Here is Your Saturday Morning Awesomegang Authors Newsletter
Published: Sat, 04/09/16
AwesomeGang Authors
Bringing You Weekly Tips From Authors
Happy Saturday Authors!
I am putting together a little guide to help authors. I have been noticing a lot of authors that don't take advantage of their website or blog. I asked in our Facebook group and got a lot of reactions. What do you need help with? Come respond to my question. The more questions I get the better the guide will be
Awesome Book Promotion Coupon
If you would like to try the AwesomeBookPromotion.com service or help me spread the word I am offering a $15 off coupon. Just enter AWESOME and hit apply. http://awesomebookpromotion.com.
Awesome Monthly Contest
We had 1100 entries last month and I plan on this being a monthly thing. I just set up the promo contest for March. Please feel free to enter and share it.
Current Coupons
Some of you have asked for a current coupon list for the book sites that are on the free promotion page.
Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
Loretta Livingstone is a British author living in the beautiful Chiltern Hills area with her husband and cat. She has written nine books, eight already published and one on its way. At the moment she is writing the second book in the Out of Time series.
She says of her work, “Above all, I want to leave my readers with smiles on their faces.”
What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
Out of Time is my latest book. It is the book I was not going to write! I love historical fiction but didn’t think I was capable of writing it – however, an idea crept into my brain and I found myself writing the very genre I had said I would never attempt. And it got shortlisted for the 2016 Historicl Novel Society Indie Award, so I’m very glad I dared to dream.
Do you have any unusual writing habits?
What authors, or books have influenced you?
Sharon Penman’s wonderful historical novels have long been favourites of mine.
What are you working on now?
At the moment, I am about to complete a book of poetry inspired by Olympic athletes, Hopes, Dreams & Medals volume 2, and I am also working on the second book in the Out of Time series. Yes, the book I was never going to write is turning into a series.
What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I tend to use Facebook and Goodreads. As a sufferer of M.E. I do not have the energy to be as pro-active as I would like so I have to be content with doing whatever I can manage.
Do you have any advice for new authors?
Make sure you have terrific beta-readers.
What are you reading now?
The Winter Mantle by Elizabeth Chadwick
What’s next for you as a writer?
To complete A Promise to Keep, the second in the Out of Time series.
If you were going to be stranded on a desert island and allowed to take 3 or 4 books with you what books would you bring?
The Bible
The Yada Yada Prayer Group by Neta Jackson
Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
Kell Frillman resides in the heart of Pioneer Square in Seattle and enjoys coffee houses, movies, and appletinis. When she’s not writing, sleeping, eating or doing other necessary human activities, she works hard at her day job with an animal rescue that saves lives one dog and cat at a time. Although she tolerates the human race and enjoys the roller coaster rides her fictional characters take her on, she first and foremost attributes the successful completion of each novel to the patience and support of her beloved pets.
What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
My debut book “Dark World : The Surface Girl” is the first of a six book series. I’ve always been fascinated by dystopian fiction and I wanted to create a frightening yet realistic world that would force the characters to cling to their most humanistic qualities in order to survive, whether that be morality or their most primal instincts. I’m the “odd author” who refuses to outline her books ahead of time. I feel as if I’m simply the driving coach but it’s never my foot on the petal, it’s theirs. With each page I discover new things about my characters and peel back layers of the plot as it unfolds.
Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I have a very short attention span so I can’t write as a discipline, I have to be inspired. Only when I am naturally inspired can my characters truly come to life and I can’t control when that happens. Sometimes it happens at 2AM, sometimes it happens in the middle of my work day and sometimes it happens while I am in the shower. But when inspiration hits, I have to drop what I’m doing and write no matter how discreet I have to be!
What authors, or books have influenced you?
I admit it, I’m a sucker for the cult classics. I love The Hunger Games and the Harry Potter series. I love writers who truly shine with their character developement as I find that although I love coming up with creative plots full of conspiracy, it’s my characters that inspire myself as the writer, hopefully you as the reader, and it is them who drive the story forward.
What are you working on now?
Right now I’m working on the sequel to “Dark World : The Surface Girl” titled “Dark World : The Lockdown.” I’m trying to get it done in a proper amount of time but again, I’m at my best only when inspiration hits!
What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I LOVE twitter! It’s so easy to interact with people quickly!
Do you have any advice for new authors?
Quality over quantity. Write a good book, a book that speaks to you, a book you are proud of through every single paragraph. Whether you sell five copies or fifty thousand, write for yourself. A book is only fascinating to read when the author can truly say it was intriguing to write.
What is the best advice you have ever heard?
“Write for yourself.”
Don’t write to make money.
Don’t allow the number of sales determine how much worth you attribute to your book.
Write because you love to write, because you need to write, because you have a story inside of you that you HAVE to tell.
What are you reading now?
I’m reading the Game of Thrones series! It’s a bit long-winded but I still love it.
What’s next for you as a writer?
I’m going to continue my Dark World series (six books in all) and I already have another series in development, an urban fantasy series called “Ask Alice” that I may or may not start working on in the near future, although it will be a while before I can begin releasing 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?
Mossflower – Brian Jaques
Tailchaser’s Song – Tad Williams
When The Wind Blows – James Patterson
All Around The Town – Mary Higgins Clark
Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I have been writing since I was eleven. I published my first book in the mid-nineties, I remember, and I was pleasantly surprised at the ratings it got. I have written at least 40 books, but i published only three; the other two being my latest, “Stage One” and “Stage Two” of THE MIST series. I have been slow in publishing my books which was mostly because I was too busy studying, and then I travelled a bit, plus I had my “official” profession as a teacher. But now I am working on being a full-time writer. I do occasionally coach people on Language skills and behavioral skills, but I am focusing more on my writing now.
What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
My latest book “THE MIST” is a two-part series. It is a political spy thriller and I published the first part in 2013 and the second and last part in January this year (2016). I simply wrote this series in an attempt to bring the readers something fresh, something that contradicts the stereotype of the theme on terrorism and war on terrorism. I thought it was time people had a unique perspective on the subject. I saw a lot of questionable information being passed as truths, and i saw a lot of people wanting more than what was being put in front of them…I thought hey, why not show them the other side of the story…why not set down the conspiracies of the real world in fiction? And so i started writing.
Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I don’t know. I write spontaneously. Is that unusual? I try not to think so much when I write. I let my pen or my fingers to the writing/typing for me. I let my characters do their talking. Then comes the tedious task of rearranging the format, you know; adding meat to the structure. Sometimes, especially of late, I find myself jotting down conversations and scenes as they come to me, and i return to them later to create a flow around them…is that weird?
What authors, or books have influenced you?
Having remained an avid reader from a very young age, and then with Literature as my major, I would say no one in particular. I love words- the formation of words. The writing itself. That is what really got me started on writing.
But of course, we always have writers who have influenced us- our take, so to speak, even without our knowing. In that case I would say Enid Blyton, Agatha Christie, Pascal, and Robert Ludlum, and among others Umar Khayyam, Nazeer Ahmed and Qurat-ul-Ain Haider.
What are you working on now?
I am currently working on two books. One is the sequel to THE MIST series. And the other is about a Psychic…this latter is written in first person which I never do and usually find difficult, but the tone of this book is such that it cannot be written any other way, and so it was really automatically that I began it in that form of narrative.
What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I am not sure…at first I thought book retailer sites like amazon was the main way to go, then I went on to other publishing platforms like Smashwords where I seemed to have sold more books in a matter of months than on amazon, but again one can only do so much so one is forced to go out looking for sites that actually deal with promoting new authors.
When it comes to actual book-promo sites. there is a variety of them out there and each of them are in their own unique way so good that it is hard to compare. But then I am fairly new to them
Do you have any advice for new authors?
To be able to create something is special and it is a gift. I know writing, like everything else, has become commercial. In today’s world it’s all about being fast- but somethings just cannot be artificially pushed. Writing is a process. We all want people to appreciate our creation, our work of art. Sometimes in order to do that we compromise and we lose our voice. I believe if we write what people want to hear then we are no creators. We are no writers. We are like any other salesperson…
A true writer keeps his/her own voice. Best-sellers are overrated. When you accumulate a fan-base slowly and painfully you know they are your real fans. You know they like you and your creation. And you know you have truly accomplished something. Because as writers we have this unsaid task of informing our audience, or educating them, and of giving them their voice back. It is a lot of power and it is not limited to journalists- it never was.
