Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I’m a former actor, journalist, and waitress–besides my fiction writing, I’m a relationship writer for major media sites like Huffington Post, She Knows, and Elite Daily. I’m currently working on my fourth novel in the Breakup Doctor series, although there are two other manuscripts I’ve written that aren’t yet published. Well, three if you count my first novel at age six, a short work entitled “All About Me,” printed (literally) on construction paper in crayon (in a very messy font), bound with string, and filled with insightful revelations like, “I like eggs.”

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
The one that’s about to be released is called Heart Conditions, and it’s book three in the Breakup Doctor series, which was inspired by something that happened when my now-husband and I were first dating.

We had been talking or e-mailing almost every day since we met, but a month or so later he went on vacation to celebrate a landmark birthday. And after all this intense conversation and interaction, he fell off the grid for days.

It was early enough in that I was pretty sure he was there with someone else, and I freaked out over it, because we had been connecting so well (and so much!) that I wondered how I could have misread things so badly. Only to find out after a whole mushroom cloud of crazy that he was at a yoga retreat type of thing—not a silent-meditation retreat, but more like a wellness resort—and they discouraged cell phone use.

I call this the Great Disappearance, though my husband calls it the Great Psychosis. Which argument I probably cannot counter…even retelling this story here, I’m blushing a little at how insecure it sounds to me now. But this is yet another piece of the genesis of the book—even the most logical and sane of us can get a little crazy in a relationship, especially if our feelings are deeply engaged.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
Until a handful of years ago I could only write longhand—it was like my creative brain disconnected as soon as a keyboard came between me and the page. I had to literally train myself to be able to write on a computer. Now I don’t know how I did it longhand—typing lets me keep up with my thoughts so much better. Of course, when I’m stuck, that damn flashing cursor is a nasty little taunt.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
In 2005 I read Greg Behrendt and Liz Tucillo’s He’s Just Not That Into You—and it quite literally changed my life. The prototype of pretty much every guy I and my girlfriends had ever dated was in there—the one who never actually asks you out; the one who’d rather drink (or get high) when he’s with you; the one who cheats; the one who comes on strong, then disappears. The “This Is What It Should Look Like” sections opened up a new idea to me—the things my friends and I were accepting as part of normal relating between men and women didn’t have to be part of our equation if we didn’t want them to be. There were good men out there; it did look different when a guy was really into you—I mean really into you—and we deserved to have it.

My dating life changed almost overnight—I didn’t even bother anymore with anything less than someone who seemed to really like me, to want to get to know me, to give me his full attention when we were together, and not play games or hide behind “fear of commitment” or “having been burned.” In 2007 I met the man who is now my husband, and it really is as simple as Greg and Liz said—if a guy is into you, you know it. He shows you, all the time. Now that I am in a healthy and happy relationship, it’s kind of stunning to me that I and almost every woman I know, of every age, go through a period when we don’t realize this simple fact, and we explain away behavior on a man’s part that’s negligent at best, appalling at worst, with ridiculous excuses like “he’s just afraid” or “he’s been burned before.”

I still pass along He’s Just Not That Into You to every woman I know who’s dating, from my teenage niece to my mom when she went back into the dating pool, because we all deserve to know our worth and there’s no need to accept anything less than a guy who is really, really into us. That’s what the Breakup Doctor series grew out of. I wanted to share with every woman everywhere all the wisdom and kindness and common sense in that book, and I wanted to write stories. Most important, I hope that the series is as fun to read as it was for me to write. But it’s also my dear hope that women might read the books and see themselves, and begin to believe that there really is better out there than what they might have found, and that they deserve it one hundred percent.

What are you working on now?
I’m almost finished writing book 4 in the Breakup Doctor series, OUT OF PRACTICE. That will be the last in the series, which is a bit sad, but I think Brook’s story is told (for now!).

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
Engage! The bottom line is, your readers are your career; without them, you’re writing into a void. Hearing from readers is one of my favorite things, even if it’s just a quick comment they make on my status post on Facebook or similar, and I always engage—I know that for me, it’s a thrill to connect with writers whose work has given me pleasure.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Put out a hand. I’ve been blessed with wonderful fellow authors—Sarah Bird, Sherry Thomas, the other talented authors at Henery—who have been unstintingly generous with me in “showing me the ropes,” answering questions, offering me the benefit of their experience. I have had “big-name” authors like Liz Tuccillo and Jenny Lawson graciously reach a hand back to help me, a virtual stranger. No one succeeds in a vacuum—when your time comes, reach out and offer a hand to someone else coming up behind you.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
I say this in nearly every interview: The best advice I ever got was from multipublished, ridiculously talented author Sarah Bird, who told me long before I was published or even had an agent that the only thing separating her from all her unpublished-author friends was persistence. Over and over again I have found that to be the most important trait any writer can have. Persist in writing. Persist in querying. Persist in trying to get published, to market your book, to write another book…and another. There are so many people and reasons ready to convince you that you shouldn’t—you have to be the #1 voice always reminding yourself that you should.

What are you reading now?
I just read Taylor Jenkins Reid’s Maybe in Another Life recently and just Hoovered it up. I love her voice, her style, and the story—a woman makes one seemingly minor decision and then lives the two very different lives that result from each one in parallel story lines. It’s so genius I wish I had done it–kind of like Sliding Doors, but her twist is that whatever choice you make could be the right one. That there is no one correct path—which I love.

What’s next for you as a writer?
I have a new series I’m working on for my publisher, about a very nontraditional matchmaker and dating guru, plus a single-title women’s fiction that has been awaiting a final edit for a while now while I scrambled to finish all the Breakup Doc books, and I’m eager to get back to it and get it out 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?
This is like asking someone to pick her favorite child.
Books have been my escape, my salvation, and fuel for my imagination my whole
life, and various ones become dearest to me at various times. I find that I can
get obsessed with some of them for quite a while, and then put them away and
forget all about them for years, until I need them again. Again, like children.
(KIDDING, parents!)

Author Websites and Profiles
Phoebe Fox Website
Phoebe Fox Amazon Profile

Phoebe Fox’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile
Facebook Profile
Twitter Account
Pinterest Account

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I have been writing since I was a teenager and I currently have ten books published in a variety of genres.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
My latest book is called “The Empath, the Warrior & the Wind Rider.” It is a young adult/fantasy novel where three siblings are transported to another world and become involved in an epic adventure. There are a good amount of thrills and a great deal of humor. If you love the Harry Potter books then you will love this.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
Not really. I like peace and quiet with the radio on a low volume.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
I am a huge Stephen King fan and have read pretty much everything he has written. Dan Brown is another. There are so many authors that I have read that it is pretty much a blur. I also enjoy reading biographies on my favorite musical artists and actors.

What are you working on now?
Since I was a kid I have always been fascinated with the Arthurian Legends, especially the reference to him as the Once and Future King. My next book will feature his return in modern times. It is a young adult book filled with adventure, thrills and humor while staying true to the spirit of the legends.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I typically use Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. I really need to find other ways to expand my reach.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Keep writing. Always keep writing. Also, reading. Read all you can whenever you can.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
As you are writing imagine you are also the reader. What do you want to read? What excites you? What touches you? What makes you happy? Always keep that in mind.

What are you reading now?
Revival by Stephen King.

What’s next for you as a writer?
Marketing. Always trying new ways to market.

If you were going to be stranded on a desert island and allowed to take 3 or 4 books with you what books would you bring?
This is an answer that could change on a daily basis. I really do not have an answer for it. Although, books on survival come to mind.

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

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
As an English major, my bent has ever been toward the written word; I’m an avid reader and like to be entertained, so I usually read fiction with occasional forays into non-fiction — biographies and the like. In addition, I read the weekly U.K. Spectator, covering international news, opinion pieces, entertainment and the arts. My resume includes some wonderful jobs, including Playboy magazine at its Chicago home office and another interesting position in the Department of University Graphics and Publications at Southern Illinois University where I worked with writers and editors as well as artists and designers.

When I left Playboy the Editorial Department asked for me and I still mentally kick myself for declining their offer because that was before I realized I wanted to be a writer. Imagine — Playboy Editorial! I could have had a foot in the door of a publishing company — and I turned it down. Duh….

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
Early in our marriage my husband asked me what I would be if I could be anything I chose. I replied that I’d like to be a writer, never dreaming that I’d actually ever write a book. Well, he took me at my word and built a studio for me where I could write undisturbed and kept after me until I finally wrote, The House of Tomorrow, which would become the first of my Paul Gregory series. That was back in 1997 and I’ve now completely rewritten it, bringing it into the 21st century and cutting 10,000+ words, making it a tighter, better read. So I must admit that it was my darling husband who was my inspiration to begin writing.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I made an outline for my first book, but the characters took over and went their own ways, so I no longer bother with outlines. I have a general plan of what events will take place and a vague idea of how the story will end, but try not to force my characters to act or speak in certain ways or they will rebel. For example, in my first Paul Gregory book, the hero turned out to be more deeply flawed than I’d planned (actually making him more interesting) and the guy who was to be a despicable knave turned out to be noble and self-sacrificing.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
Daniel Silva, Bernard Cornwell, Martin Cruz Smith, P.D. James, Robert Crais and others write books that I greatly admire. My favorite book of all time is The Golden Warrior by Hope Muntz.

What are you working on now?
I’m well into The Gift of Rose, fourth in my Paul Gregory series. It’s quite a departure from the foregoing books and in my opinion will be the best. I hope. It will be classified as literary fiction.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
Really can’t say.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
I don’t feel I’m in a position to give advice, as I don’t obey any advice I’ve read from other writers. For example, I’m undisciplined. I’ve always been told I should write every day and sometimes weeks go by when I don’t write anything at all. And when I do write, it’s not easy for me. Some writers complain that while they’re working they don’t like to stop for meals or sleep; they only want to keep writing. With me, I’m continually checking the time to see if I can quit yet. Writing is a chore as far as I’m concerned.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Couldn’t say.

What are you reading now?
Tatiana, by Martin Cruz Smith.

What’s next for you as a writer?
A book called Queenie, a story loosely based on family history.

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?
Probably the bible. Then the latest from Bernard Cornwell, Daniel Silva, Robert Crais, and The Chicago Manual of Style.

Author Websites and Profiles
Adair Arlen Website
Adair Arlen Amazon Profile
Adair Arlen’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile
Facebook Profile

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
Through my long career as an Executive and Professional Project Manager in a broad range of sectors including Professional Services, Healthcare, Information Technology, International Retail, Construction, and others, I have had one singular goal … to get each project successfully DONE.

I successfully crystalized my own process for success into a bare bones and refreshingly frank simple to understand step by step book to help any reader achieve any goal or dream they have. Breaking from the traditional self-help genre, light on content and heavy on motivation, I provide real tools and techniques that can be incorporated into your life easily and produce results immediately.

A wonderful book to help anyone transform any aspect of their lives, Magic Beans are for Pussies is now available on Amazon sites worldwide.

With over 20 years of experience working on and managing projects of all sizes and budgets, across many industries I have developed a unique wisdom, sense of humor, ability to successfully deliver projects and transfer the knowledge of project management to just about anyone. I firmly believe in the application of project management principles to better an individual’s daily life and help them achieve their dreams is based on his own broad experience, and spend much of my time now delivering this knowledge to people around the world through public and corporate speaking engagements, executive coaching, corporate consulting, and now through this first in a planned series of books intended to help people achieve their dreams in all areas of life.

I have a real passion for learning and seeing others succeed in reaching their life goals is rooted in my own personal journey, leading to my own personal and professional successes. Successful senior professional project manager, executive, entrepreneur, investor, author, public speaker, friend and mentor, I apply project management knowledge in his daily life and helps others do the same.

My aim through this, my first book, is to provide a light hearted wealth of knowledge to help readers follow concrete steps to achieve any dream then can imagine. An unconventional self-help book that steps away from traditional high motivation, low useable content, this step by step guide is easy to follow, practical and can be applied over and over throughout a lifetime of bigger and better dreams.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
My latest book is titled “Magic Beans are for Pussies” and it has been inspired by the notion of legacy, and what we leave behind for future generations. Throughout my life, I have read many self-help books at different points and they all, on reflection, failed to deliver on the promised success purported. Early on in my career, I was driven toward achievement and was steered toward project management, becoming a professional project manager. Realizing that the fiend of project management was all about building and achievement, I truly enjoyed working in the field, climbing to senior positions and eventually an executive level. Beyond my professional work, I made the connection of applying my project management knowledge to my own personal goals and developed my bare bones process for applying this knowledge. This led to much success in my life and much attention among friends, who began asking what I was doing to achieve this level of success. I began teaching my friends individually and then speaking to small and now large groups. Finally I decided to create this book as an extension of my teachings to help people on a broader scale, while accomplishing yet another goal of mine which was to publish my first book.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
Writing for me tends to flow quite naturally and seems to stem from my university education. Having studied Political Science and Social Sciences in university, there was a constant stream of papers and assignments in need of completion, which meant constant writing. I tend to write well in all environments, especially places where there is a lot of hustle and bustle. Editing though is a totally different ball of wax. Without total silence during the editing process, I would not have had the focus needed to create a truly enjoyable and successful book.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
I think all of the books in the self-help genre really led me to write this book, as all supplied the notion of selling “Magic Beans” in a sense. Where they fell short, I wanted to deliver on a promise to the reader or true, unadulterated help to achieve success. I that sense, the negative experience of those books falling short, was transformed into the positive aspects of my book.

