Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I write in the crime fiction thriller genre and this is my first book. I’ve spent the last three years writing. I’ve been fitting it in before and after work on most days. During that time I’ve been developing two distinct series and drafting a standalone psychological thriller. I hope to release all of these throughout 2016 and in to 2017.

The other series is about a rogue cop but I’m keeping it under wraps for now.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
Violence in the Blood is book one in the Crime Syndicate series featuring aspiring crime boss Malkie Thompson, a ruthless, ambitious sociopath who will stop at nothing to get to the top. The book centres around the early days of Thompson’s activities, it’s set in the 80’s in Glasgow but moves south of the border to the industrial heartland of the Midlands. It’s a scene setter for the rest of the series which brings the reader right up to the present day. It deals with complex relationships and the constant state of paranoia that exist in the world of organised criminal gangs

The book was inspired by my youth growing up in an inner city environment and also by my experiences working as a police photographer and later a prison tutor. It’s really a fusion of my own and others experiences.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
Depends on what you class as unusual. I tend to write in various locations at different times of the day and night throughout the house, depending on how many people are in and how noisy it is.

I always like to begin with a cup of tea in hand. When I can, I try to get an early start, about 5am weekdays, so that I get a couple of hours in before I go off to the day job. I can also by found walking my dogs dictating in to my phone, which might seem a bit odd or unusual to passers-by.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
Lots and lots. Here are a few in no particular order: Ian Rankin, John Harvey, Don Winslow, George Pelecanos, Denis Lehane, Jack Higgins, Elmore Leonard, Ed McBain, James Patterson, Lee Child, Stephen King, Val McDermid,

What are you working on now?
Trying to multi task. I’m redrafting book 2 and 3 of the Crime Syndicate series, I’m also working on a standalone psychological thriller.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I’m new to this so I’ll let you know

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Just do it.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Sit your ass in the chair and type!

What are you reading now?
Lee Child: Worth Dying For

James P Sumner: True Conviction

What’s next for you as a writer?
Put more books out there and try to build an audience of loyal readers who enjoy fast paced gritty crime fiction thrillers

If you were going to be stranded on a desert island and allowed to take 3 or 4 books with you what books would you bring?
What no e-reader?
If we’re talking paperbacks: Lee Child Kill Shot, Don Winslow The Winter of Frankie Machine, Ian Rankin Knots and Crosses, Ian Rankin Exit Music

Author Websites and Profiles
Mark J Newman Website
Mark J Newman Amazon Profile

Mark J Newman’s Social Media Links
Facebook Profile
Twitter Account

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
My name is Jacob Grovey and I’m a writer based in Texas. I have been writing since I was eight. My most recent project, “Dance of the Broken” is my 3rd book overall and my first novel. My previous two books, “My World, My Words: Confessions of a Cluttered Mind” and “The Book of Jacob” are both collections of poetry that I have written.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
My latest book, “Dance of the Broken,” has rather unique origins. One day, I randomly drew a rough sketch of a ballerina on a small piece of paper. Immediately after doing so, I had a title and almost the complete story in my head. I knew that isn’t the sort of thing that happens every day, so I take no credit for it. I feel the whole concept of this story was sent to me by God. My hopes are that people will read this story and become inspired by it because the main character, Elise, is so relatable to them. This book was written to present a strong female character and positive images to those who don’t normally see that.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
Well, I don’t really think it’s unusual, but most people find it strange that I still handwrite the majority of my work before typing it. For some reason, the words seem more organic and less forced when I just have a pen and a notebook.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
Well, many authors have influenced me. Many writers have influenced my work and my life. My father, Greg Grovey, Sr., Saul Williams, Chuck Palahniuk, Maya Angelou, Langston Hughes and the greatest writer of all times, God have all impacted me greatly!

What are you working on now?
Without releasing too many details, I’m about to start work on a graphic novel. There are other projects in the works, but I won’t say anything about them, yet.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
When promoting, I like to try to personally reach out to any potential readers via my Twitter or Facebook pages. The instant interaction is awesome!

Do you have any advice for new authors?
My advice for new authors would be to prepare to fight through frustration. When you complete a project, you’ll want everyone in the world to read what you have spent so much of your time on, but it won’t always work out like that. You have to understand that you are not writing for everyone in the world, you are writing for your audience. It may be difficult to figure out who your audience is, but once you find them (or they find you), there will be no doubt about it.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
I have been given way too much great advice over the years by my friends and family to just give one piece of advice. I will say, there are some famous quotes that inspire me. Muhammad Ali said, “He who is not courageous enough to take risks will accomplish nothing in life,” Michael Jordan said, “I can accept failure, everyone fails at something. But I can’t accept not trying” and Dr. Maya Angelou once stated, “We may encounter many defeats, but we must not be defeated.” To me, those are some great words of wisdom to keep you going, no matter what it is you do.

What are you reading now?
I am about to get started on the book “Unashamed” by the grammy-award winning artist, LeCrae. I’m interested to read more about how his life impacted his music and his overall journey.

What’s next for you as a writer?
For me, what’s next will always be to create and pass along stories that entertain, educate and enlighten.

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 a good question. If I could only have a few books with me, I would want them to be “Decoded” by Jay-Z, any book by Maya Angelou, at least one of the books written by me, and even though I need to read it more, it is absolutely necessary to have the Bible.

Author Websites and Profiles
Jacob Grovey Website
Jacob Grovey Amazon Profile

Jacob Grovey’s Social Media Links
Facebook Profile
Twitter Account

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
Gerald Weaver received his bachelor’s degree from Yale University and Juris Doctor degree from Catholic University. He has been a Capitol Hill chief of staff, a campaign manager, a lobbyist, a single father, a teacher of English and Latin, a collector and seller of Chinese antiquities and a contributor to the political magazine, George. He lives in the suburbs of Washington, DC, and travels regularly between the United Kingdom and the US. Gospel Prism is his first novel.

Listen to a 21 May 2015 BBC World Service “Newsday” interview of Gerald Weaver, discussing Gospel Prism and its relation to love, loss and literature, here: http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p02rx8bb

Read a feature article (23 May 2015) on Gospel Prism and Gerald Weaver that appeared in The Times of London here: http://www.thetimes.co.uk/tto/arts/books/article4448661.ece

Listen to the BBC World Service “Outlook” interview here, from 15 April 2015, that discusses the Gospel Prism author’s fall from grace and redemption, here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6fM1W4XVOwA

View an article, 22 February 2015, on Gospel Prism that appeared in The London Sunday Times here: http://www.thesundaytimes.co.uk/sto/news/world_news/MarieColvin/article1522261.ece

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
His experience of reading challenging literature in order to survive a dark place served as a provocation for the atmospheric, dreamlike and unpredictable Gospel Prism, which brings into focus the relationship between literature, language, truth and religious faith.

His second novel, The First First Gentleman, a timely novel about the first female president’s husband (fiction) will be released in August.

What are you working on now?
Gerald is gearing up to promote his second novel The First First Gentleman.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
You can read more about Gospel Prism at http://www.gospelprism.com

Do you have any advice for new authors?
NW3 2NP

Author Websites and Profiles
Gerald Weaver Website
Gerald Weaver Amazon Profile

Gerald Weaver’s Social Media Links
Facebook Profile

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I have ten years experience in the writing field and have written 1 children’s book.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
Tippy Boo – Fun Day Out I always enjoyed the fantasy and magical world stories where anything and everything is possible, my big inspiration was the cartoon button moon which I loved watching as a kid.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I write down anything and everything which pops up into my head regardless of what time it is.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
Matilda By Roald Dahl and Harry Potter.

What are you working on now?
I am working on my Second Children’s Book.

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

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Be patient.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
All your hard work will pay off so never give up.

