Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I’m a paranormal romance/urban fantasy author with 12 books published, as well as 4 short stories. My books have been described as new age suspense in a fantasy setting and that’s pretty spot on.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
Music, #9 in the Little Flame serial is my latest published work. The entire series was inspired by the magic that happens at concerts, big or small. There’s this synergy between the musicians and the audience and it’s hard to say who inspires who. The musicians, the venue, the concert goers all seem to bring something supernatural to a show, and they all seem to get more than they give.

Music #9 is the second to last book in the series, and it’s name is derived from a concert venue in Charleston, South Carolina where the hero of the series, Maximillian, is putting on his latest concert. The entire series follows Max and his resident healer, Fiamette Jurato on a wild adventure all around the country. Fia is searching for a long-lost lover who can fix what ails here, but there’s just one problem: he’s been dead for 200 years.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I don’t know that they are unusual, but I do have some routines that seem to set me up for my best writing sessions. First, I have to workout in the morning, and I mean first thing after coffee. If I don’t, my mind and body are restless and it’s impossible to sit still long enough to get into the writing groove. It doesn’t have to be some killer workout session; a walk in the park does the trick.

Second, I need to prep my desk or writing location. There must be at least two beverages at hand, usually water and tea. I make a big tea carafe of whatever I’m in the mood for: green tea, herbal tea, or Earl Grey. I don’t know why having things to sip is so important, but is.

And last, I need to “clear the decks” so to speak before I finally sit down to write. It means something different every day, but basically I need to pick up and put away any clutter, light a scented candle or diffuse some essential oils, and generally create a relatively clean and clutter-free environment. Doesn’t have to be perfect, but enough to keep me from getting distracted by my messy house.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
My biggest influence is Stephen King, which may sound strange when you realize I write Paranormal Romance as well as Urban Fantasy, but he was the first author I ever fan-girled over. I had to have his books as soon as they released, which was kind of expensive. Hardbacks are not cheap.

I stayed up all night long with my new King novel, unable to sleep until I found out how the entire scary mess was going to play out. His supernatural elements and gift for the scary has seeped into my subconscious and you’ll find a few terrifying moments in my works.

I also love Angela Knight, Laurell K. Hamilton, Anne Rice, and Terry Prachett.

What are you working on now?
I am currently finishing up the last novel in the Little Flame Serial, #10 Head. It’s been really difficult, which totally surprises me because Fia novels tend to fly from my fingers as if I’m possessed by her. I think it’s because it’s the last novel. I have so many things to wrap up and want to get it right. My readers have stuck with me through 9 novels so I feel this huge pressure to deliver an AMAZING ending. Isn’t that what we all want from our favorite series?

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I would have to say my author newsletter, my website, Facebook, and a few email promotion companies. However, companies like Fussy Librarian I’ve read are coming under fire from Amazon. I’m not sure what that means for readers and authors, except we may need to look at new ways to connect. I know Pixel of Ink has shut down, unable to make money since Amazon has revoked their Affiliate status.

I think the lesson for both authors and readers here is to understand that Facebook, etc. is someone else’s sandbox. They can kick us out at anytime. We need to create our own sandboxes where we can talk books, authors can promote, and readers can find new books to read. I haven’t done a lot with Goodreads so far, but that’s my next social media venture.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Write the damn book. Do your research. Know your audience. Want to write a Paranormal Romance that readers will love? Go look at what’s selling. Study the titles, blurbs, covers, and the 5 star reviews. If you are already a member of a community that discusses your chosen genre, ask what books people can’t forget.

I’m not saying you have to “write to market” and try to catch the latest trends. I’m saying if you are at all interested in actually selling your book, know your audience.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Know your why and know your audience.

I follow a group of guys who are successful indie authors: Johnny B. Truant, Sean Platt, and David Wright. They have a podcast called Self Publishing Podcast you can find on iTunes, as well as Blab. They are constantly saying know your why and know your audience, and they are spot on.

Why are you doing ANYTHING in your life? What motivates you every day when you wake up? I’ll tell you my why: I want a heart at peace AND I want to move other people’s hearts closer to peace.

I want to tell stories that make people gasp and feel and maybe even cry, thus the metaphysical fantasy and romance combinations I’ve been writing. And I want that to translate into conflict resolution, whether it’s with themselves, their spouse, a family member, or even with people of different faiths, nationalities, and political ideologies. Because here’s the thing: If our hearts are at war, we will never achieve peace in any aspect of our lives.

I can go on and on about this. My why is personal and epic and kind of intimidating, but it’s 100% mine.

My audience? People who love magic, fantasy, and romance. People who are looking for peace in their lives, or maybe even don’t know it yet, but something’s nagging at them. Something’s missing, you know? And they’re looking but not sure where to look and then they pick up my book…

What are you reading now?
I just finished reading Veracity by Laura Bynum. Holy cow! What an intense book. It’s not romance, but it is a metaphysical dystopian novel that spoke to my heart. It’s about a woman living in a future where the government has Red Listed certain words and people have “slates” implanted in the necks to prevent them from saying these Red Listed words.

I have to say it struck a deep cord with me. Have you read Fahrenheit 451? It was required reading when I was in high school and now I MUST read it again, and then read Veracity again.

What’s next for you as a writer?
I have so much planned I’m kind of scared. I have a new trilogy I’ve been working on but it will have to be released in 2017. It’s a bit outside my usual genre: a metaphysical sci-fi, maybe dystopian although it doesn’t really follow dystopian tropes of evil government conspiracies to hide the truth from the people.

I’m also working on a novella to be included in the multi-author Hotel Paranormal series. The first novella releases this August, 2016, so be on the lookout for it. My contribution, Skin Thief, will release November 2, 2016.

I’m also embarking into non-fiction in 2017. I have a lot to say about health, happiness, and living a life you can get passionate about. It’s not about following any one eating regiment or “thinking” your way to success (although it helps to think positive), it’s about creating your own life on your terms. That requires an honest look at yourself AND a bit of bravery. Keep an eye out for A Hungry Heart: the care and feeding of you 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?
I would bring The Stand by Stephen King, War and Peace by Leo Tolstoy, The Stranger by Albert Camus, and Cerulean Sins by Laurell K. Hamilton.

