Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
What to say??? I find it easier to write a 600 or 700 page novel than complete a bio! So, about me. I’m British born, but have lived the expat life for many years, quiet a few of those in the south of Spain, but mostly I have been living in Africa: South Africa, Kenya and Uganda. So the dark continent tends to touch my writing a little.
Currently I have six books published, Traffik: The Stolen Girls (an Amazon UK bestseller) the story of four girls stolen from their homes and trafficked into Spain where they are forced onto the streets. A story of friendships through adversity, degradation and woe, faith and redemption.
Peninah’s Passion, is my first published book, and is an interracial action romance with a spicy twist.
The Fountain of Saba is my third novel, and although an African adventure type novel also explores the history of Ethiopia, the Solomonic line of emperors, myth and legend, a touch of romance, jeopardy and religion. This is the first book in a trilogy.
Tokoloshe, followed shortly, the second part. Set again in Africa (Zimbabwe mostly) it continues the exploration angle from book one but adds a super natural twist as the protagonists are stalked by the Tokoloshe, a mythical being from Zulu superstition (and a creature that many in southern Africa swear exists).
My fifth novel, The Red Trade, returns once more to Africa, but is more a tale based on fact. Again I travel down the path of human trafficking but highlight the growing trade in human organ trafficking, and the despicable trade in albino children for Muti Killings. If you want an insight into the real conditions and practices of rural Africa, then this is a book that will both shock and enlighten.
Gondell’s Quest is my departure from the path that I know best. A fantasy saga, and by far my longest book to date topping more than 200,000 words (well over 800 pages). The story of an unlikely and unwilling hero who is thrown by a long forgotten family heritage into the war to end all wars. Young Gondell is the Keeper, a title that he doesn’t want, but cannot escape. Destiny awaits him.
In the pipeline… so many works in progress, two books of historical fiction, Crusader, the story of the second crusade to the holy land, and Empire, following the rise of the Persian Empire from Cyrus to Xerxes.
Another fantasy offering, Non Plus Ultra.
The Third part of the trilogy to follow The Fountain of Saba and Tokoloshe… Cryptid (half written)
And finally, a book that is due to be published by the end of 2015: Harvester 7, the introduction to a science fiction trilogy.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
Gondell’s Quest, and my inspiration I have to admit is The Lord of the Rings. I remember reading somewhere that Tolkien had commented that he felt the urge to write a ‘really long book’, I have also felt that urge.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
Not that I can think of, except that I usually write through the night rather than during the day.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
Jeff Long – The Descent. I’ve seen some really dreadful reviews, but I think it is wonderful.
Wilbur Smith. An African writer, and one of my all time favs.
And of course, The Hobbit and Lord of the Rings.

What are you working on now?
Undecided at the moment… I will probably finish Non Plus Ultra next.

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

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Believe in yourself, and never give up.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
As above, self belief and stubborness.

What are you reading now?
Dune

What’s next for you as a writer?
To finish all of my work in progress books, before I get sidetracked by new ideas.

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?
LOTR, The Descent and the Bible

Author Websites and Profiles
Andy Lang Website
Andy Lang Amazon Profile

Andy Lang’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile
Facebook Profile

Andy Lang is a post from Awesome Gang

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I’ve always been a voracious reader. In high school one of my English teachers encouraged us to enter a writing contest. Being an avid writer, I went home and started cranking out as many short stories as possible that met the word count requirement. After college, I collected twelve of these and more recent ones into a collection. My best friend from high school did the same. That was in 2009, and I have not published a traditional book since then. However, I’ve written 10 short stories since then, and I’ve been self-publishing them individually as ebooks. So the answer to that question is literally, “one and a second on the way,” but if you google me you’ll find over twenty individual titles attributed to me, many of them available on the web for free.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
My most recent short story is called “The Flying Kite.” Although I have been loose with the facts and changed names and dates to avoid copyright violation, this story was inspired by actual events. Adjacent to where I work is a basement littered floor to ceiling with “antiques” (aka junk). Among the wreckage is a shelf of National Geographic magazines dating back to 1924. They’re fun to peek through. In one 1970s issue, I read the story of a man who set out to walk from the northernmost foothills of the Andes in South America to the southern tip of Tierra del Fuego. His wife joined him on part of the trip, but died in an accident. The interviewer asked if he intended to continue, and he said yes. Internet searches, trips to the library, and perusals of future issues turned up nothing for me in the way of a followup or resolution to this story. Naturally, as a fiction writer, I took it upon myself to invent the rest of his story.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I don’t think so, no. I’m fairly geeky so I use some obscure tools like GitHub, Markdown, and Calibre for my writing, but these digital days, I don’t think that’s all that unusual.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
That’s easy. Atlas Shrugged. Fahrenheit 451, Music of the Spheres, Ender’s Game, Slaughterhouse Five, Lord of the Flies, The Crucible, The Five People You Meet in Heaven, The Jungle, The Miracle Worker, Free Culture. I’m sure there are more but I have not read them yet! I usually like “modern classics,” that is, 19th and 20th century writers like John Steinbeck and Walt Whitman who managed to lodge themselves in history books and win Pulitzers and Nobels. More recently, I’ve discovered Steven Pinker and a slew of short story authors like Nancy Huddleston Packer, Julie Orringer, and Jhumpa Lahiri.

What are you working on now?
I have one short I’m actively working on. “Poinsettias” came as an anecdote about a real person. Two more, “Courthouse Wedding” and “Shelter” are ideas related to my wedding. One is based loosely on my actual wedding, the other inspired by a dream. Those will put me at 13 new short stories. Once I get to 12, I plan on publishing them as a collection, probably in the fall of 2016. I’m also kicking around some ideas about the Civil War, so I’ve started reading up on my history and trying to become a subject matter expert so I can write some historical fiction about that.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
To be honest, I haven’t quite figured that out yet. The internet is changing far faster than it’s possible to learn. The coolest website I’ve gotten on since Amazon and Facebook is definitely Goodreads.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Find a good day job. Harsh advice, but that’s what I’ve got for you. If you aspire to be a writer, you’re probably imagining yourself in a villa in the south of France pounding away at a typewriter, with an agent begging you for a manuscript so you can tour the world giving speeches and book signings. For me, writing is a business, a very low-paying side job. I don’t do it for the fame or the money, but to create a legacy. No one will remember the products of my day job, but that’s where I get the capital to run my side business without a handout from anyone. The products of my side job (my stories) are how I hope to be remembered. Sure, I dream of that villa too, but I’m willing to take the long road to get there, so that hopefully, that will be me at 60. But as a young person, I have to focus a lot of my time on a valuable career, and throwing myself headlong into that writing dream means begging for recognition and waiting for a big break. If you want total creative control, then get your non-writing life in order, use it to fund your writing life, and learn to market and manage yourself as a small business owner.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
“Make a list of everything you want now, and then spend the next twenty-five years of your life getting it, slowly, piece by piece.” ~ de Niro’s character from “The Score.”

What are you reading now?
That’s a very quickly moving target. Right now it’s Simon Singh’s “Fermat’s Enigma.” Sunday, it was Gerald Brittle’s “The Demonologist.” By the time this interview is posted on line, it will probably Marjane Satrapi’s “Persepolis.”

What’s next for you as a writer?
I’m going to keep cranking out short stories, probably until the day I die. I have some story ideas relating to the Civil War, about five so far. I’ve been reading many books on the topic lately, trying to become a subject matter expert before tackling those ideas. That might come to fruition as a kind of “special issue” or themed collection, I don’t know. What’s imminent is taking my 10 newest stories, getting to 12, and releasing another collection, probably called something simple like “Gingerbread and Other Stories,” or “The Gingerbread Collection.” Not sure yet. I guess I’d better start thinking of a title!

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?
Ayn Rand’s “Atlas Shrugged,” John Steinbeck’s “East of Eden,” Steven Pinker’s “The Better Angels of Our Nature,” and David Deutsch’s “The Fabric of Reality.”

Author Websites and Profiles
Victor Davis Website
Victor Davis Amazon Profile
Victor Davis Author Profile on Smashwords

Victor Davis’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile
Facebook Profile
Twitter Account

Victor Davis is a post from Awesome Gang

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
At the age of 10, I had to “a-ha” moments. First, I was addicted to the Sweet Valley High series, and my favorite character was the twin who wanted to be a writer. It made me shout “I wanna do that!” Of course, when I started telling people that I wanted to be a writer, the consensus was a pat on the back and the question “How about something a little more practical? After all, you have to eat.” That led to the second, I wanted to be a teacher. I figured that it was a relatively geographically mobile job since I had already been hit by the travel bug and many in my family teach.

Yes, the frustrated writer became a teacher. (I know…it’s cliched.) I taught for more than a decade at every level from elementary to university, but the writer in me didn’t give up that easily. I found a way to combine the two with my first book, SUCCESS SKILLS FOR MIDDLE & HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS, in the days before the modern self-publishing revolution. Later, my interest in entrepreneurialism led a chapter contribution in CONSCIOUS ENTREPRENEURS.

Flash forward about 3 years, and the advent of online education/teaching along with my passion for motorsports led to an opportunity to work as a motorsports reporter/photographer. I traveled the country for events and even moved to North Carolina.

After returning to Southern California, I gave up writing for a couple of years until another “a-ha’ moment that led to the creation for TRIANGULATING BLISS. While I was drafting it at a frantic pace, my dad was diagnosed with terminal cancer. The drafting of that novel was one of the last experienced we shared. He passed 8 weeks after his diagnosis.

In the months that followed, I worked to get my life in order and part of that was addressing the need to write. I started doing copy writing for major international and internet companies. From there, I began to start ghostwriting non-fiction books for a variety of clients. On a whim, I submitted my first foray into flash fiction to an online magazine. Not only did it get published but also I was asked to become a contributor.