What are you reading now?
Aliens Love Underpants By Claire Freedman

What’s next for you as a writer?
Hoping to write at least 3-4 Childrens book so they become a 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 Surgeon by Tess Gerritson, My feudal Lord by Tehmina Durrani, Tippy Boo – Fun Day Out by Fazilla Shujaat

Author Websites and Profiles
Fazilla Shujaat Website
Fazilla Shujaat Amazon Profile

Fazilla Shujaat’s Social Media Links
Facebook Profile
Twitter Account

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
Hi! My name is Emerald, and I have written more books than I’ve publishing! I currently have four published books, though. I’m an auntie, a proofreader, a nerd, and I love binge watching television shows, specifically anything with superheroes, Game of Thrones, and a lot more. I spent my time with my nieces and nephews, writing, editing or cooking.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
Delivered by Angels is my most current book, and I was inspired to write it to help others realize that they are not alone. It deals with very difficult subjects, such as depression, self-harm, and suicide, and it was my goal to make sure that people understood that they were loved and not alone. The book is also inspired by my first book in the series, Entertaining Angels. I wanted to continue to help others through my writing.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
Not really. I pretty much just write, unless not plotting is strange. I like to write by the seat of my pants. Although, I am the type to snack while I write. Let’s just say, my laptop is the best place to place chocolates.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
Dean Koontz was the reason I first started writing. I wanted to write like him, but as I continued discovering new authors, Frank Peretti became my next influence. The way he writes, his style and subject matter, is very similar to my own.

What are you working on now?
Right now, I’m working on two books. One is tentatively title The Healer, and it’s a Christian futuristic/dystopian novel. I am also submitting my novel, The Marked: A Knight’s Academy novel to publishers/agents. It’s a YA urban fantasy novel.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
My best method at promoting my books is word of mouth. That is still the best way anyone can help out an author. If someone says, “Oh my gosh, I loved this book!”, someone else will be more likely to pick it up.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Yes, focus on branding yourself, not your books. Readers want to know YOU. They’ll feel a connection with you, not if you’re constantly promoting your books.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
The best advice I’ve ever been given is the same my advice for new authors. Let your readers see the real you, show them your interests, connect with them. Then, worry about your books.

What are you reading now?
I am currently reading an advanced copy of Infallible by Bailey Quinn.

What’s next for you as a writer?
What’s next for me? Well, I will keep pounding away at the computer, publishing my books and connecting with every one of my fans.

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 a good question. I would take The Bible first and foremost. Then, I would take The Princess Bride by William Goldman, The Selection by Kiera Cass, and The Chronicles of Narnia by C.S. Lewis.

Author Websites and Profiles
Emerald Barnes Website
Emerald Barnes Amazon Profile

Emerald Barnes’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile
Facebook Profile
Twitter Account
Pinterest Account

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
Hi. Tell you about me? I would describe myself as a Mom/Writer/Waitress. Mom always comes first. It’s my most important job. Writing is what I was born to do and waitress is how I pay my bills. Plus, I actually enjoy it. I am about to publish my second book within the month. I am still working on a title. Right now I am writing my third book.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
I don’t have a title for the one I’m working on yet. Though my first two books were romances, this one is a comedy. This one was inspired by a dream I had. You know those dreams that seem so real you can’t believe they weren’t real when you wake up? This third book is sort of an anti-romance. It’s darker than the other stuff I’ve written and I’m very excited about this one.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
Yes. First of all, I write everything longhand before I type it up. Second, I often wake up at four am to write because as a mom that is the only time I find to myself. Also the first draft I write from beginning to end with only a few rewrites in between, it just sort of flows.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
Wally Lamb. The Bell Jar. Lena Dunham although she writes for television I think she is a genius and hilarious.

What are you working on now?
Life.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
So far…facebook and twitter and Awesomegang.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Yes…make sure you have 1,000,000 facebook friends before you publish a book.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Make every second count.

What are you reading now?
On the Beach by Nevil Shute. Which is not a beach romance but is actually about the end of the world.

What’s next for you as a writer?
I hope to publish book #3 with some success.

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 Steven King. On the Beach by Nevil Shute. Love in the Time of Cholera.

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
From early childhood, I have wanted to be a writer. The need to make a living led to me becoming a music teacher, and raising three boys took up the rest of my time. Surviving Anna is my debut novel. I started working on it in 2009 and self-published in March 2016.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
I was only five when I learned of the harrowing event that would later form the basis for my first book. I grew up wondering how such a tragedy could have happened and what the long term consequences would be. As an adult, the story stayed with me. I felt the need for answers but was never able to discover the facts. In the end, I decided to write my own version. Surviving Anna is the result.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I am working full time as a music teacher and karate instructor, so I write mostly at weekends and in the school holidays. I have also been known to squeeze in a bit of editing while waiting for a student to turn up and during orchestral rehearsals when I am not required for a particular piece. Basically, I write whenever I can find the time.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
Authors who strongly influenced me as a young reader were Charles Dickens, Thomas Hardy, Jane Austen, Charlotte Bronte and DH Lawrence. Some of the best authors I have read more recently include Khaled Hosseini, Anna Funder, Geraldine Brooks and JK Rowling. Graeme Simsion’s The Rosie Project made me laugh out loud.

What are you working on now?
My current project is called Spiralling Forces. Its central theme is a family dealing with the impact of domestic violence on their lives.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
So far, I have been selling my self-published ebook through Amazon and using KDP Select’s advertising to promote Surviving Anna. I am also selling the paperback on Amazon and through three local shops.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
When you have finished your first book and you are trying to get it published, make a start on the second one.
Always check with the critic within before giving credence to the judgement of others.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
You will never get on in the world if you don’t learn to listen.
You get out of life what you put in.

What are you reading now?
The Alienist by Caleb Carr.

What’s next for you as a writer?
I am keen to publish Spiralling Forces later this year.

If you were going to be stranded on a desert island and allowed to take 3 or 4 books with you what books would you bring?
A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Hosseini
Crime and Punishment by Fyodor Dostoyevsky
War and Peace by Leo Tolstoy
Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen

Author Websites and Profiles
Hazel Buchanan Website
Hazel Buchanan Amazon Profile

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I am a fiction author with 14 books under my belt. They all are different in cenres from sci=fi to medical. I always add a bit of romance in them.
T began to write to fend off boredom. I used to work like a maniac in sales. An eight hour day was a half day to me. I was stricken with Type 2 Diabetes, and my sight became impaired, so I couldn’t work anymore.
My Social Security disability checks weren’t enough, so I began to do what I used to do in high school, make up stories.
I found certain people enjoy my tales, so I kept going.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
The name of my most recent book is called Wrong Step: A Sinister Syndicate Thriller. http://www.amazon.com/dp/B01FE6MGII
I wrote this story for my fiance. She’s the main character. I wanted to put her on an adventure, and being chased by a Jamaican posse. is a dangerous adventure.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I listen to music constantly, and being very eclectic accents certain scenes in my books.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
Let’s see. Stephen King, George Orwell, Phillip Kindred Dick, Issac Asimov, and any other significant talent to me.
I’m a comic book nut, so Frank Miller, Walt Simonson, and Matt Wagner were a few I grew up on.

What are you working on now?
I actually finished my last book last month. I hit best seller with my other, so I’m just marketing. Being an indie author means just that. Sometimes you have to do the paperwork instead of creating. Things will fall into my lap soon. I’m not worried.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
It’s closed to others now, but Buck Books helps a lot. Book lister, eBook Soda, Snicks List, Free Book Duke, and Pixel of Imk are just a few in my ad ammo box. Book Bub is th monster, along with Twitter, and Facebook.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
LEARN! I can’t advise that enough. There are 41,000 new books a day in all mediums. If you read one a day from birth, you’d be complete with one day of books at 123. There are many, MANY books out there, and Amazon has opened the flood gates for everyone. Look up Tom Corson-Knowles, Chandler Bolt, and Mike Balcemeda. Learn from the experts. It takes away the trial, and error aspect of getting out your book.
Find an editor, and if it costs you too much, go to fiverr.com. There are many cheaper contractors out there. Don’t skimp on your work, because you’ll have scholars of your subject, grammar nuts, and just plain trolls wanting to kill your dream.
Map out your book by making an outline for your chapters. That will be your proverbial first draft. That’s also the key to unlock your writer’s block.
Even if someone wants to destroy your dream, never stop. Stay strong, you’ll make it.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
I’m a fiction writer, so I take this quote to heart:
“A mind stretched by a new idea can never return back to its original state” – Earl Nightingale.

What are you reading now?
I’m reading about esential oils from another indie author.

What’s next for you as a writer?
As for right now, I’m just trying to get noticed. You can write great books, but if no ome knows of them, you’ll have great books collecting virtual dust on a digital shelf.

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’m practical. I’d get a book on how to build a sturdy raft, how Morse code works, A current almanac, and War & Peace to occupy my mind.

