. I look at Baen’s publications each month. A number of writers who publish through Baen are favorites. I like WEB Griffin, most of the time. I also follow a number of Indie writers now. I correspond with a number of other writers as time permits.

What are you working on now?
Two new novels, working titles The Ship and The Veil of Time.
The Ship is standalone but may eventually become a series. It deals with the difficulty in bringing a truly revolutionary discovery to market. How would you manufacture a spacecraft using a totally new propulsion system? Would rocketry manufacturers buy it, or would they be hesitant? They have projects ongoing, money invested, patents, financing, boards of directors…what about all of those? Will they accept disruption, or go with the status quo?
The other is a fourth novel in the Wizards series. What was a trilogy is about to become a series, exploring the concept of paranormal abilities such as telepathy and others. There are serious efforts to develop such by major universities as well as the CIA and similar agencies. Some results, not released, have been described as ‘mind boggling’. I asked “What if…” and went from there. My protagonist is no superman, however; he’s a former soldier with PTSD, an ordinary fellow who would just as soon be left alone. The fourth book will explore the concept of a child with paranormal abilities, lost in the past.
Both books will require extensive research; I don’t mind, I love learning new things!

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I’m still working on that. Current, by far is produce more books of the highest quality you can manage. The second best is to use selected email promoters. Passive promotions don’t work, listing books on a site and hoping someone will wander by and discover them, but active email promotions can work, depending on the promoter.
I’m doing an analysis of each such promotion. Currently one delivers strong value for the money invested, one is just above break-even, others are a waste of money. Most such promoters can provide downloads of free books, but asking readers to pay as little as 99¢ reveals that free downloads give a false impression. Many of the freebies don’t get read. I’ve got a couple of hundred on my iPad, waiting. Some have been waiting for more than a year. What I download today will be replaced by new ones tomorrow…get the idea?

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Write.
Every day.
Writing is a profession. Treat it as you would any other job.
Learn grammar and spelling. Learn the ins and outs of formatting. Get an editor you can work with.
Learn to promote your work. Amazon has more than 3 million books available. Promote, to make your book stand above the herd.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
I’ll skip this one. Nothing stands out.

What are you reading now?
Nothing at the moment; I’ve got a few hundred books waiting, when I have time. I’m just too busy to read.
Such a strange statement from a lifelong reader who ALWAYS had a book handy!

What’s next for you as a writer?
Write 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?
I might not. I might end up writing a new book in the sand! Yeah, I’m that driven.
I caught the writing bug late, but it’s a terminal disease!

Author Websites and Profiles
Jack Knapp Website
Jack Knapp Amazon Profile

Jack Knapp’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile
Facebook Profile

Jack Knapp is a post from Awesome Gang

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I live in Knoxville, Tennessee, and have deep Appalachian roots that involve all the usual elements—moonshine stills, horse thieving ancestors and rumors of illicit banjo pickin’. Fortunately, due to my father’s less felonious North Carolina heritage, I make an honest living as an author, freelance writer, editor and graphic designer. My debut novel, Curse Me Not, was released by Champagne Books in December 2014.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
The title of my novel — Curse Me Not — just came to me. It bounces off the old “He loves me, he loves me not” game, and I liked that it was short and “arresting.”

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
Actually, my writing routine is simple. During the day, it’s just me and a computer, with one of my cats—usually Bozo—asleep on the ironing board nearby and the other cat, Buck, sprawled out on the floor behind me. My husband, Tim, is at work. I get loads done. But I sense it when the cats leave. I’m not as creative when they’re not there. Don’t know why…

What authors, or books have influenced you?
Stephen King, Charles Dickens and Georgette Heyer. Wouldn’t they make a hoot of a dinner party if I could bring them all together?!

What are you working on now?
Currently I’m finishing up a fun novella that will act as a bridge between Curse Me Not, which was released in December 2014, and the second book in the Bodywasher Series, which will hopefully come out early 2016.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
The best method to promote a book is by word of mouth, so my main objective with my debut novel is to get as many mouths talking about Curse Me Not as possible. I’m doing that through every venue I can find, from my website and Facebook to writers’ groups to handing out promotional materials about the book to anyone who stands still long enough to take one. Then I’m going to stop and begin Book #2. I’m not looking for the moon with my first book. I’m more concerned about quality of writing at this point.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Love writing. Don’t love money. Don’t love fame. Love writing.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Find a balance in all things. You have a lot of fun but at the same time you don’t step on toes.

What are you reading now?
I’ve gone back to basics over the past several months. That means rereading Georgette Heyer, the latest book from Stephen King and whatever work by Kim Harrison that I can find.

What’s next for you as a writer?
I don’t want to pigeon-hole myself as to the future, although I will say I’ll be working on more adventures for my Curse Me Not heroine, Elzetta Swan. I’ve also got a zombie plot-thing going on in my brain but won’t say more than that. Whatever I write will have a romantic angle of some kind. Where’s the fun in no romance, I ask you?