Author Websites and Profiles
Melissa Lummis Website
Melissa Lummis Amazon Profile

Melissa Lummis’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile
Facebook Profile
Twitter Account
Pinterest Account

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
People who know me, know that I tell stories. It’s what I do. Generally I take real life events and remix them in a funny way but this is just how I cut my teeth. I prefer writing stories not based in reality, stories full of dragons, aliens, and other mythical beings. For me, stories are a way to escape the mundane world (coffee, work, cleaning house, chores, coffee, work, sleep, etc) and to go on adventures without ever having to leave the comfort of my routine.

I have written many books but, TYR – Children of Dreki, is my first published novel.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
My ‘latest’ book is also my first book. It’s called TYR – Children of Dreki.

The story of what inspired this story is a long process, and complicated. It started with a little boy named Kip. He popped into my head after I played a little game with shapeshifting characters who could turn from human into monsters. For years and years I struggled to figure out what his story was but try as I might I just couldn’t grasp it.

Then, four years ago, his parents popped into my head and suddenly it all fell into place. I wrote his parents story (the prequel to my current novel) and that led to TYR and the Children of Dreki stories.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I can only write in silence. ANY noise and I just can’t.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
Robert Ludlum (I’ve been reading him since I was a wee little bean). I once read an interview where he said that he wanted to write books that were like movies. When I was 11 I wrote an 80K novel that started as Ludlum fanfiction and morphed into something much bigger. I will NEVER share that story with anyone but family… 20 years later my family still bug me to publish it but I just can’t.

Joan D. Vinge. She was my exposure to science fiction. Her character Cat struck me deep. After reading her Catspaw series I dove head first into sci-fi and I haven’t looked back since.

What are you working on now?
I’m currently editing the next two books in the Children of Dreki main trilogy. After that I will be penning the two prequels.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I have no idea. The majority of my promotion up to this point has been offline.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Just write. Just don’t stop. Too often I see new authors say things like: Oh! My book didn’t sell! I’m quitting! What’s the point if nobody buys it!

1. Stop writing just to sell. Write because you have stories to tell.

2. Don’t quit. It takes time to build up a readership (or so I’m told).

3. If you have 1 reader, that’s enough.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Put yourself in the other persons shoes.

This is great practice for writers but also just for being a decent human being.

What are you reading now?
Orphans of Tarnalin by John McDonell

I met John accidentally through Twitter and stumbled on his book. So far, I’m enjoying it!

What’s next for you as a writer?
Keep writing. Keep publishing. Keep chasing that dream!

If you were going to be stranded on a desert island and allowed to take 3 or 4 books with you what books would you bring?
1 Empty notebook. So I could tell myself some stories.
The Sherlock Holmes Anthology (hours and hours of reading there).
Catspaw by Joan D. Vinge. Doesn’t matter how many times I read this book, I just want to read it again and again.

Author Websites and Profiles
N.R. Tupper Website
N.R. Tupper Amazon Profile
N.R. Tupper’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile
Facebook Profile
Twitter Account

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
We’re just a group of golfers that wanted to put together a real golf joke book. We along with thousands of others like to tell jokes while on the course or having a beer at the clubhouse. We don’t like to take the game to seriously. In the words of Arthur Daley, “Golf is like a love affair. If you don’t take it seriously, it’s no fun; if you take it seriously, it will break your heart.” We looked around for golf jokes but couldn’t find any jokes like the kind we tell on the course. So, we created this joke book (no corny stuff) to help you relax, have fun and build better business relationships. A good golf joke will help you relax. As, comedian Bill Murray has said many times, “The more relaxed you are, the better you are at everything: the better you are with your loved ones, the better you are with your enemies, the better you are at your job, the better you are with yourself.”

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
Absolutely Hilarious Adult Golf Joke Book. We decided on that name since it accurately describes the book well.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
Yes, we’re working on our second book with golf jokes, quotes, and practical jokes which should be out soon. We write every day, usually in the morning for several hours.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
Golf jokes are as old as the game. Our main inspiration is having fun and healthy laughter which is good for the soul and helps you focus more on your game.

What are you working on now?
Our second book deals with new golf jokes – ones you haven’t heard before – and humorous practical jokes.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
We promote the book in as many avenues as we can. The present book is featured on www.golfpricegrabber.com.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
It’s easier to write on something you’re passionate about, of course and it’s always best to be honest, do the best you can with what you have at the time.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
That’s easy, the old Nike slogan: “Just Do It.”

What are you reading now?
Mostly research on our new book.

What’s next for you as a writer?
One of us have written a screenplay, another a novel, we just enjoy writing in general.

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 good books out there. It’s hard to say.

Author Websites and Profiles
The Team at Golfwell Website
The Team at Golfwell Amazon Profile

The Team at Golfwell’s Social Media Links
Twitter Account
Pinterest Account

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I am a retired registered nurse. I wrote my first book, a biography, in the middle of my nursing career. The book, A Passion For Life: Ruth Marie Colville, inspired me to continue writing. I met Ruth Marie when she was 92 and I was 48. She was a role model in how to reinvent yourself over and over again throughout your life. My second book, My Darling Dorothy, has just been released due, in part, to the lessons I learned from Ruth Marie.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
The letters that My Darling Dorothy is based on provided the inspiration for this particular story. They are authentic love letters written to my mother from two prospective suitors. One turned out to be my father, the other a mystery man my mother vaguely referred to as “just a friend.” Reading his letters and uncovering his story motivated me to write about these young people and their dreams.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I don’t know how unusual it is, but I can’t really write a thing without a yellow (and it has to be yellow) college-lined legal pad. I can write on a white one, but only for lists of things I have to do. Somehow the yellow color releases my muse. I always write first drafts on the yellow pad, and I always write them while sitting on the day bed in my office. I can’t write at a desk, because I have to have my feet up. Once that first draft is written, I transfer it to my laptop and make revisions from there. I also like to have either classical music playing quietly in the background or complete silence.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
My first love is writing short stories and I was inspired to begin writing them in high school after reading William Sydney Porter, better known as O. Henry. I was captivated by his surprise endings and quickly adopted that style for mine. Malcomb Gladwell is another favorite nonfiction writer. He forces me to think differently and I crave that sort of stimulation. The books that have influenced me make up a rather esoteric list. I was first turned onto reading, the first step in becoming a good writer, by biographies checked out from the bookmobile in elementary school. I loved learning about inspirational characters like Eleanor Roosevelt and Abraham Lincoln. In high school I read The Good Earth by Pearl S. Buck and of course Charles Dickens’ Great Expectations. I have read Anna Karenina three times. Recently, I have been impressed with authors like Donna Tarrt, Paula McClain, and Anthony Doerr, because they are extremely good writers. They carry me off to far-away places and for the hours that I spend in their books, I am free from any perceived problems I may be facing. When I return to this realm, I am refreshed (although it takes an hour or so to get my feet back on the ground.)