Author Websites and Profiles
Kyle Robertson Website
Kyle Robertson Author Profile on Smashwords

Kyle Robertson’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile
Facebook Profile
Twitter Account

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
“Forgotten” is my debut. I was submerged in the music scene for many years and then started writing fiction based in convenience stores. I started a website and put out Seven Eleven Stories: Volume 1–though it has a few stories of mine, it is a collection from those submissions. Volume 2 should be out this summer, and I’ve only started sketching my next major work, a novel.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
“Forgotten” was just as I said, a collection of “Seven Eleven Stories.” The novella within, and title story, “Seven Eleven Forgotten,” started out at a 7-Eleven and got very much away. I used to walk to 7-Eleven a lot when I wasn’t feeling well in the head. This is probably the inspiration for the concept.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I scribble a lot into little notebooks, all day. These sometimes end up being of major contribution to whatever I’m working on, and sometimes just little prompts. Once I’m at the keyboard, it hopefully starts making sense or heading in a direction that makes sense to me. I like to sit in front of the TV and watch almost anything for inspiration. The stupidest show can give me an idea.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
Existentialists were a big deal when I started writing seriously, before my music degrees. So Sartre, Dostoyevsky. Henry Miller was also an influence. Prose poetry was an obsession for a while, and my fiction reflects that I think. Baudelaire’s book of prose poems blew me away. I sometimes do edit my prose with a poetic ear. Perhaps it’s the musician in me–always wanting my writing to be musical.

What are you working on now?
A novel set in the near future, about a musician struggling to make a living.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I am still finding my way around this indie jungle. It’s very exciting on the one hand that basically anyone can publish a book–it’s also daunting to try to find one’s audience amidst all of this activity. So far I have found it most rewarding selling books in person, at readings at such; or to find out the high school Humanities teacher bought my book at a local shop–that had such an impact on me.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Nothing they haven’t heard I don’t think. As was said to me in a music business class, if you’re in it for the money, get a job plumbing. You’ll never run out of work. Write because you have to.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
There’s an expletive involved, so I won’t quote it verbatim. It comes down to working from your own muse, not letting nay-sayers get you down. Critique is fine, reflection is fine, but as you lay your head down at night, you’re answering to yourself as an artist.

What are you reading now?
“Pudd’nhead Wilson,” Mark Twain. I got a great review of “Forgotten” with a quote about my style sometimes reading like a translated work. That formal voice, again the influence of the existentialists I think. It’s a compliment to me, because I know the voice is genuine–but I thought it might be good to get back to a classic American author, who writes less formally.

What’s next for you as a writer?
Give away “Forgotten” every couple of months until I’ve found my readers. I know you’re out there; I know this because a few of you have stumbled on my book and really gotten it, as per certain reviews and feedback. Meanwhile, this next book, I don’t know how long it will take but it’s all shaping up in my head.

If you were going to be stranded on a desert island and allowed to take 3 or 4 books with you what books would you bring?
Long ones I guess. A few of my favorite longer books. Brothers Karamazov comes to mind. I’m looking now at Bleak House by Dickens because I haven’t read it yet. Maybe the complete teleplays of Black Adder, so I can have a laugh once in a while. That’s three. A good forth one–something with all of Emily Dickinson’s poems would be good. She knew how to be alone.

Author Websites and Profiles
Barnaby Hazen Website
Barnaby Hazen Amazon Profile

Barnaby Hazen’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile
Facebook Profile
Twitter Account

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
This is the first time I have taken up the task to write. It was a beautiful journey and from here there is no looking back.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
The Dawn of Grace is my debut and the latest book. This story started with a trip to Europe on my 10th wedding Anniversary. Few months later after our blessed vacation in April, we were enjoying our Christmas lunch. At that moment, there was this sudden urge in me to write and spread the good news. Not knowing where to start, I began brainstorming with my wife in the kitchen, and suddenly my attention fell on a souvenir purchased from our last trip. It was exactly where the story was realized. Serving as a Christian service leader there were many beautiful lessons I have learned. I have summarized few of these in to this fiction novel. The true source of inspiration came from above.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
Yes I did enjoying write poems in my childhood.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
There are many but one of them was Illusion by Richard Bach

What are you working on now?
Book 2 of the Revelation Series.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
Social Media can do a lot for every author.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Follow your heart. Do not stop, if you fail you will learn and keep going on for there will be a time when your readers will come in search of you.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Lean not on your understanding but on His.

What are you reading now?
Redeeming love by Francine Rivers

What’s next for you as a writer?
A part from the Revelation series I also plan to co-author and support upcoming writers.

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 first will be the Bible and the rest will be inspirational books

Author Websites and Profiles
Christian Hunt Website
Christian Hunt Amazon Profile

Christian Hunt’s Social Media Links
Pinterest Account

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I’m a Canadian horror fiction writer who started posting stories on Reddit’s NoSleep subforum a few years ago. Honestly, I never expected people would read my stuff, but I wanted to give it a try for fun. I was blown away by the amazing reception. Since then, I’ve continued posting regularly, have had the pleasure of hearing my tales narrated on my favorite podcast, been featured in The Nightmare Collective — a horror anthology, and have written for Thought Catalog.

Most recently, I released a novella entitled “From the Ashes of Pompeii”, which I packaged with a handful of my favorite stories.

Fun fact about me: I have a sock puppet named Rodriguez who acts as my PR agent because I’m a little shy.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
I titled my novella “From the Ashes of Pompeii”. Without giving anything away, the story deals with what caused the volcanic eruption in Pompeii, and the possibility that it might happen again halfway across the world.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
Does curling up in the corner, rocking back and forth, and crying about being a failure at everything count as an unusual writing habit?

No, I think that’s pretty typical, huh?

What authors, or books have influenced you?
Kris Mallory, the man who wrote my all-time favorite story “The Scarecrow Corpse” had a huge influence on me. I was so inspired by his amazing storytelling that I decided to give writing a try.

What are you working on now?
I’ve got three short stories on the go, but I’m at the “rocking in the corner crying about being a failure” stage of the process at the moment.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I don’t have any method. Just kind of hope my followers will want to take a chance and buy it.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Enjoy what you do. If you like what you write, it’ll show in your story. Other than that, just practice practice practice.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
“People don’t want to read a story, people want you to tell them a story.”

What are you reading now?
Tripping over Twilight be T.W. Grim.

What’s next for you as a writer?
I’m going to keep writing short stories for now, but I’ve got plans for a novel.

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 3 encyclopedias and an outdoor survival guide. The encyclopedias would make good kindling for a fire, and the survival guide might delay my untimely death by at least half a day.

Author Websites and Profiles
Manen Lyset Website
Manen Lyset Amazon Profile

Manen Lyset’s Social Media Links
Facebook Profile
Twitter Account

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
My name is WD Jackson, I’m a crime fiction writer based in London, and have so far written three novels and one short story. I’m hoping to release my fourth novel around the summer of 2016.

I’m a big crime, thriller and horror fan, and this is what drove me to want to write and share suspenseful stories of my own.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
My latest book is called Slasher and is actually inspired by a bad review I got for my very first book. The woman had put that my book was nothing more than a slasher movie in print. I could not have disagreed with her more, but it got me thinking, how would a slasher book work? I set about investigating and Slasher was born.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
Not really, but I have found that if I don’t start writing or editing within a few minutes of opening my computer I’ll give up and come back another time. I have to be in the right mood.

And I do tend to read all the dialogue out loud.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
Certainly Dean Koontz and Steven King did when I was young. I read so many by both, thanks to my dad. I loved all of the Goosebumps and Point Horror books too, they were probably hugely influential.

What are you working on now?
The first in a new crime horror series based in London, called Demons. It’s about a detective trying to prove that a demonologist is a murderer, rather than the demon she claims is very real.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I have found that trying to engage with people on social media helps. Joining groups of people who may be relevant to your audience and chatting with them, introducing your work. If they like you and what you write, they can be very supportive and help market for you.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Write for you, not for others. Write what you enjoy writing. If you like it then chances are others will too. And make sure you plan too. That really helps keep your story going in the right direction.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Edit, edit and edit again.

What are you reading now?
I just finished a Japanese ghost story called Reiko, so now I’m choosing my next read – maybe Wayward Pines book 3.