What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Trust no one but yourself.
What are you reading now?
I am right now watching more than reading. You see, I am also a script-writer, so nowadays I am focusing on many of the upcoming series and serials and I am enjoying myself seeing how creatively many have adapted classics and how many have taken it further by creating news worlds out of the classics. I need to keep in touch
What’s next for you as a writer?
More writing! Hopefully.
If you were going to be stranded on a desert island and allowed to take 3 or 4 books with you what books would you bring?
Any of the Hercule Poirot books by Agatha Christie. Have read them a million times and can read them a million more times.
Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I’m the Author of the darkly twisted epic paranormal romance series, “The Children of Ankh.” The main series has three books out, “Sweet Sleep, Enlightenment and Let There Be Dragons.” Book four in the main series will be released at the beginning of next year. The side series has one book released, “Wild Thing.” I’m writing the second book in the side series. “Wicked Thing,” will be released summer 2016. I also have a couple of children’s books out. I used to work as an Early Childhood educator in preschool, daycare, and as an aid. I’ve lived most of my life on Vancouver Island in beautiful British Columbia, Canada. I currently live in the gorgeous little town of Port Alberni. I’m a single mom with two awesome kids.
What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
“Let There Be Dragons,” is my latest book. In my series they all have abilities. This book is centered on the main female character living with the aftermath of becoming an emotionless Dragon. (Not a green scaley one. A dragon in this series is someone who can operate without emotion) She becomes a Dragon so she can survive the immortal Testing. This Testing is basically a lovely stroll through hell where they are killed thousands of times in increasingly creative ways and they have to learn to stand back up every time, they fall. In this book, Kayn is learning to live with what she has become. (I have M.S)
Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I have some strange things right beside my computer. A giant hunk of rose quartz (That’s what Clan Ankh’s healing tombs are made of in my series.) A zombie pen holder. Some sea shells. (In my series if you are in the in-between and you pick up a shell you are hit by a rogue tsunami.) I’ve been wearing the same sterling silver Ankh earrings and necklace for years. I also have a plaque sitting here with a quote, “Do one thing every day that scares you.” I really try to live by that quote. There’s also some pictures of my kids.
What authors, or books have influenced you?
I’d say my earliest influences were C.S Lewis with his magical imagery and Judy Blume, with her hilarious moments. Stephen King. He just blows my mind. Robert Munsch for the most entertaining kids books. I’m a genre hopper.
What are you working on now?
I’m writing the second book in the side series. This side series starts with, “Wild Thing.” It has the same characters but it’s Lexy of Ankh’s back story. The second book, “Wicked Thing,” runs parallel to the main series. The plan is to take it six months or so past, “Let There Be Dragons.” We’ll see, I haven’t finished writing it yet
What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
Twitter is my best method. Instagram and Pinterest tie for second place.
Do you have any advice for new authors?
Keep writing it doesn’t happen overnight. It can take five or ten years to develop your readership.
What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Take your filter off and write what you really want to write.
What are you reading now?
I was just starting to read a book by Luke Romyn, but I’ve become lost in Wicked Thing. I’ll get back to it.
What’s next for you as a writer?
I have six books almost completed. I keep saying I’m going to find the time to finish them but the fans of this main series really want the next book out and these are not short books. I have the cover done for, “Bring Out Your Dead.” As soon as I’m finished the release of, “Wicked Thing.” I plan to finish, “Bring Out Your Dead.” It’s a shorter book about a thirteen-year-old girl. The plan was to aim it at middle grade, but I was having a difficult time staying in that box. After that, I have to get my butt in gear if I plan to get book four in the main series out for January 2017.
If you were going to be stranded on a desert island and allowed to take 3 or 4 books with you what books would you bring?
I’d bring surviving on a deserted island for Dummies. A book on Tropical health remedies and a dictionary. If I’m going to be a smart ass. It’s best to be one all by myself.
Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I have written two published novels to date as well as several works as yet unpublished or partly completed.
What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
The Crushing Son. I grew up in and have worked in the quarrying and ready-mix concrete business my whole life. Well nearly my whole life as I was also a high school teacher and basketball coach for a few years. This story was inspired by my experiences working within an industry few understand. The characters are imaginary, but the story itself is very real and draws on my experiences in New Zealand and Australia.
Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I am unusual as I edit as I go. I started out just writing and writing, but I found when I went back, the writing was either very weak or riddled with errors. The edit task was just that much harder. So now I write a little, then edit a lot. The result is an economical style that tells the story in as few words as possible without leaving the reader unfulfilled.
What authors, or books have influenced you?
The list is very long but has changed over the years. Authors I had little time for I now respect a lot. I particularly like John Mulgan, NZ author of Man Alone. He killed himself in Cairo shortly after the end of the Second World War. Consequently he only wrote the one novel, which I think is the great New Zealand novel. Then I like Witi Ihimaera, Frank Sargeson and James K Baxter. You may notice they’re mostly poets.
Then outside New Zealand I like such a wide variety of authors it’s hard to single any out. There are so many good writers out there. My interests are varied to say the least, from Benjamin Graham’s The Intelligent Investor through to Tom Sharpe of Blott on the Lansdscape fame.
I have a daughter reading all the Hornblower series, by C.S. Forester at the moment. She’s trying to learn what all the nautical terms mean. Isn’t that cool!
What are you working on now?
I am writing a young adult fiction, about Jemima Fiander Superhero Accountant. Then I have a science fiction about the war of the Superclusters, Earth could end up destroyed.
What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
Awesome Gang get a high rank on Google. Amazon is the best though, all said and done.
Do you have any advice for new authors?
Write a lot and write well. Have a strong voice in your writing, tell a good story, craft it well. Then if you can, make it sing. When your novel sings, it’s art.
What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Don’t eat with your mouth open.
What are you reading now?
Quarry Management magazine from the U.K.
What’s next for you as a writer?
Keep trying to get better. I must get better.
If you were going to be stranded on a desert island and allowed to take 3 or 4 books with you what books would you bring?
That’s hard. The Whole Earth Catalogue would help me survive so that would be on the list. Then other manuals on making things out of nothing.
Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I began writing stories as a child, filling up spiral notebooks which have since, fortunately, been eaten by a black hole in space. I’m an editor, essayist, songwriter, graphic designer and novelist, and also the proprietor of Five59 Publishing, which puts out a short story anthology each quarter, including the annual horror collection 13 BITES and the SF collection PLAN 559 FROM OUTER SPACE.
What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
My most recent work was a collaboration with Brazilian author Bruno Carlos Santos, which is an erotic romance-coming-of-age tale called EVENINGS IN PASAGARDA. Mr. Santos contacted me and said he was interested in publishing in America and so we decided to work together on it.
Do you have any unusual writing habits?
You mean the thing where I wrap myself in a giant corn tortilla and chant like a Buddhist monk? No, nothing other than that.
What authors, or books have influenced you?
Stephen King, Joseph Marshall, Clive Cussler, J. K. Rowling… there’s a lot of ’em.
What are you working on now?
I actually have about five different projects that I’m juggling right now. It’ll be a surprise to me to see which one gets done first.
What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I have a list of about 200 promotional sites. They all have their merits.
Do you have any advice for new authors?
Read, read, read, write, write, write, get a good editor, and don’t skimp on the book cover.
What is the best advice you have ever heard?
“When I sit down to write, which is the essential moment in my life, I am completely alone. Whenever I write a book, I accumulate a lot of documentation. That background material is the most intimate part of my private life. It’s a little embarrassing – like being seen in your underwear It’s like the way magicians never tell others how they make a dove come out of a hat.” — Gabriel Garcia Marquez
What are you reading now?
I’m rereading Stephen King’s “THE GUNSLINGER, Book I of his Dark Tower series.
What’s next for you as a writer?
I am collaborating on an epic story of man’s journey to the stars. Hopefully that will be out in the summer of 2016.
If you were going to be stranded on a desert island and allowed to take 3 or 4 books with you what books would you bring?
