Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I’m the author of two books: Flexible Demons and Psalms for the Apocalypse. Both are currently available on Amazon and other fine retailers. I enjoy the lake, the forest, camping, bonfires, stargazing and stoop-sitting. I am a night owl and a paranormal junkie. I enjoy the stranger things in life. I think life requires equal parts focus and humor.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
Flexible Demons, a novel, deals heavily with the pull of the demons that exist within each of us – some more than others. Tackling stigmas like drug abuse, mental illness, and the pull of fame, Flexible Demons is a darkly humorous look into our own reflection.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I can’t really write when I want to – only when I need to.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
My biggest influences vary wildly, but in no particular order: Stephen King, Douglas Adams, Kinky Friedman, Edgar Allan Poe, John Keel, Frank Herbert and Hunter S. Thompson.

What are you working on now?
I’m currently working on a top secret project. Details to come…

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I’m not much of salesman. I’ve always just taken to the notion that it would be pretty cool for someone to read one of my books and feel a little less alone. That’s all. Twitter and Facebook are definitely my main avenues.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Don’t concern yourself with audience. Find your voice and never apologize. if it’s good, people will appreciate it. Still, never stop learning. Feeling vulnerable through quality criticism is incredibly valuable and cannot be overstated.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
“Money will buy you a fine dog, but only love will make it wag its tail.”

What are you reading now?
Strange things, mostly. Fascinating, inexplicable things.

What’s next for you as a writer?
Redemption Songs. I’m currently working on a new novel. I’m also piecing together another poetry collection. Next, I hope, is a bit of exposure. I can honestly say Flexible Demons deserves it.

If you were going to be stranded on a desert island and allowed to take 3 or 4 books with you what books would you bring?
The Gunslinger by Stephen King (and I’d try to sneak the rest of the Dark Tower, too), The Mothman Prophecies by John Keel, Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas by Hunter S. Thompson, the Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams, and Dune by Frank Herbert.

Author Websites and Profiles
Kevin Gorman Website
Kevin Gorman Amazon Profile

Kevin Gorman’s Social Media Links
Facebook Profile
Twitter Account

Kevin Gorman is a post from Awesome Gang

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I’m a wife to a wonderful military vet, mother to three beautiful children, and grandmother to two of the cutest granddaughters. I’ve loved writing and reading for as long as I can remember. Poetry is something I’ve always done as it was so easy to write and hide.

I currently only have one book published (2014), the second book is currently at the editors (7/16/15) and I am in the process of working on the third book in the series.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
Technically the latest book would be Deadly Cut. What inspired me to write it is kind of hard to explain but I’ll see if I can.

I was working on a movie set in 2014 taking still photos, when one night after a long day of filming I was driving the 2 1/2 hours back home it hit me. The idea for Deadly Cut. It was invigorating to say the least. Not sure how much sleep I got, cause as soon as I got home I wrote everything down.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
Not sure if it would be considered unusual, but I am extremely partial to listening to music while I write. It’s like my white noise. I have to use my head phones so as not to disturb anyone else in the house.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
Wow, there are so many authors out there that have influenced me it would be hard to name them all but there are three female authors and one male author that have had the most impact on me.

Jack London wrote Call of the Wild. This is my all time favorite book. I’m sure he wrote more but I didn’t read anything other than that one book. I think what drew me to it was the fact that here is this young person going out into the world and making it his.

Cassandra Clare, Sherrilyn Kenyon, and Catherine Colter. These three women have the most unique writing style and story telling. I love them. I love to go back and re-read all their books. I love to get lost in their stories. They more than any other have truly inspired me to write.

What are you working on now?
Aside from doing the edits for the 2nd book, I am currently working on the layout of the 3rd book in the Cian McGrath Series. I am hoping that I’ll also be able to start working on the Western Steampunk novel I have been playing around with for the last few months.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I honestly couldn’t tell you. I have a horrible time promoting my books.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Read everything you can get your hands on. If there is a certain genre you want to write in, read books from that genre. It helps you become a better writer.

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

What are you reading now?
Clockwork Princess by Cassandra Clare

What’s next for you as a writer?
To continue to write. I want to write as much as I can and continue to improve my skills as a story teller.

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 Black Jewels Trilogy by Anne Bishop

City of Bones by Cassandra Clare

Styxx by Sherrilyn Kenyon

Author Websites and Profiles
Alisa Stapelman Website

Alisa Stapelman’s Social Media Links
Facebook Profile
Twitter Account

Alisa Stapelman is a post from Awesome Gang

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I’m a writer and musician, living in Nacogdoches, Texas, which is between my two favorite places: Austin and New Orleans. I’ve written five novels, including three in the Dutch Curridge series. I was named one of the Top Five Texas Authors of 2014 for Spirit Trap, the third book in the series. It follows a Fort Worth detective in the mid to late 1950s and is set against the social and racial changes that were taking place, as well as the thriving live music scene that was so much a part of the town. Add in colorful places like downtown’s Hell’s Half Acre and the Jacksboro Highway, and, as a writer, there’s a lot to work with.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
My latest book CONSTELLATIONS came out in April of this year. Several things came together to inspire it. The small riverboat towns which flourished around East Texas in the early part of the twentieth century and then disappeared when the railroad came. Slave narratives and Civil War histories. My enduring fascination with early blues music and southern music of the early twentieth century in general. And, last but not least, a very intriguing and bizarre Rolling Stone interview with Bob Dylan, in which he dug into the idea of transfiguration, what it means and how it might work.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
When I’m working on a specific project, I try to create an environment that I can submerge myself in. I do a great deal of research, because most of my books are period pieces. By the time I’m actually writing, I probably have a corresponding music playlist that I’m listening to, and, if I’m reading or watching anything, that probably ties into it as well. Other than that, I have two kids, so I usually just look for time where they’re either occupied elsewhere or asleep.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
The list is long, but I’ll name the two authors who had the greatest influence. Flannery O’Connor, whose poetic prose captivated me and showed me a world that was both strange and familiar to me. I read all of her work in my teenage years, and her influence remains all these years later.

Second of all, Joe Lansdale. My dad started gave me one or two of Joe’s books when I was a young adult, and, when I found out he lived in the same town as me, it focused my attention really quick that someone in Nacogdoches could not only write but write well and make a good living at it.

Years later, I’m good friends with Joe, and he continues to write, continues to inspire me and just keeps getting better at what he does. I can only hope I’m doing the same.

What are you working on now?
I’m working on two different novels, and I have a couple more tossing around in the back of my mind. First is a project I’ve been researching and working on for quite a while. It’s a story about a young Texas man who goes to the Philippines to serve in World War II, and it’s called Reconciliation. The second is a mystery set in Texarkana, Texas, which I believe might be the beginning of another book series. I also have a fourth Dutch Curridge book that I’m really looking forward to. I’ve got enough to keep me out of trouble, if I can just manage the time to complete them all.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I’ve always been a better writer than I am a promoter, so I’m still feeling my way through that side of things. I do have a fan Facebook page and a Twitter account. I also have a author website (thetimbryant.com) as well as a blog (tim-blog.com), but beyond those things, I just continually experiment, looking for the sites that fit and get what I’m doing and also know how to find the readers who do.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Advice for new writers: 1.) Write and write often. There are a lot of people who talk about writing. If you follow through, you’re already ahead of half of the pack. 2.) Don’t write for markets. Write what you would like to read.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Joe Lansdale told me several years ago: Write like everybody you know is dead.

What are you reading now?
Motherless Brooklyn by Jonathan Lethem and a stack of Pacific World War II history books.

What’s next for you as a writer?
Keep doing what I’m doing and work harder to get my name and my books out to 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?
That’s such a hard question, and it would likely change from day to day. I’m sure I’ll forget something important, but, right now, it would probably be:
1. Paradise Sky by Joe Lansdale (his newest, and I’m dying to read it.)
2. A Good Man Is Hard to Find and Other Stories, by Flannery O’Connor
3. Don Quixote by Miguel de Cervantes Saavedra
4. A Confederacy of Dunces by John Kennedy Toole
That leaves off too many others like Absalom, Absalom! by William Faulkner and What We Talk About When We Talk About Love, by Raymond Carver. Can I please bring six?

Author Websites and Profiles
Tim Bryant Website
Tim Bryant Amazon Profile

Tim Bryant’s Social Media Links
Facebook Profile
Twitter Account

Tim Bryant is a post from Awesome Gang

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
Taneeka Bourgeois-daSilva is an award-winning author, credentialed teacher, blogger, and entrepreneur. She has over ten years’ experience as a teacher and is the author of the Little Kids, Big Voices book series. She has taken several creative writing courses through the UCLA Extension Writers’ Program and has two Master’s degrees. She is CEO of Building Voices and TCD Kids Foundation, and is a member of SCBWI and IBPA. Her first book, Broccoli Chronicles won the 2015 National Indie Excellence Award in Children’s Fiction and Honorable Mention in Foreword Reviews’ 2014 ‪INDIEFAB‬ Book of the Year Award for Juvenile Fiction! Taneeka’s article’s, “Try, Try Again” and “Feedback That’s Fulfilling” were both published in the IBPA Independent Magazine.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
My latest book, Little Kids, Big Voices Math Workbook, Grades 1-3 is a workbook that focuses on arithmetic, fractions, and decimals. It’s a really great tool for beginning learners.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
Not that I am aware of.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
I’ve been inspired by the book series written by these three authors- Sara Pennypacker, Barbara Park, and Judy Blume. I remember the first day that I picked up a Junie B book and fell in love. I literally read the book right there in the store and didn’t want to leave.

What are you working on now?
I’m currently working on my second chapter book about a young boy that loves to paint.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I advertise a lot on my blog, company website, facebook, twitter, googleplus, and on SCBWI.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
First of all, stay true to yourself, your vision, and your craft. Second, try to create characters that are unforgettable. There are certain characters that win you over right away and that’s what we need in order to sell books and get kids to fall in love with reading again. Last, spend time on details. Make sure that you proofread your work. Hire and editor and someone that formats books. Your image and repetition are on the line. Make sure that every book is polished.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
“If you don’t see the book you want on the shelves, write it.”

― Beverly Cleary

What are you reading now?
I’m not consistently reading anything right now. I bounce back and forth between things. I mostly read baby books with my daughter.

What’s next for you as a writer?
I’m hoping to grow my company. Right now, I am the only author signed with Building Voices. My goal is to get at least five other authors by 2017.

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

Author Websites and Profiles
Taneeka Bourgeois-daSilva Website
Taneeka Bourgeois-daSilva Amazon Profile

Taneeka Bourgeois-daSilva’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile
Facebook Profile
Twitter Account
Pinterest Account

Taneeka Bourgeois-daSilva is a post from Awesome Gang

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
When I first started to write I thought I would write about fantastic creatures and strange galaxies but I found myself writing about the terrors in the dark maze of the Most Successful Bank in the Universe. I spent 5 years of my life writing this trilogy. I’ve also been interviewed in the London Guardian and written articles for business insider, open democracy, efinancialcareers and Mergers&Inquisitions that have been translated into German, French and Mandarin.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
Graveyards of the Banks volume 1 ‘I did it for the money’ came out in March and volume 2 ‘Monsters Arising’ will come out in August 2015. Inspired by my experiences on the graveyard shift at the Most Successful Bank in the Universe.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
Unusual for whom? I mostly write at night, after midnight. Maybe that comes from working on the graveyard shift.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
All 15,000 that I have read so far.

What are you working on now?
Volume 3 of Graveyards of the Banks ‘Slaughterhouse Morning’.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I haven’t found it yet. Love and dedication may not be enough…

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Write from your passion. I do.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Don’t listen to advice, listen to yourself. (But that’s not so easy – it’s hard to hear your real self)

What are you reading now?
House of Suns by Alastair Reynolds

What’s next for you as a writer?
Writing and writing and writing

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?
Can I bring my Kindle instead?

Author Websites and Profiles
Nyla Nox Website
Nyla Nox Amazon Profile

Nyla Nox’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile
Facebook Profile
Twitter Account

Nyla Nox is a post from Awesome Gang

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I hail from the pacific northwest. Married for 19 years this year and we have two boys and 2 very spoiled dogs. I started reading romance…gosh, I don’t even remember. Somewhere around high school. Which means I’ve been reading them forever. lol Started writing them some 15 odd years ago.