What are you working on now?
I am continuing to speak publically on the content of my book and helping people through the process. I am also outlining the next few books in the series that will work to crystalize and provide more focus to specific areas of life that readers need additional specialized support with, and deliver current knowledge and special techniques to work through those specific challenges.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
Amazon and Facebook have been instrumental for me, but I love the idea behind Awesomegang.com and other reader focused sites as they really are at the heart of what I am all about as a writer and reader.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
My advice to new authors is just write. Write all the time. In a journal, on napkins, or even online. Ideas keep flowing so long as you are writing and organizing your thoughts and refining or editing your work into a finished product is only possible if you have some initial content to develop.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Never stop believing in yourself.

What are you reading now?
Most of my days are spent reading research on new developments in fiends related to performance and my profession as an executive and project manager.

What’s next for you as a writer?
Since my book is fresh off the press, I will spend a bit of time promoting my book and continue to speak publicly about the core concepts behind it.

If you were going to be stranded on a desert island and allowed to take 3 or 4 books with you what books would you bring?
“The Art of Happiness” by Dalai Lama XIV
“The Art of War” by Sun Tse
“Long Walk to Freedom” by Nelson Mandela
and the Complete works of Shakespeare

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I am originally from Columbus, IN but currently live abroad (Hungary). I am the Director as well as a Professor of Bible and Theology at the Word of Life Bible Institute in Tóalmás, Hungary. I am a graduate of Appalachian Bible College (B.A., Theology), Dallas Theological Seminary (Th.M., Bible Exposition) and am currently working on my doctorate at Baptist Bible Seminary (Ph.D., Biblical Studies). Prior to becoming the Director, I served 4 years as the Academic Dean. I have taught Bible and Theology for 13 years. I have contributed articles to the “Popular Encyclopedia of Church History” as well as “The Journal of Ministry and Theology.” I am also the author of “Introducing the Old Testament Books,” “Introducing the New Testament Books,” and am presently editor for an upcoming book in the same series: “Surveying the New Testament Books,” which is to be released in 2016.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
“Introducing the Old Testament Books” was written as a result of my PhD studies, and as a textbook to be used in our Bible Survey classes.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
I love to read theological and books on biblical studies. I have been influenced significantly by the writings of Charles Ryrie, Roy Zuck, D.A. Carson, Moses Silva, Eugene Merrill, and Kevin Vanhoozer.

What are you working on now?
I am currently editing a Survey of the New Testament which involves 19 different authors who are College and Seminary Professors as well as veteran pastors.

Author Websites and Profiles
Paul D. Weaver Website
Paul D. Weaver Amazon Profile
Paul D. Weaver Author Profile on Smashwords

Paul D. Weaver’s Social Media Links
Facebook Profile
Pinterest Account

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
Kalisha Buckhanon’s novels are Solemn, Conception and Upstate. Her short stories are widely published in many online and university print literary journals. Her articles and essays appear on several popular women’s blogs and cultural websites. Her writing awards include an American Library Association ALEX Award, Friends of American Writers Award, Illinois Arts Council Fellowship, and Terry McMillan Young Author Award. Kalisha’s work has received attention in major media outlets such as Essence, The Guardian, BBC-London, TV-One, People, Elle, Entertainment Weekly and Marie Claire. She has an M.F.A. from The New School in New York City, and her B.A. and M.A. in English from University of Chicago. She writes at her blog Negression.com.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
“Solemn” sprouted from a contractual obligation made by a former agent for me to write a novel based on a short story I had written, about a woman living in Chicago who had come from Mississippi. I was blocked for several years when that woman and those characters were not speaking to me in any way, and I wrote little to nothing during those years. But in the meantime, a little girl in Mississippi kept knocking at my door, but I paid little attention because she did not fit the short story about grown women living in Chicago.

It was early 2012 when I realized I had no interest in her adult story. I wanted to know who she was as a child, and how she morphed into an adult searching for friends and belonging in Chicago as the original story portrayed her to be. So my current agent and I worked from there until a final draft in 2015. It was particularly poignant for me to think of because much of my family is from Mississippi, and the elders had gotten older. It was a perfect way to explore that part of my life and past, and honor where I come from.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
The entire habit of being a writer is unusual. I wish it fit a much more 9 to 5, co-workers, boss, regular paycheck, lunch hour, commute, etc… model. It is highly unusual to spend long periods of time, sometimes days or weeks, alone and inside thinking about what it is not really there. It makes everything else unusual: when I eat breakfast and dinner, what my social calendar looks like or if I even have one, and even if I decide to shower and get dressed as most people must every day. I have run the gamut of sleep schedules, sometimes all in one week. I limit it to short spurts and months I can afford it, otherwise I start feeling weepy or extremely tired from it. I can say the writing life and habit has given me great taste in music, of all varieties and generations, because I listen to it constantly while I work to help the time go by.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
African-American female authors and some other women authors have been huge influences on what I think I can do with voices, themes, storylines and details. So many black women’s works reflected back to me my own viewpoints on the world, intellectual stock and psychic archive. These recognitions and compatibilities influenced me to believe my own imagination had merit and could construct worlds. Just some of these women include Sapphire, Edwidge Danticat, Zora Neale Hurston, Toni Morrison, Gwendolyn Brooks, Ann Petry, Maya Angelou, Alice Walker, Bernice McFadden, Terry McMillan, Gayl Jones, Ntosake Shange, Angela Davis and bell hooks.

What are you working on now?
I am finishing up a novel entitled “Speaking of Summer,” about a woman who lives in New York City and is investigating her twin sister’s death ruled a suicide. So as she is working to come to terms with that and disprove other possibilities, she is discovering a lot about herself and her past in the process. I also have a play in progress, as well as a couple of short stories I can’t wait to turn to.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I found Goodreads a little late after it started, but since I discovered it I have always enjoyed it and been impressed by it. I applaud its general spirit and variety of ways it offers for people who love books to interact, connect and share. I think an account on Goodreads should be required for all high school and college students, because I have seen some teachers really capitalize on the discussion and interaction it breeds.

As an author, I must accept many people knowing much about me when I know nothing about them. It’s nice to be able to peek in once in a while to find out about others for a change: what are the readers’ tastes, what books do they love, what drew them to me, what do they have to say about other authors. Goodreads is definitely much more of a community than other author platforms.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
You have to love this. It has to be a life and activity you love to be and do more than anything in the world. It is labor, long hours, hard work, mental drain and a lot of sacrifice of interaction with the outside world, friends, family, events, and simple special moments that are just part of other people’s lives when they clock out of their jobs. Writing can be something you want to do because it looks fun to have a book or seems like it will draw attention to you from others. But if that is the draw behind it, you will not last beyond a few chapters here and there or many abandoned ideas. People will get tired of you talking about the book you want to write, and authors who have published won’t want to hear it either.

Because of the natural isolation and almost homebound nature of the work, a great support system and family is ideal. Most very successful, prolific and well-known authors are married with children. I’ve written nearly everything in my adult life when I lived with roommates or housemates; when I lived alone, I never stuck with it. And before you write a word or plan a project, attend to your business life: construct an online presence at a degree of interaction you are comfortable with (at the very least a good website is required), use a business bank account strictly for writing income and liabilities, and build a literary team to do as much for you as possible so you can stay writing.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
I’ve been given so much help and advice on this journey I can not single any one person or truism out of the many wisdoms I’ve received. However, I read an article Steve Harvey wrote about how to build exceptional wealth and he gave advice most people never think to give creative artists. It was something like: “Take care of your body like a temple…eat well, sleep a lot, cut out drinking and smoking, and exercise every day.”

What are you reading now?
I am re-reading the second draft of my novel-in-progress “Speaking of Summer.”

What’s next for you as a writer?
I’m not totally sure, as I have a template of work but I can never know what it will ultimately do, so I am looking forward to finding out.

If you were going to be stranded on a desert island and allowed to take 3 or 4 books with you what books would you bring?
The Holy Bible, Beloved by Toni Morrison, Lord of the Flies by William Golding and The Year of Magical Thinking by Joan Didion. I think those would provide adequate insight and companion camaraderie for such an unprecedented experience.

Author Websites and Profiles
Kalisha Buckhanon Website
Kalisha Buckhanon Amazon Profile
Kalisha Buckhanon Author Profile on Smashwords

Kalisha Buckhanon’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile
Facebook Profile
Twitter Account
Pinterest Account

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
When wearing my other hat I sell Real Estate, but I perceive of myself as a writer of historical fiction. I didn’t know it at the time, but my early obsession with Alexandre Dumas and Sir Walter Scott sent me on a long journey into the past, though the concept of historical fiction didn’t come to me until much later. Once I discovered living history groups, I was on my way! So far I have written two books taking place in 11th century Britain, HEIR TO A PROPHECY (a “sequel” to Macbeth) and GODWINE KINGMAKER, which is part one of the Last Great Saxon Earls series. Part two, THE SONS OF GODWINE is around the corner, and part three, FATAL RIVALRY will come out later in 2016. This series shows us the cataclysmic events leading up to the Norman Conquest.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
GODWINE KINGMAKER tells us the story of the most powerful man in England after the king. When researching my first novel, Godwine’s name kept coming up in my sources, and I didn’t really know much about him. But without him, there would have been no Harold Godwineson, for their origins were obscure and he alone raised his family to power.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
Once I learned that Ernest Hemingway did all of his writing standing up, I decided that was a great idea. I set up a second computer at standing height next to my other desk, and find that the freedom to walk back and forth while writing seems to keep the juices flowing.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
I found “The Three Musketeers” so inspiring that I learned French so I could read it in its original language. That was over 30 years ago. More recently, I was captured by Sharon Penman, and I still consider her “The Sunne in Splendour” to be the master work covering the Wars of the Roses. I also loved Colleen McCullough’s “Masters of Rome” series though I haven’t tackled ancient Rome myself. I bought the first book of her series for $5 at a yard sale which was one of my luckiest finds ever.

What are you working on now?
This year is the 950th anniversary of the Battle of Hastings. THE SONS OF GODWINE and FATAL RIVALRY are dedicated to the proposition that the love/hate relationship between Harold and his brother Tostig are directly attributable to the fall of Anglo-Saxon England. If Tostig hadn’t gone into exile blaming his brother for his downfall, he never would have encouraged Harald Hardrada to invade in the fall of 1066. Fighting Hardrada at Stamford Bridge put Harold in the wrong place at the wrong time and left the country exposed to the Norman invasion.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I wish I had a silver bullet! So far, I’ve been concentrating on building my platform on Facebook and Twitter. I’ve been writing a blog for six years (HistoricalBritainBlog.com) with background articles about the characters and events in my books, and it works best when connecting my posts with Facebook.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Don’t get intimidated by the success of others. If you are good and keep writing, readers will eventually find you.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Never mistake motion for action…Ernest Hemingway

What are you reading now?
I’m reading “A Year in the Life of William Shakespeare: 1599” by James Shapiro. It’s truly amazing to realize just how much the current events in his life impacted his plays. It helped me realize that there is so much to Shakespeare we don’t understand, because major issues of his time are lost to us. And yet he can still touch us 400 years after his death.

What’s next for you as a writer?
I’m hoping to move forward in time after my current series. Part of me wants to tackle Richard II, but he’s almost as obscure as Earl Godwine. I’m thinking about jumping to Tudor England which is more popular with readers. Can I do for Cardinal Wolsey what Hilary Mantel did for Thomas Cromwell? Alas, a new century demands years of thorough research, so I had better get it right.

If you were going to be stranded on a desert island and allowed to take 3 or 4 books with you what books would you bring?
I’d bring my trusty Three Musketeers, for Alexander Dumas still speaks to me. I would bring Tolkein, for I never get tired of his trilogy. And I always found inspiration with Sherlock Holmes.

Author Websites and Profiles
Mercedes Rochelle Website
Mercedes Rochelle Amazon Profile

Mercedes Rochelle’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.
I confess I am something of a cliche: I am a lawyer who writes legal fiction. But that’s where my path veers from the ordinary. While most legal thrillers focus on criminal law, I find that murder and mayhem can happen even among do-gooder types . . . like immigration and human rights lawyers! My protagonist, Renee François, is a Haitian-American lawyer with a passion for helping refugees and asylum seekers.

I suppose there is a little bit of Renee in me. I am also Haitian-American, and I practiced and taught international trade and development law for two decades. My work took me from war-torn Algeria and the Ivory Coast to some of the best beaches in South Africa. I never personally witnessed a murder, but there was a lot of mayhem on the job! I finally decided it was time to start writing about it — in disguise, of course!

I come by my love of storytelling from my grandmother. Some of my earliest memories as a child are of sitting in her courtyard under the shade of a mango tree listening to her stories. I write so that I can share a little bit of that experience with others.

When I am not writing (who am I kidding? I’m always writing!) you’ll find me trying to domesticate four unruly dogs or baking up a storm in my Northern California kitchen. That’s where all the serious mayhem takes place!

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
My debut novel is The Legacy: A New World Legal Thriller. What inspired me? In my past life as a law professor, I was researching a book on Christopher Columbus and his impact on international trade law. You’re probably yawning by now, but trust me I could tell you some stories! Did you know, for example, that Columbus landed in Haiti–an island he called Hispanola–and that’s where he set up his base of operations in the “New World”?

One day, as I was digging through Columbus’s journal, I suddenly had a thought: What if Columbus had a child with one of the Taino women he met when he landed in Haiti? What if, 500 years later, that child’s descendant finds himself trapped in a psych ward in Brooklyn? And what if the only lawyer who could save him is a woman he’s already betrayed?