If you were going to be stranded on a desert island and allowed to take 3 or 4 books with you what books would you bring?
The Stand by Stephen King, Atlas Shrugged by Ayn Rand, Mila 18 by Leon Uris, and Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austin. It’s not that these are necessarily my favorite books but they each bring something different to the table, and on a desert island you need a lot of diversity on that table.

Author Websites and Profiles
Elizabeth Fisher Website
Elizabeth Fisher Amazon Profile

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

Elizabeth Fisher is a post from Awesome Gang

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I have written one book that is being published under pen name of Roger Rapel but have 3 others in the wings with a 4th underway as we speak.

I served for 30 years as a police officer in the UK mainly in CID as a detective sergeant where I dealt with serious criminal issues including rapes, murders and all kinds of sexual offences.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
There have been many issues which I dealt with which I couldn’t be directly written about but, have always wanted to put pen to paper so have fictionalized ‘Cindy where are you?’

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
That’s an ambiguous question, I try to be factual where I can and not go off on fantasy (nothing wrong in fantasy) as I want to portray how it was then.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
Chris Ryan

What are you working on now?
Having said I don’t right about fantasy well tongue in cheek this latest book ‘Gift or curse’ is total fantasy well most anyway I can’t tell you which bit isn’t.

It revolves around a Tarot reader her daughter Michaela is a psychic. The daughter has the uncontrolled ability to see visions of things which she touches. She shakes the hand of a stranger she meets on a coach trip where she gets the vision of a woman falling to then ground as a knife is pulled from her chest. She finds out that man is on his way to meet his estranged wife as they are going through a really messy divorce. Is the woman she see’s in the vision his wife?

Not everything is black and white because as the story evolves it reaches into the the corridors of MI6, CIA, KGB and MOSSAD. Where it will end I’m not sure but still going strong with some 38 chapters already written

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
As a novice writer I am being advised on the best way to proceed with great assistance from Kitty Honeycutt

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Keep plugging away, although I nearly gave up hope then I sent an email to Kitty who asked for the first 5 chapters and offered me a contract based on that. So she must have see something. So keep sending emails to publishers. Some never replied all the others were thanks but no thanks.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
I read an article and cannot remember who by now but it always stuck with me ‘don’t write a 100 words about something where 10 could have said the same thing.’ I have read some books where the ramblings go on and on and by the time you get to the end of the paragraph you can’t remember what the subject was about. That’s what I’ve tried to achieve

What are you reading now?
Sorry I have been so wrapped up in the current book that haven’t had time to look at another book

What’s next for you as a writer?
I have two other scenarios all based on my previous experience but again will have to be fictionalised

If you were going to be stranded on a desert island and allowed to take 3 or 4 books with you what books would you bring?
Probably a couple by Chris Ryan and then one factual one by David Attenborough

David Parle is a post from Awesome Gang

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I studied writing at Sacramento State University under the esteemed author Richard Bankowsky, himself a student of the legendary Robert Penn Warren. I presently live and work in West Sacramento, CA. Crystal’s Ball is my first published novel

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
Crystal’s Ball was inspired by the location it takes place in, Mendicino, up the northern Califirnia coastline. The romance is loosely based on some of my personal relationships

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I write my first draft on yellow notepads, my second draft on a typewriter, and do not go digital till my last draft, so in this computer age I guess that would be considered odd

What authors, or books have influenced you?
Salinger, DeLillo, Dexter, Erdrich, Garcia Marquez, McMurtry; many, many others

What are you working on now?
Sequel to Crystal’s Ball entitled Tiffany’s Rules

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
Get the word out to as many sites as is humanly possible

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Write, write, write. Nothing like doing.; and grow a thick skin. Rejection and criticism is all part of the game. Grisham’s first book was turned down by 25 publishers.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Never, ever quit: no opinion matters but your own

What are you reading now?
Terms of Endearment by Larry McMurtry

What’s next for you as a writer?
Tiffany’s Rules

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?
Catcher in the Rye, The Caine Mutiny, To Kill a Mickingbird, All The Kings Men

Author Websites and Profiles
Ron Briglia Amazon Profile

Ron Briglia is a post from Awesome Gang

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I began my career as a novelist with seven novels in the Once Upon a Wedding historical romance series featuring the unconventional Victorian Fenster siblings. Each of these series has a loose fairytale or myth theme (The Fairy Tale Bride has a Cinderella-ish theme, The Star-Crossed Bride is a nod to “Rapunzel”, The Unintended Bride has an Arthurian connection, The Infamous Bride takes aim at Romeo and Juliet, The Next Best Bride was inspired by “The Robber Bridegroom,” The Impetuous Bride explores the wagon train tales, and The Twelfth-Night Bride finishes the series with my take on “Faithful Johannes” by the Brothers Grimm.

