Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I was born in Neuchatel, Switzerland. My mother was Swiss, my father English and they met on a ship going to New Zealand. This may have contributed to that part of my genes which made me a travel writer. My school days were through World War Two in the suburbs of London. During that time, at the age of ten, I filled school exercise books with stories of a friendly dragon who took two human children on adventures. First they had to manoeuvre their way through barrage balloons, rising shells, descending bombs. At least that part of the stories was real.

I was really dedicated to writing and not interested in marriage; but in the end I did marry at the age of 45 to George Spenceley, a lecturer, photograph, climber and explorer, who actually has a glacier named after him on the Antarctic island of South Georgia. In spite of a late marriage, we still managed 37 wonderful years together before he died in February 2013. I don’t think I shall stop missing.

I became a travel writer, created short stories and eventually novels. Perhaps because of my childhood one of my favourite themes was ‘what war does to people’ – i.e. the effect of war on the children and grandchildren of participants. I wrote four novels on this theme, and then my first Young Adult book, dealing with addiction. There were also two anthologies of short stories. The latest of these came out in December 2014, then as an Ebook in January 2015 and an audio book in July 2015.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
My second anthology is called “It’ll be Better Tomorrow” – this was George’s title for it was what he said whenever I expressed concern about our future. He had many disabilities by then, including dementia. This anthology is dedicated to ageing. After George’s death I spent some time in a care home and discovered what an interesting lot we are. The following is the back cover blurb which gives an idea of the characters: “Teenager Buzz was blown away when he found how his Granny Em had put his lessons on computing to very unusual use (Grannies dot com). Harry Briggs was another one who managed to turn the tables with a little help from his grandson and modern technology (Wake Up Call). In contrast, Elli (The Class of ‘65) and Phillida (The Don’t Care Generation) had both left an impression on the Third World; Alice learned at last to stand up for herself (The Wrong Track), Robert Sinclair kept his exploits to himself (Reluctant Hero), and Astra finally solved the mystery of her father’s World War Two trauma (Just Nineteen Days). But maybe the last word remains with Ben whose mantra provided the title for this book. When pushed about his uncertain future, he unfailingly said “It’ll be Better Tomorrow.”

These are some of the stories of Manorfields’ residents, their relatives and their carers. There is humour, poignancy, even romance, but above all they demonstrate that life is very often stranger than fiction.”

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I don’t think it’s unusual to like curling up with a big scribbling pad and a pen; I really like the feel of pen on paper. But of course I also appreciate the options offered by computers to cut and paste.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
An awful lot over such a long lifetime. The ones whom I prefer to emulate are the ones that get straight into a story and who tell rather than show; though that’s not always easy.

What are you working on now?
A novel based on the last half of the twentieth century – no world wars, but major changes in technology, in relationships and in society. The first probably spells the greatest danger. A mystery story is nudging in the back of my mind.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I do talks on the subjects of my books, which is time-taking but quite productive. I also facebook and twitter: especially organisations who focus on the subjects of my books.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Write every day, even rubbish; if you’ve got a block check through some earlier writing; if you are still blocked do some research.

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

What are you reading now?
“Guns Germs & Steel” by Jared Diamond, A short history of everybody for the last 13,000 years. It’s a great read and encourages us to explore further. I also enjoy confirmation of the fact that we still don’t know it all.

What’s next for you as a writer?
More writing, that’s for sure.

Author Websites and Profiles
Sylvie Nickels Website
Sylvie Nickels Amazon Profile
Sylvie Nickels Author Profile on Smashwords

Sylvie Nickels’s Social Media Links
Facebook Profile
Twitter Account

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
Plato’s Cave the first novel. And now a new series, Faith the existence of God. And it’s squeal Faith,hope, and love

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
The pearl John Steinbeck

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
writing something at least thirty mintuesevery day

What authors, or books have influenced you?
John steinbeck, ee comings, harpie lee

What are you working on now?
a new series the world will love

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

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Let your passion consume you, then your purpose will thrive, and you will enter into your destiny

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

What are you reading now?
Faith hope and love

What’s next for you as a writer?
starting a new business

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?
Faith the existence of God, Faith hope and love,

Author Websites and Profiles
Joseph Jenkins Website

Joseph Jenkins’s Social Media Links
Facebook Profilet

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I was born and raised in Toronto, Ontario. I’m the oldest of five children and come from a very large, very loud, Italian family. My parents are originally from Italy so I spent my childhood and teens summer holidays there. While my father worked cultivating the land, my 3 sisters and brother entertained ourselves by spending our days rolling around in piles of grain, running through the pine forests and streams, or constructing castles and furniture from old plastic pop bottle boxes.

I’m a widow, and have two wonderful adults sons. We have a male Weimaraner called Shadow who thinks he’s human.

I am an award-winning author who has written 2 romances, Hocus Pocus and Now You See It.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
My latest book is titled, Now You See It…

I’ve always wished I was magic, add my special talent for being clumsy and I came up with an aunt that has a gift for causing chaos every time she casts a spell.

What inspired me?

Life!! I was going through a rough time financially (Who hasn’t) and instead of feeling sorry for myself I wrote a story that would make me laugh, made me feel good, and helped me tackle my day-to-day problems. I empowered myself!!! There’s nothing more power as a huggable (I’m sticking to that description) Italian woman steamrolling through life’s problems.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I need a clutter free zone. The rest of the house could be falling apart and have dust bunnies bouncing around, but where I write it has to be free of everything and everyone. Don’t walk into my room while I’m writing and ask, “Hey mom, do you know where the ketchup is?” You’re a dead man!

I also play soft music in the background. Mostly instrumental Caribbean songs with the sound of ocean waves, or I find 2 hours if epic music mixes on YouTube.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
The authors that have influenced me are Karen Marie Moning, S.E. Smith, and Johanna Lindsey, just to name a few. I absolutely love their voice, their sense of humor and their gift with the ‘word’. Their stories flow seamlessly and hook you from the beginning to the end.

What are you working on now?
I am working on a contemporary-paranormal-romance with Alpha Wolf Shifters. Each will be given their own special ‘gifts’. (My lips are sealed but you can let your imagination run wild) The stories will focus more on the hero and heroine’s relationship than on the external evil elements they need to conquer and that keeps them apart.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
That’s a tough question as I’m still learning the ropes. Getting more reviews, or paid advertisement, one doesn’t seem better than another.

I think the more books you write, the more people will learn you exist, hopefully they will be generous and give you a review and chat to other readers about your books, and that is the best promotion you could possibly get.

I suck at social media. Facebook, Twitter, you name it, I’m horrible at it. Recently I hired wonderful virtual assistant by the name of Angie Young, (Headspace Solutions) who has increased my presence on the web and has allowed me to focus on my writing.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Write! Write! Write!

My sweetie used to be my sounding board, but now that’s he’s gone it’s taken me a while to build up my courage and put word to paper again. As I slowly immerse myself I’m rediscovering my passion and my small accomplishments are all the more bitter sweet.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
First piece of advice was write what you love to read. I gravitate to the fantasy and paranormal world so I love to write about magic, shifters, and time travel.

Second piece of advice is that there is no right or wrong way to writing, so do what works best for you. Be a pantser or a plotter.

I love to plot my books (point form) so I know where the story is going. And as I write I always change things up, but the structural ‘bones’ are there. I find this makes it easier for me. I’m a visual learner so I continuously go back to my notes to reinforce my ideas and story line.

I also chart my main characters personality, quirks, habits, passed history and most importantly, their internal conflict. This enables me to write believable character reactions that fit the situations they find themselves in.

What are you reading now?
I’m reading “The Power of Positive Thinking” by Norman Vincent Peale.

What’s next for you as a writer?
Make my writing a priority. No more excuses. Allow myself to write garbage and hope that after I’ve thrown away the rubble I’ll end up with some gems.

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?
Does a box set count as one book? LOL.

Any of Karen Marie Moning’s Highlander Series, a cookbook with tons of pictures, and a How To Book for Dummies on How to Build myself shelter and survive on a desert island.

Author Websites and Profiles
Teresa Roblin Website
Teresa Roblin Amazon Profile
Teresa Roblin’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile
Facebook Profile
Twitter Account

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I work as a WordPress trainer/designer as well as a Social Media Consultant. I have taught in colleges, universities and in the banking industry. I bring her 15+ years of technical training experience and my deep love of books to help authors develop the social media platform needed to succeed in today’s fast evolving publishing world. My business name is Bakerview Consulting and I blog at Sugarbeat’s Books, where I talk about Romance – mostly Regency.

I am the author of 6 books and over 25 YouTube videos all focused on helping authors and bloggers. I live in the mountains of British Columbia with my family.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
The book that I am currently writing will be called Blogging for Authors. I wrote it as my NaNoWriMo project and now I am in the process of fine tuning it after getting feedback from my beta readers. This book was primarily inspired by my daily work with authors and the desire to help authors understand what is ultimately a technical subject that many struggle with.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
Like many authors who are mothers, I tend to write in the midst of a busy household. At times I don’t do a good job of tuning out the household conversations and end up typing them

What authors, or books have influenced you?
Every author who writes a review for my books encourages me on.

What are you working on now?
Right now I have a book called The Book Blogger Platform in being formatted and should be published in early January. As I said above, I’m fine tuning Blogging for Authors to get it ready for my editor to look at, and I have a rough draft of a rewrite to an already published book – The Ultimate Guide to Goodreads for Authors.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I find chatting with authors on podcasts and writers chats are great for me. I love helping authors understand technical subjects and this allows me to answer questions and explain things.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Keep writing, get a good editor, formatter and chat with readers.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Talk TO your readers, not AT your readers.

What are you reading now?
I’m reading Lord Dashwood Misses Out by Tessa Dare

What’s next for you as a writer?
Hopefully early in the new year I will be publishing Blogging for Authors followed shortly after with a rewrite of my Goodreads book.

If you were going to be stranded on a desert island and allowed to take 3 or 4 books with you what books would you bring?
The Bridgerton Series by Julia Quinn and anything by Eloisa James

Author Websites and Profiles
Barb Drozdowich Website
Barb Drozdowich Amazon Profile

Barb Drozdowich’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile
Facebook Profile
Twitter Account
Pinterest Account

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I’ve been writing for a decade and my stories have been published in books, magazines and newspapers in the UK, UAE, USA, Canada, China, Germany, Sweden and Australasia. To date, I’ve written 22 titles

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
My latest book is called MOLLY DEAN’S PHONE. It is my second YA novel and was inspired by the way girls are attached to their smartphones. In this story, the phone has a power of its own and advises Molly of upcoming events. This causes major disruptions in her life until she finds of a way to take her own power back.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I don’t think I have any unusual writing habits. When I start a new book, I always put enough time aside each day to work on it until it is finished.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
I tend to have at least five books to read at any time. They are always non-fiction. I am particularly interested in psychology, and spirituality (non religious) subjects.

What are you working on now?
I’m half way through my 3rd YA novel CAPTAIN STRING. Sea of Mysteries. It is the first male driven story in my YA trilogy.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I don’t do much promotion but I do use Book Marketing Tools and the multi website promo system they offer.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
You have to enjoy writing for writings sake and not write with the main aim of getting rich. It is really a labour of love.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
“Never, never, never give up” Winston Churchill

What are you reading now?
The Power of the Subconscious.

What’s next for you as a writer?
I also write screenplays and will soon return to re-writing the screenplay version of my first YA novel, LETTERS TO AMELIA

If you were going to be stranded on a desert island and allowed to take 3 or 4 books with you what books would you bring?
I’d take books that deal with the afterlife, parapsychology and mind matters.