A journal. A mental patient. A lawyer with an ax to grind? What could go wrong? The Legacy is a mix of historical and contemporary fiction, and it’s a hell of a lot of fun.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
Sure, I jump out of bed in the middle of the night to jot down some snippet of coversation between the imaginary characters floating around in my head. What’s unusual about that?

What authors, or books have influenced you?
I love books. It feels like a betrayal to list just a handful.

What are you working on now?
The sequel to The Legacy

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I’m still working that out! What do you suggest?

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Keep writing. It’s the only thing that matters. Okay, maybe it’s not the ONLY thing, but without that you aren’t a writer. So keep writing.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Keep writing . . . oh, I can’t nominate myself? How about Mary Oliver? “What is it you plan to do with your one wild and precious life?” It’s not advice, but if you answer the question you will learn everything you need to know.

What are you reading now?
Every book ever written by Lisa Gardner.

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

If you were going to be stranded on a desert island and allowed to take 3 or 4 books with you what books would you bring?
Seriously? I have a Kindle and I’m not afraid to use it.

Author Websites and Profiles
Marjorie Florestal Website
Marjorie Florestal Amazon Profile
Marjorie Florestal’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile
Twitter Account

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I live in southwestern Ontario Canada in a small town, with my hubby two teenagers and an overweight cockapoo named Spike. I am a wee bit of a geek, my fandoms include anything by Joss Whedon, the princess bride, zombies, star wars, rocky horror picture show and more. I love reading, I gobble up on average four books a week. I read anything from romance to fantasy, hell I’ve even read text books when I didn’t have anything else to read.

I’ve always written, but never actually sent it anywhere feeling that I wasn’t good enough. I am ashamed to say it now but I threw out every story I wrote. Finally when I finished writing Supernaturally Yours, my hubby bugged me until I agreed to try to send it off. It’s a story about Anna, a zombie who is only looking to fit in and be herself. I sent it off and low and behold it was picked up for publication by the now defunct Musa Publishing. It was the boost in confidence I needed. Since then I published Becoming Kira, a novella about a woman in her late thirties who has to rediscover who she was meant to be after a divorce. My most recent novel, Liquid Fire was picked up for publication by Tirgearr Publishing and comes out on February 9th 2016.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
Liquid Fire is my most recent novel. It comes out on February 9th 2016 from Tirgearr Publishing. It was inspired by many nights sitting around the campfire. Staring into the flames and thinking about creatures that might live in fire. After that my hubby and I were driving around and I used him as a sounding board, which eventually built the world that I wrote. For me it is all about the main character, once I knew Lee and who she was and her history the rest of the story fell into place.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I tend to be a coffee shop writer. I sit in cafe’s for hours on end typing away on my laptop. The atmosphere allows for enough noise that I can keep writing without being detrimental. At home I am too easily distracted and find it hard to get in the zone. The funny part about writing in coffee shops for me is that I don’t like coffee.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
Definitely Katie Macallister. I write in a very casual tone, the way I talk with my friends and prior to ‘Sex and the single vampire’ I had read no books with a similar tone. They were all ‘bodice ripping’ and formal language. I loved how she wrote. It was similar enough to my own style that I could finally see that it was possible for someone to be published who wrote casually, contemporarily.

Also I have to give a shout out to Mercedes Lackey. Her ‘Arrows of the Queen’ trilogy was the first fantasy I ever read. Before that I was strictly a in-this-world contemporary book reader. To me fantasy books were all science fiction and I didn’t distinguish between the two. Ms. Lackey opened my eyes and mind to so many different possibilities.

What are you working on now?
I am currently embroiled in a few projects. I just finished a novella for The Wiccan Haus Series, which has been sent off to the publisher and awaits their response. I am also part way through writing the sequel to Supernaturally Yours as well as the sequel to Liquid Fire.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I am still new to the whole self promotion thing. I am slowly building up what hopefully will work as a platform. I’ve done plenty of promotion, but on a small scale, local shows and talks. Now I am trying to expand on that base and move into larger mediums, appearing on blogs and keeping up my facebook posts etc.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Don’t give up. And show your work. The best feedback I got was once I had enough courage to have beta readers. They can help you in ways you wouldn’t believe. Your beta readers will typically start with a group of friends, who will be honest but not mean. Once you get over the hurdle of sharing your soul aka your work with anyone, the rest is easy peasy.

What are you reading now?
I am reading the KGI series by Maya Banks. She knows how to write a tough guy like nobodies business.

I also am rereading Charlaine Harris, the true blood series. I love Sookie Stackhouse and her introduction into the supernatural world is amazeballs.

What’s next for you as a writer?
Just keep writing. I feel like Dory from Finding Nemo, if she was a author… instead of ‘just keep swimming’ she’s chanting ‘just keep writing, just keep writing, that’s how we get 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?
hmm….that’s a hard one. I really want to bring my kobo. But alright if I can only have 3 or 4 books, I would bring ‘The name of the wind’ by Patrick Rothfuss. ‘Sex and the Single Vampire’ by Katie Macallister. ‘The Stand’ Stephen King. and ‘Clan of the Cave Bear’ Jean M. Auel

Author Websites and Profiles
Gloria Bishop Website
Gloria Bishop Amazon Profile

Gloria Bishop’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile
Facebook Profile

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
So far I have written two novels, with four (or more) planned for release this year.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
The Last Narkoy. I’ve been writing this series of novels since I was a teen. It’s a series which forced me to return to college so I could gain a better understanding of writing.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
Drowning my writer’s block in extra foam Lattes?

What authors, or books have influenced you?
I grew up with Doyle, Poe and Star Trek, which makes for a rather interesting writing style.

What are you working on now?
I’m finishing the next two cases of Haunted Ends, editing another paranormal mystery called The Bella Straga, and in addition finishing editing the second novel of The Last Narkoy – Gathow.

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

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Grow a thick skin and write what you enjoy. Find a fresh set of eyes. For newbies, resist the temptation for naming your MC after you. That’s simple narcissistic and a huge reader turn-off.

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

What are you reading now?
Fortune cookies and daily horoscopes.

What’s next for you as a writer?
Carpal Tunnel and a brain aneurysm. Oh, the good life!

If you were going to be stranded on a desert island and allowed to take 3 or 4 books with you what books would you bring?
Collective works of Edger Allen Poe
How to survive in the wild
How things work
Western Gardening book
My collective works

Author Websites and Profiles
Elizabeth Price Amazon Profile

Elizabeth Price’s Social Media Links
Facebook Profile
Twitter Account

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I recently released my first published book, The Spectra Unearthed, the first of a six book series. Like many of writers, I started at a young age and haven’t stopped. When I’m not writing, I enjoy crafting and hobby farming. I live near the sunniest city in the world with my husband, four children, and lots of animals, including chickens, ducks, sheep, goats, Vera the border-collie mix, and Dawn the 16-year-old dachshund.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
The Spectra Unearthed has been in the works for a long time. In middle school I started a story about a group of kids who personified the six colors (I tried to title it “Rainbow Warriors”; one of my friends had to explain why this was not a good idea). The idea lived in my dreams and daydreams for years. Then I had a dream that combined the color-people with royalty, and that sparked the Spectra world. I took a few years to write my first story, only to realize that the whole thing was backstory and ought to begin with the sequel. So I started over, and produced The Spectra Unearthed.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
Robert Olen Butler said, “What you forget goes into the compost of the imagination.” I have a lot of favorite books and authors adding to my pile. My favorite books about writing are:

The Seven Basic Plots by Christopher Booker

Writing Tools by Roy Peter Clark

Bird by Bird by Anne Lamott (some mature content)

Writing Magic by Gail Carsen Levine

Word Painting by Rebecca McClanahan

The Elements of Style by William Strunk, Jr. and E.B. White

What are you working on now?
I am editing the sequel for The Spectra Unearthed, titled The Spectra United (I finished the rough draft during NaNoWriMo). It follows my main character Keita Sage into the city and prairie kingdom of Lectranis, where she meets up with her suspiciously well-connected sister and uncomfortably perceptive betrothed. I’m also working on a collection of short stories that take place within the Spectra world.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I enjoyed putting my website together at www.TheSpectraBooks.com
I also do Facebook and a little Twitter.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Keep writing. Keep editing. Accept advice without being beaten down by it.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
From Strunk and White:

“Vigorous writing is concise. A sentence should contain no unnecessary words, a paragraph no unnecessary lines, for the same reason that a drawing should have no unnecessary lines and a machine no unnecessary parts. This requires not that the writer make all his sentences short, or that he avoid all detail and treat his subjects only in outline, but that every word tell.”

What are you reading now?
If I were reading something, I wouldn’t be doing an interview! I read extremely fast, so I don’t usually put it down until I’m done. That said, the book I read last was The Squire’s Tale by Gerald Morris, on recommendation from my little sister.

What’s next for you as a writer?
I’m planning on releasing The Spectra United in September and then start working on the third book, The Spectra Uprooted.

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. How to Survive on a Desert Island
2. The Biggest Book of Fairytales Ever
3. A very large blank notebook
4. My least favorite book for kindling

Author Websites and Profiles
Christie Valentine Powell Website

Christie Valentine Powell’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile
Facebook Profile
Twitter Account

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I’m fortunate to have had a series of wonderful careers outside of writing including being a wife, mom, PR professional, college professor, volunteer and Girl Scout troop leader. I’ve just released my fourth book, clutch: a novel.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
Clutch: a novel is the laugh-out-loud, chick lit story that chronicles the dating misadventures of Caroline Johnson, a single purse designer, who goes through a series of unsuccessful romantic relationships she compares to various styles of handbags – the “Hobo” starving artist, the “Diaper Bag” single dad, the “Briefcase” intense businessman, etc. With her best friend, bar owner Mike by her side, the overly-accommodating Caroline drinks Chardonnay, puts her heart on the line, endures her share of unworthy suitors and finds the courage to stand up for the handbag style that embodies what she ultimately wants – the “Clutch” or someone to hold onto.

Clutch: a novel actually started out as a screenplay that was optioned by a production company housed at one of the major movie studios summer 2014. Unfortunately, it fell out of development. I was eager to have this fun story with some of my favorite characters told, so I turned it into a short novel earlier this year. My hope is that the book will renew interest in the story as a movie.

When I was writing part of the Click Trilogy, (Click: An Online Love Story, Double Click, Right Click) I saw an episode of one of my favorite shows where a character mentioned that men were like purses – something useless to hang on a woman’s arm. I started thinking about how men are like handbags and the idea grew from there.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I sit in my home office at a HP desktop computer with a really big screen. My eyes grow tired pretty easily in my old age;) And, I like to write with the television on in the background. When I first started writing, I was obsessed with Law & Order reruns. Now, I can’t seem to get enough of NCIS. I guess there’s a part of me that likes to see justice served.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
Years ago, I read a book called e by Matthew Beaumont which tells the story of a fictitious ad agency vying for a big account, with the story all told in emails. I thought that narrative style would work really well for the story I wanted to tell about the online dating world in Click: An Online Love Story. It was a modern way of storytelling that fit the topic and the times. Without Click, I wouldn’t have completed the trilogy with Double Click and Right Click and continued writing in earnest.

What are you working on now?
In addition to promoting the new book, clutch: a novel, I’m looking into making connections within the motion picture industry to try and get a movie version made. As mentioned, the book started out as a screenplay that was under option at a major studio, but fell out of development. I’m eager to see if there’s interest from someone else on bringing this fun and quirky story to the big screen. So if you happen to be a well-to-do movie producer looking to make a new romantic comedy, please get in touch!

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
Marketing and promoting a book is almost as hard as writing one. I’ve been lucky to work with some great book promotion companies including Chick Lit Plus and Enticing Journey Book Promotions.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Don’t write off (HA! Like the pun?!?) self-publishing. I explored the traditional publishing route and got feedback from multiple literary agents. One in particular explained the current economic state of the publishing industry to me. Due to the large investment to edit, produce, distribute and market a work by an unknown author, many large publishers won’t take the risk. Self-publishing is a way to get your work out there.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
I had interviewed Charles Rosen, one of the producers of the original Beverly Hills 90210, for an alumni magazine article while I was in graduate school. And I’ll never forget what he told me, “Don’t fall in love with your words, because somebody above will probably change them.”

After graduate school, I spent more than 15 years working in the public relations industry with some of the biggest consumer companies in the world including McDonald’s, Ford, Sony and Gatorade. I spent countless hours writing news releases, bylined articles, marketing proposals, brochures, advertising copy, public service announcements, radio copy, mat columns, fact sheets, photo captions, media alerts, pitch letters, letters to the editor, video news releases, etc. And, I carried Mr. Rosen’s words with me every day as colleagues, bosses and clients have “changed my words” sometimes for the better, sometimes for the worse.

When it came time for me to write something personal, based on my own experiences and initially for my own pleasure, I relished the opportunity to write what I wanted, how I wanted and when I wanted. Self publishing allows you to take control of the process and fall in love with your words.

What are you reading now?
I’m in the process of reading a draft novel from a good friend that I’ve met within the writing community. I’m not at liberty to say anymore about it right now, but will help promote the book when it’s available.

What’s next for you as a writer?
My hope is to start a new career as a screenwriter. While I pursue connections within the entertainment industry, I will continue to write light and breezy stories for anyone who has ever been in love, had a bad date, been dumped or is still searching for “the one.”

If you were going to be stranded on a desert island and allowed to take 3 or 4 books with you what books would you bring?
I’d likely take anything by Colleen Hoover, Rainbow Rowell or Jennifer Weiner.