I currently have 5 contemporary romances published, but just signed a contract for a 4-book erotic romance series, to be released next year.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
Her Soldier’s Touch is the name of my latest release. It started as a sequel to a previously published book then took on a life of its own. It was a hard book to write, though. As the characters developed, I realized we had a lot in common (difficult childhoods). So, I used a lot of my own personal experiences to give the emotion needed to the story.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I’m not sure if this is considered a habit, but I like to talk to my characters. To me, these are real people, so when I get stuck in a story, often I’ll open up a blank document and have a chat.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
I started out reading Harlequin romances. In fact, for the longest time, I was blind to the romance genre and just how many other authors were out there. So my writing is heavily influenced by category romance. I adore taking popular tropes and putting my own twist on them. But there really isn’t any one author who influenced me. More like every single author I’ve read has influenced my writing.

What are you working on now?
I’m currently writing a 3-book erotic romance series. 3 girlfriends sign up for a matchmaking service that pairs them with military veterans. So, all three heroes are former marines.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
Well, I’m a try everything kind of person. I haven’t found any one thing that works. I have a small street team, a group of ladies who I adore, who help me promote. I’m also fond of Facebook. I’m far too wordy for Twitter. lol

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Never forget why you’re doing this. This business can be a beast. It will push you beyond your boundaries. There have been times when I’ve reached the breaking point, when nothing I do seems to work, but there’s an underlying pressure that’s always there. We’re in a highly competitive market right now. But remembering why I do this keeps me going. Hold tight to that.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Forget trends and write from the heart. I just contracted a 4-book erotic romance series with Forever Yours (which will release next year) that started out as something just for me. Just for fun. I had a blast writing it and in the process I kind of found myself. Turned out 2 big 5 publishers offered for it. I also know of another author who did the same thing and that series is one of her best sellers. There has to be something to that, writing from the heart, writing what you love. I think it shows on the page. Plus, it just makes your job a whole lot easier.

What are you reading now?
Right now I’m muddling my way through Grey. Just finished Tempt the Night by Dixie Lee Brown (awesome romantic suspense).

What’s next for you as a writer?
To finish the series I’m working on. I also have 4 books releasing next year, which I’ll eventually have to promote. The agent and I are trying to find a home for a 2 book small town romance series. After that…I’ll probably start thinking about the next series I’d like to write (which will no doubt be erotic).

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?
Outlander, Dragonfly in Amber, and Voyager, all by Diana Gabaldon. Hands down. The rest of the series doesn’t do much for me, but I’ve read these first three books dozens of times and never get tired of it.

Author Websites and Profiles
JM Stewart Website
JM Stewart Amazon Profile

JM Stewart’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile
Facebook Profile
Twitter Account
Pinterest Account

JM Stewart is a post from Awesome Gang

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
Hello all my name is Kevin Scott. I am a 26 year old software engineer currently living in Miami, Florida. I know what you are thinking, what’s a software engineer doing writing a book, and a funny book at that? Well you see I have always been a creative person who dabbles in various forms of art such as music, painting, engineering, etc. I have always wanted to write a book but figured nobody would want to read a book written by an engineer. This is my first book and deciding to finally write it was the best decision I have ever made as it has opened me to a whole new world of creativity and fun that I never knew existed.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
My book is call Claire Gone Mad- Letters from an Angry Black Woman and it is a series of emails sent from my mom to myself and the rest of my family. Let’s face it everyone has a crazy family along with some pretty unbelievable stories. I am no different but the difference for me is that I have all my crazy family stories in emails. I decided to publish these emails in honor everyone with a crazy family or family story that people never seem to believe or take seriously. I want my readers to laugh at the insanity in my family while learning to embrace and laugh at all of the eccentricities they see in their own families.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I have a very methodical approach to writing. No matter what I always find myself rereading and editing portions of the book and it is always done in a step by step process. I use Word and other software to help me outline my ideas and when I am feeling really spontaneous I will switch things up and resort to using my notepad and pencil. I keep everything as organized as possible with multiple versions of the book floating around on my computer because I do not want to risk losing one bit of it.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
My all time favorite author is Agatha Christie. My book is in no way even comparable to her brilliant works but I always enjoy reading her wonderful and complex stories. My goal in writing Claire Gone Mad was to create something that readers would find as entertaining as I find Agatha Christie’s works.

What are you working on now?
Having just finished Claire Gone Mad I have decided to take a break from starting a potential book so I can relax and focus on getting the word out there about my new book.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
Being a new author I have no methods or go to websites but as soon as I do I will let you know!

Do you have any advice for new authors?
My advice to other writers is that if you have an idea or you have always dreamed of writing your own book then do it. I promise you it will be the most stressful and frustrating time but it is so worth it.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Be proactive not reactive.

What are you reading now?
I am currently reading The Mysterious Affair at Styles by Agatha Christie.

What’s next for you as a writer?
Claire Gone Mad Vol. 2 of course!

If you were going to be stranded on a desert island and allowed to take 3 or 4 books with you what books would you bring?
That’s a tough one. I would definitely bring The Great Gatsby, Catch 22, and And Then There Were None.

Kevin Scott is a post from Awesome Gang

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I’m a jack of all trades, with interests all across life’s spectrum. In addition to writing, I’m also an actor, a musician of many different hats and a world traveler. I’ve written three full-length novels, though I intend to combine the two parts of the Bridge Burner Hyperion series into one longer book.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
“The Undead King” was inspired by a night of frightful dreams and sweat-soaked sheets. The cause? My father had me sit and watch one of his favorite movies with him, “The Omega Man.” I was maybe ten years old, eleven tops, and the dark imagery and scenes of post-apocalyptic devastation wracked my brain. It gave me a lifelong interest in the fragility of civilization and how the human psyche would deal with it.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I can’t say I do. I like to write in the morning, right after waking up. It’s when I feel freshest and most productive. I like to go to a coffee shop down the street which doesn’t have internet, this way I have no distractions at all.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
Certainly Stephen King, Neil Gaiman, George R.R. Martin and J.K. Rowling will be at the top of the list. They are all such heavyweights, how could they not have influenced me? I’m also a fan of John Crowley’s “Little,Big” and the works of Charles de Lint.

What are you working on now?
I’m currently working on the second book in “The Saga of Jai Lin,” as well as re-formatting “Bridge Burner Hyperion” into one larger print book and three smaller e-books.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
Still figuring that out.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
It’s said time and time again, but just keep writing. That’s the most essential part of this job. You can market your brains out, but if you have nothing to sell, then what good is the effort? Also, the more you write, the more you realize your weaknesses, the better you become. It’s a natural form of evolution.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
“If you want to make God laugh, tell him your plans.” While it’s great to have goals, life is always throwing new things your way. You have to keep active, though, so that opportunities open up. And what’s more exciting than opportunities opening up where you didn’t see them before?

What are you reading now?
I’m re-reading “The Gunslinger” by Stephen King.

What’s next for you as a writer?
I’m going to get back to working on some screenplays that my co-writer and I have been trying to sell.

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?
“100 Years of Solitude,” “American Gods” and “The Once and Future King.”

Author Websites and Profiles
Jared Rinaldi Website
Jared Rinaldi Amazon Profile

Jared Rinaldi’s Social Media Links
Twitter Account

Jared Rinaldi is a post from Awesome Gang

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I am an ex-broadcaster (AM rock & roll disc-jockey), ex-management consultant, ex-production business owner who, at age seventy, decided to do what he had always planned to do, write books. Since my seventieth birthday, two years ago this August (2015), I have written an autobiography and four novels. I am currently working on my fifth novel. I have not yet discovered what subject material I want to write about. I just love telling stories. My first novel, “About Love” is about a man who dies at an advanced age and wakes up in the body of a sixteen-year-old. My second novel, “Just A Messenger”, is about a recent college graduate who finds himself involved, through dumb luck, in a plot to overthrow the President of the United States. My third novel, “The Struggle Within”, is about a woman who has everything, position, power, money, family, and friends, but does not feel right about her success. My fourth novel, “Oscar’s Letters”, is about a realty salesman in North Carolina whose uncle has supposedly found letters from the Virgin Mary to Saint John at Ephesus in Turkey and who must travel around the world proving no such letters exist. My fifth novel, “The New Humans”, which I am currently writing, is about accelerated evolution.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
I do not know what inspires my stories. I start with a stupid idea, usually five or six of them, and then start to craft a story. My latest book came about because I saw two TEDx talks about religion and creationism.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I write at night after work. I hate television and my wife and mother-in-law watch everything.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
Too many to name. I have, however, stopped reading. I don’t seem to be able to read and write at the same time. If I read a really good book by, say, Daniel De Silva, I will sit down and write what I just read. So, I have been gorging myself on magazines. I take Time, Vanity Fair, Smithsonian, BAR, and People (my wife’s favorite).

What are you working on now?
Besides writing my fifth novel, I am producing videos for several companies and an elementary school that is Title-One (94% or higher free lunch) and has come out first in its category in Florida overall, fifth in math, third in reading, etc.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I am terrible at promoting my own books. I did sell one in Italy, which was pretty cool.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Write, write, write, write…it’s a skill. You have to do it a lot to be good at it.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Don’t take yourself too seriously! (from my mother)

What are you reading now?
Magazines

What’s next for you as a writer?
I don’t know. I just like telling stories. I am writing about two books per year. We’ll see if I can continue doing that.

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?
Tolstoy, “The Death Of Ivan Ilyich”, Mark Twain, “Life On The Mississippi”, Bishop Fulton J. Sheen, “God and Intelligence”, Aldous Huxley, “Chrome Yellow”.

Author Websites and Profiles
Mike Greene Amazon Profile
Mike Greene Author Profile on Smashwords

Mike Greene is a post from Awesome Gang

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
My name’s Helena Fairfax, and I’ve written five novels, plus numerous short stories. When people used to ask me what sort of books I write, I’m ashamed to say I’d often blush and mumble a non-committal answer; something along the lines of, ‘Oh, probably not the sort of thing you read,’ or, ‘I doubt you’ll have heard of my books.’

People are sometimes dismissive towards writers of my genre, but nowadays I’m glad to say I’ve decided to take a stand. Nowadays I say it loud and I say it proud: I write romance novels. I write fabulous stories with great endings. I write the sort of novel that will sweep you along. I write stories about love; the universal human emotion understood by all cultures across the globe. I write novels that are part of the biggest selling genre in the world.

I’ve always enjoyed reading romance novels. I find romance novels positive and optimistic stories, with a compassionate and sympathetic outlook. A few years ago I finally took my love of this genre a stage further and begun writing romances of my own.

My route from reader to author went like this: I was commuting to my job in a factory one morning, on board the 7.29 train, pressed up with the other commuters in a particularly damp, steam-fugged train. My mind began to wander from the soggy English climate, and I thought how wonderful it would be to be living somewhere hot. This unlikely journey sowed the seed for my first novel. Every day after that I penned some more about an English heroine who goes to work in the south of France, and becomes caught up in a romance that totally conflicts with her obligations at home.
After I’d written a few chapters, I began to realise that writing a romantic novel isn’t actually as easy as some people imagine! I knew I needed some expert help, and so I joined the UK’s Romantic Novelists’ Association. The RNA has an excellent scheme for new writers (you can read more about it here: http://www.romanticnovelistsassociation.org/join/new_writers_scheme)
With the help of the RNA’s scheme, I finally had a manuscript that was ready for publication. And so my writing career was born. After my French-set novel, The Silk Romance, was published, I’ve been writing ever since!
I’ve now given up the early morning commute to devote myself to writing full-time. I live in Yorkshire, in the north of England, in the place known by Yorkshire folk as God’s Own County. (We don’t suffer from typical British modesty here in Yorkshire!)

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
My latest book is a romantic suspense novella called Palace of Deception. I was inspired to write it after a visit to Monaco in the south of France. A wonderful setting!

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
My dog always sits next to me – sometimes with her head right on top of my lap top. She’s my best critic!

