Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I live in the Back Mountain of Pennsylvania. My husband, Joe and I have a small farmette with one dog, goats, sheep, rabbits, chickens, turkey, and guineas. We enjoy living out here in the country.

I am a born-again christian with a deep faith and love for the Lord Jesus Christ. I hope to learn how to live for Him and to put Him first in all I do. She writes children’s books under the name Ellie Mae Kay.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
Stella is my debut Christian fiction novel. Inspired by my love for the Lord and a desire to share some of my experiences and growth with the world through a fiction character. It follows a young woman on her journey to a deeper faith through tribulation.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I do most of my writing during the month of November for NaNoWriMo. I have a difficult time motivating myself to write every day. It takes most of the rest of the year to edit and market.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
I was drawn to Elizabeth Lowell more than any other author when I was younger. I love the way she writes suspense. I read Sandra Brown and some others, but I switched to Christian fiction to avoid the heavy sex scenes and explicit language in most secular fiction. The book that has had the most influence in my life is of course, the King James Bible. After that, I would say Hinds Feet in High Places and Pilgrim’s Progress were also deeply influential.

I’m not sure how much they have influenced me, but as far as Christian fiction authors go, I like Patricia Bradley, Cathy Bryant, V.B. Tennery, and Terri Blackstock.

What are you working on now?
I am working on the third and final book in the Edinsville series, Sofie. All three books can be read as stand-alone books, but they follow three women who have a connection to the fictional town of Edinsville.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
The best method I have found is working together with other Christian authors. We have a promotional group on Facebook http://www.facebook.com/groups/989125614489907/.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Don’t get discouraged. If you have something you want to write, write it. You will have to work hard and put in long hours editing and marketing, but you can succeed if you put in the time and effort. You probably won’t get rich, but you will get to see your name in print and if you are blessed, your writing will make a difference to someone who reads it.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Pay an editor. I’ve learned that the advice was spot-on. It is impossible to catch all of your own mistakes. You must pay an editor if you don’t want to publish a book full of errors.

What are you reading now?
I just finished Patricia Bradley’s Shadows of the Past (Logan Point #1). I am also in the process of reading several non-fiction books.

What’s next for you as a writer?
I have three books in the pipe-line. Two for my series and a stand-alone novella. The novella is very different in that the focus is on forming a friendship rather than a romance.

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 King James Bible
Clarence Larkin’s Dispensational Truth
The Bible Believers Commentary on the Gospel of John
Hinds Feet on High Places

Author Websites and Profiles
Elle E. Kay Website
Elle E. Kay Amazon Profile

Elle E. Kay’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 from Ny and lived in California and the Southwest. i have written two documentaries, four books and three screenplayes feature length. I have written Six LP’s and Five EP’s of Music. I published a phone interview with Music industry Retail Store Liquidators.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
Light of a New Day. it was inspired by lonliness and the desire to escape the mundane of ordinary school life.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I write one chapter per day writing. No more, no less.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
The Art of War, Sun Tzu, Miltary Methods,Sun Pin,
Tao te Ching,
Brave New World,
Invisible Man Ralph Ellison, Hagakure, 21 Lessons of Merlin, Mists of Avalon
richard Wright, James Redfield, David Icke, Stephen King, 1984, the Gospel of John and the Book of Revelation

What are you working on now?
Editing the sequel to Light of A New Day, and a story about Pirates.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
http://www.amazon.com/Light-New-Day-Damian-Forest/dp/1532829744/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1461895911&sr=8-1&keywords=damian+forest+light

Do you have any advice for new authors?
keep going

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Smoke Em if you Got Em.

What are you reading now?
A book on Physics in Movies, and a book on Event masnagement planning

What’s next for you as a writer?
Screenplays and Job applications at a Corporate TV Station

Author Websites and Profiles
Damian Light Amazon Profile

Damian Light’s Social Media Links
Facebook Profile
Twitter Account

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I was born and still live in the north east of England. Having spent 40 years working in the financial services industry, I am now retired and pursuing my interest in writing. I live with my wife Susan. Our son, Christopher, lives and works in New York.

Aside from writing, I like walking, cycling, internet chess, reading and travelling.

I have just released my second book – a non-fiction title. This quickly follows a very personal memoir that I completed earlier in the year. Both books are available from Amazon.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
My latest book is “Get Fitter, Get Leaner, Get An Activity Tracker!”

Having retired about 3 years ago my intention was always to get fitter and be more active. Change my lifestyle in effect. I had a setback when I had an injury to my heel which took me about 18 months to shake off.

Almost 12 months ago I purchased my first activity tracker and really did not know much about these devices at the time. Within 6 months of using one I had lost over 28 pounds in weight and 4 inches on my waist line taking me down to a normal level for my height. I am fitter than I have been for a long time.

