Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I published my first novel, the mystery drama Alternative Outcome, on the Amazon Kindle platform in March 2016. It’s the second book I’ve written, but I have held back the first one so that I can edit it and make it tauter. I plan to publish it on Amazon as a follow-up to Alternative Outcome when it’s ready. Currently I’m planning my third novel, which I will write during 2016 for publication later this year or next year.

I have spent my career writing, but not fiction. I’ve been a business journalist specialising in logistics, transport and home delivery (especially the mechanics of delivering stuff that people buy online – a fascinating subject in its own right). I have edited several magazines here in the UK and contributed to numerous others. It’s been a good grounding, but fiction is where I’ve always wanted to be.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
Alternative Outcome is my latest and so far only published book. It’s a mystery drama with complex interwoven stories, but I’ve aimed to make it fast-moving and easy to read. The inspiration is simple to sum up – it’s the very process of self-publishing. The main character has published his own mystery drama on a platform very like Amazon, hoping to shake himself out of his apathy with his day job, and as the story unfolds he starts to suspect that this has had ramifications he wasn’t expecting. I’ve tried to inject all the ingredients I like in other dramas into mine – believable characters, lively dialogue and plausible backgrounds.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I wish I could say I write my books standing on my head or something, but I all honestly I think I’m pretty typical. I sit at my laptop and rattle out my prose, then edit it endlessly until I’m happy with it. I seem able to write at any time of day, which is useful. I always plot my books in outline, but I often find that scenes seem to take on their own life as I write them, and new characters, conversations and events arrive on the screen almost without my participation.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
I like many of the mainstream thriller and mystery writers including Michael Connelly (wonderful transparent prose), Lee Child (idiosyncratic and full of character) and CJ Box. Reaching back into history, I am a great admirer of Dick Francis, whose best thrillers transcend the world of horse racing in which they are set, and in my view rank as outstanding examples of their form. A quirky British writer whose style has influenced me is Guy Bellamy, and my original favourite novel, arguably the funniest in the English language, is Lucky Jim by Kingsley Amis.

What are you working on now?
I’m revising the first novel I actually wrote, the mystery drama Escape Sequence, for publication as soon as it’s ready, and I’m also working on a third novel, whose plot so far remains sketchy!

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I have high hopes for Awesomegang, of course! As I write this, I don’t have enough experience of promoting my books to be able to tell you anything about other websites that will be helpful. I plan to try a range of them and see which is the most fruitful.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
So far, my experience tells me you need to get the basic product right first. Write a good, convincing book that you can feel proud of and unafraid to promote for all you’re worth. Then you need to brace yourself for the long haul of telling the world about it by any means that you can find. Don’t rely on friends to spread the word – some will be amazingly helpful, but others simply won’t get the point. You need to have energy and staying power to go it alone. One positive lesson I’ve learned, though, is not to undervalue your own ability. If you know that you write compelling prose that stacks up alongside the work of well-known authors, believe in yourself.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
In the realms of writing, the best advice is not to expect your book to sell itself. However good it is, it won’t. You need to make it happen. In life at large, my father’s adage was “Never refuse money”! I hope I haven’t.

What are you reading now?
The detective Jackson series from LJ Sellers. Tight, police procedural novels with a distinctive background in Eugene, Oregon. They run together over a fairly short timespan (much shorter than the time in which they were apparently written), and you can easily find yourself galloping through the whole series. I have! They’re not all terribly deep, but they’re fast-paced, efficient and well informed, and they raise some interesting social issues along the way.

What’s next for you as a writer?
More mystery thrillers, and hopefully a wider audience. Now that I’ve embarked on this journey to self-publishing, I’ve found it quite addictive – but I would like to move forward with it, and feel that people are reading and appreciating what I’m doing.

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?
First and foremost I would take Luck Jim by Kingsley Amis. I will never tire of the funny scenes, or the likeable anti-hero as he tries to make his way in a crusty and forbidding university environment, and tentatively trying to strike up a new relationship despite his own self-doubts.

I would take Blood Sport by Dick Francis. I love the succinct, pithy prose style, the vibrant characters, the vivid scene-setting in the US and the UK, and the extraordinary plot.

Then there’s The Secret Lemonade Drinker by Guy Bellamy: wonderfully aphoristic prose, with a striking initial proposition arising from an amorous encounter in a launderette.

Author Websites and Profiles
Peter Rowlands Website
Peter Rowlands Amazon Profile

Peter Rowlands’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile
Facebook Profile
Twitter Account

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I have spent five years researching and writing this series. I have explored so many cultures and tribes across the world both modern day and historical, looking for what a dawning society would look like.

My stories come full circle, and I can’t wait for you to take the journey with me, and tell me what you think

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
Doctor Abbott was not the first book I wrote in the series, but it is the first book I presented, because the series needed a pivotal point, and the Doctor landing on the islands was very pivotal, he is a key character and despite the series not being totally about him, he is as relatable as the reader is, and I think it is a good place to start

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I like total quiet, and I play rain sounds or waves from the beach to drown out distracting noises and thoughts.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
I get my influence from everything from 90’s era cartoons like Gargoyles to great literature like Charles Dickens. I think there is a touch of influence from everything I pick up

What are you working on now?
Sean and Kate, it is not the next book in the series, but it is the next book I will be releasing because I have the complete visual for the ending so fresh in my head right now.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
SO far Facebook, but I would like to expand, it is such a bad way to advertise

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Research, it sounds daunting, but it can be fun…and pick a quality editor with a reputation for your Genre, or they will take your money, use auto correct and pander to your weaknesses helping you to produce crap writing and not build on the strengths of your story

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Never write reality out of your story…if you pander you will lose your reader

What are you reading now?
The Lycan Chronicles by Brent Schoeder

What’s next for you as a writer?
Like Dori, just keep writing, just keep 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?
WHat ever I could grab

Author Websites and Profiles
Michelle Laverdure Author Profile on Smashwords

Michelle Laverdure’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile
Facebook Profile
Twitter Account

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I’m a twenty-something writer living in Long Island, NY (though my roots and childhood are in Brooklyn, a place that will always be a part of me).

After I graduated from Hofstra University with a degree in print journalism, I began freelancing for Psych Central, an online psychology publication. Recently, I have been writing short fictional and creative nonfictional narratives. (Fiction is definitely a medium I’d love to explore more.)

I truly value family and relationships (relationships are definitely a theme that seeps into my writing). I’m an avid tea drinker, listener of Springsteen, and lover of all things French.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
“Coping With Life’s Clutter” is an ebook that features a compilation of previously published articles that deal with the stresses of life — research and personal insight included.

In a way, this book served as a sense of ‘closure,’ since it’s writing I’ve been working on for the past few years; I was happy to have it all under one theme, so to speak.

Many of my ideas are rooted in personal truth; it’s me simply trying to sift through my own experiences in order to make sense of the world. I sincerely hope that this short guide can inspire that in you, too.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
n terms of favorite authors, I probably gravitate towards the ‘women’s fiction’ genre. I love to read Elin
Hilderbrand (and virtually travel to Nantucket), Emily Giffin, Allison Winn Scotch, and Cathi Hanuer.

I’m also inspired by Internet writers who boldly wear their hearts on their sleeve and write incredibly raw and thought provoking narratives. (Violet Young, Chloe Caldwell, Stephanie Georgopulos)

What are you working on now?
Right now, I’m looking to explore more in the fictional realm. We shall see what happens!

Author Websites and Profiles
Lauren Suval Amazon Profile

Lauren Suval’s Social Media Links
Facebook Profile
Twitter Account

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
J.G. Źymbalist is my pseudonym, and I use a pseudonym because I am very reclusive. I grew up in Ohio and West Germany and began writing Song of the Oceanides as a child when my family summered in Castine, Maine where we rented out Robert Lowell’s house. There, inspired by school bullying, childhood depression, and that sort of thing, I began to conceive the tale.
For several years, I also lived in the Old City of Jerusalem where I night clerked at a series of Palestinian youth hostels. There I wrote the early draft of an as yet unpublished Middle-Eastern NA fantasy. Returning from the Middle East, I completed an M.F.A. in poetry at Sarah Lawrence College.
I returned to Song of the Oceanides while working for the Martha’s Vineyard Historical Society, May-September, 2005. I completed the full draft in Ellsworth, Maine later that year.
I have only recently decided to self-publish these old works, and I’ve gotten some positive feedback. Foreword Reviews has called my writing “innovative fiction with depth,” and Kirkus Indie has called my style “a lovely, highly descriptive prose that luxuriates in the details and curios of his setting.”

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
Song of the Oceanides is somewhat autobiographical, but the myth that really brought it all together is the Greek myth of the Oceanides. I learned about them from a German poem by Heinrich Heine, “Der Gesang der Okeaniden.” The Oceanides are basically mean girls who live in the sea. Sirens are half-bird, and mermaids are half-fish, but the Oceanides look just like any other lovely young ladies of the Mediterranean. I don’t know. Perhaps that’s why they were the right choice to bring my story to fruition. They look and act human.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I collect ideas for many years, and I write very slowly. I need time to reflect on things, I suppose. For me prose must read very carefully–something like a poem.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
I have always loved Ray Bradbury, Ian Fleming, the haiku poets of Japan, the Jade-Terrace poetry of China, surrealists such as Bataille, and poets such as Mary Oliver. It’s a rather eclectic mix, but somehow it all works. I also love German writers–especially Goethe, Heine, Nietzsche, and Hesse.

What are you working on now?
I am redrafting the aforementioned NA Middle-Eastern fantasy. I wrote that first draft back in the 1990’s when I was in my twenties, but I just know that with a little hard work, I can make it really strong. I’ve also got a great editor, Amelia Beamer, famous for all her zombie novels. She’s also an editor at Locus Magazine. Yeah, I’m sure she can help me give it a nice finishing polish.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I have no idea. I’m planning a blog tour this spring, and I hope that will get the word out. If all goes well, I’ll really be able to connect with people. Nothing can be more important than really truly connecting with others.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Write only if you have to. Otherwise try to find peace of mind through either prayer, meditation, or communion with nature.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Don’t be afraid of failure, and don’t be ashamed of it either.