What’s next for you as a writer?
Releasing Demons and getting work on its sequel, which is already starting to bubble in my mind.

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 tough, probably something long? Lord of the Rings would be a good shout. I do really love The Help too, not my normal choice of genre but it’s a cracking read and one I could probably enjoy numerous times.

Author Websites and Profiles
WD Jackson Website
WD Jackson Amazon Profile

WD Jackson’s Social Media Links
Facebook Profile
Twitter Account

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I’m the author of The Ericksen Connection, an Espionage Thrller. From 1984-1991 I was the vice-president of international sales & marketing for Eyedentify, an Oregon company specializing in the eye-retinal biometrics technology for positive identification in high-security environments. In 1994-2014, I was a marketing consultant in the biometrics technology industry.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
My novel is entitled “The Ericksen Connection.” It is about betrayal, PTSD, corruption, conspiracy and terrorism. I wanted to write about an elite warrior, a Navy SEAL Team Six platoon leader who was all about duty, honor, and country. The main character is Mark Ericksen, he had it all- intelligence, compassion, mental toughness, integrity, honesty, courage, leadership and battle-tested.. However, he is also human and did develop PTSD.

I thought about the tragedies our country have endured over the past two major wars based on faulty intelligence or fabricated intelligence, and the lack of coherent foreign policy leadership from the executive branch (The President). This was notable with the Vietnam War and now the longest war in our history, Afghanistan and Iraq. The enormous cost to our country from these wars in blood and treasure, and the horrible results from both recent invasions and occupations of Afghanistan and Iraq should remind our citizens that we need to be engaged in the public debate in foreign policy and its global implications as it impacts our moral integrity and national security needs.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I write a few hours a day and in my office at home.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
Christopher Reich, Vince Flynn, Nelson DeMille, David Baldacci, Daniel Silva, Robert Dugoni, Robert Ludlum, etc.

What are you working on now?
My second Mark Ericksen book.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
http://www.theericksenconnection.com, createspace.com, amazon.com, audible.com.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Don’t give up.

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

What are you reading now?
A Long Day To Denver.

What’s next for you as a writer?
Keep active, enjoy life and people.

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 is a tough question.

Author Websites and Profiles
Barry L. Becker Website
Barry L. Becker Amazon Profile

Barry L. Becker’s Social Media Links
Facebook Profile
Twitter Account

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I’m a debuting author excited to find new readers that can relate to my fascination with our darker sides. As of yet, I’ve only published Falter, but I have more underway!

I live in the Carolinas with my genius husband, ten-going-on-seventeen year old son, and an outdoor cat. My dayjob is in the medical field, but it’s actually my nightjob since I’m a creature of the nighshift. I enjoy movies, reading, crocheting, painting, gardening (though I’m not very good at it), Supernatural, Penny Dreadful, and Vikings.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
Falter is my portrayal of the gray areas of spirituality and morality that many of us struggle with. Choosing what to believe in a God, in ourselves, and in others is much harder, I think, than we’d like to admit. I am a spiritual person who grew up, and maintained, christian beliefs. However, I’ve always been fascinated with the darker side of a person’s soul, what can turn good intentions into terrible decisions.

My novel toys with those notions.

Nevaeh Richards thinks she has found a chance to leave her homeless life behind. When the spirit of the only father she knows is wrongfully taken to Hell, Nevaeh is hurled into a world haunted by monstrous demons, rogue Guardian angels, love that is beyond her control, and a soul-threatening choice between the inherent evil inside her and the faltering faith she is struggling to grasp.

Nevaeh and George have lived on the streets as father and daughter since he found her, alone and unconscious, many years ago. When they start a new life employed at Joe’s cafe, Nevaeh experiences debilitating visions and frightening apparitions. Adding to the troubling path her life has taken, George suddenly becomes ill and an Animus demon takes his soul hostage in Hell. Unfortunately, the ransom may be more than Nevaeh can afford.

As Nevaeh spirals into this supernatural world, Gavyn—the handsome café-owner—tries to convince her that she belongs to a hidden race of people with God-given gifts known as Celatum, and she may be a key player in the Celestial war. However, even after all the otherworldly events she experiences, Nevaeh continues to deny her part in it all.

Meanwhile, Archard—a stranger she feels undeniably bonded to—mysteriously wanders in and out of her life, offering none of the answers she suspects he holds.

Will Nevaeh attain the faith it requires to fulfill her fate as a Celata and take part in the Celestial fight? Or will she give into the darkness that calls to her for the sake of George’s soul and damn herself to Hell?

Warning: this novel contains adult language and sexual content. Readers 18 years and older only, please.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
No unusual habits for me, but I do have to be in a mood to write. Being at my favorite coffee shop helps too.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
My favorite authors include Karen Marie Moning for her clever yet elaborate details, Leigh Bardugo’s vivid imagination and descriptions, and Jamie McGuire for her will to succeed as an author while creating great books everytime she writes.

What are you working on now?
I’m about 75% done with book 2 in the Faltering Souls series, and I have 3 pages in a stand-alone fantasy that may end up with a sci-fi twist.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I’m a huge Facebooker. Networking with bloggers, readers, and other authors is so important.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Research everything on writing, publishing, networking they can. Get a good grip on the reality of it because publishing is an intimidating industry, and if you are not serious about it, you won’t get far, unfortunately. Discouragement is an emotion you will feel often, but I firmly believe that if you are diligent, you can make it. You may not have a fat wallet in the end, but it’s better to try and fail, knowing you gave it your best than avoiding the trials of being a writer when you could have been magical.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
“Never give up.” It’s said so often, but we have to push through the tough times in this career to make it.

What are you reading now?
I’m reading Only Human by J.D. Estrada and listening to Shadow of Night by Deborah Harkness. I love audiobooks!

What’s next for you as a writer?
I want to succeed in sharing my stories with readers and reaching out to those who might relate to me. I’ll continue on my writing journey, attend author events, and hope for the best!

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 take Darkfever, Shadow and Bone, Curing Doctor Vincent, and the Bible to balance me out.

Author Websites and Profiles
Haven Cage Website
Haven Cage Amazon Profile
Haven Cage Author Profile on Smashwords

Haven Cage’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile
Facebook Profile

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I am Krish Srinivasan working in the field of online marketing, SEO and eCommerce. My passion is designing websites for personal and business needs. I did many social media projects and blogging as a business. This being my first book published for the readers through Amazon.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
The book titled “How to build Alexa Backlinks fast” has inspired me a lot. I was able to go through in it deeply and it revealed many interesting facts and features in the field of SEO.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
Yes indeed, I am a voracious reader of fictions and non-fiction day in and day out. Also I am a writer, I take interesting notes from various authors in Us and worldwide.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
The Auto Biography of Mahatma Gandhi who has not only liberated India from slavery and also has been roll model to many eminent personality worldwide. Then I like Stephen R.Covey who has the power to change a person internally.

What are you working on now?
I am working as an SEO professional

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I use Facebook and Twitter for all my works

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Read;Read;Read

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Hard work never fails.

What are you reading now?
Now I am reading books on Yoga and BhagavadGita.

What’s next for you as a writer?
I am intended to write a book on “Advanced SEO for DUMMIES”.

If you were going to be stranded on a desert island and allowed to take 3 or 4 books with you what books would you bring?
A book on Astronomy

A book on Life after death

A book on how to find oasis in the desert.

