Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
Although I was born in England I am from Cyprus. Being a psychologist I began writing books on psychology and then felt the intense desire to venture into writing fiction. Being a good story teller, I want to write books that affect the heart as well as the mind. Unfortunately, my English humour follows me everywhere I go! and you will see a little of this in my books. When I tell a story, I like to blend tragedy with heart-warming elements.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
When Shadows fall. It is the second book in the ‘Man from the Yard’ Series. My inspiration for writing it is several personal, but dark, stories I had heard from some friends of mine.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I do not write anything down or outline anything (except names) when I write. It’s all up there! (he said, pointing to his head and smiling.)

What authors, or books have influenced you?
Dostoyevski (especially Brothers Karamazov)
Sir Gawain and the Green Knight (by an unknown author)
Shakespeare (Twelfth Night)

What are you working on now?
When Shadows Fall part II

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I have only recently began exploring this. Up till now I have been focusing on writing so I couldn’t really say. Sorry!

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Don’t sit down to write on days when you feel you don’t “feel it”. If you not in the “zone” better not to write, because if you push and pressure yourself to write when your like this, this will detract from the quality. Even if you’ve set a “finish by” date, don’t push it if you don’t feel at least a minimal flow.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Edit your book a minimum of four times.

What are you reading now?
My books!!

What’s next for you as a writer?
To write books in other genres apart from suspense thrillers. I have a drama and a romance story in mind, both waiting to be put on paper.

If you were going to be stranded on a desert island and allowed to take 3 or 4 books with you what books would you bring?
The Bible.

Author Websites and Profiles
Marios Savva Amazon Profile

Marios Savva’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile
Facebook Profile
Twitter Account

Marios Savva is a post from Awesome Gang

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I was formerly a chartered psychologist, an expert witness for the last fourteen years. I have met some interesting people in dramatic situations!
So far I have written five novels, but only the first two of a trilogy are published, the third to come shortly. The other two novels, both psychological dramas, need more work before they are ready.
As for short stories, I have many choking up my computer. Those that were humorous and featured self-obsessed women, I turned into a collection called Me-Time Tales, tea breaks for mature women and curious men. (Male readers are equal to female.)
Then there is the series of Crime Shorts I am putting on Kindle only. All my other work is in paper back as well as ebooks.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
My latest book is called Speechless. It’s about a comfortable, professional family whose young daughter suddenly stops talking and the devastating effect this has on all the family members.

I am not sure how this came about. I think it was the notion of one event upturning a situation that had seemed perfect, at least to outsiders.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
No. I can keep going for ages once I’m started. I don’t seem to have Writer’s Block, but I am disorganized. Scrivener, recently purchased, may be my lifesaver.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
Faye Weldon. Anne Fine. DH Lawrence. Barbara Vine.

What are you working on now?
The third book of my trilogy, A Relative Invasion, called Impact. It’s post-war and the two boys who have gone through the war years develop their rivalry further, now they are adolescent.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I have yet to learn this.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Persist. Keep to your own voice, find your own way and stick with what works for you.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Back up your work in three different ways.

What are you reading now?
Wolf Hall. It’s been on my bedside table too long.

What’s next for you as a writer?
Get to grips with Scrivener and

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 Ragged Trousered Philosophers.
An Artist of the Floating World.
The Diary of a Nobody
Disgrace

Author Websites and Profiles
Rosalind Minett Website

Rosalind Minett is a post from Awesome Gang

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
Hi! My name is Ashley Capes and I’m a writer from Australia.

After publishing in the poetry world for the last thirteen or so years I wanted to explore fiction and started publishing epic fantasy, contemporary fantasy and my latest work (my fifth book) – is a supernatural thriller called Crossings. I set most of my stories in Oz because that’s where I’m most confident in writing, but I always end up compelled to add something beyond the everyday world in my stories.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
‘Crossings’ is a supernatural thriller inspired by the Australian alpine bush and the idea of a giant, mythical white kangaroo. I’ve always been drawn to native animals and settings and the mysteries of nature – how cruel it seems for an albino kangaroo to be born, when it makes them so vulnerable.

There’s also a sub-plot of domestic violence. My main character Lisa is a wildlife ranger who has to fight off the attention of her ex, who has returned to her town. When researching the role, I was reminded and disgusted that her experience would not be uncommon for women all over the world, but also that for a so-called ‘developed nation’ Australia’s rate of violence against women was very high.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I tend to work with music – especially heavy metal. Some folks might find that odd I think – though I also listen to a lot of classical and jazz while writing too.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
Basho, Jack Kerouac, Haruki Murakami, Raymond E Fiest and Brandon Sanderson come to mind right away.

What are you working on now?
Right now I’m charging through the first draft of ‘Greatmask’ – Book 3 of the Bone Mask Trilogy. I’m hoping to bring the story to a big finish. I’m feeling a bit of pressure to make sure I don’t let my readers down – but that’s normal, so I don’t mind in the end

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
Possibly to write more books – and to write a series, if you feel comfortable exploring a story-line or characters over multiple books, of course.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Read widely and indiscriminately – there’s so much work out there in so many forms that you never know where you’ll find a story that results in true joy, personal growth or deep inspiration. Try not to stick to one genre or form only.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
In regards to writing, the best advice has been this: to find my own method of operation and not to listen when someone – especially other writers – say that there is ‘only my way’ when it comes to writing. Telling someone who works best as a ‘pantser’ that ‘only plotting works’ is rubbish, every writer has to learn their own methodology.

What are you reading now?
Fool Moon by Jim Butcher and To Kill a Mockingbird.

What’s next for you as a writer?
Either a ‘weird-thriller’ which is meant to be a little more surreal than my first book ‘The Fairy Wren’, or diving into finishing my epic fantasy series ‘Never’ which follows a man struggling to learn his identity and the reason behind the curse on his blood.

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?
Tough question!

‘Hogfather’ by Terry Pratchett, because I ALWAYS laugh when I read it

An omnibus edition of ‘The Lord of the Rings’ so I can get 3 in 1

and a complete encyclopedia.

Author Websites and Profiles
Ashley Capes Website
Ashley Capes Amazon Profile

Ashley Capes’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile
Twitter Account

Ashley Capes is a post from Awesome Gang

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I was born in Liverpool but left as a teenager and I now live on Ireland’s amazing Wild Atlantic Way.

I share my life with my husband, one gorgeous rescued German Shepherd with attachment disorder, one tiny rescued Jack Russell pup who enjoys chewing on laptop leads, ten hens who regularly escape to visit the neighbour’s gardens, and two lucky ducks.

I spend most of my time making up stories, and after spending many years in admin jobs I am happy to admit I find the fictional world preferable to the office world.

I have been widely published in various magazines and newspapers and my short stories won many prizes in Ireland.

I have also written for film and television and have written, produced and directed short films and documentary in Ireland.

At the moment I have one adult novel out. The novel is called ‘Piggy Monk Square’ and several others in progress. ‘Piggy Monk Square’ was originally published by Tindal Street Press in the UK and when the rights reverted to me I republished it on Amazon.
‘Piggy Monk Square’ was shortlisted for the Commonwealth Writers’ Prize, optioned for film and broadcast on RTE’s Book on One.

I also used to write regularly for a children’s radio show here in Ireland until the program was axed and the writing team, myself included, was replaced with a talking dog – I think the dog worked cheaper!

This galvanized me into finding a new outlet for my work and so I started adapting my children’s stories from radio fiction to the written word and began publishing them as short stories on Amazon.

When I am not making things up I love walking around the country lanes and seashore where I live. My love of nature and its natural magic inspires my Ballyyahoo series of children’s stories.

Ballyyahoo is a fictional town in a secret location somewhere along Ireland’s Wild Atlantic Way. You can visit this magical place, and see my personal photographs and get free stories at:
www.ballyyahoo.com

As well as the Ballyyahoo stories, I write a wide selection of children’s stories, which can be enjoyed by all the family.

For more information about all my children’s stories you can visit:
www.wildatlanticstories.com

I used to enjoy teaching creative writing, but now I prefer teaching through my website for creative writers at www.practicalcreativewriting.com.

I love gardening and grow my own vegetables and flowers. I blog about my efforts to tame my wild Galway garden at www.gracelikestogarden.com

I love hearing from readers so if you leave a comment, say hello, or ask a question on any of my websites I will always do my very best to reply.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
The idea of writing Piggy Monk Square emerged long before I actually wrote it and it was at the forefront of my mind when I returned to college as a mature student to study film and television.
I had a long bus journey to get to the college so I began using this ‘down’ time to write Piggy Monk Square.  I remember I wrote in some cheap yellow notebooks I got free every time I spent more than £5 in the local supermarket!

THE EDGE
At the time I was a very skint single mother and had no computer at home so I used the college computer to type it up at break times but I wasn’t happy with the results. I couldn’t get the central spine of the story right and I knew I needed more time to focus on it.
I was very busy trying to juggle my college work with free-lance writing jobs and sometimes having to resort to door-to-door selling to get the money to pay the electric bills. (Worst job ever – although I did sell a magazine to ‘The Edge’ from U2 one time.) In the end I had to leave the book aside and get on with everything else.

THE ONE THAT WOULDN’T GO AWAY
But, the story became one that would not go away, no matter how hard I tried and there was part of me didn’t want to write it. Eventually I got round to doing it, and in keeping with the atmosphere of the book, I re-wrote and typed up the story in a damp bare-brick shed at the back of my house in County Wicklow.

Although it is a work of pure fiction, there was a specific incident that inspired the book. Like the book, it all happened in a derelict house in Toxteth. I was around nine or ten years old. My little friends and I had made a hiding place so we could play hide and seek, eat sweets, and swap comics away from adults.
One day, we were engrossed in reading our comic when two policemen marched in to the building – they found us, searched us and threatened dire consequences if they found us there again.
These two grown men were rough as they searched us, and verbally intimidating. They treated us small children like we were hardened criminals.

JUST LIKE SPARRA
Just like my fictional character, Sparra, we were absolutely terrified. Even worse, the police also confiscated our sweets. Unbelievable now but sadly true. They were bad times for that area of Liverpool.
I had nightmares about these men for weeks. Like Sparra, I could never tell my Mum because she would have been annoyed that I was playing in the derelict house.

BAD POLICEMEN
Although the behaviour of these two policemen was outrageous I have to thank them – without that unforgettable incident I might never have written Piggy Monk Square.

Piggy Monk Square went on to be published by Tindal Street Press and was optioned by Willy Russell’s film company on the same day as the launch. It was also adapted for Radio by RTE’s ‘The Book On One.’
‘Piggy Monk Square’ was shortlisted for the ‘Commonwealth Writer’s Prize and was on BBC’s recommended ‘Raw Reads’ list.
Later, Willy Russell commissioned me to adapt and write a full-length feature film script of Piggy Monk Square.

DREAM ON
Like many optioned books it never did get made into a film. I wasn’t too disappointed because my own experience in the film world had already taught me that very few scripts get made. Still, it’s always nice to dream.
As years went by the book gradually disappeared from the shelves as most books do. But the advent of the eBook heralded a whole new lease of life for books and when the publishing rights reverted to me I decided to republish it as an eBook with a new cover.

PIGGY MONK SQUARE – RENEWED
Bringing out the new version of Piggy Monk Square brought forth old memories. Like all memories some are good, some not so. But it’s all okay, memories are what makes a writer want to write but it’s up to us how the story ends.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
Not too many. I just like to have lots of tea to hand and lately I prefer to be alone, although in the past I have written in many unusual places – even on a bus.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
I admire a great many authors and read a great deal. I can’t say that there is one particular author that influenced me as I feel they all did. I have a particular admiration for authors who publish regularly as I know what hard work that must be.

What are you working on now?
I am currently finishing a novel set in Ireland and outlining another. I write every day and sometimes my projects overlap.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
To be honest I think marketing and promoting are my weak-spots and I am learning as I go along. However, Awesomegang has been highly recommended to me on a number of occasions and I am confident that it will prove to be a winner.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Yes, I think the most important thing is to write regularly – like any new skill writing takes practice.
Make appointments with yourself to write and don’t let anyone stop you – it’s your life and if you truly want to write then there’s nobody stopping you but you.
I have lots more advice on my site for writers – www.practicalcreativewriting.com

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Write, write, write – now!

