Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I am a USA TODAY Bestselling Author. I’ve won 2 RITA awards and three Romantic Times Reviewer’s Choice award. My book Crazy Thing Called Love was listed in NPR’s best 100 books of the last ten years and Everything I Left Unsaid was listed as one of the best romances of 2015.

I’ve written 30 novels.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
Everything I Left Unsaid and The Truth About Him are a duo logy about Annie and Dylan who meet and start their relationship entirely over the phone. It’s very suspenseful and sexy and everyone is keeping TONS of secrets.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
No – I’m really boring. I just sit and grind the words out every day…

What authors, or books have influenced you?
Elizabeth Lowell, SEP, J.R. Ward, Laura Kinsale, Cara McKenna

What are you working on now?
I’m working on the third book in the Everything I Left Unsaid series – Max and Joan. She’s kidnapped him, has him chained to a bed but ends up compelled to do everything he asks.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
My own, probably. Aestas Book Blog….

Do you have any advice for new authors?
You have to write – there is no muse. It’s just you and the work!

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Ha – you have to write – there is no muse!

What are you reading now?
I’m taking a momentary break from romance as I’m doing so much writing – but I’m reading How To Be A Woman and All The Light We Can Not See… also Kristan Higgin’s latest Women’s Fiction. Love it!

What’s next for you as a writer?
Well, I’ve got the third book in Everything I Left Unsaid series – called BURN DOWN THE NIGHT
I’ve got a GREAT anthology with Anne Calhoun, Megan Hart, Jeffe Kennedy, Christine D’Abo and Delphine Dryden called The Devil’s Doorbell.
And the 3rd book in my INTO THE WILD series – my historical westerns – so that’s LOTS going on!

If you were going to be stranded on a desert island and allowed to take 3 or 4 books with you what books would you bring?
The Shadow and The Star – Laura Kindle
Dream A Little Dream – SEP
Lover Awakened – JR WARD

Author Websites and Profiles
Molly O’Keefe Website
Molly O’Keefe Amazon Profile

Molly O’Keefe’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile
Facebook Profile
Twitter Account

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
Hi I’m C.K KARA I was a fan of reading since I was seven , like all people who take a liking to a certain craft I delved into the world of great fiction story telling. While growing up my father had a hobby that used to fascinate me. He was so good at card magic and the illusions they did at casinos. All this provided me with a lot of content for the Omen Swift series I wrote. There are six books I have written. Four in the Omen Swift Series. I am now working on two more books.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
Reminiscing Evan is the next book I am writing . I am working on making it a bit longer than it should be. The book again is about cult religion and its political effect it can have on people. The society before the illuminati and how far will desperate people that have no resources and the financial stability go to find the success and wealth every one wants in life. What inspired it was the love I have for history. I heard in places like India and Africa there are people who only wish they could go to school. Some of them resort to a poverty stricken life. It’s old news. Nothing much is done about it. Charity is offered but there is still war and famine happening. I sat down once and thought about everything a disadvantaged person could want. I came to the conclusion that everyone in life , regardless of race or their background wants and needs the same things. The question that sparked the novel to run in its volume of pages.. was how far will a desperate human go to live the life they never had?

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
No, none at all, what is an unusual writing habit? ha ha. I have not came across that. I know for the first time in ten years of practicing the art of fiction writing as a hobby, ( And only in 2010 it became a job through the job of an ex publicity agent) I had a very vivid dream that showed me the entire plot of the new book I would write. Riding Wolf. A spin off to the Red Riding Hood story.
Of course there’s many spin offs to old fairy tales. Its fun for authors to do that now.
But mine is darker.. seriously.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
There are many writers that I have been a fan of, surprisingly anyone that comes up with an amazing idea and is able to take the world by storm by the figment of their imagination is what I consider an influence. So for me all the writers have done it.
The influences.. J.K Rowling, Roald Dhal, R.L Stine.. Lee Child. and even Micheal Jackson as a song writer. All of them have left no room for simplicity in their story telling.. In a very good way. That was what I aimed to do with the Omen Swift series. With the writers I mentioned it was all about amazing explosive ideas coming across the pages to form plots and scenes that would entertain readers