What are you reading now?
I’m actually rereading an English translation of Doctor Zhivago. I love the little tricks that Boris Pasternak uses all throughout the text. For example, he’ll refer to some magical shimmery light moving through the grass and then, a few sentences later, reveal that the magical shimmery light was a snake. It’s an extraordinary technique. In the end, the story is both a fantasy and a realistic historical piece.

What’s next for you as a writer?
I’ll be spending the summer redrafting my Middle-Eastern fantasy while commenting on all the pages hosting my blog tour. Both are important. Writing is all about redrafting, and blogging is all about connecting with people. The blogging will be fun, I am sure. Redrafting of course is no fun at all. In actual point of fact, redrafting is something like Purgatory.

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. Ovid’s Metamorphoses

2. The Martian Chronicles

3. Frankenstein

Author Websites and Profiles
JG Zymbalist Website
JG Zymbalist Amazon Profile

JG Zymbalist’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I graduated Emek Hebrew Academy and Yeshiva Gedolah of Los Angeles in California and then went on to study in the Mir Yeshiva in Jerusalem and Beth Medrash Govoha in Lakewood. I received Rabbinic ordination from several leading figures in Jerusalem, including Rabbi Moshe Sternbuch, Rabbi Zalman Nechemia Goldberg, and Rabbi Yosef Yitzchok Lerner. My articles have been published in several prestigious journals including Jewish Bible Quarterly (Jerusalem), Kovetz Hamaor (New York), Kovetz Kol HaTorah (London), and Kovetz Iyun HaParsha (Jerusalem). I am currently a fellow at the Kollel of Yeshivas Mir in Jerusalem and lives with my wife and children in Beitar Illit, Israel.
To date, I have only written one book in English and that is Lashon HaKodesh: History, Holiness, & Hebrew (Mosaica Press).

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
As mentioned above, my only book is Lashon HaKodesh: History, Holiness, & Hebrew (Mosaica Press). As you might realize, I have been a full-time Yeshiva student for more than a decade, so naturally my interest in this topic came about while sitting in the Beis Midrash learning Gemara. To be more precise, we were learning the beginning of Maseches Nedarim and on the very first page, the Pirush HaRan writes that Lashon HaKodesh is different from all other languages because all other languages are simply “an agreement of the nations.” That got me thinking: Can it really be true that all other languages are just a social contract, given that Hashem created the languages at the Tower of Babel? Then I wondered, In what way is Lashon HaKodesh different from all other language? And finally, I thought to myself, Why is it called Lashon HaKodesh anyways? So I set out to answer these questions, and in my quest came up with more and more questions. In the end, I realized that I had accrued a wide range of information about our beloved Hebrew language — and especially its history— and that nobody from the Orthodox community had ever written a comprehensive work on that topic. So I compiled everything I had and prepared it for publication.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
My research usually starts in the Beis Midrash and I originally stuck to mostly traditional sources. In fact, my biggest and most important resources were the library in Beis Medrash Govoha in Lakewood (BMG), Otzar HaChochma, and — after we made aliyah — the library of the Mir Yeshiva in Jerusalem. After I decided to publish my findings, I turned to a number of prominent Rabbonim (including Rabbi Berel Wein, Rabbi Zev Leff, Rabbi Aharon Lopiansky, Rabbi Akiva Tatz, Rabbi Yitzchok Breitowitz, and Rabbi Sholom Kamenetsky), who very much appreciated my work. Several of them encouraged me to incorporate academic sources as well. So I started doing research online, putting Google to good use, utilizing my access to JSTOR articles, and corresponding with several professors. The academic component definitely enhanced my book; broadening its scope and giving it a more sophisticated, multifaceted character.

What are you working on now?
As I already noted earlier, I learn in Yeshivas Mir in Yerushalyim, which takes up most of my time and energy. I also give a weekly shiur on the Midrash Pirkei D’Rabbi Eliezer to a group of English-speaking men here in Beitar Illit (these shiurim are available for free at TorahDownloads.com), so that requires preparation and research as well. Once in a while I contribute to various journals, including the semi-academic Jewish Bible Quarterly, as well as several established rabbinic journals such as Kovetz Hamaor, Kovetz Kol HaTorah, Kovetz Chitzei Gibborim, and others. I recently joined a training program called Ohr LaGolah for aspiring Jewish leaders. For my next book, I would like to write more about topics in which academia and Torah intersect. I was thinking of writing about the history of avodah zarah (idolatry) — a topic which, believe it or not, has a lot to do with ancient world history and even archeology, as well as Tanach and Gemara.

Author Websites and Profiles
Reuven Chaim Klein Website
Reuven Chaim Klein Amazon Profile

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I have written 5 books (excluding all my plays and poetry), two are stand alone and one is recently published. The other three are a fantasy trilogy that I am in the process of releasing. I did a lot in my Creative Writing degree and the students I teach help to inspire me a lot.
I spend a lot of time running and working on my teaching practise, but I enjoy writing as a way of unwinding.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
I have just released book 1 of me ‘Disciples of Sorcery’ trilogy – it’s called ‘The Tempter of Razin’. My friends in Uni and I enjoyed collaborative projects and we thought that something with a lot of characters and plot events would be easiest for us to all get our say. Then, we finished Uni and the project was abandoned. But I had fallen in love with the genre so decided to start my own poject. 5 years later, all 3 books complete.
I take a lot from my friends, their tattoos, their personalities – even in one case their pregnancy!

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I have to have my hair up in a certain style and sit on my bed in the same place. I find it really difficult to write without creative noise; so most of my work was written with a movie on in the background. I also like having grapes and a soda; something I can pick at.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
David Eddings is a definite influence on my work. I love his series The Belgariad and the Mallorean, they were my teenage reads. I also love Karen Miller and George R.R. Martin

What are you working on now?
I’m just finishing tidying up and editing book 3, then I’m considering a prequel to explain why some of my characters act the way they do; why my main character gets punched so much etc.
After that, who knows what will strike? Though I have had many student requests to include them.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I’m still incredibly new to this, so I’m still gathering myself together on that front.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
If you’re finding it hard to write, take a break. It’s better to wait for inspiration then force something out – you’ll never be happy with it then.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
In order to write the genre, you need to read the genre.

What are you reading now?
Multiple things. I’m re-reading the Belgariad; some Oxford short stories and a book called Station 11.

What’s next for you as a writer?
Hopefully getting some sales and publicity. More than anything it’s about helping to inspire my students and keeping my own mind sharp to keep on loving what I do.

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 probably take Stephen King’s IT because it’s enormous! It’d keep me going for a while. Pride & Prejudice is one of my all time favourites, so that’d have to come along. Then my bible.

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I am semi-retired after working more than 60 years since college.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
My latest book title is: “Free Online College Courses Now!”

The presidential candidate, Bernie Sanders, inspired me to
publicize sources of free (non-credit) online college courses,
as part of his campaign promises includes free college.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
Only unusual in my habit of trying to jot down notes and ideas
while waiting for my wife to finish shopping in the mall.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
I stumbled upon a science fiction book which was part of
the series of “Dunes” when I was browsing Half-Price Books.
I liked the entire series and promised myself to start doing
something about writing.

When younger, I loved the series of books on the Three Musketeers.

What are you working on now?
I am working on more non-fiction to urge self-employed people
to prepare for their eventual retirement by establishing their
own pension plans and saving something regularly.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
Since my ebooks are on Amazon, I rely somewhat on their advertising.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Write, write, write; self-publish, and tell the
world about your book(s).

Don’t procrastinate trying to be perfect.
Put it out there ASAP; become perfect later.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
The same that I just gave above: write, write, write.

What are you reading now?
Mostly research for my new books.

What’s next for you as a writer?
More non-fiction advice 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?
Probably some Stephen King and Ernest Hemingway stuff.

Author Websites and Profiles
Brandon Rigney Website
Brandon Rigney Amazon Profile

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I self published my 1st book-my memoirs-last Spring. I am in the early stage of my 2nd book-sharing my experience of the insanity of the mental health practitioner world-the burnout, the thankless,exhausting hours, and a scary side of human beings!

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
My book title is ‘With Vigilance’ a woman in long term recovery…it took me numerous falls, consequences and near death to surrender my ways and begin a new life. I sort of put the cart before the horse-went to soberliving in LA for a year, (after numerous short stays in rehabs and institutions) then put some years together-then began to read and study this insane dilemma of alcoholism and addiction. I was raised by insanity, married into it (of course) divorced it..and have peace, laughter and amazement that I survived..I married a long hair musician, much older than I..off we went to tour the world-thought I hit the jackpot-how badly it all turned out, how lonely and shallow is the business, and so many were hurt and disillusioned. We were just Motown kids (Detroit suburbs) and some guy named Bob Seger asked my then boyfriend to try out…what a long strange trip -an understatement…I hung up my Catholic school uniform, got into his Porche-and what a ride it was. The very words ‘rock star’ sends a chill down my spine.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I write with music on-always. In the insane house I grew up in-we shouted or pouted. I was stumped when I was asked in treatment ‘how does that make you feel? What?? My standard answer was ‘pissed off OK? I started all over! But the parents were jazz fanatics. My brothers and I loved rock. So we alternated between Tholonius Monk and Jimi Hendrix. It kept the rage at bay for a while.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
I love E Scott Peck, Dr Gabor Mate, William White and his weekly blog posts are a must. Iyanla VanZant does wonderful, honest work, as does Marianne Williamson

What are you working on now?
I am writing about some of my most alarming cases while working in the Twin Cities, the broken system, the poor support at the workplace, the ego’s with degree’s that stopped feeling long ago-the committed workers who go out day after day…

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I continue to browse and get suggestions from others. Book tweeting, getting traffic to my smashwords.com page still works-slowly however.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Write what you love….I have something to say-so I write. My sponsors and mentors would tell me ‘put that loud mouth of yours to something good Chris-you can change the world’….