From there, I pitched to a publisher after someone mentioned that they were looking for someone to write a wine book. Given that wine is another passion of mine, I seized the opportunity and was awarded a book contract for WINE FOR BEGINNERS.

While all of that was going on, I compiled a collection of flash fiction stories over the course of 6 months that would become FLASH 40: LIFE’S MOMENTS. My sister passed unexpectedly just months after my dad. Writing remained my focus as a way of dealing with one of the worst years of my life. now, my writing is a way of celebrating the magic of everyday living, even with all of the curve balls.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
My latest release is TRIANGULATING BLISS. I affectionately refer to it as my “Bliss Baby”. After decades of denying the notion of writing fiction, I was leaving a restaurant with a childhood friend one night. We had been talking about how our lives were “off” from what they were meant to be. As I crossed through the doorway, the idea hit: What if you could walk through a random door and suddenly walk into the life you were meant to be living? It was truly a light bulb moment. I told my friend about the idea and said that it would make a great story.

The idea remained with me through the night and teased me for a couple of weeks. Then, I decided it needed to be written. The kicker was a little voice told me that I had 30 days to do it. It seriously made no sense and seemed melodramatic. I guess I like a challenge and set off writing it on October 1, 2013.

The voice made sense 30 days later. I was only about 80% done drafting and had hit a wall with a scene that I was dreading to write. I had stepped away from it for a couple of days, when my dad went to the ER. By the next morning, doctors had found 2 tumors in his brain. Three days later, we found out that he had advanced cancers throughout his body.

Miraculously, dad returned home after brain surgery. While he was at home, I finished the initial draft of Bliss. I’d share with my dad what was on the daily writing agenda and then how it actually played out. (The characters often took the story in unexpected directions.) Unfortunately, my dad never got to read the novel draft.

In the two years that it took to bring Bliss to the world, it continued to develop in unexpected ways. I created the Bliss Challenge in honor of the character of Lois. Her wish to be a fairy godmother of sorts, led me to dedicate 10% of the proceeds from the novel and later 100% of the proceeds from the companion guide, THE BACKDOOR TO BLISS, to help fund wishes for children facing medical challenges.

Originally, the novel was a single piece, but I found myself drawn to the stories of many of the characters in Triangulating Bliss. When beta readers began asking about the same things, I decided that the MYSTIQUE OF LIVING series would further fill out the tales of the “Bliss Triangle”.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I don’t know how unusual it is, but my writer’s mind never seems to shutdown. I carry a notebook for random thoughts and inspirations. My house is filled with scraps of paper with all types of notes as well. If there’s a surface that can have a sticky note attached to it, there’s often one there. I have a bad habit of having tons of Word documents and browser tabs open at once, and books tend to pile up as if on their own around me. So, my unusual writing habit actually may be that I have to regularly stop writing and straighten up the aftermath of my obsession.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
There have been many through the years. The earliest influence was in my pre-teen years with the SWEET VALLEY HIGH Series which made me realize that I wanted to be a writer.

When I was working on my M.A. in English, I didn’t want to do the more “traditional” literature for my thesis, so I decided to focus on Magical Realism. Little did I know that decision in 2004 would come full circle a decade later. That’s the niche I truly love.

Currently, I am interested in authors that write a mix of supernatural, visionary, romance, and mystery like I do. Most recently, I have been studying (and enjoying) the Color of Heaven Series by Julianne MacLean and the Pelican Pointe series by Vickie McKeehan. I stumbled upon their work a few months ago and found it interesting to see that there is a growing genre of books like TRIANGULATING BLISS that mix elements of the supernatural, paranormal, romance, mystery and contemporary fiction, without all the vampires, werewolves, and such.

What are you working on now?
Currently, I am finalizing the release of TRIANGULATING BLISS and finishing up WING DOG: SOUL PUP which I refer to as a Magical Mutt Memoir about one of the true furry loves of my life. If you like The Art of Racing in the Rain, Marley & Me, or A Dog’s Purpose, it will be a heartwarming read.

Additionally, I am working on TRIANGULATING SELF (MYSTIQUE OF LIVING Series, Book 2) which is Phil’s story to be released in 2016 as well.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
The best method I have of promoting my books is taking the ‘typical’ social media approach a step further. Most authors believe that a posting about a book will automatically sell it. That’s rarely, if ever, the case. The truth is that the best promotions for my books have come from reaching out to people from social media contact and becoming ‘human’ instead of just an online presence. It doesn’t take much – just a personal touch. When someone knows you as a real person, they become the best promoters around and spread the word for you, often in unexpected and delightful ways.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
From the creative side, I would say that writers and new authors must read, read, read, and read some more. The only way you improve your writing is to constantly be absorbing the written word and analyzing what does and does not work.

On the business side, you have to think of yourself as a business person. The sad truth is that the success of a book is 90% and 10% written product, no matter how well-written the piece is. You need to study the business of publishing and marketing. Things change quickly, and it can be overwhelming. Get a game plan together early on regarding what you want from your writing and publishing and work on it consistently by taking small steps each day. In truth, there’s never a “day off” for an author promoting his or her writing.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
The best tidbit that I have ever heard is the quote from Joseph Campbell that ended up in TRIANGULATING BLISS: “Follow your bliss and the universe will open doors where there were only walls.” In other words, always be willing to jump when opportunity presents itself because the worst that can happen is that you get a NO in response. There’s really is no power in the word unless you give it a bigger meaning. No just means that the path you were pursuing wasn’t the way to go, but that doesn’t mean that you can’t, shouldn’t, or won’t be able to do what you hope. It simply means that you need to find a different approach or be open to another opportunity

What are you reading now?
I am reading a variety of things (as usual). For my writing business, I am currently reading CONTAGIOUS: WHY THINGS CATCH ON by Jonah Berger. At the end of a busy day of writing and promoting, I like to curl up with a guilty pleasure in the form of a romance of some sort. I like biographies and autobiographies as well, especially travel-related.

What’s next for you as a writer?
I’m continuing on with my ghostwriting as well as continuing to grow my fictional library through both the MYSTIQUE OF LIVING Series and other pieces.

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?
Yikes! My bibliophile heart stopped at the thought of just 3 or 4. Let’s see….
1. The first would be some sort of survival guide. I’m good at roughing it but not that good.
2. A Bible: Not because I’m overly religious, but because there are plenty of stories and material to ponder. Plus, there’s some sentimentality to it. I spent the first 9 years of my life in a church school, and it was my dad’s favorite reading (and he was even a bigger bibliophile than I am).
3 and 4: I’d have to feed my “girly” side with one or two HEA type novels that include characters I really like and enjoy. What can I say? I’m a closet sucker for those stories.

Author Websites and Profiles
Janelle Jalbert Website
Janelle Jalbert Amazon Profile

Janelle Jalbert’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile
Facebook Profile
Twitter Account
Pinterest Account

Janelle Jalbert is a post from Awesome Gang

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I’m a Texas-born, California-bred TV writer/producer who’s known I was meant to be a writer since at least the second grade. I’ve got the wife, the kid, the dogs and a really fantastic life that took a few decades to stumble into sideways.

As for how many books I’ve written, it’s at least three, start to finish, but the longest of them was the least publishable, and languishes in a drawer even now. I’ve published two. The first was a novella called The Villain’s Sidekick that got me back into my lifelong love of prose after several years churning out scripts (which was a great way to learn about economy of words and actually finishing something I could be proud of). It’s about a supervillain’s henchman called HandCannon with a machine gun arm, a steel jaw, an estranged ex-wife and an adorably precocious 6-year-old daughter. It’s all set against the backdrop of my hometown, Houston, Texas, and has been favorably compared to Walker Percy and Elmore Leonard. The brief prequel–which is either a long short story or a novelette, depending who you ask–is called The Eternity Conundrum and is a sort of parody of all those mega-event crossover comics that Marvel and DC seem to put out several times a year now. But it’s also a very small story about what you do when everyday life gets in the way of your big crazy plans for world domination.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
Right now I’m churning and burning on a full-length sequel called Citizen Skin, which covers both fallout from the events of Villain’s and a whole host of new problems, enemies, and shenanigans. It alternates POVs from chapter to chapter between HandCannon and a young woman he meets in the first book. They’ve both been forced by circumstance to become unlikely badass heroes and save, if not the world, at least their little corner of it.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
All my writing habits are unusual. I don’t have a particular time or place that I write, though I try not to wait for inspiration to strike because that’s just begging for trouble. With the life that I have–a full-time job, a family, a rare desire to be social and a frequent desire to be entertained–I find I need to grab the few free moments I get to write my butt off. It’s taken two years since publishing Villain’s to get a draft of this sequel almost finished, and from then it’s just the uphill battle to edit and make it coalesce as a coherent story. When I still smoked and drank, I probably had more rituals around my writing, but now I just need some food in my belly, a tall Arnold Palmer and my nicotine gum nearby and I’m good to go.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
The book that may have been the biggest influence on my becoming a writer was Peter Benchley’s Jaws, of all things. Which is funny because I don’t even think it’s that great of a book; one of those cases, like The Godfather, where the movie infinitely improves on the text and elides the more purposeless subplots (not to mention the shark POV). But I read it when I was 8 years old, precisely because I’d seen and become obsessed with the movie. And I immediately started writing my own version in a spiral notebook with a lavender cover. Beyond that, the writers who’ve most influenced me in terms of storytelling, style, and sheer creativity are Hunter S. Thompson, Philip K. Dick, Jim Thompson, James Ellroy, Don Delillo, William Gibson and John Brunner. All great idea men, world builders, character generators, and most of them have terrific senses of humor that leaven the heaviness. Even the most serious story, if it’s 100% humorless, just seems alien to me. Also, shout out to Austin Grossman, author of Soon I Will Be Invincible, who demonstrated that you can write a genuinely great book about superheroes, of all things.