What are you working on now?
My Next few books in the Omen Swift Series and a few more to come.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
My best method is always Ebook Booster, You Tube and Twitter. All of them for different reasons. You tube, Because I am a new author and I need as many readers. The video trailer depicts the content I have created in the books. To give readers a sense of understanding of what the series is about. Twitter. The readers are there, you just click on the Harry Potter following and just like that you got over three million possible people that could read the same genre you are writing. Ebook Booster helps with the broader advertising.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Yes , every writer is a reader, but not every reader is a writer. By no means am I trying to sound wise but writing is a task that anyone can learn. There are schools that teach you how to write well, but none of them will teach you how to write a best seller . That is left to the imagination of the writer. My advice to authors is try to come up with some thing as different and unique as possible. The market is already flooded. Publishers are looking for new inventive ideas that will sell. During the writing process focus on the scene inside your head before worrying about how the words will sound when put to paper. The mistake every writer makes is worrying about the way they write rather than what they have in their heads to form the story. Just remember its the imagination you need as a writer to tell the world a story. Not
the way you write. Every thing else comes after the images you create in your head.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
The best advice has to be from a self publisher. The ceo told me. “No one is going to look at you if you do not go on Amazon Kindle. “So go do it” This woman has done everything she could as a self publisher and ex publicity agent to guide me through the writing process.

What are you reading now?
A few fiction books by Lee Child and my own books over and over again because I have to edit them. But when I’m bored I do read .. mainly to improve my own writing. The best few reads so far was Saving Max and We Need To Talk About Kevin. They were dark and gloomy .. the usual teenage angst of violence and corruption in the school place and home. I loved it. They were both very similar. Mothers coping with children they did not know outside their own home.

What’s next for you as a writer?
I would love to write more novels. There is something rewarding about finishing a five hundred page book and going on to write four more within the series and knowing it came from your head. You just look at a massive stack of papers piled high. And feel the heavy weight of it when you carry your work around. And you think , Okay I created all this inside my head.

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?
Saving Max and We Need To Talk About Kevin. for the moodiness, And Diary of a Wimpy Kid for the laughter and light heart humor of youthfulness.

Author Websites and Profiles
c.k kara Website
c.k kara Amazon Profile
c.k kara Author Profile on Smashwords

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
Novella The Other Side of Reason is fourth book written by Aleksandar Krzavac based on true story of NATO bombing of Serbian Broadcasting Company in spring 1999, when 16 media stuff were killed.
Aleksandar Krzavac was born in 1959 in the former Yugoslavian capital Belgrade. Holder of a University degree in economics Krzavac is the author of e-book of, mainly satirical, aphorisms and cartoons titled Close Your Eyes the Future Has Just Begun too. In his second e-book Crossroads and/or Illusions, Coping with Plug & Play Ideology, Krzavac tries to challenge people thinking out of convenient life, in order, as subtitle of books says, to cope with Plug & Play Ideology. At this point even understanding is enough, and allowed, as first step to long journey of world continual changing to its optimal status, Krzavac quotes in his book. Novella Media Guy, God blesses media, but not media professionals is third book written by Aleksandar Krzavac. Through funny character of Media Guy writer, who is journalist too, shows all dangers and traps of that divine, fascinating and damned profession.
At present Krzavac lives in Serbian capital Belgrade, employed with Serbian Broadcasting company on the position of journalist. He is married, father of three daughters.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
The Other Side of Reason is book based on True Story I have passed through. Frankly, not all written in book is full truth, but at least one third ob book is true.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
That’s my hobby. I must work other job for survival.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
Not specific author or book… There are many of them…

What are you working on now?
At this point I have writing break.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Keep writing whatever result will be.

Aleksandar Krzavac’s Social Media Links
Facebook Profile

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I’m a native Floridian who currently pretends to be a Virginian. My accomplishments have included successfully threading a sewing bobbin, landing a 35 pound Alaskan king salmon, and scoring a ceramic sangria pitcher at an estate sale for $1. I also sometimes write books (two so far). My humor column – “Dock Tale Hour” – is published by “Laker Magazine.” I’m often found hanging out on my blog “The Middle-Aged Cheap Seats.” You can also visit me at my website: http://kimdalferes.com/

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
“Magic Fishing Panties” was released by Booktrope Publishing in August 2015. The title was inspired by a girls-only day of fishing in Alaska.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I’ve outlined full stories on my I-phone: the Universe tends to inspire me at the most unusual moments. One story in “Magic Fishing Panties” entitled “Buscapades” was developed from Facebook posts during a winter storm when I was trapped on a city bus.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
Anything and everything by Erma Bombeck or Fanny Flagg.