Author Websites and Profiles
Ceidrik Heward Amazon Profile

Ceidrik Heward’s Social Media Links
Facebook Profile

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
My name’s Venancio Cadle Gomani Jr. and I’m from the city of Lusaka here within Zambia. I grew up mostly in quite the number of cities around Southern Africa (From Francistown to Gaborone of Botswana). I write Speculative Fiction and Historical Fiction because I love creating and visualizing new worlds and throwing in a few “hints” to make them a little more interesting. Though Christian Education also appeals to me. I’m a first year student and studying for my Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science and Engineering at DMI-St Eugene University here within Lusaka, city. I love to travel a lot and intend to visit Nanchang city in China for a few weeks in February before schools open to see my girlfriend and explore a little of the country. For the most part, I write as a hobby and also simply because I’m insanely infatuated with telling stories in any way I can—I draw comic books and hope to have one out soon to promote a little more of my recent book series “Crest of Dreams”; I play a little piano and guitar; and I write and compose songs like crazy—like I said, I’m insanely infatuated with telling stories in any way I can. I do, however, look forward to becoming a full time writer. I’ve written 3 Christian Education titles and 1 Speculative Fiction novella.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
My most recent book is “Quantos Rising” and is the first in my new series “Crest of Dreams”. 4 years ago I endeavored to find the easiest ways to tell diverse stories in a more fun and exciting way and one of the means I discovered was creating fictional worlds. The “Crest of Dreams” world was my best attempt at this form of story telling and I imagined a world that had been split into four civilizations that wanted as much as nothing to do with each other: those who live on land (Damiroo), in underwater cities (Retarctica), in floating cities above the clouds (Anotresphore), and in space cities (Centralis). The “Crest of Dreams” story is long and diverse so I thought to have four short introductory novels to each of the four civilizations before starting out with the the main books to tell the story of the series, and my most recent book “Quantos Rising” is the first of the four short introductory novels introducing the story of Damiroo. The next three releases are T-16 to introduce “Retarctica”, “The Superimposition” to introduce Anotrsphore and “Sons of Time” to introduce Centralis.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I might just be perfectionist…maybe! Okay perhaps I am. I love to take as much time as necessary creating a world before starting out telling it’s story. That’s the reason I would never simply create a story and perhaps plan it out and how I’m going to tell it over the course of a few months, then have it published around 6 to 9 months later. It takes me quite the number of years to fully create a world perfect enough to have stories told within it. I created the “Crest of Dreams world” and planned out each of the stories to be told as novels 4 years before I even started to pen down the first book. The books I write now were ones I planned for at least over 3 years ago. As for those that I created over the course of the past 2 years or less, yes well, the world will probably only hear about them 2 years from now when I’ve fully developed the worlds perfectly enough.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
Definitely Arthur Conan Doyle, Edgar Allan Poe, J. R. R. Tolkien, a little J.K Rowling and I wouldn’t hesitate to add George R.R. Martin on my list too.

What are you working on now?
I’m finishing up the second of the introductory books of the “Crest of Dreams” series called “T-16” while simultaneously editing my first historical fiction novella to be published called “Ghost Tribes” (aslo part of a series). In “T-16” I planned on telling the story of Retarctica (The underwater people) in an epic SF Mystery story. What proved to be of greatest difficulty in writing this book was adapting to the new Mystery genre which isn’t exactly my most preferred genre to write but definitely my top 3 to read.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
In all honesty, I haven’t really found one I would favor the most at the moment only because I just started out publishing my first few books and am currently still searching for the best places to promote my books. Though as it stands for me Facebook and Goodreads seem to be my most preferred though I’m still exploring a few: Facebook for promoting my books and Goodreads to invite people to review my books. I would love to try emailing campaigns too.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Yes, well, my advice goes out to storytellers and I’d say focus on building your stories. It’s too often that I pick up good story only to be disappointing by either its ending or the holes in its plot and it tends to break my heart most of the time. Spend a little more time on creating your stories, build your characters and plots as detailed and as best you can. Don’t get me wrong, timing indeed means a lot and what many wouldn’t want is to spend too much time on something that doesn’t seem worth that much time, but that’s the point of being a storyteller. If you consider a story is worth telling that you would invest writing a book about it then give it your all. Understand that being an artist is vastly different from being an author—to be an artist means crafting pieces to the point you can’t add anything more to make it look or feel better because the focus is directed toward a particular subject; to be an author means every little detail as wide apart as they may be counts because your subject is ever changing and constantly changes location or state hence capturing as many details as possible counts.

A saying that seems to carry weight enough to match up to this is the one that goes “It takes 6 months to build a Rolls Royce and 13 hours to build a Toyota.” I believe the ideal counts even in this case. So take a little more time to build your stories. Not 4 years as some overly stuck-up authors whose names won’t be mentioned (me) would take, but an amount of time comfortable enough to construct a reasonably balanced up world.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
I’ve heard so many give advice concerning a tone of different experiences and situations, but personally I find the one that had the greatest impact on me was by one of my classmates in around July of 2013. “Don’t focus on being the best at anything, but focus in being second best at everything.” And the reason that stuck to me so much is because what he was saying was that it’s practically impossible to be the best at every single thing that you do, but it’s more possible to be the second best at every single thing that you do because the best at each may be focused only on the one specific thing that he does the best.
That was mostly helpful to me because above being a writer, I’m a storyteller, and writing is simply one of the many ways I use to tell my stories. I write songs, make animations, sketch comic books and graphic design.

What are you reading now?
The Return of Sherlock Holmes and Teen Titans Vol. 1: Blinded by the Light (The New 52). I tend to read a comic book or two every after I complete a book or series.

What’s next for you as a writer?
I’m going to focus the next decade or so to telling the “Crest of Dreams” and “Ghost Tribes” stories only because they are so long and really complex and exciting. Aside from the first four short introductory novels, the Crest of Dreams series has a total of 9 books while the “Ghost Tribes” has a total of 9 books too.

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?
Two comic books, a Sherlock Holmes book and The Poems of Edgar Allan Poe of course. I’d say Teen Titans Vol. 1: Blinded by the Light (The New 52) because I’m loving it so much, perhaps The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes 1892 by Arthur Conan Doyle and The Poems of Edgar Allan Poe.

Author Websites and Profiles
Venancio Gomani Website
Venancio Gomani Amazon Profile

Venancio Gomani’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile
Facebook Profile
Twitter Account

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I am a writer of horror and supernatural thrillers. I live in Newcastle upon Tyne. To date I’ve had one book and one short story published. I have finished another manuscript entitled Point of Contact and I am in the middle of editing it to pieces! I hope to get it published early 2016.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
Minstrel’s Bargain is on sale now on Amazon. It is a horror story based in my home town of Newcastle in the late 1980’s and follows the story of Phil Sturgess, a music reporter. He discovers that a new rock band taking the country by storm is a lot darker and more dangerous than he at first believes. The story follows Sturgess from his blind disbelief in what he is seeing until his acceptance of a situation where he will play a pivotal role. Nothing less than saving the souls of perhaps millions of people. The inspiration for the story comes from my own love of eighties horror books and my appreciation of classic rock music. I wanted a story that would encompass both of these passions. I also wanted to read a supernatural horror book where you can believe what the main protagonist is going through. I was getting tired of characters that just blindly accept the situations they find themselves in. Sturgess takes a long time to comes to terms with what he is dealing with as would anyone in his situation.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I don’t know. What is unusual? I tend to come up with an idea and then sketch around with ideas on how the story will pan out (in a very general way). I come up with characters and names fairly quickly, I can’t work with what Stephen King calls the ‘I guy’. I need to know about them and their background so their responses to any given situation will be real for me. After I’ve got the main thrust of what the story is about, I’ll plan about four chapters at a time and fill them in at the laptop. I don’t go too far ahead as often new ideas will come to me when I’ve written a scene so I then incorporate this into the medium plan. This leads to the plan and the finished manuscript being completed at roughly the same time!

What authors, or books have influenced you?
James Herbert is always the answer I give to this question. I picked up a copy of ‘Lair’ back in the early eighties and from then on I was hooked. I moved on to Stephen King, Shaun Hutson etc after reading Herbert but he will always be the king of horror to me. I am a History teacher so I also love great historical fiction, Bernard Cornwall’s Sharpe series and the Uhtred books are a favourite of mine. But I also love thrillers such as I used to read as a lad, Alastair Maclean and Desmond Bagley were two of my favourites and I always mention Derek Robinson as well. Books such as Piece of cake, Goshawk Squadron and War Story are brilliant books. Robinson has a talent for creating characters you really sympathise with and a writing style that I really admire.

What are you working on now?
I am editing a supernatural thriller called Point of Contact. I’m just about finished it now and I’m hoping to get it published soon. Its very different to Minstrel’s Bargain; much less blood and much more action thriller, but in my mind it is still, in essence, a horror story. I’ve also started work on the sequel to Minstrel’s Bargain, set ten years after the original story. I have my plan and have written the first couple of chapters. I like the way it is developing. I hope to complete the first draft by the middle of next year.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
This is where I am useless. I try to promote my book as much as possible using the usual things such as Facebook and Twitter and various writers websites, but I am a real virgin when it comes down to the nitty gritty. I (like most writers I suspect) just want to write. I don’t enjoy the ‘chasing’ aspect but I understand completely that it has to be done. No one owes me anything. Readers, quite rightly, want to know that they are going to get a reasonable refund for the money they spend on a book and I as a writer would love them to take that chance on my work. But it is hard. Its is the hardest part of writing for me.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Just keep trying. Believe in yourself and your work and keep plugging away. It is hard when agents or publishers keep rejecting your work but you just need to grow a rhino skin and keep doing it. Ask other writers for advice too. I have made some fantastic friends with some of the brilliant writers who have been published by Bloodhound Books and we often help each other out by reading work, offering advice etc. For me this has been one of the highlights of getting published. Meeting other, highly talented individuals who have the same hunger for success as I do.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Never give up, Never surrender. (Galaxy Quest).

What are you reading now?
I’m going through a bit of a Gothic revival at the minute. I’ve just read Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde and I’m halfway through a re read of Dracula. I’ve got Frankenstein lined up for after that. Even though I’ve read these books before I am enjoying them. There is a sort of purity to the speech that I find refreshing.

What’s next for you as a writer?
My plans are: To get Point of Contact published, to finish the sequel to Minstrel’s Bargain, and then to become rich and famous! But one thing at a time.

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?
1. Great Expectations by Charles Dickens. This book introduced me to Dickens’ style and I absolutely love it.
2. Piece of cake by Derek Robinson. A book I’ve read so many times that I can quote huge chunks of it piecemeal.
3. Nobody True by James Herbert. I love this story and the way it is written. Against popular belief I believe its Herbert’s best book.
4. Minstrel’s Bargain by Richard Ayre. To remind me that I once had a book published!

Author Websites and Profiles
Richard Ayre Website
Richard Ayre Amazon Profile

Richard Ayre’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile
Twitter Account

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
Duffy Brown loves anything with a mystery. While others girls dreamed of dating Brad Pitt, Duffy longed to take Sherlock Holmes to the prom. She is a National Bestselling author and conjures up who-done-it stories of her very own for Berkley Prime Crime. She has two series the Consignment Shop Mysteries set in Savannah along with rescue pup Bruce Willis and the Cycle Path Mysteries set on Mackinac Island with judgmental cats Cleveland and Bambino.
I have 7 cozy mystery books out now. Braking for Bodies is out April 4.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
Braking for Bodies is out April 4. Its set on Mackinac Island. I love Mackinac Island, an island where Lake Michigan and Lake Huron come together and there are no cars, people get around on horse and bikes. It’s lovely with huge houses called cottages and quaint town and a lovely old hotel called the Grand. In BFB there is a murder at the Gand Hotel that the town’s people pass off as a mystery weekend so as not to upset the tourist that they call fudges ‘cause they eat fudge while there. There are 18 fudge shops on the eight-mile island!

It’s murder and a mystery weekend on Mackinac Island for the rag reporter, his mistress and the wife who wants them both dead.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I have to be in my office and sitting at my desk with the fan running…just like I am now. It helps me to focus. I sort of get in a little world all my own. I know… I need therapy!

What authors, or books have influenced you?
Janet Evanovich is my hero. I simply love her Stephanie Plum books. I think she’s up to 21 in her series now and all are good but the first three…One for the Money, Two for the Dough and Three to Get Deadly are magic. They are funny and exciting and the characters are a hoot and unusual with tons of personality that make them real. After reading a S. Plum book you will want to become a bounty hunter and live in Jersey just for the fun of it all.

What are you working on now?
Lethal in Old Lace, book 6 in my Consignment Shop series set in Savannah.
Blurb: There are two social functions in the South guaranteed to get people talking…weddings and funerals. Reagan Summerside has agreed to marry the hunky Walker Boone, and Annie Fritz and Elsie Abbot have stepped up their business as professional mourners to guarantee one and all a memorable send off…until they are accused of knocking people off to step up their business.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I’ve met so many wonderful readers on Facebook and love keeping up with them, their families, and what they are up to. We are definitely online friends. This year we did a Cookie Exchange where the readers sent me their fav cookie recipes, I printed them out and sent them each a Christmas cookie recipe book. I had 80 contribute in 4 days and next year we will do it all again. That’s what friends do, we share.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Rules to getting published

Rule One…don’t give up ever.
Rule Two…put your butt in the chair and write.
Rule Three…no critique groups or you get book by committee
Rule Four…your voice is what sells you so tell the story your way
Rule Five…did I mention the part about putting your butt in the chair?

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Never give up!
This is a tough business and it is not for the weak of spirit. If you cannot take the heat don’t get in the kitchen.