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I’m Cesario Picca (1972), I was born and bred in Salento (South Italy) and I live and work in Bologna as a crime and judicial reporter. I’va already published (2005), the juridical essay Ungagged – the developing concept of freedom of the press. My love for thrillers blossomed with Murder in the Tremiti Isles, in which the main character is a reporter from Salento, Rosario (Saru) Santacroce. He will soon be involved in many other intrigues and adventures like you can read in Gioco mortale where you can find Saru with the same likeable verve and curiosity. In 2002 I was awarded the Piero Passetti prize for “chronicler of the year”. I’ve been a speaker or moderator at numerous conferences and has participated in many radio and television. broadcasts.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
My last legal thriller is Gioco mortale – delitto nel mondo della trasgressione. I write about an omicide in the world of transgression. There’s not an Eglish versione, yet. My first novel was Murder in The Tremiti Isles. I imagine the character Rosario Saru Santacroce, a crime and judicial journalist.
A wealthy tourist from Bologna has been killed in the Tremiti Isles and the reporter Rosario Santacroce, a nice, talkative and charismatic Salento journalist, writes about the murder in the beautiful contest of Tremiti Islands (Puglia, South Italy). During the reading you can hear the sea, see the sun, smell good food, imagine sex meetings.
In this novel you can find suspense, love of good food, love of life with a smile on your face. Because even tragedies and difficulties are best approached with good humor. A sort of ode to life is what Rosario Saru Santacroce offers his readers.
The protagonist of this thriller is a forty year old Salento reporter who lives in Bologna and works for a local newspaper. A rough and rational man, talkative, charismatic, ready to savor every moment of life as if it was the last. Nicknamed Saru (the nickname that is given in Salento to those named like him), he covers the city’s crime beat. As often happens, occasionally work also follows him on holidays because a real reporter is destined (almost) never to unplug. And that is probably why he gets entangled in the murder of a wealthy tourist from Bologna who like him is on vacation in the Tremiti Islands.
Saru had met the victim the day before during a boat trip and the two had hit it off. The first to rush to the scene of the crime was none other than Saru and for that reason he ends up among the suspects. Journalists of all the national newspapers arrive on the island but Saru always manages to get a bit more news than the others thanks to his friendship with the marshal of the local station who hails from the same part of Italy as him.
The story is peppered with amusing expressions in the Salento dialect related to the food, tastes and customs of that part of Italy surrounded by two seas and contains the right mix of eroticism and suspense. The author reveals the often humorous interplay between fellow-journalists, refers to real news stories and packs the investigation with twists right up to the surprise ending.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I don’t think so. I’m inspired by the reality, by my work, by what I see and I hear, by the life. I love hearing, seeing and feeling what happens around me and I write it in a romance way. I mix real life experiences and imagination. But I think reality is the most important mine we can draw fully from. When I feel a story and I have many elements to write it I start writing. For example, some months ago I read about a prisoner’s escape and my fantasy turned on pushing me writing a new episode with the character Saru Santacroce like protagonist in his Salento.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
I usually read classics and Bible. I don’t have a favorite author. It depends on the moment and on my readings. In the past I read Edgar Wallace, Ellery Queen, Cornell Woolrich, Arthur Conan Doyle, Agatha Christie, Jeffery Deaver, John Grisham, Ken Follett.

What are you working on now?
I’m working at the third adventure of Saru Santacroce. In this novel the journalist writes about the omicide of a prisoner escaped from jail. The story is set in Salento, in the South of Italy, a land kissed by two seas, Adriatic and Jonio. The story is peppered with amusing expressions in the Salento dialect related to the food, tastes and customs of that part of Italy surrounded by two seas and contains the right mix of eroticism and suspense. The author reveals the often humorous interplay between fellow-journalists, refers to real news stories and packs the investigation with twists right up to the surprise ending.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I use all social networks.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
They must not give up easily. If they have good and interesting stories to tell they have to write them. Readers are not stupid sheeps as someone think. So if they like an author they support him despite the only thought massifying or usual editors or newspapers’ reviews.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
The importance of working believing in what you do.

What are you reading now?
Now I’m writing my third Saru’s adventure in Salento.

What’s next for you as a writer?
I love writing and telling stories so I hope continuing doing it and amusing readers otherwise I must thinking what doing when I’ll grow.

If you were going to be stranded on a desert island and allowed to take 3 or 4 books with you what books would you bring?
First of all a survival guide. Then, because I usually read classics and Bible, I think I would read Odyssey, Aeneid and Iliad. I hope these books will be good to expire my spare time waiting for someone to bring me back. Otherwise, If I feel good in that place, I hope finding my Friday (but woman).

Author Websites and Profiles
Cesario Picca Website
Cesario Picca Amazon Profile
Cesario Picca Author Profile on Smashwords

Cesario Picca’s Social Media Links
Facebook Profile
Twitter Account
Pinterest Account

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I’m just about to release my fourth book. About three years ago I started writing a kinky bdsm story on a whim. I had no idea that it would eventually turn into my first novel. It was about a submissive woman who gets tested to her limits. The book was called ‘Testing the Submissive’. It seemed to get a good reaction on Amazon, and soon I had a PA and a Street Team. My second novel, ‘A Condo with Two Views’ was written from the POV of both the Dom and sub. The story is told via both of their perspectives. Then my PA, Tiffany Huegele, suggested I write a series. I am just about to release book two of the ‘Pleasure Pain or Purpose’ series. The novels tell the story of three women, Billie, Jasmin and Vicky as they navigate the trials and tribulations of life.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
As mentioned, my current release is ‘Pleasure Pain or Purpose’. I think life has all three of those elements inherent in it, and to me – that made for an interesting book title. I worried that if I wrote a three-book series centered around one single character, the story might get dull. Therefore, it simultaneously tells the story of three women, who happen to be best friends.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
Not really, other than I write in the car on road trips. My wife and I have a chalet that we go to on weekends, which is about a two hour drive in either direction. I usually spend those four hours writing on my laptop. I often say that good portions of my novels were written while travelling 60 mph.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
As far as bdsm books I came across The Story of O in my early teens and it made an impact. So did the Beauty Series by Anne Rice. Nowadays, I don’t read all that much. Writing gobbles up most of my time. I want to read more. I might try audio books.

What are you working on now?
This week I’m acting as a sounding board for Jen Lassalle Edward’s upcoming novel. She does the same for me with my novels, so I’m happy to reciprocate. She’s a wonderful writer with impeccable perfection as far as grammar. Once I’m done that, I’m going to start work on the final book in my Pleasure Pain or Purpose series.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I’m lucky in that I have a wonderful Street Team. Tiffany Huegele is my co-pilot. We are trying new things all the time. There is very little money in books, at least at my level, so we have to scrounge and beg for anything we can get. We are active on all the main social media sites, Facebook, Goodreads, Twitter, Google Plus, TSU, etc.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Well, it depends on what the person’s objectives are. If they want to have a “published” paperback that they can put up on their shelf, that’s fairly easy. Anybody who can string 50,000 words together has a novel. As long as it’s formatted properly, you are good to go. Amazon publishes everything and anything. But if an author actually wants to sell books, and possibly make decent money from it, that is another thing altogether. That requires an original concept, devoid of clichés. That requires stunningly perfect grammar and brilliant storytelling. So, to publish a book is quite easy…to succeed as a true author is very difficult.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Don’t play the stock market. Unfortunately, I didn’t listen.

What are you reading now?
Nothing at the moment. When I am focused on writing which seems to be all the time, I do not read.

What’s next for you as a writer?
After the PPP series I’m working on now, I’m going to create my first book written entirely from a male Dom’s POV. He will be single…so it’s not a relationship book. The story will span his life from about age 25 to 35 – as he navigates life: girls of course, his male friends (both vanilla and kinky), career, and bdsm.

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 truth is, I’d bring CDs instead. I’d bring Tool, Pearl Jam, The Tragically Hip and something acoustic.

Author Websites and Profiles
Al Daltrey Website
Al Daltrey Amazon Profile
Al Daltrey Author Profile on Smashwords

Al Daltrey’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile
Facebook Profile
Twitter Account
Pinterest Account

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I have two contemporary romances out, Foolish Gamble and Candidate For Love.

I have been reading since I was little…in elementary school I liked to read biographies of notable people, especially from the 1800’s. In high school I read a lot of classics. Ever since then I have read widely in the romance genre as well as mainstream bestsellers and romantic suspense.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
Candidate For Love. It was inspired by a detailed scene in a dream I had. I wrote it down in the middle of the night so I wouldn’t forget it. I built the story around it.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I think all writers have unusual writing habits! Mine is not so much the writing, it is the inspiration for stories. I find them constantly. A snippet of an overheard conversation. The mood of a song. A local news article. I already have way too many ideas to ever finish all of them in this life time. The ideas keep coming and I save them all.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
I would have to say category romance. I read a lot of them and of course, thought they would be easy to write. And of course found out they are not.