I then moved on to YA, and wrote three novels in the Salem Witch series, plus two YA romances. The Salem trilogy, beginning with The Salem Witch Tryouts was highly inspired by my love of Bewitched and Sabrina the Teenaged Witch. It always fascinated me that even witchcraft doesn’t make life any easier for people.

I then self-published a dark contemporary fanstay YA that I, and my former agent, loved, but could not sell to a publisher, BLOOD ANGEL.

I’m currently tackling cozy mystery with my Mystery Shopper Mom series about a mystery shopping mom who just happens to stumble over crimes and help solve them with her shopping-honed observation skills.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
On March 30, I will be releasing License to Shop, the second book in my Mystery Shopper Mom series. This book was dually inspired by my true adventures in mystery shopping, as well as my concern about identity theft, and how it is growing by leaps and bounds with no seeming way for us to protect ourselves from it. The series was inspired by my experience trying to juggle writing, work, and raising my children — one of whom needed a lot of extra attention because he is on the autism spectrum.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?

What authors, or books have influenced you?
Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird. All of Dickens and Shakespeare. Fred Pohl. Jane Austen. Charlotte and Emily Bronte. I was an English major, so there are too many books to name that helped me shape my love of stories told authentically in all genres. I continue to be open to new authors and new storytelling styles. In Salmon Fishing in the Yemen I admired how much storytelling occurred in short email exchanges and business memoranda.

What are you working on now?
Besides my cozy mystery series, I am working on a YA serialization centered around — what else — fairytales. The series started with the question, “What if pillows could talk?” But it has moved on to encompass the larger question, “What if fairytales are actually true stories, and we’ve lost an important truth by consigning them to the realm of far-fetched fiction.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
A BookBub ad is best, at the current time. Having the first book in my historical romance series permafree on all retailers is the second best.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Spend more time on the writing than the marketing, but when you market, make sure to measure and analyze your results. It is better to do one well-measured marketing effort at a time, than to scattershot marketing and promotion across the world without knowing what is effective, or how effective it is.

Consensus seems to be that real engagement with your readers (newsletter exclusives, Facebook/Twitter conversations with readers, etc.) is the gold standard.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
If you write one page a day, you will have 365 pages at the end of a year. That’s anywhere from one long novel to a short novel and a novella, so…do it!

What are you reading now?
The Girl on the Train. Just finished Salmon Fishing in the Yemen and loved it.

What’s next for you as a writer?

If you were going to be stranded on a desert island and allowed to take 3 or 4 books with you what books would you bring?
Bullfinch’s Mythology. The Hero’s Journey by Campbell. The Game of Thrones novel George R. R. Martin is working on now.

Author Websites and Profiles
Kelly McClymer Website
Kelly McClymer Amazon Profile
Kelly McClymer Author Profile on Smashwords

Kelly McClymer’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile
Facebook Profile
Twitter Account
Pinterest Account

Kelly McClymer is a post from Awesome Gang

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
My name is Mark King and i’m a free spirit, lover of life, family, friendships, good food, and travel. I live in Norwich in the county of Norfolk in the U.K. It’s one of Britain’s most historic cities and a hub for present day literature. I’m the author of the internationally acclaimed book Frenzy a Daniel Jones Story and the sequel Daniel Jones Doom. I’m also the writer of the world-wide blog at www.always-hanging-around.blogspot.com. I’m now starting on the third book in the Daniel Jones series.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
Daniel Jones DOOM was released in December 2014 and is the sequel to FRENZY a Daniel Jones Story. I was inspired to first write Frenzy a Daniel Jones Story when my father-in-law passed away after a short battle with cancer. It came out of the blue and was totally unexpected. It was then I knew you have to follow your dreams now and not wait for some distant point in the future. So I resigned from a secure job during the worst financial crises in living memory to start on the manuscript to Frenzy and two years later it was published.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I try to write as if it was a normal working week starting on Monday morning then finishing by Friday afternoon. The weekend I try keep for family time. Sometimes though you wake up in the middle of the night and your mind is buzzing. You try to get back to sleep, but you can see a picture in your head and it keeps going around, and around, and then there’s only one thing you can do! That’s to get up and start writing. This can be the most creative time to write as there are no distractions, no outside noise, now commotion from daily family life, no television or phones. It’s peaceful and your imagination can flow freely.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
George Orwell was a massive influence as well as Ken Follett and Dan Brown. Animal Farm and 1984 are two books I have read, and then read again, and no doubt will read again. I like the way he tells a greater story within the stories. I love the fast pace of the story lines of Dan Brown’s writing and the detail of Ken Follett. Three different types of writing that are blended together in both FRENZY a Daniel Jones Story and Daniel Jones DOOM. The final book that had an influence on my life was The Secret by Byrne Rhonda. You either get it or you don’t. I did.

What are you working on now?
I’m now working on the third book in the Daniel Jones series which I have titled Revenge. I haven’t decided on the final title, but will wait to see how the manuscript unfolds before I decide on the final wording. But there will be Frenzy, Doom, Revenge and then maybe more!