– The Complete Works of Shakespeare
– The Stand (uncut version) by Stephen King
– The Journey of Crazy Horse by Joseph Marshall III
– As thick a college ruled spiral notebook as I could get my hands on.
Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I am, what I like to refer to as a “Vintage Woman”, sounds much better than Old Biddy, don’tcha think? I write historical romance, it seems fitting. For 35 years I suffered with writers’ block, a very painful condition for someone who was able to write all of her younger life. It’s like the most delicious meal is right in front of you, and your arms are tied to the chair.
Putting my life on hold for 8 years, I took care of my ailing parents, Mom had ovarian cancer, and when she was dying, Dad suffered a major stroke. Because I was unable to work outside of the home my Social Security was drastically affected, thus I am forced to live on a very limited income.
Then one morning while I was recovering from by-pass surgery on both legs, (Oh yeah, my legs gave out 2 days after Dad passed, go figure.) it was a sudden surprise to find that a story was flowing from my fingertips, and the blockage had crumbled. I hoped that publishing and selling my books would augment my paltry social security and improve my quality of life.
I’m sure that you might be familiar with Murphy’s Law: That which can go wrong; will go wrong. Well, allow me to introduce you to Nickii’s Law: Murphy was an optimist. I can write like a maniac, but affording to do all that it takes to publish a good book…I refer you to the taped arms reference.
To date I have published 6 books. Currently I have one more completed, two nearly so, and about nine others in various states of completion. I am what could be described as a serial writer.
The de Clare Chronicles begins in 1213 England, and consists of 4 books, and is the continuous story of the part the de Clare’s played in the Magna Carta, along with a loving romance.
In the Chronicles: Love’s Tie That Binds, Love’s Sweet Home, Love’s Valiant Struggle, and The Golden Thread.
Glorious Surrender set in 1366 is a stand alone book, and I have received requests from my readers for a sequel.
Quarter Given begins in 1067, and is my latest published work.
What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
Fate by Fire. It hasn’t been published yet, but will be in the near future. The settings in my books are developed using my actual ancestors, their last names, and the historical facts of the time and place they lived. I come from a very long line of Kings, Queens, and other nobility. So much for genetics, if it all gets watered down to a little old lady, a neurotic cat, and a bedoffice. Sad.
Fate by Fire begins with the great London fire of 1666. My 7th great grand uncle, Charles 2nd, is on the throne. The plague had ravaged England and Europe, and the last reported case of plague was in January. On September 3rd the fire began on Pudding Lane in the primarily wooden medieval city, and spread very quickly through the streets and allies, throwing the citizenry into a panic. It took several days to put the fire out, and scores of years to rebuild and improve London.
Though he received little credit for his actions at the time, King Charles II, was out fighting the fire on the first day, taking omen f his courtiers with him. Charles was in a very difficult place, his father, King Charles I, had been beheaded in 1649, when a revolt took place and he was placed on trial. Most of the royalists in England, Scotland, and Ireland fled to Europe, and were in exile until 1660 when Charles 2nd returned. This is a very interesting time, and far too complicated for this. Fate by Fire lightly touches on this subject, serving as background for the story.
I love history, and majored in it at college. I’m fascinated by what life was like, and how people dealt with the day to day challenges. These become the inspiration for my books.
Do you have any unusual writing habits?
My writer’s office is my bed, and I lay on my stomach and use a touch screen computer. It’s just me and my cat, Syndi, plugging away.
What authors, or books have influenced you?
The late Kathleen Woodiwiss, and Roberta Gillis. There have been many others who have inspired me in one way or another, there is a great variety of the sisterhood out there.
What are you working on now?
There are two books that I’m bounding between at the moment. An Unprepared Life has guest appearances of the main characters from The de Clare Chronicles, and is very close to completion. Josephine de Carter has spent her young life preparing to enter a Covent on her 18th birthday. When Ethan, Royal Duke of Lanark arrives to offer marriage, her greedy parents accept, ignoring their promise to the church. Josephine is thrown into a life she is not prepared for.
Conquered (the working title) takes place in 1071. Lord Alan has been gifted a large holding for his service to King William in his conquest of England. His father’s health keeps him from claiming it for 5 years. In hopes of creating a happy life for himself, he arrives to find that h’s interests have been managed expertly by the daughter of the original Thane who was killed at Hastings. To his horror he finds her attempting to take her life rather than become a Normans whore.
What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I’ve only just starting to promote my books. The majority of my time has been dedicated to writing. Being “vintage”, I am new to social media and am muddling my way through their usefulness. I’ve been posting and running ads on Facebook, tweeting my little heart out, and using what other sites as I learn about them. To be honest, I’m downright pitiful at it.
Do you have any advice for new authors?
Yes. Write every day, even if only for 5 minutes. Often, when you aren’t feeling inspired, sitting down for a few minutes will get the juices flowing. Before you know it you’ll have written several pages. Writing is a very lonely venture, just you, the plots, and characters. Oh, and if you have a cat be prepared to have them believing that they are the co-author.
Find a good editor!
Make use of a few beta readers, their input is invaluable.
What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Find a good editor. Be passionate about the work, the love you put in it will resonate with your readers. You are not just writing; you are painting a picture that will take the reader into the world you create.
What are you reading now?
Because I am in the process of writing and editing, I only have time to read my own working. I admit that the author is brilliant! The story is riveting, the characters believable and well fleshed out.
What’s next for you as a writer?
That’s a good question, I don’t know that I have an answer to that. Mostly finishing the books I’ve started, and corralling all the thought for new ones that are rattling around in my head. I’m also focusing on promoting my work, and conquering marketing myself in an efficient way.
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. You can read it repeatedly and get something new out of it each time.
The Wolf and the Dove by Kathleen Woodiwiss. I simply love this book.
How to survive on a desert island.
A medical book in case of illness or injury.
Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
Thomas Baker is the Past-President of TESOL Chile (2010-2011). He is the past Coordinator of the English Department at Colegio Internacional SEK in Santiago, Chile. He is the Co-Founder and Co-Organiser of EdCamp Santiago 2012 & Edcamp Chile 2013, free professional development for teachers, by teachers. EdCamp Santiago 2012 was held at Universidad Mayor in Santiago. Edcamp Chile 2013 was held at Universidad UCINF. Thomas is also a past member of the Advisory Board for the International Higher Education Teaching and Learning Association (HETL), where he also serves as a reviewer and as the HETL Ambassador for Chile. Thomas enjoys writing about a wide variety of topics. Thus far, he has written the following genres: romance, historical fiction, autobiographical, sports history/biography, and English Language Teaching. He has published a total of sixty five (65) books, all available on Amazon. The source and inspiration for his writing comes from his family, his wife Gabriela, and his son, Thomas Jerome Baker, Jr.
What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
Black History Is American History: Should Black History Month Be Eliminated? Or, A Great Debate is my last book. It was inspired by the actress Stacey Dash, who famously said that Black History Month should be eliminated. A friend of mine from my high school days and I had a debate about the issue.
Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I always write what I know. This lets me be comfortable with the topic I am writing about.
What authors, or books have influenced you?
Robert Louis Stevenson, Ray Bradbury, and Stephen King. These are all masters of the art and craft of writing, and their work has been very valuable to me as a reference to aspire to.
What are you working on now?
A romance about a girl who meets a boy while running. She doesn’t like him at first, but then he protects her from an attacker and she falls in love with him only to discover that there is a huge reason for the two of them not to let things go any further…
What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
My blog, and social media like Twitter, Facebook, Pinterest, Instagram, YouTube, etc.
Do you have any advice for new authors?
Find yourself a genre and a writer who is so good you think you could never write as well as they do. Read that author twice as much as you write. But whatever you do, don’t let anyone or anything discourage you from achieving your goal. Eventually, your efforts will pay off, sooner, or later.
What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Never give up.
What are you reading now?
Someone Else’s Daughter by Linsey Lanier
What’s next for you as a writer?
I have many goals, three works in progress right now, and several nonfiction books in need of a second edition, so 2016 is quite a busy year for me.
If you were going to be stranded on a desert island and allowed to take 3 or 4 books with you what books would you bring?