What are you working on now?
To be perfectly honest, right now I am working on marketing My Darling Dorothy. It’s a full time job, especially as an Indie author.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I am still learning, but right now I am getting the most response from my Facebook author page and I think Goodreads is also going to be a very helpful website.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
I consider myself a new author, but I guess the best advice is to surround yourself with supportive friends and family. Professionals that can guide and direct you on your journey are also a must. AND, never, never, never underestimate the value of a really good proofreader and editor!

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
I have a poster on the bulletin board over my desk. It’s of a Buddha sitting in Vitarka Mudra hand position and it says, “Let That Sh&* Go.” On the one hand, it’s rather crass. On the other hand, reading those words in juxtaposition with a serene, meditative Buddha gives me the whack on the side of the head I need on a regular basis.

What are you reading now?
Currently, I am reading The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah, I am rereading The Untethered Soul by Michael Singer, and for fun, I am reading The Sunday List of Dreams by Kris Radish.

What’s next for you as a writer?
I am considering writing short stories about the minor characters in My Darling Dorothy. I also have notebooks full of short stories that are patiently waiting for some attention, so that will be my first endeavor once My Darling Dorothy is well on its way. That doesn’t mean I’m not working on anything. As all writers will attest, there is always some remnant of a story running through our minds. When it’s ready, it will come spilling out onto that yellow college-lined legal pad.

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 desert island calls for long involved plots with twists and turns so I would take two classics that I haven’t read yet; Moby Dick and anything written by Leo Tolstoy with the possible exception of Anna Karenina. I would also take any book written by Malcolm Gladwell.

Author Websites and Profiles
Jo Virden Website
Jo Virden Amazon Profile

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I have graduated at Saint Mary’s College with a Bachelor of Arts. I am currently a graduate student majoring in elementary education. This is the first book that I have published. I have written a few more that I may revisit in the future. In addition to writing and college, I also work at my local radio station. I am a local talk show host and a DJ.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
My book is Clovers and Fire. It is a children’s book and an original fairytale. I have always loved fairytales because I love how it presents children with a strong moral message. I started this book when I was twelve. It was only a few pages long in a notebook. However, I liked the characters so much that I decided to expand the story into the book it is now.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I do my original rough drafts on my cellphone because I can write anytime and anywhere.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
Gail Carson Levine’s Ella Enchanted has influenced me because it is a charming and engaging fairytale. Another author I enjoy is Melanie Dickerson because she retells classic fairytales with a unique perspective.

What are you working on now?
I am currently working on a historical mystery novel set in post-WWI San Francisco.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I believe in getting book reviews. I also find author interviews to be very effective. I believe anything that helps get your name in the public eye helps.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
My advice is to never get discouraged. Always believe in your vision. Stay true to your work.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
The best advice I have heard from all my favorite authors is to write everyday even if it is only a few words.

What are you reading now?
I am currently reading The Battle for Princess Madeline by Kirstin Pulioff. It is a middle grade novel that also a few fairytale elements.

What’s next for you as a writer?
My goal is to keep writing and learning constantly so that I can always improve.

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?
Ella Enchanted by Gail Carson Levine was my first book I had read as a child, and I believe that every child should read because it has a strong message.
Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen is romance novel is a rags-to-riches story that I love digging my teeth into.
Daughter of The Forest by Juliet Marillier is a lovely novel and is beautifully written. It is also a very emotional read. She has made a Hans Christian Anderson fairytale of “The Wild Swans” come to life.

Author Websites and Profiles
Lauralee Jacks Amazon Profile
Lauralee Jacks Author Profile on Smashwords

Lauralee Jacks’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile
Twitter Account

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I am a professional pianist with three kids, two of whom I am currently homeschooling. I’ve written for over five different magazines and been published in the book anthology Humor for a Teacher’s Heart, but this is my first novel.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
Confession of a Wedding Musician Mom was originally going to be a sort of memoir of my years playing the piano professionally at wedding, parties, and restaurants. I quickly realized two things: 1) My life is not exciting enough to make a great book; and 2) Fiction is more fun because I can say anything I want!

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I don’t know how unusual this is, but I wrote most of my rough draft sitting on a lawn chair in the grassy area near the pool during my kids’ swim team practices and sitting on the bleachers during their swim meets.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
When I was kid, I was a huge fan of Judy Blume and the lesser-known Ellen Conford. I remember being in high school and copying several pages of Ellen Conford books into a notebook in an attempt to understand her technique. They both had a huge influence on my own writing style.

As an adult, I’ve develop my own style, so even though their are many authors I enjoy, I wouldn’t say that I’m particularly “influenced” by any of them.

What are you working on now?
I’m just starting the outline for a story about a middle school music teacher who discovers she has an unusual medical condition. We’ll just leave it at that for now!

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
Confessions of a Wedding Musician Mom is my first book, so come back and ask me in about three months!

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Don’t agonize over the rough draft. The rough draft is going to be bad, and there’s nothing wrong with that. Janet Evanovich said, “I don’t believe in writer’s block. Find some way to move forward in the story.” Just push through and worry about the details later.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
“Write it wrong so that you can go back and write it right.”

What are you reading now?
I just finished Boy Meets Girl by Meg Cabot and am now reading Little Face by Sophie Hannah. Two very different types of books!

What’s next for you as a writer?
I’m outlining my next novel as well as starting a how-to book for musician who want to be successful playing for weddings.

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?
Honestly, I have no idea.

Author Websites and Profiles
Jennifer Blaske Website
Jennifer Blaske Amazon Profile

Jennifer Blaske’s Social Media Links
Facebook Profile
Twitter Account

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
Born in Athens, Greece. Lived and studied for seven years in Sofia, Bulgaria. I have a PhD in Law and up until this date I’ve written over 15 books

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I usually write from 3am to 6am with a cup of coffee firmly in hand and my favorite background -writing- music playing.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
I’m a fan of Joe Abercrombie’s work. Also Neal Asher and Mark Lawrence.

What are you working on now?
I’m working on Jester, a historical fantasy novel.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
Amazon and Goodreads services are those I’ve used more. But also FB and Twitter, I’m still learning.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Keep on trying. Don’t be afraid to erase or even throw away something to do it allover again.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Nice question. I don’t remember to be honest, perhaps ‘be yourself’ or something along these lines. As far as writing is concerned, I tend not to listen so much and try to curve my own road.

