Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I’m a home school graduate, and I started writing when I was in fourth grade. Granted, my first story was three pages long and had talking animals, piranha-eating cheese curls, and an otter whose head fell off several times, but it was a start. I was a bookworm long before then, though, and my dad read me The Lord of the Rings and The Chronicles of Narnia before I could read on my own.

I’ve written many books over the past eight years, but I’ve only published two. My first is an inspirational novella, and my second is a superhero Young Adult novel.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
My latest book released on July 4th of this year, and it’s called Twinepathy. It’s the first book in the IDIA series, which are Young Adult superhero novels, centering around twins with telepathic abilities. It’s a fun, clean adventure filled with quirky characters, interesting settings, and mystery.

I was inspired to write this novel after reading a few superhero novels by other authors and realizing how dark a lot of the stories were. Superpowers are fun! Why not have a lighthearted story, exploring neat superpowers and just enjoy it, instead of adding in angst? That spawned the idea for Twinepathy, and it caught on really well!

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
In one day, I tend to either write a ton or write almost nothing. Sometimes I’ll write a chapter in a few days, and not write again until the next week. Other than that, I like to write while eating things, and I’ve found I work pretty well when there are a ton of people talking around me. Writing in crowded restaurants or in the airport works really well for me. I also tend to use way too many notebooks for each story.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
There have been so many. I never would have started writing if it weren’t for all of the books I’ve read. The authors that inspired me the most for Twinepathy were J.R.R. Tolkien, Ally Carter, Brandon Sanderson, and Marissa Meyer. Tolkien inspired me to use detail, and to put in little hints of what was to come that would really reward readers when they reread the book. Ally Carter’s Heist Society books were impossible for me to put down, and that influenced my desire to make books that people couldn’t stop reading. Brandon Sanderson inspired cool superpowers and plot twists with his book Steelheart. And Marissa Meyer’s characters in The Lunar Chronicles were so quirky and fun!

What are you working on now?
At the moment, I’m working on Lightporter, the sequel to Twinepathy. It’s going really well so far! I’m also planning the third book in the IDIA series, along with getting some plot points together for a different kind of superhero story, that’s more of a fantasy style. I’m very excited about all of them!

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I’ve found that have a blog is soooo helpful when it comes to promotion. Yes, it takes time to set it up and to post on a schedule, but it’s one of the most valuable tools I have found. Another amazing tool is Goodreads. I’ve found so many readers through there and connected with authors, bloggers, and readers. It’s a great way to get more reviews! Having online blogging or Goodreads friends is also really great for blog tours and promotion in general.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Keep writing, and don’t give up! I’ve seen so many promising authors go down, just because they were stuck on their story. The best advice I can give you is to find other writers, either online or in real life, who can help motivate you and can show you new tips. You’ll never stop learning, even if you get as famous as J.K. Rowling or Tolkien.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
I have two! One is something one of my mom’s friends said. She’s a nonfiction writer, and she told me, “Write what you know. Write what is true. Write what is in your heart.”

The second is more of a formula, used by Joss Whedon, who directed The Avengers and Avengers: Age of Ultron. To keep up your pacing in a book, use the acronym FASTER: Funny, Action, Suspense, Tension, Emotion, Romance.

Both of these have been very helpful when it comes to my writing.

What are you reading now?
Right now I am rereading The Lord of the Rings and reading Raising Dragons by Bryan Davis. I’m also helping beta-read Lady Dragon Tela Du by Kendra E. Ardnek. I’ve been in a fantasy mood lately!

What’s next for you as a writer?
I plan to keep writing and growing my talent. I write for my readers and for God, so I’m always listening to them. But I’m planning on continuing the IDIA series for a while (Four books? Five? More?) and I have plans for some spinoffs and another superhero series as well… we’ll just see how it all works out!

Author Websites and Profiles
C.B. Cook Website

C.B. Cook’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I’m 31yes old. Im Irish, I’ve written 5 ebooks, some short stories, each in a different style. WERE INC THE EIRU SAGA VOL 1, is my first full length book, it’s been received surprisingly well. I’m currently planning on moving to the USA in September 2017.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
My latest book is Were Inc The Eiru Saga Vol 1, it was inspired by a few things, mainly it was my love of folklore coupled with a once good friend. I wanted to create something around lycanthropes; I thought what could be a best or most dangerous enemy they could have, because let’s face it, they are the ultimate predator.
When debating with a close friend we talked about my favourite spiderman character namley Venom (Eddie Brock) and that gave birth to the oil/tar project mortal symbiote’s. That might I wrote the characters, Michéal, Aisling, Shannon etc and from there I gathered my thoughts and spent over a year Writing the first installment of the Saga. I’m currently working in the second installment, Paramour.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I need total silence, I can’t be distracted at all, just leave me alone haha that why I tend to just put on my heads phones and listen to some music when I write. I can’t wrote at home, not right now anyway, I leave and go somewhere anywhere else. I’ve found the music and my current mood effect how and what I’ll wrote, i could set out to write a love screen but end up with a battle scene and vise versa.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
Bram stoker Dracula, Michael Ende The Never-ending story, Mary Shelly Frankenstein, Robert Louis Stevenston Strange case of Dr. Jekyll & Mr Hyde.
Amazing books, they tell magnificent stories, you can’t put them down you really can’t.

What are you working on now?
Currently working on the sequel to Were Inc, the second installment of the Eiru Saga. Titles Paramour the Eiru Saga Vol 2. Its more intense more romantic,

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
Oh wow um Facebook has been very helpful in promoting, Twitter & Amazon.co.uk are great for promoting, but I find the reviews on Amazon.com or Amazon.co.uk are very encouraging very inspiring.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Think twice before choosing this line of work, start to enjoy hearing the word No. You’ll hear it a great deal. If you go the self publishing route it can be costly but, you are in complete control of your work or you process and or you budget. It’s not all sun shone and roses it’s not a glamorous life, it’s hard it’s lonely it’s trying and it’s costly. Think before you act, you won’t be an over night success l, enjoy writing for what it is & it becomes it’s own reward.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Each day is a constant fighr, make your impact on the world & make it big, succeed at all cost, no one forgets success, only failure.

What are you reading now?
I’m rereading strange case of Dr. Jekyll & Mr Hyde and the Edger Allan poe collection. I’m getting ready to catch up on my New 52 (Dc comics) too.

What’s next for you as a writer?
Succes at all costs haha, I’m setting up readings all over Ireland this year (2016) festival appearances also in Ireland, a great deal more online promoting (USA mainly), possible television appearance, and next year I’ll be hosting a stall at comic-con 2017 in Dublin Ireland. There’s no rest for the wicked.

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 that’s not fair um,
1: Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea (Jules Verne)
2: Wuthering Heights (Emily Brontë)
3:Strange case of Dr. Jekyll & Mr Hyde (Robert Louis Stevenston)
4: Were Inc The Eiru Saga Vol 1 (myslef)
I’d have to bring my own purely to keep up my moral haha.

Author Websites and Profiles
Marcus Breathnach Website
Marcus Breathnach Amazon Profile

Marcus Breathnach’s Social Media Links
Facebook Profile
Twitter Account

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
One book about to be published:
Laughter Paradigm: Having fun and the psychology behind

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
I am in a high performing job where stakes are high. I often come across people who are now too busy to laugh and have fun.
I’m like: “Hey, you are making a living……..remember – ‘living’?”
Humor has several facets and advantages, and a person who knows how to laugh usually turns out to be a winner in life. That is my inspiration behind writing this book.
While on one hand it is hilarious and meant to make you laugh, on the other, it also talks about the psychological nuances behind humor.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I write only when I am out at sea, sailing. The sea inspires me.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
I have been inspired by the works of Richard Wiseman, famous psychologist and writer.

What are you working on now?
I am working on a book called……..well, let’s keep that name on hold for now.
It’s a book on quirky management tactics – tricks which you won’t hear about. They come from my personal experience. I shall be advocating bad memory and controlled anger as some of the ways to be a winner in life. I will talk about the ways how you can turn your biggest weaknesses into your biggest strengths. I will talk about principles taken from the ancient Sanskrit Scriptures of India which tell us things more valuable than any modern Management school can teach us.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I felt Facebook is a very effective method to reach many readers for Free, but I am yet to find out. The launch of my first book will tell me a lot.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Not really. I am a New Author myself and need all the advice I can get!

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
You cannot fool yourself and get away with it for long.

What are you reading now?
Richard Wiseman’s : “The Luck Factor”

What’s next for you as a writer?
I wish to be a published author and get credited to change some lives hopefully by sharing my experiences.