What are you reading now?
I am currently reading Freedom by Jonathan Franzen.

What’s next for you as a writer?
My next project is to produce audio versions of my novels and stories.

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?
Why Be Happy When You Could Be Normal
by Jeanette Winterson

Awareness by Anthony de Mello

East of Eden by John Steinbeck

Author Websites and Profiles
Grace Jolliffe Website
Grace Jolliffe Amazon Profile
Grace Jolliffe Author Profile on Smashwords

Grace Jolliffe’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile
Facebook Profile
Pinterest Account

Grace Jolliffe is a post from Awesome Gang

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I was a songwriter in Los Angeles for 35 years. Writing is expanding for me, so a song just couldn’t hold me any longer. One day, I wrote a book and that was that, I was hooked. Now I’ve written eleven books and over two dozen short stories. One of my novels has snatches of lyrics woven into the plot. Just to be silly, I wrote a complete album of songs for the fictitious band and include them in the back of the book.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
While my latest release is MARS QUAKE, inspired by two of my own short stories that didn’t seem complete, my most recent project is a trilogy, three books of a series: Adventures of a Space Bum.
What began as a story about a male hero having adventures aboard an automated space vessel evolved into a tale of a female hero who makes the computer of an automated repair vessel her friend. The ADVENTURES OF A SPACE BUM trilogy will be released November 14th.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
Sometimes I will dream my next conversation, chapter or even a new character. When that happens, I will begin writing immediately and often find myself late in the afternoon, still at the keyboard in my pajamas. I call it “Taking dictation.” When my characters are helping to write the book, I can write it in nothing flat. I once wrote a NaNoWriMo book, supposed to take 30 days, in eleven days. I looked up and the book was done – it was November 11th. Whew!

What authors, or books have influenced you?
William Burroughs and James Patterson have been the biggest influences on my writing. Burroughs because he wrote everything and was as fantastic as he wanted. Patterson taught me to write short, punchy chapters and end it on a cliff-hanger. I’m still learning – it’s an ongoing process.

What are you working on now?
I am editing my third book of the Adventures of a Space Bum series. Once that is done, or possibly before, I will begin on book 4 or perhaps take a break and write something else. That’s how Mars Quake got written, I just said, “And now, something completely different.” and began another book.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I’m still researching that. Facebook seems to have a lot of sites for that sort of thing.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Don’t edit! Write your book, push on through to the end of the story as excitedly as you can and as feverish as you can manage. Once done, then edit. Hemingway wrote: “Write drunk. Edit sober.” I’m not recommending you get drunk, just that you write with joy and abandon, not caring about the small stuff. Later you can edit sober. That’s the real work of writing.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
I just gave it to you: Write Drunk, Edit Sober. Hemingway.

What are you reading now?
Three books by friends of mine. When I am writing, I don’t read for fear of sounding like the other author. Once done, I read everything I can get my hands on. I have a Kindle, a Nook and print books all over the house.

What’s next for you as a writer?
November is National Novel Writing Month (http://nanowrimo.org). November 14th is the launch of my three book series (three so far). But I have in mind a story about a fellow finding himself in the street in his underwear and nowhere to turn. I wonder what happens to him and what he does about it. Stay tuned.

If you were going to be stranded on a desert island and allowed to take 3 or 4 books with you what books would you bring?
A dictionary, because it all starts there. The Penguin Dictionary of Epigrams. The complete Shakespear collection and the complete works of Agatha Christie. That should hold me.

Author Websites and Profiles
Jon Batson Website
Jon Batson Amazon Profile

Jon Batson’s Social Media Links
Facebook Profile
Twitter Account
Pinterest Account

Jon Batson is a post from Awesome Gang

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I’ve probably started a million books, but have successfully self-published two of them.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
After having watched The Voice on NBC for several seasons, I finally happened to notice how handsome the judge on the far left of my screen was. Adam Levine? Who the hell was Adam Levine? I immediately turned to my best friend, Google, and asked him. I was inundated with a plethora of images, websites, and information. That very night, I had a wonderful dream in which I was introduced to the sexy Mr. Levine. Hence, The Widow and the Rock Star was born. After taking a year and a half to write, rewrite, edit, and re-edit the manuscript, it was published on July 31, 2014. Being told that I needed to have a “series” by many other writers in the know, I sat back down at the keyboard to hash out another story. I wasn’t able to really think of another idea for a full length novel about the characters from Rock Star, so I decided, instead, to write another story about another Widow. Over the course of the next year, I gave birth to The Widow and the Will. Now that it is available to the world, I’m hashing out the final book in the “group” (notice, I don’t say series) called The Widow and the Orphan.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
Only that I work best under pressure. I’ll give myself deadlines and then ignore them until it’s days or even hours before them, and then I write like mad to make sure I don’t disappoint myself.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
I’m a huge fan of Stephen King, even though I don’t write in the horror genre. I adore Maya Angelou, Terri Morrison, Terry McMillan, and I am also completely enamored by many contemporary authors like Jennifer Crusie, Jennifer Weiner, and Patricia Gaffney. I have discovered quite a few indie authors I love as well, including Mary E. Twomey, Madeline Freeman, Sara-Beth Cole, Rachel Schurig, Andy Lockwood, and Parker J. Cole.

What are you working on now?
I’m currently writing the last in my group of “widow” novels, to be called The Widow and the Orphan.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Just put the pen to the page. Or the fingers to the keyboard. There is no such word or phrase as “I can’t.” It just doesn’t exist. If you want to write, you will. If you love to write, you will. Go deep within yourself and don’t let anyone stop you, if it’s really what you want. Don’t worry if it takes a long time. I’ve been writing since I was four and it took me almost forty years to publish. It’s not about money or fame or any of that. It’s about the love of the craft and wanting to do it more than anything else.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Shut up and write. I was taking a creative writing class through the adult community education department in my local county and when I complained about the topic for a timed writing exercise, the instructor looked at me and said, “Shut up and write.”

What are you reading now?
I don’t tend to read while I’m trying to write because I’m afraid I’ll be influenced by the book in my head. When I’m in the editing or revision stage, I will devour a dozen books in a few weeks time to cleanse my pallet of my own work. The last time I was able to read, I finished The Vemreaux series by Mary Twomey, Empty Hallways by Andy Lockwood, Many Strange Women by Parker Cole, and Mr. Mercedes by Stephen King.

What’s next for you as a writer?
Business as usual. Just to keep writing. Even if an idea I start with doesn’t pan out, chances are, there are several million behind it. One of ’em is bound to stick and I’ll run away with it.

If you were going to be stranded on a desert island and allowed to take 3 or 4 books with you what books would you bring?
The Stand by Stephen King, A Knight in Shining Armor by Jude Deveraux, anything by Maya Angelou, and Lonesome Dove by Larry McMurtry.

Author Websites and Profiles
J. Thomas-Like Website
J. Thomas-Like Amazon Profile

J. Thomas-Like’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile
Facebook Profile
Twitter Account

J. Thomas-Like is a post from Awesome Gang

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I’ve always loved writing although I only published to inspire my son who was sure I’d never done anything as hard as his gifted classes. I call writing cheap therapy and highly recommend it. I’m married to my best friend of 22 years and have three kids and five cats to show for it. I’ve written six novels and published four Unbreakable Love, Shackled, Becoming Bryn and spring 2015 The Secret Keeper which will be my first series. All of these are young adult because teenagers get to have all the fun!

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
The Secret Keeper was my latest release. As for what inspired it, our lovely imperfect human nature. One day I was walking down the stairs and I thought “what if there was a powerful creature that could erase our stupid choices….and that’s how The Secret Keeper came into existance.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
With five cats that all follow me around, I often have a cat sitting on my lap or desk while I type away:)

What authors, or books have influenced you?
Madeline Le Engle and A Wrinkle in Time is my most favorite book!

What are you working on now?
I am only a few chapters away from finishing the second book in the Secret Series. The Secret Keeper is the first book. I’m so excited to be so close to completing the second book in this intense and surprising series! I’ve also begun work on a lighter series of three books. Book one will be called 5 days 5 kisses and boasts characters that you wish could be your best friend.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
Promoting seems to be an evolutionary experience. Lately, I ‘ve been using great sites like ENT or Robin Reads to get the word out when I’m having a sale or promotion, although my favorite way to reach readers is still to talk to them in person or work with a blogger directly. It’s not very efficient but it lets me feel the effect my work has directly and I love the friends that I make!

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Plan for the long haul. For most of us, getting know is a very long, like i mean years long process. Especially if you have a limited budget. Also, the author community can be a great support. Writing is the fun part, getting it seen, not as much. Still, with time and determination, you will learn to love the process, not just the finished product.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Keep your sense of humor. It’s critical!

What are you reading now?
I just finished a book called Shadow of the Hawk written by an Indie Author. The writing was top notch and the story was engaging. I love trying out Indie authors. There is so much talent out there, it is fun to discover it in unexpected places.

What’s next for you as a writer?
I’m going to write the third book in The Secret Series and then to get into the girl-in-ess of it all, I’m going to write 5 days 5 kisses!

If you were going to be stranded on a desert island and allowed to take 3 or 4 books with you what books would you bring?
Scriptures, The Cat Who Came for Christmas, okay never mind, I’d load up my kindle and take a solar panel to charge it:)

Author Websites and Profiles
Angela Carling Website
Angela Carling Amazon Profile
Angela Carling Author Profile on Smashwords

Angela Carling’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile
Facebook Profile
Twitter Account

Angela Carling is a post from Awesome Gang

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I’m an adventurer, and a political activist who practiced law for over 30 years. I’m now working on my eighth novel and have written two non-fiction books.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
. In my latest novel, “Killer.com,” I thought it may be interesting to examine the possibility of an Internet bully or cyber mob hiring a hit man anonymously through the Internet. I thought that this would be a unique idea, but, upon delving into the macabre world of the Dark Net, I realized that it was not. Most of the sites where I found for murder-for-hire were probably scams or were set up by law enforcement to catch would-be conspirators, but the concept is definitely not an original one. However, the story is original and I think you will like it.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
That depends what you mean by unusual. I like to weave my stories around an important issue, like police brutality, The Patriot Act, or bank fraud, for example. That way, the reader comes away not only having read an exciting story, but with more knowledge than they had before they picked up the book.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
My favorite books are the classics, by authors like Oscar Wilde, Charles Dickens, and John Steinbeck. I also like Ray Bradbury. Currently, I am influenced by the writers in my own genre, like Paul Levine. I love his use of language and wry sense of humor.

What are you working on now?
You might call it a labor of love. Several years ago, my dad was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease. He gave me an unfinished manuscript of his and asked me to work on it. It was his first attempt at writing meta fiction, but the manuscript was mostly non-fiction. It’s called “Terror on Wall Street” and will be released this December. My dad has already forgotten about it. I hope he’ll enjoy reading it.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I have tried almost all of them. Book Bub is by far the best. I have had two promotions with them — one in the U.S. and one in the UK, Canada and India. Both of the promotions increased sales. For 99 cent promotions, I like Buck Books, followed by E Reader News Today and Bargain Booksy.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Don’t be discouraged by negative reviews. People are going to love your work and they are going to hate it. That is just the way it is and it doesn’t mean that there is something wrong with it. Do listen to criticism, because it can help you improve, but ignore outright negativity. It stunts the creative process.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
“When they give you lined paper, write the other way.” That is the epigraph of Farenheit 451 and is attributed to Juan Ramon Jimenez.

What are you reading now?
“Bum Rap” by Paul Levine

What’s next for you as a writer?
After “Terror on Wall Street,” I will see how the wind blows and probably write Book Six of the Brent Marks Legal Thriller Series. We will have to see what kind of case Brent Marks gets next.

If you were going to be stranded on a desert island and allowed to take 3 or 4 books with you what books would you bring?
I would bring my Kindle with an electric generator.