What are you reading now?
A collection of short stories, Sharp Ends by Abercrombie

Author Websites and Profiles
Angelo Tsanatelis Website
Angelo Tsanatelis Amazon Profile
Angelo Tsanatelis Author Profile on Smashwords

Angelo Tsanatelis’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile
Facebook Profile
Twitter Account

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
Doing talks to large groups I have realised that I cannot “reach” as many people as I’d like to – ENTER KINDLE SELF-PUBLISHING! I began my journey with recording some of my Great-Grandmother’s secret family healing remedies… This was the first of my published works – and more to come.

Although I am now writing in the field of WELLNESS and living the life we all want to live (feeling connected, purpose-filled and happy), I will always keep writing on Ouma’s special healing secrets…

Being passionately involved in Mental Health advocacy through the media (my background is in Psychology), I have appeared on over 38 television and radio shows over the passed 8 years, as well as having written for countless publications. My work has taken me all over the country, speaking on topic such as depression, anxiety, bipolar mood disorder, PTSD, and ADHD to thousands of teens and adult audiences. I am at my happiest when I am given the opportunity to work closely with groups, as well as individuals, sharing tools of lifestyle improvement and wellbeing.

Being new to Kindle publishing, I would appreciate positive-impact reviews that will help me improve my writing craft. I am open to suggesstions, and appreciate your time, dear Reader

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
HEALING TREASURES: Folk Remedies for Winter: South African Wisdom Straight from Ouma’s Kitchen

Ouma (my great grandmother) lives magickally from her kitchen… she heals the sick and feeds the poor – she must be an old-lady-Robin-Hood of our town.

Being new to self-publishing, I decided to write down some of Ouma’s secrets… and here they are

More to come!

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I always light a candle (to keep my mind alive and awake)… TEA!… background music (and motivational talks on Youtube)…

And a view of Cape Town to rival most views in the world

What authors, or books have influenced you?
Silver RavenWolf… Graven Grimassi… Tom Corson-Knowles… Nigel Jackson… Gemma Gary… JK Rowling (no kidding)… The Rogue Hypnotist… anything special, sacred, magickal!

What are you working on now?
An awesome series specialising in MENTAL HEALTH!

…1) Reducing Stress for Students & Teens! (fun, easy, life changing)

Check out my fan page on Facebook for updates

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

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Watch YouTube links on
1. writing
2. self publishing
3. Kindle/online marketing!!
4. Strategies

AVOID “Get Rich Quick” bits

Write something short, jam-packed with info… write from the heart! People like PEOPLE – not text book style language…

Treat your readers like gold

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
… there’s a lot!

but… “JUST DO IT!” – Nike
“As I say YES to life, life says YES to me!” are the two I use to kick my butt when I get home from work and need to start writing

What are you reading now?
Cunning Craft – Peter Paddon
Children of Odin (audio book)

… my own book! (Always the eternal critic)

What’s next for you as a writer?
A series for teens and students on how to manage stress, depression, and time management

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?
Silver RavenWolf’s “Teen Witch”
Fowles – “The Collector”
Grimm’s Fairy Tales

Author Websites and Profiles
Ryan Edmonds Amazon Profile

Ryan Edmonds’s Social Media Links
Facebook Profile
Twitter Account

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I have two traditional romances and two novellas out. Have worked for libraries doing p.r. and marketing, been involved with political campaigns, children’ s literary, and arts and grassroots organizations.

Bonnie McCune lives in Denver and is the author of novels, novellas and short stories. A writer since the fifth grade, her interest in the craft led to her career in nonprofits doing public and community relations and marketing. Simultaneously, she’s published news and features as a free-lancer.

Her civic involvement includes grass-roots organizations, political campaigns, writers’ and arts’ groups, and children’s literacy. For years, she entered recipe contests and was a finalist once to the Pillsbury Cook Off. A special love is live theater. Had she been nine inches taller and thirty pounds lighter, she might have been an actress. For reasons unknown (an unacknowledged optimism?), she believes that one person can make a difference in this world. Her entire family is book-mad.

Bonnie’s writing explores the highs and lows of everyday people and their unique lives with humor, close attention, and appreciation. Her blog addresses “ordinary people, extraordinary lives” and also features samples of shorter works. If you enjoyed this book, you’re invited to submit a reader review online and encouraged to let your friends know about her work. Visit http://bonniemccune.com/ to connect with her.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
Falling Like a Rock: inspired by a perfect storm of personal experience and news in the state. A number of years ago, a small town in Colorado launched an all-community weight loss project which became part of the book. We also have many wildfires in the state, so I used this type of crisis to test the heroine and the love story. I also included a broken ankle, pulled from my personal experience, a small town Fourth of July parade, and Colorado’s wonderful mountains.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I must have a very hard head because I’ve been beating it against the door of publishing for 60 years. I try to write every day, always with coffee at my elbow. Since giving up smoking years ago, I’ve substituted sunflower seeds in the shell, and my floor is littered with the droppings. I DO clean up several times a day.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
Like all book lovers, I read widely and diversely. I don’t know if the following have influenced my writing, but they’ve influenced my life. Sandra Cisneros, Jane Austen, Margaret Atwood, Zaidie Smith, Pride & Prejudice, the Things they Carried, Carmela, The Handmaid’s Tale, Let the Great World Spin, The absolutely true diary of a part-time Indian, Tale of Two Cities, Violet Clay , The New Jim Crow, the Life of Pi, The Catcher in the Rye, White Teeth, In Defense of Anarchism, Love and Garbage (Ivan Klima), Out Stealing Horses (Per Petterson, A Tale of Two Cities,The Joy Luck Club, The Golden Notebook, The Doomsday Book, The Number One Ladies Detective Agency (series), anything by Carl Hiaasen, I Capture the Castle (Dodie Smith), Main Street, The Tin Drum, several by Roddy Doyle, including The Woman Who Walked into Doors.

What are you working on now?
“Never Retreat,” a woman’s novel. When a feisty single mom and a rising but seemingly macho superstar manager are paired at a corporate retreat in the wild Colorado mountains, they’re desperate to overcome mental and physical hardships and win a rich prize. The problem? Only one can earn a desperately coveted bonus. But when fickle, dangerous weather threatens their collaboration and their very existence, they wonder: is love of greater value than money? Is survival even more critical? Eventually they learn the meaning of true partnership as they face massive floods to save themselves and their associates.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
My publisher’s, various blogs, and as much person-to-person as possible. And Awesome Gang, of course!