What are you reading now?
Armed and Dangerous…a writers guide to weapons. The strange places our research takes us. LOL

What’s next for you as a writer?
Tonya Kappes and I put on reader mystery train event every year in October where 60+ readers join us on a train for lunch where a mystery is put on. Last year we were in Toledo doing Murder on the Toledo Express and this year it’s the Mystery of the Screaming Cat in St. Louis. I’m really looking forward to seeing so many readers in October. Next year we will go to another part of the US for another mystery train ride.

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?
Janet Evanovitch Two for the Dough
Techniques of a Selling Writer by Dwight Swain
Boatbuilding: A Complete Handbook of Wooden Boat Construction so I could bet off the (*&^ island!

Author Websites and Profiles
Duffy Brown Website
Duffy Brown Amazon Profile
Duffy Brown’s Social Media Links
Facebook Profile

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I’m a lover of animals and nature. When I’m not writing, you can find me playing games with my highly-energetic kids, riding horses, growing vegetables in my garden, or spoiling my rescue dog. I live in my home state of Michigan with my husband, son, and daughter. I hold a BA in English from the University of Michigan and a JD from DePaul University. I’m an active member of multiple writing groups, including Sisters in Crime and the SCBWI. In addition to Trail of Secrets, my writing credits include an article in Practical Horseman Magazine, and a picture book, Henrietta’s Hoof Polish (forthcoming from Guardian Angel Publishing). I’ve also recently completed a commercial thriller and am currently searching for an agent to represent it!

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
My Young Adult mystery, Trail of Secrets, was published by Fire and Ice in August 2015. It was inspired by my love of horses, my time spent at horse camp as a child and teen, the wilderness of northern Michigan, and my fascination with all things paranormal. I wondered what would happen if a horse came back from a trail ride without its rider? What if no one could find the person who fell off? What other mysteries and questions would surround that situation? I decided to write a book about it.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I do my best writing in the morning so I try to schedule my writing time between 9am and noon. I love to participate in writing challenges, such as NaNoWriMo. Challenges motivate me!

What authors, or books have influenced you?
There are so many authors and books that have influenced me that it’s hard to narrow it down. Whenever I come across a memorable character in a book, I take mental notes of how the author created that character and made him or her believable. Most recently, I was awed by the complexity and development of the main character in Luckiest Girl Alive by Jessica Knoll. I love the fast-paced writing of Gillian Flynn. I try to emulate her tempo in my books. My writing is also influenced by many non-fiction equestrian books I’ve read.

What are you working on now?
I’m writing Book 2 of my Dark Horse Series–Barn Shadows. It follows the main character from Trail of Secrets as she returns to Foxwoode Riding Academy the following summer and encounters another mystery.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I use Twitter on a weekly basis to engage with others who have similar interests and promote my book. I also utilize my author website, along with Facebook, Pinterest, and YouTube.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Don’t give up! You will receive rejections. Let that fuel your determination. Always improve your writing.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
The people who succeed in writing are the ones who don’t give up.
Also, when it comes to marketing, focus on selling one book at a time.

What are you reading now?
On Writing by Stephen King.

What’s next for you as a writer?
I’d love to find an agent to represent me and my books.

If you were going to be stranded on a desert island and allowed to take 3 or 4 books with you what books would you bring?
All the Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr, Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn, The Tao of Equus by Linda Kohanov and everything by Amy Tan.

Author Websites and Profiles
Laura Wolfe Website
Laura Wolfe Amazon Profile
Laura Wolfe Author Profile on Smashwords

Laura Wolfe’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile
Facebook Profile
Twitter Account
Pinterest Account

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I am a journalist, a story teller and a lover of beautiful art. I am a Nigerian, and a passionate believer in her metamorphosis into that pacesetter country and people she has the potential to be. A sincerely simple guy, whose ambition is to one day become the president of his country.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
The Haram in The Boko :The Story of Terror And The Nigerian Army.
This work was inspired by the communal living and the interactions among different ethnic and religious group in the Nigerian Military Barracks, which should be used as a template for national unity and integration in a country, which ironically is being threatened by religious, ethnic and extremists difference.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I love writing in the toilet with my laptop on my lap, while sitting on the toilet seat. And mostly in the mid night.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
Harold Robins, dub the master story teller influence me a lot with his sensuous narrative, and Story telling prowl. Also, Chinua Achebe’s admonition to tell ones story has added to my passion and resolution to tell our story, less the hunter continue boasting of his prowls over his prey.

What are you working on now?
Am now working on how to promote and make The Haram in The Boko :The Story of Terror And The Nigerian Army the next big thing to happen to Africa and the world literary sphere.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
Just discovered Awesome, and hope to explore others.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Keep writing no matter what.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Be tenacious

What are you reading now?
Malcolm Gladwel’s David and Goliath

What’s next for you as a writer?
To remain in this path

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
Toney Etido Website

Toney Etido’s Social Media Links
Facebook Profile
Twitter Account

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
My debut novel, Rooter, was released September 21, 2015. I am currently finalizing my second novel, the follow-up to Rooter which is expected to be released in Spring 2016.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
I was inspired to write Rooter because I wanted to write something different from all the other new adult and contemporary romances out there. I’m always disappointed when stories have perfect heroes and heroines. I like messy characters with flaws who make loads of mistakes so I can see how they redeem themselves.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?

What authors, or books have influenced you?
Oh goodness, there are so many. I have been writing new adult style stories since before it was an actual genre, so when I stumbled across Jamie McGuire and Colleen Hoover, I got up the courage to publish my own stories in that genre.

What are you working on now?
I am currently working on the follow-up to Rooter, the story told from his perspective.

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

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Write for yourself, edit for the reader! If I didn’t first write for myself, I’d never finish a book.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Write. Just write. Don’t worry about perfection. Just get the story written then work on perfection during the editing process.

What are you reading now?
Sadly, I am too busy writing to read anything right now. I’m actually experiencing withdrawals. Ha!

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 have to have the complete works by Edgar Allan Poe. Can’t think of any other must haves. I have too many favorites to name so I’d just grab a couple.

Author Websites and Profiles
Teiran Smith Website
Teiran Smith Amazon Profile
Teiran Smith Author Profile on Smashwords

Teiran Smith’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile
Facebook Profile
Twitter Account

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I live in a remote part of rural Victoria, Australia with my husband and three dogs. Apart from my dogs, my passions are art, oriental antiques, and unusual architecture.
I have written over fifty romance books, most are Amish Romance. Amish Romance is my favourite genre. Having been raised in a strict Anabaptist-related religion, I relate to the way in which the Amish community functions, particularly in their personal relationships.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
My latest book is Secrets Come Home. I wrote it because I loved the characters and the situations in the ten book series, Amish Secret Widows’ Society series. The main character in Secrets Come Home is an eighty-years plus amateur Amish sleuth – Ettie Smith. I grew up surrounded by much older people and many of my characters are influenced by those people.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I write every day. I wouldn’t say that I have any unusual writing habits only that I’m constantly thinking about characters, settings, and situations they’re going to get into.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
I don’t know if I’ve been influenced by her, but I do like Agatha Christie’s work because of the unexpected twists and turns. Also Jane Austen, but what romance writer doesn’t like Jane Austen?

What are you working on now?
Right now I’m working on Book 2 in the Ettie Smith Amish Mysteries. I can’t give too much away about it, as I’m only in the very early stages.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I’ve only just opened a Facebook page and have never promoted my books.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
The best advice I can give new authors is to read, read, and then read some more. When they like a book, go back and dissect it, to see what they liked about it.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
It sounds basic, but the best advice I was given was to plot. I started off not plotting and found I had written myself into a corner and had to waste most of what I’d written to start again, or to backtrack.

What’s next for you as a writer?
More of the same. I have more Amish Romance books in the pipeline and more Amish Mysteries.

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?
There are so many books I’d like to read. I’m interested in a wide variety of subjects such as sociology and criminology – I’d take the time to read books related to those topics. I also like to read autobiographies. I guess I would take War and Peace because it’s long (lol, if I’m going to be on the island for a while) and also because I’ve never read it.

Author Websites and Profiles
Samantha Price Website
Samantha Price Amazon Profile

Samantha Price’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile
Facebook Profile
Twitter Account
Pinterest Account

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I think the best place to start with this question is to get out of the way that yes, I’ve been writing forever, and yes, I’ve been reading since I could understand how letters form sentences. I have a degree in psychology and after counseling many screwed up people in this world, that was enough to make me realize I never want to do that kind of work ever again. I mean, like NEVER EVER EVER AGAIN. Instead, I taught myself how to code websites and when I’m not doing that, I’m writing every chance I get.
I also played music in a somewhat famous-ish kind of band, called From a Second Story Window. did that for several years, and right after I quit doing that, I went and lived in Japan. I also made an iphone app called eMobo, which was the first app that brought the Japanese cell phone novel format to the western world.
My best creation so far has been my daughter, who is the love of my life and the person I do everything for. Having somebody to live for is pretty awesome.
I have written one book so far, but am currently working on a trilogy about cryptids. It’s my Game of Thrones, as it has over 80 characters and lots of storylines. Just good fun overall.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
My latest book is KAI, and it was inspired by my time living in Japan and about a particularly nasty stretch of counseling I did in Chicago. It’s about a young girl from Hiroshima who wants to destroy the world, and also about an adopted Korean girl in Chicago who keeps having mysterious things happen to her, and the connection between these two girls is at the heart of the narrative.
I lived in Hiroshima for awhile in order to have a true understanding of what it would be like to grow up there and see and feel the things somebody who lives there would experience. I also felt like Hiroshima is a symbol for how creativity can be the earmark of destruction, and this plays into the overall theme of KAI. I guess it wouldn’t be too hard for a reader to also connect the fact that the Korean girl in the story is a counselor who also deals with people who have destructive habits, and I explore what it means to be destructive instead of productive when you decide to create something out of a selfish need to heal. And that’s one of many things that inspired me to write KAI, as I seen a LOT of selfishness during my tenure as a counselor in Chicago, mostly from patients who couldn’t see past themselves due to how damaged they were inside.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I think the strangest writing habit I have is that I don’t write consistently. Sometimes it takes me a month to write a single sentence. While that’s not particularly strange in itself, I think my reason for doing this might be considered eccentric. I’m a method writer, which means that in order to really write about something, even if it’s just a few words, I absolutely must feel it and live it and believe it or else I feel like I’m lying to my readers. So for instance, I’m working on a story that involves somebody using the ebola virus to kill thousands of people. My research had put me in a position where I’m asking all kinds of questions to biochemists and disease specialists all over the world about how to grow and cultivate ebola. I have actually gone so far as to work directly with somebody who deals with viruses as part of their job and asked to be able to visit a LEVEL-4 BIOLAB, in order to be near the virus, and to see it and understand the precautions necessary to raise the virus to a lethal level in order to kill thousands of people. Now, of course, I can’t tell you how many people slammed the door in my face or have raised an eyebrow at me for asking about this kind of stuff, but I feel it’s absolutely necessary to know everything there is to know about my subjects, even if it means putting myself in danger or getting my name put on an NSA watchlist for inquiring about such potentially dangerous things like I just mentioned. I guess that’s kind of unusual, yeah?

What authors, or books have influenced you?
Way too many to list, but I think of right away Haruki Murakami, Ryu Murakami, Brett Easton Ellis, Banana Yoshimoto, Natsuo Kirino, and Stephen King, to name but a select few. I read so many books every year that it’s impossible to really narrow down anything that has influenced me in a major sort of way, as everything I read sticks with me to some degree. I do think 1Q84, by Haruki Murakami, is perhaps one of the biggest influences on what I write and how I write. I love how Haruki likes to have a conversation with his readers. He doesn’t care so much to impress me or you with big words or flowery descriptions of things. Reading his stories is like having him sitting right next to you at a bar while both of you are downing beer after beer. Pretty soon, his story becomes so blurry and full of magical realism that you feel drunk from it all, and this is the sign that he’s good company to have at a bar. And this is exactly how I want to write and think is the best form of writing for me to try and emulate.