As a result I decided to share my experience for those in a similar position to me. The book is aimed at people new to activity trackers and aspiring to become more active. Improving your personal fitness and losing excess weight are covered in this book.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I tend to do my writing early morning or late at night, not really that unusual. However, I do like taking time out and will go out for a walk or do some cycling. This gives me time to clear my thoughts and come up with fresh ideas for a new or existing project.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
I admit to being a big SF fan. I think authors like Arthur C Clarke, Ben Bova and Brian Aldiss certainly influenced my direction in reading SF at an early age. I do like a lot of the Indie SF material available today and since retirement have managed to get back into good reading habits.

What are you working on now?
I am shortly embarking on a trip through the Canadian Rockies on the iconic Rocky Mountaineer and will be updating a personal blog at :

https://journeythroughtherockies.wordpress.com

Apart from the blog I intend putting together a two travelogue books (with and without photographs) for release this year.

I also have a further memoir planned for release at the end of the year.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
So far I have focused on memoir or non-fiction titles and maybe it is a easier to identify your target audience? I have some experience in marketing from my former working life and for each book I have written to date I have drawn up a very simple marketing plan and followed it through. I think that is vital for a self published author.

Having really just started to publish books this year, I am still feeling my way around, but building up social networks on Twitter or Facebook are also important. These are also really useful for soaking up information on your writing craft and marketing skills.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Persevere with your writing but make sure it is polished to the best you can make it before unleashing it. For a self published author ( that wants to keep new book costs to a minimum) then this can be a huge challenge.

Your first draft will be terrible. You need to revise, revise and revise it. It needs to be error free as much as possible. There is nothing worse as a reader than finding spelling, grammatical and punctuation errors page after page. A total put-off. Aside from yourself you should have a third party read it to help with this process.

When you are in editing mode either print it out or put it on your kindle. I guarantee you will find errors that you missed in reading your word document!

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Be organised as a writer. I latched onto a great piece of writing software early on which does just that. Scrivener, is probably the best investment I ever made. Everything is there for a writer and it even compiles your ebooks or book the end of your project.

What are you reading now?
Cyberstorm by Matthew Mather

An SF title about a global cyber attack set in, you guessed it, New York. I have told my son time and time again, New York, is a bad place to live!

What’s next for you as a writer?
This year is a learning experience for me as a self published writer. Not only learning the craft, but developing my marketing strategies and social networks. By the end of the year I will have released 4 titles.

Next year I will focus more on fiction writing. I have already started a potential novel with a further SF themed idea in the pipeline.

If you were going to be stranded on a desert island and allowed to take 3 or 4 books with you what books would you bring?
Arthur C Clarke’s Rama series of books – this comprises of 4 books and is well worth the read. I read this some years ago and I’m sure this would keep me well occupied for quite some hours while I was enjoying the sunshine!

Author Websites and Profiles
Paul Korhonen Website
Paul Korhonen Amazon Profile
Paul Korhonen Author Profile on Smashwords

Paul Korhonen’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile
Facebook Profile
Twitter Account

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I am a novelist, songwriter, poet, and playwright who grew up in Bellingham, WA among the trees and mountains, only to find myself in ultra sunny Florida.
I’ve published two books in my sci-fi series, Shiva XIV, a spiritual fairy tale, The Rainbow Serpent, and a poetry collection called Sediments.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
My latest book is the second in the Shiva XIV Series: The Veil of Truth. It carries on the epic story of Ayn, a boy with a prophesied destiny to save his galaxy from disease and war. In Veil of Truth, Ayn must fight to survive in a world he’s never known while a great enemy closes in, threatening all he loves.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
Not that I know of, unless I’m doing something odd without my knowledge. Usually, it’s just me pounding away at my laptop. I’m the fastest two finger typist in the West.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
Almost all of Hermann Hesse’s books have greatly influenced me, but especially Siddhartha, Steppenwolf, and Narcissus and Goldmund. I also love Tolkien, Rowling, Pirsig, and Pullman.

What are you working on now?
I’m hard at work editing the third installment of Shiva XIV: The Riddle of the Gods. I’m hoping for a release this autumn, just before winter.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
Goodreads is great for making connections, but my official website is www.lyrashanti.com

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Don’t give up! Even if the work seems endless or the road is hard, don’t stop until that story is finished and you’ve shown it to the world!

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Just breathe.

What are you reading now?
I just finished a great space opera by Daniel M. Quilter entitled A Soul Divided. I’m now reading a few interesting books by fellow indie authors: The Gaiad by William Burcher, Miriamne the Magdala by J.B. Richards, and Dragons of Daegonlot by Shanlynn Walker.

What’s next for you as a writer?
I just finished writing the fourth book in my Shiva XIV series, and I’m beginning a new young adult fantasy series about a boy with a deep connection to dragons. Having written in a sci-fi world for so long now, I’m looking forward to diving into full on fantasy.