What are you working on now?
In addition to trying to finish Citizen Skin, I’m writing a series of HandCannon origin stories called 12 Angry Steps. It’s kind of about his road to both supervillainy and addiction recovery (something we have in common) told in twelve stories spanning various periods of his life. A sort of Twelve Labors of Hercules for a perennially down-on-his-luck antihero. When I set out to write Villain’s Sidekick, I thought it would be a one off short story, but I’ve become unexpectedly obsessed with this guy and telling his life story. He’s the classic marginalized second or third-tier bad guy, the kind of character Rob Liefeld (ugh) would have created for Image Comics back in the ’90s. My whole inspiration was to take a half-forgettable character like that and get inside his head, find his point of entry as a relatable, empathetic human with hopes and fears and a diabetic cat he has to take care of. Who is that guy when he goes home to his sad apartment at night? And even when I get to write my next epic that doesn’t involve HandCannon, it all takes place in the same universe, which is something I’ve loved to do with all my stories, always, equally inspired by comic book multiverses and Faulkner’s Yoknapatawpha County.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I don’t know. Villain’s is an Amazon exclusive, so it’s usually about setting up a timed promotion–either free or discounted–and then spending as little money up front on promo sites as I can get away with to see who I can get to bite. I’ve used Awesome Gang several times now, and while I don’t have any system of measurement for how successful it’s been for me, I keep coming back because the name’s so damn memorable and I like you guys.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Write! Write every day. Write all the time. Write way more often than I do. Then, when you have something you’re even vaguely satisfied with, share it with a swath of trusted friends and confidants who you know will be brutally honest in the most gentle way. Know that nothing’s as great the first time you write it as it can be once you’ve edited it heavily a time or two. And know that nothing’s as terrible as you think it is at your lowest self-doubting moments. Unless, of course, you’re really just not a writer and you don’t have what it takes to get better and better at this. In which case, don’t waste anyone’s time, least of all yours. There’s a lot better, more productive things to do with your life than sit by yourself alone in a room with just your thoughts for hours at a time, so if you’re going to do it, you better be all in.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
I don’t know if it counts as advice, but there’s something we say in recovery that I’ve latched onto as a personal mantra: Give yourself a break. It comes in very handy during those dark moments of the soul when you feel like you deserve a good beating for some mistake or another. Forgive yourself. Don’t ignore your mistakes, but find the value in having made them and move on. I know I’m talking more about life than writing here, but you can probably see how it applies to both (and really, for a writer, what’s the difference?).

What are you reading now?
I’ve been reading Garth Ennis’ Preacher, a comic from the ’90s about a rough-and-tumble man of the cloth from Texas who gets possessed by an embryonic soul that was born of a union between an angel and a demon. He’s got a badass, gun-happy girlfriend and a best bud who’s an Irish vampire, and they’re trying to track down God, who’s taken a leave of absence from Heaven. It’s dark and crass and smart and soulful and poignant and hilarious, often on the same page. It’s being turned into a series for AMC by Seth Rogen and his writing partner Evan Goldberg, of all people, and they may just have the perfect sensibility for it. Definitely worth a look. Also, Matt Fraction’s Sex Criminals, Greg Rucka’s Lazarus, and Kurt Busiek’s Astro City have all been high on my reading list.

What’s next for you as a writer?
Fame, fortune, relapse. No, just taking it day by day, getting through this next one and getting on with the next. Trying to tackle the ideas and stories right in front of me before a new idea comes along and tries to take over. It’s what used to happen to me all the time, when I wasn’t finishing things. I’d start something I thought was going to be great then step away and get mired in life and lose focus, interest and heart. Trying not to let that be part of the pattern anymore. No longer living under the illusion that I have all the time in the world to do the few things I want to get done in this life.

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?
Motherless Brooklyn by Jonatham Lethem. A warm sweet funny thrilling book that turns the hardboiled detective genre on its ear by making its sleuth an OCD and Tourette’s-suffering half a basket case, years before Monk was on the air.

White Noise by Don Delillo. My first exposure to serious literary fiction that still managed to be playful, frequently hilarious, and very science fictional even though it took place in some approximation of “our world.” Also a terrific meditation on fame, infamy, legacy and the neverending inevitability of death.

A Scanner Darkly (or maybe Valis) by Philip K. Dick. Like the flipside of White Noise, a great exposure to science fiction that took place in a reality just a few steps removed from our own, a piece of genre fiction wrestling with questions of identity, addiction, truth vs. reality, and other concepts every bit as heady as any more high-minded literary work.

Planetary by Warren Ellis, because it’s possibly my favorite complete run of a comic book series of all time. Ellis is contending not only with some of those aforementioned big ideas, but with the tropes and ideas and characters of a century’s worth of our most societally ingrained pulp myth and genre fiction. It’s full of big wild ideas, comedy, tragedy, uncertainty, apocalyptic anxiety and a kind of angry optimism, as if hope on its own were something we need to be willing to fight to the death for.

Jaws, because I’ve always thought I should maybe reread it. You know what? Screw that. Will there be a DVD player on this hypothetical island?

Author Websites and Profiles
Stephen Brophy Website
Stephen Brophy Amazon Profile
Stephen Brophy Author Profile on Smashwords

Stephen Brophy’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile
Facebook Profile
Twitter Account

Stephen Brophy is a post from Awesome Gang

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I recently exited the rat-race after spending eight long years as a financial analyst in corporate America. The first few years were interesting and exciting, but I quickly began to recognize the treadmill for what it was. I spent several years plotting my escape by eliminating debt and building an asset allocation model. I communicate many of the strategies and philosophies that have guided me in my writing – I have two published books at this time.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
The Individual is Rising: 2nd Edition – Liberty, Economics, Entrepreneurship, Asset Allocation, and Education Reform for the Coming Reset

I have been analyzing macroeconomic trends for more than three years now and my analysis suggests, convincingly, that the global financial system is on the verge of a “Great Reset”. One has to go back in history to observe how the financial system has evolved to truly appreciate how much systemic risk now exists, but a quick glance at sovereign debt levels and western demographics is enough to warrant concern. In short, governments all over the world have promised way too much, run up way too much debt, and they are now stuck printing vast amounts of currency in an effort to meet obligations. The end result will be the eventual destruction of the current monetary system and implementation of a new one.

This book spends a fair amount of time presenting the economic analysis that has led me to this conclusion complete with historical data and supporting examples. The book goes on to present specific strategies that individuals can implement to help reduce their personal financial risks, and possibly even position themselves to prosper as the Great Reset plays out. All of these strategies are logically presented and backed by philosophic and economic principles.

I was motivated to write this book because the major problems with the global financial system are not covered by the mainstream media thus most people are completely oblivious to them. Much of the conventional wisdom in personal finance actually increases exposure to the systemic risks that people face unnecessarily. It is my goal to communicate these risks as well as potential solutions because it is clear the powers-that-be are not going to do so.

I have been working on this book for the better part of the past three years, and I have extensively updated and expanded upon it over the past four months.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I typically get one hundred or so words written each morning before my black lab begins to whine and nudge me with his nose. I then spend two minutes asking him to let me work before I give up and take him for a walk out on the nature trail. Most of my writing is accomplished between 9:45 and noon after Boomer’s walk each morning.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
I am heavily influenced by the late Austrian School economists – Ludwig von Mises, Murray Rothbard, Henry Hazlitt, and F.A. Hayek. I am also greatly influenced by Napoleon Hill’s “Think and Grow Rich” and “Outwitting the Devil”.

What are you working on now?
I am currently working to promote the 2nd edition of The Individual is Rising while learning marketing techniques.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I have found that running a free Kindle promotion on Amazon and submitting the book to online directories for exposure that week is the most powerful method to generate exposure.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Whether you are right or wrong, make sure you are interesting.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
The obstacle is the path.

What are you reading now?
Family Fortunes by Bill Bonner and Swords into Plowshares by Ron Paul.

What’s next for you as a writer?
Hopefully a glass of wine.

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?
Assuming the books are for leisure and contemplation rather than survival:

“Way of the Peaceful Warrior” by Dan Millman
“Hormegeddon” by Bill Bonner
“Atlas Shrugged” by Ayn Rand
“Walden and Other Writings” by Henry David Thoreau

Author Websites and Profiles
Joe Withrow Website
Joe Withrow Amazon Profile

Joe Withrow’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile
Facebook Profile
Twitter Account

Joe Withrow is a post from Awesome Gang

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I’m a nineteen-year old college student who basically spends too much time either watching Netflix or reading (and I don’t mean the classics like all the good English majors – YA is my heartthrob). I published my first novel at fourteen and haven’t stopped since. Thus far, I have six published novels, two of which being gender bender fairytale retellings. Fun stuff, I’m telling you.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
My latest book is called Hourglass and it’s a fairytale retelling of Peter Pan. My newest writing genre has been fairytale retellings and I thought Peter Pan was a perfect match for what I was wanting to write – a gender bender of a classically male-oriented fairytale, with some creepiness thrown in.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I act out what’s happening in my book. Which makes it super awkward at school when my roommate’s around. I think she’s scared of me.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
Basically anything that’s well written. I’m a sucker for beautiful writing so if it’s gorgeous in any way, it’s inspired me.

What are you working on now?
More retellings! Beauty and the Beast, Sleeping Beauty, and Frankenstein to name a few. (I know, Frankenstein isn’t a fairytale…but it’s awesome.)

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I don’t know if I have a proven method of promoting my books but what I’ve found to be most rewarding is just engaging in conversation with my readers. I love, love, love, when readers reach out to me and we can talk not only about my books but about anything at all. Twitter, Youtube, and Facebook are my favorite things ever because of that.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Don’t give up. Yeah, I know that seems obvious, but seriously. It’s easy to get into the whole publishing world, get intimidated and frustrated and just back out. But you have to learn that publishing is a slooowwww business and that things take time.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Probably what I just mentioned above – in better terms of course. I remember a day when I came so close to giving up all my writing and publishing goals. I had just received some pretty harsh rejection letters from publishers I had high hopes for. My mom sat me down, looked me in the eye, and told me not to give up on anything that I really wanted in life. She said if I wanted it bad enough and worked hard enough that it would eventually come.