What are you working on now?
I just finished my humor column for February 2016 which is about a skinny dipping incident gone very, very wrong. I’m also working on book #3 which seems to be evolving into a collection of stories about relationships between women and men (shhh, don’t tell the Hubs).

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
If you can get a Bookbub promo deal, consider yourself lucky – their advertising can do wonders for book sales. I also like The Fussy Librarian as well as Bargain Booksy.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Invest in a good pair of fuzzy bunny slippers – no one writes well when their feet are cold. Mine are size 11 and a nice shade of pink. Also, find a good copy editor and treat them like a king or queen – they can turn trash to treasure.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
I love this quip from Erma Bombeck: “Hook ’em with the lead. Hold ’em with laughter. Exit with a quip they won’t forget.”

What are you reading now?
I just finished the ARC for Vikki Claflin’s new book “Who Left the Cork Out of My Lunch?” Look for it in early 2016 – it’s hilarious!

What’s next for you as a writer?
Being that “Magic Fishing Panties” was recently released, I see many book and author events in my future. I especially love book clubs. However, I’m also available for weddings, bar mitzvahs, and the occasional luxury ship christening.

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?
How to Survive on A Desert Island
Bossy Pants
Pride and Prejudice

Author Websites and Profiles
Kimberly Dalferes Website
Kimberly Dalferes Amazon Profile
Kimberly Dalferes’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile
Facebook Profile
Twitter Account
Pinterest Account

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
Now retired, successful businessman becomes author of thriller stories.
Having written 4 books, all involving spies and love affairs, a series of 3, the Max &

Carla series and now this WW2 story The Glass Beacon, I can’t stop writing.
I first tried writing, many years ago after a skiing accident. I was forced to spend the

holiday snacking and drinking mulled wine overlooking the ski slopes. I wrote a Sci-Fi

story for my young son. He loved it.
I took it up again 15 years ago and included the exotic holiday locations my wife and I

visited, many times a year. Looking back, I have had a wonderful life. I have been very

lucky, not in the winning a lottery sense, but things have always worked out well. My wife

disagrees, you are super smart and have worked long and hard, she says. What does she

know?
According to my grandfather who was obsessed with Heraldry, I have descended from royalty.

King Charles ll actually. Of course, he didn’t manage it on his own, Nell Gwynne was on

the wrong side of the sheet at the time. Explains why I am attracted to… well, shall we

say, oranges!
Hobbies include scuba diving, valuable experience for Max & Carla in Extinction Event

recovering diamonds hidden on a wrecked ship and later trapped in a cavern, underwater.
I tend to like exploring places it is not safe to visit. I have met a number of

interesting characters who the world would class as undesirable. Slitting my throat would

have been inconvenient for them at the time, so I live to include the experience in my

stories.
Early on in my working life, I worked for an undertaker and assisted in laying out the

dead. The bastards in the carpentry shop, sealed me in a coffin they had just made. I knew

they would let me out, eventually. The time passed slowly, and it was remarkably dark and

claustrophobic. I also needed a pee! Even though dead bodies turn up regularly in films

and TV, the average person still has a fascination for the truth about the dead. They know

what they see on the screen is not like being there, seeing, touching and smelling death.
Other hobbies include writing software. Many years ago, some programs were commercially

very advanced and profitable. You won’t find implausible tech getting my characters out of

trouble in my stories.
I have turned my hand to electronics and that features strongly in The Glass Beacon.
I love photography, although I am just a happy snapper.
I hope to continue writing, now I have the time. I definitely have never experienced

writers block, quite the contrary, blocking out the ideas is the problem.
A little problem solving trick I perfected when I was in business ahs continued to serve

me well. I set out the problem in my mind, before I settle down to sleep and usually, I

have the perfect answer in the morning. Great with story telling, I find I am in the scene

and can rewind and replay until I get it right.
I also snore!