Author Websites and Profiles
Kenneth Eade Website
Kenneth Eade Amazon Profile

Kenneth Eade’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile
Twitter Account
Pinterest Account

Kenneth Eade is a post from Awesome Gang

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I have always loved all things spooky and that’s why I enjoy incorporating paranormal elements in my writing. I have written eight books, four of which are currently published. The others are in various stages of the editing process.
I also love exploring new places. When I’m not writing (which isn’t often), I am on vacation or traipsing around local spots of interest for fun. I’ve been to some really interesting places like a bat conservatory, amazing waterfalls and underground caverns.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
My characters live in my mind. They talk and are mischievous, even after the story is written. Each time I write a new story, a character other than the hero will intrigue me. My next book usually ends up featuring that captivating person. That is how my latest book, Deadly Alpha, was inspired. When I finished writing Alpha Mine, one of the secondary characters, the fun-loving Marcus Botticelli, had my attention. I had to give him his own story which became Deadly Alpha.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
My writing habits include: A cup of coffee. My laptop. A cup of coffee. A quiet place to settle in. Some coffee. Pictures of the characters and the setting open on my computer. Oh and did I mention coffee? (I’m a total addict and can’t write without it.)

What authors, or books have influenced you?
I’d have to say Christine Feehan and J.R. Ward are my two biggest influences. I was introduced to adult paranormal romances by Ms. Feehan’s work and it was love at first read. While J.R. Ward’s stories inspired me to write my own series.

What are you working on now?
Currently I’m working on book 4 of my Alpha Council Chronicles series. Book 3, Alpha Lover, has gone to the editor and I’m waiting to receive her suggested revisions, so while I wait, I am working on book 4.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I wish I knew. I use a variety of mediums to promote such as social media, blogs, as well as, advertising on websites and in the newspaper. There isn’t one that stands out. Each time my story is mentioned somewhere, I feel like it is helpful.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Get a good book on grammar and writing proper dialog. (You’ll be surprised how often it’ll come in handy.) Then go for your dreams and keep working until you achieve them.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Join a writers group. I have learned so much from talking to other authors. Through my writers groups, I have taken classes to improve my writing, and listened to amazing presentations on marketing and writing. I even signed my first publishing contract because of a submission request that came in a mass email for my writers group. Every writer should belong to some groups.

What are you reading now?
DW Adler has a new story out called Dance Macabre. It’s a short story that is dark and twisted. I’m loving it!

What’s next for you as a writer?
I’ll continue writing my Alpha Council Chronicles series. As of now, we have planned for there to be eight books in the series. However, my publisher and I are always open to expanding the series if the fans want more.

If you were going to be stranded on a desert island and allowed to take 3 or 4 books with you what books would you bring?
I would bring my favorite stories from my favorite series: Dark Guardian from Christine Feehan’s Dark Series, Dark Lover from JR Ward’s Black Dagger Brotherhood series and Demon from the Dark from Kresley Cole’s Immortals After Dark Series

Author Websites and Profiles
Brenda Sparks Website
Brenda Sparks Amazon Profile
Brenda Sparks Author Profile on Smashwords

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

Brenda Sparks is a post from Awesome Gang

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
Karl Beckstrand is the award-winning author of 15 books and more than 40 online titles. Raised in San Jose, CA, he received a B.A. in journalism from BYU, an M.A. in international relations from APU, and a certificate in broadcasting & film. A bilingual publisher and media instructor, Beckstrand speaks about both traditional and digital publishing. He has lived abroad and enjoys volleyball and kayaking (usually not at the same time). Beckstrand’s nationally-lauded ebook mysteries, nonfiction, and Spanish/bilingual books feature characters of color—and usually end with a twist. His work has appeared in: Barnes & Noble, Border’s Books, Deseret Book, Costco, Kindle/Nook/iBooks, Amazon, The Children’s Miracle Network, LDS Film Festival, U.S. Congressional Record, and Papercrafts Magazine.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
To Swallow the Earth (Suspense) A man and a woman, each searching for missing family members, clash amid a Nevada silver rush scheme that leaves both unsure who to trust—and scrambling to stay alive. (My latest kid’s book is The Dancing Flamingos of Lake Chimichanga).

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I was going to say yes, but aren’t any writing habits unusual–and unique?

What authors, or books have influenced you?
David McCoullugh, Tolkien, Harper Lee, C.S. Lewis, and Shel Silverstein

What are you working on now?
A biography of an American farm boy turned philosopher/philanthropist (and more Spanish/bilingual picture books)

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I once thought I had a great system for promoting books, but it’s really a learning process. I know that reviews make a great difference in a book’s popularity.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Write every day. Professionally edit every manuscript. And join writer’s groups to network and get feedback.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
“Be wise; what can I say more?”

What are you reading now?
When the Emperer Was Divine by Julie Otsuka

What’s next for you as a writer?
I want to expand a non-fiction book on an immigrant child into a series of books on the subject.

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?
Do trilogies count? The Bible, The Book of Mormon (LDS triple combination), The Lord of the Rings, Complete works of Shakespeare

Author Websites and Profiles
Karl Beckstrand Website
Karl Beckstrand Amazon Profile
Karl Beckstrand Author Profile on Smashwords

Karl Beckstrand’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile
Facebook Profile
Twitter Account
Pinterest Account

Karl Beckstrand is a post from Awesome Gang

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I write paranormal, sci-fi, and fantasy romance. I have wanted to be a writer for as long as I can remember. I write what I enjoy in the hopes that others will enjoy it as well. I’ve always been drawn to the macabre. Vampires, werewolves, you name it. I’ve never written about the paranormal because it’s popular. I do it because that’s what I’m interested in. If the vampire fad ever passes, I’ll still be sitting here in my Dracula cape, getting my fang on.

I write erotic horror under the name T.K. Hardin.

As of right now (September 2015) I’ve written 35 books.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
My latest book is the 4th installment in my Bound by Blood series. It was inspired by my love of vampires, mythology, and a need for adventure. I absolutely loved writing this series.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I can’t write to music like a lot of other people I know. I write well with horror movies playing in the background. I’ve written many stories while Johnny Depp strutted around in Sleepy Hallow. Ha. Ha.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
J. K. Rowling, for her wonderful imagination, and Dean Koontz for his vivid imagery. Every time I read a book of his, I swear it makes me a better writer.

What are you working on now?
I’m working on a 4 part series right now called “There’s No Place,” as in no place like home. It was inspired by my love of werewolves, and growing up in a small southern town.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I’m still working on researching this. I’m always looking for ways to find new readers and spread the word.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Don’t let anyone talk you out of it if this is what you really want to do. Also, don’t believe anyone who says it’s easy.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
An editor told me once that the very best advertisement is writing another good book. That has proved to be true and gotten me through a lot of stressful times. It reminded me to keep on pressing forward and things would work out.

What are you reading now?
Right now I’m reading a guide about how to write monsters.

What’s next for you as a writer?
Next? Hmmm. I’m probably going to start brainstorming ideas for 2017. I like to write ahead as much as possible.

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 Sorcerers Stone, the first book in Dean Koontz’s Frankenstein series, and maybe and an installment or two of the Death Note manga.

Author Websites and Profiles
Tracey H. Kitts Website
Tracey H. Kitts Amazon Profile

Tracey H. Kitts’s Social Media Links
Facebook Profile
Twitter Account
Pinterest Account

Tracey H. Kitts is a post from Awesome Gang

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I was born in 1967 in Brooklyn, NY and lived in Florida since 2000. I am a mental health activist/advocate/suffer. I served in the US Navy 1984-1986. I have two degrees and working on a third at FSU. I have a total of 5 books published.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
Postal Strikes 1890-2014 I am a stamp collector and specalize in postal strikes and wanted to do a handbook for topical collectors

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
no

What authors, or books have influenced you?
Poe, Shakespeare, Twain, Frost,

What are you working on now?
trying to get people to buy my books

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

Do you have any advice for new authors?
do not give up and have your books professionally edited

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

What are you reading now?
books related to my current classes

What’s next for you as a writer?
working on a sequel to this book

If you were going to be stranded on a desert island and allowed to take 3 or 4 books with you what books would you bring?
not sure

Author Websites and Profiles
douglas sandler Website
douglas sandler Amazon Profile
douglas sandler Author Profile on Smashwords

douglas sandler’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile
Facebook Profile
Twitter Account

douglas sandler is a post from Awesome Gang

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I’ve always loved to write. I know that lots of authors say that, and I’m willing to bet that it’s because, like me, they enjoyed reading so much that they just had to create stories of their own!
I actually wear several different writer’s hats, and I’ve written for both adults and children. (About 80+ books for kids, mostly published by Educational Publishers.) I have also written the Busy Writer series; quick guides for writing in various genres.
These days I write mostly for adults. I’ve had a ball writing the Georgie B. Goode Gypsy Caravan Cozy Mystery series (which is set in the world of vintage trailers and retro fashions!) I’m also planning several new series that will feature interesting characters from the Georgie books.
I’m currently writing Book 8 of the Cozy Mystery series.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
My latest book is AS GOOD AS IT GETS, Book 7 of the Georgie B. Goode Gypsy Caravan Cozy Mystery series. This one is set in a circus. As for what inspired it… well, I guess I’m always looking for interesting settings for my books, and I thoroughly enjoyed a visit to Cirque du Soleil – and the two just kind of came together!

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
Unusual. Hmmm.
Something tells me that ‘unusual’ goes with being a writer! But anything I tell you about, someone will already have done it.
I do sometimes use Dragon Naturally Speaking to dictate my books. I go for an early morning walk and sit near a boat ramp looking at the lake while I talk. I call this my ‘walk and talk’. When I told my son that I was doing this, his response was “Cool! You can be known as the crazy lady in the park that talks to herself.”

What authors, or books have influenced you?
HUNDREDS. I’m a voracious reader, but I guess I read more mysteries and thrillers than anything else. I love the Jack Reacher series, and I always enjoy a Nora Roberts book too – now there’s a contrast for you! I also like the Harry Dresden series of paranormal thrillers, so there you go. You can see I have eclectic tastes.

What are you working on now?
I’m working on Book 8 of the Georgie B. Goode series. One of my readers expressed the hope that a mystery would centre on one vintage trailer… so how could I say ‘no’? That’s exactly what is going to happen in this book!

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I tend to use the Kindle free promo days along with promotional sites like Awesome Gang, which connects a lot of potential readers with my books. I like the idea that they get to read a sample, and if they like it, there are lots of other stories waiting in the wings!

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Yes. Write a LOT. The more you write, the better you’ll get, and the more you’ll get into a rhythm. This must go along with making a conscious effort to improve your craft. Keep learning from others, and vow to make each book better than the last.
Listen to Indie podcasts (there are three or four I can think of that are really good) and find out where writers hang out and discuss their craft AND how to sell their books.
Finally, don’t be intimidated by how much there is to learn. Just take on one thing at a time… but remember that the most important thing is to KEEP WRITING. Finish the book. Then finish another book.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
It can be summed up by two acronyms. Yeah, I know we all hate acronyms, but these are good.
They are: BIC (butt in chair) and FOK (fingers on keyboard). If you don’t FINISH a book, you’re going to have a hard time selling it.

What are you reading now?
(Marg goes to check her Kindle) PROVEN GUILTY, The Dresden Files Book Eight, by Jim Butcher.

What’s next for you as a writer?
I’m plotting the spin-off series (2 of them) from the Georgie B. Goode series. I plan to release the first book in the first series in November.

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. That is a TERRIBLE question. What can I read and re-read knowing that this might be my only reading matter for years? (You didn’t say when I’d be rescued, I notice. Or IF I would be rescued.)
I think I’d be smart and take John Wiseman’s SAS Survival Guide for any climate and any situation, because I’d want to survive long enough to be rescued. That’s Book 1.
Book 2: The thickest book of puzzles I could find, with a supply of pencils and erasers so I could re-work them all. Fiction is all very well, but you need something else to fill the days besides figuring out how to trap rainwater and survive tropical storms.
Book 3: The collected works of Nora Roberts. She writes everything from futuristic to edgier thrillers and veg-out romances, so I figure that would fit most moods. (Oh, you say there IS no collected works of Nora Roberts? Maybe we should suggest it to her then…)

Author Websites and Profiles
Marg McAlister Website
Marg McAlister Amazon Profile

Marg McAlister’s Social Media Links Facebook Profile
Pinterest Account

Marg McAlister is a post from Awesome Gang

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I’m a first time writer with tons of experience and passion in the music field. I’m most publicly known for my YouTube channel www.youtube.com/shonsta

I’m less publicly known for my commercial composing career which I have never shared with anyone until now. Reason being that it pays so much money and is a bit of a secret between the few commercial composers who know about it.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
My latest and first book “Money 4 Music” was just released with it’s counterpart book “The Commercial Composing handbook”. I have been composing music for commercials for quite a while and have decided to retire from it and pursue my other life passions now.