What are you working on now?
I am working on a novella that will come out Valentines 2017 in a box set with a bunch of great authors. The books will be about one central club, THE DIAMOND CLUB, a private club for millionaire membership only. Lots of backroom action with different “dealings” related to diamond smuggling and jewelry heist. My story is called “ICE”. The heroine is an undercover police officer sent to infiltrate the group and will be modeling the diamonds. The hero is a millionaire trying to find out how his best friend died.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I hang out at Facebook (Author Lita Lawson) and is the best place to find me active. I just started to blog at www.litalawson.net. My Twitter handle is AuthoLita, but I mostly use the site to announce new releases, sales or giveaways.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Start writing now. It takes a long time to learn write novels, let alone the publishing and marketing aspects. I’m a member of Romance Writers of America and have learned so much from what they h have to offer educationally for aspiring romance writers. Enjoy what you do and follow your dream. Anything is possible.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Write and read in your genre.

What are you reading now?
I am reading the Robyn Carr’s Virgin River series.

What’s next for you as a writer?
Hopefully more published 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?
So many to choose from! Gone With the Wind, any Stephanie Plum book by Janet Evanovich, Montana Sky by Nora, and the Midnight Rider Takes a Bride by Christine Rimmer (one of my keepers from a long time ago!)

Author Websites and Profiles
Lita Lawson Website
Lita Lawson Amazon Profile

Lita Lawson’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile
Facebook Profile
Twitter Account

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
David Ross Wood lives in Adelaide, South Australia with his wife and two of his three sons. He has written two action novels in the War Boys series, Horns of the Minotaur and Kneel to the Fallen along with a children’s adventure titled The Time Tunnellers. David enjoys all sports and reading when he can find the time. Favorite authors include Alistair McLean, Tom Clancy, Clive Cussler and Stephen King.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
The Time Tunnellers is my most recent work and I wrote it for my children to read at bedtime. It combines adventure with history in a fast paced and entertaining way.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I tend to write lying down. Either on my bed or along a sofa consuming too much coffee as I go.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
I was first influenced as a child by what my father read. Such authors as Alistair MacLean and Ian Fleming along with historical fiction writers such as Douglas Reeman and Alexander Kent. My teen years were consumed by novels written by Stephen King, Clive Cussler and Wilbur Smith. I eventually read most of the works by Tom Clancy and took an interest in Dean Koontz and Dan Brown.

What are you working on now?
I am currently writing the second book in the Time Tunneller series.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I find Goodreads, social media, Amazon free days and sites such as Awesomegang invaluable in getting the word out about my work.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Believe in what you do and refrain from shortcuts. Research is just as important as writing and make sure you maintain the highest level of grammar.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
However long it takes to write a book expect to double the effort and time when it comes to marketing your product.

What are you reading now?
American Sniper by Chris Kyle

What’s next for you as a writer?
Once I have finished my current novel it is on to piece that is half finished, another action thriller. I hope then to revisit the War Boys series and then; who knows?

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, Rage by Wilbur Smith, Shogun by James Clavell and Stranded, Survival Techniques by Bear Grylls

Author Websites and Profiles
David Ross Wood Website
David Ross Wood Amazon Profile

David Ross Wood’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile
Facebook Profile
Twitter Account

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I’ve written and published twenty-two books (including compiling three multiple-author anthologies.) Fifteen are children’s picture books, and the rest are for grown-ups and are short stories in various genres of fiction and non-fiction, plus poetry.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
The title of my latest book is Kaleidoscope. It’s an eclectic mix of mostly upbeat poetry. I enjoy writing poetry. This is my book that exclusively features my poetry.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
Many of my stories first come to me as dreams and while my brain is focused on something completely unrelated. I’ve learned to drop everything and quickly capture as much as I can because creative thoughts often explode out of me as the water in a firehose. I typically write and publish several books in clusters and then take weeks or months off to focus on other things.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
Children’s books: Dr. Seuss

Fiction: Alister Maclean

What are you working on now?
“The Beach that Love Built” is an inspiring children’s picture book that is a true story of events that had a big impact on the lives of my daughter and family. It will be released by July 15, 2016.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I’ve only recently begun promoting my books and I’m experimenting with several possibilities.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Write from your heart. Use Beta Readers and publishing pros. Use a strong editor. Donn’t skimp on cover design. Do it for the love of writing and the adventure of it all rather than focusing primarily on how many copies you old and/or how much money you’ve made. Have fun! Experiment.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Anything not done with love is a wasted opportunity.

What are you reading now?
The Legend of Stuckey’s Bridge by Lori Crane.

What’s next for you as a writer?
I follow where my muse leads. It’s always an adventure. Part of the fun is never knowing what’s just around the next bend in the creative river.

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 books on how to fish in the ocean, edible plants likely to be found in that part of the world, and how to build fires, boats, and living structure from things that are likely to be found on such islands. I’d also bring plenty of paper and writing implements so I can continue writing stories and using my imagination.

Author Websites and Profiles
Russ Towne Website
Russ Towne Amazon Profile

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I just published my first book and I’m looking forward to writing more this year. It is a dream come true for me to be an author.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
My book is titled 50 Juice Recipes to Lose Weight and Improve Your Health. I was inspired to write it after I watched family members die due to obesity and poor eating habits. After I started to juice vegetables and noticed how much it improved my health, I decided to share my recipes and help others in their journey.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
Ha ha! Not really.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
Alice Walker and Amy Tan have influenced me the most.

What are you working on now?
I am currently working on more health related books and children’s books series.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I’m not sure yet.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Just do it! Don’t put it off.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
It is in your moments of decision that your destiny is shaped.
If you do what you’ve always done, you’ll get what you’ve always gotten.
The path to success is to take massive, determined action. – Tony Robbins

What are you reading now?
I Am Malala: The Girl Who Stood Up for Education and Was Shot by the Taliban

What’s next for you as a writer?
Start working on my next book!

If you were going to be stranded on a desert island and allowed to take 3 or 4 books with you what books would you bring?
The Color Purple, Anna Karenina, and The Shack.

Author Websites and Profiles
Charmaine Green Website
Charmaine Green Amazon Profile

Charmaine Green’s Social Media Links
Twitter Account

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
A former itinerant radio and TV personality, I am a graduate of Lamar University and have an M.S. in mass communications from the University of Louisiana, Lafayette. I am the author of The Great Pretender, Confessions of a Semi-Incorrigible Southern Catholic Boy and The Healing Power of Connection. I live in San Antonio.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
My new book is called The Great Pretender: Confessions of a Semi-Incorrigible Southern Catholic Boy. The 1940s and 50s in America was a fascinating time and place. More importantly for me, it was the place where I came of age.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I don’t think so. I just sit down and write.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
Hundreds of writers–from Faulkner to Phillip Roth, Anne Tyler to Richard Ford–too many to count.

What are you working on now?
A new novel about an alcoholic radio personality in the 1960s, tentatively titled The Morning Man

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I try a variety of venues, have had some success with Goodreads.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Commit to writing everyday. No excuses. That falls under the category of: Take my advice–I’m not using it.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Don’t wait for inspiration to write. Writing provides the inspiration.

What are you reading now?
Carry Me, a novel by Peter Behrens

What’s next for you as a writer?
Finishing the novel I’m 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 Sound and the Fury, Goodbye Columbus, Rabbit, Run and The Accidental Tourist

Author Websites and Profiles
Robert R Randall Amazon Profile

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I was born in Atlanta, Georgia in 1967 and educated at Mercer University where I earned a Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration. Later studies at Kennesaw State University garnered me a Creative Writing certificate. My first novel titled, “The Inheritance: Chain Letter of the Arts,” was published in 2014 and my second novel titled, “Death Mask,” was released in 2015. An outdoor enthusiast, my articles have been published in North American Whitetail magazine and Great Deer Tales and as Staff Writer for the Dark Knight News I’ve published numerous reviews related to Batman comics. When not working on my next novel, I enjoy reading, movies and leisure travel with my family. My wife, Beverly, and I have two children; son, Owen, here on earth and daughter, Emaleigh, up in heaven. Please help cure childhood cancer.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
My latest published work is titled, “Death Mask”. A television show on the History Channel about the Death Masks of famous people spurred the original idea. After that I let my imagination roam wild until I had a book.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
Not really, but I don’t like it completely quiet when I write. For some reason, I’ve found that the silence inhibits my creative flow. Rather, I like a television or low-volume music (appropriate to the mood of what I’m writing) playing in the background.
Also, I never edit while I’m in the flow of writing the first draft. It slows me down and stifles my thoughts.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
I’ve been a pretty hefty reader since high school, so there’s a long, broad list of classic books and authors to present day works. Here’s a few authors that immediately come to mind – Stephen King, J.R.R. Tolkien C.S. Lewis, J.K. Rowling, Oscar Wilde, Robert Louis Stevenson, Charles Dickens, Edgar Allen Poe, Agatha Christie, Dan Brown, Michael Crichton, Joe Hill.