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 actually am stranded on an island – the ship – for about six months each year and I normally bring with me Richard Wiseman books.
But judging by the sense you mean,
I guess I will bring with me: “How to get off an Island” or “How to build a raft”
Ha ha

Author Websites and Profiles
Captain D Website
Captain D Amazon Profile

Captain D’s Social Media Links
Facebook Profile
Twitter Account

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I am a mother of two young children a girl aged five and a boy aged two. Due to my little boy being born with a bilateral cleft lip and no palate I did not have time to work. I wrote my first book My little brother through the eyes of my daughter to give children more information and a better understanding of the condition. I then went on to write two more books in a series The seasonal fairies. I have now just realised my first fantasy novel Secrets of the mind.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
The name of my latest book is Secrets of the mind. I love reading Fantasy and supernatural books and thought I would give it ago. The love of books inspired me to write my own book.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I just write when I have the time, one habit I have is I start my book get to chapter 2 or 3 and then start taking notes. I never seem to stick to the notes my characters always have other ideas and take me where they want to go.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
The authors that have influenced me are Chanda Hahn with her unfortunate fairy tale series. I am a sucker for fairy tales. W.J May I enjoy her The chronicles of Kerrigan. I have many authors I enjoy reading and find it hard to pick a few who have influenced me.

What are you working on now?
I am currently working on book 2 in my Secrets series, Secrets of the soul.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I usually promote my books on social media and I am yet to find a good website to promote. I think word of mouth is working well at the minute.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
My advice to new writers would be to keep writing there will be days where you think your writing sucks, just keep writing. everyone’s first draft sucks when it comes to rewrites and edits your story will take shape and become better. Remember to do your research.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
The best advice I have heard is it is better to write a load of rubbish than write nothing at all you can always go back and cut out the rubbish later at times that rubbish could become vital to your story.

What are you reading now?
I am reading the second book in the Shiva series by Lyra Shanti. The story is intriguing set in a cosmic universe. I am trying a bit of Sci fi to expand my reading from Fantasy.

What’s next for you as a writer?
The next step for me is to finish book 2 Secrets of the soul then onto promoting.

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?
This one is a hard one. I love many books but I think I would take three of Virginia Andrews books and revisit my teenage years.

Author Websites and Profiles
E.J Bennett Website
E.J Bennett Amazon Profile

E.J Bennett’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile
Facebook Profile
Twitter Account

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I’m a science fiction & fantasy author. My series include The Last Dragon Lord (new), Android X and Eaten. To date I have written over 20 books, primarily SFF.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
My latest book is Old Dark. It’s about a fallen dragon lord seeking revenge against the conspiracy that overthrew him. It’s inspired by House of Cards and all the fantasy novels I read growing up. The (anti)hero Old Dark himself is inspired by Francis Underwood, Smaug from LOTR and Richard III, with a little bit of Hannibal Lecter thrown in! I always wanted to write a book about dragons, but thought it would be a fun twist if the main character were a dragon—and a dragon lord, at that.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I wake up at 4:30AM every morning to write and write several hours before going to bed, so I spend several hours a day writing. I also write on my phone a lot because my life is hectic with a day job and a family, so I get the words in whenever and however I can.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
Ray Bradbury made me fall in love with science fiction. Tolkien made me fall in love with fantasy. But my biggest influences were Robert Louis Stevenson, Eudora Welty, John Steinbeck, Neil Gaiman, and Michael Crichton. My favorite novel of all time is Treasure Island—I reread it almost every year.

What are you working on now?
I am working on Book 3 in The Last Dragon Lord series. It’s a wild ride, and I’m loving it!

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
It depends on the book and the genre, but mailing lists tend to work the best. I’ve found that if I can develop an interesting character and sell him/her on the front cover with a few enticing sentences that encourage people to buy, people in mailing lists tend to click on it and buy.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Just keep at it, but learn the business side and marketing. There are many layers of learning to being an author. Just when you think you know it all, something or someone comes along that challenges everything you’ve ever known. If you stay committed to self-education and if you stay humble, you’ll do fine.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Sometimes advice is not meant for you, even when it’s given to you. There are thousands of writing blogs and resources out there, and honestly most of them won’t teach you what you need to know. It’s all surface level stuff. You have to learn how to filter advice and pick out the parts that make sense for you and your situation. At the time of this writing, if you want to go deeper, the real learning happens behind closed doors in masterminds and private Facebook groups.

What are you reading now?
I am rereading American Gods by Neil Gaiman in anticipation of the new TV series. It’s even better than I remembered it.

What’s next for you as a writer?
More books, as always! I’ll be wrapping up The Last Dragon Lord series early next year. After that I haven’t decided what I’ll do next—I’ll either start a new series or continue my Android X 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?
Treasure Island, Jurassic Park, The Short Stories of Elizabeth Bowen, and The Arabian Nights. A good mix of novels and short stories.

Author Websites and Profiles
Michae La Ronn Website
Michae La Ronn Amazon Profile

Michae La Ronn’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile
Facebook Profile
Twitter Account
Pinterest Account

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I guess that I’d describe myself as a man who wears many hats…or someone who can’t keep a job! I’ve been a musician, a dental technician, a business owner and a writer. I’ve written seven books.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
My latest book is called Yakuzawa: Rising Son. I’d say that my family background inspired it.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
Yes, I write in the nude…just kidding!

What authors, or books have influenced you?
When I first started writing Michael Crichton, John Grisham and James Patterson. Recently I’ve been reading John Steinbeck, Raymond Chandler, Stephen King and Haruki Murakami.

What are you working on now?
Just promoting Yakuzawa.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I write a blog on blogspot and use twitter.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Yes, build your audience as you start your writing.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Write, publish, repeat.

What are you reading now?
Metamorphosis by Franz Kafka and Travels With Charley by John Steinbeck.

What’s next for you as a writer?
I want to get into the writing of Ernest Hemingway.

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?
Bible, Complete works of Michael Crichton, James Clavell’s Shogun.

Author Websites and Profiles
Cory Tsuhako Amazon Profile
Cory Tsuhako Author Profile on Smashwords

Cory Tsuhako’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile
Facebook Profile

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I’m from Atlanta, Georgia and I’ve just written one book. Ten Lives is my debut novel!

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
Ten Lives is the books title. I’m a huge gamer and video games inspired me to write this story. Since I was a child the thought of a video game character dying and coming back to life to save the day like nothing happened fascinated me.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I listen to John Williams, hip-hop and 8-bit video game music while writing/typing.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
On a Pale Horse by Piers Anthony, I love that book. Watchmen by Alan Moore was also great.

What are you working on now?
I’m currently working on the sequel to Ten Lives. I’m writing notes and jokes down as we speak!

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I think facebook and twitter have helped.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Network, network, and when you’re tired of networking , network some more. Find and befriend other authors, especially those who write in the same genre as you. Surround yourself with them and learn and share with them.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
You can lead a horse to water but you can’t make him drink. My dad taught me that.

What are you reading now?
The first book in the Dark Tower series…so far so good.

What’s next for you as a writer?
Completing the Respawn Saga. In the midst of book two as we speak.

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 hard one. On a Pale Horse, The World According to Garp, Interview with a Vampire and for starry nights on the island Contact by Carl Sagan.

Christian Terry’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile
Facebook Profile
Twitter Account

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
By profession I am a doctor, writing is my passion. Most of my books are disease related. I have written 4 books so far.
You can take a look at them at
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Dr.-Shahriar-Mostafa/e/B01B1W6Q26/ref=ntt_dp_epwbk_0

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
My Last book is titled ” Diagnosed with diabetes, Now what”
Most of the people become terrified when diagnosed with diabetes. But there is no need to panic. Diabetes is easy to control. When you have information or guideline to control it. The panic of my patients inspired me to write this book. It should give them hope and guideline to continue normal, successful life with diabetes.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
My life is very busy as a doctor I work in a medical college hospital that takes most of my time. I usually write whenever I get a chance. Most of my books are written using mobile phones.

What are you working on now?
I am working on a fiction, a science fiction right now.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Find a good editor before publishing your work.