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
The Glass Beacon is my current book and the two items that inspired it came to me on a 45 day Pacific cruise.
The first item was to have Alderney, the beautiful Channel Island I live on as the location for the story.
Next was the title, The Glass Beacon. I just liked the ring to it. If you are as pissed as a ships rat and have enjoyed a sumptuous Christmas or New Year meal, it will have a ring in your ears as well.
How can I possibly make a story out of those two ingredients?
Well, coming up with plots is no trouble, it is keeping out the constant flood of ideas that is difficult. I think I will try the aluminium foil hat and see if that works.
So, Alderney was part of Hitler’s Atlantic wall, so WW2 is a good subject. There will be spies of course, I love writing about them. Throw in romance and now we are getting somewhere. The plot had to involve Britain and the V-1 needed guidance, so lets invent a radio beacon to guide it. In my research, there was no indication they used such a device, but they did have radar and other navigation systems. Then all the coincidences fell into place, glass circuit boards, fragility, advanced tech, but all quite possible. Why did Germany miss such a device. There were other social and economic factors that made this device so compelling. Well, this is how it all started.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I live every part of the story in my mind as I write. I work on the plot as I sleep and play and rewind until the part works perfectly. Later that morning, I write it up.
Easy-peasy.
I work from home and in a trance as the story is developed. I just hope the house doesn’t burn down as I work, I will never notice it.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
I ran out of good books to read and in desperation decided to try writing a full novel. It was so absorbing and enjoyable that I would hate to stop.
I liked Denis Wheatley, a prolific writer, but considered to be trash now. How fashion changes.
Clive Cussler was enjoyable when he wrote the books, I find no pleasure in them now.
Andy McNab and Chris Ryan are current favourites.
I have read many of the other top authors and they just don’t do it for me. I get the feeling they write for the lowest common denominator and formulaic. Great commercially for them, but as a reader, they waste my time.
I did come across Ellie Midwood, a new self publisher, and was surprised at how much I enjoyed her 3 books.
However, No author has laid down a path that I was able or even wanted to emulate.
Just as well I don’t write for profit.

What are you working on now?
I started framing up a psychological thriller called “I lost my wife” and the trick with this one is that the plot is not as obvious as you might think.
It is possible it could develop into a series.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I am still exploring that aspect. Marketing is something I would gladly sidestep, but it is everything in selling books.
I will continue to try different ways and see what works for me.
I am about to do some radio interviews and gain confidence, so we will see how that works.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
If you just want to write then go for it.
If you want to make money, marketing will take all your time and make it hard to focus on writing a great story.
Until you employ others to help you, it will be a very hard struggle.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
If you fail to plan, you plan to fail.

What are you reading now?
I have an Andy McNab and a Chris Ryan to read, but when, I just don’t know.
They cannot compete with my dreams and schemes after a day of hard marketing.

What’s next for you as a writer?
The next book and the book after that…
There will be holidays in exotic places, meeting strange or interesting people, perhaps wreck or cave diving, photography, painting, a life time of exciting things.

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 wouldn’t, I would take blank paper and a biro.

Author Websites and Profiles
John Day Website

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
My name is Sheri Velarde and I am an author of all things paranormal and fantasy, as well as other genres of romance. I have published over 17 books, though due to some small publishers closing I currently only have six out at the moment, with more to come in 2016!

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
My latest release is Not So Silent Night, it’s a paranormal romance that was inspired somewhat by my own loneliness during the holidays.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I rarely write at a desk or table. I usually have my laptop with me as I sit on the couch and snuggle with my dogs as I write.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
Anne Rice is a major influence. It’s because of her that I love to mix the paranormal and romance. I also love Stephen King and think he offers great advice to authors. JRR Tolkien was the author that really got me into reading and into fantasy. The list goes on and on, but those are the big three.

What are you working on now?
I am currently working on a couple shorts for anthologies next year as well as a collection of vampire stories that I will be releasing in time for Valentine’s Day 2016.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
My personal blog and website seems to be the best for me. It is different for everyone and I do stay active on Facebook and Twitter as well. I also get great responses on blog tours.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Keep writing. Don’t be discouraged. Research the best avenue for your book to be published, there is no one size fits all way to publishing. Don’t take rejection personally, it just means you were not a good fit in a specific area, you will fit in somewhere else.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Do something that you love and you will never work a day in your life. So true.

What are you reading now?
Unhinged by A. G. Howard. I have been on a YA kick of late!