What authors, or books have influenced you?
Authors I love include Georgette Heyer, who is the best Regency romance author there is, and who began the whole genre; Mary Stewart, who wrote the most gripping romantic suspense; and Maeve Binchy, who wrote fabulous contemporary romance.

What are you working on now?
I’m working on another novella with a Christmas theme. Christmas in summer – I know! I just pretend I’m one of those chestnuts roasting on an open fire

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
That’s a hard one. I guess the best for me at the moment is Facebook. I get a lot of interaction on there, and paid FB ads have worked well in the past.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Never give up. There will be many lows, but persevere. Concentrate on celebrating the highs. Even just finishing the first draft is something to celebrate!

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Don’t worry about small things. In five years’ time, who cares what happened today? Just focus on what’s important.

What are you reading now?
No More Mulberries, by Mary Smith. It’s about a Scottish midwife who married an Afghan and went to live in rural Afghanistan. It’s based on a true story and is fascinating and moving.

What’s next for you as a writer?
I’m about to start another full-length contemporary romance, loosely based on Jane Eyre. I live near the Yorkshire moors, home of the Brontes, and love the setting.

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?
Great question! I think I’d take An Infamous Army by Georgette Heyer, Parade’s End by Ford Madox Ford, Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy, and Madam, Will You Talk, By Mary Stewart.

Author Websites and Profiles
Helena Fairfax Website
Helena Fairfax Amazon Profile

Helena Fairfax’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile
Facebook Profile
Twitter Account
Pinterest Account

Helena Fairfax is a post from Awesome Gang

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
Sam B. Miller II holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Finance, and a Master of Business Administration degree in Finance, from the University of Tennessee. He has five children and lives with his wife, Susan, and their many dogs, in Northeast Tennessee. The Origin of F.O.R.C.E. is his first novel.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
The Origin of F.O.R.C.E. The Federal Organization for Response to Celestial Enemies. I like the concept of humans winning in the end against all odds.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
None that I know of but one of my close friends is a psychologist so I may ask him.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
I was inspired by the works of Robert Heinlein, John W. Campbell, David Weber and E. E. Doc Smith. My special favorites are Sixth Column by Heinlein, Mutineers Moon by Weber, the Skylark series by Smith, The Mightiest Machine and The Black Star Passes by Campbell.

What are you working on now?
I am contemplating the outline of the sequel to The Origin of F.O.R.C.E. There will definitely be at least one if not two sequels.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I must have the assistance of experts such as Awesomegang!

Do you have any advice for new authors?
It is virtually impossible to edit your own work. Your brain will read your written words just like you thought you typed those words. You will pass right over errors because your brain knows what you meant. Your brain won’t see all your errors because it’s not a disinterested witness.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Stay out of the stock market!

What are you reading now?
The Divergent series.

What’s next for you as a writer?
My second book, the sequel.

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?
Sixth Column
Mutineers Moon
Invaders from the Infinite

Author Websites and Profiles
Sam B Miller II Amazon Profile
Sam B Miller II Author Profile on Smashwords

Sam B Miller II’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile
Facebook Profile
Twitter Account

Sam B Miller II is a post from Awesome Gang

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I’m a wife and mother or two, living in a tiny desert town in California. I was born in Los Angeles and moved to this town when I was nine years old, and no matter how hard I try to leave, I just end up right back here.

I’ve written three books — one novel and two novelas in a series of five.

The novels are written under my married name, Brandi M. Hale.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
My latest book is Double Crossed: Deception and Betrayal. It’s the second in the novela series The Withdrawal. It was inspired by George Jung’s story in the movie “Blow” only the protagonist is a female and she has much different circumstances.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I don’t think I have any writing habits. I just write what comes to mind at the time, the revise and refine as needed.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
My first novel was inspired by a book called, “The Perfect Manhattan.” That was when I rediscovered my love of writing.

Anne Rice has inspired me in a lot of ways, but I haven’t tackled the fantasy, horror, vampire genre yet.

What are you working on now?
Right now I’m working on Book 3 in the series.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I’m still looking for a good method to promote. I’ve paid for one promotion so far and I can’t get ahold of the site administrator to find out when it will begin, so I won’t be using that one again.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
My advice for new authors is, write because you love to write. Writing isn’t for the faint of heart, especially when it seems like no one is interested in what you have to say.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
It’s not so much advice, but a quote I read. Don’t wish for it, work for it.

What are you reading now?
The Andy Cohen Diaries by Andy Cohen

What’s next for you as a writer?
I’m going to finish up this novela series then I’m going to write a follow-up to my debut novel, Life Love & Margaritas.

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 Vampire Lestat – by Anne Rice

The Bible

Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me by Mindy Kaling

Author Websites and Profiles
Brandi Fleeks Website
Brandi Fleeks Amazon Profile

Brandi Fleeks’s Social Media Links
Facebook Profile
Twitter Account

Brandi Fleeks is a post from Awesome Gang

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I am an Indie Author/Co-Author/Publisher/Visual Artist who has written six novellas, four of which are already published, while the last two are currently being edited. Future endeavours include co-authoring the books No Quarter: WENCH and No Quarter: The Dirge.

MJL Evans is also a writer of romance and relationship articles featured in publications like Monday Magazine in November 2004 and again in February 2006, she writes fiction, historical fiction, erotica and humour. Published in the November 2014 issue of Flash Fiction Magazine, Red Dragon is vibrant piece of micro-fiction that delves into Victoria BC in the 1860s, when it was the opium capital of the New World.

A native of Victoria, British Columbia, MJL Evans studied English at Victoria School of Writing and Camosun College. Not only is she passionate about her written expression, she is enthusiastic about her visual art masterpieces she has created over the past 20 years and has over 60 paintings to her credit. MJL Evans is also a lover of film, independent, foreign, and cult.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
My latest book is No Quarter: Dominium – a 6-part novella series inspired by my fascination with 17th century Port Royal and the eclectic mixture of people who lived there.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
No really – just lots and lots of coffee drinking.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
I found the book Moonfleet by J. Meade Falkner to be incredibly inspirational/influential in my writing of the No Quarter Series. I’m also a huge fan of Anne Rice, J.K. Rowling and Philip Pullman.

What are you working on now?
I’m in the process of editing novella 5 and 6 of No Quarter: Dominium. Also I’m outline the next book No Quarter: WENCH.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I’ve had fairly good success using Smashwords, Draft2Digital and Amazon.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Never apologize for doing what you love to do: write.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
There are no set rules for writing.

What are you reading now?
I’m reading The Nebuly Coat by J. Meade Falkner and Justine by Marquis de Sade.

What’s next for you as a writer?
To continue writing until I’ve completed my current trilogy.

If you were going to be stranded on a desert island and allowed to take 3 or 4 books with you what books would you bring?
I’d bring Moonfleet by J. Meade Falkner, Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas by Hunter Thompson, Red Dwarf: Backwards by Rob Grant and Exit to Eden by Anne Rice.

Author Websites and Profiles
MJL Evans Website
MJL Evans Amazon Profile

MJL Evans’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile
Twitter Account

MJL Evans is a post from Awesome Gang

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
Ohio born and raised, I’ve been a journalist my entire life. It started when I was quite young. See, I have always been a reader. I read the two newspapers and the news magazines my folks had delivered to our home. One day I saw a cover story about Singapore and didn’t know where it was. I looked for it on the globe in my room and saw it was on the other side of the world. My world was a small city in Ohio. At that moment I realized I could read about things happening on the other side of the world. It made me want to learn more.

My sister gave me a copy of The Hound of the Baskervilles. I devoured it and everything else Arthur Conan Doyle wrote. From then on I was hooked on mysteries. It made me want to read more.

My family traveled a lot when I was young. I liked traveling. When I was fifteen I saw New York City for the first time. I then realized the world was open to me, and it was up to me to see as much of it as I could. It made me want to travel more.

I enlisted in the Navy as a journalist and learned how to tell stories. I became a writer. And I traveled to over 30 cities in more than 20 countries, including Singapore. Five years were spent living in Japan, where my son was born. Five more years were spent in Canada. Since then I’ve worked in the news business and I’ve written countless short stories and novels. Three are still on my hardrive, two have been published as ebooks, The Gangster’s Son and The Thief’s Mistake.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
The Thief’s Mistake was inspired by the notion that in my Shig Sato Mystery series I wanted to write a simple story about crooks doing stupid things, never knowing they were being watched. The person doing the watching, in this case, is an autistic 10-year-old who imitates what the crooks have said and done. When this is discovered by Sato, he realizes the police are going after the wrong man, and that the boy needs to be protected. The advice falls on deaf ears, so Sato takes matters into his own hands.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I write so many notes they are hardly useful. But I’ve found the process of writing the ideas stores them in some memory cell in my brain and can be summoned fairly easily when the time comes to write the scene.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
I read everything from biography and history to contemporary literature and true cime. Countless authors from a variety of genres – Agatha Christie, Ian Fleming, Arthur Canon Doyle, Raymond Chandler, James Barry, J.M. Cain, John Irving, Anne Tyler, Patrick O’Brian, Marilynne Robinson.

What are you working on now?
Book Three in the Shig Sato mysteries Traitors & Lies – In Japan, 1991, Shig Sato is asked to look into reports of a missing American naval officer but is stonewalled or lied to at every turn – it isn’t long before he’s found himself in the middle of Cold War intrigue being played out on the streets of Tokyo

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I’ve had success with Indie Author News, Books Machine, and Books Go Social

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Write. Believe in yourself and what you have to say. Ninety-five percent of what you write will be good only for learning how to write. It’s a key first step. Realize it and put in the time.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Write every day. Working in the newspaper business for years and years I still thought fiction was different and it should be treated differently. It shouldn’t. The only thing different is the subject. Just get down to work.

What are you reading now?
A couple of baseball books for a novel I’m planning; some work by new authors I’ve been pleased to discover recently – The Zebra Affaire, Random Lucidity, Jukebox, The Istanbul Puzzle – and Marilynne Robinson’s Gilead.

What’s next for you as a writer?
I’ve been plotting out the Shig Sato series – probably 13-15 books in all, sort of like an episode in a television series – and finishing two other non-mystery writing projects.

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?
Marilynne Robinson’s Housekeeping – it’s just about the perfect novel. Also, an Aubrey-Maturin book by Patrick O’Brian, A Prayer for Owen Meany by John Irving, and just about anything by Anne Tyler.

Author Websites and Profiles
Joseph Brewer Website
Joseph Brewer Amazon Profile

Joseph Brewer’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile
Facebook Profile
Twitter Account

Joseph Brewer is a post from Awesome Gang

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I write young adult and clean romance novels. My first two books are part of the Snow Valley romance anthologies, Feels Like Love from Christmas in Snow Valley and Tin Foil Tiaras from Summer in Snow Valley. Skyriders is the first in a planned trilogy.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
My latest book is called Skyriders. I have always loved fantasy and wanted to create a world of my own. The Skyriders live high in the peaks of the mountains and are part of three tribes of riders — Skyriders, Waterriders, and Fireriders. As the names imply, they are able to fly using the combination of the elements and their specially shaped wings. Skyriders is the story of Ary, a teenager who wants more than anything to ride the wind, but for unknown reasons, she can’t. If she can’t learn soon, she will be forced to move to the Lowlands, leaving behind everything she knows and loves, including a budding romance with the mysterious Prince Cael.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I like to brainstorm in longhand and I use colored paper, my favorite is blue. I also usually chew gum when I’m writing (otherwise I’d eat way too much chocolate) and if I’m really into a scene, I forget everything else and can start popping my gum pretty loudly! I have to watch that if I’m writing somewhere in public, like the library.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
My favorite book of all time is Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte. I also love the Daughter of Smoke and Bone series by Laini Taylor, Tolkien, (you can’t love fantasy and not be inspired by Tolkien), David Eddings, Suzanne Collins and of course, J.K. Rowling.