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Read, read, read, especially in the genre you’re writing. Write, write, write. Don’t be afraid of critiques, editing and rewrites.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Life is a journey, not a destination. Ralph Waldo Emerson. The sun will not rise or set without my notice, and my thanks. Winslow Homer

What are you reading now?
Alexander Hamilton, Ron Chernow; The Windup Girl, Paolo Bacigalupi; A Dubious Legacy, Mary Wesley; Ramona, Helen Hunt Jackson; Moo, Jane Smiley

What’s next for you as a writer?
Challenge and curiosity keep me motivated. I’d like to broaden the appeal and content of my books, while learning things at the same time. I’m reworking a 70s coming-of-age novel for the fourth time.

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 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?

Author Websites and Profiles
Bonnie McCune Website
Bonnie McCune Amazon Profile

Bonnie McCune’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile
Facebook Profile
Twitter Account

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
Had written three books and two more are coming. the basic aim is to highlight the philosophy of Hindus and their social fabrics

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
Rejuvenating Hindu Philosophy: For generation next is my latest book and changing society of India inspired me to write the basic of Hindu philosophy

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I am a journalist since last 20 years

What authors, or books have influenced you?
John Grisham writing style influenced me

What are you working on now?
The book, every situation is an equation- a perspective of life

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I had done nothing for promotion till now

Do you have any advice for new authors?
writing is not limited do not copy any writer just develop own style

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
write down whatever your heart says

What are you reading now?
Kane and Abel of Jeffrey Archer

What’s next for you as a writer?
I just enjoying writing stories on atrocities in India and social and economical changes because economy is directly related to society

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?
new books of Andy Weir, Paulo Coelho

Author Websites and Profiles
kshitiz gaur Amazon Profile

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I’m the result of a teenage life of reading superhero comic books. While I’m an adult now and have three kids of my own, it’s the four years of solidly reading superhero comics that has shaped my view of the world. I like to see the good in people and I want to bring change to bad situations.

That desire to empower people led me to start writing superhero fiction.

I’ve written ‘The Miranda Contract’, which is a novel about a 17 year old kid who struggles against his family’s reputation. His grandfather is a psychotic, megalomaniacal super villain known as The Mad Russian, and everyone expects the same from him. It’s a book about making your own life rather than letting other people dictate who you should be.

I’ve also written ‘Small Sacrifices’ which is the first in The Adventures of Charlie Conti. It’s a book I co-wrote with my 13 year old daughter and it’s about a girl trying to lead a normal life but failing miserably because she’s basically a criminal genius and trouble gravitates towards her.

As well as the novels, I’ve written short stories and even edited two anthologies of neo-pulp/superhero stories. I guess you could say I’m a fan of the genre!

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
My latest book is ‘Small Sacrifices’ and it was truly inspired by my daughter who complained that there weren’t any books for her to read. They were all BORING and she’d prefer to watch TV instead of reading.

Instead of giving up, we worked together on creating a character she could be excited about. Charlie Conti was born through long discussions, rewrites and revisions.

I’m a high school teacher and I write to inspire the kids around me. My first book was targeted at teenage boys in an attempt to get them to pick up a book. The Charlie Conti book was more personal, and driven by my daughter’s frustration with YA fiction.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
Most of my writing starts with dialogue. I orchestrate conversations (or monologues) between my characters in my head and let them go on for a while. I’ll take the core parts of the conversation and write them down – usually cool one-liners or interesting twists.

Once the dialogue is on the page, the scene builds up around it.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
As far as YA writing goes, I think my biggest influence has been Lish McBride, who wrote ‘Hold Me Closer, Necromancer’. I’d also say that Rick Riordan’s ‘Percy jackson’ series is also an important part of my journey from reader to writer.

But I read widely and everything I read impacts on my writing. TV, film and comic books are also huge influences. Recent comics like Ant Man, Hawkeye, Saga, Wicked and Divine and (my perennial favourite) the X-Men help me to visualise my stories and to look at the different ways characters can be formed.

What are you working on now?
Right now I’m working on ‘The Halo Effect’ which is the sequel to ‘The Miranda Contract’. All of my books are set in the same fictional world, so there are lots of cross-overs between my books. For example, Dan Galkin from my first novel, appears in the Charlie Conti books – and Charlie herself will appear in ‘The Halo Effect’.

I guess I enjoy the cross-over potential of shared universes like Marvel Comics.

I’m hoping to have ‘The Halo Effect’ completed by early 2017, and from there I’ll shift back to writing the Charlie Conti sequel, ‘Friend Zone’.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
Goodreads is good, and there’s a Facebook page I’ve recently joined called: Scribes and Bibliophiles ( https://www.facebook.com/groups/ScribesAndBibliophiles/ ) which is a nice and friendly virtual place.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
The best advice is to keep a realistic view of your writing.

Your first book won’t be a best-seller (unless you’re insanely lucky and talented). Accept that writing is an art and that you will learn and grow as you keep doing it.

Listen to advice, but don’t be dominated by it. Everyone writes differently, so what works for one writer may not work for another.

Speaking of listening, you should listen to www.writingexcuses.com for advice across the whole field of writing and publishing. (But also remember that you don’t have to take the advice.)

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
There is no single book that everyone loves.

You should always expect that some readers will love your work, while others will hate it or simply be uninspired by it. Get used to criticism. And get used to praise.

What are you reading now?
I’m reading two books:
1) ‘Brave New World’ by Aldous Huxley,
and
2) ‘Stasiland’ by Anna Funder (non-fiction)

What’s next for you as a writer?
I consider myself still in my apprenticeship phase of writing. I have outlines for another four books which will take me, realistically, five years to write. During that time, I’ll hopefully build up a following, a handful of reviews and maybe a budding career. After that, I may take stock of my writing life and embark on a different genre altogether.

I will never be a full time writer, though. I need to balance my life with family, work as a teacher, and writing.

If you were going to be stranded on a desert island and allowed to take 3 or 4 books with you what books would you bring?
1. The Action Heroes Handbook, by David Borgenicht (that will help me fight crocodiles, fall out of a plane and signal for help.)

2. To Kill a Mockingbird, by Harper Lee (it’s my favourite classic and I could re-read it forever)

3. The complete series of Marvel’s Uncanny X-Men (600+ comics)

4. My latest work-in-progress because… well, all that FREE TIME would help me write faster!

Author Websites and Profiles
Ben Langdon Website
Ben Langdon Amazon Profile

Ben Langdon’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile
Facebook Profile
Twitter Account

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
SECRET LIVES AND PRIVATE EYES is my debut novel. I’ve had several short stories published in the VIRGINIA IS FOR MYSTERIES series.