What’s next for you as a writer?
I hope to have three full length novels out in 2016. One is a sequel to my romantic fantasy Quest for Redemption. Another is a time travel/steampunk epic. The third is a romance with the characters being slightly older and more mature. I will also be popping up in anthologies and putting out a few novellas here and there.

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 Harry Potter series. I count that as one. These are my go to comfort books.
The Lord of the Rings Trilogy. Again counting it as one.
The Thorn Birds, it reminds me of my grandma and simpler times.

Author Websites and Profiles
Sheri Velarde Website
Sheri Velarde Amazon Profile

Sheri Velarde’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile
Facebook Profile
Twitter Account

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I enjoy opportunities to express my creativity and just have an enjoyable time writing quietly or with light classical music. Nothing like a peace and quiet whilst jotting down ideas in your head. It feels like a decompression of the mind. Goooood stuff.
I have two published books for now. I look forward to more soon.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
My latest book is Wish Granted Weight Loss. I was inspired to write as I was in/on the journey of better health choices. As my choices changed for more overall health I noticed the weight reducing comfortably and naturally. I figured this would be nice to write about in a sort of sharing my weight loss story in part and just sharing what it took for me to experience natural weight reduction and ample energy to continue in this fun process. It works!!

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I enjoy writing as much as I can initially sort of what folks do when ‘brainstorming’. Just get it all out whether or not it makes any logically thinking. Just get it out and then organize the thoughts in a TOC (table of contents) and possibly even get a whole other book title from this flow of information.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
Stephen King growing up in small town and being inspired by his own life experiences seemed authentic and inspiration to others is just a byproduct of him taking the journey he is on.

What are you working on now?
Currently working on a book that will support my Wish Granted Weight Loss book. The book will be a book of natural health foods. People have pain in places that they would love to just get rid of. I don’t make any promises but I’m sharing in this next book pain reduction food recipes. You’ll know what food to have if you have a big ol headache, stiff necked, swollen pain surrounding your joints. Even a self massage to get rid of those toxins. Learn how to eat like the wild like monkeys do. Eat well feel awesome.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I believe Awesomegang.com is very well organized. Facebook seems to be essential. Not sure how myspace is but it may be doing well as far as book marketing.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Some say don’t publish your book till you have all your ideas organized. That sounds like a great idea. But I say get it out of your system. Write what you feel you can edit, revise, market the book to clean up any imperfections you did not address on the initial publish. Also used an audio/voice recorder to get ideas out of your head in combination with just writing/ typing. Get organized initially: Create a folder (title it My books 2016), create a folder inside for each new title you are writing, create a folder in each title: a marketing only folder, a folder for library is essential to keeping professional, organized, and not having to remember ‘Where did I save my book’ or ‘did I save my book’.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Find a passion and follow it. This is the best advice I can give. -John C. Maxwell (leadership trainer to fortune 500 companies)

What are you reading now?
George Orwell 1984

What’s next for you as a writer?
Simply to created a new folder with a new title and start writing/typing away.

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) a book fitting for the moment ‘How to get off a deserted Island’
2) Bear Gryll’s Surviving Every Climate
3) Gilligan’s Island
4) Best Book of Jokes World Wide

Author Websites and Profiles
Lonmontre Washington Website

Lonmontre Washington’s Social Media Links
Facebook Profile

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I am an author, mother and identical triplet from Australia. I love martial arts movies, Michael Jackson music, and anything Snow White related. My favorite color is pink and my favorite food is chocolate (okay, not technically a food!). So far, I have one published novel and one published novella (as well as some blogs and articles).

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
The name of my latest book is “To Catch A Christmas Thief”. I’m not sure what inspired it. The idea just popped into my head! The title was inspired by the Grace Kelly movie.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
Hmm. Sometimes I write until the early morning hours, but I think that’s usual for most writers. Most of the time I listen to music on my headphones while I write. Is that unusual?

What authors, or books have influenced you?
In the romance genre I love: Nicholas Sparks, Nora Roberts, Susanna Kearsley, Jane Austen, the Bronte’s, Rachael Johns, Mary Higgins-Clark. The Harlequin romantic suspense line is also one of my favorites. These are the authors that have influenced me the most. As far as other genres, I like Karin Slaughter, Matthew Reilly and James Patterson. But, I enjoy reading most genres. I also read a lot of non-fiction.