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Again, my wonderful sponsor told me years ago, stay focused-never ever let up on this recovery thing..and do it with vigilance………be loving, take no shit….

What are you reading now?
Dr Mate’s In the Realm of Hungry Ghosts…he gets it-lots of brain function, neurotransmitter stuff, right up my alley.

What’s next for you as a writer?
I live quietly up in Northern Michigan with 2 kitties. I retired from the practitioner field (a tad early) and love to write, rock out and savor the simple beauty here.

If you were going to be stranded on a desert island and allowed to take 3 or 4 books with you what books would you bring?
Dr Mate’s books, People of the Lie…the hope for healing human evil-E Scott Peck, Parker Palmer, Let your life Speak, How to listen to God-Wally Paton

Author Websites and Profiles
christine campbell Website
christine campbell Amazon Profile
christine campbell Author Profile on Smashwords

christine campbell’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile
Facebook Profile
Twitter Account
Pinterest Account

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
Melisa Ruscsak
Born In 1982, a native to Lorain ohio, Melisa grew up living with her grandparents Frances and James Lasure. She attended Clearviw High Scholl as well as Lorain County J.V.S. While in J.V.S she attend the Culinary Arts program graduating in 2001.
In 2003 she welcomed the addition of her daughter Chyenne. Who inspired her to start to put her dreams to paper. A story she wrote after her daughter’s birth, although not published, became the stepping stone to everything else she would eventually write.
In 2011 near tragedy struck as Melisa’s health began to decline. By summer of 2011 she would need to use a cane to get around. Suffering a stroke she required a craniotomy where she suffered her second stroke. Leaving her with a partial impairment of her speech, and weakness on her right side. After surgery she would need to learn not only to walk again, but speak as well as recognize the alphabet.
Two years later in the fall of 2013 after a divorce, she would meet the man who would push her not only to fight to regain her physical strength but to put her creative mind to work. No longer allowing her to dwell on what she could no longer do but what she could.

In December of 2014 they would marry. With determination Melisa would walk down the aisle without the need of a cane.

A year later she would begin to write “Of Lite and Darke” Dreaming to see this work through to publishing, even if she would need to publish it herself.
In 2016 she would see her dream come true. With her daughter as her editor “Of Lite and Darke” was born.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
Of Lite and Darke :The New Rein was inspired by my daughter and husband who after reading some of creative writing stories… suggested that i write a story of my own.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
Unusual not really i just write what comes to mind. Most days I write when my family is asleep.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
Anne Bishop and her Black Jewels novels, Jessica Day George Gail Carson Levine, Shannon Hale and many others

What are you working on now?
Currently I’m working on the prequel for Of Lite and Darke.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
When promoting go to as many outlets as you can. Do not limit yourself to just one place. Use Social media. Use your family and friends then find other places to promote your works.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Dream big. As long as you belive that you can do it the nothing can stop you.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
If you want something bad enough you will make it happen. Just don’t give up.

What are you reading now?
Friday with the wizards. i know it’s a bit silly but it helps my mind relax.

What’s next for you as a writer?
get the next book wrote and published then keep pushing from there.

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

Author Websites and Profiles
Melisa Ruscsak Website

Melisa Ruscsak’s Social Media Links
Facebook Profile

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I was born and raised in Oklahoma. After graduating high school, I lived in Belgium for one year as a Rotary Exchange student and loved every minute. I can honestly say I left my heart in Europe. One tidbit that not too many people know–the first time I heard Celtic music (around 5 years old), my heart told me I’d found home. I later discovered I have ancestors on both sides of the family who lived in Ireland and Scotland–Wales as well. One day I’ll get to go to Scotland…

I am a cross-genre author and am currently published in Historical fiction with a three-book series based in Oklahoma before statehood and is told more from the Native American viewpoint. I guess I got tired of everything thinking that all tribes lived in teepees and wore breechcloths. The plains tribes, yes. The coastal tribes, no. I also have a mail-order bride story with a second and possibly third in the planning stages. I have submissions out for my paranormals, six full-length stories, and am currently writing a historical paranormal (time travel) during WWII.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
My latest published book is titled, Lucie: Bride of Tennessee. It is the 16th book in the American Mail-Order Brides series featuring 50 brides in 50 states and was released in 50 days. It was the brainstorming idea of Kirsten Osbourne. My story takes place in Chattanooga, Tennessee and is about a young girl who becomes a mail-order bride in order to take care of and protect her younger brother. She ends up in Tennessee only to find out her intended has died.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
Because of back and neck problems, I can’t sit very long in one place so throughout the day I move from my island to my recliner to the sofa then back to the island. At least I’m getting a bit of exercise…

What authors, or books have influenced you?
I am a voracious reader and read a book a day unless life interferes then it’s two days. I have devoured every book ever written by Tolkien (why my first love is paranormal) and Louis L’Amour (why I started writing westerns). But I have to thank Heather Graham, Christine Feehan, and Sherrilyn Kenyon for why I write. Their stories awakened a desire to create my own. I will never be able to repay them for what they’ve given me.

What are you working on now?
I am currently working on several projects. First and foremost is my Realms of Dark World series, which is a paranormal trilogy about a family who reunites, only to discover devastating secrets from their past, which they have to overcome in order to stop the total destruction of their world. It’s a blend of Greek, Celtic, and Christian beliefs, magic, snarky wit, gorgeous heroes, and strong heroins.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I’m still learning the overwhelming world of marketing. I have a website with an old blog, but I don’t take the time to post. I do try to post on Facebook where I have both a profile and an author page. I tweet but not often and seem to find myself on pinterest more, so maybe I’ll concentrate on building my worlds and pictorial versions of my stories there. I would like to delve more into GoodReads, which I will do sometime this year. I want to do one or two sites well, not half-ass a dozen.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Learn your craft–all aspects of writing from grammar to layering emotion to character development. Just because a book is written, doesn’t mean it should be published–at least not until it’s reworked and edited by you and several other people. Fresh eyes are a must when a story is in the editing process.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Write a book, edit the book, set the book aside, and write a new book. Never stop.

What are you reading now?
Crescent Moon by Lori Handeland

What’s next for you as a writer?
I will continue writing – hopefully either traditionally published or self-published in the paranormal genre.

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?
Realm of Shadows by Heather Graham, Dark Secrets by Christine Feehan, Styxx by Sherrilyn Kenyon, and The Return of the King by JRR Tolkien.

Author Websites and Profiles
Heidi Vanlandingham Website
Heidi Vanlandingham Amazon Profile

Heidi Vanlandingham’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile
Facebook Profile
Twitter Account
Pinterest Account

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
For the past 18 years I have had the privilege of being internationally recognized as the leading expert on civility in the workplace. With release of The 30% Solution in April 2016, I have written (or co-authored) 10 books. I am currently Executive Director of The National Civility Center, Founder of the In Good Company Franchise Group, CEO of Civility Experts Inc., Director of the International Civility Trainers’ Consortium, and President of Center for Organizational Cultural Competence.

Civility Experts Inc is a multinational training company with 85 affiliates in 23 countries. We specialize in civility initiatives, assessments, training solutions, and presentations. We recently launched the Macaroni and Please campaign whereby we are giving away – no fee, the Macaroni and Please trainers toolkit to teachers, parents, community program coordinators, and child care professionals who want to teach children ages 5-8 manners.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
I was shocked to learn that 80% of people are dissatisfied with their jobs, this according to Business Insider. In addition, 96% of employees polled in a workplace study conducted by Pearson and Porath experiencing rudeness at work and 76% of people responding to ICTC surveys cited uncivil work culture as the primary cause of stress in their lives. Given the statistics above, it seemed to me there’s an obvious correlation between stress, incivility, and dissatisfaction at work. The good news is- our research shows that by implementing strategic training in four core competency areas we can build better workplaces. And, there is evidence that when we can create cultures of civility, there is positive impact to productivity, to retention, to stress levels, to engagement and to the bottom line. This is exciting to me and the belief that we can manage incivility and be happy at work inspired me to write The 30% Solution.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
Well, I didn’t realize until just now that it’s a habit, but I have this jade Budda necklace that I seem to be wearing when I do all my best writing. Not so unusual I guess. Otherwise, just little things like, I mostly write between 1-4am. I like to burn a particular lemon scented candle, and I don’t show anyone the work until it’s finished.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
I am a big fan of Thoreau. I also like Thomas Moore, and most recently Mary Oliver. Related to my work in civility, Stephen Carter, Karl Albrecht, Pier Forni.

What are you working on now?
I am working on The Civility Competency Matrix – Skills for building a culture of civility in your workplace. It’s the sequel to The 30% Solution.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
Honestly, I really count on my publisher, Justin Sachs at Motivational Press and I have an amazing publicist, Tracy Lamourie. Other than that I have found that including the books as part of my training/speaking packages has been really helpful in raising awareness. Recently I’ve learned that there is a whole lot of very influential book bloggers out there too- and so now I am trying to learn more about that.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Just know that writing the book is the easy part. Selling the book- leveraging the book- that’s the hard part and you really need some supports to do it well.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Get over yourself! The world is busy and everyone has his/her own priorities and worries. Often the things we are freaking out about, e.g., a cancelled webinar, a typo, etc…these are things the rest of the world barely notices never mind cares about. While it’s important to have standards, don’t be so busy beating yourself up and sweating the small stuff to enjoy the journey.

What are you reading now?
The Alchemist, Paulo Coelho.