What are you reading now?
I’m currently reading The Ring and the Crown by Melissa De La Cruz. Very fantasy and very fun.

What’s next for you as a writer?
That’s an interesting question because it’s something I’ve been wondering about. As a new adult and a college student it feels like everything is changing so why not my writing? I know I still love YA and scifi, but who knows what I might end up writing when I actually grow up (nineteen is not an adult, let’s be read here).

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?
Oh, God.
Um.
Okay, so I’d take the Bible.
And Shatter Me by Tahereh Mafi (Yep, I know, from the Bible to crazy romance YA…).
Little Women

Author Websites and Profiles
Pauline C. Harris Website
Pauline C. Harris Amazon Profile

Pauline C. Harris’s Social Media Links
Facebook Profile
Twitter Account
Pinterest Account

Pauline C. Harris is a post from Awesome Gang

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I have been writing short stories for years Currently at work on two novels.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
“Crushers.” The takeover of American media, public and commercial, by the right-wing and corporate America. 15 years as a broadcaster, commercial and public

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
None of interest

What authors, or books have influenced you?
Ray Bradbury, Williams Faulkner. Guy de Maupassant, Vladimir Nabokov

What are you working on now?
A book about basset hounds

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
Too varied and numerous to mention

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Don’t believe anyone. Nobody knows anything

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Best advice from Ray Bradbury lectures on video.

What are you reading now?
T.S. Eliot – Four Quartets

What’s next for you as a writer?
Reading and recording my own audiobooks

If you were going to be stranded on a desert island and allowed to take 3 or 4 books with you what books would you bring?
The Complete Norton anthology of American Literature. There is no better a collection

Author Websites and Profiles
N.S. Johnson Website
N.S. Johnson Amazon Profile

N.S. Johnson’s Social Media Links
Facebook Profile
Twitter Account

N.S. Johnson is a post from Awesome Gang

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
Born and raised in the icy wastelands of North Dakota, RW Krpoun joined the US Army, serving two enlistments before being honorably discharged at Fort Hood, Texas. Delighted to discover a land where snow was a novelty, he settled in Texas and took up a career in law enforcement, serving twenty-five years to date and counting. His service includes a Sheriff’s Office and two Municipal police agencies, as well as two enlistments in the Texas National Guard as a Criminal Investigator.

RW lives on lakeside acreage with his lovely and amazingly tolerant wife Ann, and a band of ill-mannered animals who are all highly photogenic. His hobbies include reading, history, various forms of shooting, collecting battle-ready examples of medieval weaponry, and learning to use such weapons.

His current projects are the third book in the YGAT trilogy and a science fiction novel. He had twelve books current in print.

The YGAT series:
Book One: Payload
Book Two: Rolling Hunger
Book Three: TBA

The Phantom Badgers series:
Book One: Dark Obligations
Book Two: Dark Key
Book Three: Dark Path
Book Four: Dark Practices
Book Five: Dark Tide
Book Six: Dark Journeys (TBA)

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
My latest book is Sunstone, a zombie novel set revolutionary Mexicoin 1912. I am a published author of zombie works, a fan of good Westerns, and have harbored a deep desire to write an alternative history novel, three things which came together in Sunstone. Sunstone is one of the most enjoyable projects I have worked on.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I type with one finger. For some reason a conventional typing style inhibits my creative process.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
Too many to count. Just off the top of my head: Tim Powers, Glen Cook (the Black Company especially), Keith Taylor (Bard series), GRR Martin, Waumbaugh, George Fraser (Flashman), and countless others. Every book I read I look upon as an opportunity to learn.

What are you working on now?
A zombie novel in a fantasy setting, except that the fantasy world involved is in a shot & pike era, which is later than most fantasy books.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
Blind luck is my usual method. I really am not very skilled at marketing. I do have great hopes for this site.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Secure a good-paying day job.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Never pet a burning dog.

What are you reading now?
The Flashman series.

What’s next for you as a writer?
More 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?
The Bible and a collection of works on how primitive people built, sailed, and navigated boats.

Author Websites and Profiles
Randall (RW) Krpoun Amazon Profile

Randall (RW) Krpoun’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile

Randall (RW) Krpoun is a post from Awesome Gang

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
Hi, I’m Steven and I am a newbie indie author. I have self-published just one novel thus far, but I’m well on the way to completing my second.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
The title is ‘I Have Lived Today,’ and it was only inspired by a vivid imagination.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
There are too many to mention, but I adore Carlos Ruiz Zafon and Jack London

What are you working on now?
My current work-in-progress is the first installment of a 4 book adventure series. Think Indiana Jones for adults.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
NaNoWriMo. If you don’t know what it is, Google it. The best thing I’ve ever done.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
See above

What are you reading now?
The Dogs of Mexico by John J. Asher

What’s next for you as a writer?
Finish my work in progress in time for Christmas

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?
Shantaram, anything by Carlos Ruiz Zafon, and why not, some easy reading Dan Brown.

Author Websites and Profiles
Steven Moore Website
Steven Moore Amazon Profile
Steven Moore Author Profile on Smashwords

Steven Moore’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile
Facebook Profile
Twitter Account
Pinterest Account

Steven Moore is a post from Awesome Gang

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
anemogram., my latest release, is my debut novel. I attempted to write a zombie apocalypse novel years ago, long before the market was oversaturated with them, but didn’t finish it. Up until now I’ve concentrated on short story writing.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
My book is titled anemogram., which means “a record of the pressure or velocity of the wind, automatically marked by an anemograph”. It was picked with the assistance of a random word generator when I was having real difficulty in finding a title. Seems to fit the novel much better than anything that I could have come up with.

This novel was inspired by pure panic as I’d agreed to take part in a writing project where the final aim was to write something novel length in a month. With nothing but a few amorphous ideas I knuckled down and anemogram. is the result. At the time there was a great deal of hysteria in the media about the relationship between men and children, and that fed into the theme of my novel. I knew I wanted a young female protagonist and to focus on an unconventional interaction.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
Not that I can think of! I do use music as a motivator for certain types of writing. This works especially well with more freely structured writing. But when I need to dig deep I prefer silence.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
I haven’t really idolised any particular authors at all. The first book that I remember really loving was The Twits by Roald Dahl. The authors I’ve read the most are Paul Auster, JG Ballard and Albert Camus. I’m very enthusiastic about indie authors and I’m energised by that scene.

What are you working on now?
Being newly self-published my time in the short-term is devoted to promotion and getting my book to those who may appreciate it. When that has settled down I plan to start writing my next novel, and I’m also considering releasing a short story collection.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I’m very much still learning but so far the most positive response to my novel has come from Goodreads. I’ve found it invaluable as a way to connect with like-minded authors and potential readers.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Forget the market and write what moves you. Write from your gut and with your truth and your audience will find you. That’s what I keep telling myself anyway.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Not to take too much advice! It’s so easy to confuse a piece of writing by making unnecessary changes. It’s great and always appreciated when people give feedback but it’s important to be able to judge when that is serving the story or not.

What are you reading now?
I’ve just finished a book of poetry by Harry Whitewolf called New Beat Newbie, and am now about halfway through Franz Kafka’s The Trial. After that I plan to read Sket City: In Your Dreams with a Six Legged Carcass by Matt Cary Williams. I’m very much enjoying sampling the best that indie publishing has to offer.

What’s next for you as a writer?
Lots of searching for ways to gain exposure for my novel. My main aim for it is to find readers who will connect with the story. Then I’m heading for some intense writing time as I start work on my next project.

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 start with The Terminal Beach by JG Ballard. A short story collection is always handy in a marooned situation as it adds variety. I remember being very impressed with the descriptive tone of these stories but I haven’t read it in years, so would be interested to revisit it. I’d take The House on the Borderland by William Hope Hodgson, which is a great fantasy piece, perfect for trying to spiritually escape from my island prison. The Virgin Suicides by Jeffrey Eugenides is a pretty perfect book, and The New York Trilogy by Paul Auster.

Author Websites and Profiles
Rebecca Gransden Website
Rebecca Gransden Amazon Profile

Rebecca Gransden’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile
Twitter Account

Rebecca Gransden is a post from Awesome Gang

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I’ve only written one novel, and I am currently rewriting another one. I began my writing career as a playwright, and I’ve written a whole bunch of plays. Many of of my ten-minute and one-act plays have been produced, both in the United States and internationally. Recently, my short play CLOWN THERAPY was translated into Spanish and produced in Peru. This summer, my short play BITE ME (in which a woman brings home a vampire) was produced at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival in Scotland.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
My debut novel, a young adult mystery, is called SWIMMING ALONE. It was inspired, in part, by the summers I spent in Rhode Island as a child. It was also inspired by all of the mystery and crime fiction that I have read over the years, and by the students I used to teach. The high school students I taught craved books with a great deal of suspense. I wanted to write a book that they would enjoy. And like many people, I am intrigued by serial killers. So I had to write a novel that had a serial killer.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I guess I tend to juggle a lot of projects at one time until one really “sticks.” As a result, I have a pile of unfinished stories, plays, novels, etc. I also always read my work aloud to myself, somewhat dramatically, as I am working on revisions. I don’t know if that is unusual or not, but I do find it helps me to hear my writing aloud.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
When I was in 7th grade, my reading teacher assigned I KNOW WHAT YOU DID LAST SUMMER by Lois Duncan. I was hooked. This book made me want to become a mystery writer.