What are you working on now?
I’m working on the next book in the Skyrider series — Waterriders.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
Awesomegang has been very helpful and easy to use! I also find readers through Read Cheaply, Bargain Booksy, and several others like that. I like to do contests and giveaways and use my website and newsletter or Facebook to promote much of that.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
You probably won’t ever have a totally original idea. Almost every story has already been told in one way or another. But … it hasn’t been told by YOU. Find your own voice and go for it.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Writing isn’t about waiting for the muse, it’s about writing until the muse shows up.

What are you reading now?
Tears in the Darkness: the Story of the Bataan Death March by Michael Norman and Elizabeth M. Norman; The Creation of Anne Boleyn by Susan Bordo; and Entwined, by Heather Dixon.

What’s next for you as a writer?
I am doing another Snow Valley book for release next spring and hope to get the three books in the Skyrider series out this year. I also am tentatively planning a secondary series for the Skyrider universe that will involve the fairies who live in the valley.

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?
Jane Eyre, Daughter of Smoke and Bone (can all three books count as one?) and some huge, complex book that takes a lot of time and mental energy to read, like Les Miserables or War and Peace.

Author Websites and Profiles
Jeanette Lewis Website
Jeanette Lewis Amazon Profile

Jeanette Lewis’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile
Facebook Profile

Jeanette Lewis is a post from Awesome Gang

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I’m a proud born-and-bred Jersey Girl with Brooklyn roots. And I still live where it all started – I married my very own alpha male many eons ago, and have an amazing college-bound daughter and a 10 year old son who charms and frustrates me at every turn. Free time is always a luxury and I spend the bulk of what time I manage to scrounge up lost in the worlds of my own making. I love to read and write hot, sexy and emotional stories about people both glamorous and not-so-glamorous. Be warned – some of my characters are even downright un-heroic, which is part of what makes them so interestingly sexy, in my opinion!

On the rare occasions I’m not taking advantage of that valuable free time by writing, you can catch me poking around in my other favorite twisted historical worlds of Sleepy Hollow, Reign and the History Channel’s Vikings. I’m also a huge fan of Harry Potter, Highlander, Charmed, and DragonBall Z! Yeah, a strange fandom medley, but each one features some of the sexiest villains ever. Did I mention I love villains? And of course, let’s not forget my beloved NY Rangers.

Currently, I have several erotic romance books available – Books 1 through 4 of the Bayou Magiste Chronicles, a paranormal/fantasy series of books, are available through Renaissance Ebooks Sizzler Editions. All of the books feature Magically Kinky! love scenes – Books 1 to 3 are set in an alternate modern-day New Orleans area, while Book 4 goes back in time to tell the tale of how the Magiste, a magical society, settled in the New World – in the 13th century! There are more books to come in this series, and they’re sure to rock your socks off!

My other series, the Medieval Warrior’s series is set in 13th and 14th century England, Wales and Scotland – all three books feature A Kinky Twist on History! Go back in time and see how lords tamed their ladies, teaching them all about the dark side of pleasure. Again, there are more books planned for this series.

Keep an eye out for my next series – the Norseman’s series features A Kinky Twist on History as well, and some deliciously dominating Vikings!

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
I actually have two new releases – Claimed by the Zyndevine is Book 4 in the Bayou Magiste Chronicles, and was released in May 2015. I speak about my inspiration on my blog – the Harry Potter series sparked my imagination and set me on a path I’d never imagined when I first started writing.

My second new release is Warrior’s Possession – Book 3 in the Medieval Warrior’s series. Possession came out in June. I can’t say specifically what my inspiration was, other than I love the medieval period, especially the events that took place in England, Scotland and Wales.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
Not really – as long as I get my butt in the chair, it doesn’t matter what time or day it is. Most of my writing is done in the mornings and late nights, though I’ve been known to squeak in some time midday or early evening, when the opportunity arises.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
The writers who inspired me to write romances are many – Nora Roberts, Catherine Coulter, Johanna Lindsay, Judith McNaught, Julie Garwood were all idols I looked up to when I first started – back in the 1980’s and 90’s. Since then, there are many others – Cherise Sinclair, Carly Phillips and JK Rowling. A diverse combo for sure, but they all sparked something in me that contributed to my choices of genre.

What are you working on now?
Currently, I am working on the second book in the aforementioned Vikings series. Book 1 should be available in the near future. I also have started another series – featuring Pirates in the late 17th and early 18th centuries. I also have begun outlining the fifth Bayou Magiste Chronicles book, and there are at least two more planned for my Medieval Warrior’s series.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
Honestly, I can’t say for sure – I promote heavily on Facebook and Twitter, I use advertising at some of the biggest romance novels review sites, and have recently begun branching out to some other avenues that focus on putting great reads in the hands of readers. I’m still trying to determine which are the most effective – my 25 years in corporate marketing has taught me a lot about targeting the right audiences, so I’m applying that now and studying the results.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Learn. Learn. learn, learn. I’ve been at this for over 20 years. Early on, I aligned myself with professional organizations – RWA, EPIC, etc., and I absorbed everything I could, wherever and however I could. I attended conferences & workshops, entered contests and eagerly read the feedback. Grow a thick skin, you really need it in this business, and don’t think it’s weak to sit back and just listen to what experienced authors have to say. I wouldn’t be where I am now if I had ignored the solid advice and constructive critiques of my writing friends.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Don’t give up – I had many moments I was ready to toss it in, including one in particular thanks to the scathing slams from someone I thought was a friend who would support me. But I took that last shot and it paid off, because I just refused to go down quietly.

What are you reading now?
Slow Burn by Sascha Illyvich, How to Train Your Knight by Stella Marie Alden, Dare to Touch by Carly Phillips.

What’s next for you as a writer?
Just to keep on writing and reaching readers (hopefully lots of them lol!) who will find my books as gripping to read as I found to write them. I will be at the NJRW Put Your Heart in a Book conference in October 2015, and will be signing all three of the Medieval Warrrior’s books at the literacy fundraising bookfair. Keep an eye on my blog for other events – my local RWA chapter and some of my critique partners are booking some fun events, including Wine and Signs at local wineries, fairs and other fun places.

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?
Hmmm, some of these might sound strange together – Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince by JK Rowling, The Story of O by Pauline Reage, The Reluctant Dom by Tymber Dalton, and Master of the Mountain by Cherise Sinclair

Author Websites and Profiles
Gianna Simone Website
Gianna Simone Amazon Profile
Gianna Simone Author Profile on Smashwords

Gianna Simone’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile
Facebook Profile
Twitter Account
Pinterest Account

Gianna Simone is a post from Awesome Gang

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I’m Adrian Chan from Sydney Australia. I currently drive trucks and was looking for something to do online to kill time whilst waiting in my truck. I started publishing ebooks on Kindle and haven’t looked back. I have published 6 ebooks so far and really enjoy it. I actually wrote the books I’ve published so far.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
I recently wrote How to say NO-Take back control of your happiness!
I wrote this because I usually say yes to everything and inside I genuinely want to help but I find I sometimes say it too often. If you find you have a similar problem, maybe this book is for you.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I write books and I don’t even know what the word noun or adjective means, seriously! Still don’t

What authors, or books have influenced you?
I really like reading about rock stars, they seem to just be misfits, they have this no care factor about them. I would say Slash from Guns’n’roses is one of my favorites. Reckless road would also be a good one!

What are you working on now?
I am about to release 5 more books I’ve written using transcribe whilst in my truck waiting onsite at some of the places I go to. I just use my Iphone and talk into it. 1 hour later, I have a book!

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I use KDP free promotions and I use websites like this to promote my books to help people with content I think is useful.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Eric Ries is the author of “The Lean Start Up”, a movement in the start-up seen. Basically, most startups fail, business ventures too. Maybe even what you’re doing will fail too. These are facts. The Lean Start Up teaches you how to identify a number of things before you waste your money and time on any project you may be working on and is based on testing and measuring in incremental steps to eliminate wasting time and money.
If you’ve ever wondered why you always seem to waste money and time on anything in your life, you really need to read this. It will be knowledge you will have in everyday life for making the best decisions for good!

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Once again, Eric Ries’s Lean Start Up book! Never waste excessive time or energy or money ever again once you’ve read this. Eliminate risk, time, money and heartache once you realize how to tackle any situation with these KEY principles he teaches.

What are you reading now?
My own books! Currently writing a lot! I might need to outsource it soon. Info overload.

What’s next for you as a writer?
To quit truck driving and publish fulltime. I might head into the health niche as I eat a lot of junk food.

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?
Bruce Lee biography.
Slash
Reckless Road
Meditation books

Author Websites and Profiles
Adrian Chan Website

Adrian Chan’s Social Media Links
Facebook Profile
Twitter Account

Adrian Chan is a post from Awesome Gang

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
So far I have 2 books published. (The first 2 of the young adult, Shiver Cove series.) I’ve actually written 6 of the Shiver Cove series and am currently working on the 7th and final book. I’ve also written 2 adult horror novels that may never see the light of day, but each was an invaluable learning tool.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
The latest book I published is Shiver Cove, Part 2: Val.
The inspiration for this book was to write the type of book that I would love to read as a young adult. Plus I had so much fun writing Part 1, I knew I would have to stay in the Shiver Cove world for a while and hang out with each of the characters for their own stories.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I sit down and give myself a word count and try not to allow myself to become distracted until I’m done. I always have music playing and it’s always different types. My writing habits are pretty routine and boring.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
I’ve always been an avid reader, so I have many influences. From a young age RL Stine and Christopher Pike caught my attention. I soon progressed to Stephen King and Dean Koontz. With these authors being favourites before high school and to this day, I guess it’s hard not to be influenced by them. I love dark stories with monsters (human and otherwise).

What are you working on now?
Currently, I’m working on book 7 (the final) of the Shiver Cove series.
I love the Shiver Cove world and characters so much, I’m starting to think spin-off series so I can stay there a little longer.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
Honestly, I’m still trying to figure the marketing stuff out. If I strike gold with somewhere I will get back to you on this one.
I do feel it’s important though, to interact with your readers as people not just potential buyers.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Read. Write. Edit. Repeat.
Seriously, there are no short-cuts.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
See above.
That and never turn down an opportunity to travel.

What are you reading now?
I read a book or two a week. Some young adult and some adult novels. For the next day or two (July 20th, 2015) I’ll be reading: My Soul to Save, by Rachel Vincent.
I’ve changed up my reading list a bit to include recommendations from my readers.

What’s next for you as a writer?
I’m thinking a spin-off series from Shiver Cove.

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?
Traveling Vampire Show, by Richard Laymon
The Conqueror Worms, by Brian Keene
Watchers, by Dean Koontz
And maybe a survivalist’s guide.

Author Websites and Profiles
TJ Shortt Website
TJ Shortt Amazon Profile
TJ Shortt Author Profile on Smashwords

TJ Shortt’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile
Facebook Profile
Twitter Account
Pinterest Account

TJ Shortt is a post from Awesome Gang

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
Hi,

I’m romance author Honey Jans. I guess you could say that I’m a natural born romantic. In my life I’ve worn many hats, from wife to mother, and caregiver to sales. They’ve all combined to make me who I am; a writer who weaves together tales of love, from the sweet to the decidedly erotic.

I live in scenic central Wisconsin with my husband, but love to travel to exotic locales. I belong to RWA, WisRWA, Desert Rose, and PAN, and EPIC, and write for various publishers as well as for my own personal satisfaction.

You can find me hanging out online at www.honeyjans.net, http://honeyjanserotica.blogspot.com. I love hearing from my readers. You can email me at honeyjans@outlook.com.

I’ve written 23 books and 3 novellas for various publishers and independently. I’ve seen the good, the bad, and the so so…and I’ve got to tell you Loose Id is one of the best.