Just cutting off such a cool and lucrative secret profession never felt completely right, until one day I realized that I don’t need to be the one hogging all the coolness. I can share my knowledge with others and live on through them. This made me excited and so I wrote the two books to sort of be the two books I wish were available to me back when I was a clueless and penniless musician just like everyone else.

My goal with the two books is to educate those who have drive to see their dreams come to fruition. SO many artists are really good at art, but can’t seem to catch a break or get the inside scoop on the business side of things. The reason I split the book into two books was to keep one focused solely on the business side, and one to educate and jump start the artistic side of commercial composing.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I tend to write with more enthusiasm than most in the instructional field. I’ve read some very good books about music throughout my career and while they were all very informative and well-crafted, it was a chore to get through them. This is why when writing my books I decided to just be candid and make my teaching a bit more conversational rather than instructional. I love to infuse my enthusiasm and make things fun so the reader doesn’t dose or put the book down. Hopefully, I have achieved this

What authors, or books have influenced you?
I draw a lot of my inspiration from self-help authors and books like “The 4 Hour Work Week” by Tim Ferriss, “The Secret” by Rhonda Byrne, “Rich Dad Poor Dad” by Robert Kiyosaki, and anything from Tony Robbins.

What are you working on now?
I’ve become a director in the past few years and that is the reason I have sort of left the commercial composing career behind. Doing mainly commercials and music videos, but I have several film scripts that I plan on executing at some point in this life

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
Time will tell hahaha, but I launched these first two books of mine via Amazon KDP Select. So far so good. It is only day one as I’m writing this and the book is already at number 1 in Music Business”. Which feels awesome!

Do you have any advice for new authors?
My advice for new authors is to just write! If it is something you love, or you have to get something from your brain out and into the world, just do it! *Insert Shia LaBeouf video here.

Ignore the noise of all the outside factors and people. Do what you love to do. As for how to be a good author, I have no idea! I’m just taking my own advice and doing what I feel I need to do to get my knowledge to others and enjoy the journey of learning something new. As for the business of being an author, let’s catch up in a few years

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Trying to please everyone is the quickest path to failure.

What are you reading now?
Mainly my Netflix menu.

What’s next for you as a writer?
Being my first book, I plan to see how this beast works before writing my next book. I have several topics that I am strongly passionate about covering such as photography, anxiety, and more music related topics. I am a bit all over the board, but I have lived a very interesting life and believe I have a lot of helpful things to share

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?
3 or 4 survival guides.

Author Websites and Profiles
Sean Gordon Website

Sean Gordon’s Social Media Links
Facebook Profile
Twitter Account

Sean Gordon is a post from Awesome Gang

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I’m a thirty year old Kentish lad who transplanted himself to Liverpool for university and ended up staying. I’ve just put out my third ebook, and I’m looking to do monthly releases.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
My latest book is “High Moon Rising: The Serpent’s fangs” – the third in it’s series. I’d love to say that there was some deep inspiration behind, but mainly I just find the concept of Werewolf gunslingers to be awesome. The series was originally going to be one standalone short story, and has evolved into an ongoing serial!

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I do my best writing whilst listening to cricket commentary. I don’t know how I’m going to cope now the Ashes has finished!

What authors, or books have influenced you?
Stephen King is a massive influence, but a lot of the humour in my books is influenced by Terry Pratchett’s discworld books and eh fantasy novels of David Eddings.

What are you working on now?
Currently I’m onto the second book of my second series – a spin off of the High Moon Rising books featuring a guild of magicians in Victorian England

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
Other than Awesome Gang? Twitter and Kboards have been invaluable resources in book promotion.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Don;t be afraid to be objective about your work – I wrote a full length High Fantasy novel a while back, re-read it and then binned the entire thing after realising it wasn’t good enough!

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
From my dad in the face of being bullied: “Don’t let the bas**rds get you down!”

What are you reading now?
I’ve just started “The Shepherd’s Crown,” the very last book in the Discworld series.

What’s next for you as a writer?
Plugging away on the latest story in the buildup to a big event I’ve got planned for midway through the next year

If you were going to be stranded on a desert island and allowed to take 3 or 4 books with you what books would you bring?
That’s a hell of a difficult question! I reckon it would have to be “The Gunslinger” by Stephen King, “Legend” by David Gemmell, “The redemption of Althalus” by David Eddings and “The Stone and the Flute” by Hans Bemmann. If nothing else, most of them are heavy enough to use to hunt any animals!

Author Websites and Profiles
Ben Myatt Website
Ben Myatt Amazon Profile

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

Ben Myatt is a post from Awesome Gang

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I’ve been writing seriously for most of my life. I wrote my first novel, a paranormal romance, twenty two years ago but, before that, I’d experimented with short stories, poetry, and the start of too many novels to count! Since that first book, I’ve written comedy sketches for Smith and Jones, a film script which Working Title congratulated me on and a young adult romantic comedy series – only one of which I’ve yet published.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
My latest book is called Bad Grace. It’s the third in the Filth Monger series, about a WAG, which is the British acronym for Wives And Girlfriends. It’s used in relation to the partners of Premiership, and the England, football teams. It started out as the idea for a short story, about a girl getting ready to go and meet a guy called the Filth Monger. I abandoned it after a couple of pages, but the story kept growing in my head. I suppose I was inspired by the private lives behind the public personas of footballers and their WAGs. When I started writing it, I discovered there was a lot more going on, including blackmail and murder!

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I tend to write best in long bursts, and in relative silence (apart from the noise of my kids running amok around me). I excel at NaNoWriMo because I work best to a deadline. Otherwise, I can spend hours at a time surfing the intern…I mean, researching. When I’m writing, I’m extremely focused, almost to the exclusion of all else, and I sometimes find myself narrating my life as I go along. Clearly, I’ve spent too many years writing!

What authors, or books have influenced you?
Diana Wynne Jones, to a huge degree. I have multiple copies of her first editions. I adored her and twenty five years ago I carried a huge carpet bag of her books up to the Charing Cross Road for a book signing. Her jaw dropped when she saw the amount I’d so thoughtfully brought along with me! She was a darling and, about a week before she died, I came home to find a parcel from the British Fantasy Society with a book inside, signed by her. It was completely unexpected and I felt almost as if it was a kind of goodbye.

What are you working on now?
I’m currently working on Book 4 of The Filth Monger. It’s going to be called A Measure of Grace, and will have more points of view than the first three. There’s a new story arc in the last two books – one which I’m sure readers will be thrilled with, because it deals with two of the other, very popular, characters. I’m also in the process of editing Book 3, which is due out on 26th October.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I find Facebook ads very effective for promoting my books and also Facebook in general. It’s great to be able to connect with fans and answer their questions. I’ve built up my street team through Facebook and my newsletter, and am always keen to get new members!

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Keep writing. If your first book doesn’t sell, write another. The people that are successful in this new age of e-publishing are the ones who don’t give up. Never stop honing your craft and read, read, read. Nothing will improve your writing like reading.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Believe in yourself. It’s hard sometimes – we all have days where we feel our writing is awful – but if you don’t believe in yourself, you won’t be able to sell yourself, and your books, to others. Be professional because this is, after all, a business.

What are you reading now?
I’m reading the Save the Cat books by Blake Snyder. Like I said, never stop honing your craft! His sudden passing was a huge loss to the writing community.

What’s next for you as a writer?
Next up is the fifth and final book in the Filth Monger series. After that, who knows? I have so many ideas I’m looking forward to working on but, at the moment, I’m focusing on finishing this series.

If you were going to be stranded on a desert island and allowed to take 3 or 4 books with you what books would you bring?
Jonathan Strange and Mr Norrell by Susanna Clarke. I couldn’t bear to be parted from it – plus it’s looooong – great value for a desert island!

The collected works of PG Wodehouse (I may have just invented this one, but don’t ask me to choose a single title…just don’t!).

The Spellcoats and Deep Secret, both by Diana Jones (or I just could just bring along the carpetbag full, if allowed!).

Author Websites and Profiles
Annabel Chant Website
Annabel Chant Amazon Profile

Annabel Chant’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile
Facebook Profile
Twitter Account

Annabel Chant is a post from Awesome Gang

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I have just published my first of many! A Less Than Golden Life: Finding Meaning in the Average Life Story.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
A Less Than Golden Life: Finding Meaning in the Average Life Story. I was inspired to write this during a time in my life where I found little satisfaction and purpose. It was a challenge to see if my life had any meaning, even if it was ‘average’.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I like writing each chapter as a separate story. In the case of the memoir, it made it easier to read.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
Bob Goff and Donald Miller are my all-time favorites, and are the voices of story for my generation – in my opinion. I also love Mitch Albom and C.S. Lewis.

What are you working on now?
I am working on getting my book into the hands of as many people as possible. I just feel it is something they can really connect with, and would love to find a friend in every reader I get.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
Word of mouth is always a priceless marketing tool.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
As a new author myself, I would just say that anything is possible. I never would have thought I would be where I am today, but hard work can take you places.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
That dreams are not impossible for those who put in the work to achieve them.

What are you reading now?
Love Does – Bob Goff

What’s next for you as a writer?
I am looking for my next topic to write about, and developing a story line that can impact the lives of my readers.

If you were going to be stranded on a desert island and allowed to take 3 or 4 books with you what books would you bring?
A Million Miles in a Thousand Years – Donald Miller
Blue Like Jazz – Don Miller
Love Does – Bob Goff

Author Websites and Profiles
Jason Golden Amazon Profile
Jason Golden Author Profile on Smashwords

Jason Golden is a post from Awesome Gang

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I’m a younger old man with a lot of stuff behind me. I grew up poor in some of the roughest neighborhoods in Indianapolis. How rough? My older brother was stabbed once, my younger brother was shot once, I was shot at twice, and that’s just the brothers! Every weekend we amused ourselves gathering up the pistols and submachine guns passersby would toss over our fence while they were running from the police. You might say that found-gun safety was an important part of my childhood education.
I figured out early on that I didn’t want to stay in that situation. So I took school seriously, even as a kid. I studied hard, took the toughest classes, barely passed some of them, then decided to take the not-toughest classes instead. Graduated high school with high marks, graduated Indiana University with a degree in Journalism, then went into the Army to pay back all those college bills. Somehow, I stumbled into tanks while in the army. I was an officer, that is, a tank platoon leader, then a ground radar platoon leader, then the XO (second in command) of a company of fourteen tanks. This was in Europe in the 1980s. It was the constant no bull threat of World War III including unending sparring with Soviet spies and commandos infiltrating the East-West border and digging for sensitive information. Those guys, such scamps! After leaving the military, I eked out a living as a freelance artist. Since freelance artists rarely do much more than eke their livings, I returned to school for a bachelors, then a masters in Art Education with a side of Fine Arts. Now I make my living as a public school art teacher. That’s my life by day. By night, almost literally, I’m an intrepid author of fantasy and science fiction thrillers, more or less. I don’t care much for genres, to tell the truth. I read whatever I want and I write whatever I want. So far, I’ve written and self-published six novels, one short story collection, and five novellas. They span the gambit from high fantasy to futuristic political thriller.
And let me say a thing or two about self-publishing. Most self-published authors should be snatched in the night and taken out in back and … slapped around with a wet noodle. They don’t edit, they don’t revise, they don’t think what they may be adding to the literary body. It’s sad. I try to buck the trend. That’s why I provide excerpts of my work on my web site, so that prospective readers can see that, yes, the man can write.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
My latest published book is Redemption Song, the sequel to my debut novel Last Days and Times. It’s been six novels since Last Days, a lot of literary water under the bridge. But I had to do the sequel because fans just wouldn’t shut up about wanting the next Last Days installment. No, seriously, they just would not leave me alone on that point, but that’s not why I wrote it. The Last Days and Times series is a grand project of mine. I hope I live to see the end of it. It follows not only the lives of Sally Reiser, her son Eulie, and her stalwart boyfriend Gary LaMonte, it also explores a pet subject of mine: the schizophrenic nature of the world’s major religions. The very nature of reality is also a strong thread in these books, which is why this series ties directly into a separate, second series called Nightwatch. I don’t believe that’s been done before in literature, at least I’ve never seen it. Two separate series that are immutably entwined. You can read the Last Days and Times books alone and never know that there are blanks in your reading adventures. On the other hand, when you get to the latter episodes of Nightwatch, you will definitely get the impression that there are other books you should read. You can do fine just reading Nightwatch, but you’ll love it even more if you also read Last Days and Times, its sequels, and Fiona Street and its sequels. Fun times. It’s an experiment of mine.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
Besides writing all the time, I do something that makes folks rear back in horror. I write almost exclusively on an Apple iPad using the onscreen keyboard. Yep, that keyboard. And I’m here to testify that if you aren’t an inflexible touch typist that keyboard is just fine to work on. I type my books into Pages for iPad, slipping them over to my iCloud account, then do my final edits on my big iMac desktop unit. See, writing on the iPad is wonderful. I can write literally anywhere that isn’t in a vacuum, a forest fire, or an artillery barrage, and I fail there only due to lack of concentration. I write while waiting for the bus. I write while standing on the bus. I write while standing in line at Wal-Mart. Take that, laptop snobs. Consequently, I push out a lot of words in a short period of time.
But I don’t publish as rapidly as I write. Editing is hard on an iPad. The screen is too small. So I edit on the iMac later, giving me that second look that all manuscripts need so that the author doesn’t embarrass himself. Then, after all the editing is done, I put the story away on my hard drive and on Dropbox and start my next story. I might not come back to that finished story for several months, at which time I get yet another fresh look at my words. It’s important to me that the story be as clean of grammatical mistakes as a book put out by a major publisher. It’s also important to me that each book be even more compelling than what you might find from those selfsame publishers. They can’t go out on a limb presenting something that really grabs at the reader. They have payroll and mortgages to see to. I don’t have that problem. I can concentrate on the art and the impact rather than the commercial viability of the work. I am not a suit.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
What writers or books have influenced me? Russian literature. If you haven’t read Anna Karenina or Crime and Punishment, then your life is gray and tired. But there’s also Drury’s Advise and Consent, King’s The Stand, Wouk’s The Winds of War, and anything by William Gibson.