The Bible (for my spiritual needs)
Robinson Crusoe by Daniel Defoe (entertaining)
War and Peace by Tolstoy
(1,440 pages: I could start and finish it on the island)
How To Survive On A Desert Island (a practical book)
Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
Hello,
I live in a small village in the lovely county of Cumbria, although my books are set in Oxfordshire where I was born and raised. I spent five years serving in the Royal Navy on submarines in the late 70’s/early 80’s. The navy introduced me to lots of different characters and taught me the importance of teamwork and acting responsibly.
I have always had an overwhelming urge to write. Poems, short stories, novels, even random stuff that just pops into my head. I sold a couple of short stories to magazines back in the nineties, but then I was widowed and left on my own to raise two young daughters. I didn’t write for a long time as I adjusted to my new role in life. Now, thankfully, I have rediscovered my passion for writing and it’s all systems go!
My three favourite authors are Stephen King, Tom Sharpe and Catherine Cookson. My favourite book is Misery by Stephen King, and I think the film adaptation is superb.
What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
My latest book will be published on the 8th April 2016. The Eyes of the Accused is the second in the Ben Whittle Investigations and continues following Ben and Maddie from The Revelation Room as they begin a investigating a new case.
The Revelation Room focused on Ben and how he took over his father’s private investigation business. The Eyes of the Accused lets readers find out more about Maddie, her childhood, and her strengths and weaknesses.
Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I write better in the afternoons than in the morning.
I work better listening to music. Favourite writing music would include Bruce Springsteen, the Beatles, Neil and Tim Finn and Paul Weller.
What authors, or books have influenced you?
He gets mentioned a lot, but Stephen King. I’ve read the vast majority of his books and like how he has developed a style that is uniquely his and how he breaks so-called writing rules!
I also love Tom Sharpe’s books. He is a British author who has written the Wilt series among others and he’s had me laughing so hard I couldn’t breathe for a while.
What are you working on now?
I’m starting work on my third book which will be a stand alone (not a Ben Whittle book).
Do you have any advice for new authors?
Talk to other authors. The vast majority of other authors I’ve meet on social media are willing to help and offer advice. I’ve picked up so much valuable information from joining forums/groups and getting to know other authors.
What are you reading now?
Doctor Sleep by Stephen King.
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.
Under the Dome by Stephen King
The 5 people you meet in Heaven by Mitch Albom
Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I have written 9 novels, and I have written and illustrated 2 children’s books. I have always loved words. My grandmother was a great one to weave stories from her past. She was also an avid reader. She only had a third-grade education, so she advanced her knowledge through her love of reading. I credit her with lighting my creative spark.
I never know where my muse will take me. That is the joy of creating worlds in your imagination. Currently, I am working on the fourth novel in my mystery series, ‘Ashes of Yesterday.’ These novels are set in the 1920s, a time of great change for America. World War One had just ended. Prohibition was allowing the rise of gangsters and corruption all across the country. The Jazz era is so rich and colorful, and I am enjoying writing stories that reflect this time period.
I guess you can say that, like my Granny, I am a lifelong learner whose curiosity takes her down a lot of goat paths!
What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
‘Beastly House’ is the first of my Cupid/Archer Mystery Series. I also have written ‘Cupid’s Archer.’ My latest book, the third in this series, is called ‘The Dust of Death.’ It begins, as they all do, with a nightmare dream sequence which has become the hallmark of this series. My research into World War One has been an eye-opening experience. I have written a story called, ‘Songs of the Night’, which was set during the years leading up to the American Civil War.
The Civil War was catastrophic, but with World War One, you had mechanized war with tanks, poisonous gas, and flamethrowers. You had a stagnant battlefield – the war lasted for years and was literally fought for inches of territory. The fact that men were sent ‘over the top’ to certain death from their positions in the trenches is horrendous. Yet, they obeyed the order.
Just like the Civil War, a whole generation of young men was lost in WW1. And there were no treatments for many of the survivors who suffered from post-traumatic stress. So, I start out these stories with my nightmare dream sequence. That is my way of trying to convey a sense of the horror of war and paying tribute to those brave souls who fought.
But I love a good mystery, so my two sleuths, Florian Valentine Flix, aka Cupid, and his partner, Phalen Archer, are soon ankle deep in murder. In this way, I try to combine a little bit of seriousness with entertainment for my readers as they try to solve the puzzle of my next whodunit.
Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I have an old computer that I love. I have broken the control key, patched it up with duct tape, and still keep pounding out stories on it. The ‘u’ key is worn out. I have newer devices, but there’s just something about this old machine that is as comfortable as a worn sweater or your favorite old shoes. Although I have a newer computer, it doesn’t have the same feel when I strike the keys on the keyboard. I will mourn this old workhorse on its passing when it finally wears out.
What authors, or books have influenced you?
William Faulker
Eudora Welty
What are you working on now?
My latest novel in progress is ‘Ashes of Yesterday.’ It continues the saga of my two sleuths, Florian Valentine Flix and Phalen Archer. I look forward to letting these two characters grow as this series progresses. And yes, I think I have a few surprises for them up my sleeve.
What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I am grateful to Amazon for allowing self-published authors a platform to get their books out there.
Do you have any advice for new authors?
Don’t be afraid to try. Yes, you will make mistakes. Everyone does. But learn from them and move on. Dust yourself off, and keep trying. And most importantly, try to make each effort better than the one before.
What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Someone who is perfect is someone who is doing nothing.
What are you reading now?
Ayn Rand
What’s next for you as a writer?
I just want to complete as many really good, quality stories as I can. I want those worlds I create to be palpable and real for my readers. I have a slogan that I have placed on my website: jonigreen.com. — Lose yourself in other worlds.
This is the goal that I strive for in my novels. I want my stories to be real in my readers minds. I want my readers to become so immersed in the stories that they lose themselves 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?
I think I would bring 4 anthologies of great literature. That’s a selfish choice, I think. But it would allow me to cram as many of the most talented authors into those few books as possible.
Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I grew up on a farm in Virginia and have a B.S. degree in Dairy Science from VA Tech. While working in Richmond, Virginia, I earned my M.S. degree in Mass Communications from VA Commonwealth University. That combination gave me a unique capacity to converse effectively with large herds of cows. Seriously, my life path has taken a number of twists and turns, but writing and speaking have always been on the trail.
In February, I published my first novel, “Mystical Aria: Seeking the Gallion Queen.” It launched as Amazon #1 New Release in Children’s American Folk Tales & Myths. A few days later, it hit Amazon #1 Best Seller in Children’s eBooks > Fairy Tales, Folk Tales & Myths > United States. I’ve gone a long way from cowgirl to best-selling author.
What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
I felt inspired to write “Mystical Aria: Seeking the Gallion Queen” when I first heard the voice of 12-year-old Aria Vanir during a writing media workshop. I was working on another book with entirely different characters at the time, but Aria gently nudged her way to the focal point of my creative attention. Through journaling, she told me about herself and introduced me to the other characters. Essentially, I let the characters tell their stories.
I feel passionate about creating entertaining media that inspires kids to react from love, not fear, thus bringing more peace into their lives. I believe there’s too much violence in the world, especially for youngsters. I chose to write about spiritual/religious themes of love, prosperity, infinity, and forgiveness in a “funtastic” tone to capture hearts of kids and adults. In “Mystical Aria: Seeking the Gallion Queen,” I created a girl’s version of Steven Spielberg’s “E.T.”
Since I don’t have children of my own, I want to leave a legacy of positive stories that kids enjoy reading for generations.
Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I prefer to write all first drafts by hand in an unlined notebook, preferably at my Smyrna, Georgia home in a comfy chair by a window. I quiet my mind, connect with the characters, and journal with the characters about their lives. The plot unfolds from there.
Since I work full-time as an information technology consultant, my prime creative hours are mornings, weekends, and holidays.
What authors, or books have influenced you?
C.S. Lewis, Laura Ingalls Wilder, and the Nancy Drew series.
What are you working on now?
I’m working on a sequel in the “Mystical Aria” series. It is composed of Aria’s diary entries while she’s on the superspaceship with the good aliens (Gallions) in the first book. The sequel describes Aria’s feelings and experiences at a deeper level. It also describes funny conversations and interactions she has with the aliens that aren’t covered in the first book.