Author Websites and Profiles
Lisa Becker Website
Lisa Becker Amazon Profile

Lisa Becker’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile
Facebook Profile
Twitter Account

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I like to call myself an ideaphoric writer, speaker, entrepreneur, social worker, fitness instructor and mom trying to do it all from the comfort of her home. I’ve written several books, the most recent of which is Digital Writer Success: How to Make a Living Blogging, Freelance Writing, and Publishing Online (Koehler Books). I’m also the author of The Work-At-Home Success Bible (originally from Adams Media) and several self-published books on telecommuting.

By day, when I’m not penning books, I’m blogging for myself and others, and freelance writing on the topics of working at home, telecommuting, small business, writing, parenting and fitness. My articles have appeared on Entrepreneur.com, Yahoo! Small Business, LIVESTRONG and more. I’m also slowly, but surely building a speaking career.

By night, I write fiction and have a self-published mystery series and a three book deal with a traditional publisher

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
Digital Writer Success: Digital Writer Success: How to Make a Living Blogging, Freelance Writing, and Publishing Online (Koehler Books) is my most recent release (Nov. 2015). I realized there were many books on blogging, freelance writing and publishing, but none on digital freelance writing, and none that talked about how to combine all three types into an online writing career, which is what I do. Although the book can help someone wanting to do any one of these types of writing (blogging, freelance writing, or epublishing), each type of online writing can work together to create a well-rounded writing career.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I like to have music playing in the background when I write. My husband says I make faces when I write. I imagine it’s mostly grimacing.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
In my topic area (business/career), one of my all-time favorite books is Finding Your Perfect Work, by Paul and Sarah Edwards. It’s really old and probably out of print, but it was a big help in my quest to create a career I could do from home.

What are you working on now?
I don’t have any non-fiction books in the works. Right now, most of my time is spent on the “day job” (blogging and freelance writing), and promoting Digital Writer Success.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
In non-fiction, I use my current platforms (websites, email lists and social media) to promote the book. I had a launch that included free gifts (donated by other writers) with the purchase of the book during a 4-day period. I also sent ARCs and guest posts to blogs that target my market. Right now, I’m actively pitching podcasts and other media regarding interviews. I’m also set up to speak at a few book and writer events this spring.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Start marketing early, even if your book isn’t done. Especially for non-fiction writers wanting a traditional deal, you’ll need to show you have a platform to get a contract. Be even self-published authors should start talking about their books and finding their market as soon as they start to write. Also, make a marketing plan and work it every day.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
The best writing advice I’ve heard is to just write and trust the process. In terms of making a living at it, the best advice has been about marketing (find your target market).

What are you reading now?
The Power to Get Things Done (Whether You Feel Like It Or Not) by Steve Levinson, PhD and Chris Cooper.

What’s next for you as a writer?
I’ve been doing a lot of fiction writing lately, and that’s my focus right now, along with my regular writing work (blogging, freelance writing). I got the rights back to The Work-At-Home Success Bible and so I’m looking at updating the book and self-publishing it this year.

If you were going to be stranded on a desert island and allowed to take 3 or 4 books with you what books would you bring?
I love J.D. Robb, so I’d probably bring the first two in her series; Naked in Death and Glory In Death. I’d also bring a book on how to survive on a deserted island.

Author Websites and Profiles
Leslie Truex Website
Leslie Truex Amazon Profile

Leslie Truex’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile
Facebook Profile
Twitter Account
Pinterest Account

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
Matches, I loved matches…and fire as a child and if it’s any consolation to my neighbors back then, I am sure you consider yourselves lucky now- thank the stars…and the gods. To say it was an honor growing up on an island in the Caribbean is an understatement. The treasure trove of folklore and community bacchanal makes for darn good writing. Trinidad was and always will be home – no doubt about that. When someone from the Caribbean speak of colorful times, believe them- its no embellishment.
Happy-go-lucky! That’s what I am! Bloody Murder was completed while I attended Junior High. It was when I realized the bug, that pesky little writing bug had bitten me. During my first year of college I penned a second novella, Murder or Masquerade. Times were different then; writers had no outlets available to share his or her work so, I simply put it all away.
In 1999, I migrated to the United States. That year I dabbled in screen writing. Quick, Break, Barracuda, and Devil’s Wood Yard were the result. In 2000 I wrote the short story, The Three of Us and Mrs. Booker – part of the upcoming Krik Krak on A Monkey’s Back collection. In 2006, I started working on Things Happen, my first collection (published in 2013). By then I had joined the Observer Magazine as a consumer columnist. After the publication of my first collection I excitedly got to work. In March of 2015, Unraveling Of a Strand was released and the first installment of The Gardener’s Wife followed in the summer. A Tale from Under De Pecan Tree and The Longest Train Home were published in TimbookTu’s 2015 Fall edition. Life is good. I currently reside in Phoenix, Arizona with my family and our three dogs.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
Ah yes! The Gardener’s Wife, such a long time in the making. It’s currently being published in five installments. I had been experiencing a stretch of writers block and the idea came to mind late one evening while watching an Alfred Hitchcock marathon. The book was shelved four times until August of 2014 when I wrote ‘Little Tommy Tucker,’ a Halloween short story for children. A crucial moment in that story ignited my interest in The Gardener’s Wife once more.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
Yes! I am not at all methodical. I write anything, and I do mean anything- no genre left untouched. I never plot, everything is right up there in my head and never gets scrambled – strange huh? For every scene I listen to a song to suit the mood. Then I play through it – does that make sense? (Laughs) I know – I’m weird.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
Definitely H.P. Lovecraft, he was such a brilliant mind. A ghoulish part of me contains a little Stephen King, a few of my stories were influenced by his advice. Agatha Christie! What a woman, what a magnitude of range; in my earlier years I studied her style and found myself as a mystery writer.

What are you working on now?
At this very moment I’m working on several projects. The release of Meeting at Mystic Canyon is upon us. It’s the conclusion of the short story, Friends. Final Burn also due out in 2016 is the conclusion of Burning Inquisition. The second installment of The Gardener’s Wife is due for release in late summer 2016 and of course the Thriller, ‘Black’ is due some time in 2017.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
Amazon, Facebook, Twitter, Linked In! Social media is a wonderful invention.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Be yourself, be brave. Take risks, without it we are simply a slave to what the world wants us to be. Remember, a writer writes an editor edits.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
My Grandmother was a woman of the soil, she believed in planting seeds to grow ones own food. She told me to do the same. I did just that and then some. I type. I scribble.

What are you reading now?
I despised English classes in high school and couldn’t stand book reports, fortunately a few weeks ago I remembered one I had done on C. Everard Palmer’s, The Wooing of Beppo Tate. Oh! What a book!

What’s next for you as a writer?
Anything. Changing with the times is crucial for the medium we work in. To me, versatility is the key.

If you were going to be stranded on a desert island and allowed to take 3 or 4 books with you what books would you bring?
This would be easier with music! (Laughs) okay, lets see, Definitely Agatha Christie’s And Then There were None, spectacular in every way! Stephen King’s Misery, need I say more? All Short Stories by Edgar Allan Poe, especially the Tell-Tale Heart. A collection of H.P. Lovecraft.

Author Websites and Profiles
Storm McAdrian Website
Storm McAdrian Amazon Profile

Storm McAdrian’s Social Media Links
Facebook Profile
Twitter Account

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I am a former English teacher who also worked as a Literary Artist for the Cultural Council Foundation/CETA Artists Project, co-authoring the topical revue “New Living Newspaper, Vol. 1, No. 2” (Playwrights Horizons), writing poetry for the anthology “Words to Go” and conducting interviews for the publication Art Workers News. I was a reporter for Gotham Newsmagazine and a freelance game show writer for NBC’s “Shoot for the Stars.” I am the recipient of the Clarence Kline Essay Prize and was a semi-finalist in the Writers Guild of America, East, Fellowship Competition. “European Son: a novella” is my first work of fiction.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
I was inspired to write “European Son: a novella” after reading Jerzy Kosinski’s short novel “Steps.” I was impressed by his succinct and clear language and intrigued by his male protagonist, a manipulative loner who meets a variety of characters on his solitary journey.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I don’t know if this is unusual but when writing dialogue I say it aloud, becoming the characters in conversation. Years ago when I was writing screenplays, I spoke the characters’ words into a cassette recorder and then listened to them to hear if the words sounded true to the people speaking them and if they were easy to say (not too many “ssssssssss.”)

What authors, or books have influenced you?
Aside from “Steps” by Kosinski, Camus’ “The Stranger” and Ian McEwan’s “The Comfort of Strangers” influenced my writing of the novella. Pinter’s crisp and understated dialogue, with its often menacing and sexual subtext, has always had a pull. So have Hitchcock’s visuals and storytelling methods. When writing my novella, I tried to picture the events as if through a camera lens in order to observe my characters speaking, listening, reacting or remaining silent, while directing their behavior, movements and gestures. I have been told that the book is indeed very visual and would make for an intriguing film.

What are you working on now?
I am working on a manuscript composed of several poems, a short story and a novella, “A Solitary Landscape,” which is also the title of the book.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I find that e-mails work best for me. I also make phone calls and send out flyers if I am doing a reading or an event such as a book fair. My book also has a Facebook page.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Read a lot. Write often. Believe in your talent. Don’t squander it. Don’t talk about what you’re gonna do — just do it! And surround yourself with encouraging, supportive, like-minded people. Try to get to the desk – or wherever you write – several times a week, keeping a record of how much time you sat there writing, thinking, rewriting… Then total up those minutes and hours. You’ll have a sense of accomplishment. So smile. And reward yourself!

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
One of my favorite people, Patti Smith, said in an interview that she does something creative everyday, whether it’s writing a poem or drawing a picture or working with clay or singing a song. I think that is great advice. No wonder she is so prolific and so incredibly talented.

What are you reading now?
A day or two ago I finished reading Chris Pavone’s excellent debut spy novel “The Expats.” I am perusing “Venture Inward,” a magazine put out by the Edgar Cayce Foundation and several recent issues of The New York Times Book Review. The Pavone book has put me in the mood to read Ben Macintyre’s “A Spy Among Friends: Kim Philby and the Great Betrayal.” So that’s next on my book shelf.

What’s next for you as a writer?
Well…my New Year’s resolution is to finish writing “A Solitary Landscape.” I’ve already written most or all of the poetry and the short story. But I need to get back to work on the main part of the book, the novella. Also, I would like to create a blog and post comments, recommendations and reviews of books I’ve read and plays and films that I’ve seen, while also providing information and updates about my own work.

If you were going to be stranded on a desert island and allowed to take 3 or 4 books with you what books would you bring?
I hope I would bring the Bible. “Ulysses” because I bought it in Dublin and never read it. “To the Lighthouse” because it’s one of my favorite books. “Tales of Power” by Carlos Castaneda for courage and inspiration. “Antonioni’s Blow-Up” because it’s my favorite film and the book has great photos. And I would bring “European Son: a novella” and “A Solitary Landscape” because they’re mine and I wrote them and I need to remember that.

Author Websites and Profiles
Barry Levy Amazon Profile

Barry Levy’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile
Facebook Profile
Twitter Account

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I hail from the arctic tundra of New England (Massachusetts to be exact) and I am the author of three novels; WILLING, HYSTERIA, and WRITING MR RIGHT, and co-author of the three short novels in The Bears of Blackrock series with American author, Alana Hart.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
Alana and I are currently celebrating the release of The Bears of Blackrock Complete Series, and the third and final installment of the series, THE UNCHOSEN BRIDE.

The Bears of Blackrock series was inspired by Alana’s and my love of both sexy bear shifters, and my own childhood spending summers in Downeast Maine.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I suppose having to have my feet up on a particular antique foot stool might be a little strange. Other than that, I tend to keep my weirdness to all other aspects of my life.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
Definitely influenced by Charlaine Harris when it comes to our Blackrock Mysteries. I’m also personally influenced by the likes of Jennifer Egan, Douglas Adams, Stephen King. I love a good bit of character, nonsense, and darkness to my stories. I hope it weaves together well in the end result.

What are you working on now?
I’m currently working on the third installment of my Namesaken series, HEARTLESS, which takes the Gothic Mystery series to the Old West of America for the first time. I’m also heavily diving into VILLAIN, which is the first title in The Villain Trilogy, which will be a departure from my usual fair.

Still as dark as you can expect me to get, but with a whole new international sexy espionage flavor that I think will pleasantly surprise my readers.

Alana Hart is, as always, over working with many talented and amazing writers at Hartfelt Books. Her upcoming theme of New Beginnings is looking to have some great titles.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
Honestly, I’m not the best promoter in the world, so my manner of promotion is thinking good thoughts and writing the next book.

Still, in the midst of this senseless free for all, I have seen amazing results with My Romance Reads, as well as word of mouth among our readers.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Find the time and get your *ss in the chair. Often times, the hardest part of writing isn’t the story telling, or the inspiration, it’s simply making the time and prioritizing that time to work.

Writing has to be as important as eating and sleeping if you’re going to do it for life. Set the time aside, and be severely protective of, and GET THAT WORK DONE.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Stephen King said in his amazing memoir ON WRITING that if you’re not reading or writing for at least four to five hours a day, don’t call yourself a writer.

He also said, “Sometimes you feel like you’re shoveling shit from a seated position” which I also found to be poetry.

What are you reading now?
I’m currently reading MY BOOKY WOOK by Russell Brand. Man, can that fellow wear the hell out of some eyeliner.

What’s next for you as a writer?
Following the muse as Neil Young would say. Currently researching my upcoming novels, and slowly taking on a southern accent as a result of all the wild west info I’m absorbing.

Y’all.