What are you working on now?
Several books, actually, but mostly a massive trilogy about cryptids, the Pan Gu mythology, and the end of the world as a beginning of a new cycle of life. I’m also researching my next few books, one involving the Aum Shinrikyo cult, a guy who wakes up every morning to a different girl in his bed, and a massive idol group in Japan all fighting each other and getting murdered in order to reach the top of the J-POP industry. All fun stuff in my eyes for sure.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
There isn’t one particular thing I’ve found that works better than most, but I would say it’s a combination of being persistent and reaching out to THOUSANDS of bloggers, facebook and Goodreads promotions, and going out and talking to people directly about your book but not being a sales person about it. I think if you are interested in having a newspaper write about your book, you should get to know the people at the newspaper. You should try to find out what they like, maybe go buy an editor a beer and sit with him at a restaurant, and basically put a lot of time into making it so that you asking for help isn’t so one-sided, at least in terms of getting the word out about your book.
Also, I think it’s important to try to think outside the box depending on your book and what you’ve written about. If you have just finished your opus on super heroes, go dress as the main super hero in your book and walk down the street to promote your story and give out free copies to people in exchange for possibly reviewing your book on Amazon after they’ve read it. Stuff like this might just have you run into somebody who is a major influencer. You know, the people who have ten million friends on Facebook but maybe two friends in real life, and all it takes is one great comment by them on their Facebook wall to send you from being an obscure author to superstardom. You never know.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Don’t write for money or fame or because you think your story is original. It isn’t, and you won’t win the author lottery like you think you might. Being a real writer requires you to do three things and do these three things well: First, be humble always. You must always appreciate every single person who reads your books or encourages you or even trashes your work. Just take it all in stride and keep your head bowed at the altar of books. Second, you should learn to be a marketing expert first, then an author second, if you want to actually make money as an author. If you don’t care about making money, then this isn’t so important I suppose, but I do feel that every author usually wants to have strangers read their books, right? It’s a given that most authors will have friends and family read their books, but the real treat is when a complete stranger messages you on Twitter or Facebook and says your book changed their life, or they can’t stop thinking about that crazy character death on page 245 of your latest novel, or that they want to marry you and wake up every morning before you to make you milk tea and wait on you hand and foot so you can write without worrying about petty life stuff like eating and bathing and washing your clothes or doing the dishes, because they will do these things for you and to you. I joke, but you get my point hopefully. Third, and most important of all, write from the heart, and write often. Write about what excites you and about what you love the most in life, but please don’t write fleetingly. Write like it’s all you know. So if you love zombies and dare to contribute another book about zombies to the already long in the tooth catalogue of zombie books out there, do it in such a way that inspires both you and everyone who reads it. Maybe make it about the President of the United States being a zombie but only after he gets upset about something that happens in his life, and not because he is suffering from that incurable zombie disease that’s going around in the book universe. You know, just… be creative at all times, and never stop writing. Or stop after you know you can’t say anything more that’s useful or interesting to yourself or to anyone else.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Never expect anything from anyone, and this way, you’ll never get hurt. My video store manager and long time friend said this to me, and to this day, it’s the hardest advice to follow, but it’s the best advice to living a perfectly happy life when everyone lets you down or the world once again shocks you with another mass murder, suicide, death of a beloved icon, or terrorist attack.

What are you reading now?
I kind of read in shifts, depending on what is interesting to me at the time, so it’s hard to answer this question. There is a cool book called QUICK DRAW, which I just started, and it’s about a detective in Los Angeles dealing with a gruesome murder of a family (so far this is all I’ve read). I’m also reading a massive book on the Star Wars Universe, and I’m also finishing up a book called MM9, which is about Kaiju attacks in Japan.

What’s next for you as a writer?
Besides continuing to write? Well, my focus lately has been learning to better market my books and get my name out there so that I can do this professionally for a living, but it feels counter to what I feel is why I’m writing in the first place. I just want to tell stories and have fun watching and reading the reactions of those who read about my characters and all the crazy stuff that happens to them. But who knows what is truly next? I have no idea, honestly. I just want to be able to keep living long enough to tell at least four more stories, and then maybe I’ll retire and play old Nintendo video games from my youth for the rest of my life. Or maybe I’ll have more stories to tell.

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?
Ah! My brain just exploded at this question.
Okay, I’m going to try….

1. 1Q84, by Haruki Murakami
2. Steve Jobs, by Walter Isaacson
3. The Apprenticeship of Big Toe P, by Rieko Matsuura
4. Real World, by Natsuo Kirino
And maybe if I could sneak one more book onto the island, it would be Piercing, by Ryu Murakami

Author Websites and Profiles
Derek Vasconi Website
Derek Vasconi Amazon Profile

Derek Vasconi’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile
Facebook Profile
Twitter Account

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
In my old life, I was a public health microbiologist. I traded my lab coat for bibs several years ago when I became a stay-at-home mom. I love lab work, but I once I began my first book, I knew that was the career I’d be gunning for. Thankfully, I get to write while raising my kids – or hiding from them.
So far, I’ve published five books and three short stories, along with another manuscript that hasn’t been published yet. Two books are in progress, fighting for attention.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
DEMETRIUS is a character who’d showed up my first series. As soon as I wrote him, I knew he was a fun guy and totally book-worthy.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
None. Oddly, I listen to music constantly, except for when I write. I prefer total quiet to write when I NEVER prefer silence otherwise.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
I love, love, love J.R. Ward. I mention her in everything and soon her people are going to ask me to stop, just stop. Or hire me! All kidding aside, her material just grabs me and won’t let go. I get hugely inspired when I read her work and I feel like I can write with a more authentic voice than ever. It’s like she can pull this repressed little writer out of her shell.
Any book that does the unexpected influences me. Like when George R.R. Martin killed Ned off in Game of Thrones, or The Shadows when Ward did the unthinkable with the love interest. Mind. Blown.

What are you working on now?
I plan to wrap up DEMETRIUS in January and move it into editing mode. Then I want to map out (because I’m a horrible pantser) REGAL CLAIM and begin that one for a June release date.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I’ve fallen hard for Twitter. It’s instant and reaches so many people. Anything I put on my website or Facebook, I put on Twitter. Admittedly, I need to get better at promoting.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Don’t give up. Write because you enjoy it. Bad reviews and rejections are all part of the process, and every negative experience makes the positive ones so much sweeter.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
It wasn’t advice as much as an encouraging word from J.R. Ward herself. The main reason I fell in lust with Twitter. If one of the biggest names in the romance business can support and encourage a flailing indie, then there’s no reason to get discouraged and give up.

What are you reading now?
Runner’s World, lol. I haven’t gotten into any books recently, so I fall back on my magazine quicky reads.

What’s next for you as a writer?
Keep writing. I’m trying to tempt agents, but none are taking the bait – yet. I’ll reel one in, some time.

If you were going to be stranded on a desert island and allowed to take 3 or 4 books with you what books would you bring?
I’d take the first five books of the Fever series by Karen Marie Moning. It’s like one giant romance novel and I was fortunate enough to read them after they were all released. Or unfortunately because I was out of commission until they were done.

Author Websites and Profiles
Marie Johnston Website
Marie Johnston Amazon Profile
Marie Johnston Author Profile on Smashwords

Marie Johnston’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile
Facebook Profile
Twitter Account

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I am a practicing trial lawyer in Chicago, Ill. I have mentored many other lawyers and taught them to become trial attorneys. I am a hobbyist vintner and started writing books two years ago. Chicago Law, A Trial Lawyer’s Journey is my memoir. I since wrote, Tales From Healdsburg, A Story of Self Awakening, which is a spiritual, transcendental book.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
Tales From Healdsburg, A Story of Self Awakening. It was inspired by living in the woods and among the vineyards by my vacation home in Healdsburg, CA. It was there that the plants and animals spoke to me and taught me lessons which I recount in my book similar to Aesop’s Fables. I hope to relate the lessons I learned from nature to help others discover eternal truths and get in touch with deeper values.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
When I write it is like someone is dictating the words and I can hardly write or type them fast enough. The words come as fits of inspiration. Once I get them down I then review and edit whatever I write at least ten times before I am satisfied with what I have written. Then professional editing helps to smooth out the story.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
Joseph Campbell, C. S. Lewis, James Joyce

What are you working on now?
I am waiting for inspiration and in the meantime I’m trying to market the two books I self published within the past year.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I promote my books via the web and emailing my thousands of contacts.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Write about whatever inspires you. Don’t worry about writers block. If you have a block don’t bother writing. Wait until you get a good idea and when you do sit down and let the idea and words pour out of you onto the page. It’s more fun that way and writing is all about having fun and discovering your inner hidden self.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Follow your bliss and it will lead you where you need to go, introduce you to the people you need to meet and open the doors you need to be opened that you didn’t even know were there. Have faith that it will happen because when you are following your path you will bring the power of the universe to yourself and you will wind up where you were meant to be. You may not have ever imagined where you would wind up but you’ll be happy when you arrive because you were meant to be there.

What are you reading now?
I am rereading the Portrait of an Artist as a Young Man, by James Joyce.

What’s next for you as a writer?
I have not discovered it yet. I’m still waiting for the idea to come to me.

If you were going to be stranded on a desert island and allowed to take 3 or 4 books with you what books would you bring?
Plato’s Republic; The Hero With A Thousand Faces; Ulysses; The Divine Comedy.

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
As a long-time student of history as well as God’s Word, I have been blogging about current events, cultural trends. and historical interests from a Biblical worldview. I have written one book.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
My latest book is “Grace In Shoe Leather.” It is the story of two people who I know personally and how their lives crossed at a tragic crossroads in 1998.

In March, 1998, the Evansville, Indiana area was rocked by “The MotoMart Shooting” and the ensuing arrest of a local youth for murder. “Grace In Shoe Leather” is the true story of one victim’s widow who refuses to take the path of bitterness and resentment, but instead chooses the path of forgiveness and grace. In a surprising turn of events, that widow, Ina Kae Simpson, eventually befriends Erick Schmitt, the man convicted of taking her husband’s life. The unexpected results of this unusual friendship are inspirational!

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
Well, unusual or not, I pray over everything that I write. I don’t won’t to put anything out there that is not a reflection of the heart of God.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
Well, #1 is the word of God, the Bible. It is not the #1 best seller in history for nothing! Being a student of the Bible has formed my life in so many different ways. It gives me a Biblical worldview that helps me view the world around me.

As far as history is concerned, some of my favorite writers are David McCullough, Stephen Ambrose, and Bruce Catton

What are you working on now?
I’m currently taking a few months off from writing. Watch out for 2016 though!

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I like Awesome Gang!

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Well, I’m sort of a new author myself. However, one of the things that I’m learning is just to be patient and keep plugging away!

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
That’s easy.

“Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths!” (Proverbs 3:5, 6)

What are you reading now?
I am currently reading “The New Covenant” by David Wilkerson and “Spirit Rising” by Jim Cymbala. Both books are written by pastors who also write. I highly recommend any book by these authors.

What’s next for you as a writer?
Well, I’m just seeking God’s will about this. I only want to write as He directs me.

If you were going to be stranded on a desert island and allowed to take 3 or 4 books with you what books would you bring?
The Bible, The Pursuit of God by A.W. Tozer, and A Voice In The Wilderness by Rev. Loren Helm.

Author Websites and Profiles
Wayne Jr Nall Website
Wayne Jr Nall Amazon Profile

Wayne Jr Nall’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile
Facebook Profile
Twitter Account

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I currently live in a rural area of the mid-west. After living in various parts of the U.S. and traveling abroad, I recently moved into the very same home where I spent my first 18 years. I love travelling, especially to other countries, and I speak Spanish. I earned a Bachelor of Arts in Hispanic Literature, and a Bachelor of Science in Fashion Merchandising. Home decorating is one of my favorite things. Of course I love to read, and I’m a published poet. I like baking pies. Oh, and I like playing cornhole, and I spend way more time than I should playing computer games. My constant companion is a tiny Yorkshire terrier named Georgie Doodlebug. I call her GiGi.

This is my first book!

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
My book is “The Art of Going Home.” I’m not sure I can name one thing that inspired it. I’ve wanted to be an author since I was fifteen. Before this book was born, I couldn’t think of a viable plot. One day I came up with the basic idea for this book, and the more I thought about it, the more it grew.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
Not really. I’m a slow writer, though. I have to let the idea germinate in my imagination before I feel it’s ready to commit to paper.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
My favorite book is Gabriel García Márquez’s “One Hundred Years of Solitude,” which received a Nobel Prize. I’m fascinated with its ingenious complexity and intertwining elements. The line between fantasy and reality is blurred. Solitude is psychological as much as geographical, and time is cyclical.

Some other favorites are “The Power of One” by Bryce Courtenay; “The Chocolate Rose” by Laura Florand; “The Theory of Invisibility” by Aimee Pitta; “The Legend of Juan Miguel” by Anna K. Sargent; “Bottomland” by Trey Holt; the Max Starr Series by Jasmine Haynes; “Brambleman” by Jonathan Grant.

What are you working on now?
I’m continuing to write the second book of The Art of Living duology, titled “The Art of Retribution.” Also, I’m doing a short story called “The Art of Getting Away,” that takes place between books 1 and 2.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I have my own website: http://www.nicolesorrell.com. I also use facebook and twitter a lot. And Pinterest. Author pages on Goodreads and Amazon are good promotional vehicles as well.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
It may sound trite, but I learned I really can do it! It’s important to use available resources and make contacts. Learn everything you can about what makes good writing, and educate yourself about the publishing process. Don’t give up, and take each hurdle as it comes. Have confidence in yourself.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Get an education.