What’s next for you as a writer?
If I could not work, and just write, I would LOVE to do that. I feel I have about 20 books in me. My goal is to write a book a year- even if they don’t get published, I”m going to write them, just for the pure joy of 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?
Walden, By Henry David Thoreau, The Bible, A Thousand Mornings by Mary Oliver,

Author Websites and Profiles
Lew Bayer Website

Lew Bayer’s Social Media Links
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 and work in information technology profession. This is my first book .

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
Name of my book is Ganga: Truth Unrevealed… and its available as ebook on Amazon.

Since my childhood I was always attracted to the story of creation of River Ganga as described in the epic like Ramayana. In my view the core of the story is about human ingenuity and effort but I always used to feel that they way it was narrated that was lost in the envelop of the spiritual context and divine intervention.
So this book is my attempt at writing this story with out that envelop and putting the spotlight on the human ingenuity as much as possible.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
ohh I am writing a book in itself was unusual enough that some of my near and dear ones could not believe it till I published the book.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
Ashok K Banker’s ‘Ten Kings’ book really got me going.

What are you working on now?
There is another plot in my mind for possible my second book but I have not yet started writing it may be couple of years away in my view. The story is yet to crystallize in my mind before I would start to write.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
Since this is my first book I am just exploring many but got some good views about your site so trying here.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
I would say just go for it guys , If I can write a book then any one else should be able to …

What are you reading now?
I am reading ‘Sapiens’ by Dr Yuval Noah Harari. Its an amazing booking

What’s next for you as a writer?
not sure yet , I guess its still sinking in that I am a writer .
Recently one of my friends after hearing a news about my publication could not believe it and thought to verify it directly sent a msg to me ‘Are you a writer?’ I instantly replied no I am not a writer and then realized that now that I have a published book I am a writer …

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?
Mahabharat, Sepiens, Game of Thrones series

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I’m a writer, and published Author, wohoo. I’m a mum to 3 kittens and one half wild cat. I’ve written 6 books, but only completed two so far. I write a few at the same time.
I love period movies and chic lit books. I love adventures and I’ve lived in USA, South Africa, and Ireland.
I’ve swum with hippo’s, croc’s, tiger fish, saltwater sharks in the Zambezi river, leeches and monitor lizards in rivers…not because I wanted to..but because at +48 deg celsius it’s either that or explode.

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

It was unplanned, but enjoyed writing it. The countryside of Australia is very much like South Africa, so was easy to write about.. as we have croc’s, snakes, mozzies, lakes, waterfalls, floods, cattle.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I write in my pj’s in bed..surrounded by my kittens, with lots of tea. The Irish are great tea lovers. I’m one too.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
Wilbur Smith – the African adventure stories are the best. He is brilliant at describing details.

What are you working on now?
Two books..adventure with romance. Some angels flitting in and out.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
Tell one person in Ireland…they tell everyone. By the next day Mary’s 2nd cousin’s aunt 17 times removed in Cork will know about your book..and she’ll tell her relatives, who will tell theirs and it will reach Australia, and Tokyo in two hours flat.

(There are zillions of Mary’s in Ireland.) It doesn’t guarantee sales.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
My advice is: Edit lots. Get friends to proof read it. Ignore any fear…that rises up. If you are a slow typist buy Dragon software.. you talk it types.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
I get great advice from Shelley Hitz….all to do with marketing and writing books.

What are you reading now?
A Catherine Cookson book.

What’s next for you as a writer?
A lot more typing and some editing.

If you were going to be stranded on a desert island and allowed to take 3 or 4 books with you what books would you bring?
A book on survival. Two blank books to write in.

Author Websites and Profiles
Nicole Silver Website

Nicole Silver’s Social Media Links
Facebook Profile
Twitter Account

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I am a trilingual published author of 10 books. Very eclectic as a writer, I have expressed about many subjects such as self-development, music biographies, Parisian stories.
My two last books have been written in a very different way, though.
My exceptional encounter with Yeshua, in July 2014, changed and challenged my whole perspective on writing. Both volumes, An Encounter with Yeshua and An Encounter with Yeshua the Sequel have been birthed under the loving direction of our Lord.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
My latest and 10th book is entitled “An Encounter with Yeshua the Sequel”.
Our Messiah inspired the follow-up to “An Encounter with Yeshua”. This book describes my path into discipleship.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
Yes…I love writing at my favorite Parisian spot, Cofféa.
The friendliness of the persons who serve me their excellent coffee tremendously helps my creativity.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
I love Balzac and Marcel Pagnol’s simplicity. I also love Elias Canetti’s ” Die gerettete Zunge” and many, many more…I am eclectic as a reader and as a writer too…

What are you working on now?
I am working on a project entitled “Heart of a Savior”.
It will unveil you the depths of our Messiah’s loving heart…but this is all I can say for the moment…wait until it gets published….

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I do use free promotion website like Ask David, Awesome Gang, Pretty Hot or Writers pay it forward. Book trailers are also efficient promotional tools.
Press releases help a lot too.
I also do speak a lot with my audience.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Keep writing. Write every day. Accept constructive criticism. Stay away from negative people. Have a vision of where you want to be.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
One becomes a writer by writing.

What are you reading now?
I am too much busy writing. My only reads are online articles.

What’s next for you as a writer?
My biggest dream as a writer is to become a full time writer…I am on my way, with a big dose of faith and improving day after day.

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 Tanakh ( Old Testament) in a bilingual Hebrew/ French or Hebrew/ English version

The Bible

This is all I’d need besides our Lord’s presence!

Author Websites and Profiles
Isabelle Esling Website
Isabelle Esling Amazon Profile

Isabelle Esling’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile
Facebook Profile
Twitter Account
Pinterest Account

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I am a first-time, self-published author. I have written books before that were not published. I have written 15 minute “road show” plays that were performed. I have ideas, outlines, or saved reference material for about 10 more books.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
This book, “Good Night at the Zoo,” is my first and latest book. It was inspired by my five- and three-year-old grandsons’ love of animals and being at the zoo. One of my favorite photos is of us riding the train at the zoo on my visit to Utah. I live in Florida.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I am a super-insomniac and often stay up all night. I have a chronic illness and my bed is often “command central”. My laptop lives on the bed tray on my bed or gets carried from spot to spot.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
I love classic literature and fairy tales and believe that even today there are basically five types of stories that are told. They derive from those classic stories and fairy tales. Think about how many versions of “Romeo and Juliette,” “Pride and Prejudice”, “Cinderella”, and “Hansel and Gretel” you have read or seen.

What are you working on now?
My second book, “Alex’s First Foods Adventures,” will be out soon. I am also working on a coloring book version of “Good Night at the Zoo.” The illustrations are so darling and lend themselves perfectly to the line art needed for a coloring book. Besides, I would like to color them with my grandsons and granddaughter!

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
This is my first time promoting a book, so it is an adventure. So far, I have gotten involved with Facebook, Twitter, my new author website, and now, book promotion sites. I was excited to learn about Awesomegang and am looking forward to seeing what happens with you all. I consider myself an Amazon writer, because they are so supportive of self-publishing authors. I am very grateful for Kindle and CreateSpace.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Being a new author myself, all I can say is just get in there and do it. Don’t be afraid to ask questions, and look for a good author group or two to join.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Just do it. Don’t wait until you know everything. The best way to learn is to just get in there. You will make mistakes, but that is how you will learn.

What are you reading now?
I am reading about learning to draw and becoming an illustrator. I read all kinds of books by author friends, both fiction and non-fiction, and provide feedback. I teach Sunday School in Spanish so I read the scriptures, and when I need to just “veg-out” and relax I like to read regency romances.

What’s next for you as a writer?
Something interesting has happened as I have interacted with children reading “Good Night at the Zoo,” I have gained an appreciation for reaching “reluctant readers.” I am exploring writing chapter books for them. I just had a wonderful conversation with a third-grader. It seems she is interested in princesses, mermaids, and, oh yes, sharks! Making a series out of “Good Night at the Zoo” is also on my “to do” list.

If you were going to be stranded on a desert island and allowed to take 3 or 4 books with you what books would you bring?
(1) A book on survival that included first aid; (2) a large blank pad of paper with pencils and colored pencils (and a razor); (3) a book compilation of classic literature (which includes romance and science fiction); and (4) my scriptures.

Author Websites and Profiles
Beatriz Maciá Website
Beatriz Maciá Amazon Profile

Beatriz Maciá’s Social Media Links
Facebook Profile
Twitter Account

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I have written and published a total of four books, three of them under a different name than this. Hands on the Wheel is my first erotic romance.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
The name of my most recent book is HANDS ON THE WHEEL: A SINFULLY EROTIC TRUCKER ROMANCE, inspired by living and loving here in the Rocky Mountain west. I have always found truckers intriguing and sexy, especially cowboy truckers like my character Hank Werner. Oh, he is lean and lanky and lovely!

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I write on a laptop, usually in my recliner after I’ve had quite a bit of strong, black coffee.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
I love great fiction. My favorite novel is TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD. I am in awe of Harper Lee, and so saddened by her recent death. Other authors who have influenced me are Anne Rice, Anna Quindlen, Barbara Kingsolver, Toni Morrison, and Norman Maclean.

What are you working on now?
Now there is a good question. I don’t know yet. I have just released this latest book, and am still working hard to promote it.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I like twitter for book promotion. It can be time-consuming, but I like it. I find it amazing how hilarious and clever many twitter users are. It’s fun to read the tweets.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Be the best writer you can be. Clean up your copy before self-publishing. Invest in a good editor, it’s worth it! Try to help elevate the quality of self-published books.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
I think it’s a famous quote by Thoreau: “Our lives are frittered away by detail. Simplify. Simplify.” This is so true, more now than ever, don’t you think?

What are you reading now?
A corny Nicholas Sparks novel. Ha!

What’s next for you as a writer?
Probably writing another novel under my real name. Then another one under this pen name. I would love to hear from readers if they have ideas for what my characters’ next book adventure should be.

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, She’s Come Undone, Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance, and a World Atlas!