What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I used Denise Cassino, who is a specialist at helping authors reach Amazon #1 best seller status. See http://www.bestsellerservices.com/.
Do you have any advice for new authors?
Find your passion, make a commitment, and connect with your characters.
What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Do one big thing every day to write, publish, or promote your books.
What are you reading now?
I’m reading “The One Minute Millionaire” by Mark Victor Hansen and Robert G Allen.
What’s next for you as a writer?
Promoting “Mystical Aria: Seeking the Gallion Queen” and typing my hand-written draft of the sequel.
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?
“Survival Guide for Being Stranded on a Desert Island”
“Desert Island Survival for Dummies”
“What To Say When You Talk To Yourself” by Shad Helmstetter, PhD
Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I am the author of the contemporary romance novels Deep Blue and Deeper (Books 1 and 2 in the Deep Blue Trilogy). I wrote and illustrated my first short story at the age of eight, and I’ve been writing for most of my live. My love of the written word continued throughout my varied career as a newspaper journalist and editor, public relations executive, freelance travel writer and owner/operator of two small businesses. I was born and raised in Texas, but I spent most of my adult life in Colorado before relocating to Virginia in 2014. I live in a 100-year-old house with my husband, a standard poodle and geriatric cat. I love rock and soul music, contemporary art and pop culture, and I consider myself a free-spirited baby boomer with a youthful attitude..
What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
My most recent book, Deeper, was inspired by the characters in my first book, Deep Blue. I became so attached to them midway through writing the book that I couldn’t let them go. I thought it would be fun and challenging to write a romance novel about how an older couple manages to keep the spark alive after the honeymoon is over. In this case, Robert Silver, the love of Claire’s life, has a secret in his past that comes to light, threatening his new marriage and fracturing his family.
Do you have any unusual writing habits?
Nothing too unusual. I prefer to write on my laptop in my upstairs office where I am surrounded by my favorite artwork and inspirational objects. I have a cushy office swivel chair that fits my back. When things are going well and the muse speaks to me, I can work for hours and lose track of time.
What authors, or books have influenced you?
I’m a pretty eclectic reader. I have read every book that John Steinbeck and F. Scott Fitzgerald wrote. I was a huge fan of Jacqueline Susanne’s work, particularly Valley of the Dolls. One of my favorite novels is A Confederacy of Dunces, a work of comic genius that I’ve read multiple times. My favorite contemporary novelist is Barbara Kingsolver, but I’ve also read a lot of James Patterson. I think my writing style has been influenced by his approach as much as anyone else.
What are you working on now?
I’m working on Deep End (Book 3 in the Deep Blue Series), which I hope to finish by the end of this year. I’m taking my time because I want this to be the best book yet in the series and leave my characters in a good place. Then, I plan to spin off a secondary character, celebrity chef Andre Thibodeaux, into his own book. He’s a hottie with a big personality…and the man can cook! This story is set in New Orleans so I’m planning a research trip later this year.
What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
Deep Blue was published in late 2015, so I’m still getting my feet wet when it comes to promotion. I’ve had the most success so far with Facebook because I’ve been on it longer and have more connections. I promote on other Facebook sites and sometimes use paid promotions when my books are on sale. I’ve received some good publicity through our local newspaper and book signings.
Do you have any advice for new authors?
Don’t let anyone tell you that “you can’t, you won’t” or “you shouldn’t.” Do what you love and don’t give up. Write because you have to express yourself, not because you think you’ll make a lot of money, because most writers don’t.
What is the best advice you have ever heard?
I was at a writer’s group meeting where the topic was “facing your fears.” I thought I was confident, but then I began to wonder if I was running out of ideas. What if the first book was just a fluke? When I expressed this to the group, from somewhere in the back of the room came a voice that said, “Trust your gift.” I don’t even know who said it, but those three works have completely changed my attitude.
Trust your gift.
What are you reading now?
I’m reading A Salty Piece of Land by Jimmy Buffett (yes, that Buffett) that my editor Todd Barselow recommended, and it’s very entertaining. Next on the list is Wool by Hugh Howey. My husband read and loved, and he’s going to keep talking about it and spoil the plot if I don’t catch up. I have several other romance books waiting on my Kindle.
What’s next for you as a writer?
I am hoping to acquire an agent within the next year who can help me get more exposure for my books.
If you were going to be stranded on a desert island and allowed to take 3 or 4 books with you what books would you bring?
A Confederacy of Dunces by John Kennedy Toole
The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald
Pigs In Heaven by Barbara Kingsolver
Interview with the Vampire by Anne Rice
Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
4
What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
A Month of Sundays
Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I try to incorporate whiskey throughout the process.
What authors, or books have influenced you?
Wilbur Smith, Caleb Carr and Stephen King are my biggest influencers.
What are you working on now?
I am currently writing about a group of Louisiana salt miners who are trapped.
What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
Smashwords.com has been working well for me.
Do you have any advice for new authors?
Research can be fun so do it and do it thoroughly.
What is the best advice you have ever heard?
No one knows what you’re supposed to be saying/writing. So write it like you feel.
What are you reading now?
I am currently reading The Haunter of the Ring and Other Tales by Robert E. Howard. He’s a fellow Texan by the way.
What’s next for you as a writer?
I am really focusing on writing screenplays so hopefully L.A.
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?
Survival for Dummies, Shawshank Redemption and Lord of the Flies.
Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I am an author, blogger, speaker, life coach and anti-bullying activist. I oversee a company called “Bullying Recovery”, where our mission is to help those that are in crisis due to past or current bullying events to seek out and find the needed help to recover both mentally and physically from the long-term effects. I live just outside of Washington, DC. So far, I have written a one-act play in conjunction with my old high school called “Standing By” about teen bullying and published my first novel, which is my memoir. The title of the book is “A Ladder In The Dark: My journey from bullying to self-acceptance” and it looks at my life and how bullying affected me for many years, until I finally had to get help for my C-PTSD and learn to accept the past. I have been blogging about the long-term effects of bullying for over 8 years at http://bullyinglte.wordpress.com and my website can be found at http://bullyingrecovery.org.
What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
My latest book, “A Ladder In The Dark: My journey from bullying to self-acceptance”, is really my autobiography about my younger days being bullied and how that formed the person I came to be, along with problems such as C-PTSD, anxiety, and depression. I wanted to share my honest portrayal of how this affected me and then also share how I learned to recover and accept myself again. It is a journey that many, unfortunately have to take and it helps to hear how other people learned from it. I was inspired by spending eight years blogging on my website about this subject and have had well over one million visitors that use the website, so I thought it time to create a book to help as well.
Do you have any unusual writing habits?
My books are in my head. I would say that, if I was a child today, I would be classified with ADHD, because I currently have about 3 books floating in my head. My unusual writing habit is to do a rough outline, but mostly make my first draft writing stream of conscious as I have found that I can think and write quickly at the same time. Of course, then a heavy edit is required, but I enjoy getting the first draft out of my head and then resting before looking at it again. For me, it’s all right there in my head and I just need the tools to get it out.
What authors, or books have influenced you?
“Salem’s Lot” by Stephen King, because it was the first book I read by him and is still one of my favorite stories by him. I think that if vampires were around today, they would act just as Mr. King wrote them.
“The Life of Pi” by Yann Martel. I couldn’t put this book down and the ending just blew me away. It was such a compelling read.
“The Odyssey” by Homer. I might have been the only person in my English class in high school that loved this book. It is such high adventure and action and, while not easy to read, is the first book to approach the cliffhanger story that I know of.
“The Help” by Tate Taylor. Some books are life changing experiences and this is one of them. Telling the truth in a story and the obvious research to create this tale makes it one of my favorites.
“The World According to Garp” by John Irving. Really any book by John Irving, because his ability to take situations that would be bizarre to anyone else and make it seem real is uncanny. There are no other authors I know of like him and I am always surprised by each page he writes. It makes for fun reading.
What are you working on now?
I am working on a fiction book that looks at the thin line between people who are bullied and commit suicide and those that go into the school with a weapon and use it. I was inspired to write it by my son’s English teacher who told me that the kids today don’t read. I told her I disagreed and feel they read more, but it’s all on their phones and tablets. Then I thought, what if a book for a teen was written in this way? That’s what I am attempting. To say more would ruin what is to come. I am looking forward to the challenge of writing this book.