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 GET OFF A DESERT ISLAND would be my first choice. (Did Bear Grylls write a book yet?)
The Complete Works of William Shakespeare
Outlander by Diana Gabaldon
and MY BOOKY WOOK by Russell Brand, because I haven’t finished it yet, and that would bug me.

Author Websites and Profiles
Michaela Wright Website
Michaela Wright Amazon Profile

Michaela Wright’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile
Facebook Profile
Twitter Account

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I have written one book, Reflections of a Successful Wallflower – Lessons in Business; Lessons in Life. It is a memoir of my life – both personally and in business and how the two intertwine. I have been an event producer for almost 40 years. During that time I’ve had some amazing adventures. My company, Extraordinary Events, is the most highly awarded event production company in the world, and we’ve been producing events internationally for many, many years now.

I started out as a true wallflower – shy, introverted but learned how to get what I wanted out of life by doing. I wanted to share my story with others, particularly women, so they would know that you can if you think you can.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
Reflections of a Successful Wallflower- Lessons in Business; Lessons in Life – written to inspire women to believe in themselves no matter how life challenges you.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I don’t outline. I formulate everything in my head and then just let it pour out on paper. I know what I’m going to say before I write, but it’s all in my head.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
My secret pleasure is vampire novels – any and all of them. So many influences because I am in a creative business, and everything around me inspires me.

What are you working on now?
I want to write a children’s book, and I’m outlining it in my head. I have two beautiful grandsons that will serve as my advisors!

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I’ve been through many by trial and error. I have a Facebook author page that I share a lot of personal information on. Then, there’s Twitter, LinkedIn and all the regular media. I’m listed in the BookGoodies Gift guide, and I’ve tried numerous promotional packages. Nothing jumps out as having made an outstanding difference.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Share openly and with your heart. Don’t shy away from honesty. Whether you write fiction or non-fiction. Get a good editor and make sure your book is grammatically and factually correct. Be prepared to market the heck out of it whether you publish traditionally or self-publish.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
You can’t count on anything but change. It always happens.

What are you reading now?
Snow Blood: A Vampire Mystery Thriller (Season 2) by Carol McKibben.

What’s next for you as a writer?
Oh, I’ll have to write a sequel to Wallflower. Too many adventures in life not to share them.

If you were going to be stranded on a desert island and allowed to take 3 or 4 books with you what books would you bring?
The Twilight Series. I love those books. Can I take something from Hogwarts so that the stories can magically change periodically?

Author Websites and Profiles
Andrea Michaels Website
Andrea Michaels Amazon Profile

Andrea Michaels’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile
Facebook Profile
Twitter Account

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I was fortunate to receive four contracts from the wonderful Wild Rose
Press and one from Champagne Books. Then I decided to take the plunge
into indie publishing with two cozy mystery series, a book of short
stories, a second book of Christmas stories, and finally my latest book.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
My latest indie release is Four Summer Days based on a story my
grandmother told me about how my great-grandfather killed his step-father
and was never prosecuted. As an adult, I pursued the story in the
course of genealogical research, found a few facts (no, he wasn’t
prosecuted!), heard two more versions of the story, and was left with
many unanswered questions. For the book, I combined all three versions
and let it roll from there!

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
Well my first two published books were written and edited piecemeal while
keeping my first granddaughter from the age of two weeks! It was a
circus, believe me, as I struggled to learn about serious writing and
how to take care of a baby with all the new ‘rules and regulations’. Now
she’s in the third grade, so I just sit and write and enjoy.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
I grew up in my hometown’s wonderful public library and lived and
breathed reading! The Five Little Peppers, The Bobbsey Twins, Trixie
Belden, and the usual classics like Little Women, Eight Cousins, Rose in
Bloom, Black Beauty, and many others took over my imagination. As a ‘tween, I consumed
the many books of Christian author Grace Livingston Hill. They still
influence my characters today though with some realistic tweaking. Mary
Stewart fueled my love of mystery. Today I love mystery, historical
thrillers of the WW II era, presidential daughter Margaret Truman’s
mysteries, and John Grisham’s earlier books.

What are you working on now?
Return to Morgan’s Mountain is the sequel to Four Summer Days, bringing the
family forward to the present day. Keeping Promises is finished but
waiting on a beta reader. Ruthann’s War will be submitted for
consideration to TWRP this month–as soon as I write the dreaded
synopsis! I have a folder full of partially written stories. Time, time!
My kingdom for a horse–I mean, time!

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I use the obligatory social media channels and try to keep my website current. And I blog on topics of interest to other writers three times a week.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Just do it. Understand your first draft stinks, but you have to get it down. You can fluff and buff it later.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Not to decide is to decide. And it’s true. Every decision not made is
actually a decision to do nothing, which isn’t very profitable.

What are you reading now?
The Beekeeper’s Apprentice by Laurie King. It’s for Sleuthers, the mystery book club at my local library.

What’s next for you as a writer?
Just keep enjoying the opportunity to write–and stop stressing about what doesn’t get done!

If you were going to be stranded on a desert island and allowed to take 3 or 4 books with you what books would you bring?
My Bible
Spoon River Anthology by Edgar Lee Masters
The Best Loved Poems of the American People
And everything on my Kindle as long as the charge holds out! Maybe I could rig up solar power on that island?

Author Websites and Profiles
Judy Nickles Website
Judy Nickles Amazon Profile

Judy Nickles’s Social Media Links
Facebook Profile
Twitter Account
Pinterest Account

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
Carol McKibben was a magazine publisher for more than 20 years. She began a new career in freelance writing and editing in 2007. As well as editing other authors’ works to realize their dreams, she has completed Luke’s Tale, Snow Blood Seasons 1 and 2 and published a memoir, Riding Through It. Carol is currently working on Snow Blood Season 3.

Carol currently writes from the heart and through a dog’s eyes. Often telling her stories to Laberdoodles, Basset Hounds and any stray that happened by, it wasn’t long before people stopped to have a listen as well. Now Carol writes for people and speaks to large audiences, dogs included.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
Snow Blood: A Vampire Mystery Thriller (Season 2). It is the sequel to the story of the first vampire as told through the eyes of his kindred dog. My publisher loved the idea of a series about the very first vampire told through the eyes of a dog. We both actually came up with the idea for writing the first book in the series because we mutually love vampire stories, but nothing had ever been written about the original, the first vampire. And, believe it or not, it is about unconditional love.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I think them through, then write character descriptions, then an outline and go from there. Nothing unusual. Fairly straight-forward.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
John Irving, Stephen King and Harper Lee. All of Irving and King’s books and To Kill a Mockingbird. I also love anything by Dean Koontz.

What are you working on now?
Snow Blood: A Vampire Mystery Thriller (Season 3) of course!

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
Creating a relationship with readers through social media. I have fans on my MailChimp account. I accumulate them by offering a free book for them to sign up. I try to keep readers informed about what’s going on with me. It creates a bond that helps.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Get a great editor who also is excellent at content development. You don’t want a proofreader; you want someone who can relate to your writing and support and inspire you to become better.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
You can if you think you can.

What are you reading now?
In This Together by Ann Romney. It’s about how she has been able to knock back her MS through therapy, including riding dressage. I ride dressage competitively with my horse, so this book has a lot of meaning for me.

What’s next for you as a writer?
Well, my publisher wants at least four (4) books in the Snow Blood Series. So that’s taking up all my time right now. Plus, I work with other authors to develop their novels/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?
To Kill a Mockingbird; The World According to Garp; Salem’s Lot and my Snow Blood series.

Author Websites and Profiles
Carol McKibben Website
Carol McKibben Amazon Profile
Carol McKibben Author Profile on Smashwords

Carol McKibben’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 Leicester, UK, sixty years ago. For the last thirty years I’ve lived in Eastbourne, a lovely town on the south coast of England, with my wife and various rescue cats (we currently have three). I work as a software consultant these days but was an accountant prior to that. The past 10 years I’ve been self-employed and that has given me much more freedom to pick and choose the work I do.

Although I have published four different books, I have only ever actually written one. That may sound confusing so let me explain. The first two books I published were the initial sections of a larger book, Fred’s Diary 1981, which I also subsequently released. That makes three. The fourth one is a recently released book that I edited, rather than wrote. It is called Travel Stories and Highlights. This wonderful collection of 30 travel stories and 25 travel highlights has contributions from 34 different authors and writers.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
Fred’s Diary 1981: Travels in Asia

My book is the edited version of a handwritten diary that I kept during my travels in Asia.
This was the only time in my life that I recorded almost everything I did. The trip lasted 158 days and I travelled through Hong Kong, Thailand, India and Nepal.

The second part of my diary was released in 2009 and its title, Time in Thailand, probably indicates to you that things didn’t go as planned. £99 to Hong Kong was published in 2011 and covers the first part of my trip where I did some work as an extra for Chinese television. The complete version, Fred’s Diary 1981, was made available on Kindle and paperback in December 2013. The second edition was published in October 2015.

I am not sure what inspired me to write the diary way back then but the editing of it in recent years has given me great pleasure and bought back a lot of memories. With the advent of Kindle it has been great to be able to self-publish and share my experiences with so many people.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I can only really talk about the way that Fred originally wrote his diary, as these would seem very unusual writing habits to people of today.

When Fred landed in Hong Kong in that February he had two small carbon copy books of 100 pages each and he started writing everything down about his impressions, the people he met, the things he did and thought, what he ate and what things cost. As his journey developed the diary became almost a mission of its own, especially when the unexpected happened in Thailand.

The first two books lasted two months and Fred had to buy additional copies along the way, all used with carbon paper. Every few weeks he would send the originals back to his friend Jan, in Frankfurt, Germany. She collected all the pages in an A4 folder and luckily they all made it back safely. Fred kept all the copies with him as a backup.

After returning from his travels, Fred settled again in Frankfurt and stayed there for five years. He then returned to England and took the A4 folder containing the diary with him. It was almost forgotten for many years, only making an appearance when friends asked to see it or to read it.
It wasn’t until around 2005 that Fred decided to start typing up the diary onto his computer. He managed to get the first two months done but then ran out of motivation.

A couple of years later there was an article in a PC magazine about Kindle and self-publishing that sparked his interest again.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
From schooldays, although not strictly a book, The Wasteland by TS Eliot

More recently, Frank Kusy. I have read and thoroughly enjoyed all four of his travel books: Kevin and I in India, Off the Beaten Track, Rupee Millionaires and Too Young to be Old.

What are you working on now?
My father’s memoirs

John passed away back in 1993. I helped him compile a book about his life during those final few months and this helped bring us closer together. A limited edition of the book was published several years later but was only ever distributed around the family. It was only recently that I discovered from my mother that one of his final wishes was to have the book published properly. I am now aiming to make his dying wish come true.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
In February last year I started a blog fd81.net. I serialised the diary on the exact same days as it had been written 34 years previously. At the same time I ran a Travel Story competition with monthly prizes and an overall winner. The site has been quite successful with over 200K page views. The best method I have found is to post a blog and then tweet an extract along with a link back to the blog. Images seem to help the retweet rate as well.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
They’d probably have a lot of advice for me to be fair.

My only piece of advice would be to persevere, whether it be with the writing, editing or promoting of your book. Unless you become a top selling author don’t expect to make much money but enjoy the journey.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
If you can afford it, get a professional editor and cover designer.

What are you reading now?
The book I have just finished reading is Instant Whips and Dream Toppings by Jacky Donovan. An eye-opening read.

I have several vying for attention on my Kindle. Will it be John Searancke’s Prunes for Breakfast, Charlotte Smith’s Paw Prints in Oman or Xamnesia by Lizzie Harwood? I’ll let you know.

What’s next for you as a writer?
I am going to concentrate on getting my father’s memoirs ready for publication later in the year. After that I may write another memoir myself, this time about the summer I spent on the island of Ibiza back in 1977.

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 three unread hardbacks sitting on my bookshelf that would be perfect:

Michael Palin Diaries 1969-1979: The Python Years
Bill Bryson’s A Short History of Nearly Everything
Long Way Down by Ewan McGregor and Charley Boorman

The fourth would probably be Lord of the Rings, which I haven’t read either.

Author Websites and Profiles
Robert Fear Website
Robert Fear Amazon Profile

Robert Fear’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile
Facebook Profile
Twitter Account

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
About The Author

Suzanne E. Uzzell was inspired to write this book to encourage the Christian Marriage relationship to treasure their relationship by cherishing their spouse. Finding the hidden treasure and what is valuable within them and their spouse will transform the marriage union.

Suzanne is an Ordained Evangelist who is concerned about souls. She ministers where ever God sends her. She is blessed to minister and witness to people from all walks of life. She loves to serve, help and give to others.

She is also an Air force spouse who is married to her loving Husband TSgt Jahi J. Uzzell. Suzanne was privileged to live in various places such as England, Hawaii and the Netherlands she now resides in Las Vegas Nevada on Nellis AFB.

Suzanne is a Native New Yorker who graduated from Herbert H. Lehman College with a B.A. She is an Entrepreneur who enjoys being creative and writing. Treasure your Marriage by Cherishing your spouse is her Fourth book written and Published. Other books she has written are Reach Out and Touch, Chosen Words and Words 2 Ignite the Soul. These books can be found online at Amazon, Barnes & Noble and Lulu.com.

Feel free to follow her Face book page WORDS 4 THE SOUL~ you can get more information on all books and follow the Author!

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
Author Suzanne E. Uzzell shares with her readers beautiful treasures for the Christian Marriage union that will cause them to value their relationship by cherishing their spouse.

Suzanne Uzzell was inspired by God to write Treasure Your Marriage by Cherishing Your Spouse to impact the Christian marriage relationship by reminding couples who read this book to value the beautiful gift God gave them. This gift is valuable and of great price. Your union God created is dear to his heart.