Author Websites and Profiles
Dr. Shahriar Mostafa Amazon Profile

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I am a Registered Nurse, often writing in the time I have available between shifts. I have written one full-length novel and one novelette.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
Prophecies of the New World is the first book in the Elegance of Nature Series. I’ve always enjoyed Post-Apocalyptic Fiction, in fact, I fell in love with Science Fiction as a result of accidentally finding a copy of Andre Norton’s “Daybreak 2250” in my grandparent’s house at the age of eleven or twelve. I wanted to do something unique with the genre, given there are

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
My favorite place to write is my back patio, usually with a glass of something cold.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
I have always been an avid Science Fiction and Fantasy reader. Some of my favorite books/authors that have influenced my writing are: Robert Heinlein (Stranger in a Strange Land, I Will Fear No Evil, The Moon is a Harsh Mistress), Robert Jordan (The Wheel of Time Series) , Anne Mccaffery (The Dragon Riders of Pern Series, The Rowan Series, Sassinak, The Crystal Singer Series) Anne Rice (The Vampire Chronicles), Issac Asimov (The Foundation Series), Arthur C. Clarke (Contact, Rama) , Ben Bova, Orson Scott Carde (Enders Game), R.A. Salatore (The Icewind Dale Trilogy, The Dark Elf Trilogy, The Cleric Quintet and more…), Timothy Zahn, Andre Norton (Daybreak 2250) Dan Brown (Da’Vinci Code) Stephen King (The Stand, IT,) and many more.

What are you working on now?
I’m currently working on a hard sci-fi “space-opera” based on the idea of mining the asteroid belt within our own solar system.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I am still discovering the answer to this question. To date, word of mouth advertising and twitter have been the best methods of advertising.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Just keep writing… perseverance and persistence in loving what you write. Write from the heart!

What are you reading now?
I’m currently reading “Mercury” by Ben Bova, “Prometheans” by Ben Bova, and “Star Carrier” by Ian Douglas.

What’s next for you as a writer?
I plan on writing… just keep writing…

If you were going to be stranded on a desert island and allowed to take 3 or 4 books with you what books would you bring?
Stranger in a Strange Land by Robert Heinlein-I’ve read this book over and over and over and I continue to learn something new each time I read it.
The Stand-By Stephen King
The Vampire Lestat-By Anne Rice

Author Websites and Profiles
Royce Sears Website
Royce Sears Amazon Profile
Royce Sears Author Profile on Smashwords

Royce Sears’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile
Facebook Profile
Twitter Account
Pinterest Account

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
Man, where do I start? I’m a New Adult and Contemporary Romance writer that has a soft spot for young adult that are struggling with the reality of becoming an adult. I’m an avid supporter of diverse books and hope I can encourage others to #ReadBeyondRace and enjoy books that feature multicultural characters. I’m an administrator at Rutgers University in New Jersey. I have a bachelor’s degree in Literature from Stockton University, presently completing my Masters in English and Creative Writing at Southern New Hampshire University, and I’m the current president of the Cultural, Interracial, and Multicultural Special Interest Chapter of Romance Writers of America (CIMRWA).

If you aren’t familiar with New Adult fiction, let me enlighten you. New Adult (NA) is a genre of fiction that targets readers that have outgrown Young Adult fiction. It rose to popularity in 2009 and explores the stressful and wonderful chasm between adolescence and adulthood. It’s the perfect place craft creative maturation plots (i.e. coming of age, rites of passages plots). And since I’m a romance author, the series will also incorporate some romantic elements and show shifts in drama and tension in order to bring new characters to light.

At this time, I’ve published three books and have written three more for publication.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
My latest novel is Jacmuir: Trust Stained Lies.

The Jacmuir series is the book series I’ve always wanted to write. This feeling was formulated from my love of Le Morte d’Arthur by Sir Thomas Malory, Beowulf, and stories from Greek mythology. I inhaled these stories as a young person and then Paradise Lost by John Milton and The Iliad and The Odyssey by Homer reinforced my desire to write an ‘Everyman’ story which featured diverse characters.

I created the Jacmuir series in contemporary times after a talk with MacKenzie Fraser-Bub, a literary agent that once worked with the Trident Media Group. (She went on to work for Howard Morhaim Literary Agency and now she’s heads up Fraser-Bub Literary, LLC.) At a writer’s conference, she was adamant that this story needed to be prevalent to today’s New Adult book market.

At the time, the New Adult books were trying to duplicate the 50 Shades of Gray phenomena (young college girl being sexually intrigued by a slightly older businessman) and every story in the genre seemed to be selling coming-of-age sex experiences. Jacmuir is totally different from those books because it deals with coming-of-age based on a young person gaining a better understanding of their world.

There’s something about the college years that makes all students look at their parents and teachers through unveiled eyes. It’s like they’ve finally see the humanity to the adults that monitored their behaviors thought adolescence. The youth start to gain an understanding of who they are and what type of adult they want to be so New Adult novels are very focused on internal turmoil and self-realization.

Jacmuir is a fictional country set in contemporary times with monarchy that emulates what exists in modern day England and Spain but with a few aspects of magical realism. Magical realism has been defined as fiction that interweaves realistic and fantastic details, juxtaposing the marvelous with the ordinary. I’ve incorporated fantastical events and mythology into this book series so the fantasy traits of telekinesis, hyper-speed, and levitation are experienced once a person becomes a Crimson Knight. My love of comic books made me want to write a New Adult series with supernatural aspects that blends with our contemporary, familiar world. I have a strong desire to write a book series I can give to my nieces and nephews that will keep them entertained.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I write everywhere and whenever I can. It’s the best part of my day. It’s hard to write my novels while completing my graduate degree but the readers help me stay at it. My days start at 4:30AM and I write each morning before I start my workday at 8:30AM. I’ve made up my mind that writing is a business and as such I need to dedicate time to not only study the craft but to master it so I must write daily. It has to be a habit like brushing and flossing my teeth or eating dinner every evening. It’s the only way to become a prolific writer. Since I cannot quit my day job at the university to make more time, I’ve appointed more board members to the RWA (Romance Writers of America) chapter I’m heading. These volunteers will help me write more because I won’t be trying to market myself and the chapter simultaneously anymore. (Marketing and branding is so important for authors and the time it takes to do it can be maddening.)

What authors, or books have influenced you?
There are so many wonderful novels and authors that inspire me; I’m not really sure how I can narrow it down. When I read as a writer, I’m looking to improve my craft; I concentrate on a fiction writer’s intended audience, use of dialogue and any performance words that provoke a strong reaction. When I read fiction for pleasure, I enjoy being transported into another place and viewing the protagonist’s perspective of life; I’m reading solely to connect to the characters, not to discern the mechanics of writing.

I think reading style is formulated by my moods and whims. If I want to be transported into an epic poem, I’ll curl up in a blanket and read Beowulf or the Iliad. If I wish to be rooted in the present day, I’ll read the works of romance authors I’ve met at writers’ conferences. Due to my affiliation with the Romance Writers of America, I’ve read more romance novels in the past five years than any other type of genre. That’s why working on my master’s degree is so important. It forces me to seek out other genres for inspiration and insights to character development.

What are you working on now?
I just finished up the second book in the Jacmuir series and two prequel novellas to the series. My plan is to submit for Book Two and the novellas to my publisher for publication as part of a three book push for the series. I’m trying to make up for the fact that many things caused me not to meet my writing deadlines last year: I got married, became president of a Romance Writers of America chapter, and entered a vigorous creative writing graduate school program. I don’t regret any of those decisions but my readers are a little upset that I didn’t get another book out this winter. So I decided to make the wait for Jacmuir (Book Two) worth it by featuring two prequel novellas along with it. (On a very small scale, I know how George R.R. Martin feels… oh, the pressure to get the work done.)

I think the Jacmuir novella series will do very well in today’s market. The stories are strong and the characters are fully developed. If my readers are happy then I’ll be happy. The market can be swayed greatly by marketing but if a story is good and the writing is consistent, readers will catch on.

I’m very fortunate that I took a risk and pitched a multi-book deal with my publisher that she loved but the prequel novellas weren’t part of that package. I’ll give her a chance to place the novellas under contract because she has great movie studios connections but if she doesn’t bite, I’ll check my contract for any non-competition clauses and self-publish them myself.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I love Facebook, Twitter, Snapchat, and Instagram but I’m also connected on other social media outlets. If I’m blessed with success with the series I will do more podcasting on the AMB Novels Talk show featured on YouTube.

I’ll also get back to blogging on my website. It’s time. My passion for blogging weaned when my older sister and fellow writer was found dead in her Baltimore, MD home in 2014. (See http://www.angelinembishop.com/blog/saying-goodbye-to-my-sister-and-fellow-author ) I was able to publish a few post but it wasn’t the same know she was out there reading each entry and cheering me on. This interview has helped me see the best way to honor her memory is to keep writing the series and share my point of view with my readers. I hope you’ll join me on this next new, and hopefully exciting chapter.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
The first thing I would tell them to do is join a professional writing organization so they can be surrounded by other writers that will help them master their craft. People forget being a professional writer is not a hobby, it’s a business; and we have a product that needs to improve over time. I’m learning and growing as a writer every day. Do I cringe when readers point out the mistakes that weren’t corrected in my first novel? Yes, I do. But that novel is also a testament of where I begin as a writer. It’s a snapshot in time and as my sister would say… there’s an audience for all types of fiction and what’s not for one person maybe perfect for another.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
The best advice that I hear all the time is to P.B.I.C. (Place Butt In Chair) and write the next book.