What are you working on now?
I’m excited to be putting the finishing touches on Galactic Geographic, what I call the world’s first military sci-fi romantic comedy satirical travelogue. It’s funny and it also makes almost everyone who reads it uneasy in an enjoyable way. It’s a bona fide sacred cow pig sticker, or maybe wood chipper, it depends on how far down the rabbit hole you want to fall. Galactic Geographic is indeed a travelogue. It guides the reader through the nuances of male-female relationships, interspecies relationships, the fragile structures of the mind, of pop culture, and of the universe itself. And bites hard while it does it. While making the reader laugh. Sometimes guiltily. If all goes well, Galactic Geographic should show up on Amazon, Kindle, and Smashwords in October of 2015.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I couldn’t answer a question about marketing. I’m lousy at marketing. I write books. I write damned good books. I publish them. Then I fret while few people seem to discover them. I don’t know how to promote. I do know that the common wisdom is ridiculous. That wisdom says that authors must get out there, project themselves. Blog, Facebook, tweet, Google whatever, pin, guest blog, blog tour, etc. on forever. To which I ask the question: then when do I get time to actually write stories? So I am at the mercy of you guys, the readers. If you check out my stuff, if you tell your friends about it, if you write me glowing reviews on Amazon and Smashwords, then my books will get read. If you don’t, they won’t. And I’ll keep on putting out books.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Yes, I have advice for every new writer. Learn the language in which you wish to publish. And learn story dynamics. It’s sad to see so many optimistic writers producing terrible stories riddled with misspelled words, poor grammar, and trudging along under a tremendous weight of poor plot, setting, characterization, and theme choices. In a way, I’m gladdened by this reality; it means less competition for folks like me who take their craft seriously. But, really, I’m near to distraught. The overload of bad self-published books drags me down as much as it does every half-baked author contributing to that trend. It gives readers the impression that there is nothing good in the self-published world when, in fact, there is great stuff there. Some of it better than most of what I see from the big publishing houses. You just have to find it. To new authors I say, emphatically, be among those who create compelling art, not among those who give the art a bad name. Be responsible to the literature.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
I as a writer am the most important cog in the literary machine. The money flows to me, not away from me. It is not my job to support the literary industrial complex. It is its job to support me. So I don’t go to cons, I don’t go to conferences, I don’t pay editors, or book cover artists, or book designers, printers or publishers. I read books to learn what I need to learn. I borrow them from the public library. I listen to free podcasts on subjects that interest me as a writer. I edit my own stuff. I edit the stuff of friends in exchange for them editing mine. I create my own covers, but then, I’m an artist. Do favors for a great artist to get your covers made. Never, ever pay anyone to publish your work. Go to Createspace, Kindle, or Smashwords and do it yourself for practically free. Writers write and earn money from writing. Writers do not write and pay out money from their writing. That’s nuts.

What are you reading now?
Right now, between work projects, I’m reading Heinlein’s Glory Road (kind of smelly, that one), and Wouk’s The Caine Mutiny (now that’s a great book!)

What’s next for you as a writer?
My next project is Bad Lands, the next phase in the Nightwatch series. Let’s see, the first installment in Nightwatch was an urban fantasy about religious terrorism (Last Days and Times). The second installment was a sci-fi spy novel about political arrogance (Fiona Street). The current installment is the sequel to Last Days and Times and also follows a theme of religious terrorism (Redemption Song). Next comes a fantasy western filled to the brim with cowboys, scientists, monsters, and super-intelligent horses. It’s fun to write and will likely be fun to read. But Bad Lands won’t be out for maybe a year.

If you were going to be stranded on a desert island and allowed to take 3 or 4 books with you what books would you bring?
If I were sentenced to a desert island and could take only three books with me, I’d take my iPad positively stuffed with books and a shipload of battery backups. What is this, grade school? No one goes out to be stranded on a desert island. You get stranded on desert islands with the books you have, not the books you want. And I’d be worried more about food and shelter, for pity’s sake. Besides, I can write my own books there. On banana leaves. That’s what I do every day. But without the banana leaves.

Author Websites and Profiles
Stephan Michael Loy Website
Stephan Michael Loy Amazon Profile
Stephan Michael Loy Author Profile on Smashwords

Stephan Michael Loy’s Social Media Links
Twitter Account

Stephan Michael Loy is a post from Awesome Gang

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
When my daughter was about 8 years old a friend asked if she was an Indigo child. I’d never heard of Indigo Children before but something sparked my interest and I began to write a story. Indigo and the Strange Animal Menagerie was the result. It tells the story of Indigo who uncovers a pet smuggling ring in her local pet shop and uses her powers to save the animals.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
I’m still writing the second adventure. It follows the character Letitia who we meet in the first book. As it’s a work in progress I haven’t settled on a title yet.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I like to write either in the middle of the night or early morning when it’s quiet.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
I used to love Enid Blyton as a child.

What are you working on now?
The second adventure in the series.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I’m fairly new at this sort of thing so couldn’t really say.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Keep writing – don’t give up.

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

What are you reading now?
I Let Her Go

What’s next for you as a writer?
Finish the second book, then write the third and so on…

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 works of Shakespeare, Charles Dickens, Thomas Hardy and Ken Follett.

Author Websites and Profiles
C J Gloucester Amazon Profile

C J Gloucester’s Social Media Links
Twitter Account

C J Gloucester is a post from Awesome Gang

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I started writing years ago, and my first attempt was a contemporary romance that will never see the light of day. I think I may even have thrown it away by now. It was absolutely horrific as I knew nothing about, well…anything to do with writing. So I tossed it and tried again. And again.

I finally started writing fantasy romances about wizards and witches, and once those caught on, I segued to paranormal romances (hello, vampires and ghosts) and romantic suspense. I mainly write in those genres now, but I have branched out into zombie romance and young adult. I also recently began writing inspirational romance.

To date, I have written approximately 77 novels and novellas, 51 of which have been published.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
I have an upcoming book entitled Being Lovers which is the sequel to Connecting Strangers which is a contemporary romantic suspense. Connecting Strangers introduced readers to Emily, a young woman on the run from her abusive boyfriend. Being Lovers picks up where that story ends as I knew Emily’s story was going to be a long one.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I don’t think I do. I write on my bed with my laptop, but I don’t think that’s too unusual.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
Christine Feehan’s Carpathian series have inspired me as I love those books and the dedication Christine puts into creating such good stories for her readers.

Lisa Renee Jones is one of my favorite authors in the world. She’s my friend, my mentor, and someone I will forever admire.

What are you working on now?
I’m working on a contemporary young adult novel. It’s a love story, but it has an edge as it deals with making bad decision and the tragic repercussions of those decisions.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I don’t think I could name just one. I love Twitter even though I hated it at first. Now, it’s one of my favorite ways to keep up with other authors, new blogs, and readers. I also really like Wattpad and Goodreads.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
A few months ago, I wrote a blog post for new authors, and it was all about giving up. To sum it up, a new author needs to give up any idea of this being a competition. They are not in competition with other authors, and they can’t compare themselves to other authors. If they are determined enough and continue writing, they will achieve their goals.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Comparing yourself to others, though we all do it to some extent, is one surefire way to end up feeling lousy about yourself. There is always someone better off than you and always someone worse off. When you begin to compare, you can only lose. Remember you are also comparing your backstory to everyone else’s highlight reel!

What are you reading now?
Married by Morning by Lisa Kleypas. I love everything about her writing style! She really knows how to keep a reader’s attention.

What’s next for you as a writer?
I’m finishing up the young adult novel while my agent is sending out an inspirational novel I wrote. She’s also reviewing another romantic suspense, and I have completed another one that I just began submitting.

If you were going to be stranded on a desert island and allowed to take 3 or 4 books with you what books would you bring?
Good grief! This is a hard one! I guess I would take the Bible, Everlastin’ by Mickee Madden, Dark Fire by Christine Feehan, and Left Behind by Tim LaHaye and Jerry B. Jenkins.

Author Websites and Profiles
Rachel Carrington Website
Rachel Carrington Amazon Profile
Rachel Carrington Author Profile on Smashwords

Rachel Carrington’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile
Facebook Profile
Twitter Account
Pinterest Account

Rachel Carrington is a post from Awesome Gang

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I was inspired to write City of Secrets after reading about an archaeological dig at Blackfriars Priory – a 12th century priory in Gloucester with one of the only purpose built libraries – a scriptorium – in the UK.
My first love is fiction but I have written a non fiction book about Gloucester’s secret history called Secret Gloucester.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
The latest book I’m working on is called Blood Libel and is the first of a trilogy about the medieval Jewish community in Gloucester.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I like to wake up early and write.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
Ken Follett, Kate Mosse.

What are you working on now?
The first book in a trilogy set in 1167 in Gloucester about a Blood Libel accusation.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
Not entirely sure as I’ve only just started doing promotions.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Keep writing and hone your craft.

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

What are you reading now?
London, Edward Rutherford.

What’s next for you as a writer?
To finish my trilogy.

If you were going to be stranded on a desert island and allowed to take 3 or 4 books with you what books would you bring?
The complete works of Ken Follett.

Author Websites and Profiles
Christine Jordan Website
Christine Jordan Amazon Profile

Christine Jordan’s Social Media Links
Facebook Profile
Twitter Account
Pinterest Account

Christine Jordan is a post from Awesome Gang

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
One book written a Non-Fiction Down Sara Jane Road

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
Down Sara Jane Road the inspiration came from the evil that lurks in the small town of Texas named Port Neches and Groves

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
Yes

What authors, or books have influenced you?
Shakespeare , Henry IV part one

What are you working on now?
The fiction to Down Sara Jane Road

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

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Advice to new authors, write what you know

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Don’t settle hold out for the right time

What are you reading now?
Nothing

What’s next for you as a writer?
A fiction of Down Sara Jane Road

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?
Forget the books I would take a woman

Author Websites and Profiles
Alfred Provencio Website

Alfred Provencio is a post from Awesome Gang

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I am over six feet tall and enjoy sugar. Originally from the highway-choked suburbs of New Jersey, I now live in the mile-high desert of New Mexico. I am very pale and it is very sunny, so I will probably combust any day now. I have still never seen a coyote, though I have eaten lunch with a roadrunner.