Currently, I am President of Sisters in Crime – Central Virginia, and a member of Guppies and Lethal Ladies Write.

Originally from Virginia Beach, I have been a mystery fan since Scooby Doo and Nancy Drew. I live in Central Virginia with my husband and a pair of Jack Russell terriers.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
SECRET LIVES AND PRIVATE EYES is my latest novel. In the book, my private investigator, Delanie Fitzgerald, has been hired to uncover some secrets that some don’t want revealed. Her two cases intertwine, and she has to figure out the secrets before someone else is murdered.

Business has been slow for Private Investigator, Delanie Fitzgerald, but her luck seems to change when a tell-all author hires her to find rock star, Johnny Velvet. Could the singer whose career purportedly ended in a fiery crash almost thirty years ago, still be alive?

And as though sifting through dead ends in a cold case isn’t bad enough, Chaz Wellington Smith, III, a loud-mouthed, strip club owner, also hires Delanie to uncover information about the mayor’s secret life. When the mayor is murdered, Chaz, is the key suspect. Now Delanie must clear his name and figure out why landscaper Tripp Payne, keeps popping up in her other investigation. Can the private investigator find the connection between the two cases before another murder – possibly her own – takes place?

Secret Lives and Private Eyes is a fast-paced mystery that will appeal to readers who like a strong, female sleuth with a knack for getting herself in and out of humorous situations.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I like to organize my characters and plot, so I’m a “plotter.” I outline and create character summaries. Then I start to write, and sometimes the characters have a mind of their own, and they don’t follow the outline. So even though I plot, I’m also a “pantser,” one who writes by the seat of her pants.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
I have loved books for as long as I can remember. My favorite authors are F.S. Fitzgerald, E. Hemingway, and H. Lee. But I’ve loved mysteries since Scooby Doo and Nancy Drew. I moved from Nancy Drew and the Hardy Boys to Agatha Christie and Alfred Hitchcock and then to anything I can get my hands on.

What are you working on now?
I’m working on the second book in the Delanie Fitzgerald series. Her adventures with Duncan, Margaret the Wonder Dog, and Chaz, the strip club owner continue.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
There are so many sites out there. I think anywhere you can connect with readers is a good site. Thanks, Awesomegang for the opportunity!

Do you have any advice for new authors?
DO NOT GIVE UP! If you want to have your work published, it’s a lot of hard work, but it’s worth it.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
I am so fortunate to be a part of Sisters in Crime and the Guppies. Members of both are so supportive and generous with their time and advice. The best advice I received was not to give up. It is a lot of work to get your manuscript ready for publication. It’s also a lot of work to market your book. It takes a lot of time and energy.

What are you reading now?
I just finished Art Taylor’s ON THE ROAD WITH DEL AND LOUISE. Right now, I’m reading Judith Flanders’ THE INVENTION OF MURDER.

What’s next for you as a writer?
I want to finish the second and third books in the Delanie Fitzgerald series. I have a mystery story coming out next year in a wine-themed anthology. I also have an idea for a cozy mystery 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?
That’s a tough one. I’d probably bring a couple of anthologies to give me lots of good reading. I’d bring the Bible and my Shakespeare collection. It would probably be smart to bring a survival book or two too.

Author Websites and Profiles
Heather Weidner Website
Heather Weidner Amazon Profile

Heather Weidner’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile
Facebook Profile
Twitter Account
Pinterest Account

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
By day, I’m a program assistant in professional licensing. By night, I write scifi and mystery/suspense novels. I’ve published seven novels and several shorter works.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
My latest book is titled Progenitor, Book One of The Earthside Trilogy. Sadly, it was inspired by my father-in-law’s struggle and passing from dementia. I’d lost two great aunts to it when I was younger, but his struggle seemed more brutal than theirs – perhaps because I was older and better understood what was happening, or perhaps because he really had other health issues that made the struggle worse. I actually started writing the book in secret five days after he passed away in August 2014, but writing a novel doesn’t stay secret for long. I suppose writing this trilogy was my way of coping with the brutal struggle I had just witnessed.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
Since I work full time, I write what I can, when I can. I really don’t have a set schedule or “writing spot,” because it’s more practical for me to take the opportunity to work on my writing whenever I can. I’ve learned to be quite flexible. I even take my laptop to work with me and work on it during my lunchbreaks – my coworkers don’t even think this is weird anymore!

What authors, or books have influenced you?
George R.R. Martin has been very influential on me, no doubt because I’m a huge Game of Thrones fan. I’ve also been inspired by Kim Stanley Robinson’s Mars trilogy (Red Mars, Green Mars, and Blue Mars), and Ben Bova’s work. On the mystery/suspense end, I greatly admire P.D. James.

What are you working on now?
I’m working on Metamorphosis (Book Two) and Emergence (Book Three) of The Earthside Trilogy.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
Goodreads is tremendously helpful, because it connects you to readers. Twitter has also been helpful in promoting my work. I spend more time now trying to find book reviewers, because it seems like good reviews can be very helpful. I won a review from Entrada Publishing, and I’ve submitted to Serious Reading. We’ll see how that goes.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Don’t give up. You will be rejected, sometimes cruelly, but you can’t win if you stop. The more you write, the better you get, the more you learn, and the better things get.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
In writing, fortune favors the persistent. Every successful writer has been rejected countless times. What separates them from everybody else is that they refused to quit.

What are you reading now?
I’ve put my reading on a temporary hiatus while I work on revisions to the remaining books in The Earthside Trilogy. I recently was impressed by a book titled Mercury Ice: The Seventh Coordinate, by Michael Morrow.

What’s next for you as a writer?
Just keep on writing whatever I’m inspired to write. I never know what inspiration will hit, so I try to stay open. Obviously, I plan to complete The Earthside Trilogy. After that, I would love to write more scifi or mystery/suspense.

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?
Besides The Bible, that would be a hard choice! A Song of Ice and Fire is five books, with a sixth coming out soon. It’s a good thing I have a Kindle, but I guess that wouldn’t work on a desert island!