Thank you,
Honey Jans

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
When I first wrote The Commander’s Club it was a straight out battle of the sexes, sub/Dom story. But after working with Loose Id editor Christy Lockhart this story grew into as a much more layered, emotional story. At the same time it retained it’s humor and heat. If you think you know what it’s all about, you only know half the story. I encourage you to give it a read and let me know what you think.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
This is going to sound weird, but here goes. I had a psychic reading a few years ago. We were in Sedona AZ home of all the Woo Woo stuff and I couldn’t resist. I can imagine you all rolling your eyes out there at this point, and I understand your skepticism. However, he said a few things which turned out to be true. One of them that getting out in nature, especially near water, would open up my creativity. When I’m feeling blocked, I take my laptop out into nature. I’m surrounded by water here in central Wisconsin, so that part’s a cinch. Going out into the wild seems to free up my creativity.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
Okay, I started out reading mystery, I think I read every Agatha Christy in my local library 3 times over. She was such a great story teller. Then I got into romance when my sister gifted me with a grocery bag full of her favorites. After devouring them I was all in. Some of my favorite authors are Jayne Ann Krentz, Elizabeth Lowell, Karen Robards, Bertrice Small, Katie MacAllister. Then I read my first erotic romance and I was a total convert. My favorite new authors are Lauren Smith and Beth Kery.

What are you working on now?
I’m currently working on the sequel to The Commander’s Club. Tentatively titled The Commander’s Revenge it takes the series out into the wilds of the bayou. Do you sense a theme here, out near the water. Also in the pipeline are Men In Kilts a spicy, paranormal, highland novella, and, The Pledge, a western erotic romance that answers the queston, when is a kidnapping not a kidnapping.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
It would have to be my blog, http://honeyjanserotica.blogspot.com/ although I have to admit I’m not a natural blogger.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Join RWA and get into a critique group. It’s how I got started. Also if you can enlist a beta reader or a mentor to work with you it will help.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Stop rewriting that first 3 chapters. It’s what I keep doing for over a year on my first book. When I fought the instinct to keep trying to perfect the opening and finished the first draft of the book it was a break through. First drafts by their very nature are supposed to be messy but they’re the bridge you build to get to that happy ending.

What are you reading now?
I’m re-reading Karen Robards Last Kiss Goodbye. I guess I’m a sucker for a story with an emotional punch and this one delivers. If you haven’t red the 2 book series you should.

What’s next for you as a writer?
I’m working on developing more suspense nd mystery elements into my new work. It’s an exciting time for me and at the same time it kind of feels like I’m starting over again. It’s scary, but in a good way.

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?
Beth Kerry’s Glimmer
Katie MacAllister’s, Holy Smokes
Karen Robard’s, Walking After Midnight
Bertrice Small’s, Skye O’Malley

Author Websites and Profiles
Honey Jans Website
Honey Jans Amazon Profile
Honey Jans Author Profile on Smashwords

Honey Jans’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile
Facebook Profile
Twitter Account

Honey Jans is a post from Awesome Gang

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I am an Associate Professor of English at Harding University where I teach classes in mythology, the nature and history of language, and the literature of C.S. Lewis. I have written three books: Sweet River Fool (a novel about St. Francis of Assisi), The Glory of Kings: A Philosophical Defense of Christianity, and Enoch Walked with God (a children’s book).

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
My latest book is a children’s book about the Biblical character, Enoch. It is called Enoch Walked with God. I don’t remember exactly how old I was when I first heard of Enoch, but I do remember being fascinated by him even at that earliest introduction. It is the brief but potent statement, “Enoch walked with God,” which captured my imagination and inspired me to write the book.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I like to play monk chants in the background while I write.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
C.S. Lewis, George MacDonald, J.R.R. Tolkien, and William Blake are among my favorites.

What are you working on now?
I am planning to write of novel of historical fiction about Merlin.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I have a blog for promoting my books.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
I write for the same reasons I garden. I like doing it, whether many other people appreciate the work or not. Write because you love to.

What are you reading now?
Alister McGrath’s recent bio of C.S. Lewis

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, Sir Gibbie by George MacDonald, The Collected Works of C.S. Lewis, and The Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien

Author Websites and Profiles
Larry Hunt Website
Larry Hunt Amazon Profile

Larry Hunt is a post from Awesome Gang

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
First you should know I’m not good at talking about myself. But basically, as of this posting (7/20/2015), I’m 30, a full-time author, and homeschooling mom of one. I am autistic (I was diagnosed with Aspergers at 27), and spend a lot of time on my work. I also enjoy things like rollerblading, cycling, gaming, and sleeping!

I have written & published 4 full serials, have 1 serial still in-progress, 2 novels, 1 novella, and a short story since August 2013 with many more in the works, including a Christmas novella arriving in November.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
The latest book I’ve finished is my “Mate” serial, and it was inspired by my desire to write something a little bit on the darker side of romance. I really enjoyed writing it, and Isaac & Simone’s story is now one of my favorites among those I’ve published.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I wouldn’t say I have an unusual writing habits. I do write better in the middle of the night, however, and that can be difficult to do as a parent whose kid isn’t a night owl as well.

What are you working on now?
I am working on my in-progress serial, A Woman’s Affair. I’ve published the first of three, with plans to publish #2 in August, and the final one in September. It’s the story of a married woman who has an affair with a man ten years her junior…and it’s not as simple as it sounds, of course!

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I have found it varies. I’ve used Awesomegang a few times, as well as submitting to other newsletters, like ReadCheaply and Fussy Librarian. I’ve found it works best with freebies for the most part.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Yes. My advice is…stop procrastinating and write already! The words will not go on the paper without effort on your part, and don’t make excuses. You have the time, you simply need to sit down and write. After all, we all only have 24 hours in a day; there aren’t any exceptions to that.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Read my advice to new authors.

What are you reading now?
I have quite a few books lined up, which I read when I need a break from writing. Right now it’s Capture by Penny Reid, Target This by Lily White, Thief by Tarryn Fisher, and many others. I mainly enjoy romance, although I am beginning to widen my horizons.

What’s next for you as a writer?
I have plans to finish my current serial, a Christmas novella, and a collection of short stories with another author this year. After that, I’ve got many things in mind, among them a novel featuring secondary characters from the first novel I ever published. Basically, I’m going to keep busy, as always!

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?

Author Websites and Profiles
Violet Haze Website
Violet Haze Amazon Profile
Violet Haze Author Profile on Smashwords

Violet Haze’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile
Facebook Profile
Twitter Account

Violet Haze is a post from Awesome Gang

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I love to garden, and I am a medium, read Tarot, and am a serious collector of crystals, minerals and gemstones. I keep two planted aquariums for tropical fish. I work part-time, doing bookkeeping for an accountant and I also work in his fine-antiques shop in New Albany, MS. Lately, I have been researching 16th, 17th, 18th & 19th Century art, and artists, to identify the paintings that come through the shop. Because of that art research, I have learned a lot about the art of the different time periods and the artists themselves. I confess that there is a series manifesting in the back of my brain about hot artist heroes set in the 19th Century!
Although I live in Mississippi, home will always be Arizona. I have two wonderful sons, a beautiful daughter-in-law, and two wonderful grandchildren. I have two cats and a Collie, all rescues. I am still suffering the loss of my 13 year-old beloved Border Collie mix, Salem, who passed away very recently. I had no idea when I made the beloved pet of one of my characters a Border Collie in my soon to be released Book 1 of the Decker Brothers Trilogy, Decker’s Fate, that it would end up being a sort of tribute to my Salem.

I have written and published in e-book, 4 full-length Historical Romance novels, that include paranormal elements, and make up the Lords of Avalon series, along with one companion novella. The Lords of Avalon series is available on Amazon Kindle.

I am currently working on and about to publish Book 1, Decker’s Fate, of my new Contemporary Paranormal series, The Decker Brothers Trilogy. I have written half of Book 1, A Bachelor No More, of the new Historical Romance series, the Quest for the Shroud series where the Avalon Society members adventures will continue. This series is set in London, Nottinghamshire, and Scotland.

So those two series are in the works, and I have two unrelated Historical romances partially written, and plans for another Historical Romance series, The Seance Club, as well as ideas for a Contemporary series set in small towns in Mississippi.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
I released the final book of the Lords of Avalon series, Lords of Atonement, last year. The Lords of Avalon series was a continuing quest, so Lords of Atonement was the end of the Quest, where they find the ancient treasure and defeat the bad guys, and some surprises and unexpected twists and turns. Lords of Atonement was the funnest book of the series to write.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
Not really. I write when I can find the time, which can be difficult with two part-time jobs some weeks. I have always been a name nerd, so I do spend quite a lot of time researching names of the time periods and locations used for my historicals. Having done my own family’s genealogy, I make frequent use of the genealogy sites, as well as Piggot’s and Kelly’s directories for the actual locations I am using.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
Too many to name!

What are you working on now?
I am currently working on and about to publish Book 1, Decker’s Fate, of my new Contemporary Paranormal series, The Decker Brothers Trilogy. I have written half of Book 1, A Bachelor No More, of the new Historical Romance series, the Quest for the Shroud series where the Avalon Society members adventures will continue. This series is set in London, Nottinghamshire, and Scotland.

So those two series are in the works, and I have two unrelated Historical romances partially written, and plans for another Historical Romance series, The Seance Club, as well as ideas for a Contemporary series set in small towns in Mississippi.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I confess time is another factor when it comes to promotion. Because I have other part-time jobs, and I need to write – I experiment and when I find a website that produces results, I tend to remain loyal to them. I do look for new means of promotion as well, using some of the ones I have used and try new ones occasionally.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Read, read, read. I am fortunate that because I have wanted to write since I was young, that I joined a large, national group for Romance Writers a long-time ago. So I learned a lot about the craft and the industry when I was married, working full-time and raising kids and didn’t have time to write. Find a writing group that offers worshops and classes. I continue to learn and try to improve my craft, but I think the best teacher was actually self-publishing and getting those reviews! You pick up on your writing weaknesses real quick that way!

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Write what is in your heart.

What are you reading now?
Currently I am reading a newly released Historical Romance by one of my many fave authors.

What’s next for you as a writer?
The new Historical Romance series, Quest for the Shroud, and the Contemporary Paranornal series, The Decker Brothers Trilogy, will be self-published. I do have several novels I am working on specifically with Traditional Publishing in mind. But I will always self-publish some of my work.

If you were going to be stranded on a desert island and allowed to take 3 or 4 books with you what books would you bring?
Dictionary, Thesaurus, Llewellyn’s Complete Book of Names, and some huge history book so I could still write.

Author Websites and Profiles
K. R. Richards Website
K. R. Richards Amazon Profile

K. R. Richards’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile
Facebook Profile
Twitter Account

K. R. Richards is a post from Awesome Gang

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
My favorite foods would include poppy seed bagels with cream cheese, heirloom tomatoes, and capers and air-popped popcorn with olive oil, tamari, and nutritional yeast. I’m coming to terms with how these foods affect my body, mind, and spirit.

I’m a writer and I work in a mental health clinic most days, one on one with kids. I have about 390 hours to go toward my Marriage Family Therapist license.

I’ve written three books so far, as well as one screenplay. Only one book has been authored by Ru Kunkel, though.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
My latest book is the second edition of “An Alien Robot’s Cookbook.” The book was inspired by my eldest son, Gabe because he kept rejecting different foods that I’d offer to him. Once in awhile, he would agree to eat something and when that happened, I added the dish to a special list on the refrigerator. The list grew and I decided to create a cookbook from it.

Gabe liked to draw space aliens and robots. I liked his sketches and so I asked if I could use them to illustrate the book. In this second edition, his younger brother Joe got in on the act. Joe’s drawings add so much to the new version. I also added recipes, a lot more cooking tips, and more facts about astronomy and robotics.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
Our house is very small, and last summer, I built a cedar shed in our backyard. I enjoy going out there to write. I usually write my blog posts from the shed.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
I have been influenced by so many writers, many of them children’s book authors like William Steig, Margaret Mahy, and Maurice Sendak. I’ve also been influenced by poets like Gary Snyder, Theodore Roethke, Nanao Sakaki, Adrienne Rich, Rita Dove, and Audre Lorde. There are too many authors to name. One big influence has been Stephen Mitchell’s translation of “The Tao Te Ching.”

What are you working on now?
I’m currently working on a few ideas. One of them has to do with food and cohousing. In our community, each household is ideally supposed to cook once a month.

I’m also working on a therapy-type book for children. This is the type of book I always wanted to have as a child. The idea is to help kids identify resources within themselves and in their world. I want to help children be happy and to feel safe.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I am still learning this and Awesomegang is part of my plan. This is the first book I’ve promoted.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Enjoy what you write and try not to stress out regarding formatting your book for ebook distribution.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Let your mud settle until the water is clear.