After reading Treasure your Marriage by Cherishing your Spouse you will grow into deeper fellowship of appreciation and gratitude for your union and your spouse.

You will also learn how to stand in love with your spouse and treasure your Marriage covenant by honoring your commitment. You will find hidden treasures with in your own marriage relationship as you transform self and learn to cherish the one God has gifted you with while living on earth.

Treasure your Marriage by Cherishing your Spouse is an inspirational book for Christian Marriages written by Author Suzanne E. Uzzell. This book was written to ignite the reader to learn how to Treasure their marriage by cherishing their spouse.

This book is a reuniting and rebuilding of the couple in the friendship, lover and partner capacity within the marriage relationship.

The reader will reflect on the care of the Godly union and their spouse. They will also learn the role they play within the marriage union is crucial and significant to the building of the relationship.

This book will transform lives and cause the reader to revisit their wedding vows and learn the significance of their function in the Godly union. The reader will also have a new outlook on how cherishing their spouse will allow them to treasure their marriage union for a life time here on earth.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I write it out on in a spiral book and also type it on the word document then I leave it alone and go back to it after getting inspiration. Then I type away as I become inspired to write what is with in.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
Inspirational Christian Books, Td Jakes, Juanita Bynum, Maya Angelou,

What are you working on now?
I just finish working on Treasure Your Marriage By Cherishing Your Spouse and it is a newly published work.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I promote my books on blogs, twitter, face book, weebly, Amazon, Barnes and Nobles, Lulu.com, Kobo, Author Groups, Authorsden, Awesomegang, goodreads, tumbl, pingomatic, youtube, GoodKindles, Authors.com, librarything, itunes, stumbleupon,

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Be patient with the process and write what is inside of you. Embrace the ideas and fell free to play with thoughts but write all that is in your heart! Enjoy the process of writing it is a beautiful experience that is revealed after the book is written.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
If I can help somebody along the way then my living shall not be in vain.

What are you reading now?
lots of inspirational Christian books

What’s next for you as a writer?
Continue to write more books and self publish them!

If you were going to be stranded on a desert island and allowed to take 3 or 4 books with you what books would you bring?
Bible, Treasure Your Marriage by Cherishing Your Spouse, Reach Out and Touch, Journal books

Author Websites and Profiles
Suzanne Uzzell Website
Suzanne Uzzell Amazon Profile

Suzanne Uzzell’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile
Facebook Profile
Twitter Account
Pinterest Account

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
B. 27 Aug 1948, BS, is the author of Benign Flame: Saga of Love, Jewel-less Crown:: Saga of Life, Crossing the Mirage: Passing through youth (plot and character driven novels all), Glaring Shadow: A stream of consciousness novel, Prey on the Prowl: A Crime Novel and Onto the Stage: ‘Slighted Souls’ and other stage and radio plays.
His non-fiction works are Puppets of Faith: Theory of communal strife, Bhagvad-Gita: Treatise of Self-help (in verses with contemporary idiom sans 110 interpolations) and Sundara Kãnda: Hanuman’s Odyssey, also in verse, all available as free e-books at a number of sites such as Project Gutenberg Self-publishing Press, Internet Archieve, ObookO, Smashwords, Free ebooks net, Freebookspot.
Besides articles on general management (The Hindu), materials management (Purchase) general insurance (The Insurance Times) and literary/social subjects (Triveni,) he contributed ‘Addendum to Evolution: Origins of the World by Eastern Speculative Philosophy’ to The Examined Life On-Line Philosophy Journal, Vol. 05 Issue 18.
BS, a graduate mechanical engineer from Birla Institute of Technology, Ranchi, also interests himself in current affairs, sports, etc. and has an ear for Carnatic and Hindustani classical music.
He is a Hyderabad based Surveyor and Loss Assessor since 1986 and is married, to a housewife, with two sons, the elder one a PhD in Finance and the younger a Master in Engineering.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
“Prey on the Prowl – A Crime Novel” is the last of my body of six fictional works – of five novels and a compendium of stage and radio plays – all borne out of my conviction that for fiction to impact readers, it should be the soulful rendering of characters rooted in their native soil and not the hotchpotch of local and foreign caricatures sketched on a hybrid canvas that the so-called Indian Writing in English has come to symbolize.

What are you working on now?
After three character and plot driven novels, one stream of consciousness novel, a crime novel, three stage plays and a radio play, I have written six short stories and am going to write some more.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Before writing, read well and lead an examined life.

What are you reading now?
Remembrance of Things Past by Marcel Proust

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?
Benign Flame: Saga of Love, Glaring Shadow – A stream of consciousness novel besides translations in verse of Bhagvad-Gita: Treatise of Self-help and Sundara Kãnda: Hanuman’s Odyssey, that form body of my work.

Author Websites and Profiles
BS Murthy Website
BS Murthy Amazon Profile
BS Murthy Author Profile on Smashwords

BS Murthy’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 full-time editor from England who writes at night and very rarely gets any sleep! I’ve written four novels, two of which are currently available from Carina UK and two of which are due for publication later this year.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
“White Lies” is due for release on 16th January, and it was inspired by my own experiences as a teenager.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I have to write in complete silence, I can’t listen to music and often go as far as to write with earplugs in – I’m too easily distracted otherwise!

What authors, or books have influenced you?
Patrick Ness and Darren Shan are probably the two major influences, although I read anything and everything and all of it filters through and influences me in one way or another.

What are you working on now?
I’m currently working on a YA fantasy novel.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I find it easy to find like-minded readers on Twitter.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Never give up!

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Everyone gets rejected. It’s like a rite of passage. Enjoy it!

What are you reading now?
The Copper Promise by Jen Williams

What’s next for you as a writer?
Getting my head down and finishing two unfinished novels. I also hope to start the search for an agent 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?
Louis Sachar’s “Holes”, Stephen King’s “The Stand”, Patrick Ness’ “A Monster Calls” and Ken Follet’s “Pillars of the Earth”.

Author Websites and Profiles
Zoe Markham Website
Zoe Markham Amazon Profile

Zoe Markham’s Social Media Links
Twitter Account

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
Growing up as an army brat in Britain and moving from place to place, the characters in books became my best friends. I read anything and everything, from children’s books to the ones my dad brought home from the library for him. At college I chose to major in business, but took history and literature as electives.

After years of administrative work, I finally I wrote my first “never-to-see-the-light-of-day” novel in 2000. The new millennium seemed like a good time for a new beginning. Since then I have over 30 stories published in print and e-book and have recently dipped a toe into self-publishing. Several of my books have been nominated for and won awards.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
My latest book is called More Than A Lover published by Harleqin and due out May 1, 2016. It is a Regency romance set in 1820, around the time of the uprisings in Northern England, when workers were beginning to press for better pay and working conditions. A gathering in Manchester later known as Peterloo resulted in a massacre of civilians by the militia. My hero, and you may sense a theme here, is a soldier recently forced to resign his commission for his criticism of what happened at Peterloo. My heroine is a single mum, but struggling to keep her unmarried state a secret since in those days it would have been ruinous.
The story deals with the issues of people struggling to overcome the mistakes of the past.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
Apart from writing standing on my head at the computer, you mean? Just joking. I don’t know what is considered unusual. I am a professional writer and I write every day, pretty much. I like to be outside in the summer, and sit in my kitchen where the sun comes in on good days in the winter. I do not create outlines or plots. Plotting is an anathema to me. My muse needs complete freedom to wander where she will and leaves me to sort it all out at the end. I would have to say it is a very inefficient way to write, and often leads to many deleted scenes. Fortunately, my editors understand and do not ask for detailed synopses at the proposal stage.
I did plot a book once and as a result never wrote it. My muse said, “eh, been there, and finished it, not going back.” Never again. Other than that I would say that for a writer I am pretty normal, if there is such a thing.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
The author who inspired me was Georgette Heyer. From the very first I wanted to write books set in the Regency – 1811 to 1822. I like adventure stories with a strong romance running through it and have written many soldiers.
As I said earlier my tastes are eclectic, I love paranormal stories, and novels about history, and will pick up a contemporary too, but always come back to the era known as the long regency which more or less covers the life time of George IV or Prinny as he was known in the Regency.

What are you working on now?
I am working on my next book for Harlequin, I have four more books in my contract with them. I am also working on my next book in a self-published series also set in the Regency, but it has vampires, fairies and shape shifters, set against the back drop of war with France. The first in the Series was published in the Spring of 2015 and I hope to have this next one out in May 2016.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I think the experts agree that an author website is critical for promotion and that it must be updated regularly and contain buy links. I also focus on encouraging readers to sign up for my newsletter that goes out three or four times a year, where, in addition to providing information of my latest releases, I provide a free serialized story.
I do like to interact with readers on Facebook and Goodreads and anywhere else they can find me, and I also write a blog about my travels in England searching for clues to Regency England that helps me keep track of my research.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Finish the first book, polish it as best you can, move on to the next and rinse and repeat. Learn your craft by attending workshops, on line or in person and talk to other writers. Only they will understand your madness. Do not let negativity influence your work or goals. Persist.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Ultimately it is your book, you get to decide what advice you take about your story.

What are you reading now?
Hah! I binge read (sometimes more than one book at a time). I love series and have recently been rereading all of my Brian Sanderson’s on my iPad. I found him when he finished the Wheel of Time series. I read one of the earlier books because someone left it behind on a seat in a restaurant. My dad loved sci-fi as well as Georgette Heyer, so we used to fight over who would get to read which book first when he brought them home from the library. I tend to reread a book I love over and over, and I am always adding to the pile. I get through about six books a week. Next up I am going to dive back into Nalini Singh’s Psy/Changeling world.

What’s next for you as a writer?
I plan to do a little more self publishing, having got back the rights to three of my earlier novels from other publishers and of course I have a contract to fulfill. But really what is next is writing, writing and writing. I love it.

If you were going to be stranded on a desert island and allowed to take 3 or 4 books with you what books would you bring?
Hmm, a boxed set of Georgette Heyer, which would count as one, I hope, Wheel of Time, because it has depth and complications and clever writing, the boxed set also, since I would need the complete series, and Dickens’ Tale of Two Cities because it is set right before my beloved Regency era starts. Finally a book on how to make paper and ink from the natural ingredients found on a desert island, so I can keep writing, else I might be carving hieroglyphics into palm trees.

Author Websites and Profiles
Ann Lethbridge Website
Ann Lethbridge Amazon Profile

Ann Lethbridge’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile
Facebook Profile
Twitter Account
Pinterest Account

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I was born and brought up in India. I live and work in the Middle East. Am a writer, orator, human resource trainer and Pan-orthodox Christian activist. I was instrumental in founding Orthodoxy Cognate PAGE Society, an organization dedicated to pan-Orthodox Christian unity. I hold a Masters in Social Work from the University of Kerala and a Masters by Research in Social Sciences from the Mahatma Gandhi University. I have written several books and numerous articles. My areas of interests include human resources and community development, church management, Orthodox Christian journalism, contemporary orthodoxy, inter-orthodox dialogue and pan-orthodox studies.

So far I have written five books.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
The name of my latest work is ‘The Orthodox Dilemma’. The Orthodox Dilemma consists of personal reflections on global Pan-Orthodox Christian Unity. The work focuses on the need for establishing sacramental communion between the Eastern, Oriental and other families of Orthodox Churches. The author calls to create a common conciliar platform for Orthodox Churches and to establish dialogues between Eastern, Oriental, Old Believes, Old Calendar, Non-canonical, Unrecognized and New Generation Orthodox Churches.The major aim of the work is to provide different and unique aspects of Pan-Orthodox Christian Unity.The book also sheds light on problems, challenges and scope of inter-orthodox dialogue. This may be the first book of its kind to call for the creation of a global platform for all Orthodox Christians.The book tries to provide unique aspects of Orthodox Christianity.The work is a combination of personal thoughts of the author, history, contemporary Orthodoxy, dialogue and Pan-Orthodox Christian approach. Pan-Orthodox Christian Unity remains a novel topic to many people. I need more people to learn on this topic.

Am inspired by people, culture, dialogue, personal experience.. This is the first book in the history to call for an extensive Orthodox Christian unity and global platform.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I try to mix a bit of history, contemporary affairs, and personal thoughts in my work. I try to write in simple language. I try to give importance to my own personal reflections and thoughts.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
I have been influenced by several authors like Chinua Achebe, R K Narayanan, Ruskin Bond, Dr Phillip Jenkins, Fr Dr V C Samuel, Metropolitan Paulose Gregorious, Dan Brown, Professor Alexis Osipov. I also like Gerrard Williams and Simon Dunstan who jointly authored Grey Wolf. Jesus Wars, Malgudy days, The Da Vinci Code, The Crisis of Islam, Grey Wolf are some of the books I like. I love several books, but remain selective in my reading habits. I like non-fictions and some kind of fictions as well.

What are you working on now?
Presently I have completed my 5th book. Am into its promotional activities. I plan to write my next work after a short break.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I have the organization website with which I am associated with.
Orthodoxy Cognate PAGE – www.theorthodoxchurch.info I also use several online social media platforms and discussion forum. I work with several individuals and organizations to promote my work. and send copies for reviews to major print and online media.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
I have met many writers who have several ideas and keep it for themselves. I will urge them to write and write, let them bring the ideas out of their heart, let them speak to the world.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Follow your heart and passion.
Be What You Are!!!

What are you reading now?
Presently am focusing on few books by the great Indian philosopher and political legend Chanakya.