What are you reading now?
I just finished read Frankenstein by Mary Shelley for my graduate course. It’s great to read the classic as an author and not as a high school student.

What’s next for you as a writer?
My goals are to pass the CIMRWA presidency over to another person wishing to move the chapter into the next phase. I’ve been an Executive Board member for four years so it’s time to give my complete focus to my writing.

I also want to see the Jacmuir series being read by youth that needs some motivation to see the prince or princess within themselves. Speaking engagements are starting to take off now and I want to continue my sister’s work of encouraging young writers to add their voices to the literary landscape.

If you were going to be stranded on a desert island and allowed to take 3 or 4 books with you what books would you bring?
The Bible, Cooking on an Island for Dummies, Island Survival 101, and How to Attract Search Airplanes Quickly

Author Websites and Profiles
Angeline M. Bishop Website
Angeline M. Bishop Amazon Profile
Angeline M. Bishop Author Profile on Smashwords

Angeline M. Bishop’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile
Facebook Profile
Twitter Account
Pinterest Account

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
My name is P.J. and I am a writer. I am quite an eclectic writer. My work ranges from horror to haiku to high fantasy. I live in Devon, England with a houseful of teenagers, a rescued dog called Fizz who thinks he’s a cat and a feral cat called Sammy.
I have a BAEd from Canterbury Christ Church University, an MA from Bradford University and I’ve dabbled in psychology with the OU. My work can be found in many anthologies, journals, Zines and writing guides.
I have written several haiku collections including:

‘Haiku Nation’, a magical collection of powerful modern haiku.
‘Frozen Haiku’, a thought-provoking collection of imaginative, visually stunning haiku. This collection explores the magical transformations, discoveries, and interactions with nature as winter tightens her grip over the sleeping landscape.
‘Haiku Yellow’, a breathtaking collection of stunning images captured and written in haiku verse. This collection explores the excitement and drama as the yellow of springtime bursts through the bleakness of winter, throughout the Devon countryside in a series of dramatic moments captured forever in her fresh, crisp verse.

For those who prefer the darker, deadlier side of writing, I have also written a collection of dark romantic and Gothic horror poetry entitled ‘The Wicked Come’.

‘The Wicked Come’ is my best-selling, dark poetry book featuring a variety of people you only meet once including Bloody Mary, psychotic ex-lovers, murderers, witches, ghosts, vampires and bloodthirsty ghouls. Sometimes they win.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
My next book is my high fantasy novel entitled, ‘The Torcian Chronicles’, it is a magical tale of two warring countries. Torcia is a green land, which has forbidden the use of magic. Her magic users and creatures are confined to the fringes of society and their actions carefully monitored by the Protectors. Mivir, their neighbour, has embraced the magical properties of their land and created a magically enhanced army. However, their country’s natural awesung resources, the foundation of its magical energy has been depleted s they looked west to their sleeping neighbour. Torcia was ill-prepared for the invasion and city by city their land was conquered and burnt by the invading army. In a desperate attempt to save his land, the King of Torcia, met the last remaining warlock in Torcia and asked him to go on a suicide mission to enter Mivir and destroy the country from within.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I tend to write late at night listening to horror tracks from Youtube.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
My favourite authors are Matthew Reilly, Patricia Cornwall and Kathy Reichs. They influenced me in the way their stories are exciting, full of action and contain real characters which you can relate to.

What are you working on now?
Now I am working on 3 books.

‘The Murders of Thorny Ridge’ which is a horror/ mystery book based in Thorny Ridge, murder capital of the US.

The Torcian Chronicles: Book 2 which is entitled ‘Resistance’

and a book of senryu poetry entitled ‘Sensual Senryu’ which I will leavve to your imagination.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
The best way to sell books is talking to people about them either at literature festivals or Book Talks.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Finish the book and then start editing. The most important thing is actually finishing your story. Once it’s complete then start slowly editing until it’s the book you want to read.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Just finish it!

What are you reading now?
I am reading ‘Scarecrow’ by Matthew Reilly.

What’s next for you as a writer?
To finish the re-edits for The Torcian Chronicles.

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?
Desert Survival Handbook : How to Prevent and Handle Emergency Situations by Dennis Smith
Desert Survival Tips, Tricks, & Skills by Tony Nester

and a massive empty manuscript for writing in.

Author Websites and Profiles
P.J. Reed Website
P.J. Reed Amazon Profile

P.J. Reed’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile
Facebook Profile
Twitter Account

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I’ve written three children’s books, two erotica books, one teen novel, one sci-fi novel, and now my first horror book. I believe I’ve finally found my niche with horror. After being inspired by the series American Horror Story, I finally felt brave enough to dip my toes in the bloody water of that genre, and I finally feel as if I’m “in the zone” as an author. I can only hope my readers agree. I started out as a newspaper reporter and I always wanted to have the free time to write something more fun than the news – which isn’t hard to do! I hope my readers have as much fun reading my new horror novel, The Woman on the Beast, as I had writing it!

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
The Woman on the Beast is the name of my latest horror novel and it was inspired by the book of Revelations and the series American Horror Story.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
Absolutely. I have recurring dreams every night that unveil another chapter of the book. I wake up and write what I saw in my dreams. Therefore, when the dreams stop, I have to put finishing the book on hold until my subconscious informs me of what happens next. HIGHLY UNUSUAL!

What authors, or books have influenced you?
Aldous Huxley, George Orwell, Edgar Allen Poe, 1984, Brave New World, Alas Babylon and the Holy Bible, Fyodor Dostoyevsky and Emily Dickinson.

What are you working on now?
I just completed the Woman on the Beast and I’m finally taking a cigarette break.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I don’t know. While I’ve written many books, it was always for leisure and never for money. I knew better than to quit my day job. I’ll let you know when I finally learn the ropes on book promotions, but as for now, I’m trudging a rugged path into the unknown.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Don’t give up. Keep researching. Keep reading. Keep writing. Use key words in the descriptions of your novels otherwise search engines will never find them. Don’t let haters get you down. Ask seasoned offers for advice.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Take advantage of search engine key words to use in your books summary and title.

What are you reading now?
The Bible. Lord help me!

What’s next for you as a writer?
I want to write a sequel to The Woman on the Beast. It is actually a trilogy that started with the first book Soul Snake. The final book will be a comedy, and will focus on a Utopian society created by what I like to refer to as the pioneers of innocence.

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, Chelsea Handler’s My Horizontal Life (so funny), and How to Survive on a Deserted Island by Tim O’Shei.

Macie Holloway’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I was born and raised in Memphis, Tennessee, then defected across the boarder into Desoto County Mississippi. I wrote my first book at age 11, written on notebook paper, self-illustrated and bound with masking tape.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
My current release is titled Mysta. I’ve always been intrigued with Norse Mythology. I needed a strong female character who wielded a lot of magic for the plot and the Valkyrie was the perfect choice for Mysta.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I don’t plot. I’m a total pantser. I start with an idea and begin writing, see where the story takes me. I’m usually surprised myself by where the story goes.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
Kim Harrison, Charlaine Harris, JR Ward, Janet Evanovich, JA Jance, Stephen King, Jeff Lindsey, Patricia Potter, Carolyn McSparren and Jim Paavola are a few of the authors who have influenced me.

What are you working on now?
I’ve finished the sequel to Mysta and am working on the third in that series. I’ve also just hatched a new idea for another series. I’m also working on a short story for my writer’s group Malice in Memphis’ third anthology. Our first anthology of mysteries titled Bluff City Mysteries is available now. Our Bluff City Ghost Stories will be out soon, followed closely by our third release.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
Facebook is where I began.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Keep writing. Find other authors who are willing to mentor you and listen to what they have to say.

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

What are you reading now?
My book pile is ever growing and I’m so behind, but am currently reading The Decemberists by Kimberly Richardson.

What’s next for you as a writer?
More writing and writing 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?
That’s a tough question. I’d probably have to ditch clothes for more books!

Kristi Bradley’s Social Media Links
Facebook Profile

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
Well, I consider myself to be a motivator. I love to motivate or inspire people to be their best, to overcome their challenges and to live a victorious life. I am a Christian, been one from I was a child and that helps me to deal with life challenges.