Last year I had a lung transplant. I wrote about it for Cracked.com, but, oddly enough, I don’t like talking about it. Don’t get me wrong, the transplant was great, but it took a lot out of me physically and emotionally.

Writing-wise, I am the author of the Exponential Apocalypse series (Exponential Apocalypse, Dead Presidents, and High Voltage), co-author of Screw the Universe, founding/former editor of Jersey Devil Press, and a folder of origami cranes. My short fiction has been published in a number of journals and anthologies, including Thieves Jargon, Kaleidotrope, and Monkeybicycle, and two of my stories have been nominated for a Pushcart Prize. My plays have been workshopped in New York City, my resumes have gotten a number of his friends jobs, and my doodles occasionally make it onto the refrigerator.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I like to write first thing in the morning, before anything has had the opportunity to occupy my thoughts. And then again, usually, at night, when I’m all cracked out from the day.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
Kurt Vonnegut, Douglas Adams, Marvel comics from the ’70s – ’90s.

What are you working on now?
Revenge-a-roni, the fourth book in the Exponential Apocalypse series, due out this winter. It picks up immediately after the third one, then takes some time off, then throws Thor and friends into a new predicament. There’s all kinds of craziness and some people die which makes the rest of the people very angry.

What are you reading now?
A lot of stuff: Brotherhood of the Bomb, 3:10 to Yuma, and Neverwhere, among others.

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 Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy series.

Author Websites and Profiles
Eirik Gumeny Website
Eirik Gumeny Amazon Profile
Eirik Gumeny Author Profile on Smashwords

Eirik Gumeny’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile
Facebook Profile
Twitter Account

Eirik Gumeny is a post from Awesome Gang

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
My first published books were mysteries set in 19th century England; the Thatcham Hall Mysteries. Two are currently available, both with feisty heroines who like to defeat the conventions of the Victorian world.
I’m also writing a series of short, cozy crime novels, set in a seaside town in Somerset. Strangely enough, I live in just such a place. I love beautiful buildings, landscapes and gardens, like to smell the roses, lavender and rosemary, and cook with a glass of wine in one hand and a bunch of chillies in the other.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
Murder at the Lighthouse is a short, cozy mystery set in the fictional Exham on Sea, a coastal twon in the West Country. I love my small town, where I can walk along the beach or out into the countryside. It boasts the shortest pier in the UK and the weirdest lighthouse, with nine wooden legs, that appears on the cover of the novel.
It’s such fun to write short novels that readers can enjoy in one sitting: perhaps on the train, or in a lunch hour.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I’ve just begun to write standing up, using a peculiar desk that sits on top of my own. I’m hoping it will help counteract the effects of sitting down at the keyboard. I make myself do it for an hour or so every day.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
I love Agatha Christie, and recently went to a festival in her honour in Torquay, where she lived at one time. Two talks on poisons gave me plenty of ideas for my own plots. My family are very afraid!
Then, there’s the incomparable Jane Austen, whose novels I read repeatedly, and Charles Dickens, who was, I’m told, a friend of my great, great, great, grandfather.

What are you working on now?
The next Exham on Sea mystery should be available in the New Year, and I’m aiming to finish the next Victorian mystery next year.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I love to Tweet, and I’ve found many people on the site who enjoy similar books to me, whether writing or reading them.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Keep writing! Don’t worry if the first draft is bad – I think of it as an extended outline. It’s not until the second draft that you get to tidy up the plot, and the third when you improve the writing. Then, there’s the third, to cut out the boring bits, fourth to find grammar mistakes, fifth for a final tidy…

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Do the best you can with the resources you have at the time and don’t beat yourself up if you make mistakes.

What are you reading now?
I’m just finishing a Philippa Gregory novel, The Taming of the Queen, in her series on the wives of Henry VIII.

What’s next for you as a writer?
Lots more murder mysteries. I’ve just started publishing my own work, after working with a publisher, and I’m having such fun.

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?
Persuasion, by Jane Austen, a collection of Agatha Raisin cozy crimes by A C Beaton, and the longet, fattest Dickens I can find.

Author Websites and Profiles
Frances Evesham Website
Frances Evesham Amazon Profile

Frances Evesham’s Social Media Links
Facebook Profile
Twitter Account

Frances Evesham is a post from Awesome Gang

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I am married and the mom of two beautiful teenage daughters. In addition to self-publishing books I freelance for Circle Sanctuary Magazine, Lakeside Magazine, and my local newspaper The Sumter Item. I enjoy hiking, camping, being with friends and family, and advocating for the protection of wildflowers and am a member and a Community Advocate for Sumter County Active Lifestyles (SCAL).

I have ten books published–3 are fill-in journals, 3 Pagan/New Age, 1 juvenile fiction, 1 short story anthology under the name Deanna Anderson and 2 short story anthologies under the pseudonym Lynn Anders.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
Retorta Mundis: twisted worlds is a short story collection and it is inspired mainly for my love of writing this genre. I love to write short stories and have many of them in my mental cache, I finally wanted to get them in print and share them with the world.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
Not really, I will write anywhere, anytime and on any writable surface available.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
For short stories I am mostly influenced by Stephen King, Edgar Allen Poe, and O’ Henry

What are you working on now?
I have a few more short stories to place somewhere and am also working on a short story collection titled Mirror, rorriM.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
Facebook I think is the best for promoting books, that and Goodreads.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Promote your work! You cannot ever stop promoting or except that the internet with promote for you.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Don’t listen to the negative reviews.

What are you reading now?
A book about the depression era.

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?
Most likely a survival book, Ha Ha. But also fiction books such as The Secret by Julie Garwood, Amber Flame and Elfkin’s Lady by Hannah Howell.

Author Websites and Profiles
Deanna Anderson Website
Deanna Anderson Amazon Profile

Deanna Anderson’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile
Facebook Profile
Twitter Account
Pinterest Account

Deanna Anderson is a post from Awesome Gang

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
Elizabeth Jarrett Andrew writes, loves, teaches, and urban homesteads in South Minneapolis. When she’s not chasing her gregarious daughter around the neighborhood or dancing with her partner, she’s doing her best to support the spiritual life of writers. Her books are Swinging on the Garden Gate: A Spiritual Memoir (Skinner House Books), Writing the Sacred Journey: The Art and Practice of Spiritual Memoir (Skinner House Books), On the Threshold: Home, Hardwood, and Holiness (Westview Press), and the novel, Hannah, Delivered (Koehler Books). You can connect with Elizabeth at www.spiritualmemoir.com and www.elizabethjarrettandrew.com.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
Hannah, Delivered is a novel inspired by my sister and other fabulous midwives who appreciate the wisdom inherent in women’s bodies. I wanted to honor them and explore what gifts midwives’ spiritual wisdom might bring to our contemporary experiences around birth, death, and faith.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I drink lots of tea while writing.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
The living writer I most admire is Marilynne Robinson for her novels Gilead, Home, and Lila. I’ve also been very influenced by Tolstoy’s Anna Karenina, all the novels of Jane Austin and the Bronte sisters, Annie Dillard’s Pilgrim at Tinker Creek, Toni Morrison’s Beloved, Thomas Merton’s Seven Storey Mountain, James Baldwin’s essays, and I could go on and on…

What are you working on now?
I’m wrapping up a writing book called Living Revision: Opening the Writer’s Art that’s for people who want to take their writing and their engagement in life to the next level.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Write a lot. Read a lot. Find a strong community of fellow writers.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
I love this quote from Ann Belford Ulanov: Aliveness springs from our making something of what we experience and receiving what experience makes of us.

What are you reading now?
Finding Livelihood: A Progress of Work and Leisure by Nancy Nordenson

What’s next for you as a writer?
I’m writing a collection of essays that translate the teachings of St. John of the Cross into contemporary stories about motherhood, urban homesteading, and life as a bisexual woman.

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. St. John of the Cross’s Dark Night of the Soul. Rilke’s collected works.

Author Websites and Profiles
Elizabeth Jarrett Andrew Website
Elizabeth Jarrett Andrew Amazon Profile
Elizabeth Jarrett Andrew Author Profile on Smashwords

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

Elizabeth Jarrett Andrew is a post from Awesome Gang

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I am a Masters of Arts (Writing) student with Swinburne University, Melbourne, Australia. I live with my husband in the rural wine region of Stanthorpe in Queensland. I write novels, short stories, poetry and articles, and have dabbled in script writing, journalism, and online writing in my studies. My short story ‘Hi, I’m Here’ was published in the literary journal Bukker Tillibul, Issue 08. The story is about three women who feel isolated by society, but a chance meeting changes their lives.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
My latest and first published book is “Intention”, the first of an ecotopian literary fantasy series called “The Farthing Hero’s Journey”. It is about a world where the elements, creatures and plants all have equal ability to reason and communicate, and the purpose of life is to enhance the natural order. A sixteen-year-old girl from Earth arrives on the planet and has trouble conforming to the different way of life and thinking. It is inspired by what I see happening in this world. While not a militant environmentalist, I believe Earth is at risk because nature is being recklessly misused and destroyed.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I have a dedicated office space for writing, that I do not clutter with other activities, but I do not think that is unusual. When I am trying to figure out a scenario, character trait, or plot point, I literally sleep on it. I get a lot of inspiration as I wake up in the morning. Perhaps that is a bit unusual. The morning is the best time of day for me to write, so I set aside that time each day (at least two hours). Everything else is done in the afternoon. My best writing for a first draft is done without lots of planning and editing as I go.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
When I started creative writing, I was an avid reader of fantasy books, and Raymond E Feist inspired me. Since then, I have read a lot of classics, both literary and genre books. I notice my language is influenced by my recent reads, and I tend to use a mix of older and contemporary words. Another authors who influenced me is Ernest Hemmingway. I would love to master his ability to bring the reader right into the story. A contemporary author whose influence helps with writing for younger readers is J K Rowling.

What are you working on now?
I find it impossible to work on just one thing at a time, as I use my intuition to guide my creativity each day. At the moment, I am editing the second book in “The Farthing Hero’s Journey”. At the same time, I am involved in an online writing project, which is a member website for would-be sleuths to work in teams to solve crime and mystery scenarios. This is a new and exciting endeavor for me. Waiting to be edited, is my magical realism story for middle grade readers, which I wrote it for NaNoWriMo last year. Finally, I have a feature film script to finish about a group of pensioners who hire an assassin to not kill a man.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
As I am new to book marketing, I do not yet know what is the best method or website for promoting my books. It is a huge learning curve that I am still climbing as I experiment with and assess the various options.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Being a new author myself, it feels presumptuous to offer advice. However, I cannot deny the tremendous help study of writing has given me. If nothing more, I think it is imperative for new writers to read books about the craft. A good starting point is Stephen King’ s “On Writing”.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
I hope the recent advice I received about ebook marketing is the best advice I have ever heard. To be serious, the advice that keeps me going is ‘never give up’. Writing is a profession that needs persistence and self-belief, with an open mind that can distinguish between constructive critiques and destructive criticism.

What are you reading now?
I am reading “Gulliver’s Travels”. Years ago, I started and hated the style. Now my perspective when reading has matured, I can see a lot of merits in the book and find it quite entertaining. As it is a story about imagined lands, I find a comparison with my imagined world and observe the techniques used by Jonathan Swift to portray the differences.

What’s next for you as a writer?
The full series for “The Farthing Hero’s Journey” will take several years to complete. I anticipate eight or nine books in all. These are my priority, but I will continue to simultaneously write other works.

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, they could not be ebooks, as my ereader could not be charged. I would take “Magician” by Raymond E Feist, “When the Bell Tolls” by Ernest Hemingway, “Whispering in the Wind” by Carmen Bostick St Clair and John Grinder, and (provided I am allowed pencil and paper) “The Screenwriter’s Bible” by David Trottier.