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
In the past there were limited media outlets, but now we have multi-media which might sound good, but only means you have to cover many different platforms and sites. There is such a great choice it’s very hard to get heard above all the noise, but sites like Awesomegang are a great way to get exposure.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
The best advice I can give is to never give up once you have started. It’s hard, very hard to make it as an author and if you give up too easily then you will struggle to get the story out of your head. And you can’t do that then you will never get into print.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Never feel sorry for yourself. If you don’t believe in yourself how do you expect others to do so.

What are you reading now?
I’m reading, The Girl Who Played with Fire. To be truthful I have found it a bit of a slog and after getting halfway through I put it down, and now I’m struggling to pick it up again. Stieg Larsson’s first book in the series gripped me a lot more.

What’s next for you as a writer?
I’m the author of the world-wide blog www.always-hanging-around.blogspot.com which I post on nearly every week and I’m starting on Revenge the third book. I’m also promoting both Frenzy a Daniel Jones Story and Daniel Jones Doom so between the three I’m kept quite busy. The next thing for me is seeing my three books on the big screen and is something different reviewers have said they would like to see.

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 Secret by Byrne Rhonda

The New Testament

1984 by George Orwell.

Author Websites and Profiles
Mark King Website
Mark King Amazon Profile

Mark King’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile
Facebook Profile
Twitter Account
Pinterest Account

Mark King is a post from Awesome Gang

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
My friends and family find me the most boring person, yet paradoxically I love myself as no one else. Most people including my wife think I am quite selfish. I am not and I go on to rationalize, you can love others only when you love yourself. I hate wearing nice dresses, take haircuts, shave regularly, and put on gold rings, chain, and expensive shoes even when gifted. I don’t have patience to spend time in malls, visit dentists, splurge money in parties, yet I cannot resist the temptation to dine out in an expensive restaurant. I don’t get bored even when I remain indoors for days provided I have something good to read which perhaps makes me the most boring person to my family. I enjoy nothing more than debates on issues of human relevance.

The best compliment I ever got in life was when my class V English teacher said my essay was the best he ever read. The compliment has sustained me since. There hasn’t been any other eventful episode in my academic or professional career to merit my attention except a third division in MA (Sociology) from Delhi School of Economics.

I did not have to struggle for a job because I walked into a publishing house, got the first job of my life within moments and began working instantly. I love the profession I am in because writing is the only thing I can devote to effortlessly. I used to hate going to office everyday dressed in a presentable outfit. Internet was the best thing that could have happened to people like me. I get my assignments online and wages transferred to my bank account like clockwork. I could not have asked for a better life.

My close friends think I do not have much ambition in life. Perhaps they are right to an extent. Otherwise, I am driven by the compelling text and secretly wish I could emulate similar writing skills.

Currently, I work for different clients and also write independently on different web platforms.

I have written two books – (I) Siddhartha Smiles and (ii) Write or Wrong! Games Friends, Teachers and Employers Play Offline/ Online (not yet published as it is with a publisher undergoing editing/cover design etc.)

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
The name of my latest book is Write or Wrong! Games Friends, Teachers and Employers Play Offline/ Online

This book was inspired by subtle ideas with multiple sources. The intangible seed of this material creation was planted several decades ago by Mr. R.S. Jaipuria, my class V, English teacher. I will remain ever indebted to him.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
The most unusual thing about my writing is that it is internally driven. Most mornings, I wake up with powerful ideas, I feel I absolutely didn’t know about. I feel incapable of writing to my complete satisfaction, unless I lose my awareness of external surroundings. I enjoy writing only when I dive deep within or feel connected to the invisible source.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
I was inspired by Jonathan Livingstone. I learned my first lessons in Philosophy reading Bertrand Russell’s book that I thoroughly enjoyed. There were many more authors and books along the way including Paul Brunton, (A Search in Secret India), and Paramhamsa Yogananda (Autobiography of a Yogi) that inspired me.

What are you working on now?
I am working on a story that has William Coleman, a business man from Texas coming to India to expand his business empire. The protagonist helps William through bureaucratic maze and also helps him culturally navigate in the alien nation. However, somewhere along the way, he lands in deep troubles, and the protagonist helps him escape to a Buddhist monastery, where he meets an enlightened monk. The monk teaches him some spiritual lessons relevant to the practical life in business. The lessons help him stand on his feet again and he recovers his lost venture.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I am very poor in promoting my books. I have absolutely no idea how one can successfully promote their work. However, I believe Awesomegang is genuinely interested in helping their authors. I am sure, I will have a lot to learn at this site.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Be ready and up with a marketing plan before you write. I made a mistake here and wise people learn from the mistake of others. Today, nearly everyone who works independently must also be successful in marketing. A good writer today has to be a good marketer. An average writer with excellent marketing skills would sell more than an excellent writer with average marketing skills.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Find the answer to ‘why anyone would like to read your work or pay for your work’.