What’s next for you as a writer?
Am planning to write another non-fiction which will feature international relatiosn and politics. This is a project in the pipeline.

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?
Grey Wolf
Chanakya Arthashastra
Jesus Wars
Malgudy days

Author Websites and Profiles
George Alexander Website
George Alexander Amazon Profile

George Alexander’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile
Twitter Account

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I am an author, screenwriter, and video game writer (credits on such games as Game of Thrones, Walking Dead, Tales from the Borderlands, and Minecraft: Story Mode). I have two trilogies published for young to middle grade readers, the Teddy Defenders (starting with Teddy Bears in Monsterland) and the Bringer of Light trilogy (starting with Allie Strom and the Ring of Solomon). In total I have about ten books published.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
My most recent publication (as of this interview) was Teddy Bears and the Christmas Pirates, book three in the Teddy Defenders trilogy.

I’m a child at heart, and these are the kinds of stories I love to read. Pixar and Disney made me who I am (not entirely, but mostly), and I’m obsessed with stories for children that can be enjoyed by adults and teens as well.

So I wrote the first book: Teddy Bears in Monsterland. This is a story of a teddy bear named Ari whose boy is taken by monsters, so Ari has to go into the Monsterlands to rescue him. It’s very much an Orpheus story, or a more friendly version of the Dante’s Inferno games/ animated movie.

But I wasn’t done. I had Michael Gilliland narrate the audiobook of book 1, and wanted something he could do quickly that we could put out for free as a sample. So I wrote Teddy Bears and the Halloween Ghost. This short story in the Teddy Defenders universe focuses on the female bear from book 1, Mia, as the teddy bears set out to save their children from a ghost. Fun times, and you can check out the #free audiobook on Youtube.

Next came one of my favorite stories to write to date, because I love pirates.Teddy Bears and the Christmas Pirates. Oh yeah, I love Christmas also, so it made sense that I would have to write this story. It is what it sounds like – the Teddy Defenders have to save Christmas from some pirates (they happen to be teddy bear pirates, and although you don’t have to read book 1 to totally get it, they tie together for sure).

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
Not unusual, I imagine – I just need my coffee, and hope to have some chocolate. Ah, a bit of irish coffee can sometimes help.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
Of course! I loved reading The Hobbit and the Narnia books as a child, so of course J.R.R. Tolkien and C.S. Lewis, and more recently there is naturally J.K. Rowling and Harry Potter, but also on the less directly related side Brandon Sanderson (Mistborn) and George R.R. Martin (Game of Thrones). They are both fantasy authors that definitely have their craft down. In fact, I started writing fiction with a YA fantasy after reading Martin’s books and being frustrated that I couldn’t’ find anything else that grasped my attention like his books did.

What are you working on now?
I’m currently working on a collaboration with author Michael La Ronn. It’s a ‘Decision Select’ novel, which means YOU get to choose the outcome of the story. It’s kind of like those choose your own adventure books, but grown up and evolved. It’s also about modern necromancy, and is pretty intense on an emotional level. Stay tuned!

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I’m still learning this one! But I’ve loved podcasting, and am a co-host on three podcasts. The Self-Publishing Answers podcast (with Nick Thacker and Kevin Tumlinson) is probably the most relevant for this audience, but I also do the Creative Writing Career and the Military Veterans in Creative Careers podcasts. I love hearing from fans who enjoy the podcasts and have found my work because of them.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
You should definitely be listening to awesome podcasts – others have already learned through their mistakes, so why not also learn from theirs instead of your own?

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Patience and wisdom. Stop trying to rush everything.

What are you reading now?
I’m reading the sequel to Name of the Wind. I loved the prose in the first book, and can’t wait to see where the author takes the story.

What’s next for you as a writer?
I have high hopes that Pixar will hire me as a screenwriter one of these days. Fingers crossed!

In the meantime, I plan on writing book 2 and 3 in the Land of Gods trilogy (the first is Falls of Redemption). It’s my first truly fantasy trilogy, so I’m pretty excited to see how it’s accepted.

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 Princess Bride, Lord of the Rings, Game of Thrones, and Harry Potter. I’m going to count those series as one book each, for the point of this exercise

Author Websites and Profiles
Justin Sloan Website
Justin Sloan Amazon Profile

Justin Sloan’s Social Media Links
Facebook Profile
Twitter Account

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I’m a former teacher who resides in northern Indiana, with my wife, my son, and a batch of pets. I mostly write science fiction. I have a series out called THE BENEVOLENCE ARCHIVES, which is a book of short stories and a full-length novel, and another near-future science fiction book called SKYLIGHTS, which I’m working on the sequel to right now. My newest book, SEARCHING FOR MALUMBA: WHY TEACHING IS TERRIBLE… AND WHY WE DO IT ANYWAY is a nonfiction memoir about my fifteen years of teaching.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
As I said, I’ve been teaching for fifteen years. SEARCHING FOR MALUMBA is a collection of short stories (blog posts, mostly) about teaching in urban schools in Indiana and Chicago. I tried to be as honest as I could– which is code for “I swear a lot”– but it’s been the most well-received of any of my books so far.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I have a wristband that I got with one of the JACKASS DVDs that I wear when I seriously need to concentrate. It generally only gets busted out during the last couple of days of working on a book.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
Hmm. Dan Brown, who writes page-turners like no one else I’ve ever read. John Scalzi’s snark and dialogue. Douglas Adams’ sense of humor. STAR WARS. Tolkien. Lovecraft. And surely dozens and dozens of others in smaller ways.

What are you working on now?
The sequel to SKYLIGHTS, which is called SUNLIGHT. I’m about halfway through it as we speak and I’m hoping to release it in late April sometime. I’m also cooking up about three or four short stories for various markets and one anthology that a fellow independent author is putting together, and bits and pieces of the next BENEVOLENCE ARCHIVES book, which will be another (longer) short story collection.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
People keep telling me Twitter doesn’t sell books, but I’ve had more people tell me “I just ordered your book because of XXX” on Twitter than anyplace else. My blog, infinitefreetime.com, also does a lot of the heavy lifting for marketing.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Write every single day. EVERY. SINGLE. DAY. It doesn’t have to be fiction, and it doesn’t have to be on your current WIP– a simple blog post counts, or an author interview, or some marketing copy– but write every single day.

And read every day, too. Those two things. Constantly.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
I think this was Neil Gaiman, but I suspect he was quoting someone else, and I’m paraphrasing anyway: “Writing is easy. Just write a word, then repeat fifty thousand times.” I think sometimes people mystify The Process too much; sometimes it’s important to remember that all we’re doing is scribbling, and sooner or later something comes out if we keep doing it.

Also: your first draft is allowed to suck. That’s what second drafts are for. Your second draft is also allowed to suck. That’s what third drafts are for. And so on.

What are you reading now?
THE SECRET PLACE, by Tana French. One of the future books rattling around in my head is a futuristic murder mystery, and she does police procedurals better than anyone I know of at the moment.

What’s next for you as a writer?
I want to try to get two books out this year– SUNLIGHT is going to be first, and I haven’t decided what my fall book will be. It might be the next BENEVOLENCE ARCHIVES book, or it might be that future murder mystery I alluded to in the previous question. We’ll see. I’m also doing a couple of cons this year– I’ll be at C2E2 in March, and IndyPopCon in June, and I’m hoping to be vending at WorldCon as well but that’s not set in stone yet.

If you were going to be stranded on a desert island and allowed to take 3 or 4 books with you what books would you bring?
The LORD OF THE RINGS trilogy and HAROUN AND THE SEA OF STORIES by Salman Rushdie.

Author Websites and Profiles
Luther Siler Website
Luther Siler Amazon Profile

Luther Siler’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile
Facebook Profile
Twitter Account

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
My Pen Name is P.S. Bartlett and I was born and raised in Baltimore, MD, about a mile from Fort McHenry and a few blocks from Federal Hill. I’ve always been fascinated with history and research which I believe led me down the path of writing historical fiction.
I’ve always loved writing and since I was a young girl, I’ve dreamed of being a published author. My first book, FIREFLIES, was published in April of 2013 and my sixth book, AMBER WAKE, which I’ve co-written with a fellow writer named Ronovan Hester, is scheduled for release in February of 2016.
I work full time as an office manager and assist my daughter in raising her three little girls who all live with me. I’ve been married for almost 22 years and together we have three children and a ten year old Maine Coon named Columbus. My dream is to become a full time writer within the next two years.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
My latest book which is set for release on Valentine’s Day 2016 is AMBER WAKE – Gabriel Falling. AMBER WAKE is the brain child of a fellow writer who felt a kinship with one of my characters from two of my other books; Captain Rasmus Bergman. He wanted to explore the character’s background and history and came up with an excellent story to introduce us to this character. Together, I feel we have put together a compelling and engaging story that readers of my Razor’s Adventure Series will love.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
None at all. I just sit down and write.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
There are far too many to name.

What are you working on now?
I am now swept up into the whirlwind of editing and getting AMBER WAKE ready for publishing. All of my beta readers have reported in and some rewrites have been made. However, some changes that need to be made are still pending. After this, I’ll be scheduling blog tour stops so anyone who’s interested, please reach out and we will provide you with everything you need to be a tour host!

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I have found Twitter and Instagram to be wonderful resources for promoting, as well as book web sites like Awesomegang!

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Don’t stop writing. Use all of the free marketing tools available to you. If you are independent, it is imperative that you start networking and building your contacts long before you ever publish your book. Make friends in the industry and build relationships, not just followers.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Just to keep writing and getting better. I write every single day.

What are you reading now?
I’m about to start beta reading for my wonderful author friend Cristie Taijeron. She writes the Endless Horizon Pirate Stories. If you love Pirate stories as much as I do, you really need to check her out on Amazon.

What’s next for you as a writer?
I have so many ideas in my head for books that I could write for the next fifty years! Unfortunately, I don’t have fifty more years so all I can do is continue telling stories and doing my best to put out the best work I can for as long as I can.

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?
Shakespeare’s Plays
Pride and Prejudice
Too Kill a Mockingbird
?

Author Websites and Profiles
P.S. Bartlett Website
P.S. Bartlett Amazon Profile

P.S. Bartlett’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile
Facebook Profile
Twitter Account

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
Hi. My name is Melissa Wyld and I am a feral writer. By that I mean that I have no address, no location of residence. I live off-grid in my beloved Toyota Truck. Lately, I have been wandering the backroads and red rock canyons of Sedona in AZ. Last year, I was basking in the green forests of the New Hampshire White Mountains. Who knows where I will be next year. So far, I have written one full-length book. I have many more on the back-burner.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
My latest book is “Crazy Free: An Epic Spiritual Journey.” I didn’t have much of a choice about whether to write it or not. That story wanted to be told, and it wouldn’t take no for an answer. The book retraces two years of my life – pivotal two years: the years during which I transitioned from “normal” (suburban, career, marriage, etc.) to the fun, free-range, off-the-grid adventure I now call my life. It was a scary transition, one many people consider but feel is unattainable. Crazy Free is just one example of how to break away from expectations and step into the full richness of life. I am sure there are many ways to accomplish this. But I can only speak from my own experience.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
Ha! I do. I wrote my book on the road. I circumnavigated the west coast and crossed the country to New Hampshire and back. Wherever I landed, I chose the most scenic landscape available and placed my truck with the back pointing towards the scene. I then set myself comfortably on my mattress in the back and let the story flow until my laptop’s batteries were drained. I recharged my laptop’s batteries in libraries and friends’ houses. Crazy Free was written in over 17 states. It was edited in the desert of Sedona, AZ.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
“Into the Wild”, by Jon Krakauer probably planted the original seed that ultimately led to my complete severance with my old life. Once I committed to walking a different path, “Eat Pray Love” by Elizabeth Gilbert, “The Power of Now” by Eckart Tolle and “Frequency” by Penney Peirce helped guide me along the way.

What are you working on now?
First, I am planning an Appalachian Thru-hike, from Maine to Georgia. I might write a book about it, if sufficient adventures warrant a book. If not, I have a love story that would like to be told … what if you found your twin-flame, your other half, you soulmate, the One you hoped for and expected your whole life, and he/she turned out of be a bipolar, violent, unsuitable mate? How far would you go to fulfill your perceived destiny?

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I have used KDP (Kindle Direct Publishing)’s promotional free days. Most of the work involved is in informing dozens of free-books websites about the upcoming promotion. Luckily, I enjoy tedious processes.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Write from your heart, not from your head. You will always create better prose if you love what you are writing.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
I asked a published author what he does during the inevitable bouts of writer’s blocks. He answered “That’s when I go play. It’s ‘me’ time.” Not forcing the writing process has worked well for me. A walk in the woods will get you out of writer’s block faster than any “keep at it” discipline. For me, anyway.

What are you reading now?
I am reading “Grandma Gatewood’s walk” by Ben Montgomery and love-love-loving it! It is the story of the first woman to thru-hike the Appalachian trail, a 65 years old lady with nothing but a small homemade shoulder bag, a shower curtain and out-of-this-world resilience.

What’s next for you as a writer?
More adventures. More book about adventures. Some surprises. Yes, mostly, that’s it.

If you were going to be stranded on a desert island and allowed to take 3 or 4 books with you what books would you bring?
1 – I’d take my own “Crazy Free”. Every time I reread it, I find more it in. As I grow and evolve my own story takes on different perspectives. It’s like a different book every time I read it.
2 – I’d take “Grandma Gatewood’s walk” by Ben Montgomery, because I haven’t finished it yet.
3 – “Lost horizon” by British author James Hilton
4 – A fat mandala coloring book, with a box of pencils.