What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
Promoting is a very difficult part of the experience. As a graduate in Media Communications, I have some training in marketing and promoting. The best method I can recommend is to know what audience you want to deliver your book to and find as many ways possible to reach that group. Also, use Press Releases and send them personally to specific outlets that you want to advertise your books. Then find things like CreateSpace, Goodreads, your site and Smashwordsthat will help you get the word out and have links to your books.
Do you have any advice for new authors?
If you dream it, you can do it. Today, we live in a world where self-publishing is a reality, but you must learn as much about publishing as the old publishers. Know what an ISBN number is, a Library of Congress number, and how you will need to format your book using tools you may not have ever heard before, like Scrivener or parts of Microsoft Word you’ve never touched. Know that editing is a big part of the process and you must pay for good editors. They will make you a better writer.
What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Live your life by the length of it, but also by the width of it. Also, always remember this quote from Eleanor Roosevelt: “Yesterday Is History. Tomorrow is mystery. Today is a gift. That’s why it’s called The Present.” Always live your dreams and don’t quit due to a failure or two. That is just part of life.
What are you reading now?
Right now, I am reading Revival by Stephen King as well as several self-help books on bullying issues and the scientific study of bullying. I am also reading some interesting books about mental health, told as a memoir from the perspective of the person going through their struggles.
What’s next for you as a writer?
Marketing, marketing, marketing. I am working hard to get speaking engagements and book signings for “A Ladder in the Dark”. In the meantime, I am working on my new book about bullycide and school shootings. I am also working to get speaking engagements about the book and will be doing some book club guest appearances in the near 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?
1. The Five People You Meet in Heaven by Mitch Albom
2. The Stand by Stephen King
3. The Odyssey by Homer
4. Unbroken by Laura Hillenbrand
Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
Just the one!
What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
Story of a Secret Heart.
When I turned 30 I was single, alone and heart broken on the other side of the globe. I wrote this book as sort of therapy at the time, but after people started reading it and said it was actually good, I thought maybe others might like to hear my story. Maybe those going through a hard time will take something away from it.
Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I find it sooooo difficult to write in the correct tense! Most of the time, I should of course be in the past tense, but as I often imagine myself in a particular moment in time, I constantly slip into the present tense.
I think my editor would like to strangle me sometimes!
What authors, or books have influenced you?
I love Chick Lit books like Bridget Jones’s Diary. My favourite author is actually Jodi Picoult. Saying that, I am currently reading Sleep Tight by Rachel Abbott, so I guess all types really.
I adore the Harry Potter books!
What are you working on now?
I really should start the sequel to Story of a Secret Heart, but I haven’t as yet.
What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I like Facebook, but I think that’s because I know how to use it! I am just starting to use WordPress and I think, when I get the hang of it, I will actually really like it.
Do you have any advice for new authors?
Promotion, promotion, promotion! Just be consistent and never give up.
What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Everything will be OK in the end, and if it is not OK, it is not the end.
What are you reading now?
Apart from Sleep Tight by Rachel Abbott, I have just downloaded Paper Kisses by R.M. Grace.
What’s next for you as a writer?
I honestly have no idea. Book number two I guess.
If you were going to be stranded on a desert island and allowed to take 3 or 4 books with you what books would you bring?
Harry Potter
A book about survival!
My Sisters Keeper
Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I grew up around the world and have developed a bizarre accent that can sometimes be described as mostly Irish, a fair whack of English, and a hint of American. None of that is remotely handy for someone who lives in Australia. I’m more often than not awake at 2am, I have a habit of buying more books than I can ever read, and I am the author of four Kingston Raine books.
What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
My most recent book is Kingston Raine and the Starlight Muse, a tale of Hell’s most dangerous and unstable muse who has escaped from an impossible prison and turns to Kingston to keep her safe. Only, her powers are bursting out of control and she can’t reel them in.
I thought it would be amusing to have a muse who was constantly wrestling between listening to reason and trying to escape at the same time. With her powers of suggestion she is both an asset and a liability to everyone involved, and everyone in the story soon find themselves questioning the validity of their good ideas. I was inspired by the idea that even the most powerful of supernatural people can’t escape their past.
Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I tend to write flat-out with only a vague ending in sight, which leads to trouble as by the time I reach the ending my initial conclusion no longer makes any sense. So the book remains 80% complete for an age and a half until something that should have been perfectly obvious lands in place and I scramble to finish the story in time. Then I spend most of the second draft pacing around, wondering how to make a problematic chapter more interesting, before finally deciding to delete the whole section and pretend like it never existed.
What authors, or books have influenced you?
Certainly Michael Crichton, Stephen King, Roald Dahl, Neil Gaiman, and Terry Pratchett have all helped to warp my mind, knowing that the even the most bizarre of premises can make for an interesting story.
What are you working on now?
I am currently working on a zombie story, a realistic horror tale where a sleepy town is rocked by a despicable murder, and the final book to the Kingston Raine saga.
What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
AwesomeGang is pretty awesome for promotions.
Do you have any advice for new authors?
Find another writer who is on par with your ability, someone who also wants to get better. Beta-read their work, let them read yours, and try to figure out how you would improve their work. Not just changes that you would make to suit your style, but how you would actually improve their writing. Then apply what you learned to your stories. Repeat with every book you two write.
Also, read genres that you are not usually drawn to. If you write horror, read a romance novel. If you write YA, read fantasy. It might help you draw from many different writing techniques so that you can deliver the book you’re trying to tell.
Finally, read this and apply it to your writing: http://1000wordseveryday.tumblr.com/post/54758529019/writing-advice-by-chuck-palahniuk-in-six
What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Don’t half-ass something that needs to be done correctly.
What are you reading now?
The Town by Chuck Hogan.
What’s next for you as a writer?
I will attempt to juggle the mountain of stories I am determined to write against the reality that I can’t write them all. Even so, reality won’t stop me from trying.
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 definitive guide to surviving on a desert island, the absolute guide in getting rescued from a desert island, the building a raft omnibus, and the questions and answers to the most interesting trivia.
Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
When I eventually die I expect to get my first vacation from writing. It seems I’ve been doing it all my life. I found some letters I had written to my mother in German at age 6 while on vacation with a very strict and overbearing German kindergarten teacher. My grandmother had died and mother was in mourning and not feeling well. They sent me to the Black Sea with my kindergarten teacher, a woman Hitler would have admired. I guess I was quite unhappy there but too cautious to put it in writing, so I wrote to mother about how much I loved and missed her, subtly communicating about my discomfort with that authoritative woman who would force me to eat fish, skin and all, which I detested.
I should explain, I suppose: English is really my fifth language. I was born in a former Austrian province of Romania where most folks spoke German and Romanian. Romania had a love affair with France and everything French. Starting in grade one, we were given French and German lessons daily. The whole curriculum, of course, was in Romanian, which was a good language to have. It may have remained closer to Latin than the other Latin tongues, such as Italian, Spanish, Portuguese, etc. It made it easy, years later, to pick up bits of these.
My would-be/should-be fourth language is Hungarian, which has Mongolian roots. Whenever I hear it, I find myself grinning. It was my dad’s language and apparently, he didn’t want to share it. He had lots of Hungarian friends and listening to them in conversation, I found myself picking it up. I don’t speak it, of course, but I managed to collect a substantial vocabulary in Hungarian which, I am told, I pronounce perfectly.
This language has played a fairly big role in my life. In 1961 I produced a TV commercial with Zsa Zsa Gabor. At one point, she became rather demanding about various things, so I said to her, “You are becoming a ‘Zsirke Fogo,” which means ‘chicken thief,’ a mild way of accusing someone of being a rascal. She was surprised, assumed I spoke the language, and started prattling excitedly in Hungarian. I held up my hand to explain that I didn’t really speak it, but we became instant buddies and the commercial became a huge success. More recently I wrote about that experience in the book, “The Zsa Zsa Affair,” which seems to have achieved some popularity.