What are you working on now?
I can’t divulge too much or risk ruining the surprise, but it is a mystery, tie-in story in the same vein as my first two books.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I mainly rely on social media, online groups and word of mouth.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Write with passion and truth and the rest will take care of itself.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
To be a good writer you have to read a lot, write everyday and never give up.

What are you reading now?
“The Old Man and the Sea”.

What’s next for you as a writer?
Aside from articles and books, I’ve also written a stage play and started a screenplay which I’d like to finish. I’d also like to write a comic book.

If you were going to be stranded on a desert island and allowed to take 3 or 4 books with you what books would you bring?
“The Holy Bible”, “The Lord of the Rings”, “It” or “Different Seasons” (by Stephen King), “The Harry Potter ” box set, “A Christmas Carol”.

Author Websites and Profiles
Michael Devaney Website
Michael Devaney Amazon Profile
Michael Devaney Author Profile on Smashwords

Michael Devaney’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile
Facebook Profile
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Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I’m a British writer and ghostwriter and have lived in Italy since 1994. I write regularly for international clients and have written two non fiction and two fiction books as a “ghost” one of which was an Amazon bestseller.

I now live in a farmhouse in the countryside in Tuscany. I am a former language teacher and edited the top UK lifestyle magazine ITALY for 5 years. I’m a big animal lover and have two handicapped pigeons, seven alpacas and two rescue dogs.

I love the magic of everyday life, the power of our thoughts to influence our paths and try to incorporate a touch of this in all my books.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
My children’s book Ruby and the Ghost Dog was inspired by my rescue English setter Gassi and by my work as a volunteer in our local dog’s home. Having recently experienced very personal losses one of the themes of the book is grief and how to work through it, an important theme for children, I feel.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I work with music on, but i think a number of people do that. I do feel there is a Muse who writes through us when we are in “flow”.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
British writer Susan Howatch writes powerfully spiritual books. Gerald Durrell’s animal books.
A cliche – but Shakespeare has always influenced me.
US naturalist Diane Ackerman writes beautiful, lyrical prose.

What are you working on now?
A non fiction book about a house on Ibiza.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
Not being afraid to give the book away for a few days. To me having as many readers as possible is the most important thing.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Instead if getting in your own way, believe that you have a message to get out which is going to help people. You are just the intermediary for the Muse to do her work!

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
“There is nothing that is good or bad but thinking makes it so.” (Shakespeare)

What are you reading now?
The Witching Hour by Anne Rice

What’s next for you as a writer?
Promoting Ruby and the Ghost Dog because I believe it has a powerful message for people.
Getting to work on a 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?
The Complete Works of Shakespeare
London the Biography by Peter Ackroyd
The Return by Josephine Sellers
A book on how to survive in the wild!

Author Websites and Profiles
Fiona Tankard Website
Fiona Tankard Amazon Profile

Fiona Tankard’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile
Twitter Account

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
The Six Principles of Enlightenment and Meaning of Life will be the first in a series of eight books. Each of the six principles will be expanded into its own book and the final book will be an expansion on the meaning and purpose of life. All of these books will provide positive and empowering messages for readers, guiding them on the pathway to enlightenment.

I am a philosopher and spiritual seeker on a quest for enlightenment. My research into Bahaism, Buddhism, Christianity, Judaism, Hinduism, Islam, Sufism and Taoism has greatly influenced my spiritual and philosophical perspective. I was also profoundly influenced by the information from two channeled entities, Seth and Abraham. In addition to religion and philosophy, I have incorporated quantum mechanics, physics and psychology and studied the works of Albert Einstein, Carl Jung, Sigmund Freud and Stephen Hawking.

My communication style is concise, intense and deep. I would rather express wisdom in brief, powerful quotes and concise paragraphs than complicated, long-winded explanations. Espresso Wisdom is short, strong, rich insight. Like espresso coffee, it is an intense jolt of enlightenment. Enlightenment is an awakening, and Espresso Wisdom is meant to help jumpstart you on your journey.

Espresso Wisdom- Short, Strong, Rich Insight! ™

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
My intense desire for answers, understanding and enlightenment compelled me to seek out wisdom and write this book. I first and foremost compiled this information for myself, and now am ready to share it with the world.

All enlightened beings, most founders of religions and many renowned scientists knew and understood the six principles of enlightenment. These universal truths have been written about, taught and discussed for thousands of years yet remain shrouded in mystery and misinterpretation.

The Six Principles of Enlightenment and Meaning of Life is an intellectual and spiritual work that explains the six significant universal truths woven throughout science, religion and philosophy. These principles draw upon thousands of years of wisdom and are presented in a concise, accessible format. Each principle is defined and has an explanation on its application to life; they are further supported by quotes of wisdom from enlightened beings, philosophers, artists and scientists like Buddha, Albert Einstein, Rumi, Stephen Hawking and Jesus. Understanding the six principles then unlocks the meaning of life which is explained in the final chapter.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
Wisdom comes to me in flashes and I’m constantly writing little notes everywhere that will later be processed into sections of a work. My work space looks like an explosion of little yellow post-it notes and index cards.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
Einstein, Buddha, Rumi and Jesus are my greatest influences and their quotes truly speak to me. I also found the channeled material of the entities Seth and Abraham to be amazing rich and useful. These six teachers each have slightly different ways to explain complex concepts. When you hear the different explanations and compare, you can get a much better understanding of their messages.

What are you working on now?
I’m now working on The Principle of Oneness due out early 2017. This book will explain the profound connectedness of everything and everyone in the Universe.

Author Websites and Profiles
Russell Anthony Gibbs Website
Russell Anthony Gibbs Amazon Profile

Russell Anthony Gibbs’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile
Facebook Profile
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Pinterest Account

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
Tens years ago, my family and I moved away from the city and moved to the west coast of Newfoundland. Since that time, I’ve written four novels which includes the fantasy Fallen Lands Trilogy.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
My latest novel is Tru–a contemporary, YA title. I wanted to write something current and with two daughters late in their teens, I wanted to create something that spoke to them. Having worked for years with teens in treatment and emergency housing–as well as in classrooms with students struggling to cope–I had a lot of first hand experience to draw from. Most of all, I’ve never forgotten how scary and lonely that transition to adulthood can be.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I think the most unusual thing about my writing process is that’s it’s never the same. And that I start every new project with clear plans and milestones in mind. By the end? All of it’s out the window. The book takes over and I’m just along for the ride.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
I guess my tastes are a little bit all of the place. I love Walter Mosley, Elmore Leonard and Dennis Lehane. But I’m just as likely to grab some Clive Barker, Willliam Gibson or Terry Brooks. In the last few years, I’ve become a big fan of Neil Gaiman and Joe Hill.

What are you working on now?
I’ve got a couple of things I’m working on but the focus is on a new paranormal series. It features a protagonist haunted by a tragic mistake forced to reckon with old monsters evolving in the New World.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
The best way for me to promote my books? Let someone else do it. Self-promotion is the worst.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
For years, I didn’t realize that the only difference between myself and published authors was that they actually wrote books. Write. That’s the key to everything. The more you write, the better you become, the greater your library you have to bring to the market.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
“Why not me?” We can be brilliant when it comes to making excuses, for throwing up obstacles in our own paths. And just as easily we can look to the success of others and tell ourselves we can never achieve the same. The only real guarantee of failure is never trying at all.

What are you reading now?
I’m eyeballs deep in the Preacher comic series by Garth Ennis and Steve Dillon.

What’s next for you as a writer?
I think I’m going to keep exploring different forms and genres that I enjoy. When the stars align just right, I might tackle a screenplay or a graphic novel.

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?
Stranded on a desert island? I’d want…Walden by Henry David Thoreau, Into The Wild by Jon Krakauer, The Stand by Stephen King…and the SAS Survival Handbook.