Author Websites and Profiles
Sherri Moorer Website
Sherri Moorer Amazon Profile
Sherri Moorer Author Profile on Smashwords

Sherri Moorer’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile
Facebook Profile
Twitter Account
Pinterest Account

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I’m an artist turned writer, although so far I’ve only written one book. I come from Swindon in England. I enjoy being creative and although my main passion is drawing I also enjoy writing. My debut book is called Soulless Voodoo Guy. After 9 years on and off re-writing it countless times I’ve at last come to a point where I’m happy with it. I’m not sure how many hours it’s taken, but I’m certain it’s well over a thousand. I truly believe that the story I have is original and I don’t think there’s anything else out there like it. There were a lot of aims I set myself with regards to the book, but I won’t say what they are because that would spoil it.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
I wrote Soulless Voodoo Guy because I had a story to tell. Actually I wrote because I wanted to create a story for a graphic novel, but then that turned into more than I ever thought it could be and I enjoyed writing it so much that I had to turn it into a book in its own right. I don’t fit a particular market or even genre and I would never try to. I want to be original and not fit into a category. That’s what I think I’ve achieved, and if it doesn’t sell well at least I’ve been true to myself.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
Not really, other than my art inspires my writing and my writing inspires my art. One process feeds the other.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
Lewis Carroll’s Alice in Wonderland is a big influence.

What are you working on now?
I’m working on a ghost story in a steam punk setting. I can’t say much about it because it’s early days.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I’m new to this, but I would say word of mouth.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Be true to yourself and write from the heart.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Never give up.

What are you reading now?
Dracula.

What’s next for you as a writer?
Working on my new 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?
Alice in Wonderland, To Kill a Mockingbird and Frankenstein.

Author Websites and Profiles
David Hurrell Amazon Profile

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
My name is Irene A Petrucci. I was born in Brooklyn, NY. After getting married and moving to Long Island NY I spent most of my younger years publishing poems and selling art work. I have always had a special love for children and animals and it is reflected in my poems and drawings. I am now residing in Tennessee were I am writing a series of children books.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
The first book in the series is called “Snow Girls”. It was inspired by many conversations with my sister-in-law about my niece in Upstate NY

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
While sitting on my bed I gather my thought and write them down using a notebook and pencil.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
A little bit of all of them

What are you working on now?
The second book in the series which is unnamed at this time will continue with the life experiences of the three sisters growing up in a single parent house in Upstate NY.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
amazon.com

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Keep writing until you know its your best

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Have the courage to follow your dreams don’t worry about what others expect of you

What are you reading now?
At current time I am not reading any books

What’s next for you as a writer?
Continue on my series of children’s 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?
Out of Africa, War horse, Passage , and Defending Jacob

Author Websites and Profiles
Irene Petrucci Website
Irene Petrucci Amazon Profile

Irene Petrucci’s Social Media Links
Facebook Profile

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I was born in northern Michigan and have lived in the same small town all of my life. My wife Nona and I have four children and lots of grand children. I was able to retire at age 55 from the dental industry…. But I am not sure if I recommend that or not. Life has been good and I am very appreciative of that. My interest in the forex markets started around 2004 I believe, and it has been an ongoing love affair every since. It started out as a real challenge trying to figure things out on my own, with some help from the internet. Over the next several years and literally thousands of hours looking at charts I really feel I have something valuable to offer. This is my first book and likely will be my last, because you don’t need a lot of ways to be successful, but you do need one.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
My book is named “Forex money momentum”. As I was studying forex I slowly developed a strategy that very much impresses me. I use a one period moving average in a way that I have never seen or heard of anyone else doing, and felt compelled to put it in book form.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I don’t think I have any unusual writing habits. This being my first time I haven’t had the chance to develop any.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
Although I do read a lot, I do not have a favorite author or book that may have influenced more than others.

What are you working on now?
I have no more books in mind….just doing my forex trading the way I like to do it.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I don’t know that answer as this is my first book and I am just getting started.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
My advice would be to write about your passion. That really helped me get through my writing process.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Don’t play in the street. Really though, when I was very young my dad said “don’t smoke or someday you will wish you hadn’t”. I remember my dad throwing a pack of cigarettes out of the car window and saying “I am not going to let these things control my life anymore”. He never had another one after that. He was around 45 then and died of cancer when he was 63. I never did have a cigarette and I am glad for that,

What are you reading now?
I am currently in the middle of a very good book “A tale of two subs” by Jonathan McCullough. A novel based on a true story about world war two.

What’s next for you as a writer?
It is likely that this book will be my last

If you were going to be stranded on a desert island and allowed to take 3 or 4 books with you what books would you bring?
I really liked the “Left behind” series. I think would choose those.

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I read The Hobbit when I was ten- and read the whole series a thousand times over, before I was sixteen. I also read a lot of the classic sci fi and fantasy books. A few years later, a friend introduced me to the books that made me a convert: CJ Cherryh. A list that quickly grew and expanded. After being a lit major/anthropology, I found a deep appreciation in fantasy and sci fi. The combination of entertainment reading, and tackling deep and important issues- I was hooked.

In my writing, I draw on my shamanic training and comparative religion, as well as cultural anthropology and medieval history- crafting complex worlds and believable cultures. I draw on all my past experiences- from horse training, to sword-making as well. But mostly, I enjoy playing the “what if” game, and then turning characters loose and watching what happens.

The end result is a world that lays just outside our own reality- that just maybe, we can reach one day. Until then, we can share their adventures in the stories they bring to life.

I have several non-fiction titles under a different name, as well as a young adult shamanic series, which I intend to rebrand and publish under TJ Muir. I am also completing Before the Luck Runs Out- part of the chanmyr chronicles, an epic fantasy series. And I will be releasing book one of the Chanmyr Chronicles in the Fall of 2016

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
My latest book, is probably the one I am closest to completing. I have several in various stages of development. Before the Luck Runs Out (from the Chanmyr Chronicles) began as a character sketch of a minor character. Jedda was a magic user who makes a brief appearance in book one. i write character sketches and short stories as a way to flesh out my writing. Jedda’s story took on a whole life and world of its own. He quickly went from being a somewhat mysterious figure, to someone with unknown parentage, but gifts and talents that serve him well. I also enjoyed writing a more realistic version of Oliver Twist, so to speak– where poor starving kids are not angelic with perfect grammar;) right now, Jedda is one of my most beloved characters, and there is still a lot to discover about him- both for the readers and for myself!