Its importance can never be underestimated. Also, an education is not confined to the classroom. Be a student of the world. Don’t stop learning, and don’t limit yourself to one point of view. Weighing all sides of an issue is invaluable to your growth.

What are you reading now?
The Hunger Games series, by Suzanne Collins. I admire her writing style very much. She is able to communicate a great deal of feeling with very few words.

What’s next for you as a writer?
I’m starting to think about what I will write after The Art of Living series. I’ve got a basic idea for my next novel, but only a general plot. Like I said, my creative process is pretty slow.

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 guess saying my e-reader would be cheating? If I HAD to choose, they would be the favorites I’ve already mentioned: “One Hundred Years of Solitude,” “The Power of One,” and my Bible.

Author Websites and Profiles
Nicole Sorrell Website
Nicole Sorrell Amazon Profile

Nicole Sorrell’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile
Facebook Profile
Twitter Account
Pinterest Account

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
Hi! I’m Jesse. I’m a writer and entrepreneur. More specifically, I’m:

An alumni of TechStars (a top accelerator program)
The previous cofounder of PlayQ (a multimillion-dollar game company)
The author of The Connection Algorithm (a #1 bestselling book about taking risks)

I’ve written two books to date.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
My latest book is called Hustle. I’m working on a larger book project and needed a jolt. So I decided to write Hustle in the span of 7 days. It was an experiment, but I’m glad I did it.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I tend to shower 3-4 times a day when I’m deep in writing mode. It helps me clear my mind. I also like writing during or right after I workout.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
The End of Jobs by Taylor Pearson
The Four Hour Workweek by Tim Ferriss
The War of Art by Steven Pressfield
The Dip by Seth Godin

What are you working on now?
I’m working on a new book about the power of writing and entrepreneurship.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
Amazon. The organic growth on Amazon is the strongest promotion you can ask for.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Write from your heart. Write for yourself. If you write for yourself, more people will likely find it useful than if you try to write for others.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
A clean home is a clean mind.
The only reason to be alive is to enjoy it.
Take a shower.
Keep making moves.

What are you reading now?
I’m actually re-reading the The War of Art.

What’s next for you as a writer?
Not sure. I’ll just keep writing and see where it goes.

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 books I listed above…

The End of Jobs by Taylor Pearson
The Four Hour Workweek by Tim Ferriss
The War of Art by Steven Pressfield
The Dip by Seth Godin

Author Websites and Profiles
Jesse Tevelow Website
Jesse Tevelow Amazon Profile

Jesse Tevelow’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile
Facebook Profile
Twitter Account

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I am a writer, mother, and wife living in Houston, Texas. I’m best known as the seeing-eye-person for my little blind dog named Cricket. I self-publish under my business, Twenty-Eight Creative, and I launched my first children’s picture book, “Arthur Zarr’s Amazing Art Car,” in November 2015. After taking a few years off to raise four children, I started freelance writing again in 2012 when I was hired by the Institute for Spirituality and Health to research the history of this Houston non-profit organization. “Uniting Faith, Medicine and Healthcare: A 60-Year History of the Institute for Spirituality and Health at the Texas Medical Center” was published in 2015. The book is used as a marketing and communications tool, and all financial proceeds benefit the Institute (not me). Now I’m spending my days marketing and publicizing my children’s book about art cars! I graduated from Baylor University with a BA in Journalism in 1985; I earned a Master of Arts from Louisiana State University-Shreveport in 2013.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
My latest book is a children’s book called “Arthur Zarr’s Amazing Art Car,” which is available on Amazon and also through my Author’s Website (www.catheynickell.com). I’m inspired by experiences that have happened in my life. For instance, when I moved to Houston 18 years ago, I had never seen an art car. I started seeing them around town, and I began to enjoy snapping photos of them around Houston. One day while carpooling my son to school, I thought of the idea for “Arthur Zarr’s Amazing Art Car.” I couldn’t waste a minute, and I rushed home to write that story. Over the next few months I explored my options and chose to self-publish. That took me on a two-year journey that, when I hold my beautiful book in hand, I don’t regret. The cool thing about this project is that I’ve written and published the FIRST children’s book that explains art cars! People in Houston know what they are, but in other cities, they are not very common. I think it’s fun that I’ve produced a book that discussed this creative style of artistic expression. Houston is home to first and largest Art Car Parade, which attracts more than 250,000 people each year, and we also boast the country’s first Art Car Museum.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
For the most part, I’m a seat-of-the-pants writer. That being said, I often have a very brief outline to follow. This might be just a few phrases jotted down in my journal that I keep with me at all times. I like to think about a character before I start to write. ie, what’s his or her favorite color, what do they want to be when they grow up, (or if an older character, what was he/she before retirement?), who is their best friend, what’s their favorite food, do they get along with their parents, etc. … things like that. I think it’s critical to know those things before you begin to write. When I write, the story is created in Microsoft Word on my Mac Air laptop. I take it with me and find a quiet place to write. Sometimes that means sitting in a big fluffy chair of my home, but I’ve even been known to sit in my car and write, simply because I have a calm moment to myself. I think writing is very personal, and I don’t think you can “teach” someone how to find time to write. If you want to write, you just do it. There’s really no stopping a writer – it’s a part of how they live and breathe.

I talk to myself in my car (or in the shower) all the time! I frequently pull into a parking lot so that I can stop and text myself a phrase or character trait that I might want to add to my story. I try to keep my journal with me, so I often write the idea there. Ideas just pop in my head, and if I don’t write them down immediately, I’m apt to forget. I get extremely attached to my characters, and I “feel” for them as I write. I have a soft spot in my heart for them, and I often want the best for them. My characters tend to end up with happiness in their lives. Perhaps that will change if I switch to a different genre, but for now, I’m writing children’s books and I like wholesome characters.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
I recently read Stephen King’s book, “On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft,” and it was one of the best books I’ve read in a long time. I’m also reading Liz Gilbert’s “Big Magic” right now, and I love it. Memoirs are some of my favorites, such as: Jeannette Walls’ “The Glass Castle,” and Carole Radziwill’s “What Remains.” I’m a sucker for a great page-turner novel such as those by Gillian Flynn, Maria Semple, Paula Hawkins, Kathryn Stockett, etc. I’m also a huge Young Adult fan! I have read every book that John Green has written (“Looking For Alaska” is a favorite); I recently discovered Robyn Schneider (“The Beginning of Everything” and “Extraordinary Means”); and Rainbow Rowell (“Carry On”) was a fun read as well. Finally, you cannot replace the beautiful classics by Jane Austen, Charlotte Bronte, Louisa May Alcott, L.M. Montgomery, and all those amazing writers, and I re-read those books over and over. The books I do not read are self-help and poetry — I just cannot get into those genres and probably never will.

What are you working on now?
An important life experience for me occurred when I broke my femur (thigh bone) at the age of nine! Ouch! That experience influenced my current project, which is a middle-grade chapter book. I wrote the first draft of “At Last, A Cast!” which is about a girl who wishes for a cast. Does she get what she wished for? Was it even a good wish to have from the start? I hope to self-publish “At Last, A Cast” next. Right now, that book is in major re-write mode! I am working on the dialogue and need to add a few chapters to increase the length. It’s been a lot of fun, and — in many ways — I think I like the middle-grade genre even better than picture books!

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I use Facebook quite a bit. I also like Amazon and Goodreads. Book Goodies is a site I recently came across, and I appreciate that they allowed me to fill out an “Author’s Interview.” I also write a weekly blog on my own Author’s Website which is www.catheynickell.com.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
I’ve learned that I cannot stop writing. It’s how I express myself creatively, and I can’t help myself. Interestingly, I don’t feel afraid to show people my work. Some people tell me they write, but then they never show me anything they’ve written. That’s not me — I show trusted individuals and invite critique and feedback. I think that’s important, so take the risk and show someone what you have written. I think that Stephen King, in his memoir, referred to this “Ideal Reader” or “Trusted Reader” … Collaboration is important! Get feedback. You’ll be amazed at what someone else — your trusted reader — picks up on that slipped right past you. I’ve loved integrated other people’s suggestions into my work. It’s still my own voice, but with an added zing.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
First: Write the best book you can write.
Next: Collaborate with others.
Finally: Don’t be afraid to put your work out there for the world to see. Don’t worry about their reaction. Just go for it!

What are you reading now?
Reading: “Big Magic” by Liz Gilbert.
Reading: “The Feminine Mystique” by Betty Friedan.
Just finished: “Black Eyed Susans: A Novel of Suspense” by Julia Heaberlin.
Also just finished: “The Grownup” by Gillian Flynn.
Would love to read: Anything new that John Green puts out, but I’ve already read all his books.

What’s next for you as a writer?
I hope to continue to grow as a writer, and get better and better at my craft. I have a long, varied career background in publications work. I started off as a journalist/reporter, but then moved into Public Relations work. In that field, I worked with printing companies for many years to produce newsletters, brochures, etc. That gave me the confidence to self-publish my own book(s). I have also self-published a book for a non-profit organization that hired me to write their history; I also helped an acquaintance self-publish her book of poetry, and those books are for sale on Amazon, which makes me proud. My own book, “Arthur Zarr’s Amazing Art Car,” has sold 490 copies in the first two month, so I don’t regret my decision to self-publish. I think I made the right choice. Next for me as a writer is: (1) to continue marketing and selling my children’s book “Arthur Zarr’s Amazing Art Car,” and (2) to finish the re-write on “At Last, A Cast,” my middle grade chapter 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?
1. My own book, “Arthur Zarr’s Amazing Art Car,” because, after all the hard work I put into that book, I’d like to salvage at least one copy of it.
2. Stephen King’s, “On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft” simply because I think I could read it 100 times and still get new things out of it.
3. Probably a book on survival strategies for living on a deserted island. I’ll need to know how to hunt for food, make fire, etc. So that book would be pretty important.
4. The Bible … not because I’m super religious, but because if I were deserted and all alone, it might be a good time to research the Bible and read it from cover-to-cover.

Author Websites and Profiles
Cathey Nickell Website
Cathey Nickell Amazon Profile

Cathey Nickell’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile
Facebook Profile
Twitter Account
Pinterest Account

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I‘m a devoted wife and mother, writer, and amateur mapmaker. Born in Pensacola, Florida, I grew up in California, accompanied by seven siblings, and surrounded by horses, real cowboys, and the occasional rattlesnake. I’ve always been drawn to helping others, a trait that began, to my mother’s horror, with bringing home swallow chicks stricken from their nests. My professional background includes lay minister, journalist, and infant massage instructor with at-risk mothers and babies. I studied Creative Writing and Literature at the University of California, Santa Cruz and Stanford University, and am a member of SCBWI, IBPA, NWA, and VFA. I live with my husband and son in a Carmel cottage old enough to make you sneeze. “The Improbable Wonders of Moojie Littleman,” is my debut novel.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
“The Improbable Wonders of Moojie Littleman” is Set at the turn of the nineteenth century, THE IMPROBABLE WONDERS OF MOOJIE LITTLEMAN is a heartrending, coming-of-age story, with a dose of humor and magical realism. After his adoptive mother dies in a freak accident, eight year-old, disabled, bi-racial Moojie is sent by his disapproving father to live at St. Isidore’s Fainting Goat Dairy, where he befriends a clan of outcasts from an alternate universe. Six years later, this forbidden friendship and subsequent events reveal an extraordinary boy’s tale of loss and connection, first love, and self-discovery.

My son inspired the book. Actually, I’ve had a pretty interesting life, beginning with being one of eight children in a pretty messed up family. This led to a lot of heartache, loneliness, and feelings of “not belonging.” I spent twenty years searching for spiritual answers, but the healing of these wounds really began when my husband and I adopted a baby with special needs. In spite of his difficulties, our son was the most kindhearted, courageous, and bright boy I have ever known. He has been teaching me so much. Especially, he is teaching me not to judge people by appearances, and to forgive others for hurting me. I wanted to put some of his life lessons together with mine to make a story that would inspire anybody who is dealing with difficulties and challenges.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
Only that I write whenever I can. It isn’t a matter of discipline! I want to write and do nothing else. One of my craziest times was writing and editing for 26 hours straight to meet a deadline. What a silly business!

What authors, or books have influenced you?
I have read and re-read the works of Gabriel García Marquez, Franz Kafka, Rudyard Kipling, J.P. Donleavy, Salman Rushdie, and some of Virginia Woolf and Anaïs Nin.