What are you reading now?
Right now, I am reading Beautiful Ruins.

What’s next for you as a writer?
I am going to keep writing and letting my inspiration lead me.

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?
Tao Te Ching
A Pattern Language
Man and His Symbols
Women Who Run with the Wolves

Author Websites and Profiles
Ru Kunkel Website
Ru Kunkel Amazon Profile

Ru Kunkel’s Social Media Links
Twitter Account
Pinterest Account

Ru Kunkel is a post from Awesome Gang

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I was born under startlingly ordinary circumstances in Philadelphia, PA, and carted off to the nearby suburbs to become addicted to 70s television.

We watched a man walk on the moon. We saw wounded and body-bagged soldiers in Vietnam. We watched Nixon cry, quit the presidency, and take off in a chopper.

One way or the other, my writing was inspired by those times plus my addiction to movies and stories, which also started in those days. I owe something to EC Comics, Dr. Shock’s Horror Theater and the Creature Double Feature and specifically all the science fiction, fantasy and horror of the 50s, 60s and 70s.

My professional writing career started with feature articles written for a small newspaper in Yorktown, VA, followed by more of same, plus advertising, for a variety of freelance clients, including a 10 year stint as a weekly Film Critic for PortFolio magazine, Hampton Roads Virginia’s former Alternative Weekly.

Mostly unpublished outside of college publications, I’ve written 30-some short stories, a screenplay, a couple novellas and three novels. The novels are decent, but they feel like practice novels now.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
My fourth novel, The Queen’s Highway was inspired by a desire to write a novel spanning thousands of years so I could explore future projections of human medical, sociological and climatic evolution. I also wanted to pay homage to all my early and contemporary influences in reading, and therefore writing. So I’ve dedicated this book to the works of Edgar Rice Burroughs, Robert E. Howard, Michael Moorcock, Harlan Ellison, Dan Simmons and others.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I never outline my novels. I tried it with my second book, and hated how it ruined the spontaneity and organic flow. I like being surprised by what happens. So while I may start with a basic idea of what I want to write about, I always start with characters first, put them into a difficult situation, and let how they react to everything reveal what they’re made of and therefore control the direction(s) the story flows.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
In addition to the ones mentioned earlier, Edgar Allen Poe, Herman Melville, Richard Matheson, Theodore Sturgeon, Robert Silverberg, Stephen King, Peter Straub, James Dickey, Cormac McCarthy, John Irving and Kurt Vonnegut. Treasure Island, Gulliver’s Travels, The Time Machine, Heart of Darkness, Lord of the Flies, Moby Dick, Slaughterhouse Five, Johnny Got His Gun, Catch 22, A Clockwork Orange, Deliverance and Jaws were strong early influences.

What are you working on now?
I’m still working out the details in my head, but I’d like to write a novel that’s both humorous, suspenseful and horrifying. I’ve seen a few movies that successfully struck that balance, like Reanimator, Fright Night (1985) and Shaun of the Dead. I’d like to pull off the literary equivalent.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
Not sure yet. I’ve just gotten started with self-promotion. Facebook has been helpful.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Practice, practice, practice, and you’ll find that your work gets better every year, especially if you try to stretch yourself. Make every book an attempt to do something you didn’t do in your previous work.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Make sure your written work is full of things you actually care about. You can’t fake passion. If you want to be interesting, do interesting things, or learn about interesting things, then work it into your prose with genuine passion.

What are you reading now?
Always fiction and non-fiction, simultaneously.

In fiction, I’m reading Haunted, by Chuck Palahniuk, which is fascinating, both in format and content.

In non-fiction, I’m reading The Diet Myth, by Tim Spector, which is enlightening.

What’s next for you as a writer?
Another novel.

If you were going to be stranded on a desert island and allowed to take 3 or 4 books with you what books would you bring?
I would take four books I haven’t read, like the upcoming finale of “The Passage” trilogy, the upcoming finale of the Stephen King “Bill Hodges trilogy”, and whatever Dan Simmons and Harlan Ellison are putting out next.

Gregory Epps is a post from Awesome Gang

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I live in New Jersey with my husband, two kids & one over-indulged cat. I’ve always love to read. When I was young, I might imagine a story had a different ending or plot twist. Eventually, I started creating my own stories, but always thought the idea of publishing a book was just a dream. Over the years, I read voraciously and found that I enjoyed the young adult genre. The idea for Not Every Girl developed and I finally decided the time had come to give the “dream” a shot.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
Not Every Girl is my debut novel. It is a young adult adventure/romance with a feisty heroine, a standoffish prince and a few crafty outlaws for good measure. The two main characters are thrown together on an unexpected quest to save their fathers with plenty of action along the way. Stories about knights, castles and adventure were always favorites of mine, so that was the jumping off point. First, I had the idea of this strong female protagonist and what her experience would be in a world full of men. I wanted her to be strong, but have enough self-doubt to resonate with readers as authentic. Of course, both character and plot evolved in different ways as I wrote, and not always in the manner I expected. But, the end result is more or less what I originally imagined.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I like to freehand write my manuscripts in notebooks before typing them into a computer. This makes me feel like a dinosaur sometimes, like I should be more tech savvy with my writing. For some reason, writing with a pen and paper makes my creative juices flow more freely. My first round of edits occurs when I finally type the work into a computer.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
I am a big fan of the classics. I remember reading Jane Eyre when I was younger and suffering from a broken-heart. It amazed me that someone, who had lived over 100 years ago, could so precisely capture every ounce of emotion I was feeling in the present day. Other than the classics, I am a big reader of YA. Of course, JK Rowling had a big influence on me (and everyone else in the world too!).

What are you working on now?
Right now I am working on the sequel to Not Every Girl. Now that she has proved herself in battle, Olivia has some new troubles to work through with Liam. It is exciting to be able to continue their story and I look forward to sharing it with everyone

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
Although I am on several social media sites, I have found Instagram particularly helpful with promotion. Since my book is in the Young Adult genre, this is the platform my base readers are most likely to be on. I have connected with a number of bloggers, who have given me an honest review in exchange for a copy of my book.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
First, read a lot, especially in your chosen genre so you will know what publishers are looking for in a work. Second, don’t forget that publishing is a business, so make sure you learn about it while you are writing. It will help you immensely when it comes time to submit your work. Finally, be persistent and believe in your work don’t give up on your dream.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
I read a quote that I believe was attributed to Nora Roberts. It basically said: “Write. You can edit a bad page, but you can’t edit a blank one.” This advice inspires me to write, even on days when the ideas are not coming easily.

What are you reading now?
Right now, I am reading Crown of Midnight by Sarah J. Maas. It is the second book in the Throne of Glass series. I write YA, but I also genuinely enjoy reading YA. And, I love all the fandoms that have sprung up from different series.

What’s next for you as a writer?
I spend a good deal of time promoting Not Every Girl. I hope to get it into print form someday. And, as I mentioned before, I am working on the sequel to Not Every Girl.

If you were going to be stranded on a desert island and allowed to take 3 or 4 books with you what books would you bring?
This is such an unfair question – it is like asking me to pick between my children. I suppose it would be Lord of the Rings, Pride & Prejudice and 100 Years of Solitude.

Author Websites and Profiles
Jane McGarry Website
Jane McGarry Amazon Profile

Jane McGarry’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile
Facebook Profile
Twitter Account
Pinterest Account

Jane McGarry is a post from Awesome Gang

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I was born in New York City, but my family moved to Maine when I was six, and I graduated from Hampshire College in Massachusetts and not New Hampshire in 2009, just as the world economy was in free fall. Bitten by the travel bug after a two-week family jaunt in Italy a few years earlier, I decided to explore the planet, and after two months of job-hunting I found myself gawping at a public school classroom in Busan, South Korea, surrounded by thirty shrieking kids who were dancing on their desks and sticking their fingers up each others’ anuses.

I was a spoiled and naive scion of middle America, and meeting reality head-on in South Korea almost did me in. After a few months of culture shock a sudden bout of gastroenteritis sent me to the hospital for a weekend of hell, after which I called my mom in tears and told her I couldn’t bear the idea of riding the subway back to my lonely three-meter square apartment–complete with an amazing view of other cement apartment buildings–and that I was coming home. She said I should take a taxi instead, and so I did.

Things improved. I took a vacation in Indochina, met my wife in Busan, and wound up getting hitched six and not nine months before the birth of our first son, Harry Ulysses, who was followed several years later by his brother, Theo David, whom we affectionately refer to as Monster Number Two. By some miracle I got a job as a professor at one of the top Korean universities, even though I don’t have an advanced degree, which must mean I’m one of the youngest and least-qualified professors on Earth. After a lifetime of writing I started publishing ebooks on amazon.com. I love the art of storytelling, of exploring and exposing strange new worlds. I also take pictures, play guitar, and run, but since my kids are still pretty small I spend most of my time making sure they don’t grow up into dweebs.

I’ve published four books on amazon.com.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
“Saving Hitler”—don’t roll your eyes, don’t run away! Think Valkyrie plus Starship Troopers minus giant insects plus The Time Machine and that’s my book. Imagine an alternate reality where the Nazis and Japanese won the Second World War, only to have a Cold War among themselves, which the Nazis eventually win in the year 2015. One Japanese scientist, however, has invented a time machine, and resolves to go back in time and save the one man who can change history—Adolph Hitler.

I feel compelled to reveal that I’m a Jew and not a self-hating one in the slightest and that in reality I have no desire whatever to save Adolph Hitler.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I write standing up, and usually early in the morning, between four and seven, which is around when my kids wake up and start terrorizing me. I also work as an English teacher at a university in Korea, which gives me a lot of time to write (though ninety percent of this time is spent editing).

What authors, or books have influenced you?
Flaubert, Joyce, Nabokov, and Borges, though I try to write more accessibly than those guys—and I have to watch out, if I start reading Joyce I start trying to write like him, and then everything becomes incomprehensible. I also really like Orwell, Ovid, Homer, Gogol, and a ton of others. Since I know how incredibly hard it is to make something that’s even mediocre I try to give artists of all stripes the benefit of the doubt—if they’re actually seriously really trying to make something beautiful, chances are pretty good I’ll appreciate what they’ve done. Even those crazy singers on the first episode or two of American Idol.

What are you working on now?
A book about colonizing another planet in the present day.

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

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Don’t stop until you succeed.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
When in doubt, always use the smell test.

What are you reading now?
I started re-reading Sartor Resartus, had a look at Olaf Stapledon’s Star Maker (wasn’t into it, though), and am going to start reading The Making Of Star Wars.

What’s next for you as a writer?
Step 1: Write and publish more books.

Step 2: ???

Step 3: Fame and fortune!

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?
Ulysses, Tristram Shandy because I’ve tried to read it like four times and I could never get past the first few pages and on a desert island I should have time to get through the whole thing (I don’t want to die without having done so), Ovid’s Metamorphoses, Anna Karenina.

Author Websites and Profiles
Ian James Website
Ian James Amazon Profile

Ian James is a post from Awesome Gang

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
2 so far

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
Sugar Detox for beginners. Wanting to help people like me out of sugar addiction and highly processed foods.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
Yes, getting up in the middle of the night to write.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
Jamie Oliver for cook books and Harper Lee for all round novelist

What are you working on now?
Food ideas

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
Amazon at the moment

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Don’t give up!

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Never give up, and failer is just another opportunity to begin again.