What are you working on now?
Right now I am revising a short mystery story for adults, and my second young adult novel, a paranormal thriller/romance currently titled IN DEEP. The short story has a theatrical setting. I was a theater major in college and a struggling actress for a number of years in New York, so I enjoy writing about this world. The novel, like SWIMMING ALONE, has a seaside setting.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I’m am relatively new to this world, so I am not really sure. I use both Facebook and Twitter, but sometimes I think my tweets are just entering a void. I had a lot of luck on Facebook with my online book launch at the end of August. I also maintain a blog called NOT EVEN JOKING. I don’t know how good it is at promoting my book, but I enjoy interviewing other writers and creative people on it.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Be patient and plan to revise your work a lot. I completely rewrote SWIMMING ALONE, oh, probably about five times before it reached a stage ready for publication. (And that is not including all of the minor edits and revisions.) I mean, major, major rewrites. The first drafts of the novel were written in the third person, contained a series of flashbacks, and even a major character who was eventually cut from the story.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Sometimes you have to “kill your darlings.” In other words, never get too attached to a piece of writing. With my WIP, I recently axed the first 50 pages. There was a lot of writing in those pages that I absolutely loved, but it was not helping the story move forward.

What are you reading now?
I’m reading CITY OF SILVER by Annamaria Alfieri. I picked up a copy earlier this month when I was a panelist at the Deadly Ink Conference in New Jersey. It is a mystery that takes place in 17th century Peru. I traveled to Peru two summers ago, so I was really interested in reading this book, and so far I love it!

What’s next for you as a writer?
As I mentioned above, I am currently revising both a short story and a novel. I have had another young adult novel brewing inside me for a while, so I think I will get started on that as soon as I can. I don’t want to say what that one is about just yet, because I am a little but superstitious. I am afraid if I say too much about the book, I won’t write 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?
I would definitely take THE COMPLETE SHERLOCK HOLMES. I’ve read about 1/2 of all the stories, and I would really love to read all of them. Plus, I could read those stories over and over again. I would also take THE COMPLETE WORKS OF WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE. I’ve read many of Shakespeare’s plays, but I think if I were stranded on a desert island, I world spend time acting them out to entertain myself. That would certainly keep me busy for a while! I would also probably bring some kind of survival guide. I imagine that would be pretty useful. Oh, and THE COMPLETE WORKS OF O’HENRY. I love his short stories. I guess I am cheating a little by bringing so many big books!

Author Websites and Profiles
Nina Mansfield Website
Nina Mansfield Amazon Profile
Nina Mansfield Author Profile on Smashwords

Nina Mansfield’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile
Facebook Profile
Twitter Account

Nina Mansfield is a post from Awesome Gang

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I’m a blogger, author and independent publisher living in Adelaide, South Australia. I work part-time in corporate learning and development, but have previously worked in marketing communications and PR. I live with my 22 year old daughter and am chief of staff to my much loved cat, Bella. I have always written, and I love that the traditional publishing business model has been well and truly disrupted, which makes it possible for me to self publish.

Since February 2015, I have published six books in the (non-fiction) Love & Other Stuff series, three short stories and am working on a travel tales series. A full length novel is in the works, as is my memoir.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
I have so many “latest” books… my non-fiction series is drawn from my blog, The Diane Lee Project; my travel tales are based on my other blog, The Travelling Homebody and my short stories are inspired by interactions and conversations that I have with the people who salt and pepper my life.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I think I am rather ordinary in the way I approach my writing. No crazy midnight-inspired ramblings or drunken creative binges! Just butt in chair, fingers on keyboard… and write!

What authors, or books have influenced you?
In the non-fiction space, I am a HUGE fan of Cheryl Strayed and Anne Lamott. I love that their writing is so brave, honest and raw. Fiction writers I admire include Anita Shreve, Barbara Kingsolver, Yann Martel and Markus Zusak to name a few. I love simple stories about great characters and these writers are fabulous at writing the kinds of stories I like to read. At the other end of the scale is George R R Martin and I admire the breadth, depth and complexity of his work. And for laugh out loud hilarity, you can’t go past the Adrian Mole series by Sue Townsend.

What are you working on now?
I’m working on my memoir and a full length novel. I started my memoir this year as a legacy item for my daughter. My novel is based on a screenplay I wrote 15 years ago! I thought it was time to dust it off and put it to work.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I don’t think there is any one method when it comes to promoting books. It’s about writing the best book you can, publishing the best book you can and building your author brand. Of course, advertising comes into the mix as well.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Research, research, research! And by that I mean, if you are mainly publishing e-books, learn all you can about e-commerce before you start.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
That book won’t write itself!

What are you reading now?
I’m finishing off Book 5 of A Song of Fire and Ice. It’s a commitment that only George R R Martin could get me to make.

What’s next for you as a writer?
I’d love to be able to quit my day job and just write and publish for a living. That’s a little way off yet.

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 “The Last Time They Met” by Anita Shreve; “The Poisonwood Bible” by Barbara Kingsolver; and “The Book Thief” by Markus Zusak.

Author Websites and Profiles
Diane Lee Website
Diane Lee Amazon Profile
Diane Lee Author Profile on Smashwords

Diane Lee’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile
Facebook Profile
Twitter Account
Pinterest Account

Diane Lee is a post from Awesome Gang

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I am a hard working SFU student, hoping to get a bachelor of Arts degree in History in order to be a high school History teacher. I come from a very rough family background, and if I do say so myself, rougher than most. I grew up in the Foster Care system of Maple Ridge/Pitt Meadows area, as my biological parents were unable to do so as they are mentally challenged or ill. There really wasn’t much of anything for me regarding my future, so I constantly had to prove myself against the odds. When I was only twelve, I made the decision to leave a horrible situation behind and into a chosen foster family. I have written two books thus far about the memories of that past.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
A Walk of Many Paths is the name of my latest book. It is a compilation of poems that I wrote during the latter years of high school at Pitt Meadows Secondary School. I was told by a very wise woman to write from the heart and that was the only way to write, so I decided to base my poetry on the trauma of my past, from physical and mental abuse to the neglect and to the brief periods of happiness.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I can’t write unless I am in the right spot at the right time. For example: when I leave and actually want to get some fresh air I will go to a specific Starbucks coffee shop at SFU in the morning to sit a specific chair to write. Otherwise I go to the six floor of the SFU library and find a spot near the window. I need to be next to a window. I do have a tendency to be anti-social for periods of time when I am writing. I just don’t want to talk, you know.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
J.K Rowling, Stephen King, J. R. R Tolkien

What are you working on now?
A novel called The Sixth World: Forgotten Children of Gildre Ample

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

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Read a lot and only write from the heart.

What are you reading now?
Stephen King’s Doctor Sleep

What’s next for you as a writer?
To continue writing novels relating to my past with a little fantasy mixed in.

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?
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Carrie, The Shining, The Hobbit

Author Websites and Profiles
David Ferguson Amazon Profile

David Ferguson’s Social Media Links
Facebook Profile
Twitter Account

David Ferguson is a post from Awesome Gang

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I live in Niagara Falls, Ontario about 10 minutes away from the falls. I am an artist, singer-songwriter, writer and love to read.
My love of words started in early childhood when I would make up fictitious words and songs. I have been a songwriter since being gifted in 1983, and have recorded several songs of her own as well as the song, Proud to be Canadian in 1991.

I write from life and true experiences, usually with a supernatural twist. On January 25, 2007, my first devotional, A Glimpse of the Cross, on the Mustard Seed Ministries Site was published; it is based on a vision. Cliffhanger(Over the Cliff) was published in November 2007 in Fate Magazine, a short story come true forewarned by a dream. Ms. Parks writes based on dreams that come true, or real life experiences.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
More lessons from the School of Hard Knocks, Volume 2. Just more awesome supernatural stories that are true.

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

What authors, or books have influenced you?
I love Christine Feehan’s books.

What are you working on now?
I am working on a book with my sister called ‘Deliverance from Evil’ it has been in the making 10 years now.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
Don’t have any best method yet, still doing research in promoting my books.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Never give up, no matter how long it takes, keep persevering, and it will pay off. Keeping a journal is one of the best things you can do, you never know when you can make material out of what you saw, heard or experienced on any particular day.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Write down awesome and unusual things you have heard. You never know when you can use it.

What are you reading now?
Kathy Reich’s Break no Bones. I just finished reading a couple of James Patterson books who is a fantastic author.

What’s next for you as a writer?
To finish my book, Deliverance from Evil. I am also presently working on my 3rd e-book called For Shattered Souls.

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?
Any Christine Feehan book.
James Patterson
My manuscript I am presently working on – Deliverance From Evil.
My manuscript I am presently working on – For Shattered Souls.

Author Websites and Profiles
Catharine Parks Amazon Profile

Catharine Parks’s Social Media Links
Facebook Profile

Catharine Parks is a post from Awesome Gang

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
Wendy C Giffen graduated from Homerton College, Cambridge. She is the author of The Selene Experiment, (first of a Sci-fi series), The Trustee (Science Fiction),and Around the Bend (Travel Stories) and is working on other books due out in 2015. She is a certified Psycholinguistic Hypnotherapist, an erstwhile teacher and potter, living on Salt Spring Island.
She enjoys witty fridge magnets, loves dawns, and driving a pony and trap. While she dislikes long car or plane journeys she has lived in several countries and visits many more. A reluctant attendee at the gym, she happily takes her three dogs for numerous country walks.
“I have written quiet a few books, but luckily many were lost in moves or when computers crashed. I have two more books coming out in 2015, but the second book in the Selene series will be out in 2016, along with the five books of the Human Alien series. The book I have just had published, The Trustee, is a stand-alone novella that I really enjoyed writing! It starts deceptively simply, and makes you feeling good. I won’t say any more!”