Author Websites and Profiles
Margaret Harlowe Amazon Profile

Margaret Harlowe’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile
Twitter Account

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I am the author of “Faith-based Travels: A Devotional Guidebook for the Faith-filled Traveller”, along with magazine and newspaper articles and poems. I have posted articles on Faith Writers website. My writing has featured in Australia’s Christian Woman magazine and the UK’s Woman Alive magazine. Poems and news items have appeared in local newspapers.

I grew up on a sheep and wheat farm in central New South Wales, Australia. Since I was in primary school, I knew I wanted to pursue teaching and writing as my careers. At the end of high school, I studied a Bachelor of Education (Primary) at university for four years, before teaching full time for three.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
“Faith-based Travels: A Devotional Guidebook for the Faith-filled Traveller”, is my latest book.

In fulfilment of a childhood dream, myself and one of my sisters, Michelle, obtained 12 month working holiday visas to Canada when we were in our early to mid twenties. Our travels inspired my devotional. I wanted to help young people stay close to God as they journeyed around His world.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
As a teenager, you could often find me in the house yard of our farm, spread out on a towel with my writing paper and pen. I would have a cat or a lamb in my lap at times!

What authors, or books have influenced you?
The Bible. Definitely Enid Blyton, Ann M. Martin. Lots of Christian fiction authors, along with Christian non-fiction authors.

What are you working on now?
My next book is, “Encouragement for Women with Depression and Anxiety: 31 Days of Hope”. I suffered from post natal depression after the birth of both my sons. Like “Faith-based Travels: A Devotional Guidebook for the Faith-filled Traveller”, I am interviewing others for their stories and tips [including professionals like counsellors and naturopaths], and sharing my journey through depression.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
Amazon KDP
Facebook and Instagram

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Keep writing. God has gifted you and given you the desire to write. Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with all your might. God says that He grants us according to our heart’s desires and fulfils all of our purpose.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Know God and make Him known.

What are you reading now?
“Redeeming Love,” by Francine Rivers
“Raising Boys,” by Steve Biddulph

What’s next for you as a writer?
To keep reading and writing.

If you were going to be stranded on a desert island and allowed to take 3 or 4 books with you what books would you bring?
The Bible
A Daily Devotional
Karen Kingsbury romantic fiction
“Redeeming Love,” by Francine Rivers

Author Websites and Profiles
Nicki Jeffery Website
Nicki Jeffery Amazon Profile

Nicki Jeffery’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile
Facebook Profile
Twitter Account
Pinterest Account

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I’ve written two books. My first was a children’s book and has been rejected by literary agents and publishing houses galore, and since each application takes a long time to process, I wrote another book while I was waiting, and it is called Jailbait.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
Oh dear. Well, read Jailbait and you’ll understand why this is a tricky question. Mainly, I felt sarcastic and wanted to unleash my humour in a satirical thriller.
It was fun.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I just try to write whatever I’m passionate about or find terribly interesting. If the book content is so amazing that I simply cannot stop thinking about it, that helps.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
The first author I ever loved was Paul Jennings. His work instilled in me a love for reading, and I think he’s why I worked so hard on my children’s book.

What are you working on now?
Pie baking.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I’m very new to this. This one?

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Never use a long word where a short one will do. The story is the most important thing, the best writing is invisible.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Don’t write what you know. That’s boring. Write what you want to read.

What are you reading now?
The Host by Stephanie Myer.

What’s next for you as a writer?
I’ll keep working on my skills. That’s how I came up with my last idea. I was practicing writing short stories and decided to turn one into the first chapter of a book.

If you were going to be stranded on a desert island and allowed to take 3 or 4 books with you what books would you bring?
Some of those self-help ones on how to survive at sea?

Okay okay I’ll be serious. Right now my favourite book is The China Study, by T. Colin Campbell.

Author Websites and Profiles
S.A. Williams Amazon Profile

S.A. Williams’s Social Media Links
Facebook Profile

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I’ve lived in and around Chicago all my life. I studied English Literature at the University of Chicago and worked in bookstores before losing my soul to the corporate world and retiring. I have since wrested back my soul and live with my delightful husband in downtown Chicago along with our eight very special plants, with whom I commune regularly. My newest plant, Basie, sends greetings to earthlings everywhere.

I’ve written eight books. I write my PTSD books with a pen name, due to the personal nature of the material.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
I recently published PTSD: Frozen in Time (Adventures in Releasing Buried Energy).

I took PTSD meds for twenty-five years. Then they slowly but surely stopped working and all my symptoms came back. I also lost my job, so I didn’t have the kind of insurance that would pay for traditional therapy anymore–which was actually okay. After decades of talk-therapy, I had nothing more to say.

So I tried all sorts of non-traditional, inexpensive methods of healing and detail my adventures and experiences in my book. From shamans and energy healers to mindful meditation and Trauma Release Exercises, it all helped.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
When I’m writing, I rub the top of my head a lot. Kind of like the Buddha belly, only hairier.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
Betty Smith, Victor Hugo and Edith Wharton for fiction.

Primo Levi and Patti Smith for essays and memoirs.

Peter Levine for PTSD.

So many more.

What are you working on now?
A trilogy. It’s a psychological thriller set against the backdrop of the swinging sixties and seventies in the affluent suburb of Winnetka, Illinois.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I follow the example of successful authors who share their experience on KBoards Writer’s Café. At least once a week, someone shares their promotion line-up with results.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Do the very best you can with each book. Then on to the next.

Be patient. When you do break out, you’ll have a great backlist.

You must promote your books. When I worked in bookstores, customers generally picked up only what was displayed on the front tables, unless they were looking for a specific title. Make your books visible with promotions.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
To thine own self be true.

What are you reading now?
I’m rereading In an Unspoken Voice by Peter Levine.

What’s next for you as a writer?
After I finish my trilogy, I’m publishing a short-read called Once There Were Bookstores in Chicago. There still are, of course, but there used to be a lot more of them. When I’d walk to the train to go to school in Hyde Park, there was a bookstore on every block of Michigan Avenue. This story also details my baffled, painful experience of life with PTSD, when there was no such term. The bookstores were my haven.

If you were going to be stranded on a desert island and allowed to take 3 or 4 books with you what books would you bring?
A Tree Grows in Brooklyn
Les Miserables
Jane Eyre
Just Kids

Author Websites and Profiles
Ann E. Laurie Website
Ann E. Laurie Amazon Profile

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I’m a 36 year old author and copywriter and so far I’ve completed three novels, and published two of them along with numerous shorts and novellas. My latest book Blood Hunger, a paranormal romance, was published by Totally Bound in January 2016.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
Blood Hunger was inspired by my fascination with vampires. It’s a sexy, sensual story about feisty femme fatale Lola who meets her match when she bumps into (literally) handsome and mortal Dillon in her local nightclub Club Vain, a haven for vampires.

She doesn’t want to fall for him, especially not after being hurt by her ex, who rejected her once he found out she was a vampire, but there’s an undeniable spark between the pair and no matter how hard she tries she can’t deny her burgeoning feelings for her quietly dominant alpha mate made in heaven, Dillon.

I was inspired to write the book as Lola’s feelings for Dillon and the way she tries to push him away and resist their love because she’s a vampire really had me rooting for him to break down all her walls and show her she’s not going to be rejected.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I like to write in the mornings, after I first get up as I find this is the time when I am most creative and productive, but then again I like to write while sipping a nice bourbon which obviously I don’t do in the mornings!

Also I am the world’s biggest procrastinator and am constantly getting distracted because I’m also a big research nerd, I’ll look up a place name or fact for a small anecdote in the book I’m writing and then I’m off down a whole road, learning about baseball or the origins of Rochester NY or something.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
I love Gillian Flynn, Hilary Mantel, Will Self, and George RR Martin.

For pure entertainment value I love Christopher Pike’s YA novels and I also think James Dashner’s Maze Runner series is awesome too.

As for the classics William Golding’s Lord Of the Flies made a big impression on me when I was younger, as did Thomas Hardy’s Tess of the D’Ubervilles.

What are you working on now?
Currently I’m writing the second book in my YA paranormal romance series, The Fallen Trilogy. The book’s called The Descent, and the first book in the trilogy, Fallen Heart should be released sometime in 2016. The books follow the story of Bailey, a sixteen year old fallen angel and his romance with a mortal girl Celeste and take place partly in the fictional Kingdom of Mythica, the dominion where angels watch over humans.

I’ve also written a short prequel to the series, which is set before the first book, called Before The Fall. The prequel is told through the eyes of Bailey’s guardian Ganor, and sets the action before the start of Fallen Heart.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I have created a website especially for The Fallen Trilogy which can be found at http://thefallentrilogy.weebly.com and I blog updates about the series there as I work on it but I also post stuff on my author website at http://beckrobertson.weebly.com.

I also post some of my work up on Wattpad, so people can get previews of what I do, in fact you can read the prequel to The Fallen Trilogy on Wattpad if you search for Beck Robertson.

I do also promote on Facebook and Twitter, a

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Just write. As often as you can. Just get it down, worry later abut going back and revising later, just write and keep writing until you get to the end of whatever it is you’re writing. I used to be guilty of being a binge writer, where I wouldn’t write for a while then I’d do a lot in one massive chunk but I’ve honestly found the best and most productive way is to do it consistently day in day out.

Now I’ve taken Mr Steven King’s advice and I always make sure I get at least 2000 words down every day.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
The best writing advice I ever heard was to just write and worry about the editing later. Sometimes procrastination can be a cover for fear but honestly all first drafts are pretty crappy, the important thing is to get them out then carve something beautiful out of the block that is your manuscript later.

What are you reading now?
Currently I’m reading Nineteen Eighty Four by George Orwell. I know, it’s completely unbelievable that I haven’t read that book until now but I just didn’t get around to it. I’m so glad I did though it’s wonderful.