What are you working on now?
I’m working on the audio book version of MOOJIE LITTLEMAN. As for writing, there are several projects that I don’t like to talk about because the creative process is a fickle friend. When I try to capture and define a work too early on, it slips out of my hands somehow. I can only listen to the crazy muse and write stories as they come because there’s an aura about words that shows what is beyond what is mentioned in the writing. I’m always looking for the aura.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I’m still trying to figure this one out. Facebook and Twitter didn’t seem to generate much in sales, like the giveaways, which at best, may have stimulated discussion and review of my book. I feel a bit lukewarm about the giveaway process after seeing the book sold on different sites right after I sent it out. And only maybe 1/4 of the Goodreads recipients wrote reviews. It seems to me that the best support for the book has come through my email list, through having a direct relationship with readers.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
The best thing I’ve learned is to take your time before getting published. Let your work rise like well water, then purify it. From time to time, leave it alone and pick it up later. Revise, revise, revise, skimming off the detritus until it reads like pure stream water.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
“Anybody can have ideas–the difficulty is to express them without squandering a quire of paper on an idea that ought to be reduced to one glittering paragraph.”–Mark Twain

What are you reading now?
I just finished a collection of short stories by Tove Janssen, THE SUMMER BOOK. Beautifully written!

What’s next for you as a writer?
Finish the audio book by spring of 2016, then we’ll see what’s 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 probably take non-fiction first: Joel Goldsmith’s 1955 and 1958 Letters, the Bhagavad Gita, the Aramaic Bible. Fiction: ONE HUNDRED YEARS OF SOLITUDE by Gabria García Marquez, and Rudyard Kipling’s JUST SO STORIES.

Author Websites and Profiles
Robin Gregory Website
Robin Gregory Amazon Profile

Robin Gregory’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile
Facebook Profile
Twitter Account
Pinterest Account

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
Clarissa Johal is the author of paranormal novels, THE ISLAND, VOICES, STRUCK, and BETWEEN. When she’s not listening to the ghosts in her head, she’s swinging from a trapeze, or taking pictures of gargoyles. She shares her life with her husband, two daughters, and every stray animal that darkens their doorstep.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
My latest release THE ISLAND is #1 Best Seller in supernatural horror on Amazon UK and Amazon Canada, which is really exciting! Books generally take me a year to write, but the idea for this one has been kicking around since I was a kid. Here’s the story behind it…

When I was twelve, my parents sent me to camp for the summer. The camp was located on a small island off the mainland, and kept solely for campers only. In addition to standard camp activities, the kids were allowed to explore on their own as long as they stayed together in groups of three. Unfortunately, because I was a new kid, my group of three was just me. When the camp counselors asked if we’d found our groups, I kept my mouth shut. Free time came, and off I went to explore on my own. There were designated paths on the island but you know how that goes—kids explore. Most of the campers headed towards the beach, but I decided to forge my own path into the woods. While waist-high in foliage, I literally fell into a small cave. The cave was empty…but not empty. Have you ever had that feeling? It felt like whatever resided inside, suddenly fixated on me. The hairs on the back of my neck stood, I felt icy cold, and the prick of tears was close, though I didn’t know why. It was almost as if I had stumbled into someplace sacred. I managed to climb out, but it felt like I was being watched. That night, I tossed and turned, unsettled. The feeling persisted into the next day, so I returned to the area—wanting to make peace with it. I looked and looked, but the cave was nowhere to be found. That cave (and the feeling associated with it) stuck with me, and so The Island was born.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I keep a pen beside the bed for when I wake in the middle of the night. I dream characters and back-stories and will write them on my arms and legs (I never seem to have paper). I probably look a bit demented by morning, but it works!

What authors, or books have influenced you?
I really like Neil Gaiman, Robert Holdstock, Gerald Brom, Graham Joyce, Amanda Stevens, Simone St. James, Keith Donohue, and Melissa Marr.
In addition to these authors, I read a LOT of world mythology and folktales. They offer quite a bit of inspiration!

What are you working on now?
I’m working on a re-release of my paranormal gothic horror STRUCK and a new spin-off from that book titled POPPY. Both should be released this year via Booktrope. I’ll leave you with the blurbs:

STRUCK
Struck by lightning…claimed by shadows.

Caught in a terrible storm, Gwynneth is struck by lightning. She wakes in the hospital with a vague memory of a mysterious stranger. Following her release, the stranger visits her at will and offers Gwynneth a gift—one that will stay the hands of death. Gwynneth is uncertain whether Julian is a savior or something sinister… for as he shares more and more of this gift, his price becomes more and more deadly.

POPPY
A red-headed, pink-loving mortician who speaks to the dead.
A socially awkward funeral director.
Poppy and Dante from STRUCK are back.

Something is lingering around Skyview Funeral Home–and it’s stealing souls of the departed. With Dante in tow, Poppy is determined to put a stop to it. Will she be able to protect those who are trying to cross over? Or will her soul be next?

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I’m on Facebook quite a bit, I like to interact with readers and friends. In addiction to that, I’m on Twitter, Blogger, Pinterest, Goodreads, etc. You can find my social site links on my website: http://www.clarissajohal.com/

Do you have any advice for new authors?
The road to publication is trial and error and different for everyone. Self-publishing is huge right now. If you go that route, you need to understand and be comfortable with promotion and social media (this goes for traditional publishers too). There are many, many books out there, and it’s easy to become lost in the shuffle. Don’t be the book that’s been poorly edited or formatted, because it gives people an excuse to pass over your awesome story. As far as going the traditional route—get used to rejection and don’t take it personally. A lot of it is timing, and finding a publisher who “gets” your vision. That said, if you’re getting the same rejection feedback, take another look at what they’re saying and approach your writing with that in mind.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
The more books you get “out there,” the more readers and publishers take notice of you. This is absolutely true. The first book is always the hardest, because you’re getting your foot in the door. Spend more time writing, and less time talking about it. Networking is crucial too.

What are you reading now?
Research books! I have a stack of them, but I just finished, ‘Spirits, Fairies, Leprechauns, and Goblins: An Encyclopedia’ by Carol Rose.

What’s next for you as a writer?
After the release of POPPY and re-release of STRUCK (both dates TBA), I’ll finish up WHISPERS IN THE WOOD, a dark paranormal fantasy. It’s half-written and will take me to the end of the year. Once I submit that, I’ll start on my next 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?
A big book: “The Complete Works of William Shakespeare” by Shakespeare
A practical book: “SAS Survival Handbook, Third Edition: The Ultimate Guide to Surviving Anywhere” by John ‘Lofty’ Wiseman
My own book–just to keep me on my toes: “The Island” by Clarissa Johal

Author Websites and Profiles
Clarissa Johal Website
Clarissa Johal Amazon Profile
Clarissa Johal Author Profile on Smashwords

Clarissa Johal’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile
Facebook Profile
Twitter Account
Pinterest Account

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I’m an author, personal development blogger, and entrepreneur. I have written one book so far called “The Destiny Formula,” and it’s about how to find your life’s purpose.

I am a believer in lifelong learning. My two main hobbies are reading and writing. If it were up to me I would spend my entire day doing both of those things.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
The name of my latest book is “The Destiny Formula.” It was inspired by some of the things I feel are wrong with the society we live in today.

I believe each of us were put on this planet for a reason and that we’re all called to do something unique. Unfortunately, the society we live in promotes conformity and attempts to make us all act, think, and behave the same way.

It seems to me like many people aren’t living out their purpose. They’re stuck in a path that was chosen arbitrarily. They’re not excited to wake up in the morning. They’re not living life in its truest sense.

I wrote the book to help as many people as possible break their way out of a broken system. I wrote it to inspire people and give them the courage and motivation to pursue the path they were destined for.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I wouldn’t say they’re unusual. I write in the mornings when I first wake up. I’m a useless writer at night time. I also drink an entire pot of coffee before I write.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
I’ve read so many books it’s hard to narrow down the list. But if I had to choose a couple I would go with “Rich Dad Poor Dad,” by Robert Kiyosaki, “Zero to One,” by Peter Thiel, and “The One Thing,” by Gary Keller.

What are you working on now?
I’m working on promoting the book I just recently published. After that’s done I will immediately begin to write my next book. The next book is going to be about the life skills we need for success that aren’t taught in traditional schooling.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I use guest posts on blogs with large audiences for promotion. Paid promotions are another tactic I use as well.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
In the words of Seth Godin, “Ship. Ship even if it sucks.” You have to get your work out there. You’ll want to make it perfect before you share it with the world, but you can’t keep hiding forever.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
“Stop doing sh** you hate.”

What are you reading now?
“Antifragile,” by Nassim Taleb. It’s a beast of a book. I’ll probably have to read it over three more times before I’m able to fully grasp the concepts in it.

What’s next for you as a writer?
More books. My goal is to write one book per year until I’m dead.

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 Alchemist,” by Paulo Coelho, and the first three Harry Potter books.

Author Websites and Profiles
Ayodeji Awosika. Website
Ayodeji Awosika. Amazon Profile

Ayodeji Awosika.’s Social Media Links
Facebook Profile
Twitter Account

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
Writing began at an early age. I had a poem published in a magazine when I was seven and the urge to write has never left me. It’s kind of like malaria that way. I have periods of normalcy but always the writing fever returns. That is probably why I have around a hundred titles in various genres.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
Death Arts is the latest Miss Henry mystery. We have large Dias de los Muertos celbration in California and this seemed an ideal place to set a murder mystery.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I don’t have rituals but absolute quiet is a must. I used to write in the bedroom closet. I have gotten better at ignoring distractions, but the office is a dead quiet, peaceful retreat and the rest of life’s chaos is not allowed within the sanctum walls.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
It is many British writers that informed my childhood and which have probably influenced me the most. It is why I am not wedded to the idea of a single character pov (unless the tale is told in the first person). British writers also like descriptive narrative and provide a great sense of place which is important especially in historical novels where a reader might feel lost. I want those who follow me into strange lands to understand the world enough to have some anchor in its reality.

What are you working on now?
Right now I am illustrating a children’s book. It is a retelling of Sleeping Beauty but with mice.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
That varies because I write romance, mysteries, fantasy and children’s books and many promotion sites are specific to genres. It is important to have an up to date Amazon page and an attractive website.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Stick to it. There will be so many circumstances where you will be tempted to give up– but hang in there. Stubbornness counts as much as talent.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Treat life as a 60-40 proposition. Always give 60 and only take 40. That way there is some extra left on the table for the times when life gets hard and you need the world’s goodwill.

What are you reading now?
MM Kaye has just been released in e format so I am having an orgy of historical stories in strange places.

What’s next for you as a writer?
Next up is a collection of old and mostly forgotten medieval nursery rhymes, for instance the oldest version of Old King Cole and the Queen of Hearts. It will be illustrated.

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?
Only 3 or 4? Yikes! Well… a collected works of 18th century poets, Rest You Merry by Charlotte MacLeod and Night In Lonesome October by Roger Zelazny.

Author Websites and Profiles
Melanie Jackson Website
Melanie Jackson Amazon Profile

Melanie Jackson’s Social Media Links
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Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I live in Ontario, Canada. I balance writing with my work as a physician at an Urgent Care Clinic and being a mom to three sons (luckily grown and capable of throwing together a decent meal, in a pinch). I’ve written 7 romance novels. Two of my stories are posted on Wattpad.com – She’s Not a Fan, the first in a hockey series, and Choices. The 3 stories in the Perfectly Series have been published, and I’m working on edits of the 2nd story of the hockey series and a Christmas romance novel. I wrote my first book 4 years ago and can’t believe how much I’ve learned. It’s also hard to believe I didn’t own a laptop 7 years ago – now for writing, online courses, editing, connecting with readers, I couldn’t live without one. And I’m at the point where I can type as fast as I think!

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
My latest book is Perfectly Planned, Book 3 in the Perfectly Series. When I wrote the first book, Perfectly Honest, I knew I wanted to have more books in the series that would be based on spin-off characters from the first. In the first book, Chloe has an accident and that’s what starts the cascade of events for Mikaela and Sam. In Perfectly Reasonable, Book 2, Chloe shows up more often because she works with Margo. During one of their breaks, Chloe mentions that she’s looking for a sperm donor – and the premise for the third book was born!

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I can’t imagine not writing. Even though I only started writing about 4 years ago, I have such a deep enjoyment of it. I love being immersed in the fun world of a romantic comedy. My house is on the water, so when I’m writing, I usually sit where I can watch
the waves on the lake and listen to them lap (or crash wildly) onto shore, which is very relaxing. When the weather is warm, I’ll write outside.
One of the things I love most about writing is being able to write at whatever pace I choose. As a kid, I always found it tough to come up with a story when the teacher asked because I had too many thoughts racing around in my head and needed time to mull it over. Luckily, now I have time to mull it over! So I don’t get too wound up about completing a certain number of words a day. Lately, I’ve tried to complete a novel within a season. It’s easier to keep the characters and storyline details in my head if it’s a shorter timeline.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
I read a lot of Harlequins when I was younger. I could finish one in 2 hours and it was a great way to relax at the end of an evening after studying. I’ve read all of Nora Roberts/JD Robb’s books. I love her style of writing. Reading Bird by Bird by Anne Lamott made me think that I could actually do this.