If you were going to be stranded on a desert island and allowed to take 3 or 4 books with you what books would you bring?
The Lord of the Rings (my favorite being Return of the King,) Siddhartha, Harry Potter (can all 7 count as one?!), and The Subtle Knife (book 2 of His Dark Materials.)

Author Websites and Profiles
Lyra Shanti Website
Lyra Shanti Amazon Profile

Lyra Shanti’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile
Facebook Profile
Twitter Account

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
My name is James Porzio, I am a nineteen year old boy living in the south suburbs of Chicago around thirty minutes from the city. I have been writing for a long time, but Arthur King is my first full length novel. I live at home with my Parents, Brother, Sister, and my dog Duke. I was atten

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
My latest book is Arthur King and the Knights of the New Round Table. It has been a story that I have had in my head since I was fifteen and I finally decided to put to paper. I was mostly inspired by other young adult fiction authors I have read, and of course I have always been obsessed with Arthurian legend.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I write a bulk of my stories in a hammock I made in my back yard. I like to be relaxed and just let my brain take me away into another world.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
My favorite authors are J.K. Rowling, Rick Riordan, Marie Lu, and Ann Aguirre. All of their writings have deeply influenced me, but I have been inspired mostly by Marie Lu’s “Legend” series.

What are you working on now?
I am currently working on the first Arthur King sequel, and I am always coming up with new ideas for other books and series. I am also working on my clothing brand Hooligan Apparel.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I use Facebook for the most part, but I also use Instagram and Twitter.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
If you have an idea that you think would be a good book, just run with it. Sit down and frame the story, don’t try to write out the first chapter right away. Get a notebook and describe your characters, and your setting, and the plot. Make everything as vibrant and detailed as possible before trying to write the actual story. It basically gives you source material to look back on and write about.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
The best advice I ever heard about writing came from my mom. She said “If you want to write, then just write. Who cares what people think of it.”

What are you reading now?
I am currently reading Marie Lu’s “The Young Elites”.

What’s next for you as a writer?
As a writer I plan on expanding my fan base, and trying to get my name and work out to more people. Of course also working on the Arthur King sequel is an important thing too.

If you were going to be stranded on a desert island and allowed to take 3 or 4 books with you what books would you bring?
It sounds silly, but I would definitely want some survival books. Maybe by Bear Grylls or something. But the other two would be “The Catcher in the Rye” and “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows”.

James Porzio’s Social Media Links
Facebook Profile
Twitter Account

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I always enjoyed telling stories. I was a gamer all through high school and enjoyed telling and consuming stories. I have about ten stories available currently and I’m speeding up this year with about five more books being published by this time next year.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
Dekker’s Dozen: The Last Watchmen is my newest fiction book. I’ve always been a sci-fi lover and I’ve been sitting on this novel for about a decade. I finally decided to start pushing to be published.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I have to have music going and prefer to be seated in my recliner, although I’ve found I can be productive anywhere now that I can save my progress on the cloud and type from different devices.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
Tolkien was a early influence, but also Frank Perretti and Ted Dekker. I also enjoy RA Salvatore and my favorite all time book is Day of the Triffids by John Wyndham–it instilled a love for apocalyptic fiction.

What are you working on now?
John in the John (a nonfiction book meant to be left in the bathroom)
Fear in a Land Without Shadows (a horror/apocalyptic sci-fi)
editing a re-release of my fantasy book series (The Kakos Realm) which I finally expanded and added two new unpublished books.
I’m also in the early stages of a nonfic tentatively titled Rat’s Ass

These are my books coming soon
Wolf of the Tesseract (fall 2016 via Black Rose Writing)
The Kakos Realm: Grinden Proselyte (fall 2016 re-release)
John in the John (winter 2016)
The Kakos Realm: Rise of the Dragon Impervious (Spring 2017)
The Kakos Realm: Death Upon the Fields of Splendor (Winter 2017)

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
Network with other authors… so Facebook.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Writers write. Keep working on something even while you are doing promo and querying.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Have a backlist and don’t be afraid of self-promo

What are you reading now?
Iron Mike, a very well done indie novel. Also reading some RA Salvatore Forgotten Realms books

What’s next for you as a writer?
lots of promo as I work towards releasing three books before fall 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?
Patrick Son of Ireland (Stephen Lawhead)
Black (Ted Dekker)
Firebird Trilogy set (it counts! it’s one massive book) by Kathy Tyers
Holy Bible

Author Websites and Profiles
Christopher Schmitz Website
Christopher Schmitz Amazon Profile
Christopher Schmitz Author Profile on Smashwords

Christopher Schmitz’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile
Facebook Profile
Twitter Account

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I published my first book in 2013 titled I Was A Drummer She Was A Dancer, which is an autobiography. People seem to like it, as it has had thousands of downloads on Amazon. After that, I’ve written a series of action adventure books set in the 1930’s. I have three of those published, four written and am working on the fifth. My favorite review for the first book simply stated “One of the most unusual books I have read.”