The next time that the Hungarian language affected my life was roughly in 2007. Note that my long term memory is considerably better than my short term memory. This normally happens in our declining years. I had walked through a park filled with dogs and noticed a strange apparition which I can only describe as a rectangular suitcase covered with Rastafarian locks, bounding through the grass energetically. I asked its owner what it was and he informed that it was a Puli, a Hungarian ‘water dog’ or ‘sheep dog.’ I had never before seen another specimen of that strange looking creature and addressed it in proper Hungarian which brought a lot of angry barking. I know I have something in my looks, or smell, or genes that attract dogs. I’ve never met a dog I didn’t love or who didn’t love me in return, but this Puli wouldn’t even let me pet him. He was barking at me in Hungarian. I could tell. The first syllable in Hungarian always gets the accent and his “BOW wow-wow-wow-wow,” was clearly Hungarian; and employing some rather off-color dog language at that.
I felt compelled to write about this experience in a 900 word piece which I sent to a writer friend in Hollywood who sent it on to an old comedian I used to adore, Shelly Berman. Both of them wrote to me insisting I find a publication which would carry such pieces on a weekly basis. I responded, explaining that I didn’t make it up and such incidents don’t just happen on a weekly basis. But I reread my piece and realized that I had mixed diary notes with mini-memoir and that combination appealed to me. It inspired me to write my biography in some such manner, making compulsive diary notes whenever so prompted and then adding biographical stuff if the events of the day brought on memories of the past.
The year before, a publisher had come across a screenplay of mine which hadn’t been produced and she fell in love with it. She insisted I write a book adaptation. I was busy at the time with film development and something in my gut turned me off about the publisher but she insisted and offered to have the book ghost written while still paying a decent royalty. I agreed, but it turned out to have become a distasteful experience. I edited the poorly written book, she ignored my edit and less than a year later she pulled a bogus bankruptcy stranding a dozen other authors, too.
At this point, e-books were becoming established and I decided to not only write my bio but e-publish it, too. My ego prevented me from pure self-publishing, so I registered a book publishing company with intent to eventually also publish the works of others.
Combining diary notes written only when there was something worthy of recording and then combining them with memoir is a leisurely way of writing, not overworking the memory to recall details but simply recording what comes back to mind because of something that takes place today.
I found myself writing several obituaries of friends who had died and their death reminding me of relationships of years ago. When Leslie Nielsen died, for instance, I recalled how I had first met him and what a prince he had turned out to be. I had started out as an actor. There was only theater and radio in the mid-1940s. TV was still to come in a few years. I had done the radio network audition. A lovely lady staffer took me aside and confided that she will send the audition results, which were very good, to all the producers, but this would lead to nothing unless I badgered them and made myself known. I did so, and finally got a call for my first show.
I had expected them to throw me a bone. I expected the show to be a marginal little school broadcast. As I walked into the studio, to my great surprise, I found seated in a big circle, just about every ‘name’ actor in existence at the time. These were the radio drama stars of Canada at the time. I was naturally cowed and became frightened. After the first read-through, a good looking, fair-haired young man came to me and said, “You are new here, aren’t you?” I nodded. He introduced himself. “I am Les Nielsen. Come; let me introduce you to the assembled.”
I never forgot that kindness and thoughtfulness. We stayed in touch until he moved to New York where he quickly got work, and, by the time I moved to New York a few years later, he had moved on to Hollywood. We worked in different worlds, though, even though we were both in film production – TV commercials and feature films are distant cousins.
Over a few years, as an avocation, really, I wrote over a million words combining diary notes with memoir, far too much for one book. So I began to “mine” this trove. But to my surprise, I had been doing similar stuff throughout my life.
I found letters written in my teens; quite a lively exchange with several young guys and gals. We would write in the style of authors of the latest book we had read. It was fun and inspiring.
Later, when I began to act in radio drama, I found many of the scripts wanting and decided that I could do better. I contacted Radio Writers’ Laboratory in Pennsylvania which was syndicating scripts around the world and they were happy to take me on.
In 1948 I graduated with honors from Lorne Greene’s Academy of Radio Arts and teamed with another graduate to write comedy shows. We didn’t sell any but made contacts one of which, the head of radio for Young & Rubicam, then the biggest ad agency in the world, offered me a job as a radio commercials writer, in fact as chief writer, but I ‘chiefed’ only myself because I was the whole copy department. It involved great volume and was probably perfect baptismal fire because in advertising one frequently needs to come up with great ideas and copy on an instant basis.
When I arrived on Madison Avenue at 27 I was years ahead in experience of my contemporaries and competitors, having been radio-TV director of a Canadian ad agency with offices right across the country, having written and produced TV programs and TV commercials, and having written for every existing medium as well as performed in all of these. On Madison Avenue I wrote TV commercials, documentaries and sponsored films – won five awards for creative excellence. On the side I wrote songs, words and music – ended up with over 30 releases on most major labels with artists such as Paul Simon, Carl Perkins, Fred Neil, Lillian Briggs and many others.
In summary, I’m 88, have outlived most of my contemporaries; am blessed with health and energy that might take me to over 100. I put in 70 hour weeks, developing films, records and books – now have six e-books published plus one by another which I edited and published – have two more ready for editing and publishing and am working on a highly ambitious plan which, if successful, will merge my company, Veni Vici Entertainment, which includes Veni Vici Books, with a wealthy Chinese company, leading to great international projects.
What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
The book I’m presently promoting, which I published at the end of last September but found time only now to push, is titled MY HILARIOUS SEX LIFE.
The inspiration for it came in the late 1970s when I lived in Los Angeles and received a call from a director/painter/writer who wrote poorly but was a good friend. He lived in Toronto and we had known each other for many years. He sought my opinion on an idea he had to write a book about all the women he had slept with. I commented, “It would become a very long book.” He seemed overly focused on sex. Frequently when I would bring up any subject or point to a location, it would remind him of a woman he had slept with.
I, on the other hand, had marginal interest in sex. I was often attracted to women as potential friends, rather than sex partners. I had had female friends with whom I would no more have thought of sleeping than with any of my male buddies. I was often amused by sex because to me it often IS funny.
I’ll never forget looking out a window to see my horny beagle trying to mount a police dog mix in heat. The bitch was too tall for his penis to reach her vagina and he, with front-paws on her back, was desperately pumping, with his weenie piercing the air like an index finger belonging to a politician who emphasizes his lies in debate.
Now the relationship with my oversexed friend involved other aspects that inspired me. He thought I was very funny – which I’m really not – but since he expected me to be funny, in his company I frequently became so, and his laughter would egg me on – the compulsive performer in me would make me that much more funny. In short, our meetings usually involved a lot of hilarity.
This led me to suggest the following: “Come to L.A. for a week or two. I’ll put you up and I’ll arrange with one or more restaurants some free dinners in exchange for publicity in a book. Like in the film, “My Dinner with Andre,” we’ll chat but focus on sex. You will recall the fourteen million women you’ve had and I’ll recall the great experiences I MIGHT have had if I hadn’t talked myself out of them. We’ll get a lot of humor because you turn me on and I become funny. We’ll bring a recorder and record our conversations. Then we’ll hire a transcriber to transcribe these conversations. We’ll edit them in a week or two and we’ll have a rather unique book that should tickle the debauched to the righteous comedy lovers.”
My buddy gave it cursory consideration and then declined. He wanted to write his own book. I knew he never would and, sadly, he didn’t. I attended his funeral some seven years ago.
So my book became a collection of pieces; call them articles or chapters. In a sense, you might find it ‘uneven’ because each experience I relate took place at a different time in my life, seen through my eyes that adopted a different viewpoint at the time. The biggest piece, Lainie, Lou & Mr. Laing, finds me roaring with laughter each time I re-read it, even though it contains sad moments.
After ending a 30 year marriage I had met a divorcee who had a sense of humor. She was quite funny, really, because she was highly neurotic. I had intended to take my experience with her and fictionalize it, blow it up into a full novel but expediency and the need for a lead piece for this book, decided me to record it as it happened. In my view this piece elevates me above Bob Hope and Jack Benny and Seinfeld and all the others. After a great session in bed, I gave that lady a line that found her laughing so hard she fell out of bed and that makes me a king of comedians.
Do you have any unusual writing habits?