What are you reading now?
Conditionality: The Law of Cause and Effect by Venerable Master Hsing Yun

What’s next for you as a writer?
Learn and work on marketing my 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?
The Power of Positive Thinking

The Power of Now

The Encyclopedia of Mysteries

Ajit Jha’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile
Facebook Profile
Twitter Account
Pinterest Account

Ajit Jha is a post from Awesome Gang

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I wanted to be an author when I was in fifth grade. I had written my first children’s picture book when I was in first grade. In fifth grade I read a lot of science fiction and wanted to be like my grandfather, Maxwell Sheridan, who worked with Ray Bradbury and published science fiction. I had also read all the books in the Wizard of Oz series by L. Frank Baum. I didn’t read the Chronicles of Narnia or the Lord of the Rings until I was in graduate school. I just hadn’t been introduced to them. During a snowstorm in Federal Way, Washington I had been reading Stephen Donaldson’s The Mirror of Her Dreams. I had a dream about a princess being kidnapped. That started my fantasy Guardian of the Gauntlet. I have self-published two books now in the Guardian of the Gauntlet series and am working on a third. In addition to this, I have written two science fiction novels, one, a novella, entitled Dolphins which is about Dolphins evolving and taking over the world and another about people who are immortal and wish to become mortal. The last is a post-apocalyptic book which I wrote in high school. At the present time, I have no plans to publish the science fiction books.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
The name of my latest published book is Guardian of the Gauntlet, Book II. It is the sequel to the first, so that, in part, inspired it. Also, someone asked me, “Isn’t she going to do some good with the gauntlet?” That question gave rise to the sequel, which is subtitled, “The Greater Good,” and Camari does do much good in the second book.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I get ideas late at night when I have insomnia. I jot them down in a book entitled “Imagine.” I also do my best writing at night.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
George MacDonald who wrote The Princess and the Goblins was a great influence for me from my childhood. I have a very early twentieth century edition of that book that was passed down in my family and I grew up on it. Also, as I said before, L. Frank Baum and his Oz series was a great influence on me. C.S. Lewis is now an influence on me, though he wasn’t in my early days of writing. I like his symbolism. I would say that, though he hadn’t been an influence earlier, his books are most like mine now.

What are you working on now?
I am working on the third in the Guardian of the Gauntlet trilogy. It is based on the parable of the wedding banquet, as all the books in the trilogy are based on a parable. It will be more serious than the other two. The main characters grow up. I like to put humor in my books, but it will be at a minimum in this book. I won’t say why, because I don’t want to spoil the story.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
My own website is the best place to link to where my books are sold. It is http://www.LenitaSheridan.com

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Read through your blurb or description of you book before you publish it, especially if you are self-publishing. Ask yourself how someone else, who is not you, would read it and perceive it. Would they want to buy it?

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Get lots of reviews, lots.

What are you reading now?
The Crystal Keeper: The Caves of Tavannar

What’s next for you as a writer?
To finish and publish Guardian of the Gauntlet, Book III.

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
Mere Christianity by C.S. Lewis
The Sword of Shannara (because I haven’t read it yet)

Author Websites and Profiles
Lenita Sheridan Website
Lenita Sheridan Amazon Profile

Lenita Sheridan’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile

Lenita Sheridan is a post from Awesome Gang

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I am a full-time writer with 15 books currently published in my own name and have almost finished another on creative writing. I have very definite niche areas in writing – I write murder mysteries because these are the types of books that I love to read when I find some free time and I write self-help and development books because I qualified as a stress management counselor and addiction therapist some years ago. As a qualified teacher of creative writing and journalism with many years teaching part-time at college, I also write books that utilise my experiences in this area too.

I moved from the UK to France where I live a little bit of a nomadic lifestyle. Even though I am the editor of The Creative Competitor- a very busy writers resource website, I’m fortunate in that I can manage my business (with a great team behind me in the UK) while on the road. Being a full-time writer is the perfect job for me as it satisfies my need to travel. I have spent the last few years travelling through France and currently live in a house nestled in the foothills of the Pyrenees Mountains. Another house move is on the cards later this year though. I’ve always said…”Have laptop – will travel.”

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
I am always working on several projects at a time and they may be in very different niche areas. I find that working this ways keeps my attention and focus sharp. My most recently published book was: Emotional Abuse – Get Out of My Head and Out of My Bed and this has become my best-selling book. It’s a very personal book revealing some of my own experiences and I wanted to reach out and to help others who have experienced abusive relationships.

My next book – about to be published is Creative Writing – Create Dynamic, Believable Characters. This is another area in which I am passionate – I read many scripts and manuscripts with less than charismatic or believable characters and I think when writing any type of fiction, those characters have to be alive and kicking so that the reader connects fully.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I can have several books on the go at once and am often already making notes for potential new ones at the same time. This style of organisation and writing suits the way my brain works. I am inspired constantly by people, landscapes and events and always find myself thinking, ‘I wonder if that might make a good book.’