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
The Trustee was published near the end of August. I wrote it partly as a reaction to a comment a fellow author made to the effect that only miserable books were ‘real’ and reflected the human condition.
There is misery in the world, and not only do I not want to add to it, there is also a lot of decent and quietly noble people around too. I’d just rather write about them.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
Wouldn’t it be fun if I could say something like, ‘I can only write if I’m sitting in a toga on a Persian rug.’ Alas, mostly I sit on the sofa with three dogs and a cat snuggled around me. Others wise on cold rainy mornings I might write in bed, with any animal that snuck in when I wasn’t looking. On lovely days I work on my rose draped, covered deck alone with family, animals and splashing fountain.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
I have been a voracious reader most of my life, and still try out new authors regularly, so choosing only one or two authors would be an impossible task. I love M.M. Kaye’s books, but I also delight in Carola Dunn’s Daisy Dalrymple series. How can one choose between Jane Austin and Agatha Christie when they are both perfect but for different moods?
I do love the rich texture of our language, wonderful descriptions but I know it doesn’t fit in with the fast paced lives of most of our readers.

What are you working on now?
I am editing two of my books that have been waiting while I wrote the Human Alien series. One, A Tangled Web, about Portia who is a potter, but she is also fey, or has the ‘second sight’ as some call it.
Living on acreage on a piece of land that juts out into a large lake, that makes it as isolated as an island, her home is still close enough to the opposite shore that people from the small town there can boat to her house to take the variety of classes that offer instruction in the use of many mediums, including fabrics.
This set of classes starts much like any other…but for several people, life will never be the same again.
The other book is a science fantasy, Dragons Return, which takes place on Earth in three eras, the distant past, the present, and the distant future.
The second book in the Selene series is due out spring of next year, and I am so excited about that.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I haven’t been very good about promoting my books, in fact I didn’t promote them so it was amazing I sold as many as I did, however I used your site, Awesomegang, for my last book and was very pleased with the result.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
I would say, write decent quality books, ones you won’t be ashamed of, and accept you are now in the ‘business’ of writing and if you can’t accept that you may have to accept that only you and your family may ever know your book exists.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
My father told me, ‘Never put in writing anything you wouldn’t be comfortable to hear read out in court.’
Very good advice, but I have incredibly boring journals!

What are you reading now?
The Dead in Their Vaulted Arches by Alan Bradley.

What’s next for you as a writer?
I often take a course in some aspect of writing that pushes me out of my comfort zone, one of these led to my writing the series whose working title is the Human Alien series. These are soft science fiction, and character driven. They are romances and while they are 18+, and so are hot romances, the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree. They are about decent people, there is humour and mystery and are fun to read. I’m not sure I will do any 18+ beyond this series, and these could well link into the seven book Selene series…but you will have to wait and see!

If you were going to be stranded on a desert island and allowed to take 3 or 4 books with you what books would you bring?
If it were a desert island I would die of thirst long before I had read the first book, or of heat stroke during the first chapter, so I’m not going to agonize over that one!

Author Websites and Profiles
Wendy Cordner Giffen Website
Wendy Cordner Giffen Amazon Profile

Wendy Cordner Giffen’s Social Media Links
Facebook Profile
Twitter Account

Wendy Cordner Giffen is a post from Awesome Gang

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
My main mission is to help people live the greatest lives possible by learning to receive the grace and life of God and take practical steps to identify and fulfill their unique purposes. So far I have written 8 books with more on the way.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
The God Portal: 5 Pathways Out of Your Past and Into Your God-Ordained Future. Many wonderful people are stuck in past defeat producing beliefs and practices and don’t know how to get unstuck. Many materials are very helpful, but for me they were just too complicated to implement. That is why I broke it down into 3 main steps with 2 supporting ones that are easy to remember and then become more doable. These steps have helped me tremendously, as well as many others.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I don’t think this is very unusual but as I write I always get better insights on the subject than when I am outlining or thinking about the topic. I always learn (personally) as I pray and think through the main ideas and the best ways to communicate them. I do almost all of my writing early morning.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
N.T. Wright, Ken Blanchard, Rick Warren, Robert Morris, Seth Godin, Steven Pressfield, Steve Scott are a few.

What are you working on now?
Finishing up a 3 part series on God-Empowered Faith: How to Always Have Enough Faith for Every Situation.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I am pretty new to the promotion game so I am currently learning to do KDP free days and after that .99 countdown, plus twitter and a few Facebook promos.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Try to find a topic that:
1. You are interested in
2. Others are interested in
Both are important

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Write your “hook” or main point first and make sure everything you write in that book supports it.

What are you reading now?
Steve Scott’s “Habits for Writing Mastery”

What’s next for you as a writer?
The next two projects are:
1. 10 Incredible Benefits of Following Jesus
2. A series helping regular people find fulfillment and maximize their life impact through the right ministry for them.

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 Pursuit of God by A.W. Tozer
Gung Ho by Ken Blanchard
The War of Art by Stephen Pressfield

Author Websites and Profiles
Mark Furlong Website
Mark Furlong Amazon Profile

Mark Furlong’s Social Media Links
Facebook Profile
Twitter Account

Mark Furlong is a post from Awesome Gang

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
My first book was “She Does Not Fear the Snow,” my story of coming to faith in a Jerusalem church where, as a Jew, I thought I wasn’t supposed to be. It was a Munce 2012 prizewinner and became an Amazon #1 bestseller. I came to faith in the Land of Israel and was blessed with a new husband of faith, like biblical Ruth. The title is inspired by Proverbs 31, a line from the description of the attributes of a good woman. It seemed an especially good fit for my title because my husband is a Canadian: actually, though, it’s a bit of a fib. I am afraid of the snow.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
My latest book is “Love Triangles, Discovering Jesus the Jew in Today’s Israel”. Is is kind of a sequel to “She Does Not Fear the Snow” since it deals with the two years Butch, my husband, and I spent in Israel, following our marriage. It was a time full of joys in meeting Jesus in every stunning landscape but also challenges, since Israel does not like its Jews who believe in Jesus.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
The most unusual thing about my writing I think is that I think I may have created a new genre: investigative memoir. This is the genre I attribute to “Love Triangles, Discovering Jesus the Jew in Today’s Israel” because I’ve interviewed many other people for their stories and researched a lot of history. The memoir is as much a reflection of my interests as of my story.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
My approach to creative non-fiction has been influenced by Laura Hillenbrand’s “Seabiscuit”. I have discerned strands of investigative memoir in Susan Orlean’s “The Orchid Thief”. My favorite memoir is Derek Prince’s “Appointment in Jerusalem”.

What are you working on now?
Right now, I am in launch mode for “Love Triangles” which is all-consuming. I have a fiction book about Israel waiting in the wings. It’s set in 1950 and is inspired by a story of Solomon in the Bible. Two mothers claim a baby and he has to decide which one the child belongs to. In my story, a girl who thinks her British Mum is her mother suddenly learns that she is the daughter of a Holocaust survivor who is now living in Israel.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
The thing that worked best for me to publicize “She Does Not Fear the Snow” was making it free on Kindle. Awesome Gang offered a lot of information that helped to promote that offer.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Books are like building blocks. With every subsequent release, we learn more.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Do not skimp on editing. Get someone really good to support you. I’m not just talking about proof reading but sorting out clumsy phrasing, confusing statements, repetitions etc.

What are you reading now?
Huge pile of pleasurable reads on my bedside table that I hope to get to in a month or so. Reading marketing books as of this moment, such as Jeff Walker’s “Launch”.

What’s next for you as a writer?
Maybe the fiction project mentioned above or maybe another faith-based book. I have a lot of ideas in holding patterns.

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 of course. I never tire of that. My all-time favorite novel is Daphne duMaurier’s “Rebecca” which I even forgive its shortcomings because it’s so wonderfully atmospheric. What are the shortcomings? The primary scene where the murder is described is reported to the narrator rather than told by her. There are allusions to a) a stage after the show and b) sailing on a boat that would have been outside of the experience of the narrator but that Daphne du Maurier knew well.

Author Websites and Profiles
Bobbie Ann Cole Website
Bobbie Ann Cole Amazon Profile

Bobbie Ann Cole’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile
Facebook Profile
Twitter Account

Bobbie Ann Cole is a post from Awesome Gang

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I have two books so far. The German Connection and The American Deception. I have a third, The British Evasion, being published in October 2015. These books are part of a series set in the 1980’s.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
The American Deception. The inspiration for this one was the assassination attempt on President Ronald Reagan. I have a fascination for the 1980’s and the things that actually happened during that time. The book is fiction but it ties into Reagan, Hinckley and how the attempt came about. It is a product of my imagination but does contain real historical references. The story is one that could have happened but probably didn’t!

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I eat breakfast/lunch/dinner then I sleep for half an hour and then I get up and go. This makes me feel energized and I tend to get words on the page.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
Lee Child, Ira Levin, C. S. Lewis, Ian Fleming.

What are you working on now?
The British Evasion. Again set in the 1980’s. This book deals with terrorists and attacks on US commercial airliners. The struggle with this one is the different ways that people say the same thing and the slang they use, especially Cockney rhyming slang. It is set in London but involves mainly American characters. There are also Scots involved in the story as well as Londoners. I have lived in all of these places so luckily I know how people use the words, this gives the story more authenticity.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
Amazon/Twitter.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Don’t be too fussy or think that your book will ever be perfect, if you do you’ll never publish it. The story is the most important thing. Never let a bad review put you off, in fact I don’t ever read any reviews, good or bad.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Stop thinking and planning and just do it.

What are you reading now?
Lee Child. The Affair.

What’s next for you as a writer?
Publish The British Evasion this October.

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 Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe. The Boys From Brazil. The Hobbit.