What’s next for you as a writer?
After I finish writing The Fallen Trilogy, I’m going to be finishing work up on a couple of manuscripts I’ve got tucked away, and after that I have an idea brewing in my mind for a dystopia YA novel I want to write. I also plan to try my hand at screenplay writing at some point, in fact I have an idea brewing in my head as I write this.

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?
Lord of The Flies because Golding’s observations of humanity are eerily spot on. Nineteen Eight Four as I’m currently reading it. A Single Man by Christopher Isherwood as it made me cry.

Author Websites and Profiles
Beck Robertson Website
Beck Robertson Amazon Profile
Beck Robertson Author Profile on Smashwords

Beck Robertson’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile
Facebook Profile

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I’ve been a ghostwriter since 2008 and have authored around twenty biographies and business books. In the past year, I decided to write novels under my own name – and have found it to be an amazing experience. So much so that I wrote two in under a year!

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
My new book is BLUE FIRE, the second in my Max Bowman series. The plot was inspired by two very different things – (1) the comic book creators from the 40’s, 50’s and 60’s who were paid peanuts and came up with enduring characters that exist to this day and (2) a secret CIA mind control plot from the 50’s that, in part, was based on the work of former Nazi scientists (all true!). These two strands came together to form what I consider to be my best book. Of course, that’s an easy target to hit when you’ve only written two of this kind…

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I don’t outline. I usually have a beginning and an end in mind, and some elements in between. When I’m writing one of these books, I find myself waking up at 4 in the morning with the details of the next chapter. This, of course, leaves me very tired, which in turns motivates me to finish the book so I can actually get some sleep.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
In this genre, Raymond Chandler.

What are you working on now?
Right now, ghostwriting two books and thinking about what I want the next Max Bowman book to be about.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I use a variety of resources recommended by other writer friends to promote Kindle free days and countdown deals on the books. Still very much learning, as I’ve only been at it (book promoting) since last August.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Figure out a genre and a character and write. Build a memorable series that will keep readers interested in your next book.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
What I just wrote above. It’s easy to get lost in the shuffle when self-publishing, but if you create a great series of books, you have more of a shot of establishing a reputation and building sales.

What are you reading now?
A book by Frank Mankiewicz, former speechwriter for Robert and John F Kennedy, as well as some CIA books for research.

What’s next for you as a writer?
Want to continue the Max Bowman books for a few years. Really enjoy doing 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?
I really hate these questions. I would probably take collections of Marvel comics from the early 60’s. I can read those over and over again.

Author Websites and Profiles
Joel Canfield Website
Joel Canfield Amazon Profile

Joel Canfield’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile
Facebook Profile
Twitter Account

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I have 14 books in publication and 2 more getting ready to publish. I co-host the Writers Tricks of the Trade show on Blog Talk Radio and also publish the Writers Tricks of the Trade bi-monthly eZine. I call myself an accidental writer because I didn’t start out to be one. The story about my first published article is a fun story. I have written 600 articles for two Examiner.com sites, am a frequent speaker and give workshops. Most recently I taped an episode for Discovery ID Channel “A Crime to Remember” to be broadcast in 2017. I write in multi-generes: funny mysteries, memoir, true crime memoir and have authored a book about writing.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
My latest book is “Incest, Murder and a Miracle: The true story behind the Cheryl Pierson murder-for-hire headlines.” I worked with Cheryl Pierson Cuccio and Rob Cuccio to develop their chilling and also inspiring memoir. They contacted me because of other books I co-authored and I found their story fascinating. They just taped an episode for a new series on Discovery ID Channel to be aired in 2017.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
Often I write in the middle of the night. I don’t have a set number of pages, words or hours that I write. As long as the spark is there, I keep going, even if it is many hours on end. On the other hand, if I hit a day where it isn’t happening, I don’t force it.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
I love the writing of Robert Crais, Michael Connelly and most of Janet Evanovich’s books. It’s fun to work with humor in mysteries, and I also love when authors get things right.

What are you working on now?
The 4th Silver Sisters Mystery, Diamonds in the Dumpster, and the true crime memoir of Jenn Carson, the daughter of the San Francisco Witch Killer.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
www.morganstjames-author.com, my main website, and I also create websites for various books I’ve written. I am on Facebook, Pintrest and Twitter daily.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Have faith in yourself. If you haven’t written before, attend workshops and conferences and join a good writer’s group. There are things you really need to know to produce a professional manuscript. Don’t publish or query before it is the best it can be, and up to a New York publisher’s standards.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Believe in yourself.

What are you reading now?
The Last Testament of Bill Bonanno. I might be working with his granddaughter. Bonnano was head of the Bonnano Crime Family.

What’s next for you as a writer?
If I knew, I would tell you. I never know what inspiration will hit or when someone very interesting will ask me to work with 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?
Since there are still books to be read, and I don’t foresee being stranded any time soon, I’m going to generalize. I would have two good mysteries, something inspirational and something that would put me to sleep while reading.

Author Websites and Profiles
Morgan St James Website
Morgan St James Amazon Profile
Morgan St James Author Profile on Smashwords

Morgan St James’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile
Facebook Profile
Twitter Account
Pinterest Account

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I fell in love with writing around the age 12. Back then I wanted to write mysteries with kid detectives, but by the time I reached 14 or so boys and horses pretty much occupied my mind, and with those interests I took my first step down the long and winding road to becoming a published author of romances.

I’m a mom of 4 living in southwestern New Hampshire, and while my nest is becoming a little more bare each year, the kids keep me hopping. When I’m not at work, or involved in either Boy Scouts or Special Olympics, I’m writing. I’m just about to have my 10th book published in a few months, and at least one more by the end of the year. And I love every minute of it.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
My upcoming release, The Staying Kind, is about a woman who’s been on the road for so long she finds it difficult to set down roots. It takes a man who believes in her, and his family who welcomes her and shows her that she doesn’t have to run anymore, to make her realize she can have the home she’s always wanted.

I wanted a heroine who wasn’t perfect. My heroine, Rio, had been damaged for so many years that she believed she didn’t deserve a happy ending. I was at a fair and wondered about the lives of the people who work at these traveling shows. Why they’re there, what kind of lives did they have and what hopes do they have for the future. I kind of based Rio off of that.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
Not really. I like to have “theme music” while I write. If I’m writing one of my contemporary westerns I like to listen to country. When I work on one of my paranormals I find Celtic music puts me in the mood. For everything else I go with a mixture of the two, plus lots of 80’s music. I also like to have a clear picture of what my characters look like. I’ll go hunting the internet for the perfect model for my characters.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
Barbara Delinsky and Nora Roberts are two of my favorites. They both know how to tell a compelling love story with interesting characters and settings I can fall in love with. Barbara Delinsky writes about New England, and I don’t think there are enough stories set in my corner of the world. I also love Elisabeth Ogilvie who wrote wonderful love stories set on the coast of Maine, a favorite location of mine.

What are you working on now?
My current project is a story of two very different people, neighbors who are thrown together in a horrible ice storm. Juliana is a widow of two years and is finally moving past the loss of her husband. Aidan is an incredibly talented artist who lives a life of seclusion. He’s got two ghosts in his past that haunt him, and he can’t let them go. He’s also been in love with Juliana for years, but never dares to open himself up to the possibility of a relationship until he gets stranded at her home. But Juliana wants to know more about Aidan’s past than he wants to share and that could ruin the relationship they’ve begun.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
My website www.cerianhebert.com is the best way to check out my work.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Never. Give. Up. It took me about 30 years to publish my first book. That’s a heck of a lot of persistence. Also, get involved with a writing group, whether it be a Yahoo group online, or find a local group. Joining the Romance Writers of America was one of the best things I’ve done for my writing. I have a priceless support group and tons of resources.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Never. Give. Up.

What are you reading now?
Sweet Salt Air by Barbara Delinsky

What’s next for you as a writer?
Finishing up my latest writing project for my publisher, and working on sequels to a few of my self-published titles.

If you were going to be stranded on a desert island and allowed to take 3 or 4 books with you what books would you bring?
The Stand by Stephen King, Watchers by Dean Koontz, The Sheik by E.M. Hull, Rowan Head by Elisabeth Ogilvie

Author Websites and Profiles
Cerian Hebrt Website
Cerian Hebrt Amazon Profile

Cerian Hebrt’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile
Facebook Profile
Twitter Account

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
A.J. Strickler released his debut novel “Swords Of The Phoenix Queen”, at the end of March 2015 the first in the “Gods Of Blood And Fire” series and it had become a top-seller by May. Since then he has signed on with a publisher, Panda Books Press LLC. The original version of book one has been replaced by a second edition.
Panda Books has recently released his sequel, “Song Of Fury”, on March 18th 2016, and is currently working with A.J. on his third installment in the series, “The Star Of Saree”.

A.J. became a diehard fan of both fantasy and ancient history at a very young age, and began reading anything he could get his hands on. As a young adult he became fascinated with ancient weapons and started building a collection that he still enjoys today. A.J. is an autodidact whose learning ancient history and mythology.

Reaching midlife, the thought of writing an epic became an exhilarating obsession. He found the dark fantasy books from newer authors to be lacking what he was truly hungry for in this genre. After openly sharing his desire to become an author, his friends and family urged him to follow his dreams, and so came the birth of Gods Of Blood And Fire Series.

I’ve currently written and published two novels, and have started working on the rough draft of my third novel.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
The latest is Song of Fury, a continuation of the Characters in book one Swords of the Phoenix Queen. Each installment of this series will move the characters from where they started to where they will end, hopefully that will be a glaring contrast. I wanted to show not only the major events of the story’s plot but also the drive and motivation of the characters and major events in their personal lives.