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
Aloha, Lugosi! It is the fourth book in my series. It was inspired by fame, friendship and adventure. And there’s secret references to modern pop culture in there as well. Like Gilligan’s Island, to name but one.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I do a lot of research and planning first. Then throw most of that out and start writing.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
Not many. Hunter S. Thompson. I write for people who don’t normally read and want action right away without messing around.

What are you working on now?
The fifth book in my series, Goodbye Harlow Nights, which will be the last. And I am outlining a new series called The Pendulum Diaries. And I am in the process of writing a video show called The Cleve and Steve Show that will start out on YouTube.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
Too numerous to mention. And besides, I don’t know which is best.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Grab the rabbit by the throat and shake it.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Write what you like and like what you write

What are you reading now?
Not a damned thing. I am busy writing.

What’s next for you as a writer?
The Pendulum Diaries which will be a series of books with a Twighlight Zone element. And a lot of action and surprises.

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?
Empty notebooks and a lot of pens

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I am a southern girl who always had a love of reading.

I’ve written several short fiction books. One was included in The Treasure Chest of Short Stories 2012. It was entitled Stand-In Mommy.

I have a new book just released and two more short fiction romance novels currently for sale on Amazon.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
My newest book is The Secret of the Golden Ring. I was inspired to write this book because I like a good fantasy read. I’ve always found this genre to be a good escape from everyday life.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I don’t write everyday, but I do work on some aspect of my writing every day, be it marketing, promoting or just reading another fiction work by some of my favorite authors.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
I enjoy Brad Thor and James Patterson. Their thrillers are usually long, but never boring.

What are you working on now?
Currently I am working on a nonfiction short read about “Bullying.”

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
For me it’s been word-of-mouth and some connections on Facebook.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Never give up. I would be the first to admit it isn’t easy as far as the marketing goes but when it hits it is well worth the effort.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Same as I gave, Never give up!

What are you reading now?
The Lake House

What’s next for you as a writer?
Keep reading, writing and searching for ways to market 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?
The Secret of the Golden Ring
Killing Reagan
The Lake House

Author Websites and Profiles
Nancy Moore Amazon Profile

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I was born in one of the most beautiful places in the Mediterranean, the island of Maddalena, on November 13, 1950. My mother is an American citizen from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania—although her family was originally from Liguria in northwest Italy—while my father was Italian, from Treviso, in the northeast of Italy.
When I was very young my family moved to Rome, where I first went to school. After attending Classical High School, I studied political science for two years at the Sapienza University of Rome. The family then moved to Treviso, where they eventually settled.
I have lived and studied in Venice—where I attended the Ca’ Foscari University from 1972 to 1975, when I graduated with a doctor’s degree in philosophy—and in California, where I studied English at San Francisco State University, in 1980.
I also lived in England, where I worked as night porter in a historic country house hotel in the heart of Surrey, near London, for about one year (1983).
A High School teacher of History and Italian almost all my working life, now that I have retired I can finally spend more time doing what I love most: writing.
In my spare time I am a frequent global traveller, especially to Europe and USA, which I have “explored” intensively over the years. In my Twitter profile I describe myself as “European by birth, American by philosophy,” which after all is quite an accurate description. Perhaps it also supports the adage that brevity is the soul of wit.
I have always loved and practiced outdoor sports, especially trekking, skiing, kayaking, and horse riding.
I currently live in the Venice area with my wife, Clara, my daughter, Benedetta, and our dog, Lady, a Golden Retriever that swims like a fish and is crazy about tennis balls.
So far I have written three books.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
My latest book is entitled Being Conservative from A to Z: An Anthology and Guide for Busy Conservative-Minded People. It could be described as an anthology of conservative analysis and insights on some key issues. It’s a book for readers who wish to acquaint themselves with conservative political thought and to get a critical and comparative perspective on what passes for political, social, economic, and cultural conservatism in their own time and place. The book is intended for both European and American readers. It provides readings from European and American thinkers, which besides may help to call attention to some of the peculiarities of American conservatives, who, for instance, believe in Progress even more than liberals do. Last but not least, as the subtitle reads, this volume wants to be a teaching tool and a guide “for busy conservative-minded people,” even though I must confess that I don’t know what “busy people”—whether conservative-minded or not—exactly means… Be it as it may, despite its brevity and modesty, I hope this book, will lead readers to a greater appreciation of conservative values and principles. After all, as we all know, the ways of the Lord are mysterious.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I don’t know, I couldn’t really tell… Sometimes my approach to writing is a very methodical one, some other times I prefer a more intuitive approach. It depends upon a lot of factors.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
Speaking about poetry, drama, and novel, my favorite are the classics: true food for the soul, they never disappoint you, they never waste your time. To mention just a few: Dante, Shakespeare, Tolstoy, Dostoyevsky, Alessandro Manzoni, Herman Melville, Thomas Mann. Among the contemporaries I admire Thomas Merton, Umberto Eco, Dan Brown, and Valerio Massimo Manfredi. But I also read a huge number of non-fiction books. My favorite authors range from classics such as Plato, Augustine of Hippo, Machiavelli, Montaigne, Thomas Jefferson, Edmund Burke, Tocqueville, and of course Ralph Waldo Emerson—perhaps the most influential on my thinking—to contemporary authors/thinkers such as Russell Kirk, Bernard Lewis, Roger Scruton, George Weigel, and Alain Finkielkraut, to mention just a few.