Author Websites and Profiles
Helen F Miller Website
Helen F Miller Amazon Profile

Helen F Miller is a post from Awesome Gang

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
The interplay between spirituality and sexuality turns me on. My lifelong dream has been to raise consciousness about the assumptions we make of the world, each other, and ourselves. I’ve recently decided to branch out with novellas of varying sizes to introduce new characters, places, and experiences, but my heart mostly lies in my series, The Search For Intelligent Life on Earth.

The first one, The Search For Intelligent Life on Earth: A Story of Love (a 2014 USA Best Books finalist), will be part of a trilogy (the next two are in editing), plus there are novella off-shoots about some of the less prominent characters. I write cross-genre for the most part. In my “free time,” I also write a blog about healthy relationships at www.gerrypirani.blogspot.com.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
Desperate In Sheridan was inspired by a 1600 mile road trip through Wyoming, Montana, Idaho and Colorado – in 4 days! The characters imposed themselves on me when I couldn’t sleep one night.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
Notes everywhere, several notepads, loose pieces of paper, various rooms, some electronic. I write more then one book at the same time.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
I love literary fiction, and its prose inspires me whenever I feel my world has become too mundane. I’ve placed some of my favorites on my goodreads profile.

What are you working on now?
Editing the next 2 novels of my series, The Search For Intelligent Life on Earth. I’m also working on 2 other MM romance novellas to join Desperate In Sheridan.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
Word of mouth so far! Looking for other strategies.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Join a writers’ group, read a lot (especially well-written material), and keep on day-dreaming.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Astrological charts are there for you to transcend.

What are you reading now?
Lots of books (I never read one at a time), magazines, and newsletters. I keep studying French, maybe to no avail.

What’s next for you as a writer?
Finish the series, plus some more short novellas I’ve started, then finish the companion novel to the trilogy I started before I decided to write the sequels. I also wrote a BDSM spoof I’d like to get out there.

Author Websites and Profiles
Gerry Pirani Website
Gerry Pirani Amazon Profile
Gerry Pirani Author Profile on Smashwords

Gerry Pirani’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile
Twitter Account

Gerry Pirani is a post from Awesome Gang

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I live in NWI with my two daughters. I enjoy hiking, The Walking Dead, and late night t.v. In addition to young adult fiction, I write poetry and blog. This is my first full-length book. I have published many poetry pieces in various anthologies over the years and often publish new poems and articles at my website: www.hereswhatitis.com.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
The title of my book is Quest: The Journey, the first in the Quest trilogy. It was inspired by the same thing as many of my short stories – a dream. I dreamt the moment when Keira and her cousin, Caryn, finally meet. It was such a powerful moment in the dream that when I woke up, the first thing I did was write that scene down, and it’s actually one of the last scenes in the book. The rest of the story built off of that dreamt portion. Early on, I realized that the ending was also a beginning, that there was much more to the story, and so I knew it was a trilogy in the making.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I love to write in public. I go to coffee shops, but especially bars. Hole-in-the wall bars, everybody knows your name bars, piano man and blues band bars. The kind that you can sit at the end of the bar or at a table in the corner and observe without being intrusive, write without being interrupted or really noticed. I think having to actively push aside the noise of the place helps me focus on the writing and the world I’m creating. But writing in public also helps me stay connected to people, helps me keep my characters real.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
Hunter S. Thompson, Edgar Allen Poe, Hemmingway, Dickinson, Stephen King, and Anne Rice.

What are you working on now?
I’m currently working on the second book in the Quest trilogy, which will (hopefully) be ready for publication the end of December. I can’t wait for this story to unfold. Our group of warriors is about to have their lives turned upside down. I have also been working on a compilation of poetry and short stories, a sort of partial memoir.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
So far, word of mouth, social media, and forums such as this one have been working well for me.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Have people read your work. Have your work reviewed by people not directly involved in the writing and publishing world. Your best friends, but also more distant acquaintances. Real readers. And listen to what they say. If they are confused by something in the book or don’t understand the way something is written, change it. Because no matter how much you may like the way you wrote it, if the general reader doesn’t understand it, it’s a no go.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
The best advice I ever heard was to just write. Don’t worry about grammar or theme; just get the story out and on the paper, and sort out the details later. That’s what the second draft is for. If you are obsessed with getting everything perfect on the first draft, it’s going to take forever to get a first draft. It’s makes for a much quicker overall process if you complete a first draft, no matter how rough it is. Because then you have a full, completed work to fine tune and move forward to that final goal with.

What are you reading now?
Right now, I’m reading the Harry Potter series. I know, I know, but I never read them when I was younger so I’m enjoying them now. I just started ‘Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince’.

What’s next for you as a writer?
Well, I plan to finish the Quest trilogy, of course, and from there, who knows? With writing, not even the sky is the limit.

If you were going to be stranded on a desert island and allowed to take 3 or 4 books with you what books would you bring?
If I could take 3 or 4 books with me to a deserted island I would bring…Edgar Allen Poe’s ‘The Fall of the House of Usher and Other Writings’ or some other collection of Poe’s short stories and poems. Sun Tzu’s ‘The Art of War’ and a survival guide of some kind. My 4th book would be a blank journal – is that allowed?

Author Websites and Profiles
Rachelle McCaulley Website
Rachelle McCaulley Amazon Profile

Rachelle McCaulley’s Social Media Links
Facebook Profile
Twitter Account
Pinterest Account

Rachelle McCaulley is a post from Awesome Gang

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I am the author and independent publisher of multiple fantasy books in all age brackets. My stories span the spectrum of Romantic Fiction from paranormal, romantic suspense to Christian fantasy including the best-selling Covenant Series.

Though educated as a teacher I never lost my love for literature and began writing at an early age. Poetry, short stories and fiction. I can be found in the car rider line at my children’s school writing on receipts, napkins or whatever scraps are in the bottom of my purse. A Virginia girl at heart, I live with my husband and three children in South Carolina where I am currently studying Dragon Script with my eight year old daughter.

If you like fantasy, fairytales, temptation, and adventure be sure to check my blog for upcoming titles.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
My latest book is Dust and Dreams. I was inspired by a dream about a girl riding away from an explosion. The questions began who is she, why is she running and from who? I knew I wanted a strong female character who had been through unspeakable tragedy, yet survived. It is set in 1869 in California, just after the gold rush. I love this time period in history. There is such an explosion of technology in San Francisco and the people had to love hard and be strong to survive. It is a rich environment to write in and i thoroughly enjoyed writing it.

My next book is title Summer’s Dream, it is also set in 1869 and we follow a character who is coming to America with her family on a ship and the battles she must face to survive and find her path.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I write when my kids are at school. I do my marketing and promotion while they do homework and research at night. So i guess you could say i write all the time! I include them in the research, we visit museums and are headed to the train museum this weekend so I can see, touch and experience what my characters would. They love the process and I love sharing it with them.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
I love Julie Garwood, Nora Roberts, Christine Feehan, and Dean Koontz. I love the mix of paranormal with action adventure.

What are you working on now?
I am currently working on multiple projects but Summer’s Dream is the one getting most of my attention. I write usually two books at a time. When I get stuck on one, I move to the other.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I believe in layering my promotion, free days, with a mix of websites. I have found excellent results from Awesomegang, Ereadernewstoday, Digital book today but always when i mix the promotions.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
I would say to be patient. It takes time to build your brand and you have to fight for every sale. Celebrate every success and be proud of your accomplishments.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
The best advice I have heard is the advice i now give, be patient! It takes time and with the thousands of books being released every day this is an uphill battle. Every sale, borrow or gifted book is a success. It is a ripple in a pond.

What are you reading now?
Halloween is coming so i am reading Deborah Geary’s witch series. They are awesome!

What’s next for you as a writer?
I am working on a sequel to my children’s book Arctic Moon. I loved the characters and they are demanding my attention.

If you were going to be stranded on a desert island and allowed to take 3 or 4 books with you what books would you bring?
My bible, cause I would need the extra backup. Hmm…Ransom, by Julie Garwood, and Watchers by Dean Koontz. I can read them over and over again.

Author Websites and Profiles
Lynn Landes Website
Lynn Landes Amazon Profile

Lynn Landes’s Social Media Links
Twitter Account

Lynn Landes is a post from Awesome Gang

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I’m a minister serving as a Deacon on the Pastoral staff of my church. I grew up as a poor kid, the firstborn of parents who migrated from the south looking for a better life. My parents were both illiterate, with not much formal education. They insisted that I would have a better chance than was given them. Very early on, reading became my past time and the public library my favorite hangout. After studying and working hard, I managed to reach a fair amount of success… then the bottom fell out of my life. I was reduced to a meager existence of poverty and homelessness. I found myself Bankrupt, my wife and kids were gone, and every friend I thought I had proved to be non-existent. Everything I tried flew back in my face. For the next 20 yrs I drifted in a state of despair. Anger, bitterness, and depression became my way of life, and suffering was the price I paid. Left to my own devices I would probably still be lost, but the grace of God said otherwise. I write to bring a message of hope to the hopeless, comfort to suffering, and guidance to those still lost. Trust me when I say… “Change Is Possible.”

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
My book: The Jesus Command is a serious look at Christ’s charge to the eleven men who would go on to establish the Christian Church. Using Jesus’ own words found in John’s Gospel…

John 13:34-35
“A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another.
By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.”

Love is not an option… Jesus Commanded It!

We are not only instructed to love, but to duplicate His love. It’s an action that seems to stand as the pivotal starting point of Discipleship and Christ Following. I think that if it were something that we were already doing, there would be no need for it to be made a command.

Love is a hard nut to crack. It has knocked the wind out of a many sail, been chosen as the subject of countless books, and is lurking in the background of many moments chronicled in history. More often than not, our idea of love is exchanged for selfish desire and individual lust. Both being far from what Jesus’ intended for our understanding. Watching people from my place in the street I’ve had a chance to observe many examples over the years, of what people confuse as love. This book attempts to look at it from Jesus’ point of view and that of those closest to Him in an effort to define Christ’s intentions and the understanding received by those who interacted with Him personally.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
When it comes to writing I’m not so sure any habit can be described as usual. What I try to do is form a question that addresses life. Whether it’s from a political, social, or common everyday perspective, my first consideration is Biblical and I approach it from the standpoint of scripture.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
There have been many over the course of time and they are not restricted to any one discipline or genera. Early in life I found Napoleon Hill’s Think and Grow Rich, to be inspiring. There is also The Screwtape Letters, by C. S. Lewis which challenged my thinking. In resent times I can also cite John Perkins’ Let Justice Roll Down. He gives a compelling portrait of struggle and the cost necessary to overcome it. Of course there’s always my stand by, The Holy Bible.

What are you working on now?
Amid my duties as a minister, I spend time working on two projects that I’d like to complete. One is a semi auto biography that gives snapshots of points in my life and God’s hand in shaping my journey. I hope to provide the reader with insight as to my fall from as well as my return to faith. The second is a work of Spiritual Poetry that I hope will encourage and inspire.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I’m still learning. As a newly published author, this whole theater is new to me. I’m even at a bigger loss when it comes to marketing and promotion. I’m trying everything, social media, advertising, and whatever resource I can tap. On these points I’m open to suggestion and can use all the help I can get.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
For those thinking about it… Stop!
Stop thinking and start doing. Get your thoughts out of your head and into print. The more you do so, the more material you will have to draw from. It can always be edited, revised, re-worked, or discarded. However, if you don’t produce it, you can’t do anything with it. Start writing and keep writing.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Trust In God!
I know there are many that have a problem with this bit of advice. You can’t trust in that which you don’t believe. While you might not believe in my idea of God, on some level there exists something in which you do believe. Whatever that is, for you, that’s your god. So for now, just trust in that.

What are you reading now?
Besides The Holy Bible, I’m trying to get through Entertaining Angels by Emerald Barnes. The book is well written and entertaining, and that’s the problem. With my workload and scheduled it’s hard to take the time reading purely for entertainment. A good majority of my reading time is spent in reference and researching material for presentations and teaching. Still I promised, and I will find the time to finish it.

What’s next for you as a writer?
As I said, I’m already engaged in a couple of projects. Beyond that I’ll trust God and His Holy Spirit to point the direction.

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 Holy Bible – For comfort and hope.
A Dictionary – For knowledge and understanding.
Think and Grow Rich – For inspiration and motivation.
The Boy Scout Handbook – For survival.