What are you working on now?
I’m writing the second romance novel in a holiday series. The first book is a Christmas story and the second one highlights love on Valentine’s Day.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I try to post twice a week on my website and include a wide variety of topics. I have a series called Sharing the Awesome where I ask people I know to write about their hobby/job/interest. It’s been really cool hearing about how people got involved in their craft or job and what advice they would give to others who would like to try it. I’ve recently started a Sharing the Awesome Author series and invited other authors to share their stories and advice.
I have a lot of fun on twitter – it’s been the best of the social media platforms for building a following and engaging people.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
If you’re serious about writing, eventually you’ll need to invest some time in marketing and promotion. Publishers like to see that you’ve made an effort to build a following. As soon as you decide on a pen name, set up an email account (Gmail), a twitter account, a wordpress blog, and join Wattpad.com (those are all free) and purchase the domain name for a website (cost is ~ $10/year). If you’re using your own name, you can also set up a Facebook author page (which is different from your personal profile). Try to use the same name for all of these, but keep it simple. (For example, a middle initial is sometimes hard to see and a longer name takes up more of the 140-character count on twitter.) For me, Linda O’Connor was taken for Gmail, twitter, and Wattpad so I used LindaOConnor98. But for my website I used LindaOConnor.net over LindaOConnor98.com because I thought it would be easier to search. The other option, which is popular, is to tag ‘author’ at the end of your name (LindaOConnorAuthor.com).

Eventually you’ll need a website, but because it’s expensive to set up, I would hold off until you’re close to being published. That way, you’ll have a better idea of what your brand looks like and can design your website with that in mind. In the meantime, you could blog on a free site or just invest the time into writing. Hold onto the domain name though, so when you’re ready, you have the name.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
The best advice I was given about writing was to remember that it’s a marathon, not a sprint. It takes time – not only to write a book, edit and polish it, but also to get it out there for the world to see and develop a loyal group of readers. If I had to pass on advice to an aspiring writer, young or old, I’d say, if you’re passionate about writing, stick with it. But be patient little grasshopper.

What are you reading now?
Well, I’m all caught up on Nora Roberts’ books. When I’m in the middle of writing a romance, I usually read cozy mysteries because they’re quick to read and something different from what I’m writing. I also belong to a book club and we read a wide variety of genres. Right now we’re reading Paper Towns by John Green.

What’s next for you as a writer?
Eavesdrop some more. Daydream. Write. Edit. Share it with the world.

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 a ‘How to Survive Island Living’ book with tips on things like edible plants, how to catch and identify fish, medicinal properties of plants, building a shelter, rudiments of electricity – I’d definitely need it!! I’d also bring a writing reference book on goal, motivation, and conflict because hey, I’d finally have time to read it. A blank journal with a pencil would be handy too, so I could write.

Author Websites and Profiles
Linda O’Connor Website
Linda O’Connor Amazon Profile

Linda O’Connor’s Social Media Links
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Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
My sixth novel publication was Spirit of the Ronin, the final volume of my Ronin Trilogy, in July, 2015. The Ronin Trilogy is a historical fantasy story set in 13th century Japan. Rogues of the Black Fury is a military fantasy novel, released in 2011. The Wild Boys is a Young Adult supernatural thriller, published in 2012. My next novel, Death Wind, will be released in Summer, 2016, from WordFire Press. Death Wind is a Lovecraftian horror-western co-authored with Jim Pinto.
I also have a growing number of short stories in various magazines and anthologies, such as the Fiction River anthology series, Apex Magazine, Alembical, and many others.
I am a graduate of the Odyssey Writing Workshop (a life-changing experience) and I have a Master’s Degree in English (another life-changing experience). When I’m not writing, I teach science fiction literature at the University of Nebraska at Omaha.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
My most recent published novel is Spirit of the Ronin. This book is the culmination of a fifteen year journey, from a story I started writing in 1999 that ultimately led me to live in Japan for three years and study a variety of martial arts from Japanese fencing to ju jutsu.
I discovered samurai films when I was in high school, and the work of Akira Kurosawa and Toshiro Mifune set my imagination on fire. Film like the Samurai Trilogy, Throne of Blood, Ran, and Seven Samurai were huge inspirations.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
My biggest early influences were Edgar Rice Burroughs, Robert E. Howard, and H. P. Lovecraft. I loved the pulps, and I still love that pulpy feel.
More recent influences are William Shakespeare, Ray Bradbury and Joe R. Lansdale.
Fahrenheit 451 was a book that changed the course of my life.
I love Lansdale’s work for his unique ability to make the reader laugh and cringe at the same time. He is a master of East Texas wit, with a razor-sharp eye for detail and character that I aspire to emulate.
Anyone who wants to write should read at least half of Shakespeare’s work. We still read his works today because they are still relevant. His plays tell stories we know with characters we still recognize, and they exhibit a flair for language and wit that is simply unmatched. You try to write an entire novel in iambic pentameter. I dare you.

What are you working on now?
Right now I’m working on short stories, but I have a novel proposal with a publisher right now. If that is approved, then I’ll launch full-thrust into that project. I also have a SF-noir novel that’s looking for a publisher; fingers crossed that it will get picked up soon.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
The best method I have found for promoting my books is going to major conventions and simply talking to people. I have reached the point that fans recognize me at big conventions like Dragon Con and Denver Comic Con (two major cons that I frequent), which is not only encouraging but also gratifying. Readers are actively looking for my stuff now, and that’s an amazing feeling.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
1. Write something.
2. Finish it, give it a bit of polish (but not too much or you’ll polish the life out of it).
3. Send it to someone who will pay you money. (DO NOT WRITE FOR FREE or god forbid, pay someone! You’re a professional.)
4. Start writing the next thing.
5. When something is rejected, send it out again immediately.
6. Rinse and repeat.

There are no shortcuts.

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

What are you reading now?
One Hundred Years of Solitude by Gabriel Garcia-Marquez
The Door into Summer by Robert Heinlein
Ivanhoe by Sir Walter Scott

What’s next for you as a writer?
The novel project that I mentioned above, which I can’t discuss any further. I also have several pages of notes for an original SF novel, which I will attempt to tackle in the second half of 2016. All that along with moving back to the U.S. from New Zealand and promoting Death Wind at various conventions.

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?
Fahrenheit 451
Stranger in a Strange Land
The Complete Works of William Shakespeare
A Brief History of Time

Author Websites and Profiles
Travis Heermann Website
Travis Heermann Amazon Profile

Travis Heermann’s Social Media Links
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Facebook Profile
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Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I was born and raised in eastern Tennessee and am a hiking, reading and antiquing fanatic. I love all animals, even bears, though I do not want to meet them in the woods. Antiques & Avarice is my first book, though I have written a few short stories in the past (just for fun).

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
Antiques & Avarice is the first book I’ve written and published. It was largely inspired by my love of antiques and mystery books.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I tend to hum while I type. I have no idea why, but it is a bit of an unconscious obsession.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
There have been so many over the years, Agatha Christie, Devin O’Branagan, Susan Conant, Kathi Daley, way too many to list here.

What are you working on now?
I’m working on the second book in the White Mountains Romantic Mysteries series. I’m hoping to have it out in January or February of 2016.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I think facebook and twitter so far.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Don’t give up! Networking is a fun and wonderful thing.

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

What are you reading now?
A new novella by Devin O’Branagan called Incarnation, and a debut novel by Ron Wingrove called Mina.

What’s next for you as a writer?
I’m going to keep working on this series for now. It’s a fun series for me to write and my readers have been asking for 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?
Only 3 or 4? That is hard. It would have to be the first Harry Potter book, The Sorcerer’s Stone by JK Rowling, The Hobbit, by JRR Tolkien, Daughters of the Southwind by Aola Vandergriff and The Mists of Avalon by Marion Zimmer Bradley. Are you sure I can’t take 3 of 4 series with me?

Author Websites and Profiles
Jane Firebaugh Website
Jane Firebaugh Amazon Profile

Jane Firebaugh’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile
Facebook Profile
Twitter Account
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Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
My name is BJ Knapp, I’ve written 2 books. One is in a drawer, the other is up on Amazon.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
My book is called Beside the Music. I love 80s metal bands. Not all of them have had staying power, however. I wondered about the ones that didn’t make it. I imagined they were all called into a conference room in some office somewhere, still in their eyeliner and leather, and told that they are broke. I imagined the emotional scene that played out, and how they all freaked out about having to get office jobs fixing copiers and the like. But then I thought, what if one of those bands tried to come back from that–in an age where social media dictates your worth, which is something that bands in the 80s didn’t have to deal with. How would aging rock stars, ignorant of all that, get themselves back to the top?

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
Loads of them. My most unusual is that I’ve taught my beagle how to type. He hauls a laptop on top of his dog house and I lounge in a chaise nearby and he types in whatever I tell him. It works well until he decides he’s a World War I fighter pilot chasing the Red Baron. Then the laptop gets thrust back into my lap and he’s off in his Sopwith Camel careening over Europe. Beagles have short attention spans sometimes.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
The biggest influence for me is Janet Evanovich’s How I Write. I check it out from the library on audiobook. It’s narrated by her, and it is her reaching through my earbuds and grabbing me by the hair and shoving me into my chair and saying “shut up and write already.”

What are you working on now?
My next one is about a couple that wins the lottery, like hundreds of millions of dollars. I outlined it as they’re trying to figure out how to deal with this major life change. But as I was trucking along on my outlined path, I got another idea and went off-road. So, now the story is going to be completely different with this couple and their millions.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
Connecting with people is how you sell books. You can’t just stand there and say “buy my book.” Nobody will buy it. But if you interact with people, they’ll be interested in what you have to say. Right now Facebook is working well for me. I am dabbling on Twitter as well, but I get the most interaction on Facebook. And people post pictures of my book in their hands. Pretty awesome.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
I am chock full of unsolicited advice. Mine for new authors is do not stop believing in yourself and your story. There are dark moments where you’re like “This is crap.” And then there are the brighter moments where you’re like “OK, I am really good.” The dark moments are a lot longer than the bright ones. You need to find a way to buoy yourself in those dark moments and get through them. Remember that every rejection is one closer to an acceptance. It takes only one “yes” but you’re gonna hear a lot of “no.” Move on from the no. Ask yourself what you can do better next time, and do it.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
My mom, Jane Kruzel, said this to me: “If you want something, go get it. Nobody is going to hand it to you.”

She’s right. On so many levels. They aren’t handing out publishing deals down at the truck stop. You have to work for it.

What are you reading now?
This answer changes by the day. I burn through books, because in 7th grade my Language Arts teacher used a method to encourage faster reading. My library card is melted on one side from overuse. You can see that here: http://bjknapp.com/past-reads

What’s next for you as a writer?
Right now I am focused on my first book making its journey out into the world. I need to guide it and tell it how to get into the hands of my readers. I am learning a lot about that whole process. But I am also working on my next novel, tentatively called The Winners.

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 think that in this scenario I’d want to bring really long books, because you never know how long it’ll take for a rescue. But I love Garth Stein’s The Art of Racing in the Rain. That’s my favorite. But the practical side of me would bring books about how to make a raft out of palm trees.

Author Websites and Profiles
BJ Knapp Website
BJ Knapp Amazon Profile
BJ Knapp’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile
Facebook Profile
Twitter Account

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
My picture is in the dictionary under the words, “Late Bloomer”, but I did blossom. Former corporate lawyer, now fount and purveyor of joy, words, humor, and most importantly, questions. I’ve got 1 book out now and another coming in a few months, and two more planned after that. For me, writing is joy, purpose, path, celebration and meditation, so I do as much of it as I can, and try not to be limited by a single genre. Maybe I have a little ADHD…

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
My latest book is called Undamned, My Escape from the Old Testament. Simply put, I wanted to return the gift of joy to so many who had it surgically removed from their spirits by their religion.
It was inspired by what I describe in the book as the phenomenon of McChurch, something that can look more like a fast- food restaurant than a place of sanctuary, and can be more of a harmful addiction than a balm for wounds. I sought to help others and heal myself and found answers to the questions that would not fit in this doctrine, as well as a whole new, more forgiving and infinite spirituality.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
Yes, I use the Memo/ Post it app on my phone to write the first drafts of most of my writing ideas. When it comes to poetry, most poems started as a single thought or title put into the memo pad, and fleshed out long hand, and lovingly (or not so lovingly) edited over the course of weeks, months or even years.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
I am remarkably impressionable and something that is well – written and powerful can influence me for weeks or even years. The Goldfinch made a huge difference to me, in that I saw that art has the capacity to change a life, and therefor, what I do as an artist is never in vain. I may never see how my work affects someone, but that does not mean that it doesn’t.