However, though I am deeply inspired by the above mentioned authors, I must say that I don’t by any means try to emulate them—basically because most of them are such giants that it would be foolish to expect any success in such a venture, but also, if not mostly, because of Emerson’s warning: “Insist on yourself; never imitate. Your own gift you can present every moment with the cumulative force of a whole life’s cultivation; but of the adopted talent of another, you have only an extemporaneous, half possession. That which each can do best, none but his Maker can teach him” (Self-Reliance).

What are you working on now?
I’m writing a book on a very old-fashioned subject—the medieval knights and the code of chivalry. Which is also the reason why I’m reading—and rereading—a lot of books and essays on that topic.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
My blog, my author website, and my social network profiles.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
I think the above quoted Ralph Waldo Emerson’s warning is the best advice to give someone who wants to start writing books.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
“A man,” in Ralph Waldo Emerson’s words, “should learn to detect and watch that gleam of light which flashes across his mind from within, more than the lustre of the firmament of bards and sages.”

What are you reading now?
As I already said above, a lot of books and essays on medieval chivalry.

What’s next for you as a writer?
I have a lot of ideas—I guess it won’t be easy to make a choice!

If you were going to be stranded on a desert island and allowed to take 3 or 4 books with you what books would you bring?
The Holy Bible, Dante’s Divina Commedia, Ralph Waldo Emerson’s Self-Reliance, Montaigne’s Essays.

Author Websites and Profiles
Samuel Robert Piccoli Website
Samuel Robert Piccoli Amazon Profile

Samuel Robert Piccoli’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile
Facebook Profile
Twitter Account

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
Iron is the first full length novel I have published. I am currently hard at work on its sequel, Faster. I am also putting out a few short stories this year, also set in The Warding world. These shorts will feature not only some of Caitlin’s other adventures, but a few tales told by other characters in the series as well.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
First Hunt: A Warding Short Story is my latest publication, and its title is pretty self explanatory. When Caitlin first starts hunting down the evil fae, she is a bit startled by what she learns about herself in the process. In Iron, she shies away from sharing the details of her first hunting experience with the readers but later found that part of her story begging to be told… and behold: First Hunt was born.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
Well, I’m pretty unusual overall so its hard to tell. I tend talk to myself a lot while writing, which some might consider unusual. I often have music playing to tune out the sounds of whatever else is going on around me as well, and there are a few songs that constitute immediate dance breaks when they come on. Thankfully, usually only the cats are around to see when that happens!

What authors, or books have influenced you?
Its impossible to pick one author or book. I think *all* the authors I love and the books I have read have influenced me. I’m an avid reader myself and I take a little bit away from everything I read.

What are you working on now?
Right now I am working on the sequel to Iron, Faster, which should be coming out this fall.

I’m also starting work on a second short story in The Warding world, this one from the point of view of one of the bad guys from Iron…

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I try a little bit of everything. With only one full length novel out there, I’m not afraid to hop around and test the waters with all sorts of promotion sites. Some have worked well, others have been so-so, but I consider all of it a learning experience that will help me better target my audience for subsequent books in the series. To me, that’s part of the fun of being an indie author: you can do anything you want and truly see what works best for you!

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Do it. Write that book; publish it. Believe in yourself and take the chance. Its worth it.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
“Make it dark, make it grim, make it tough, but then, for the love of god, tell a joke.” – Joss Whedon

What are you reading now?
I’m usually reading a few books at once; sometimes upward of four or five on a given week. I also re-read old favorites a lot (especially Sanderson’s Stormlight Archive books, the first three of Martin’s Song of Ice & Fire books, and the entire Fever series by Karen Marie Moning).

As for new reads… I just finished “Dawn of Wonder” by Jonathan Renshaw this morning, and that was an amazing fantasy book; one of the best I’ve read in a long time. I can’t wait for the next one. I’m also still in the midst of reading “Raw Power” by Ambrose Ibsen, “Thieftaker” by D.B. Jackson, and “Molly Fyde and the Persona Rescue” by Hugh Howey. I’m not normally a sci-fi reader so the last one has been a fun departure for me!