What authors, or books have influenced you?
I am a huge Agatha Christie fan. I grew up reading about Poirot and Miss. Marple and I love the way Christie created characters that are compelling in their own right. She created and utilised their unique traits perfectly and as a result, these characters live on.

What are you working on now?
I am currently turning my published The Fiction Writer series of 5 books into a collection so people can buy them individually, depending on their development niche or, buy them all and brush up on their writing techniques in one go.

I also have a half-written book on codependent relationships which will sit alongside my emotional abuse book. Busy, busy….

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I always add any books on promotion to this site but do tend to promote heavily on Twitter and use Facebook too.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Write as much as possible, absorb life and use every experience while continuing to perfect the many writing techniques. I believe the best writers are passionate about the written word and every sight, sound and event fuels the need to write with greater conviction. In the end, sheer determination can reap rewards.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Never give up.

What are you reading now?
At the moments I am reading some marketing books but in terms of fiction, I am dying to read the Monogram Murders – the new Agatha Christie written by Sophie Hannah.

What’s next for you as a writer?
My imagination is overflowing with ideas and I have the urge to write more fiction. I am taking the protagonist from my novel Who Killed September Falls? Arianne Tawnison is a journalist and now a reluctant solver of murders- her natural curiosity and ability to dig deep beneath the surface means she is always getting herself into danger. While writing the novel, I knew I needed to carry her character forward as she made me shed real tears as well as make me smile, as such, she is already starring in Secrets at Cranridge Manor and I have great plans for her.

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 Monogram Murders

Miramont’s Ghost

Blood Magick

Author Websites and Profiles
Annette Young Website
Annette Young Amazon Profile

Annette Young’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile
Twitter Account

Annette Young is a post from Awesome Gang

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I’ve been telling stories since I was a little girl growing up in Cape Cod. Books were always fascinating to me; they were little worlds I could explore in an afternoon. I’m about to publish my third novel and am looking forward to having a fourth out following shortly.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
My newest book is “Awakening, A Novel of Olympus.” It’s the second book in the series, and inspired by the Greek Myths. The protagonist is Cora, from Kore or Persephone, and she is married to Marcus Ubeli, who is a mob boss or “Lord of the Underworld” (Hades). The first book in the series was based on their love story, and this second installment treats the myth of “Orpheus and Eurydice”, or “Orpheus in the Underworld.” Zeus, Aphrodite, Hermes, and Athena all have cameos!

The setting of the series is Olympus, a modern city that’s based loosely on New York. Zeus is the mayor. Aphrodite is a stripper and porn star. Hermes is a fashion designer and Athena is a tech genius.

It’s super fun writing this modern twist to the Greek Pantheon and I forsee several more books in the series.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
Now I write pretty loosely all day, although while I was writing part time I would type phrases and ideas on my cellphone. My best prose pops into my head first thing in the morning, so I keep a notebook and my laptop right beside the bed. And if I get stuck, I take a nap!

What authors, or books have influenced you?
More than I could even list in one sitting, but here’s a start: C. S. Lewis, Ursula LeGuinn, Robin McKinley, and more recently Patricia Briggs and Jim Butcher for their fantasy series. As for the myths, I’m more inspired by the art, paintings and sculpture that interpreted the Greek myths over the years than I am the works of Ovid, Hesiod and Homer. I wanted to capture the action and romance of the myths but tell them in my own way.

Sheri Tepper has a wonderful book called “Gate to Women’s Country” that gives a feminist spin on the Greek tragedies. I remember reading it and thinking, “Women don’t really have a voice in these Greek myths.” Sheri gave them a voice and I wanted to as well.

Finally, thank you to John Locke and all the wonderful indie authors who are putting their works out on Kindle. They inspired me to do so as well.

What are you working on now?
Right now I’m finishing the third book in the “Olympus” series, and have plans for the fourth and fifth book. I wrote a book in college that won the Hollins Fiction Prize and I plan to upload it after a final edit. It was the first book I wrote and I shelved it for eight years thinking I would find an agent and publisher. Thanks to the internet and indie ebook publishing there’s no reason to wait anymore!

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
Right now word of mouth advertising has been working best. I also have fun on tumblr, pinterest and twitter engaging and finding ideas for my novels.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Read a lot, have fun writing and never stop believing in your dream!

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
James Patterson’s advice to do what I just paraphrased above.

What are you reading now?
The biography of Steve Jobs by Walter Isaacson. And a self help book on reaching goals called “The Secret Code of Success.” I’m always on the lookout for more great fiction reads as I can devour one in only a few hours.

What’s next for you as a writer?
Write more. Read more. Nap. Repeat! Also getting my website up and starting to give away my first few books for free, as a way to grow my following to over 100,000 readers.

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?
Sunshine by Robin McKinley, Beyond Positive Thinking by Robert Anthony. And two notebooks so I can write until I figure out a way to cure and bind banana leaves or something. Maybe that’d be the third book: how to make paper on a deserted island. LOL!