What are you working on now?
I am currently in the production phase of a robustly joyous, yet candid and plainly understandable collection of the best of my poems written over the past 15 years, including the first poem I ever wrote and kept, written in 2001. Kirkus has given it a “ Recommended’ review. It’s like having another child, late in life, and I’m about that amazed and proud.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I use all social media, and have a website and blog, which help draw in new readers. I’m also in various social media writing and poetry groups. But, the best draw is word of mouth from loyal readers. One friend reads my book and recommends it to another friend, and so on… Most who have read Undamned have already asked when the next book is coming out.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Yes! Stay the Course. Pay less attention to what you don’t know and what others claim to know, and more to what is inside you trying to get out.
You know what to write, how to write it, and probably who can help you get it out there. But, this is an exhausting endeavor. Pacing is everything.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Take outcomes out of the equation entirely. Don’t write for others, for success, for reviews, or for money. Write because you can’t be a happy or authentic version of you unless you do.

What are you reading now?
I just finished reading the latest Tammy Hoag thriller, Cold Cold Heart, which I basically read in one sitting. It was a barn- burner! I need to take a little breather, before I start my next book.

What’s next for you as a writer?
Getting my poetry book out, and getting to work on my next two books after that, which will likely go out in tandem. That would cover the Christian, Spiritual, and Poetry genres. I think a novel should be 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?
The Goldfinch, All the Lights We Cannot See, The Untethered Soul
and a Baldacci thriller. The Goldfinch and All the Lights We Cannot See changed me for good with their message and their beauty– The Goldfinch, because it illustrated how a thing of beauty can be redemptive in even the darkest of lives. All the Lights… similarly showed that there are moments of heroic sacrifice and pure goodness in people who appear dark and times that appear without hope. These acts simply aren’t brought to light. The Untethered Soul was a unique approach to spirituality, and the thriller, just because I can’t be serious all the time!

Author Websites and Profiles
L E Kinzie Website
L E Kinzie Amazon Profile

L E Kinzie’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile
Facebook Profile
Twitter Account

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I have written 4 books under my own name, thus far. But, I also write under another pen name and I have written 4 other books under that name as well. So all in all it is currently at 8 books with another 2 currently in edit.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
The latest book release was Discovered, which is the continuation of the Black Creek Pack series that began with Desired. I was inspired to write this series because it is the kind of story that I would love to read. I love a love story that takes place in the middle of a conflict. When things explode or an assassin could be lurking around any corner you don’t have time for angst. If you love the person next to you, you hold hands and run like hell to safety. Those kinds of stories really appeal to me and I didn’t see very many out there, so I wrote one.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
Yes, and it involves a fat cat and a kettlebell. One of my cats is my writing buddy. Whenever I sit down to write she takes up a perch on the seat next to me and monitors my progress. When it’s time to take a break she casually lays across my keyboard. Then I grab my kettlebell and do a few minutes of exercise. The exercise keeps me from having writer’s block. Somehow, swinging that heavy thing gets my mind running and keeps it clear so that I can write for longer periods without “hitting a wall”.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
JR Ward, Kresley Cole, LA Banks, Christine Feehan, Gena SHowalker, Sherrilyn Kenyon, Zane, Sista Soulja, Roald Dahl, JK Rowling and Dr. Seuss.
If you look carefully you will find little bits of all of them in my writing. But JR Ward really showed me that love stories don’t have to be soft and smooshy. The hero can be just as flawed as the villain, and the love interest doesn’t have to be the most lovable person either. The love itself is the thing that makes the story great.

What are you working on now?
The Last Kiss:
It’s more of a coming of age love story about a Korean-American kid, Ricky, who get shipped off to a prestigious boarding school. He meets and falls in love with Donovan Kimble, who comes from money and a whole world that Ricky had never seen. The school itself, Trundle, is essentially where the rich and elite dump their troublesome kids off to keep them out of the limelight, so every character has a “story”. Eventually Ricky and Donovan are discovered and that is where the fun starts. It’s mostly a story about trying to preserve what is good about love even when it doesn’t seem like you will be able to stay together, and how being loved sincerely changes you.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I use facebook and twitter a lot. I also encourage all my readers to sign up for my mailing list so that when I have a new release they will be notified right away. I like to talk to my readers so I am all over social media; but, I have heard good things about AG so I am going to add them to my list of resources.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Hang in there and write in series at first. Try to complete your first 2 books before you publish and be generous. Give your readers SOMETHING from you every month, even if it’s just a short story.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Don’t feel like you have to write an epic drama to qualify as a writer. Novellas are becoming more popular now with the e-book crowd. We want a good story, and if you can tell it in 40K words instead of 80K then have at it. Appreciate your readers and they will appreciate you.

What are you reading now?
Endgame by James Frey

What’s next for you as a writer?
I want to turn The Last Kiss into a series, and I have an AMBW (Asian man, Black woman) series due out during the latter part of the year. I don’t want to be a strictly m/m romance writer. I want to tell the stories that don’t get told and I want to do them well. If you like drama, action, and steamy couples…regardless of race or gender, then I am your girl.

If you were going to be stranded on a desert island and allowed to take 3 or 4 books with you what books would you bring?
Surrender the Dark and Conquer the Dark by LA Banks
Anything in the Nightwalker series by Jacquelyn Frank

Author Websites and Profiles
Sakura Skye Website
Sakura Skye Amazon Profile

Sakura Skye’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile
Facebook Profile
Twitter Account

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I was born in 1964. The youngest of six children I can only assume that my Catholic parents stopped procreating when they reached perfection with me. My youth was filled with wonder and adventure as I roamed the woods of a rustic little hamlet by the name of Spanish Lake. From time to time, I even managed to apply myself at schoolwork just enough to advance to the next grade.
Then came the first of many broken bones. A hill– the hill– beckoned me. Never one to obey rules or follow basic tenets of common sense, I set out to conquer the monstrosity. Me, gravity and a bike with no breaks. You can guess the rest. It was awesome, right up to the moment it wasn’t. A broken arm and fractured skull pretty much put me out of action for the rest of the summer.
To follow up such an epic conquest, the next summer I again set out to plant my feet firmly on the mountain of childhood adventure. I leaped feet first into the fire. Well, river actually. Onto a sandbar to be exact. Landed wrong and broke my leg. Another summer wasted away. Or so I thought.
Two things happened to me that tragic summer which would change my life forever. The first was zombies. Thanks to a disobedient older brother and the magic of drive-in theaters, I discovered zombies at the tender age of nine. And books.
Having graduated high school with literally the lowest satisfactory grades allowed by law, I embarked on a twelve-year quest for higher education. I must admit I attacked this with a little less gusto than I had with high school. During this time I worked on my first book. A convoluted little tale called The Emerald Tower.
Life intruded, and I set aside such things as I worked my way up the corporate ladder attaining the zombie-esque position of VP at the tender age of thirty-six. In 1992, I met my future wife, Minhdu Nguyen from Vietnam. A feisty little fireball it didn’t take long until we married. Three sons later, I had but one conquest left to make.
Alcoholism. Licked it 2008, haven’t had a drink since. Funny thing happened after the fog lifted. I remembered my passion for writing. In 2015, I finished my first book in a series called Second Dead.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
My latest book is called Second Dead. What inspired it? I was watching walking dead and all I could think was that these people deserved to die. I mean really. Walking past a corn field and being totally surprised zombies came out to attack them! It did get me thinking though. How would an overweight, diabetic, fifty-something survive zombies?

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
Yes. I write with earphones on. I have several playlists depending on the type of scene I’m creating.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
First and foremost Issac Asimov. J.R.R. Tolkien comes in a close second. I confess a fondness for Lucy Maud Montgomery.

What are you working on now?
The sequel to Second Dead. Tentatively titled Second Dead the continuing.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Write. Doesn’t matter if its crap. Words on paper can be fixed. Words unwritten can’t.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Dream big but save your money.

What are you reading now?
Plain Kate by Erin Bow. I rereading it for the third time.

What’s next for you as a writer?
I’m editing book two in the Second Dead series and outlining book 3.

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?
Anna of Green Gables. The Rise and Fall of the Third Reich. The Foundation 3 book set. The Silmarillion.

Author Websites and Profiles
T Francis Sharp Amazon Profile
T Francis Sharp Author Profile on Smashwords

T Francis Sharp’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile
Facebook Profile
Twitter Account

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I am retired from the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, after which I became an Instructor at a Law Enforcement Academy. I went to China to study Chinese police training, got married there and lived in Chongqing (pop. 34 million) for five years. I taught martial arts for over forty years and also trained in China. My hobbies are sailing and writing. We live half the time in Canada and half in China. The attraction of China is that it is so interesting…like a different planet. I found that 95% of media reports in North America about China are completely false. I have been going there for 16 years and have never encountered anyone who wants to leave.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
My latest book is entitled, “Losing Weight Without Dieting: Losing Weight and Fat the Traditional Chinese Way”.

When I first visited Chongqing, China, I found there were no overweight people…never saw a single obese person (although westernization is now changing that). I was intrigued about this especially considering that they eat more calories daily than Americans.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I suppose the only unusual aspect of my writing is that I write both fiction and non-fiction books.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
I have always been an avid reader but no particular author has influenced me. I like authors who strike a balance between enough descriptive detail to set a scene, without going on and on with descriptions to the point of being boring or detracting from the story line.

What are you working on now?
I am sporadically working on a 5th novel in my spy-thriller series, “The Chinese Woman”. Otherwise, I am learning how to market my books on Kindle…not much use in writing books if no one reads them.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
Too early to say…I am still a novice in the skill of marketing and promoting my books.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Yes. Plan your book, fiction or non-fiction, before commencing to write and then proceed on write to the end. Don’t stop to review, edit or correct; wait until the finish to attend to those things.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Be flexible. When you discover a new and better way of doing something, don’t hesitate to change even if you have been doing something in a particular way for years. You can always keep learning regardless of your age. Be open minded.

What are you reading now?
I am reading books by Dick Wolf, the creator of the “Law and Order” TV series. I like the way he researches his subject matter before writing. So many writers, in my opinion, miss the mark even if they are talented writers with interesting stories, because they don’t know enough about the subject matter of their novels.

What’s next for you as a writer?
People have been encouraging me to publish my “China Adventures” which I send out weekly to friends in the US and Canada when I am living in China. The consensus seems to be that I should put it in book form. If I find the time, I just might do that.

If you were going to be stranded on a desert island and allowed to take 3 or 4 books with you what books would you bring?
The first book would be one on how to survive on a desert island. Another one on how to build a seaworthy sailing craft from scratch. The other two would be books by Bernard Cornwell.

Author Websites and Profiles
Brian Cox Website
Brian Cox Amazon Profile

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I’m a retired Federal Firefighter from the Puget Sound area of Washington State. I’m also an inventor and a mechanical engineer. I’ve written four novels and I’m working on the fifth.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
Gravity was inspired by a segment on the Science Channel about areas on the planet where the force of gravity is much less than everywhere else.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
Yes, I always wear a particular jacket when I write. I know it’s only psychological, but when I try to write without it, the movie in my head doesn’t seem to come out right when I type.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
I used to be a Clive Cussler, James Rollins, and Michael Crichton fan, but the main influence came from the Tom Swift science fiction adventures I read as a boy.

What are you working on now?
Book five of the Alex Cave Series, the premise of which is the ability to control the weather.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
After publishing the third book in the series, I made the first one permanently free, and a good percentage of those readers like the story enough to buy the other books in the series.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
For beginners, don’t rush to publish. You only get one chance to make a first impression, so take your time to make sure your story is as close to perfect as possible. Try to find an editor who is also a fan, and have at least three beta readers.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Learn from criticism. If you don’t know what’s wrong, you can’t fix it.

What are you reading now?
Actually, I don’t read other peoples novels anymore. I find that certain mannerisms of other authors seem to influence my own stories, and I prefer to keep mine completely original. And since I’m always working on a new story, I only read periodicals and my favorite magazines or blog articles.

What’s next for you as a writer?
I’m considering getting an agent, but only because of a lack of distribution for the print versions of my stories. eBook sales are fine, but there is still an overwhelming number of readers who prefer printed versions, and many don’t like the price of print on demand books.

If you were going to be stranded on a desert island and allowed to take 3 or 4 books with you what books would you bring?
Any new Michael Crichton or James Rollins novels.

Author Websites and Profiles
James M. Corkill Website
James M. Corkill Amazon Profile
James M. Corkill’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile
Facebook Profile
Twitter Account