I have written only one book so far, An Empowered Life, but I have other books in the pipeline I hope to complete by the end of 2016

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
The title of my first book is An Empowered Life. The idea for my book was base on my own life challenges, negative words, dealing with hurts of my past and so forth. I realise that I am not the only person facing these things and so I decided to write An Empowered Life to help readers live a victorious and empowered life despite their challenges and to use these challenges to rise higher, to be stronger and better.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
Hmmm! I am not sure. I write whenever I feel inspired. If I don’t feel inspired I cannot write. Anything I am writing I must feel it else I cannot write it.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
I have few books and authors who have really inspired me and help me to be where I am now spiritually and emotional. Joyce Meyer Power Thoughts and Battlefield of the Mind
Joel Osteen Break Out and Your Best Life Now
Tony Evans Kingdom Man

These books are really great books. There are few other authors that have help me along the way also

What are you working on now?
I am working on another book, but I do not want to give away the title as yet. It is a much powerful book than An Empowered Life I can tell you that. In the meantime there is a book series that I am also working on, and another devotional book.

I write base on what I feel so I would be working on more than one books at the same time

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I have tried submitting my books to free websites that allows me to do so and have actually gotten some downloads. I have also get the help of some of my friends on Social Media. Social Media is a must

Do you have any advice for new authors?
If you have a dream, a book idea, go far it. At times you will feel discourage especially after book is publish and your not getting the results you thought you would get but hang in their and keep writing. If you don’t you will regret it later on

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Do you allow anyone to discourage you. People will talk but use their words as stepping stones to climb higher

What are you reading now?
Joel Osteen Your Best Life Now
and Joyce Meyer Power Thoughts

What’s next for you as a writer?
Continue writing and trying to get as much media exposure as possible and speaking engagements in my area of expertise.

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?
Hmm! That is an easy one.
1st: My Bible
2nd: Any of Joel Osteen and Joyce Meyer books

Author Websites and Profiles
Eston Swaby Website
Eston Swaby Amazon Profile
Eston Swaby Author Profile on Smashwords

Eston Swaby’s Social Media Links
Facebook Profile
Twitter Account

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
To date, I think I’ve written 10+ books. The first two “Russian Roulette” and “Case: 0” are going to be released on the 1st of November on Amazon. Right now, they’re both available for pre-order.

I’m a series writer. I can’t seem to just write one book and be stuck with that. I love expendin on different universes and get to know my characters more. Tossing a few curveballs their way is a favourite pastime of mine!

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
The last draft I’ve completed was “OverExposed”. It’s a romantic comedy with a bit of suspense intertwined with it. Oddly enough, the inspiration for that story came from a music video “Poison” by Rita Ora. I watched it a few times and got the idea for a modelling story from there. The rest was easy since the characters led me to the end of their journey.

After a while, I decided that it would be a good idea to turn it into a series (no shocked gasps there). It will most likely be a 3 or 4 book romance series, involving different characters introduced in the first book.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
Not really? I don’t dance or sing while working on a draft. I guess I do have to be in a quiet place with a mug of tea. No coffee shops for me. Sorry.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
I would say Darren Shan, L. J. Smith, S. Meyer, Laurell K. Hamilton. They are all amazing authors and I loved their work when I read it. I’m not just influenced by written works. I tend to watch a lot of horror, sci-fi, detective shows. This comes through in my work as well because I simply adore mystery.

What are you working on now?
I’m working on three titles right now. “Fated Origins” which is the 4th book of the Helena Hawthorn series, “Case: 1” which is the 2nd book of the “Annalise Storm Chronicles” and “Alexander: Monochrome Interview” which is a paranormal romance and a spin-off from my Helena Hawthorn series.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
Right now, I would say Wattpad is a good platform to help you lift off as an author. You can build up an audience of fans who will help you out when you are publishing your stories. It’s a free site and anyone can join.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Don’t be scared of learning. A lot of people see learning as something boring or a waste of time when they already have a degree in their pocket. When you’re a writer, you have to keep on learning for the stories you write. Research has to be done. Plus, a lot of the time you’ll have to try out new words, new techniques, pick up a grammar rule or two you’ve never heard of before, and learn to juggle multiple stories. So, sit back and have fun while doing it.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
‘Never give up’. It’s easy to give up if you show your early work to a friend or two and they shy away from it. They simply may not be the audience for you. Just remember that somewhere out there are your possible fans waiting for that story you just can’t seem to finish because of your fears.

Another one would be ‘Work hard.’ People expect things to come to them with minimal effort. The world doesn’t work that way, and you will be left behind with nothing. That’s why I heed that advice and work all day long. I have too much to do and too little time to worry about being stressed. And, this keeps me busy

What are you reading now?
“The Dark Days Club” by Alison Goodman.

What’s next for you as a writer?
More stories to write and publish. I have over 50 books waiting to be written. Have to stay busy to write them all.

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, this is a really tough question. I probably would pick “Sherlock Holmes” by A. C. Doyle, “Dracula” by Bram Stoker, and maybe a book or two by Jeanie Frost. I miss Cat and Bones from her “Night Huntress” series.

Author Websites and Profiles
May Freighter Website
May Freighter Amazon Profile

May Freighter’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile
Facebook Profile
Twitter Account
Pinterest Account

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I am starting and I am used to do freelance writing but finally decided to start writing book and to present my knowledge and thoughts through books.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
My Latest and first book is Complete Guide For Weight Loss And To Maintain Healthy Body. I decided to write this book because many of my friends and relative wanted me to reveal how I maintain my weight and tips on how they can come back to shape and decided to write a book instead of describing everything verbally which can easily be forgotten.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I write hindi poetries and I can actually make a few lines of poetry on any given hindi word.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
There are many.

What are you working on now?
I am just searching and collecting ideas so it’s too early to reveal anything.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I feel twitter is a great site to promote anything and everything but Books are more special than anything and everything.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
I am also new, so I would just say follow inner voices.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Yet to come.

What are you reading now?
I regularly read short stories and blogs but right now I am reading a Hindi poetry collection.

What’s next for you as a writer?
Publishing a lot of books and reach as many hearts as possible.

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?
Two J K Rowlling Fiction and one Hindi Poetry book and one Munshi Prem Chand Hindi fiction.

Author Websites and Profiles
Khushboo Pandey Amazon Profile

Khushboo Pandey’s Social Media Links
Twitter Account

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
The Cloud Lands Saga was my first attempt at fiction. Cloud Shifters (Book 1) was released in Jan 2016, and Warrior Path (Book 2) was newly released in Aug 2016. I have co-authored several non-fiction martial arts books with my husband, Bill Pottle.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I like to watch re-runs of my favorite comedy shows during editing to break up the monotony.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Write what you wish you could read but can’t find.

What are you reading now?
Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, re-reading Ender’s Game, Big Magic, and re-reading Cloud Shifters – Book 1 to make sure everything is congruent in Warrior Path – Book 2 for final edits.

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?
Too difficult. I’ll just have to be stranded on an island with a well stocked library!

Author Websites and Profiles
Katie Pottle Website
Katie Pottle Amazon Profile

Katie Pottle’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile
Facebook Profile

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
My name is Graham Clayton [pen name Clayton Graham] and I was born and raised in the cobbled streets of Stockport, near Manchester UK. I graduated with a degree in Aerospace Engineering from Salford University in 1966 having attained a Student Apprenticeship with English Electric Aviation.
I settled in Victoria, Australia in 1982, and am a retired aerospace engineer who enjoyed working in the field of efficient lightweight structures and watching them fly around the world. I have always had an interest in Science Fiction and where it places humankind within the universe we know and love. I love the ‘old school’ science fiction written by authors such as HG Wells, Jules Verne and John Wyndham. Also the works of Isaac Asimov.
Milijun is my debut novel, but there are further adventures to come.
I love animals, including well behaved pets, and all the natural world, and am a member of Australian Geographic.
When I am not writing, walking, travelling, or gardening, I enjoy fine food with family, friends and five energetic grandchildren.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
Milijun, which actually started as a short story. The birth of the alien RNasia occurred in the short story, and when they decided to wing their way to Earth I knew it could not end there. They seemed to want their universal journey to be worth something; they wanted their mission fulfilled. So I decided to oblige them.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
Just write when I can and when the words flow.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
I love the ‘old school’ science fiction written by authors such as HG Wells, Jules Verne and John Wyndham. Also the works of Isaac Asimov.

What are you working on now?
A new novel called ‘Saving Paludis’. The novel is a Science Fiction work set at the outer limits of human exploration, in the year 3898 AD. Police agent Stefan Lattanzis, mysterious seer Serpentine and scientist Clare Cavanna, combine with rebel alien natives to combat the ignorance of the Paludis authorities and the might of the mother planet.
Only perseverance, faith and bravado will win the day amongst the verdant marshes and snowy mountains of Paludis.