What’s next for you as a writer?
Hopefully writing a lot more books. I have a lot of ideas for the future of The Warding. As long as people want to keep reading them, I’ll happily keep writing them!

If you were going to be stranded on a desert island and allowed to take 3 or 4 books with you what books would you bring?
“The Way of Kings” and “Words of Radiance” from Brandon Sanderson’s Stormlight Archive.
“The Shining” by Stephen King
“Heroes Die” by Matthew Woodring Stover

…and then I’d cry for all those I had to leave behind!

Author Websites and Profiles
Robin Cole Website
Robin Cole Amazon Profile

Robin Cole’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile
Facebook Profile
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Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
This is my first book. It took 25 years to write because I had to live it out to be able to write it. It was a work of love, pain, submission and emptying my soul.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
Tomorrow Is Not Promised: A Personal Journey of Total Submission to Holy Spirit. God told me I would write this book on October 12, 1990 while at work one day at my desk. I heard the voice of God so loud and so clear to write this book by title and it has never left me for one day. I didn’t realize to write it I had to live it out in my troubled marriage of 22 years. I finally was able to write it and release myself from so much hurt and pain in order to help other women in the same situation. It is a story that God wants told to help people draw closer to Him in the midst or trials.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I have to write in silence. I see the story like a video playing and the words. I also like to write on yellow legal pads and then speak the chapters into google.docs

What authors, or books have influenced you?
Joyce Meyer, Frank Peretti, Beth Moore

What are you working on now?
I am working on a new book hope to finish by end of May 2016 called The MANual: Raising Sons In A Fatherless Society. It is about how the spirit of fathering and men fathering sons has left the home and how boys are struggling with who they are and authority, with their identity, their self worth, etc.

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

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Do not give up… there is something great inside you and the world needs it.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
There is something finished you must start

What are you reading now?
I am reading Good or God by John Bevere

What’s next for you as a writer?
To write The MANual and to write a short fiction story I’ve been working on.

If you were going to be stranded on a desert island and allowed to take 3 or 4 books with you what books would you bring?
The bible, Thy Hidden Ones, Good or God, all of the Left Behind Series books.

Author Websites and Profiles
Stephanie Carter Website
Stephanie Carter Amazon Profile

Stephanie Carter’s Social Media Links
Facebook Profile
Twitter Account

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I’ve just release my first book, Brand Identity Breakthrough, which addresses how entrepreneurs can communicate the value of their products and services better. However, I have several others in the works and being planned on parenting, education, and personal development. Everything I do is inspired by the desire to help other people figure out who they are and how to operate in the world.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
The book is called Brand Identity Breakthrough: How to Craft Your Company’s Unique Story to Make Your Products Irresistible. It is based off a lifetime of traveling the world and helping entrepreneurs define their ideas and communicate unique value better. Even business owners with great ideas typically fail at explaining them to other people.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I need to be in a state of passion to really let my writing flow. I need to be thinking and feeling deeply. I can’t just put words on paper.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
I like reading other authors who excel at putting difficult and complex concepts into well-organized structures of logic.

What are you working on now?
My next books are already in the works, covering unconventional education opportunities, parenting, and self-discovery. Many of the themes stated in Brand Identity Breakthrough as they apply to business will be echoed in these other contexts.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I’ve gotten some pretty good traction on Amazon already with preorders alone. I think the key for me is just reaching out to the right influencers who actually find my message valuable.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Get other readers to critique your work so you can make sure what you are intending to say comes across the right way to readers. Sometimes small changes can make a book twice as valuable.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Know thyself and thy audience.

What’s next for you as a writer?
My books all take an educational approach to complex subjects and important themes. I am turning many of them into courses, coaching, and other ways to teach others.

Author Websites and Profiles
Gregory Diehl Website
Gregory Diehl Amazon Profile
Gregory Diehl Author Profile on Smashwords

Gregory Diehl’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile
Facebook Profile
Twitter Account

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I was born and raised in Iceland, but, through a series of extraordinary events, I became a US citizen in 2013. I started translating books from English to Icelandic in the late nineties and wrote my first nonfiction book in 2001. Since then I have written more than twenty books, mostly nonfiction.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
My debut novel is titled The Meditating Psychiatrist Who Tried to Kill Himself. It was inspired by actual events that happened more than fifteen years ago, when an acquaintance of mine, who had been meditating for years and been teaching meditation classes, tried to commit suicide. It didn’t compute. Meditation is supposed elicit peace of mind, not longing for death, right? When it came to writing my debut novel, it was the obvious topic to tackle.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I am very organized when it comes to writing. I plan my work and work my plan. When writing nonfiction this is easier, because I am essentially writing from memory, but when writing fiction, I plan the overall chain of events, plan each scene, and then allow the characters to evolve within that environment.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
I have been influenced by hundreds of books in my lifetime, since I always turn to books when confronted with new situations in life, but if pressed to answer, I would say Kurt Vonnegut in fiction and Ken Wilber in nonfiction. Both authors display brilliance through their writing.