Author Websites and Profiles
Ben Goetz Website
Ben Goetz Amazon Profile
Ben Goetz Author Profile on Smashwords

Ben Goetz’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile
Facebook Profile
Twitter Account

Ben Goetz is a post from Awesome Gang

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
A little about me? I’m the loudmouth that gets recognized by just her voice (true story). I’m a blonde but I’ve got pink hair right now. I’m heavily tattooed, I have very little care for fashion besides my band t-shirts and Levi’s jeans, and I drive a very sexy Mustang GT. I’m also a mom of two hilarious kids, a teacher for at-risk students, and a wife to my best friend and the naughtiest good guy you’ll ever meet. I write Contemporary Romance that is Rock n’ Roll infused with a healthy dose of real life and HEA.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
My latest release is Teacher: The Final Act. It’s the third book in the Hollywood Rock ‘n’ Romance Trilogy where we follow the story of Jesse Martin and Danny Black. In book one, Teacher, Jesse takes a job as a home instructor for Danny, a 36 year-old reclusive rock god with a moody daughter and a psycho ex. We get to watch these two navigate a new relationship challenged with many obstacles. Teacher: Act Two came out in May and continued their tale. In book three, The Final Act, an insane turn of events has the reader screaming “will they or won’t they” all the way through to the end. There’s humor, tragedy, sensuality, and a rock-infused HEA that will leave you begging for more!

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I am always in possession of my trusty MacBook Pro so I can bang away on the keys anywhere, including the horse barn where my daughter rides and poolside while my son swims. I sneak in a few lines during my lunch breaks at work and lose way too much sleep writing way into the night. Some morning I’ll probably wake up snuggling with my sidekick!

What authors, or books have influenced you?
I read very little Rock Romance before I started writing, but I have read and re-read Olivia Cunning and Cherrie Lynn repeatedly, although my steam level is nowhere near theirs! They are truly gifted. When I started writing, I knew all of my stories would be heavily influenced by the things I love: Music, Tattoos, Teaching, my home in the Bay Area and my favorite places to escape to, Hollywood and, my heart’s desire, New Orleans.

What are you working on now?
I am currently writing the follow-up to Haunted, which is the story of Maggie’s Bones mystical bass player, Mage. He was a reader favorite in the first book, so I’m very excited to tell his story. I’m also working on a short story that will be included in the anthology Santa’s Naughty List: 25 Tales of Paranormal Bad Boys Christmas.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I spend most of my time meeting new readers on Facebook. I use Twitter often, but I love the interaction on Facebook, whether it’s with friends or during an author takeover event.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Have more than one polished work ready before you even consider publishing the first book. I had several and it made it that much easier to keep putting out new material and gaining new readers, who would in turn buy other titles from me.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Knowledge is Power!

What are you reading now?
You’re Making Me Hate You by Corey Taylor. I absolutely love that man’s brain.

What’s next for you as a writer?
Improving my writing and learning more technology! I am planning on releasing my books in paperback via Createspace. I’d love to have at least a few titles out by Christmas!

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 Witching Hour by Anne Rice… OK not fair. I’m going to pretend that you said series too: The Black Dagger Brotherhood Series by J.R. Ward, The Dark-Hunters by Sherrilyn Kenyon, and the Sookie Stackhouse books by Charlaine Harris. Oh, and the complete works of Corey Taylor. Did I mention I adore him? I could just take his audiobooks with me. That wouldn’t count, would it?

Author Websites and Profiles
R.L. Merrill Website
R.L. Merrill Amazon Profile

R.L. Merrill’s Social Media Links
Facebook Profile
Twitter Account

R.L. Merrill is a post from Awesome Gang

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
Hi, I’m William. I’m a husband, father, former soldier, and proud owner of a German Shepherd named Thor. I’ve written two books and a number of short stories. I served as an Intelligence officer in the Canadian army for 32 years and have operational tours in Afghanistan and Bosnia. I love fitness, martial arts, and most things medieval and violent.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
The book is called Starlight: Book 1 of the Dark Elf war, and it’s inspired by my love of old mythology and Dungeons and Dragons. I’ve always wanted to be able to cast a fireball at a group or orcs and feel as though the future has let me down–so I created my own world where these things are possible.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I like to wake up during the wee hours, about 2-3AM and write while the house is asleep. Except for my dog, Thor, who always gets up and hangs out with me.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
Steven King, Graham Masterton, J.R.R. Tolkien, G.R.R. Martin, and, of course, H.P. Lovecraft. I love me some violent, spooky stuff.

What are you working on now?
I’m currently putting the finishing touches on the first part of a two-part dark fantasy tale. It’s called The Sword of Heaven: Book 1 of the Vampire Queen Saga, and will be out around Christmas 2015 or soon after.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I like to think great work will find its own audience, but I know that’s not always true. Word of mouth will kick in, but first you have to get some visibility. For me, book bloggers have always been helpful, as they are usually reviewing and marketing books for the sheer joy of contributing to the craft of storytelling.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Keep working. Everybody sucks at first. Take your first 1-2 books and lock them away somewhere as “practice books.”

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Failure is not the opposite of success; it is part of success.

What are you reading now?
The Magician King by Lev Grossman.

What’s next for you as a writer?
Keep writing. I need to finish up Book 2 of the Vampire Queen Saga so I can get to work on Book 2 of the Dark Elf War. Busy, busy, busy.

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 Lord of the Rings (only counts as one), The Stand, Mort Castle’s Writing Horror.

Author Websites and Profiles
William Stacey Website
William Stacey Amazon Profile
William Stacey Author Profile on Smashwords

William Stacey’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile
Twitter Account

William Stacey is a post from Awesome Gang

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I have written 5 books, including my most recent release, Cross Academy. Unfortunately I haven’t released the other books, I just didn’t ‘feel the vibe’ with those.
Gosh, it’s hard to talk about yourself. Besides writing, I love Jesus, my family, action-packed anime and video games.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
Cross Academy is my latest *finished* book but I’m always working on something new. What inspired Cross Academy? My faith and some crazy ideas I had as a kid. I got a lot of inspiration from my family as well, but most everything I write is heavily influenced by my faith.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
Not at all. I write when I’m inspired and I don’t when I’m not.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
To be honest, I can’t really pick one. I’m influenced by everything I read and I’m inspired by every book on every shelf. Because each one represents the result of hard work and a dream that was never abandoned.

What are you working on now?
Part II to Cross Academy and another super secret piece you can expect to see soon.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
Twitter, my blog The Rebel Christian, and word of mouth. My church members are my biggest fans, they will most definitely spread the word for me!

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Never, ever, ever give up. It’s only worth it if you have to fight for it.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Never give up. Best three words ever spoken.

What are you reading now?
I’m always reading the Holy Bible and a random fanfiction. Recently I’ve been taking a trip down memory lane with Eleanor and Park by Rainbow Rowell.

What’s next for you as a writer?
Improving my skills and writing the next book. I just can’t decide which idea to work on after I’m finished with my current one.

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 only need one. The Holy Bible.

Author Websites and Profiles
Valicity Garris Website
Valicity Garris Amazon Profile
Valicity Garris Author Profile on Smashwords

Valicity Garris’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile
Twitter Account

Valicity Garris is a post from Awesome Gang

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I’m old enough to qualify for senior discounts, and I’ve been writing since I was in kindergarten. It was only a few years ago that I became really interested in getting published, and since then I’ve been in several anthologies.

I’ve also been shopping a fantasy book around for quite a while – Publishers and agents say it’s too “different”. But isn’t that what fantasy is supposed to be?

When I got the idea for a series of pirate books, I went straight to self-publishing. And it’s worked out really well! I have honest-to-goodness fans, and people asking me when the next book will be out. In the meantime, I keep up my research, and keep writing. I enjoy hanging out with mu fictional pirates. I hope you will, too!

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
I’ve just finished book three of my series, The Pirate Empire, and am moving on to book four. I’m planning more romance for my heroine, Scarlet, and a lot more adventure and peril as well! And in the meantime, a non-fiction book is on the horizon.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
.I get up at 5 a.m. and write for an hour every day. And I HATE mornings!

What authors, or books have influenced you?
I’ve been a fan of JRR Tolkien since middle school. His world-building sets the standard for every fiction writer ever. I also love Patrick O’Brian’s Aubrey/Maturin series. It’s adventure on the high seas.

What are you working on now?
As I said, book 4 in my series, and a non-fiction book (about pirates, of course) aimed at young adults.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
In doing research for my books, I have found out so many fascinating facts that I began to blog about them. My blog reached over 140,000 hits this month, and is apparently the most popular pirate blog in North America. It drives readers to my books like nothing else.

Of course, it’s a lot of work. But it’s work I love.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Find a good writer’s group and join. I’ve been a member of the same group for ten years, and the people in it have become my friends and supporters. We share knowledge and experiences, good and bad. There’s not better place for a writer to grow.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Don’t give up. Some of the best writers I know have stacks of rejections slips.

What are you reading now?
The Jewish Pirates of the Caribbean (more research) and Jim Butcher’s Dresden series.

What’s next for you as a writer?
First I need to finish this series! But as I continue to work on that, I’ll be producing non-fiction and poetry, and also trying to respond to invitations to contribute to various anthologies. My latest is Familiar Spirits, edited by Donald J. Bingle

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 Lord of the Rings
The Great Gatsby
Geisha by Liza Dalby
Through the Looking Glass

Author Websites and Profiles
TS Rhodes Website
TS Rhodes Amazon Profile

TS Rhodes’s Social Media Links
Facebook Profile
Pinterest Account

TS Rhodes is a post from Awesome Gang

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I grew up as a military industrial brat, traveling to Southern California, Alaska and Seattle, Washington due to my father’s work as a scientist. Now I live in San Francisco. Most of my adventures have been between the covers of a book, reading or writing. I also spend a lot of time staring at the ocean and happily indulging a small group of formerly feral cats, all of whom were rescued and who daily return the favor. My published books include: Gravitas: Valkyrie in the Forbidden Zone,The Falstaff Vampire Files, The Bride of the Living Dead and four books in the award-winning mystery series featuring Josephine Fuller, sleuth of size who doesn’t apologize: Larger Than Death, Large Target, At Large and A Ton of Trouble. I practice Buddhism (Nichiren Shoshu). My late husband was a chess master and I wrote my first novel at chess tournaments.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
Gravitas: Valkyrie in the Forbidden Zone came from two ideas and my own, as usual, contrarian reaction to them. One was a book by Carl Jung,, Flying Saucers : A Modern Myth of Things Seen in the Skies. He suggested that we are witnessing the formation of a religion in the shape of the UFO craze. The other was reading paranormal romances where the heroine has many lovers (just can’t help herself). I thought, what if that was the rule, and women who only wanted one husband were mistrusted. Then it was a matter of turning the world upside down in the book, which is one of my favorite parts of writing!