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

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Always save whatever you have written, no matter how small.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Keep cool, no matter what.

What are you reading now?
Rainbow Mars by Larry Niven

What’s next for you as a writer?
To finish ‘Saving Paludis’ and write a follow-up to ‘Milijun’.

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?
Anything by Dean Koontz, something about survival on a desert island, the Bible for inspiration and a copy of Milijun.

Author Websites and Profiles
Graham Clayton Website
Graham Clayton Amazon Profile

Graham Clayton’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile
Facebook Profile

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
Amazon #1 Bestselling Author
“Cary Allen Stone is an important name to watch. This is one superb crime writer!”––Grady Harp, Amazon Hall of Fame Top 100 Reviewervine Voice
My backstory is, I spent forty years inside the cockpits of corporate jets and airlines and because of my flying career I believe I acquired a unique perspective of life. I was fortunate in 1992 to fly Ridley Scott on a location scout in the Caribbean islands. We talked about writing and building an image with the words, a great mentor to a new author. I graduated from college with a Bachelor of Arts. I have been involved in feature films in Hollywood and Indie films in Phoenix. I have done voice-over, radio commercials, and standup comedy magic. I represented the USA alongside nine other countries at the “Night of Magic” in Bogota, Colombia, performing before dignitaries, ambassadors and their families. I’m a proud member of the oldest women’s writers club in Phoenix––the Phoenix Writer’s Club, and a member of the International Thriller Writer’s. Bestselling authors Clive Cussler and Tim Dorsey endorsed my “Stealing Atlanta.”

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
Coming in fall…AFTER YOU”RE DEAD – A Jake Roberts Novel, Book 5.
A continuation of Detective Jake Roberts and the perils he falls into. He never looks for trouble but trouble always finds him. Men want to be Jake Roberts and women want Jake Roberts.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
Nothing unusual, basic deep research. Once I have a title, the first sentence and the last sentence I start putting the story down on the page.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
Clive Cussler most of all “The Hunt For Red October” by Tom Clancy. I must have read it three or four times and I have never done that with any other book. I love submarines. It was his first and best.

What are you working on now?
AFTER YOU’RE DEAD, Book 5 in my Jake Roberts Novels.

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

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Believe in make-believe. Dedicate yourself to the craft. Everyone wants to write, but not everyone is disciplined to write.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Expose the writer and write what you know.

What are you reading now?
Mostly research.

What’s next for you as a writer?
Another Jake Roberts 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 take a volleyball named “Wilson,” a copy of “Survival On Deserted Islands for Dummies,” and a map to find the others who made the island famous in the first place.

Author Websites and Profiles
Cary Allen Stone Website
Cary Allen Stone Amazon Profile
Cary Allen Stone Author Profile on Smashwords

Cary Allen Stone’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 just started writing and published my first book “Complete Guide For Weight Loss And To Maintain Healthy Body”, it’s a kindle Ebook. I love reading fiction and poetries, apart from fiction I like reading mythology and horror stories. I am also passionate about health and looks and that inspire me to learn more about being healthy and look good, I also love helping people in need.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
My First and latest book is “Complete Guide For Weight Loss And To Maintain Healthy Body” and I wrote this book because I wanted to start writing with non-fiction and something that can be helpful and Many of my friends and near once also inspired me to write something related to health and weight loss.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
Not really.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
Every fictional story I have read till now influenced me and I mostly like reading Hindi Authors because Hindi is my native Language and feels like home.

What are you working on now?
Right now I am working on a Hindi Poetry book, Hopefully I publish it soon.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
Twitter and facebook and awesomegang.com

Do you have any advice for new authors?
I am also new and I feel reading and is essential before starting to write.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Yet to come.

What are you reading now?
“Saket” a Hindi Poetry book by MaithiliSharan Gupt

What’s next for you as a writer?
Write more and get in the hearts of my readers.

If you were going to be stranded on a desert island and allowed to take 3 or 4 books with you what books would you bring?
Any four Romatic Fictions.

Author Websites and Profiles
Khushboo Pandey Amazon Profile

Khushboo Pandey’s Social Media Links
Twitter Account

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
Janice L. Dennie is an Amazon.com bestselling author of Romantic Fiction and World Literature. She has written eight books in her series, The Underwoods of Napa Valley Series, The Lion of Judah Series, and a new contemporary series, coming May 1, 2017.

Her love for writing romance novels have readers reaching for her books time and again as she delivers love stories featuring tall, dark, handsome heroes and feisty heroines as they tumble breathlessly in love among the pages of exciting stories.

Born in Denver, Colorado and raised in Northern California, Ms. Dennie graduated from California State University, before starting a career with a Federal Agency. She enjoys watching football with her husband, Gregory, traveling, and visiting her family.

Ms. Dennie is introducing a line of historical romance novels.

Ms. Dennie regularly posts the release of new books on Facebook. She’d love to hear from you, and will reply to any email sent to her.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
The artist, William Tolliver, inspired me to write”Brandon’s Artistic Passion.” Brandon Underwood is the youngest brother in “The Underwoods of Napa Valley series.” He’s a brilliant artist and loner who withdraws into his art and creates masterpieces. Misty Copeland inspired me to create Ciara Alexander’s character; Ciara is a ballerina and the love interest of Brandon.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I prefer writing before noon every day if possible.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
Jude Devereaux, Beverly Jenkins, Diana Gabaldon

What are you working on now?
BRANDON’S ARTISTIC PASSION.

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

Do you have any advice for new authors?
After you write your book, you must promote it, otherwise no one will know it’s out there.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Madam C. J. Walker. “Don’t wait for opportunities to come your way. Create them yourself.”

What are you reading now?
“True Love,” by Jude Deveraux.

What’s next for you as a writer?
A new contemporary series set in Napa Valley.

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 Wolf and the Dove, by Kathleen Woodiwiss.
A knight in Shining Armor, by Jude Devereaux.
Native Son, by James Baldwin
Anything by Homer
The Holy Bible.

Author Websites and Profiles
Janice Dennie Website
Janice Dennie Amazon Profile

Janice Dennie’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile
Facebook Profile
Twitter Account
Pinterest Account

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I was born in Washington State, but I was raised on the island of New Guinea where my father was a missionary bush pilot and mechanic, and during my high school years, I attended a boarding school in the Philippines. Like military families, we returned to the US every couple of years for furloughs. Needless to say, traveling is in my blood! My husband and I now live in sunny Southern California about an hour away from everything – Los Angeles, the beach, Palm Springs, the desert, San Diego, Disneyland, our glorious mountains….
I’m a dog person – our favorite dogs are rescue pups and we currently have two, Vito and Betsy. Most of my books will have dogs as supporting characters…sometimes they really steal the show. We also have two ducks, Spencer and Susan, seven chickens (yes, they’re named too) all who lay eggs about every other day, and a horse who doesn’t like to be ridden or told what to do or bathed, even after rolling around in the mud (she likes being brushed though!), and she can’t figure out why no one wants to just hang out with her.
I write commercial fiction, primarily Women’s Fiction with strong elements of Romance and Magical Realism. I also write Contemporary Christian Fiction, and some Coming of Age/YA/NA that’s clean, or rated PG-13 due to subject matters like date rape, teen pregnancy, and domestic violence. I’m currently writing my tenth full-length novel, but I have a few novellas under my belt as well. Some of my books are in series, but most of them can be read as standalone novels, although they’re better read in order. I’m not a big fan of cliffhangers, although I’ve been known to throw them out there every once in a while.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
I have two books that have released almost simultaneously, and both are third books in two different series.
1) PHOEBE AND THE ROCK OF AGES is Book 3 in The Gustafson Girls, a series of 4 (possibly 5) books about a family of sisters orphaned by a drunk driver. The books take place fifteen years later when the girl (who happened to be the eldest Gustafson girl’s classmate) is up for parole and is preparing to return home, forcing the four sisters to deal with their collision course past. These are Women’s Fiction/Christian Romance novels.
2) A LONG WAY HOME: Book 3 of the Fallout Series actually completes the series – the box set releases August 13! About the box set: At an ancient olive grove in Tuscan Italy, behind the scenes of a rock and roll band, on a Gypsy stage at the Renaissance Pleasure Faire, or back home on Maple Avenue in Midtown, California, three friends discover what it means to fight for love. BOOK 1: ALL THE WAY TO HEAVEN – Anica Tomlin cashes in her graduation gift to herself a little early―a trip to Tuscany―but from the moment she boards the wrong train in Pisa, her plans for solitude and self-indulgence begin to unravel around her. Sometimes help comes from the most unlikely of hands, and sometimes getting lost is the surest way to be found… BOOK 2: A LIGHT IN THE DARK – Tish Ransome thinks she knows all about passion and pain – she sings about it on stage – until she comes face to face with the real thing behind the scenes. When volatile turns to violence, Tish gets an unfiltered view of the dark and learns to recognize how beautiful the light can be. And BOOK 3: A LONG WAY HOME – Savannah Clark lives her life as a modern-day bohemian, hiding her identity behind her beaded scarves and swirling skirts. But an unexpected encounter with her first love tears open old wounds. Will she run again, tethered to the lies she’s come to believe about herself and those she left behind, or can she trust her heart enough to embrace the girl she once was as the woman she has become? The Fallout Series is a collection of clean Contemporary/Coming-of-Age Romances about college age characters and experiences. Some of the issues are difficult – domestic violence, teen pregnancy, sexual abuse, etc., but because the abuse is more off the page, and the issues are extremely relevant to today’s teens and young adults, they are suitable for YA readers. “Romantic settings, irresistible men, and loving family relationships make these beautiful, memorable stories.”