What are you reading now?
Go Set The Watchman

What’s next for you as a writer?
Promtions

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?
Go Set The Watchman. Harper Lee
How to write a best-selling novel. Tom Carson-Knowles
The Paleo Diet and It’s Amazing Recipes for Healthy Living

Author Websites and Profiles
Ara James Amazon Profile

Ara James is a post from Awesome Gang

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
In between writing books I fill my not-so-busy schedule with the practising of martial arts, mountain biking, paddle surfing, weight lifting, and of course HBO, PS4 and increasing the size of my beloved personal library. I have written a total of four books. The first two were lacking, to say the least; the third was seemingly endless and without any actual plot—I realized that after almost a year of writing and five hundred pages in. The fourth book I wrote is Fire and Sword, and it will be available on September 1st.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
The plot and characters of Fire and Sword came to me while I was bed ridden with the West Nile virus through the month of September and early October of 2014. I was in a dark place and I was reading some dark psychedelic stuff from a wide range of genres. I read Neuromancer for the first time, and I was also reading “meditations,” by Marcus Aurelius, a non-fiction that describes the core ideas of the stoic school of philosophy. Of course I was also reading my literary bread and butter which is anything by Bernard Cornwell, the great historical fiction author responsible for the “Sharpe” series. Somehow the combination of what I was reading and the semi-delusional state I was in from my ailment led to the creation of Fire and Sword.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
Before I put any words on the page, a few weeks of being mostly alone with majority of my waking hours spent visualizing the world I am about to create is required if I hope to get anything good. I can’t just sit down and write, I need to in someway believe the story is part of my life, that I am the characters, all of them. When I am able to get emotional on their behalf, when I care about their future, I can write.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
I started reading late, I was eight and I had a hard time with anything and everything. That continued right up until the age of sixteen, I had never read a book cover to cover because it took me too long and I would rather have been doing other things i.e. getting into trouble. This was until I—for a reason I can’t remember— selected the book The Magus by John Fowles for my grade twelve book report. This is not a light read, not even close, but after the first chapter, for the first time in my life I was driven to read every damn word of a book. When I was done, I was changed. The book simultaneously made me feel insignificant and fragile, whilst filling my head with the ambition of one day possessing great knowledge, enough knowledge to create worlds that breathe and bleed. I could go on to name over a hundred influential books since my first true read, but that is the one that matters. It signifies an end and a beginning. It planted the seeds of my dreams.

What are you working on now?
I am currently working on the second instalment of the Sword and Sorcery saga, which I hope to release some time in early winter. I am also working on an unnamed fantasy project, and an unnamed post-apocalyptic.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
My site www.dylandoose.com will have the most information for purchasing, and it will be updated with free chapters of my books. You can also find me on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Read, watch, and listen like a student. When you read a novel, take every sentence further, always ask why. Always try to understand the reason the author wrote what they did and how the words are working on you. When you watch film and television do the same, dissect the plot and the characters, get to know them with every piece of evidence the production is providing you as the viewer. And let music inspire you, let it darken and brighten you. If you dedicate your soul, your happiness, your bitterness and your ambition to the arts, like pagan gods they will reward you with insight.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
“Once you’ve got a task to do, it’s better to do it than live with the fear of it.” -Joe Abercrombie.
This is a quote from the legendary barbarian Logen Ninefingers; this character has given me a great deal of life advice.

What are you reading now?
I am currently devouring the Dark Tower series by Stephen King.

What’s next for you as a writer?
The long road to becoming a wizard.

Author Websites and Profiles
Dylan Doose Website

Dylan Doose’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile
Facebook Profile
Twitter Account

Dylan Doose is a post from Awesome Gang

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I’m an enviornmentalist, this is my first book

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
Climate Change a look at the facts, the fact that the world population issues need to be addressed and the reason for climate change and global warming

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
Writing down things structured, or does everyone do that.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
Climate Change: The Facts Kindle Edition
by Dr John Abbot (Author), Dr Robert M. Carter ~ Rupert Darwall ~ James Delingpole (Author)

What are you working on now?
The prediction of the min ice age

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

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Keep on writing

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Keep on writing

What are you reading now?
Climate Change: The Facts Kindle Edition
by Dr John Abbot (Author), Dr Robert M. Carter ~ Rupert Darwall ~ James Delingpole (Author)

What’s next for you as a writer?
Researching into the mini ice age

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?
Climate Change: The Facts Kindle Edition
by Dr John Abbot (Author), Dr Robert M. Carter ~ Rupert Darwall ~ James Delingpole (Author)
The Paleo Diet and its amazing recipes for healthy living- by Ara James
http://www.amazon.com/Preppers-Bushcraft-Survival-Box-Set-ebook/dp/B011GC7MK6
How to Survive in the wilderness by Micheal Hansen

Sherry Thomas is a post from Awesome Gang

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I’m a teacher and french translator, my first book

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
Learn to speak French for Beginners.
I know how popular France is for the traveller

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I talk my ideas in french

What authors, or books have influenced you?
Madame Bovary by Gustave Flaubert (1857)
In search of Lost Time by Marcel Proust

What are you working on now?
The french history and revolution

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

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Write with passion

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Don’t write things you didn’t like

What are you reading now?
http://www.amazon.com/Learn-French-Stories-Beginner-Intermediate/dp/1505396646

What’s next for you as a writer?
Either a historian french book or an intermediate french language 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?
Madame Bovary by Gustave Flaubert (1857)
In search of Lost Time by Marcel Proust
A learn to speak English book

Pascala Clouthier is a post from Awesome Gang

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I’m a British author who lives in Bristol. I write psychological suspense novels.

The draft of my first novel, entitled His Kidnapper’s Shoes, was written whilst travelling in Bolivia. I was inspired by an impending milestone birthday along with a healthy dose of annoyance at having procrastinated for so long in writing a novel. His Kidnapper’s Shoes was published in both paperback and e-book format in 2013, followed by my second novel, entitled Sister, Psychopath. My third novel, Guilty Innocence, like my first two, features my home city of Bristol. I’ve recently published my fourth novel, The Second Captive. I’ve also written Write Your Novel! From Getting Started to First Draft, to inspire would-be novelists to write their first book.

Before turning my hand to writing, I worked mainly as an accountant, with a diversion into practising as a nutritional therapist. Diet and health remain high on my list of interests, along with travel. Accountancy does not, but then it never did. The urge to pack a bag and go off travelling is always lurking in the background! When not writing, going to the gym, practising yoga or travelling, I can be found seeking new four-legged friends to pet; animals are a lifelong love!

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
My latest book is called Write Your Novel! From Getting Started to First Draft, and is aimed at would-be novelists who lack the confidence, time or knowledge to tackle their first novel. Not so long ago, I hadn’t written any of mine, thanks to my procrastination issues. Now I’ve published four novels, I’d love to help others do so. Being a novelist is wonderful and if I can inspire anyone to give it a go, that would be great!

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
No, I don’t think so. My writing habits have evolved and continue to do so, but I don’t think I do anything unusual along the way. Perhaps a fly on the wall might say differently!

What authors, or books have influenced you?
Stephen King, as he has been for so many writers, is a huge source of inspiration for me. The man is a master of his craft and I’m especially in awe of his longer fiction such as ‘11.22.63’ or ‘Under The Dome’. How he maintains such quality throughout 800 – 1,000 pages amazes me.

Apart from that, everything I read influences me in some way. If a novel’s good, it’s an inspiration. If it’s bad, I learn what to avoid. School is always in session for we writers!

What are you working on now?
I’m working on another psychological suspense book called ‘Blackwater Lake’. Unlike my other fiction titles, this one will be a novella of around 35,000 words. I’ll be making ‘Blackwater Lake’ free across all sales platforms and from my website. You’ll be able to download it without charge, whether via Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Apple or any of the other outlets I use. Here’s a synopsis of the plot:

Matthew Stanyer fears the worst when he reports his parents missing. Beset with worries about his wife, Evie, whose dementia is rapidly worsening, Joseph Stanyer has been struggling to cope. When the bodies of Matthew’s parents are found close to Blackwater Lake, a local beauty spot, the inquest rules the deaths as a murder-suicide. A conclusion that’s supported by the note Joseph leaves for his son.

Grief-stricken, Matthew begins to clear his parents’ house of two decades of compulsive hoarding. And discovers the dark enigmas hidden within. Ones that lead Matthew to ask: why did his father choose Blackwater Lake to end his life? What other secrets do its waters conceal?

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I don’t think there’s any one thing that’s the best way. It’s a matter of patience and persistence, trying new things and being prepared to change your game plan if need be. I’m focusing on growing my email list at present.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Get organised before you begin. When I started, I ploughed straight into writing ‘His Kidnapper’s Shoes’ without giving consideration to anything else. After all, I wanted to be a novelist so I should write a novel, correct? Wrong. I should have prepared the ground first before sowing the seed. Isn’t hindsight wonderful?!

I’d say to new authors: set up a website first and get your online presence established. You can build interest in the book as you write by posting sample chapters, draft covers, etc. Learn about book marketing as the novel takes shape so you’re not caught unawares once it’s finished.

Don’t kid yourself that correct spelling, punctuation and grammar don’t matter. They do. Read books about writing and put the advice into practice. That’s good advice for all authors, not just the newbies. Never stop learning. Finally, read voraciously in the genre in which you’ll be writing. You’ll learn so much that way.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
I read once that when you’re revising your work, don’t ignore the little voice inside telling you something isn’t quite right. You can kid yourself that the sentence/paragraph/whatever is OK as it is, especially if you can’t think how to fix the issue, but that’s a mistake. Don’t ignore your gut instincts. If you notice something doesn’t work, so will your readers. And they’re not people you want to upset!

What are you reading now?
I’m re-reading ‘The Compound Effect’ by Darren Hardy, an excellent non-fiction book. It’s full of wisdom about how to live a more fulfilled life. Once I’ve finished, I’ll get back to fiction with a Stephen King novel I’ve not yet read – ‘Revival’. Can’t wait!

What’s next for you as a writer?
I’m considering how best to expand my writing career. I’d like to get my novels translated into Spanish and German at some stage and also turned into audio books. I’m also considering offering a coaching service for newbie novelists. As I’ve already said, if I can help anyone along the writing path, I’d be very happy.

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 long-term favourite is George Orwell’s ‘Nineteen Eighty-Four’. Bleak it may be, but it’s such a powerful novel and I’ve already read it several times, getting something new from it each time. Next would be a personal development book – probably Jeff Olson’s ‘The Slight Edge’ or Darren Hardy’s ‘The Compound Effect’. Both are packed with great advice about living life to the full, something that would come in handy on a desert island! Lastly, I’d cheat and take an omnibus volume from a classic author such as Jane Austen or Thomas Hardy.

Author Websites and Profiles
Maggie James Website
Maggie James Amazon Profile
Maggie James Author Profile on Smashwords

Maggie James’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile
Facebook Profile
Twitter Account
Pinterest Account

Maggie James is a post from Awesome Gang

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
Upon graduating college I became an educator which eventually turn into educational administration. As my wife and I were growing our family and working during the day, I would spend nights creating businesses. It was throughout this process that I realized I loved to write.

I also realized that the combination of my educational and entrepreneurial background make me uniquely qualified to write in a way that offers a great amount of information in a clear and simple manner.

I don’t believe in setting limits on myself or anybody else for that matter. I genuinely believe that before you can accomplish any goal you have to genuinely believe in your own ability to take consistent action every day.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
The Persistence Formula. I was inspired to write it when I found myself more productive then ever, yet completely fulfilled and having plenty of time to be with my family. It honestly didn’t make sense to me at first that I was able to accomplish so much and still have plenty of time to be a dad and husband.

It caused me to reflect quite a bit on how I reached my then and current state. I started to review my daily journal and I realized that much of what attributed to my success was already articulated in writing. I simply needed to clean it up.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
When it comes to my actual writing I tend to over explain concepts which can lead to redundancy, however, I’m confident that I’ll soon have that habit eliminated.

When speaking about how I keep myself productively writing I simply require a minimum of 1000 words per day. On the days that I don’t feel like writing I just force myself past that. On days where I want to write but my brain isn’t stepping up I put on my headphones and listen to Ratatat Radio on Pandora. Unfortunately for my wife I’m often sitting down with my eyes closed while I’m creepily dancing side to side.

It isn’t pretty in anyway but it usually gets me writing within a few minutes or so.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
The books that have influenced me the most range from The Four-Hour Work Week by Timothy Ferriss, The Snowball by Alice Schroeder, to more personal development based books like How To Win Friends and Influence People by Dale Carnegie, Rich Dad Poor Dad by Robert Kiyosaki, and The Power of Ambition by Jim Rohn. Napolean Hill, Zig Ziglar, and Anthony Robbins have also had a direct impact on my approach to just about everything I do.