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
Only my stubborn refusal to follow advice. I’ve tried many times to find a more rational, organized way of writing, only to realize that chaos, confusion and self-doubt seem to be part of my process and I’ll only waste my time fighting them.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
I saw a college production of Hamlet when I was 15 and I fell in love with William Shakespeare (also the character of Hamlet and the actor playing him, of course). That was also the year I had one of those moments of revelation when someone left a copy of T.H. White’s The Once and Future King and said I could read it. Other encounters that changed my life: binge reading all the Jane Austen books while recovering from surgery, finding William Goldman’s The Princess Bride while trying to escape from a parade in Hawaii. Growing up it was Louisa May Alcott, Mark Twain, Jack London. I read a lot of books about horses and I remember the cover of Walter Farley’s The Black Stallion and Flame had letters children had written asking him to write the book and it impressed me that such a dialog could take place.

What are you working on now?
I’m working on a sequel to Gravitas called Valkyrie on Planet Fury, wherein the heroine, Sybil, gets an offer she can’t refuse from the Valkyrian’s cousins, the Furies.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I’m learning a lot from other authors on Facebook and Twitter, and there’s always a lot more to learn!

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Everyone is different, so what worked for me might not for someone else. I have a framed quote on my wall above my computer from the playwright Ferenc Molnar, “Shakespeare was a genius, the rest of us must simply strive to be honest.”

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

What are you reading now?
The Real Jane Austen: A Life in Small Things by Paula Byrne

What’s next for you as a writer?
I’m having fun spinning stories about worlds where things work differently than ours, ideally I hope to be able to entertain others in the process.

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?
Definitely, the Complete Works of Shakespeare, the Major Writings of Nichiren Daishonin, the Complete Works of Jane Austen, and maybe Harold Bloom’s The Best Poems of the English Language: From Chaucer Through Robert Frost–I liked his essays on Shakespeare–he appreciates Falstaff, which many critics do not–but the rule is I could only choose a few and this book has 1008 pages of wonderful poetry, which would help pass time on a desert island.

Author Websites and Profiles
Lynne Murray Website
Lynne Murray Amazon Profile

Lynne Murray’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile
Facebook Profile
Twitter Account
Pinterest Account

Lynne Murray is a post from Awesome Gang

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I always have a hard time with this question. I never know what to say about myself. Well, I’m an author of mostly horror fiction. I live in North Bay, Ontario, Canada. I have four children and a fiancee, which means I will soon have a step-child as well. I currently have three books in print: A zombie novel called Burnt Ashes, Haunted Whispers which is a short story collection, and a non-horror novel called Flushed.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
Haunted Whispers is technically my latest book, but it was also my first published. I self-published it three years ago and then my current publisher decided to re-release it under their banner. Since it’s a collection of short stories, the book has a wide range of influences. Mostly, the stories are all based on life experiences in one way or another, then exaggerated to make it into a horror story.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I think the act of writing is unusual enough. Human beings, for the most part, are social creatures. For someone to quarantine themselves from family and friends to spend hours on end in complete solitude to work on something which may or may not be successful is unusual. Barring that, I don’t think there’s anything different in my writing habits. I tend to not listen to music as it is distracting. I write in the evenings mostly, once my kids are in bed.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
Oh God…too many to name. The first major influence on me as a kid were the Hardy Boy books. I read and re-read all the books in that series I could get my hands on. I even tried writing a similar book when I was eleven or twelve. After that, I got into Stephen King. Douglas Clegg is another major influence. His prose stimulates the imagination like you wouldn’t believe. Same thing with Clive Barker. Brian Keene is a definite must-read for aspiring horror authors. Outside of Stephen King, you’d be hard-pressed to find an author as good at character development as he is. Edward Lee for versatility. He writes mass-market books that will chill you to the bone, but his small press work will disgust you and gross you out, but make you want to come back for more. Graham Masterton is one of my all-time favorites. He’s been around for decades and keeps pumping out brilliant masterpieces. Talk about versatility. Writing doesn’t get any more diverse than Masterton’s stuff.

I could keep going but I’d be here forever. I would be remiss however if I didn’t mention my good friend Thom Erb. We got into the writing game around the same time and I was reading a lot of his work back then. I think we influenced each other a lot in those days.

What are you working on now?
I’m reworking an older novella called Little Angels. I published it last year and decided to re-work it. I’m expanding it a bit. There’s still room for development. It’s going to have a new cover as well. I’m hoping to have it out by October but I have a short story due first, so that’s my main priority at the moment.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I’m still trying to figure that out. Promoting my work is definitely not my strong suit. I’m learning as I go.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Write whatever you want. Don’t follow trends or write what everybody else is writing. When people ask me for writing advice, I give them the two best pieces of advice I got. The first is from Ed Lee: “Write the book you want to read but no one else is writing.” The second is from Jack Ketchum: “Ass to chair, fingers to keyboard.”

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
See above.

What are you reading now?
I’m at the stage where I’m deciding what to read next. I have a collection of about 1000 books (not including what’s on my Kindle) so it’s always hard to decide. I’m leaning toward Blood Related by William Cook. If you’re not reading his work, you darn well should be.

What’s next for you as a writer?
Getting Little Angels out into the world. After that, I have a few ideas I’m tinkering with for books. One is a quiet ghost story and the other is a violent demon takes over the town kind of story.

If you were going to be stranded on a desert island and allowed to take 3 or 4 books with you what books would you bring?
Well, that’s definitely a hard one. It would have to be 3 or 4 books I haven’t read yet. I’ve been meaning to get back to reading Stephen King. I’m embarrassed to say I haven’t read any of his books since high-school, so maybe I’d bring a few of his latest to help me catch up.

Author Websites and Profiles
Joseph Mulak Website
Joseph Mulak Amazon Profile

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

Joseph Mulak is a post from Awesome Gang

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
THE LINCOLN PENNY may be my debut novel, but I have been writing literally all my life. I began writing for pleasure at a young age, then honed my skills as a professional copywriter with over 25 years’ experience in the field of Marketing. In addition, I am a graphic artist by trade, which allowed me to design my own book cover. History is a lifelong passion for me as well. As an avid Civil War reenactor, I have participated in Civil War era events held at national battlefields and heritage sites throughout the East Coast of the United States.

In between writing and traveling to historic battlegrounds and forts, I am a devoted grandmother. I find time to ride my Harley and camp with my husband. Bob is a wonderful supporter in everything I do. I may be retired, but I am busier than ever.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
They say the most effective writers write about what they know. In my case, I would say that is absolutely true. My debut novel, THE LINCOLN PENNY, breathes life into a period of American history, the Civil War, because I have lived it myself. As a reenactor, who assumes the persona of a proper American lady living during 1861 – 1865, I have a chance to honor and study history and teach others what it was like back then. Civil War reenactors are very serious about authenticity and present the most realistic impression possible to the public. I know what it’s like to awaken at the crack of dawn to a bugle’s razor-sharp call to Reveille or to recoil from the powerful blast of cannon fire. I have walked among Gothic archways in massive brick fortifications and danced the Virginia Reel at a soiree. I have camped amid a sea of white canvas in a simple A-tent on a barren hillside dotted with crackling campfires. Sometimes it feels so real you think you’re there.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I would describe myself as an immersive writer. For me the experience is all consuming, day and night. I don’t know how unusual it is, but I would say my favorite times are pecking away at the keys on my laptop in an overstuffed pink, rocker recliner from my granddaughter’s nursery at sunrise with my morning coffee. It’s a great way to start the day.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
Off the top of my head, classic H.G. Wells, “The Time Machine” and modern-day Diana Gabaldon, “Outlander” Series are inspiring reads. For American history, I am also captivated by two remarkable writers, Michael Shaara and Jeff Shaara and their Civil War Trilogy: “Gods & Generals,” “Killer Angels” and “The Last Full Measure.” And, there are so many more!

What are you working on now?
Readers say they are looking forward to Book 2. So I am currently working on “Casemate 8″ which is a continuation of The Lincoln Penny Time Travel Series. The story continues the lives of the characters from Book 1 with new and intriguing people, exciting twists and turns in the plot, and introducing even more historical figures, places and events from the Civil War period.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I would say number one right now is “Awesomegang,” which offers me a wonderful opportunity to connect with readers. I appreciate this site. Other methods are through Kindle Direct Publishing, Twitter, Facebook and special groups on Facebook for authors.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
It’s a great adventure … never give up on your dream.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
“There is nothing to writing. All you do is sit down at a typewriter and bleed.” –Ernest Hemingway

What are you reading now?
Diana Gabaldon’s eighth book in the “Outlander” Series: “Written In My Own Heart’s Blood”

What’s next for you as a writer?
Write, write, write. Read, read, read. However, in all seriousness … I may be able to create an intriguing story and publish a great book, but it is ultimately the reader that gives it life. So, a huge thank you to all my readers! As long as they say they are entertained and encourage me on, all the better.

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?
Oh my goodness. I’m afraid I would have to select something practical like “how to survive on a desert island” or “how to build a raft.” But, to answer your questions: Gone With the Wind, Shogun and Life of Pi

Author Websites and Profiles
Barbara Best Website
Barbara Best Amazon Profile

Barbara Best’s Social Media Links
Facebook Profile
Twitter Account

Barbara Best is a post from Awesome Gang