Author Websites and Profiles
Lee Savino Website
Lee Savino Amazon Profile

Lee Savino’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile
Facebook Profile
Twitter Account

Lee Savino is a post from Awesome Gang

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I am a happy, hard-working, and fun-loving author of erotic fiction living the seaside-cottage lifestyle in beautiful, sundrenched North Carolina. Ooh, I love my work! Sitting out on the deck, typing away at the sexploits of one randy couple after another (mmm!) … and all the while feeling my own tingles from the sun and the ocean breeze on my skin, the rhythmic pounding of the surf in my ears, and view after view of semi-naked bodies spread out before me … well, I absolutely cannot think of anything I’d rather do more (for a living, anyway)!

People often ask me if my stories are products of my imagination or life experience. Of course I answer “both!” However, I must add that even if a story is conceived purely in my rather dirty mind, it never goes to publication before being “tested” in the laboratory of real life. I’m dead serious! For starters, it’s a ton of fun and I love the texture and depth it gives to even my shortest tales.

Another question I’m often asked is: How did I come to be an author of erotic fiction? Well, when I was attending law school, one of my professors noticed right away that law was not a good fit for me. I admitted that I was here only to satisfy my parents’ expectations. So he sat me down and said, “JC, the secret to a great career and a great life is to take all the things you love to do, find a way to merger them together, and make that your work.”

So I un-enrolled my cute little butt out of law school pronto and rolled the top three loves of my life together – writing stories (which I’d been doing since I was in middle-school), living by the ocean (which I longed to do since middle school), and sex (which I’d been doing since …) – and here I am.

So that’s how I became what I am. But I also must say that, in addition to the pleasure I get from writing stories, I get an absolute thrill from knowing that, somewhere in the world, someone like you is getting some pleasure and perhaps a bit of titillation from reading them. So I think I’ll be doing this for a long time to come!

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
Come Surrender to the Night is Book #4 in my “The Billionaire and You” series. What inspired the entire series was the desire to give readers an experience in which they themselves were the woman in the story… and that the man they be with be the ultimate fantasy man!

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
Seriously, “field testing” many of my erotic ideas might qualify as unusual, though I would imagine that most authors in this genre do that!

What authors, or books have influenced you?
Maggie Maloney’s “My Pace or Yours” and “Perhaps Some Other Time” are favorites in that they inspire me to write well and never forget the reader.

What are you working on now?
The fifth and final installment in “The Billionaire and You” series: “Come Fly with Me.”

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
Why, Awesome Gang, of course! Also, Wanton Reads.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
You have to absolutely LOVE to read and write… and you have to absolutely LOVE what it is you’re writing about.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Make ‘em laugh.

Make ‘em cry.

Make ‘em wait.

What are you reading now?
Just finishing reading Maggie Maloney’s “Perhaps Another Time.”

What’s next for you as a writer?
A series titled “Bartering for Booty,” that features a spicy woman who leverages most things in life with everything from a quick feeling up, to stripteases, to full-blown, mind-blowing erotic fulfillment!

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?
If I could only take 3 or 4, I would probably choose to go down with the ship!

Author Websites and Profiles
J.C. Cummings Amazon Profile

J.C. Cummings is a post from Awesome Gang

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
This is my second MC novel. I’ve written several short stories over the years and I’ve self published five others.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
Behind Blue Eyes: Hells Vipers 2. I wanted to give the readers a deeper look into Nuke and his life. As well as other members of the Hells Vipers. I want to get a feeling for why some of them behave as they do.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I have to play music or watch television while I write. I can’t sit in a quiet room and just write.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
Anne Stuart, she’s my hero. Stephen King, he’s my other hero!!

What are you working on now?
I’m re-writing several short stories and I have a new idea for another MC novel.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
Awesomegang of course!

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Never give up, EVER!

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

What are you reading now?
I’m an ARC novel for a review.

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

If you were going to be stranded on a desert island and allowed to take 3 or 4 books with you what books would you bring?
Hells Vipers: You Belong to me, Behind Blue Eyes: Hells Vipers 2 and Hamlet,

Author Websites and Profiles
Jordan Abbott Website
Jordan Abbott Amazon Profile

Jordan Abbott’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile
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Jordan Abbott is a post from Awesome Gang

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I live in a coal mining town deep in the Canadian Rockies. I’ve written over 50 novels, romance, time travel, mystery, and two memoirs. I published with Harlequin and other major publishers, and then discovered the exciting world of indie publishing. I’m now on Amazon, Kobo, ITunes, etc., loving this wild west version the publishing business.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
Latest book is a novella about mail order brides in the Canadian west, the first of a series, ROSE’S MAIL ORDER BRIDES AND GROOMS, OBJECT MATRIMONY. I was reading an account of an early mail order bride and came across a reference to a periodical that advertised Mail Order meetings. (Early version of on line dating, yes??)