What are you working on now?
I am working on a novel titled Premature Holiness, about events that occur at a yoga teacher training in Florida. It should ruffle some feathers.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I mostly use Facebook, Goodreads and Twitter.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Quoting Stephen King: Write a lot, read a lot. There is no substitute for doing.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Ready, fire, aim.

What are you reading now?
A brilliant book by Ethan Canin titled A Doubter’s Almanac.

What’s next for you as a writer?
More writing. I publish a new short story every Friday (#fridayshort) and plan to publish my next novel later this year or early next year.

If you were going to be stranded on a desert island and allowed to take 3 or 4 books with you what books would you bring?
Sex, Ecology, Spirituality by Ken Wilber.
Welcome to the Monkey House by Kurt Vonnegut.
The Prophet by Kahlil Gibran.

Author Websites and Profiles
Gudjon Bergmann Website
Gudjon Bergmann Amazon Profile

Gudjon Bergmann’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile
Facebook Profile
Twitter Account

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I am an independent writer, teacher and homesteader in northern New England. I’ve worked as a shrimp fisherman, environmental activist, journalist, taxi-driver, builder, window-washer, and telemarketer, and lately i’ve been teaching high school Spanish. My family and I live on a 150-year-old farmstead where we raise sheep and chickens, grow vegetables, and have a small apple orchard.

My road novels, BIRDMAN and FRENCH POND ROAD, trace the meanderings of Billy Kagan, a footloose soul striving after sanity and love in the last years of the last century. LATITUDES – A Story of Coming Home, released in the summer of 2012, is a young boy’s transformative journey overcoming dysfunction, dislocation and distance. SAVIOR, a dystopian thriller, published by Harvard Square Editions in April 2014, reached the top spot on the Amazon list of psychological suspense books. And my latest, THE VICTOR’S HERITAGE, features a teenaged heroine in a dystopian thriller one reviewer called “a definite must-read, no matter your age!”

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
The Victor’s Heritage was inspired by my two daughters and realizing i could probably write about a female heroine in a dystopian world.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I am unusual for not having any real writing quirks besides the usual reliance on coffee as a stimulant. I currently write on an Ipad with a portable keyboard, which is fairly unusual. Other than that, I write at night during the school year and early mornings during the summer and school vacations.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
I was a voracious reader as a child, growing up in the home of an English major father with a pretty vast collection of books ranging from the classics of American literature to contemporary fiction of the fifties and sixties, authors like Norman Mailer and John Updike. Kurt Vonnegut was a huge influence.

What are you working on now?
I’m working on a book, The Saints of June, which will be the sequel to The Victor;s Heritage.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I am constantly experimenting with new marketing techniques and feel that there is no best method at this point. Working with a limited budget is always a challenge. Sometimes I think that writing the next book is my best marketing technique. But the AwesomeGang did a wonderful job with Savior, and I credit this site with helping that book reach number one in its category on the Amazon rankings a few years ago.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Keep reading. Keep writing. Refine your niche. Define your audience. Network with other writers.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
“Whatever you do in life, do it with intensity.” John Hersey to me in a college writing class.

What are you reading now?
The Four-Gated City by Doris Lessing

What’s next for you as a writer?
I hope to finish The Saints of June in the coming year and either find an interested publisher or self-publish sometime in 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?
The Collected Works of William Shakespeare
The Bible
Parallel Worlds: A Journey Through Creation, Higher Dimensions, and the Future of the Cosmos by Michio Kaku

Author Websites and Profiles
Anthony Caplan Website
Anthony Caplan Amazon Profile

Anthony Caplan’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile
Facebook Profile
Twitter Account

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I have written 5 time-travel erotica novellas so far in The Fucking Time Machine Series as well as three collections of erotic short stories.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
My latest book is called The Fucking Time Machine and Some Fucking Dinosaurs. I was inspired by my research into strange fetishes. I like dino porn. I wanted my characters to experience some strange sex in this new book.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I have never told people this, but I often end up masturbating several times a day on days that I’m writing. The process can be exhausting but it ensures that the material is hot. It gets me going constantly. So, switching between steamy videos and my word processor while I double click my mouse is a common writing habit.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
I actually studied English Literature in school and completed and MFA in Creative Writing, so my influences go a bit deeper than just current erotica, however, I am a big fan of Christie Sims and her dinosaur erotica stories. But my true love is the Beat Generation of the 50s and 60s. I’ve been completely taken with Jack Kerouac and the other Beats for years now. There’s something about their adventurous spirit and devil-may-care attitude approach to things. Plus, they did a lot of drugs and had a lot of sex. More recently more female authors have been recognized for their contributions to writing in this era. Many of these women were sexually involved with the male authors and wrote accounts of them. Though it’s not traditional erotica, some of it is really hot.