Author Websites and Profiles
Melissa Wyld Website
Melissa Wyld Amazon Profile

Melissa Wyld’s Social Media Links
Facebook Profile
Twitter Account

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I’m from Annapolis,me near the Naval Academy. The town is a like me it’s a middle of the road place. Thirty minutes from D.C & thirty from Baltimore. I’m always kinda middle of the road. Never to right or left. As for my background I started writing at seven my teacher liked that what I write wasn’t bland. It was the first time I stood out, as I said before I’m the middle of the road kinda person. I was hooked with writing since. I had a few works published three years later, for those keeping count, that is ten years old. Again, at seventeen I was published but it wasn’t a big thing.

I have written three series: widow’s debt- this is really twenty six novels long, but I promised myself I wouldn’t self-publish until I was finished the last book of the series. I just completed the last installment using those characters so I’m publishing the series now.
Flyaringaron- is part of a series as well. It is planned to be six novella size books in length. This a science fiction children series.
And I Thought Divorce was Bad- is the most recent series. This is a collaboration of five authors. We will write three books together. These are inspirational books. Mostly they will have stories and poems about growing up, life changes, and entering the sunset years. The next book in that series will be out in May.
There are a few novels that I self-published:
(1) There is an autobiography named “Willette”. It is an epic mental journey of perceptions begining with one sentence that send four year old Willette hurtling into a tornado of racism, self-loathing, unrealistic yet accomplishable goals, that land her in a world of smoke and mirrors as to her true self. Have a bird’s eye view of her journey as she rediscovers the girl she lost eighteen years ago, and gains a respectable awe of a heritage she had disowned

(2) Is an Urban novel entitled- Powders-Powders is a hardcore gritty look into the inner workings of a thug from the other side of the spectrum. At the age of six young Davie was dumped in the middle of the toughest hood in Fort Lauderdale because his mother married a man of little means. Survival on the unforgiving streets is a hard reality for adults, but for Davie it was especially so. He was the only white face on the block and he came from a formerly well to do background. Readers are given the rare opportunity to get a birds eye view into the mind of a true white thug from initiation to rulership ; from ruling to demise, jail, fatherhood and rebirth to a path of stability all before he hit thirty.
(3) There is another urban novel The Story of X-The inner workings of a man on the precipice of sanity in the name of family is revealed with artistry of a canvas of words are abstract but captivating , the story contains a tight grasp on a main character teetering on the brink of serial killing.“X The Beginning” is the narrative of Malaki a now honest man trying to do the best he can for the well being of his family until his younger sister is beaten, raped, and left for dead in Druid park. These events are put into motion as direct result of his former life. The new leader of an especially odious gang is calling him out for an old fashioned duel with an urban twist. He knows they are gunning for him and they aren’t going to stop attacking him until he answers their call to return to the street. Must he return to the place where the conscience he grew will kill him and his family or can he walk away without leaving his peaceful law abiding existence in tact?

(4) Is my first ever try at romance titled- Learning to Love my Heartastroke-Five years ago Yvette aka “The relationship assassin” had failed to snuff the love out of her assigned relationship. In actuality she had quite the opposite effect on the couple their love grew and flourished to the point of long term commitment. The man she was hired to lead astray walked off with her well paying client, and Yvette’s heart. Still Ms. Downs had to provide a refund to the client. Half a decade later the one that got away is back, he wants her, and is willing to wait as long as it takes to have his affection returned. Unbeknownst to him Yvette never stopped loving him, but before she can jump into his arms she has to resolve the problems she is juggling: a soon to be ex-husband, that would rather have her back instead of seeing her happy with another man, her true loves conniving sister-in-law that with hideous plans of an affair with him, her former client that wants her man back at all cost, his stalker of 4 years who promises to put Yvette in a body cast if she calls him again, then there is her financial woes associated with the long messy divorce, the recurring illnesses from stress, her prejudice stereotypes about black men, and the overwhelming fear that she will fail him again like she did five years ago.

(5) I wrote one family saga called Grey Haired Bones-As the patriarch of this African-American family is passing away; with his ensuing death a large part of the family history will be buried . The youngest member of the clan plans to save what she can of this precious heritage all of it the good the bad and the ugly, although she is assigned to sit by the bedside of her barely coherent grandfather. Within the past lies the unspeakable explanations to the families’ modern day mysteries. It’s amazing what you find in the family closet of “Grey Haired Bones.”

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
I had been through a messy marriage and worse divorce. My sister, my cardiologist, my friends, my co-workers would hear about my divorce and the things that happened after the break up and they would say write a book. It took me ten years to listen but I finally did.ruthfully this book was a purge. I had so many toxic feelings just building up over the last decade about everything that had gone wrong and how all my personal growth was stunted eventually by a mistake from my past. When I was finished, I felt happy for the first time in a long time.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I still hand write all my books. I start at the back of the notebook and move forward this works for me because I always come up with the conclusion of the book and map my book backwards.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
My biggest inspiration is Mickey Spillane. He is raw, gritty, dirty and classy at the same time. How these qualities co exist is beyond me, but I’m head over heels with the mixture. I aspire to write a female Mike hammer with his secretary’s dimensions.(By the way, I know I took it way back, but a classic is a classic.)
Slightly below Mickey Spillane is Janet Evanovich, Stephanie Plum series. I believe she has a magic wand of balance at her desk. Humor, action, romance, and suspense are always in balance. I can never pick my favorite character, scene, or book. I digress the most inspirational scene is when Grandma Mazur gets in a fight at a funeral. That is pure gold. She makes Stephanie getting sexually harassed at gun point laugh out loud hilarious. I strive for that ability to be over the top and balanced at the same time

What are you working on now?
I’m finishing up a romance novel with another author named Free Falling and Loving It. Also I’m overseeing the completion of the next book in the And I Thought . . . series. Lastly, I am working with editors on the last Widow’s Debt book. There are a few others novel I am writing on but they don’t have titles,yet.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
Goodreads has saved my life and google is awesome. Really it is diligence and hours of searching for what I want then, how to submit my work.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Keep writing. No matter the rejections, or low book sales. It is vital to remember that writing is for you not for money.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
I needed to develop my characters. I wrote a twenty six book series trying to do just that, and I had the time of my life doing so.

What are you reading now?
Mating rituals of the north american wasp
and the smart one and the pretty oneN

What’s next for you as a writer?
Next year isn’t planned. I hope for a bigger and better career, but I like to go with the flow. I know I will finish a novel that has haunted me for three years, so that is about all I know for certain.

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?
Black Alley, The bible, and Everything and The Moon.

Author Websites and Profiles
Wilnona Marie Website
Wilnona Marie Amazon Profile

Wilnona Marie’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile
Facebook Profile

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
12 YEARS AT SEA INSPIRED ME TO COME UP WITH MY FIRST BOOK KUCH KHWAAB SAGAR SE, LAUNCHED IN 2014 BY HONOURABLE SPEAKER OF LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY .I WAS CALLED TO FRANCE FOR THE LITERARY MEET AND DISCUSS MY WORKS AND WAS FELICITATED THERE BY “HOUSE OF LIFE”, A LITERARY SOCIETY AND ROTARY CLUB, NANTES.IT WAS DECIDED BY THE SOCIETY TO TRANSLATE MY WORK TO FRENCH.I WAS FELICITATED BY NAUTICAL INSTITUTE,LONDON FOR MY BOOK AND NOMINATED FOR SAILORS TODAY AWARD 2014 IN EXEMPLARY PERSONAL ACHIEVEMENT CATEGORY .MY BOOK IS PLACED IN THE LIBRARY OF SAHITYA ACADEMY AND PRESIDENT HOUSE AND GOT A PERSONAL CALL FROM THE HOUSE CONGRATULATING ME FOR MY WORK.DURING THIS PERIOD I WAS INTERVIEWED BY VARIOUS NEWSPAPERS WITH THE LIKES OF HINDUSTAN TIMES,GARWAL POST,AMAR UJALA,DANIK JAGRAN,RASHTRIYA SAHARA, I NEXT AND RADIO INTERVIEW ON RADIO KHUSHI AND RECENT ONE IN RADIO ZINDAGI ON 8TH JANUARY 2016 ALONG WITH BOOK REVIEW BY DANIK JAGARAN , REVIEW STATION,BOOKWORMMUSING,WHITESCAPE ETC.
FRENCH TRANSLATION OF THE BOOK IS AVAILABLE BY THE NAME OF “LE MOINEAU DANS LE MIROIR”AVAILABLE IN ALL MAJOR BOOK STORES IN FRANCE AND OFFLINE ELSEWHERE.
RECENTLY MY EPIC POETIC BOOK “UNANSWERED”WAS RELEASED AT INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL, GURGAON ON 5TH DECEMBER BY FAMOUS DIRECTOR MR SUDHEER MISHRA FOLLOWED BY PANEL DISCUSSION BYACTRESS SHABANA AZMI AND PALLAVI JOSHI. BOOK WAS APPRECIATED IN BOTH BOLLYWOOD AS WELL AS LITERARY WORLDS. DUE TO THE GROWING POPULARITY OF THE BOOK, UNANSWERED IS AGAIN BEING LAUNCHED AT DEHRADUN ON 17TH JANUARY BY HONORABLE GOVERNOR OF UTTARAKHAND, INDIA.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
Unanswered, I know it is quite an unusual kind of title for a book of poems barring a few articles. Before I say anything more about my book, I would like to say something about myself and my thought process. Born and brought up in Dehradun,India. I have always shared a close affinity with nature. I used to love, I still do, watching nature and ponder how it can be loving and cruel at the same time. I grew up with my thoughts and took to sailing, a job were I fit in perfectly. My roving mind now had more to ponder about. Often have I stood alone on the deck of my ship, feeling the vibrations of a surging ocean underneath and watching the sky change its colours and mood without any indication. At times I have been frightened…. bewildered… mesmerized…all at once. I respect nature in all its aspects…its benevolence… its fury…its colours… its stillness…its suddenness…its unpredictability…everything!
Then I look at us…I mean we humans…we are the most superior…the most intelligent…the most progressive of all living creatures and yet the most miserable of all living creatures so long as we are shrouded in false ego and ignorance. Nature has its laws fixed and does not discriminate. It is we who draw what we call bad luck. I quote Cassius from Julius Ceaser” fault, dear Brutus is not in our stars, but in ourselves, that we are underlings…”All that is required is an insight into ourselves and faith in divine providence. Here lies the crux of my book ‘unanswered’.
Unanswered is all about finding the answers which lay deeply hidden in the core of our hearts but we fail to discover it as we are covered with fog of ego and desires. Unanswered is all about revealing those answers.
Non fiction cum poetic novel are based on life as question and answers. Each poem is supported by an article explaining the poem and reason behind writing same.
So much of questions in me which in turn coming from this mortal world led me to find answers for same and giving solace in this painful world.Why is there pain and sufferings, why do we die,what is morality,how can we become immortals are among those many questions which one will find answers to in my book in a very very simplified form. If my writing can bring peace into someone’s life that would solve the purpose for which book was written.
“From where it came,there shall it go”

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
O yes, my best poetry, article or essays come out when my heart is strained with roughs of life, of weather or fury of sea. When i was surrounded by cyclone, poetry on death came out and when attacked by pirates, wheel of time took shape. Each and every person around me is poetry, all i need is to read his life through his face and pen it down.
You should be short and simple, that’s why I prefer poetry as compared to prose and prose to fiction. Poetry opens your mind to vast universe of if’s and but’s depending on persons own interpretation and intellectuality. Poem, irrespective of fiction, let you be what you want to be rather than catching you into a web which a writer creates and make you think what he want you to think.
The world was created out of poetry, vedas are poetry, bhagwad geeta ,song of almighty is the greatest poetic adventure of all times. Thus poetry is what brings you closest to yourself.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
Shelley, Keats, Wordsworth, Khalil gibran are among those great many poets whom i religiously follow and is constantly influenced by. But my greatest inspiration has been mahayogi, great spiritual poet Sri Aurobindo ghosh and his epic poetic adventure “Savitri”. Whenever i am stuck somewhere, in my thought process, in word building i look upto him and there i find all answers to my questions.
My favourite fiction book being mother by Maxim Gorki, the real man by Boris Pelisvi and great expectation by Charles dickens.

What are you working on now?
My next work is fiction novel “Journey to the next level” which is a story of a man who is in a rescue mission of a soul who has been taken away by death god. It deals with an adventure which a soul faces in his journey to those level which has never been traversed by anyone alive. It is basically explanation of life after death and what happens after that.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
Social media is the best platform one can utilize to promote his or her books. Any thing available should be utilized to make your book available to everyone around. You main task should be to make it known to people that a book by this name exists, read or not read is secondary.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Keep writing, dont think, just keep writing, write for your happiness, success will automatically follow.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
“Why only poetry, try fiction, people will relate to you more easily”

What are you reading now?
Life, faces and heart, reading them is what i am good with and will keep doing it since they are the one which guide me to bliss. I can never get fed up reading them.

What’s next for you as a writer?
To get my books to reach to each and every person round the globe, so that they find relief from their traumatic lives through them. My life is for them, my spiritual experiences to bring peace to their pains and sufferings.

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?
Robinson crusoe, Life of a pie and of course Unanswered

Author Websites and Profiles
CAPT KUNAL NARAYAN UNIYAL Website
CAPT KUNAL NARAYAN UNIYAL Amazon Profile
CAPT KUNAL NARAYAN UNIYAL Author Profile on Smashwords

CAPT KUNAL NARAYAN UNIYAL’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile
Twitter Account