As far as inspiration goes, I tend to find it in life around me. Most of my fiction is contemporary, so all it takes is for me to catch sight of an unusual scene, a newspaper article, an exchange between me and someone else or one I witness between strangers, etc., and my mind spins off into a story. It could be because I’m adopted. Let me explain. I have a fantastic relationship with my adopted parents, and it was really only during my teenage rebellion years that I wanted to find my birth parents, mainly because I thought he and/or she would be soooooo much coooooler… But I’ve always played this game about my adoption. Any time I’m at a public place, I find someone who might possibly be my mother, father, sister, or brother and I create reunion scenes about them. I give them a back story, give them a reason to be wherever we are at the time – at the airport, at the mall, at the restaurant, at the dentist, etc. – and then come up with some poignant moment when our eyes meet and we KNOW, we just KNOW that we’re connected. Silly, I know. But basically, I’ve spent my whole life giving complete strangers made up backstories, to the point where I feel like I know them. The downside? If I do happen to get to know them and learn they’re not an deep sea treasure hunter but a data entry clerk at Xerox, I tend to be a little disappointed in them…. So you see, LIFE is the inspiration for my stories!

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I don’t have any terribly odd writing quirks, but I do love sour gummy worms and red vines when I’m writing, and celebrate with trying a new wine whenever I finish a book. So I have an empty wine bottle on my shelf that represents each finished book.

I typically write a full-length novel in about 6-8 weeks. I prefer to “stay in the story” from start to finish, so if I take longer than that, I tend to get distracted by life or even another book idea, and then it’s extremely difficult for me to go back and finish it. If I’m independently publishing a book, it takes me about another six weeks to go through the editing/formatting/cover creation process to publish the book; the same process takes my publisher about six months or more. Which is why I ended up with two books releasing around the same date!

What authors, or books have influenced you?
Asking me who my favorite authors or books are is a bit like asking which of my kids is my favorite. I’m a sucker for authors like Sarah Addison Allen who write about “real” women with unique gifts – I do love believable magical realism, the more subtle the magic, the tastier the tale – you’ll find bits and pieces of it in several of my books, too…although I attribute it to spiritual gifting or ability rather than magic. I have been a fan of Diana Gabaldon since she first published Outlander over twenty years ago, and perhaps it was that twist of magic, the impossible happening, that drew me to her and has held me there for all these years. I’m so thrilled we FINALLY get to see these remarkable books in film. I’m kind of an Outlander snob, though – I haven’t read any of her other work except the Outlander series. I also love a good Stephen King novel now and then – his more literary work rather than the pulp fiction. Who doesn’t love a little Misery?

What are you working on now?
I’m currently neck deep in a new book (and series) about triplet sisters with a much younger brother and aging hippie parents who still aren’t quite sure what they’re doing with their lives. The setting of the book is Nettles and Nests, and herb shop and garden owned and operated by the eldest of the sisters, where a lot of love and a little magic go hand in hand to keep the family together.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
Hm. This is a tough one for me since marketing is my major weak spot. I love sites like this where I can share about more than just my books, because I think of my readers as PEOPLE first, with backstories of their own, you know? Amazon is a marketing mega source in and of itself – you type in a keyword and everything that even comes close pops up. So for me, I focus more on getting my keywords right in my books, on getting interviews out there like this one, and then pushing my free books on the multitude of FREE ebook websites who will let me share so people don’t feel I’m constantly selling them something. I’d much rather you discover my books organically, fall in love with my writing, and read more. My best marketing, in fact, is just through my books and my newsletter!

Do you have any advice for new authors?
You’ve heard it a thousand times, I know. Read. And read some more. Or if you like audiobooks, listen. And listen some more. Who says you can’t have your books read TO you? Read and listen to what’s being published now, what’s popular now, what’s on the top of the lists now, find books you like and books you write like and study them. Learn why they’re popular and emulate that!
If you want to be successful as a writer, this is one time when it’s actually GOOD to be like everyone else…with the caveat of using your own distinct voice. It’s your VOICE that will stand out in the crowd, not your book.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
I have the good fortune of being able to say that I ran the Dublin Marathon 2000. I’m not a runner, nor do I have any compulsion to go back to running, but I set the Dublin Marathon as a goal for myself, trained for two years while I saved up for the journey, ran two half-marathons locally as part of my training, and then headed off to Ireland to celebrate the new millennium by running the streets of Dublin with a bunch of other crazies. Yes. Crazies. Why am I telling you this? Because the best advice I ever received was this, and because of that Dublin Marathon, I GOT it: Just keep writing. Just keep writing. This is the marathon of marathons. Some can do it in a mad dash, but most must consider it a marathon and be prepared for the long haul. If you quit when you “hit the wall” you’ll never know if you could have finished well.

What are you reading now?
I’m usually reading and/or listening to 2 or 3 books at a time, and currently, I’m in the middle of these three:
The Glass Kitchen by Linda Francis Lee
The Winter Garden by Kristin Hannah
Attachments by Rainbow Rowell

What’s next for you as a writer?
Other than the new series I mentioned earlier, Nettles and Nests, I’m working on finishing up the last book or two of The Gustafson Girls series, hopefully by the end of this year, and I have twelve more audiobooks to produce for various authors between now and Christmas.

Next year, I’m hoping to cut down on my audiobook production – I’d like to limit it to one per month – and write more. I like to read for pleasure, and sometimes being an audiobook producer can turn reading into work for me. My passion is writing and it rarely feels like work…okay, the editing part is for the birds, but the writing, the pouring out from my head onto the screen? That part, I would do 24-7 if I didn’t have to sleep and love on my family and pets.

I

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?
No. No. This is NOT a fair question. Okay. I’d take my Bible. Really, I would. I need it. I’d take The Unofficial MacGyver Encyclopedia because surely, there will be something in there on getting off a desert island, and I’d probably have to choose Diana Gabaldon’s Outlander, not just because I love the book, but because if Claire Randall could step through standing stones, go back in time 200 years, and not only survive, but THRIVE, then I can surely survive a desert island, right? So for motivation AND pleasure. And besides, it’s one of the longer books I own, so it would take me longer to get through it…again, and again, and again.

Ugh. I HATE that question.

Author Websites and Profiles
Becky Doughty Website
Becky Doughty Amazon Profile
Becky Doughty Author Profile on Smashwords

Becky Doughty’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile
Facebook Profile
Twitter Account
Pinterest Account

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I’ve written 2 1/2 books. Probably more like 1 1/3. They’re entitled, Memoirs of a Douchebag, American MaleWhore in Tokyo, and The Stars’ Fault.

As for me, I like reading, watching the NFL, and daydreaming about having my own private island. But the more I daydream about it, the more it sounds like a hassle. Do I really have to arrange for private daily deliveries of fresh fruit, vegetables, and women?!

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
The Stars’ Fault. It’s partially a parody of The Fault in Our Stars (which is actually a great book) and more partially a mindscrew that struck me when I was reading a book about how the brain works.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
Sometimes I do it lefty because it feels like someone else is doing it.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
This is a horrible answer, but everything I’ve ever seen and read has influenced me. Feel free to hate.

What are you working on now?
The next one. I’d like to tell you the name but I can’t because I don’t know who you are and I absolutely do not trust you in any way whatsoever.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
This one is by far the best.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Write topless.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
When my mom drove me to college and was dropping me of at the dorm, she said: “Flush with you foot.”