Not all villains are all bad and not all heroes are all good, just like people in the real world I wanted to try and show how each character perceives the world in their own way. Reading fantasy books when I was younger I often wondered what the heroes and villains were doing or thinking when they weren’t out trying to save or destroy the world. So, I wanted to try and touch on some of their personal lives as well as the main events in the story.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I don’t know how unusual it is but I often sit and picture a scene or the character’s conversation in my mind before writing it. Almost like watching a movie in my head.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
There are so many but I think Roger Zelazny , David Gemmell , Robert e Howard just to name a few. Also when I was in grade school I loved to watch old movies like from Cecil B. Demille Samson and Delilah and Cleopatra, but it was when I read Homer’s Iliad that I was really hooked on mythology and that was the book that sparked my interest in Fantasy and History.

What are you working on now?
I am working on book three of the Gods of Blood and Fire series (The Star of Saree.) This installment will transition many of the characters on new paths that I hope will surprise the reader. It will also continue to lay out the story of the Gods of Saree.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I don’t really focus much of the marketing and promotion of my books. My publisher Panda Books Press handles that.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
I am fairly new myself but, I can say write your story. If it feels right put it down and don’t let other influence your vision. That’s not to say don’t accept help or constructive criticism, just stick to your ideas and what you believe in. It’s your story.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Don’t be afraid to delete something if it doesn’t work, and get a good editor.

What are you reading now?
“Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children” and Steven Pressfield’s “Gates of Fire”

What’s next for you as a writer?
I plan to finish writing book three, “The Star of Saree” then move on to book four in the Gods of Blood and fire Series. I really enjoy knowing there are fan’s out there who enjoy the books I write. Making the readers happy is very important to me and I want to do them justice by writing books that are entertaining and fun to read.

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?
David Gemmell’s King Beyond the gate
Roger Zelazny’s Chronicles of Amber
Homer’s Iliad
Also, I’d defiantly need an Island survival guide. Otherwise, I would starve to death…and the first three books would offer my remains little entertainment value.

Author Websites and Profiles
A.J. Strickler Website
A.J. Strickler Amazon Profile

A.J. Strickler’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I am an author of two novels set in Victorian England. The Water Gypsy and The Watercress Girls both chart the differences between extreme wealth and grinding poverty in nineteenth century England. The heroines battle hypocrisy, prejudice and injustice but find love and a happy ending. Both been chosen as finalists in The Wishing Shelf Awards.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
The Watercress Girls was inspired by reading about the street sellers of watercress in nineteenth century England, usually girls aged between five and fourteen. I wanted to show how the poor were treated and the lack of opportunities for girls and women in Victorian times. I also wanted to give them a happy ending and an improved chance in life.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I write by hand and edit as I type my stories up. I also often write in coffee bars, cafes or teashops where I find I can concentrate better.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
I have been influenced by the writing of Victorian authors such as Dickens and Trollope, but also by contemporary writers like William Nicholson, Carole Matthews, Lee Childs and James Paterson. Everyone loves a mystery and I enjoy all genres of books.

What are you working on now?
I am currently working on short stories for women’s magazines, but also thinking about the next novel while promoting the current ones. Life gets very busy.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
My books are all in Kindle Select and I regularly do Kindle Countdown promotions when my books can be offered at low prices for short periods. Putting these promotions on sites like Awesomegang helps promote them.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Write what you want to write and on’t let anyone put you off. Ignore the negative comments and focus on the positive and never give up. The only people who fail are those who never try.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Believe in yourself and get a good editor.

What are you reading now?
I am currently reading The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying by Marie Kondo. I’m hoping to be inspired and transform my home and become more efficient.

What’s next for you as a writer?
Next is doing more of the same. More research, more promotion, more writing. Definitely 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?
Mayhew’s London Labour and the London Poor, Liza Picards Victorian London and anything by A N Wilson. Also some romances by Barbara Cartland, Barbara Bradford Taylor or Catherine Cookson.

Author Websites and Profiles
Kay Seeley Website
Kay Seeley Amazon Profile

Kay Seeley’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile
Facebook Profile
Twitter Account

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I’m an actress, author, writer and sex-blogger currently based in Australia.
I am the author of 4 books.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
My latest book is called ‘Without My Consent’ and it’s about my journey through rape.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I live in my ‘right brain’ (creative brain). I have no logic whatsoever. I act on passion, instinct and gut. My writing habits are as spontaneous as I am.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
Bukowski.

I’m yet to read any author who writes as well as he does and I’ve been an avid reader for twenty years.

I like writing that is raw, crass, grimy and accessible.

What are you working on now?
I’m working on finishing off my glass of Merlot.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
Social media, guest blogging, author interviews, blog tours and online press.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Nope.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Advice is wankery. Nothing turns me off more than authors who spruik advice. (vomit).

What are you reading now?
Into The Wild. By Jon Krakauer.

I’ve read it twice and seen the film umpteen times. I’m most inspired by ‘the individual’ and those who f#ck off conventionality to find deeper meaning and purpose.

What’s next for you as a writer?
I currently work as a freelance columnist for several large media outlets in Australia and overseas — that takes up most of my energy these days.

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?
In this very moment, as of March 2016 — I’d take:

Adultery by Paulo Coelho ( I have been wanting to read it for MONTHS but haven’t yet!)

Lust For Life by Irving Stone (about Van Gogh) I have been reading this book on-and-off . I must finish it!

Never Broken by Jewel Kilcher (I’m a huge fan of Jewel’s poetry, music and prose -hanging out to read her new memoir)

The People Look Like Flowers At Last by Charles Bukowski ( I have all his poetry books but in this very moment, that’s the one I’d take).

Author Websites and Profiles
Vanessa de Largie Website
Vanessa de Largie Amazon Profile

Vanessa de Largie’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile
Facebook Profile
Twitter Account
Pinterest Account

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
This is my first published book. I am a retired educator who directed a program for immigrant students, created many educational materials, and also appeared in a TV series, “The World Comes to Los Angeles”.

After retiring from a long career as a writer of educational materials for children, I rebranded and began entertaining at a weekly story salon held at a local coffee house. I was surprised to learn that my young audiences were delighted with her seven minute, ribald stories about seniors still enjoying sex, romance and a good laugh about themselves.

I She hope to inspire the older crowd to drop some of their inhibitions, get more enjoyment out of life after sixty, and give the younger people a more hopeful look at the future. Sensuality after sixty seems to be the last taboo that TV and the movies seem reluctant to explore. This book may embarrass some, but hopefully it will titillate others to drop a few hang ups and grab what’s left of their lives with gusto and giggles.

I am a graduate of the UCLA Theatre Arts Department and received a Masters Degree in Bilingual Education from California State University. Northridge. She has had educational materials published and appeared in a KLCS series called, “The World Comes to Los Angeles.” I am a proud mother of two sons.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
“Confessions of a Geriatric Prom Queen” was inspired by some very interesting gentlemen that I’ve known throughout my age as a senior. I was encouraged to publish by audiences who heard me read my provocative stories at story-telling venues.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I usually put on some makeup and fix my hair if I’m writing about an especially attractive man featured in one of my stories.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
Mark Twain, David Sedaris and Woody Allen

What are you working on now?
A book about “off the wall teachers” in and out of the classroom who broke the rules and should be acknowledged for their success with students.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
My best method has been in performance. My stories were written to be read aloud. I have some theatre background. I plan an hour with some music accompaniment and wine and cheese and sell books.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
It took me a while to get the courage to write truthfully and reveal things about myself and not to be afraid to edit, edit, edit.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
The woman who hosts the Story Salon where I often read, always urges story tellers to “let their freak flag fly.”

What are you reading now?
I’m reading the books self-published by fellow writers who are reading my book.

What’s next for you as a writer?
I’m writing a children’s’ book introducing primary grade Hispanic children to the possibility of one day going to college.

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 Construct a Simple Home” “How to Identify Edible Plants” “How to Start a Fire” “Shakespeare’s Plays”

Author Websites and Profiles
Lila Silvern Website
Lila Silvern Amazon Profile

Lila Silvern’s Social Media Links
Facebook Profile

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I started out performing in operas and musical theatre, which I’m sure fed into my love of overly romantic and dramatic situations. After a stint as a wedding planner (also full of happy endings!) I gave in to my lifelong dream to write romance. I’m currently writing my 20th book – woo hoo! Only three more to write in 2016…..

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
My most recent release is RISKING IT ALL, book 1 in my Naked Men series. In the series, a group of close-knit friends talk out their problems with naked honesty on a popular blog. Bonded by a high-school tragedy, they’re moving on from the past—and fighting for the future with strong and sassy women. And it all came about at a wine-tasting – twenty five wines in one night! – when a friend mentioned that there ought to be an all-male blog. I immediately picture the soldier (my Coast Guard rescue pilot in book 1), the jock, the sexy nerd and the women that would ensnare them. That was all it took to kick-start this idea into overdrive. Or maybe it was the wine…

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
When I write a full sex scene, I make myself a White Russian. Just one, so the words still come out in order, but always that drink as soon as the virtual condom gets rolled on…

What authors, or books have influenced you?
Nora Roberts. Hands down, reading her books taught me so much, and still do to this day. Julie James, with her smart and sassy heroines. Victoria Dahl for all the sexiness and Rachel Gibson for humor. Then, of course, there are the scores of authors who are my brilliant friends who influence me on a daily basis.

What are you working on now?
Book 3 in the Naked Men series, GIVING IT ALL. This one follows a disaster recovery specialist who travels all over the world saving people. When he reconnects with a high school crush, Logan has to decide if falling in love is worth putting down roots. It is funny and sexy and a double whammy of romance and bromance.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
Aren’t we all still trying to figure that out? I like to connect with people on Twitter, because my real voice is just as sassy and snarky as my writing voice. Hopefully that engages them, and GoodReads helps to spread the word as people get into the books.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Treat it like a career from the start. Set yourself weekly deadlines and force yourself to meet them, no matter what. Learn to churn out words even when you don’t feel like it.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
You can’t edit a blank page. NOTHING could be more true.

What are you reading now?
I just finished Jayne Ann Krentz’s Secret Sisters last night at midnight, because I couldn’t put it down. And I have to dive into my book club choices next – Breathing Lessons by Anne Tyler and The Japanese Lover by Isabel Allende.