What are you working on now?
I am currently writing a book that helps people declutter their living space. There is plenty of competition on the subject but I believe what sets me apart is the balance of both specific strategies to implement and habit alteration that I offer throughout.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I actively participate in many Facebook groups as well as miscellaneous sites that allow me to post my book like the fantastic Awesomegang.com.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Pick an amount of words that you know you can easily write then write at least that many words every day.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Whether you believe you can or you can’t, you’re right.

What are you reading now?
The Everything Store by Brad Stone. It is about the creator of Amazon.com, Jeff Bezos. He sounds like an extremely fascinating person but one that if I met in real life I would probably want to slap him.

What’s next for you as a writer?
I believe my next book, after I publish the book I’m currently working on, will aim to help the parent/aspiring entrepreneur.

While I’m writing I’m also going to allocate some time to developing a platform to start building an audience.

If you were going to be stranded on a desert island and allowed to take 3 or 4 books with you what books would you bring?
I’m not sure if it exists but I’d be sure to bring a book or two on how to survive on a desert island. Other than that I’d bring The Power of Ambition and a photo album containing pictures of my family.

Michael Marani’s Social Media Links
Facebook Profile

Michael Marani is a post from Awesome Gang

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I’ve written four and a half books in my Southern Seas Series and two and half books in my new contemporary women’s series. Both series have their beginnings in my own history. I followed my husband when he accepted a contract in Polynesia, then we settled in New Zealand.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
“Double Blessing”: is Tracey’s story. She is doing postgraduate study and desperately in love with her boyfriend, another student. They’ve managed to find a tiny apartment they can just about afford providing they pass all their exams and assignment deadlines.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
Nope! I just sit down and write.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
Lavyrle Spencer was the first Romance writer I read, apart from the classics by Jane Austen and Mrs Gaskell. In fact if I hadn’t read Spencer I would still be under the misapprehension that all romance writers could produce was pathetic. Lavyrle Spencer proved me wrong. I’ve got all her books and “Gamble” is still in my top five books.

What are you working on now?
“Mistake” is about Joshua, a seacaptain’s son, and Susannah the daughter of a missionary. They’ve known one another since they were young children and believe they are destined to marry when they grow up and live happily ever after. All is perfect until Susannah makes a mistake Joshua cannot forgive.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
Awesomegang has been pretty good for the past few years! I had my best result ever when I promoted “Drums” with you a few weeks ago. Now I’m trying one from my contemporary series.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Respect your readers as much as you want them to respect you.

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

What are you reading now?
Mary Balogh’s “A Summer to Remember” for the second time!

What’s next for you as a writer?
More of the same. I’ve almost finished “Mistake” and hopefully “Double Blessing” will be uploaded soon.

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?
Lavyrle Spencer’s “The Gamble”, Carla Kelly’s “Here’s to the Ladies”, John Fowles “The Maggot”, and “The Foucault Effect”

Author Websites and Profiles
Gwendoline Ewins Website

Gwendoline Ewins is a post from Awesome Gang

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I’m an avid reader, traveller, film-fan, optimist and introvert, with an unhealthy chocolate addiction. Until recently I was a garden designer but I gave it up in order to spend more time writing. I have one book – Kindred Hearts – published by the wonderful Accent Press and I am currently working on a series of three more.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
I wrote Kindred Hearts because I had the twins, Sebastian and Celeste, living in my head and it was a choice between going mad or putting pen to paper. I honestly felt compelled to write their story.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I get some of my best ideas just as I am nodding off to sleep and end up scrawling down notes in the dark, so that I won’t forget them. In the morning I have the interesting task of deciphering my handwriting and seeing if any of the ideas are workable. It’s a bit like automatic writing but without the ghosts!

What authors, or books have influenced you?
Jon McGregor’s If Nobody Speaks Of Remarkable Things, Sarah Waters’ Fingersmith, Iain Banks’ The Wasp Factory, Audrey Niffenegger’s The Time Traveler’s Wife, David Mitchell’s Ghostwritten, F. Scott Fitzgerald’s Tender Is the Night and Ian McEwan’s Atonement, to name just a few.

What are you working on now?
I am currently working on a series of three different romance novels connected through locations and characters.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
It can be hard to tell which is most effective, but I use Facebook the most – the community of fellow readers and writers is generally friendly and supportive.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Always have a pen and a notebook beside the bed!

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Don’t let fear hold you back.

What are you reading now?
The Legacy of Elizabeth Pringle by Kirsty Wark

What’s next for you as a writer?
I would like to get more novels published and build up a fan base so that I can keep writing.

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?
Twenty Love Poems and a Song of Despair by Pablo Neruda
Not the End of the World by Kate Atkinson
Cloud Atlas by David Mitchell

Author Websites and Profiles
Grace Lowrie Website
Grace Lowrie Amazon Profile

Grace Lowrie’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile
Facebook Profile
Twitter Account
Pinterest Account

Grace Lowrie is a post from Awesome Gang

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
Like the president, I wear a lot of hats. I’ve been an author, publisher, computer scientist, and teacher (believe it or not, there were a couple of years where I was doing all that at once!) My first novel, Robin: Lady of Legend (The Classic Adventures of the Girl Who Became Robin Hood), was a #1 Amazon Bestseller and 2nd prize winner in Amazon’s Breakthrough Novel Award. I recently released a trilogy of short novels that merge the fairy tales Beauty and the Beast & Sleeping Beauty into a single story, and I am also the author of the Astounding Animals series for children.

I am a California Arts Scholar for excellence in Creative Writing, and possesses degrees in Computer Science and Education. I was a columnist for the Gold Country Times for two years, and the Sales Executive, Website Specialist, and Editorial Assistant for Manzanita Writers Press. In 2011, I started my own publishing company, Platypus Press, which is devoted to helping independent authors achieve success by providing quality formatting, editing, publishing, and website design services.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
My latest book is Cursed: A Merged Fairy Tale of Beauty and the Beast & Sleeping Beauty (The Enchanted Rose Trilogy: Book 1). It is the first in a trilogy of short novels that weaves the tales of Beauty and the Beast & Sleeping Beauty into a single story.

I got the idea for this book from the rose that is featured in both tales, but its strength came from a desire to keep the romance of the original stories without simply gliding over the darker elements: abandonment, captivity, and true evil. I also wanted to provide an explanation for the parts of the original stories that never made sense: Why couldn’t the fairies undo the enchantment? Why send the girl away until the day the curse was fulfilled? How come the wicked fairy didn’t just kill the child to begin with? My trilogy does all that and more!

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I do my best thinking in a car at night, if someone else is driving. I’ll stare out the window at the inky darkness and story lines and plot solutions will come to me like stars raining down from the sky. It’s pretty amazing.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
One book that I really loved as a child (and still love!) was Tamora Pierce’s Alanna: The First Adventure. It is about a girl who wants to be a knight in a world that doesn’t allow women to be one. To achieve her dream, she cuts off her hair and travels to the castle disguised as a boy. The book depicts her triumphs and struggles as she seeks to keep up with the naturally stronger lads, fight off bullies, and protect the kingdom from an evil mage. Like my own characters, Alanna is clever, adventurous, strong-willed, and resourceful. She doesn’t allow her gender to limit her ambitions or achievements, and neither do mine.

What are you working on now?
I have received so many requests for a sequel to Robin: Lady of Legend, that I have finally begun to write one. It will feature more adventures inspired by the classic tales of Robin Hood, as well as others of my own imagining.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I usually rely on Kindle Select’s promotional abilities, though I’m starting to investigate other options.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Writing a book is easy…writing a good book is hard. Don’t be afraid to edit your own work, and to have others edit it for you! Having to change something (or a lot of things) doesn’t mean your writing isn’t good…it just means it can be made better. For instance, I spend about 10% of my time writing and 90% editing what I’ve written. It’s annoying and painful, but the results can’t be argued with.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
You have to treat writing like a business. It’s not enough to just write, because anyone can do that. You have to be willing to be involved with all aspects of publishing: writing, editing, formatting, submission, advertising, etc. If not, you’re doing a great disservice to yourself to and your readers as well. (A DaVinci can’t be admired if no one knows about it.)

What are you reading now?
At the moment, I’m reading several books concurrently, including All the Dancing Birds (about a woman with Alzheimer’s).

What’s next for you as a writer?
I hope to continue writing books that my readers will love just as much as they have loved Robin: Lady of Legend, and that they will want to read to their children and grandchildren in the days and years to come.

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 Beekeeper’s Apprentice by Laurie R. King
Dragonflight by Anne McCaffrey
Vulcan’s Heart by Josepha Sherman and Susan Shwartz

Author Websites and Profiles
R.M. ArceJaeger Website
R.M. ArceJaeger Amazon Profile

R.M. ArceJaeger’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile
Facebook Profile
Twitter Account

R.M. ArceJaeger is a post from Awesome Gang

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
Tom Gondolfi, father of three, gamer and loving husband, claims to be a Renaissance man and certified flirt. Educated as an electrical engineer and working in high tech for over twenty years Tom has also worked as a cook, most phases of construction, and even as the personal caregiver to a quadriplegic. Tom enjoys games and most weekends can be found playing some role playing variation, board game and/or Texas hold-em.

I have four books in print as I write this, but I’m putting out at least one new novel each year.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
I just got to press The Bleeding Edge – CorpGov Chronicles Book 3. The CorpGov Chronicles is a cyberpunk series where I wanted to tell the tale of how a small group could bring down a large group and how the dominos of that affect the power structure of humanity.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
Is there such a thing as a usual writing habit? Every writer does it his/her own way. In fact I’ve never heard of two authors doing it the same way.

I’m somewhat different in that write a very good quality first draft. Most people will do 3 drafts before getting what they need. My first draft is often quite good. My second draft is enough to be “done” Then it is out to my pre-readers, a polish, and then the editor’s desk.

Another odd thing is that my characters tell me when I’m messing up. No, I don’t mean that in a “I hear voices” way. I mean once I have the characters alive and living their lives in the novel I’m writing, if I try to write one of them doing something she / he wouldn’t, it sounds a fake as a goat spouting Greek.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
Heinlein, Turtledove, Anthony, McCaffrey, Bruce Graw, and every other author I’ve read. I believe Heinlein has had the biggest impact on my style and voice.

What are you working on now?
The sequel to Toy Wars, with the working title Toy Reservations. I love taking situations which are nominally wrapped up and seeing where they would go next. Just because one conflict is over, doesn’t mean another one can’t fill its place.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
Face to face is by far my best marketing tool. As my wife says, I’m something of a flirt. No, not sexually, I want a date sort of way. I just like to make a connection with people and understand more of who they are.

To market books to people, you have to sell a bit of yourself. People want to know you before they delve into what you’ve created.

I’m a dynamic speaker and do seminars and panels whenever possible. I’m even working on a college level class “Intro to Indie Publishing” that I’m hoping to teach at my local community college in the near future.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Write. Get independent critiques. Publish. Do it all again.

I know that sounds terse but I get this question from people all the time. No one listens.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Don’t be afraid to market your work. Telling people about what you’ve written isn’t scary. You must be enthusiastic about it or no one else will be.

What are you reading now?
As I do a regular review on scifimonkeys.com, I read quite a bit of independent fiction and usually have more than one book going at any one time: Huw the Bard, The Never Hero and more.

What’s next for you as a writer?
Having already reached a point where I’m profitable, there are three nexts for me. 1) signing additional GOOD, PROLIFIC writers to my press. I actually signed one last weekend and will be signing another within 2 more weeks. 2) to make my profitable writing / business pay the bills, 3) quite my day job and write 3-5 books a year instead of one. I have four additional series (beyond the two that I already have) that are just BEGGING for me to write them. Instead I have to keep my current fans happy (and myself, too) by keeping my current series alive and fresh.

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?
Dune, Moon is a Harsh Mistress, Dragonriders of Pern, Dragon’s Egg

Author Websites and Profiles
Thomas Gondolfi Website
Thomas Gondolfi Amazon Profile

Thomas Gondolfi’s Social Media Links
Facebook Profile

Thomas Gondolfi is a post from Awesome Gang