Author Websites and Profiles
Matthew Milam II Website
Matthew Milam II Amazon Profile

Matthew Milam II’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile
Facebook Profile
Twitter Account

Matthew Milam II is a post from Awesome Gang

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
For me Kindle publication satisfied a life long dream. At four-years-old, while playing ‘South Sea McGee’ with my sister, I promised to become a writer. But my youth was spent chasing adventures in many countries, hitch hiking Europe, traveling Africa. I was building a store house of memories to shape into fiction. I now have five books published on Kindle and in hard copy form.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
My new book is an action/suspense novel. Touching Spirits is set in a Mayan village where I lived, and in the abandoned house I reclaimed from nature. On the Yucatan there is a legend of magical black creatures that live in the jungle, called Alux. Even today locals build small houses for them. Around the legend I created an exciting story about a cop who comes to the village to rebuild his life and to fight the men stalking him.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
Well, for the three years I wrote the book my 18 year-old cat sat beside me, often reaching a paw up to let me know when it was time for petting.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
Durrell, Faulkner, LeQuin, Karen Blixen (Isak Denisen), Tolstoy, Hemingway.

What are you working on now?
An exciting, knock-your-socks-off tale set in Cologne, Germany, where I had the pleasure of teaching English. It was quite amusing to be sleeping in a tent beside the Rhine, and wake up each morning and put on my clip on tie, and take the streetcar into the city center, and teach conservative German business men.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
It all comes down to the quality of the writing. If it is good and the writer rocks the reader’s world, then the reader will tell his/her friends. That is what I am after.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Butt glue, use lots of it to keep the backside in the chair and writing. Read as much as possible and take courses and join support groups. And get a couple of beta readers to go over your work prior to publication.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Writing is rewriting.

What are you reading now?
Don’t Leave Me, James Scott Bell

What’s next for you as a writer?
I want my writing to touch people, to make them laugh and cry. If I can make a reader not want to finish one of my books, to think of it as an old friend, then I have obtained my goals. What could be 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 boy! The Avignon Quintet, The Sound and the Fury, and when I finished those I’d have to start swimming to find more reading material.

Author Websites and Profiles
Kevin R. Hill Website
Kevin R. Hill Amazon Profile

Kevin R. Hill is a post from Awesome Gang

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
My name is Andrew Murray and I am an author and illustrator, which goes without saying really. I have written two picture books so far, which are part of a wider series. I am planning ten, depending on how popular the initial few are of course.
I started my career as a professional animator, so going into the field of illustrated picture books is both natural and fun for me.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
My latest book is called, “Pupsy`s Birthday.” I also have a second one out now called, “Pupsy`s Favourite Things.”
Pupsy is the worlds tiniest dog, although that is yet to be confirmed by the Guinness book of world records! But what Pupsy lacks for in size, he more than makes up for with heart and character. The books are gentle stories that have a theme running through all of them, that of family, joy, and living each day to the full.
One of my biggest influences if the Miffy picture books. I like them for their gentle and sweet stories, and also for their graphical quality in illustration.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I tend to work through the night. I enjoy the peace of knowing that the world is asleep while I write, although it`s not the best habit to adopt I must admit. Sleep is important! I also get my best ideas while out walking.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
Miffy by Dick Bruna. Anything by Roald Dahl of course. Maisy by Lucy Cousins. And the Spot the dog books. I`m a big kid really!

What are you working on now?
I am finishing the third book in the Pupsy series. I am also finishing a brand new book featuring a very cute Elephant. That one is different in art style to the Pupsy books. I want each new character to have it`s own style and flavour.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
Write, publish, and repeat! Truth is, I`m very new to the whole process of self-publishing. That`s why I have come to Awesomegang…one, if not THE best websites out there!

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Follow your dreams but adapt and know who you write for. Write from the heart but see what is popular. For children’s books you must entertain. Try not preach, instead, make any message a part of the story itself. I`d also say that quality is very important. Make sure the books are solid, proof-read, and attractive as a package. You are competing with the very best, the masters, so take your time.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Don`t quit!

What are you reading now?
The answers I`ve provided above! No, I am reading “The Twits” again by Roald Dahl…can always re-read his books! I have just finished a great comedy book called “A Man Called Ove” by Fredrik Backman. I love books that are very character driven and Ove is one awesome character.

What’s next for you as a writer?
More Pupsy books. Then I am planning a book for older children, with illustrations as part of the story but not a picture book as such.

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?
Biggles
James and the giant peach
The Illusion of life
50 ways to get off a desert island alive (I made that last one up!)

Author Websites and Profiles
Andrew Murray Website
Andrew Murray Amazon Profile

Andrew Murray’s Social Media Links
Twitter Account

Andrew Murray is a post from Awesome Gang

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I’m a Louisiana girl with a heart for Texas, hence my (first and only) book, The Trust Charm: A Texas Romance Novella. I live on a farm and couldn’t love it more. My dream is to one day call myself a Texan. But not like the football team. No, I’m a Cheesehead through and through. Call me crazy but the Packers are my team and I’m with Rodgers until the day he retires. In my free time I like to read, draw, daydream about unrealistic scenarios–some of which find their way into my books.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
The Trust Charm: A Texas Romance Novella. It all started with a song I heard in 2011 by Aaron Shust called My Hope is in You. I listened to the words and felt the notes resonate deep within me and the images of a breathtaking and emotional novella flowed through my creative vortex. It took me four years before I started writing it all down on paper and within seven months my novella took it’s first breaths on Amazon.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
Probably procrastination. I procrastinate a lot for a writer. Then again, there are a lot of writers who claim procrastination is their weakness. Besides that, I’m pretty much your typical writer.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
The first novel I read was Lassie. I was about nine or ten and I didn’t want to put it down. But when I hit my teen years I read Bittersweet by Cathy Marie Hake and not only did I get hooked on reading Christian Romance, but I knew I wanted to write it, too. If there’s any writer I would sit down and have a cup of coffee with and pick their brain it would be Karen Witemeyer. She’s an amazing historical romance writer, not only in her ideas but in her wording. She’s simply genius.

What are you working on now?
A sequel to The Trust Charm called The Road to Austin. It’s a dramatic comedy that focuses on a supporting character from The Trust Charm and his cross country adventure with his enemy’s daughter.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
Facebook. Simply put. You’ve got friends, family, and groups.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
You’re going to run into doubt and start to question your talent. Just don’t. I can’t remember who said it, but someone said (paraphrasing of course,) if you can stop writing then stop. If you can’t, then you’re a writer. That was my journey in a nutshell. Every time I doubted myself, I would stop writing for months at a time, but I always found myself eager to start a new story. If you want to write, then write. Not matter what. Not matter who says what. No matter what the rules are. Just write.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Robert Frost said, “No tears in the writer, no tears in the reader. No surprise in the writer, no surprise in the reader.” You have to write with emotion. If you can write a 100,000 page novel with a straight face then you may want to readjust your writing goals. You need to write things that make you laugh, cry, fear, worry, think. That’s the bottom line to being a writer.

What are you reading now?
Stealing Jake by Pam Hillman.

What’s next for you as a writer?
Writing. For many, many years to come.

If you were going to be stranded on a desert island and allowed to take 3 or 4 books with you what books would you bring?
Never the Bride by Rene Gutteridge and Cheryl McKay.
Short-Straw Bride by Karen Witemeyer.
A Match Made in Texas: A Novella Collection.
To Win Her Heart by Karen Witemeyer.

Author Websites and Profiles
Jessica Alyse Website
Jessica Alyse Amazon Profile

Jessica Alyse’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile
Facebook Profile
Twitter Account
Pinterest Account

Jessica Alyse is a post from Awesome Gang

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I am the epitome of a nerd except that I’m at the age where I no longer care about that. I grew up playing AD&D and reading fantasy books like “The Lord of the Rings” and “Dragonlance.” I studied philosophy and mathematics on my first run through college, and computer science on my second. I have a cat named “Confucius” and I have a black belt in the martial arts. I’ve written five books so far: one, a non-fiction account of mental illness; two, a collection of short stories; and the remaining three, the first three books in my series, “From the Ashes of Ruin.” Of those books, both “Drasmyr” and “The Children of Lubrochius” have been released and the third, “The Sceptre of Morgulan,” is due out November 10th.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
My latest book is entitled “The Sceptre of Morgulan.” It continues the story that began in “Drasmyr,” continues through “The Children of Lubrochius,” and is projected to continue for two more books. Yes, I’m writing a series. It was inspired largely by my love of fantasy. As I said above, I’ve been reading fantasy novels and playing fantasy role-playing games (mostly pen and paper, but occasionally computer, as well) for most of my life. I think I started when I was about ten and just got sucked in. In fact, looking back, I think I was literally addicted to that particular outlet; as an adult I can say that it really did interfere with other aspects of my life–oh, well. You live and learn. I had great fun growing up.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
Not really, unless wading through clutter counts. You should see the desk that I write at. It has basically three and a half tiers and its overflowing with papers, notes, checkbooks, bookmarks, business cards, pins, paperclips … you name the office item–it’s probably on my desk somewhere. Other than that, I think my writing habits are pretty normal. Sometimes I write in the morning, sometimes in the afternoon, and sometimes at night. When I’m really rocking, I write at all three times. Yesterday, for example, I wrote in the morning, the afternoon, and the evening. By the end I was really in the flow state and pumped out somewhere around two thousand words or so.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
Hands down, probably the most influential author was J.R.R. Tolkien. But that’s probably true of every fantasy writer out there. I mean, “The Lord of the Rings” is a monolith in the fantasy genre. It changed everything. Everything that followed it was influenced by it in some fashion or other. Even if the authors in question aren’t even aware of the influence. Tolkien’s reach went just that far. I mean, what alternate world really compares to Middle Earth? It was the work of his entire lifetime. I loved the way he used language; all the places and creatures had these almost ‘old English’ sounding names: Dale, Laketown, Smaug … there’s just something really special about them. I grew up trying to echo that in the worlds I made … sometimes successfully; sometimes not so much.
Author authors I like include Brandon Sanderson (he’s my current favorite), Robert Jordan, Mark Lawrence, and Tad Williams. There are others, of course, but I think a full litany would be overdoing it.

What are you working on now?
Right now I’m working on a novella entitled “Prism.” I’m not going to share the details of the story, because that would give it all away. Anyway, in addition to writing that story, I’m in the middle of releasing the second (or third, if you count “Drasmyr,” the prequel) novel in my series. It’s due out November 10th. I’m self-publishing so that means I have to do all the leg-work. It keeps me busy, but it is fun.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I’m not sure I want to say. Maybe Twitter. It’s just that marketing is not my cup of tea. I’m not that good at it. I would prefer to spend my time writing and editing, but that’s not a realistic wish. I have to learn marketing, if I want to be successful. And to that end, I am making slow but steady progress.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Write about those things that interest you. Keep writing. Keep editing. Keep trying. Persistence pays off. And, my most valuable piece of advice to you is: Be prepared to “Murder your darlings.” That is, we all write really good single lines of prose that are graceful and elegant and true gems of English expression. The problem is that sometimes the needs of the story demand the removal of such gems. You must be prepared to do this. No matter how much you might like a certain line. The needs of the story come first.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
I just gave it above: “Murder your darlings.” I have used that mantra on many occasion and I believe my work has benefitted from that.

What are you reading now?
Actually, I’m kind of in between fantasy books. I am reading John Henry Newman’s “Apologia Pro Vita Sua” and I’m also trying to get in the habit of reading the Bible. Just a little bit each night. I’m waiting for the next Brandon Sanderson book … which reminds me; I have to check Amazon or B&N to see when his next book is due.

What’s next for you as a writer?
I’m planning to complete my series, “From the Ashes of Ruin.” I also intend to write a few standalone novellas. Might even collect them in a small book of their own. I’m about twelve pages into the first such novella, that I mentioned above (Prism).

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 Eye of the World,” by Robert Jordan, “The Way of Kings” and “Words of Radiance” by Brandon Sanderson, and “War and Peace.” I’m stranded, right? I picked the longest books I could think of to kill as much time as possible. I’ve never even read “War and Peace,” but I’d give it a serious go if I was stranded on a desert island with nothing to do. Errrr.

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Matthew D. Ryan is a post from Awesome Gang