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I wander with my laptop around the house looking for a place, like a dog searching for a place to sleep. Can’t write tioll I find the right spot.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
I read constantly, and from every book, take something away.

What are you working on now?
Another novella in the Rose series, a cowboy story, and a western historical romance.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
Promotion is the toughest part of being a writer. I use http://jimsgotweb.com for sending out notices about free promos, and I also use gigs on Fiverr.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Get a professional copy editor once you’ve finished your book.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Trust in God but tie up your camel.

What are you reading now?
Burden of Breath by Ann Minnett

What’s next for you as a writer?
More books. Writing is like breathing, it has to be done.

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?
A Course In Miracles.

The Essential Rumi

Any books by Mary Oliver

Author Websites and Profiles
BOBBY HUTCHINSON Website
BOBBY HUTCHINSON Amazon Profile

BOBBY HUTCHINSON’s Social Media Links
Facebook Profile
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BOBBY HUTCHINSON is a post from Awesome Gang

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
My fascination with fiction began in middle school when I entered a book-reading contest and won. As an ardent fan of the resonating narrative and the cliffhanger, I decided to dedicate myself to becoming a skilled writer. When college professors spotlighted my writing in the classroom, it anchored my interest in becoming a novelist. I continued to pursue my education at UCLA where my writing earned praise from an award-winning author. Of equal and enduring importance in my life, is a passion for horses. As an avid, lifelong equestrian and horse owner, I now live on a ranch with my family, which we share with a menagerie of four-legged friends.
My debut effort, Beautiful Evil Winter, is a Multi-Award-Winning Novel. Beautiful Evil Winter earned a bouquet of book awards including a highly-coveted Eric Hoffer Award for “…writing of significant merit…” and a Readers’ Favorite International Book Award. The hotly contested Readers’ Favorite International Book Awards attract both New York Times Best-Selling Authors and celebrities like comedian Jim Carey, a children’s author. Readers’ Favorite shortlisted Beautiful Evil Winter in three genres- Suspense, Thriller and Romance Sizzle. Beautiful Evil Winter would best be classified as a Fiction hybrid – part Women’s Fiction, part Suspense and part Thriller.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
The name of my novel is Beautiful Evil Winter. After my husband and I traveled to Russia to adopt, I decided to write a book.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I always write on a full stomach. I build rhythm into my day with frequent breaks to walk the dogs or tidy the house. I restrict my intake of news when writing because I find that I’m much happier and focused.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
Stephen King, Jodi Picoult, Annie Proulx, Stephenie Meyer, Suzanne Collins

What are you working on now?
My second novel, a Suspense Thriller, will be based in the US. I expect it to be published in mid-April because it has to grind through the quality control process. Quality has been a enduring focus for me in all aspects of my life.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
Google + has been an effective way for me to establish an author presence. I also like Pinterest.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Set a budget which allows for a high quality book covers, editing and formatting. I recommend Damon Za for cover art, Sara at Yellow Bird Editors for editing and Polgarus Studios for formatting. Remember that the text should be a polished as the cover design; so, don’t skimp on the editing process. Finally, I recommend self-publishing through Ingram Spark because they make the process simple, and they offer great customer service.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Never share the idea for a plot until it appears in print.

What are you reading now?
I just completed Sing You Home by Jodi Picoult. I haven’t started to read another novel yet. I hope to read American Sniper by Chris Kyle soon.

What’s next for you as a writer?
Finish my second novel and take a break.

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, The Art of Happiness by Dalai Lama, Rainbow in the Cloud by Maya Angelou.

Author Websites and Profiles
Kelly K. Lavender Website
Kelly K. Lavender Amazon Profile

Kelly K. Lavender’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile
Facebook Profile
Twitter Account
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Kelly K. Lavender is a post from Awesome Gang

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
Born in Brooklyn, NY in April 1967 lived in Panama City, Florida since June 2000. I served in the US navy 1984-1986. I have two degrees and am working on a third at FSU Panama City, Florida. I am a mental health/disibility activist and mental health suffer. I am also a abstract realism painter.

This is my first book I have another one in the works just waiting to be released.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
Bad Memories I started it in 1995 and finished in 1998 and got it published Feb 2015, I wanted to be a author

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I write it long hand before I type it in word

What authors, or books have influenced you?
Poe, Shakesphere, Dumas, Twain
the tell tale heart & his other works, animal farm

What are you working on now?
A kiss before strangling it finished waiting publication

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
haven’t found one yet

Do you have any advice for new authors?
write, write, read, read never give up

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
if you don’t want to incriminate yourself never keep stuff in writing

What are you reading now?
school textbooks

What’s next for you as a writer?
publish my second novel then type up my third

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?
animal farm, dragonlance chronicles, for whom the bell tolls

Author Websites and Profiles
Douglas Sandler Amazon Profile

Douglas Sandler’s Social Media Links
Facebook Profile
Twitter Account

Douglas Sandler is a post from Awesome Gang