What are you working on now?
I am currently working on a single title romantic suspense novella, as well as the second book in my “Smithfield” series. After that, I will finish the first book in an identical triplet themed, romantic suspense novella series.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
Word of mouth, my personal website, distributor channels (Amazon, Smashwords, Kobo, iBooks etc), social media, and using service such as Awesome Gang.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Keep going. Get as much advice from established authors as you can. Network. Edit. Then edit again.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Writing advice? Find your own voice. Life advice? Find your own voice

What are you reading now?
I always read more than one book at a time. At the moment, they are: Lost Reaper by Shelley Russell Nolan, The Biology of Belief by Bruce H. Lipton, Caught in the Blizzard by Adele Huxley, and Ink Inspired by Carrie Ann Ryan.

What’s next for you as a writer?
Keep on writing!

If you were going to be stranded on a desert island and allowed to take 3 or 4 books with you what books would you bring?
Only 3 or 4? I can’t answer that! Although one would definitely be Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen.

Author Websites and Profiles
A.K. Leigh Website
A.K. Leigh Amazon Profile
A.K. Leigh Author Profile on Smashwords

A.K. Leigh’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 one of those writers who started taking writing seriously at a young age, and by the time I graduated from high school I had two complete novels written and was working on my third. I also started experimenting with digital self-publishing earlier than most, and released my first e-book (basically an electronic chapbook of poetry) years before Amazon existed. I did not have any titles available for retail sale until 2010, however. I currently have nine books on the market but most are short works, only two are novel length. I’ve written eight complete novel drafts and have another seven in progress, some more actively than others.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
My latest published book is a short nonfiction title, Selling Books With Bitcoin, which was mostly inspired by my own interest in Bitcoin and exploring ways to sell directly to readers. My latest novel, released in early 2015, is Extra Credit: Loyalty! which is the second book in the Dan Starney series. It was mostly inspired by readers of the first book not being happy with how that book ended!

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
Does listening to an awful lot of Led Zeppelin when I write count as an unusual habit?

What authors, or books have influenced you?
I’ve picked up a lot of influences over the years, including from well-known sources like Tolkien and Heinlein but also John Morressy, Stephen R. Donaldson, and many more.

What are you working on now?
Back in the late 1980s I wrote a fantasy novel that was never published, and I am now working on polishing that for publication. I’ve grown a lot as a writer since then, so I can see a lot that needs work, but the story is still very usable. I also wrote a prequel for it this year, and I am sketching out ideas for at least one more book in the series.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
Writing and releasing a new book helps, and that much doesn’t really change over time. Other than that, effectiveness in promotion seems to be a constantly changing thing, as one method wanes while a new method becomes more worthwhile. I’m always looking for new methods, especially now as my promotional efforts in 2015 have not kept pace with prior years. I have seen other authors getting good results from collaborative promotions and I am looking forward to an opportunity to try one.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Don’t jump into publishing blindly. There is a lot of information out there now, so do your research. Don’t assume that you will get sales; there is a lot of truth to the sentiment that writing a book is the easy part. Writing “THE END” in the first draft is just the end of the beginning of the overall process. Do everything you can to maximize the odds that complete strangers will stop what they’re doing, take a look at your book, and part with their time (and probably money) to read your book. You’re competing with every other way people spend their leisure time, so take that challenge seriously.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
You can’t sell a book that isn’t on the market — so sit down and write, make it the best you can (within reason), and then get it out there to the buying public.

What are you reading now?
I have a few books in progress right now, but the fiction work I’m reading now is The Landing (book 1 of the United States of Vinland series) by Colin Taber. I’m also occasionally reading a random short story in the Stories on the Go indie anthology. For nonfiction, I’m mostly focused on Everything You Wanted to Know about Indians But Were Afraid to Ask by Anton Treuer, which is pretty interesting reading.

What’s next for you as a writer?
There is a good chance I will be launching a new pen name in early 2016, writing in a genre I have not tried before other than for an as-yet-unfinished screenplay. Since it is my first foray into that genre, I’m going to start with a three-novella series. I also plan on publishing at least two fantasy novels in 2016.

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 cheat and take three boxed sets! One would be The Hobbit/The Lord of the Rings, another would be the Narnia series (arranged in the original order, not the revised order), and the final would be the Harry Potter books.

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Stuart Whitmore Website
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