What are you working on now?
More Fucking Time Machine novellas. Sam and Chuck are at it again exploring the past and future for strange pussy.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
Really Amazon is my only current home base. I’ve been wanting to set up my own website, but searching me on Amazon is the best right now.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Get out of your own way and write what you want, even if it’s pornography.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Do what you want.

What are you reading now?
I just finished re-reading the Harry Potter series. I’m a sucker for erotic fan-fiction and have been reading lots of that, especially recently Titanic fan-fiction featuring Jack and Rose from the movie. It’s hot stuff.

What’s next for you as a writer?
I’m hoping just to stay productive and try to increase my success by building my fan base for The Fucking Time Machine Series. Writing, writing, 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?
Ravished By the Triceratops, Taken By The Pterodactyl, both by Christie Sims, and Dinners and Nightmares by Dianne diPrima.

Author Websites and Profiles
Nin Cox Amazon Profile

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I’m originally from Cork in Ireland and have lived in London for the past twelve years. I work as a PA in my day job and use my evenings to get the words out of my head and onto the computer screen. I’ve written one book to date, but would like to write more and I’d really love to challenge myself with writing a screenplay one day. I’m currently working on my second novel which hopefully should be released around September or possibly before.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
Waiting for a Star to Fall was a story I always had in my head, but couldn’t quite put the pieces together properly, until I visited New York. As I walked through the streets, I could picture certain scenes in my head and felt very inspired by the city. When I returned to London, I recalled the various streets in my head as I wrote it all down. New York in an incredibly inspirational city.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I’m a bit of a night owl when it comes to my writing. I tend to concentrate more from around 8pm onwards. I find it difficult to write during the day, I think because I feel I’m missing out on something going on in the outside world.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
Marian Keyes, Helen Fielding, David Nicholls. I love reading any Marian Keyes books, she’s very funny and of course Bridget Jones speaks for itself, it’s so funny. However, I really enjoyed the whole romance, friendship and humour of David Nicholls One Day.

What are you working on now?
Currently working towards finishing my 2nd novel. Almost at the finish line and once edited hope to have it out by September latest.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I tend to use Twitter and Facebook a great deal to promote, but I do find I’ve had a great response to Awesomegang which is why I keep coming back!

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Don’t give up! No matter how difficult you’re finding it all, keep going as it’s so worth it in the end to hold your first novel in your hands

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
It’s something someone said to me once and I now use it as my motto : Everything happens for a reason – and if things go wrong now, I believe something better is around the corner.

What are you reading now?
JoJo Moyes Me Before You….I’m playing catch up with my reading

What’s next for you as a writer?
I’d like to continue writing novels and also a screenplay at some point. I really enjoy writing and would love to write full time eventually as it is my passion.

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?
One Day – David Nicholls
Anything by Marian Keyes
I Heart New York – Lindsay Kelk – I love any books New York related but this one I could picture the scenes as I read it.
Total contrast would be a Michael Connolly book or something by Dan Brown
Overall I have many books that I enjoy but I am a contemporary romance reader and writer, so tend to go for that feel good funny book.

Author Websites and Profiles
Elaine Cremin Amazon Profile

Elaine Cremin’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile
Facebook Profile
Twitter Account

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I was born in Chicago but grew up in Pennsylvania. I now live in Indiana with my two wonderful sons. I enjoy reading and creating stories. I like creating fun, affordable ebooks for children that gets them excited about reading.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
My latest book that I am currently working on is called Dinosaurs at Night! It is the third book in my Animals at Night series. It was inspired by my youngest son who is obsessed with any and everything dinosaurs. I knew that I wanted to expand on the series and so the Dinosaurs at Night book was born.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I wouldn’t say that I have any unusual writing habits but I have been known to wake up out of my sleep in the middle of the night, with an idea for a book, and begin writing.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
I am inspired by all authors. Anyone who can come up with a story in there head and then is brave enough to share that with the world inspires me

What are you working on now?
Dinosaurs at Night! from the Animals at Night series.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I personally love promoting on Instagram the best.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Keep writing and keep trying to expand your audience.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Write, Write, Write. Keep writing.

What are you reading now?
I just finished a book so I am currently in between books.

What’s next for you as a writer?
To continually grow as a writer and to reach a broader audience.

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 romance novel, a word search and a note book.

Author Websites and Profiles
N.V. Smith Amazon Profile

N.V. Smith’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile
Facebook Profile
Twitter Account