Not that I’m aware of. I keep promising myself to set a timer by the PC and force myself to get up and move about every half hour but I’ve yet to keep that promise consistently. It is not unusual for me to write furiously for six hours at a stretch and that is just as unhealthy as sitting on a plane for that long – they warn us of blood clots, etc. Writers, beware! The lack of movement while writing slowly kills you. GET YOUR EXERCISE.
What authors, or books have influenced you?
I’m not consciously aware of any single one. In my youth I read books in German, Romanian and French, which deeply impressed me because in youth we are impressionable. I no longer read in anything but English. I have re-read some of the early books in English translation and found them ludicrous in style. It is a critical attitude that, more often than not, will influence me. If I read or see something that I compulsively criticize, I concentrate on doing it differently myself. Many of my moves in life came about because I saw others doing the same thing in a manner that I considered wrong.
What are you working on now?
In music, I plan an album as Ol’ Mack, the Mountain Man in which I “talk” the lyrics I’ve written while two gals fill with vocals. The first in that Ol’ Mack voice, a gravelly Nashville accent, is on YouTube now in two versions – one a cappella – titled THE HELLION OF HADES
In film I’m blowing up a half hour TV Pilot comedy, THE FROZEN CHOSEN into a 110 minute feature film script. Concurrently I’m preparing a presentation to Chinese production and funding houses for a merger of Veni Vici Entertainment, leading to production of a dozen films that are multi-national in content.
In books this year I plan to edit two more completed ones – “ISLOMANIA” and “MY PERFORMING YEARS.” Also to explore paperback versions of three of my existing e-books.
What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
If I had one I would keep it secret. I don’t know of one. We live in a fast moving world in which today’s magic is tomorrow’s dud. Google Ad Words apparently worked fantastically a few years ago. Now, nada. A good Kirkus Review, I had been told, could really move a book’s sales. You pay for them – a lot – and you take your chances. They might give you a rotten review, depending on the quality of your book and the taste of the individual reviewer. You got the option, of course, to put a lid on the review and not have it published – simply to write off the investment.
I felt “My Hilarious Sex Life,” was different enough to entice a reviewer. What I had not counted on was a review so glowing that even my lack of modesty would have ruled out. A seasoned writer friend of my in the South, who has some 15 books out, read that review and said she’d give her right arm for it on any of her books. It sold not a single copy of that title. She checked with her friends. One of them had the same experience recently. Kirkus no longer sells books.
I am fully prepared to meet total failure with the present promotion of “My Hilarious Sex Life,” which is priced at 9.99 and will get three days at zero cost. Everybody and their cousin is using the same tactic, to promote with low price and/or totally free for a few days at a time. The problem is, too many are doing this. There are now hundreds of sites promoting free books. Amazon and all the other retailers or major publishers have not come up with any magical promotion ideas or device. When all the books are cheap or free they might as well all be expensive. Who has time to distinguish between them?
The world will soon have more websites than people. The only folks benefiting are website developers and hosting outfits. All social media might become more effective if it became ANTISOCIAL. The only thing that will sell books is effective publicity, not advertising in measured media, but effective publicity. This is costly but doable. I know how, and I’m not going to share it, but also, I may never afford it or bring it off.
Do you have any advice for new authors?
Certainly. Get born into a wealthy family or marry a rich spouse or find another source of income that doesn’t take much of your time – anything that lets you write for enjoyment instead of “trying to make it.” You may find – I certainly did – that writing can be one of the most enjoyable occupations in the world – and you can do it anywhere – on an island or iceberg or sharing an eagle’s nest. But it loses its enjoyment when you’re pressed financially and are dependent on it.
What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Oh, yes, I’ll never forget it. It came from a big fellow named Rocky whom I met in a sleazy bar. He said, “Kid, this is America! You can have anything you want if you walk in with a big smile and a gun.”
What are you reading now?
Just reference material. I have always read very little fiction.
What’s next for you as a writer?
Stayin’ alive!
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?
Instructional books on how to build a cottage with coconut trees and driftwood, how to catch fish and fish recipes. That kind of practical stuff.
Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I am the owner of C.R.M. International and I have seven titles available.
1. The DANGER! Kids: Explosive Action Adventure
2. LIGHT of the World: A Christian Play
3. The Adventures of Super C and Cool Dude: First Flight
4. Peter’s Redemption: From Fear to Boldness
5. Ordinary People: Love is Ambitious
6. Super C and Cool Dude’s First Flight Continues: Voltz is here!
7. The DANGER! Kids: Back in Action
What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
My latest book is the sequel to The Danger! Kids: Explosive Action Adventure; subtitles Back in Action. It’s inspired by the original where 5 middles schoolers rescue their friend’s mom from a kidnapper. Now after the kids themselves were saved by Officer Ralph, Johnny, and Jarrett; a new villain emerges. And as Captain Scott heads to the Mayor’s Office in a tank; only The DANGER! Kids can stop him!
Do you have any unusual writing habits?
What authors, or books have influenced you?
George Orwell’s 1984 and Animal Farm were two of my favorite books growing up. The Hardy Boys were the classic series that helped me to create The DANGER! Kids.
What are you working on now?
I am currently working on Track STARTS, a coming of age story about a high school track team that adds a uniquely talented individual to the team. Now they’re chance for a Championship is here. But Coach Reams is still bitter for the team’s past failures and his desire to finally win State may put everyone’s hopes in jeopardy.
What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
http://www.amazon.com/DANGER-Kids-Explosive-Action-Adventure-ebook/dp/B00Z32NDKE/ref=asap_bc?ie=UTF8
Do you have any advice for new authors?
Make it happen by completing a small ebook first.
What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Faith moves mountains- Jesus.
What are you reading now?
The Tools of Screenwriting by David Howard and Edward Mabley.
What’s next for you as a writer?
Audiobooks are next after the completion of Track STARTS.
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, Outliers: The Story of Success, and a pen and pad so I can write!
Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
Like most authors, I’m completely obsessed by writing. If I’m not doing it, I’ll be thinking about it. My second love is reading (of course) and my idea of heaven is sitting in the warm sunshine with a cup of tea and a good book. I also love my little farm. I raise ducks and chickens, and hope to branch out into goats soon too!
I’ve completed five books, three of which are currently publishes, and one soon to be released. So far, I have another twenty one books planned.
What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
My latest book is called ‘The Raven’, and it is the first novel in a collection called ‘The Secret Chronicles of Lost Magic’. I was inspired to write it after attempting to do some detailed world-building for an epic fantasy series I have planned. But, I found the process akin to ‘encyclopedic’ writing, and while thinking about the prehistoric history of the world, I suddenly thought of a story about a nomadic tribe, thus ‘The Raven’ was born and I decided to do my world building as a group of novels, rather than a list of facts.
Do you have any unusual writing habits?
Sometimes, if I’m having trouble with a plot point or character, I’ll go out and consult the ducks and chickens.
What authors, or books have influenced you?
Definitely fantasy authors. I love the Deverry series by Katharine Kerr. Growing up I read Susan Coopers ‘The Dark is Rising’ sequence, which first introduced me to the world of fantasy. Of course Tolkein, and more recently George RR Martin, are also favourites. But, I do read other genres too, Literary and Mystery especially. I love a good mystery.
What are you working on now?
I’m currently getting ‘The Earl’s Daughter’ (Book Two of ‘The Viscount’s Son’ trilogy) ready for publication in May. Then I’ll be working on the sequel to my Borderlands trilogy.
What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
With only three first books out (of three different series) I’ve not experimented a lot with promotion. But, so far, it seems that growing my mailing list is the most effective method for promotion.
Do you have any advice for new authors?
Work on your self-discipline. When you’re the boss there’s only one person who can make you do the work. And there’s a lot of work!
What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Write a lot. Read a lot. – Thanks Stephen King!
What are you reading now?
The Book Thief by Mark Zusak.
What’s next for you as a writer?
The world!
No. I believe in little steps. My major long term goal is to finish the three series I have started.
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 wish I could take 3-4 series!
Daggerspell by Katharine Kerr
Game of Thrones by George RR Martin
Pillars of the Earth by Ken Follett
Catch 22 by Joseph Heller
Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.