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I wish I had usual or unusual writing habits. I need to build a better writing routine. I tend to be most productive during writing challenges, such as NANOWRIMO, and the 85k challenge that I participated in. I just wish that I could find the equivalent challenges for editing and revisions:)

What authors, or books have influenced you?
influence? hmm. Well, i was a lit major- with the equivalent of a masters degree in terms of the number and level of courses i ended up taking. So I got a wide and in depth education from medieval lit and renaissance lit, right up into modern literature. I found I liked authors like Joseph Conrad, and writers who delve into the moral issues that look at our place in the universe, and social issues.
In terms of genre-influence, I would say my biggest influence has been CJ Cherryh- whose abundance of work she has and the depth of knowledge and expertise she brings to her writing, is humbling. Janny Wurts has been another strong influence- whose artistic skill and ability to build worlds with incredible attention to detail, is envious.
The other author who has influenced me is Dan simmons- who has a gift for taking mythology, literature and science fiction, wrapped up in mind-bending story-telling.

What are you working on now?
I am currently working on edits and revisions for When the Luck Runs Out, and the ending for the draft of book one of The Chanmyr Chronicles.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I am definitely still learning the craft of marketing and promotion- and have been following the advice of those who are far more experienced than I am. Social media, and building a reader base has been my strongest focus up until now.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Know your material. it isn’t enough to know about writing (which definitely helps). It is essential to have a unique perspective to bring to your work. And it is important to know what the readers/ market is currently looking for. Allow work to sit, work on multiple pieces. The additional time and other projects will give added layers and dimensions to your work.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
make sure you have a story. and, unrelated, decide if you are writing for love, or for money– and do the research on your market. I’m still working on this one:)

What are you reading now?
I am currently between books- other than mutual editing projects for other authors. I try not to read when I know I have writing and editing to focus on.

What’s next for you as a writer?
Getting these two books edited and out the door, and then diving into book 2 of the series. I’ve had some mind-blowingingly phenomenal plot and magic ideas that i can’t wait to actually write about.

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 (because that’s a big book)
a book on boat building and/ or survivalism
one very large blank lined book so i could finally get my writing done
and a book of science experiments or something that I could devote time and mental energy into learning and doing..

Author Websites and Profiles
TJ Muir Website

TJ Muir’s Social Media Links
Facebook Profile
Twitter Account

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
The Life I Always Wanted is my first book, I have been an avid reader for years and always wanted to try my hand at writing.
I couldn’t sleep one night and as I lay in bed, the idea of the book came to me. Needless to say I didn’t get much sleep at all, I felt like I was on a high.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
The Life I Always Wanted, I wanted to write a book which inspired people to break out of the chains they are shackled to, that your life can be changed if you just ask for help.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I like to write to music playing, so I spend ages searching on Google Play for the right music to inspire the scenes that I am writing.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
Chloe Walsh is one author that I can honestly say is my friend and her books just blew me away, I read them two years ago and I messaged her and we have been friends ever since.
Beth Flynn is another great author, she has helped me a lot through my writing process.
Jay Mclean is just an awesome writer and she is lovely and down to earth, Tillie Cole is my all time fave, she knows how to write a book.

What are you working on now?
The amount of emails and messages I have had off readers who have asked for a book about one of the secondary characters from The Life I Always Wanted blew me away, so I decided to do just that and give the readers what they asked for. Somewhere Only I Know will be out late summertime.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I find social media the best way to spread the word about my book and other authors books, the support authors get is astounding.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Yes! Never give up!
If your dreams don’t scare you, then they aren’t big enough!
If I can do it so can you.
Never be afraid.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Always ignore the negativity and focus on the positive.

What are you reading now?
I am currently do a re read of Tillie Cole’s Hades Hangmen series in preparation of the new book that’s out in 7 days.

What’s next for you as a writer?
I am hoping to attend some book signings as an author and not just a reader, that would be like a dream come true for me.

If you were going to be stranded on a desert island and allowed to take 3 or 4 books with you what books would you bring?
Nine Minutes by Beth Flynn
Kick Push by Jay Mclean
Treacherous by Chloe Walsh
It ain’t me, babe by Tillie Cole

Author Websites and Profiles
Louisa Nixon Amazon Profile

Louisa Nixon’s Social Media Links
Facebook Profile

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I’ve been writing since I was old enough to type a picture book on the computer, print it out, and illustrate it myself. Horses and romance are a huge part of everything I write. I’ve written so many books. Some will never see the light of day. But two are published, and I hope to publish others, too.

Example of some that may never be published: I wrote a 30 book series based on My Little Ponies when I was really young. I remember my grandmother helping me contact Hasbro to ask if I could have permission to publish with their Pony names. Of course, they said no, and my young heart was crushed, but in the end I had much more fun making up my own names.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
Ariel: The First Guardian is my latest, and it is by far my favorite. Ariel Harte is such a gutsy character but she’s also a softy. The story was inspired by two big events in my life. The first was a bad break-up. Ariel has to deal with something that her ex said to her years ago, and that’s also a quote I struggled to get over in my own life. Writing the story with Ariel helped me find healing and meaning. The second inspiration was a tragic incident when my first horse broke his leg. It’s not easy losing a big animal like that. They feel like family. (But I promise Ariel’s story does have a happy ending.)

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
Maybe? It’s hard to tell because, at least as far as I know, no writer shares ALL of his or her writing secrets… Then you’d really think we’re crazy.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
I love Maggie Stiefvater’s The Scorpio Races. I want my voice to be that colorful and poetic while simultaneously carrying so much suspense. And for Ariel’s story specifically, her voice was modeled a lot after Max from James Patterson’s Maximum Ride series.

What are you working on now?
I am working on book 3 in the Guardians of Agalrae trilogy.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
Twitter. There are so many opportunities for connections. I often give away ebooks in exchange for an honest review.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Don’t give up! And realize that publishing will not validate you. Rather, see publishing as an opportunity to get your story to someone who needs it. You have the power to change someone’s life right at your fingertips. If you fight for your dream and don’t accept defeat, you’ll make it.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Work like it depends on you and pray like it depends on God. ~Mark Batterson

What are you reading now?
A coworker handed me something that I normally wouldn’t read, but the story is so interesting I can’t help myself. It’s The Kitchen House by Kathleen Grissom.

What’s next for you as a writer?
I’m working to get integrated into a writing community. Writing is so solitary. It’s important to get together with other writers and support each other.

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?
Oh, goodness. I would take Ariel’s story because it has such a special place in my heart. Then a copy of the Bible, The Scorpio Races, and whatever Shakespeare I can get my hands on.

Author Websites and Profiles
Sydney Scrogham Website
Sydney Scrogham Amazon Profile

Sydney Scrogham’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile
Facebook Profile
Twitter Account
Pinterest Account