What’s next for you as a writer?
I’m prepping for the May release of The Reverse of Perfection, book 2 in my Bad Decisions rock star romance series. And I think I scheduled myself an entire week off before diving into the 4th Naked Men book. Maybe.

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?
Please. I’d bring my Kindle and fill it to capacity. And then I’d write new books in the sand!

Author Websites and Profiles
Christi Barth Website
Christi Barth Amazon Profile

Christi Barth’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile
Facebook Profile
Twitter Account
Pinterest Account

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
Hi. My childhood was one of mixed messages, abuse, and multiple losses. I set on a quest for purpose, and have spent most of my adult life helping hurting people heal and grow. A former pastor and missionary, I now serve as a writer, speaker, and chaplain with Hospice Brazos Valley in Texas. I’ve had the honor or writing 5 books, including two co-authored with New York Times Bestseller Cecil Murphey. I also have over 300 grief-related articles in print. My writing focuses on grief recovery and sexual abuse recovery. I love Hawaiian shirts, cowboy boots, tofu, and corny jokes.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
My latest book is Please Be Patient, I’m Grieving: How to Care For and Support the Grieving Heart. This book was written by request. Literally hundreds of grieving people asked me to write a resource for those closest to them to help them understand grief and the grieving process. The book gives readers a glimpse of the grieving heart. Those who are grieving see themselves as they read, and walk away encouraged that they aren’t as weird or crazy as they thought. Those wanting to help someone grieving gain insight and skills into what their friend, relative, or co-worker is feeling and going through. We can all make more of a difference than we realize!

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
Since I work full-time as a hospice chaplain and speaker, “writing” gets squeezed in when and where I can. As a result, I often have to work fast. I mind-map with passion, but then tend to have the bad habit of editing as I write. Whoops. My preference is to write first thing in the morning. Most of my “material” comes from my personal and professional grief experiences – from walking with thousands of people through grief. Each story is unique, and there are common threads in many lives. I HAVE to be drinking coffee as I write, or it just doesn’t work well…

What authors, or books have influenced you?
Cecil Murphey has become a good friend and a great mentor. I learned much about from him about writing simply, Point of View, and story-telling. I greatly enjoy John Eldredge and his works, especially Waking the Dead and The Sacred Romance. I resonate strongly with his voice, probably since I think it sounds a lot like mine. I have been a fan of C. S. Lewis for a long, long time. I adore his intelligence, his creativity, and his wordsmithing abilities. The Screwtape Letters, The Space Trilogy, the Chronicles of Narnia, and A Grief Observed are among my favorites.

What are you working on now?
I’m currently in the middle of a book launch (Please Be Patient, I’m Grieving), but have already been working on another more exhaustive grief work.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I’ve found that building relationships is the most satisfying form of promotion for me. That happens through my grief recovery community on my Facebook page, through my email course subscribers, and my book launch teams. I’ve had to learn that good promotion comes from being generous – even more generous than is comfortable. I’m here to help as many people as possible – or as many as want it – and that needs to be reflected in my methods of promotion.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Stay at it! In writing, everything builds on itself. I began with keeping a journal. In the summer of 2011, I began writing a weekly newspaper column of 250 words for free. Now it’s 5 years, 5 books, and 300 articles in numerous publications later. Everything matters. Write. Keep writing. And learn to write well. Not perfect, but well.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Done is better than perfect. It is sometimes scary to think about your words being out there in print, forever. But it will never be perfect. I don’t even know what that would be. But it can be good. I have learned to say, “Good enough,” and hit send.

What are you reading now?
I am rereading Waking the Dead, and also Fathered by God by John Eldredge. I’m also enjoying delving into Conan Doyle’s The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes.

What’s next for you as a writer?
Staying the course. I need to be writing, continually. I need to continue to develop relationships and find partners in reaching people who are hurting and need help. I need to network and partner more than I do. The need is massive.

If you were going to be stranded on a desert island and allowed to take 3 or 4 books with you what books would you bring?
The Bible, Robinson Crusoe (ha!), and a Mark Twain collection (for humor’s sake!).

Author Websites and Profiles
Gary Roe Website
Gary Roe Amazon Profile
Gary Roe Author Profile on Smashwords

Gary Roe’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile
Facebook Profile
Twitter Account
Pinterest Account

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
In addition to writing dark speculative fiction for over twenty-five years, I’ve sung lead and backup vocals for bands ranging from classic rock to the blues, dabbled in fine arts, worked in retail management, and accrued a moderate level of expertise in animal care and behavior. I hold a BA in English and graduated from UNLV Magna Cum Laude. I currently live in the dusty outskirts of Sin City with my husband, an editor and educator, and one very spoiled cat.

My published works include traditional Gothic horror novel Finding Poe; the World-Mart trilogy, a dystopian tribute to Orwell, Serling, and Vonnegut; and the dark allegorical tale, Myths of Gods.

I also write urban and mainstream horror as Lisa Lane.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
My latest book, The Private Sector, is a traditional dystopian thriller that prequels World-Mart and Aftermath. The inspiration came to me during the 2012 presidential elections, in response to some pretty heavy rhetoric about privatization versus socialism. As a moderate, seeing both sides to the issue, I felt moved to explore the side that hit me the hardest. I took the rhetoric against public and social services to its extreme, privatizing primary and secondary schools, public works like road maintenance and public transportation, police and fire rescue services, etc. Imagine your house caught fire, for example, but you didn’t have firefighter insurance (or couldn’t afford the deductible)? The novel is a cautionary tale: Be careful what you wish for.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I tend to outline with pen and paper but do my actual writing on the computer.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
Kurt Vonnegut is my biggest influence, followed by Edgar Allan Poe, H. G. Wells, George Orwell, Rod Serling, Richard Matheson, Virginia Woolf, Louise Erdritch, Stephen King, Dean Koontz, and George R. R. Martin.

What are you working on now?
I’m currently writing a cyberpunk novel, still untitled.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I’m still figuring that one out….

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Once you’ve finished your first novel, you’ll be tempted to send it out to every agent and publisher you can find. Don’t. Write another novel, then another, and then go back to that first novel and revise it. You’ll find that your writing has improved quite a bit since you finished that first novel (and if you did actually send it out all over the place, you’ll be kicking yourself in embarrassment). In addition to your own revisions, hire an editor or solicit the help of beta readers (NOT family members) to help you smooth out the kinks. Trust me, they’ll be there. This is coming from someone who’s written over fifteen novels and too many short stories to count.

Just as important: Criticism is your friend. Don’t get defensive when an editor or your beta readers point out possible flaws. They won’t always be right, but they usually are. They can see your work from an outside perspective, without the emotional attachment. It is a rare person who can write a perfect book in one or two drafts. You want your book to be as good as it can be, right? Let others help you to improve the areas that might need some work; everyone, even the most talented of authors, will have room for improvement somewhere. Ask your readers to be brutal, brace yourself for the sting, and then revise the areas that need it. You won’t grow as an author if you can’t accept critique.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
There’s a difference between talent and skill–go back to college and fill your toolbox.

What are you reading now?
Shifters by Jaime Johnesee.

What’s next for you as a writer?
I’m still trying to see what’s just over the horizon, but I’m excited to find out what’s there.

If you were going to be stranded on a desert island and allowed to take 3 or 4 books with you what books would you bring?
The Last Report on the Miracles at Little Big Horse by Louise Erdritch
Cat Fear No Evil by Shirley Rousseau Murphy
The Last Unicorn by Peter S. Beagle
The Shining by Stephen King

Author Websites and Profiles
Leigh M. Lane Website
Leigh M. Lane Amazon Profile

Leigh M. Lane’s Social Media Links
Facebook Profile
Twitter Account

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I am a simple college going guy. I wrote stories in free time. I enjoy story writing as well as story writing. I had written many stories and many more are in my mind which I will write in near future. I specially wrote stories for kids. I love it because I had habit of listening stories from my preschool days. My grandmother regularly used to told me stories. This genre requires super creativity.
Some days ago, I had published a story book for kids. This book contains many short stories. I had written some of them and some of them are folk tales.
I had written five books.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
Some days ago I had published an eBook on kindle -‘Stories For Children.’ This eBook is collection of amazing short stories. This eBook contains 25+ short stories. Each chapter in end has a moral. I has published this eBook keeping in mind the views of children. I think children will enjoy reading this book.
Cute, lovely and worry free faces of children inspire me to write for them.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
Famous children bookwriter like ‘J.K. Rowling’ and ‘Ruskin Bond’ has influenced me to a greater extent. I also like the writing style of ‘Chetan Bhagat’.

What are you working on now?
In few days I will started working on a romantic novel. It will be a love story between a pirate girl and a prince. I will write this specially for teenagers.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
There are various websites to promoting ebooks. Amazon itself provide us opportunity for promoting our ebooks for free through their kdp select platform. Amosomegang is also best for promoting our ebooks for free. The process of submitting eBook on their platform is very simple as compared to other websites. Fiverr and zoodlebooks are also doing well.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
I am a new writer myself. So I have no right to advice them. But I want to tell them that hard work is the key of success. Shortcuts just make you and your career short.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Work as hard as you can. I am the great fan of scientist ‘Sir Thomas Elwa Addition’, he was a man with normal IQ, even then he had invented hundreds of items including bulb. He had done this because of her determination and hard work. Once he had said, ‘Tommorow is my paper but I didn’t care because a sheet of paper can’t decide my future.’

If you were going to be stranded on a desert island and allowed to take 3 or 4 books with you what books would you bring?
I would like to bring some books written on great personalities espically my role modals or great heroes. I will also take books related to the knowledge of herbs shrubs and various plants and animals. From this type of book I will be able to gain the knowledge about nature.
I will also take some poem books of romantic poets like ‘John Keats’ who was a great nature lover and had wrote the poem ‘A thing of beauty’.