Author Websites and Profiles
Patrick Park-Tighe Website

Patrick Park-Tighe’s Social Media Links
Facebook Profile

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I’m a reformed corporate drone who, after twenty-five years of too many missed family events, finally decided to reclaim my soul. Before I escaped, my career primarily involved relocating my family every few years—so much so that my children asked me if we were in the Witness Protection Program. I have yet to set the record straight.

I’m the author of three novels, two of which are part of the Matthew Richter Thriller Series. My third book—the novel I just released—is a standalone work, an historic thriller set in Ireland.

To complete the picture, I live in Michigan with my wife and three children. In addition to writing and reading, I enjoy cooking, hiking, biking, working out, and the occasional glass of wine.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
My latest book, which I just released, is titled The Devil’s Due and is an historic thriller set in Ireland in the early 1920s. The story is loosely based on family legend for my grandfather who served in the Irish Republican Army during the War for independence, when Ireland was seeking to end seven hundred years of British oppression. Growing up, I heard stories of how he was forced to flee Ireland below a false passport because both the British and his own comrades in the IRA had put bounties on his head. Like most legends, I suspect that this one grew over time and with each retelling, especially when my Irish uncles were drinking! I spent some time in Limerick and Dublin, meeting with researchers and historians and I learned that the truth was probably far less dramatic. Exaggerated or not, though, the legend makes for one great story line!

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I think all writers have quirks and I think this is because the creative process varies for each of us. For me, it usually takes one or two false starts before I finally feel that the story has legs, that it might actually be going somewhere. One of the things I do that might seem odd—somewhere after I have a dozen or so scenes written and I can see a plot developing—is I take a step back and I select a working title. Over the course of a week or two, I’ll brainstorm and jot down possibilities and then come back and look at them again, add more, cross off others, modify some. I continue to work the list, narrowing it down until I have something that conveys something meaningful to me about the story. Ultimately, the title I select has to feel right. It may sound strange, but having a working title helps guide where the book ultimately goes. And for me, it seems to work. In my first three books, the final title for each was the one I selected early on.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
I love thriller and suspense novels–medical thrillers, legal thrillers, historic thrillers, political thrillers—particularly ones that are full of intrigue and ones with a lot of action & adventure. Brad Meltzer, Vince Flynn, Steve Berry, David Baldacci, Brad Thor—these are some of my favorite writers and they are a great source of inspiration. When I read, I want to escape and to live vicariously through the characters, even if only for a short while. I want to root for the good guy and hate the bad guy. And if the tension is just right, I keep turning the pages because I need to know what happens next. This is the journey I hope to take readers on with my books!

What are you working on now?
I’m currently working on the third book in the Matthew Richter Thriller series. This book is tentatively titled, The Deadliest of Sins, and I hope to release it early next year. The first two books in this series were very well received with In Sheep’s Clothing, my debut novel, reaching the #1 spot on three separate Amazon best seller lists and An Eye For An Eye, the sequel, reaching #3 and #4. The reviews have been great and fans really seem to enjoy the Matthew Richter character.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
Driving awareness is a challenge but by far the best promotional tool I have used is BookBub. BookBub is selective in what they ultimately choose to promote and they are expensive but for me the investment more than paid off.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
The advice I heard most often when I started writing was to write every day, for as long as you can, even if it’s only for fifteen minutes. While I’ll admit that I don’t always follow that advice, like any skill, writing takes practice and you will become better over time. The second thing is to read everything you can within your genre or chosen field. Learn how different writers approach their craft and along the way you’ll learn what an intriguing protagonist, a compelling plot, or engaging dialogue look and sound like. It’s also good to network with other writers. We tend to think alike and, even if it’s to commiserate on the rapid changes taking place within the publishing industry, writers tend to be very supportive of each other. At the same time, I would learn as much as I could about publishing, whether it’s traditional or self-publishing. Most importantly: get feedback. Find a handful of people who will give you objective advice about your writing. You can’t get better unless you know where you need to improve. Finally, hang on to the dream! Perseverance is as much a part of being a writer as a computer and a dictionary are!

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Believe in yourself. I think so many people fail to achieve their potential because they give up at the first sign of failure. Someone once asked Thomas Edison why he continued to try and invent an electric light after thousands of attempts and years of failure. His answer was that he hadn’t failed—he had merely found thousands of ways that wouldn’t work. He went on to say that many of life’s failures were people who did not realize how close they were to success when they gave up.

What are you reading now?
I just started reading The 14th Colony by Steve Berry. I’m a big Steve Berry fan and I enjoy his Cotton Malone Series. I’m only three chapters into the book. While this is the type of book I could stay up late reading, I forced myself to put it down last night because I had an early meeting today. I am looking forward to picking it back up tonight.

What’s next for you as a writer?
I plan to continue writing. Like many authors I have a day job. In my case it’s a start up business, a better-for-you food company that several partners and I launched. Being an entrepreneur can be a 24/7 gig. But writing—and reading—is my release. Luckily I have a very understanding wife who does a fantastic job managing the promotional aspects for me. Without her, I wouldn’t be able to balance both my business and my 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?
If I only had 3 or 4 books to choose, one would certainly be One Flew over the Cuckoo’s Nest by Ken Kesey. I’ve probably read this book a dozen times over the last 30-plus years. The imagery and the characters are so beautifully drawn. I think I would bring something by Ken Follett, perhaps Pillars of the Earth. This is an epic tale of power—those who have it, those who crave it and those who are crushed by it. Follett does a fantastic job in developing both character and setting in medieval England. I would also probably bring a classic, like War and Peace by Tolstoy. And finally, I would bring something by a foreign writer, in Spanish. There are some great Spanish and Hispanic writers. Having lived in Mexico for several years, I speak—or once did—passable Spanish. If I’m stuck on a desert isle, I’ll have a lot of time to relearn the language.

Author Websites and Profiles
L.D. Beyer Website
L.D. Beyer Amazon Profile

L.D. Beyer’s Social Media Links
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Facebook Profile
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Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
Merlin’s Knot is my first published book of fiction. I retired last year after a career as a scientist, engineer and science writer and editor. I’m happy that I can now make stuff up. My book is set in Houston, because that is where I’ve lived since returning from an overseas stint in Norway in 1997.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
The genesis of Merlin’s Knot was a writer’s exercise from a group I was in about fifteen years ago. Our task for the evening was to write a compelling opening. I had an image of a man coming out of an office building and being accosted by someone who looks like a bum wino. The vagrant approaches and says “I’m Merlin. I need your help.” That is almost the same opening line I still have. I was intrigued by the idea of Merlin showing up in contemporary Houston, and asked myself several questions: Why would he be here? How did he get from 5th-6th C Britain to Houston? Why does he need help? The questions kept coming, and the book spilled out.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I read the passage that I wrote in my last session and do a light edit on it before continuing. I find it settles my mind back into the story.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
I’ve read The Lord of the Rings every decade since the 1970s. Donaldson’s Chronicles of Thomas Covenant the Unbeliever was a good linking of contemporary life and an epic fantasy world. Mary Stewarts’s Merlin Series is an old favorite. In Arthur studies, I’ve enjoyed the works of Geoffrey Ashe.

What are you working on now?
Currently, I’m doing final editing on Merlin’s Weft, the sequel to Merlin’s Knot. I expect it to be out by the end of 2016. I’m also working on a book set in 17th century France that ties in to The Three Musketeers.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I’m still learning about this.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
It is important to work with professionals to polish your book. That means a good editor and a good cover designer at the minimum.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
As an independently published author, you have to wear two hats: a creative one and a business one. While telling the story, writing that first draft, keep the creative hat on. But after that, you need to start wearing the business hat more and more, until at the end, that is all you wear.

What are you reading now?
Mostly fantasy and paranormal books. I’m in the midst of the Girl in the Box series by Robert J Crane.

What’s next for you as a writer?
Since I’m retired from a career as a scientist and engineer, I plan to continue writing fiction for as long as I can.

If you were going to be stranded on a desert island and allowed to take 3 or 4 books with you what books would you bring?
Long ones. The Rise and Fall of the Roman Empire (unabridged). Tolkien’s trilogy. How about a complete handyman’s guide to being stranded on a desert island?

Author Websites and Profiles
Mark Andersen Website
Mark Andersen Amazon Profile

Mark Andersen’s Social Media Links
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Facebook Profile
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