What are you reading now?
Shiroi Shirushi. (It’s Japanese. Did I mention that I read Japanese? Ding Ding Ding, John Box rules!)

What’s next for you as a writer?
Probably sitting back and waiting for all the literary groupies that come once you launch a 66-page novella on Amazon.

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?
They would all be Penthouse magazines. And not 3, definitely 4.

Author Websites and Profiles
John Box Website

John Box’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile
Twitter Account

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I have an Associate’s degree in Graphic Design from Steven’s Henagar College. As a writer African Safari with Ted and Raymond, and approved by “Sex and the City actress Kristin Davis, I happily traded in her 9-to-5 gig for a rewarding career as a children’s author. The best part of working from my home office, I get to spend more time with my own silly kids. I put my passion into getting it right for the customer. I made many times Dean’s List; Many times I made Honor roll for my courageous act of going to school after 20 plus years.

I have written over 15 books. I have some off the shelves so I can re-write, edit and put new covers and material into my books.

My children’s book website www.thecroak500.com

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
My latest book I am still writing is “Ted has a Farting Problem”. In this book, I want to show the kids when they eat bad things for them they get stomach aches and have to go to the doctor to get it fixed.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I write while in bed. That is the only thing unusual.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
Authors, Paul Rega, Jodi Desautels, Deanie Dunne, Jason Q. Dillion, Virginia Wright, and Vivienne Alonge inspire me. They give me great advice when needed and are also good friends.

What are you working on now?
I am working on the Farting book and have many closed chapter books started that I am going to regroup and get focused.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I promote on anything out there. I promote through twitter, facebook, wordpress, linkedin, and many social networking outlets. The more the better.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Follow your dreams and never give up. Nothing is too big, that you cannot learn about.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Paul Rega inspired me to look into making different book covers for my books and now, I am a Graphic Artist.

What are you reading now?
How to be a creative writer? I think everyone should regroup after a bit, continue to learn anything and everything.

What’s next for you as a writer?
#1 Bestselling in USA or New York. When you dream, you have to dream BIG!

If you were going to be stranded on a desert island and allowed to take 3 or 4 books with you what books would you bring?
How to books. Maybe one on “How to survive on a Stranded Island”

Author Websites and Profiles
Rhonda Patton Website
Rhonda Patton Amazon Profile

Rhonda Patton’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile
Facebook Profile
Twitter Account

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I’ve been writing since the age of 4. I have drawers stuffed full of manuscripts, many of which will never see the light of day. I have published 3 novels so far – the Chronicles of Fane, The Last Gatekeeper and The Last Dreamseer; and Rising Tides, a post-apocalyptic romance.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
My latest book is Rising Tides. It was inspired – of all things – by an article about food found in Scott’s abandoned hut in the Arctic which was fit to eat nearly 100 years after it was taken there (it was tinned or dehydrated, but even so!). My imagination started a “what if” to create a scenario whereby this type of food would be all that was available to people – and the drowned world of Rising Tides took shape.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
Does guzzling gallons of tea (in various stages of hot to stone cold) whilst writing count? I’m a British stereotype, I’m afraid, but I really couldn’t function without tea (green, please; quite weak; no milk or sugar because that would be an abomination).

What authors, or books have influenced you?
It’s hard to say. I read voraciously and I kind of hope no one actively influences me because I want to write my own books, not ape someone else’s stories or style, but I’m a big fan of Leigh Bardugo and Steven Gould – I’d love to write as well as they do: brilliantly imaginative worlds, and fabulous characters.

What are you working on now?
I’m in the middle of edits for the first in a new trilogy. I’m struggling with titles (I often do), so it has the working title Human Zoo Trilogy at present. It’s about a group of brain-damaged teens who are recovering in a school-style hospital unit … except there is something very sinister going on in the background!

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I love connecting with writers and readers on twitter (I’m @katyhaye) – that’s my favourite place to chat, otherwise I keep trying new places to let people know about my books – I think it’s important to be flexible and open to new ideas because the reading landscape is changing so quickly at present.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Always keep writing (and reading), but find out as much as you can about publishing and marketing before you publish your books.

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

What are you reading now?
I’m about to re-read The Catcher in the Rye, which I’ll be reviewing on the paisleypiranha.wordpress.com review site. I loved it when I was a teenager – I hope I still do!

What’s next for you as a writer?
More writing. Ideas are crowding my head as they usually do. Once my Human Zoo books are done, I’ve got an idea for a steampunk trilogy set in an alternate-history Britain. I can’t wait to get started on those!

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?
Jumper, by Steven Gould; Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo; and the Lunar Chronicles by Melissa Meyer (or just Scarlet, if I’m only allowed one).

Author Websites and Profiles
Katy Haye Website
Katy Haye Amazon Profile
Katy Haye Author Profile on Smashwords

Katy Haye’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile
Facebook Profile
Twitter Account

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
Hi! I am a counselor, life coach, and retreat leader, besides being an author. I live in the beautiful mountains of New Mexico in a log home where I love getting inspiration for my writing. Sitting on my deck, watching hummingbirds and other wildlife while gazing at towering pines and mountain peaks, God has imparted some of my best ideas. I have written three books. The first, “Living in God’s Rest…At Peace in a Chaotic World,” shares some valuable life lessons about slowing down and resting in God, which brings peace to all areas of life. My other two books are Christian novels which carry underlying themes regarding living the Christian life in a sometimes confusing world.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
My newest release is a novel, “Faith’s Illusions.” As a counselor I was hearing a recurring theme about church goers who were dissatisfied and questioning many current church practices. Unfortunately, many have been wounded in church. I felt inspired to share some insights through fiction that can bring readers to take a hard look at their own church practices and beliefs. The young couple in the story is confronted with difficult questions about what is false teaching and how to resolve their own differences in beliefs and values. The theme is woven through their personal love story and challenges with work and family. It has very positive outcomes.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I love to write. I have learned that by changing my ‘writing place’ I can experience fresh energy and more creative ideas. I like to write outdoors, or go to a coffee shop inspired by the scent and activity around me. I enjoy my home office where I pin motivational and creative ideas on my bulletin board. My coffee and my little Maltese are always by my side.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
I have been strongly influenced in my writing life by Julia Cameron, whose books on creativity stir up the passion in me. Her book, “The Artist’s Way,” to me is a book all writers should experience. I’ve worked through the workbook portion several times. My spiritual life and writing are definitely influenced by Francis Frangipane and also Ann Voskamp’s “One Thousand Gifts.” There are many more, but these are probably the top contenders.

What are you working on now?
At the present time, I am writing a study guide to accompany “Living in God’s Rest…At Peace in a Chaotic World.” In this present culture of unrest and confusion, people struggle with fear, stress and anxiety. I love hearing the testimonies of those who have found peace through this book. The study guide will assist in applying the principles to everyday life.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I am always grateful for social media. I have made countless friends through these sites and have been able to share my books with more people than ever before. My own website is growing in followers as well, and links and book synopses are available there.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
I don’t like to give advice per se, but a strong suggestion to new authors is to write no matter what is going on. Never stop because life is busy. It always will be busy. Take any little snippet of time to jot down thoughts. You can piece them together when you do get a solid block of time. And….make sure you schedule that solid block of time and honor it. You won’t regret it!

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Writing is therapeutic. It is healing. The best advice I’ve received is to write without stopping to edit. When you’re on a roll, keep going and going and let your thoughts flow to the paper without thoughts of grammar, spelling, etc. The best writing is a result of this continual flow. You’ll have plenty of time to edit later.

Personal advice I treasure: Take time every day to sit quietly and meditate, pray or soak in solitude. It will feed your soul and rejuvenate you even if you only have a few minutes.

What are you reading now?
At the moment I’m reading “The Right to Write” by Julia Cameron. It’s wonderfully filled with ideas that enhance life, whether writing or not. I highly recommend it.

What’s next for you as a writer?
My newest project will be writing a study on spiritual warfare from a different perspective than most books. I’m studying the unseen world around us and gaining a deeper understanding of challenges we face and how we can overcome the most difficult of them.

If you were going to be stranded on a desert island and allowed to take 3 or 4 books with you what books would you bring?
I would bring my Bible, My Utmost for His Highest by Oswald Chambers, and The Artist’s Way by Julia Cameron. I would have a very hard time choosing 3 or 4 books!! My home has bookcases in every room!

Author Websites and Profiles
Nancy LaPointe Website
Nancy LaPointe Amazon Profile

Nancy LaPointe’s Social Media Links
Facebook Profile
Twitter Account

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
Holly Tierney-Bedord is the author of over a dozen books, from romantic comedies to thrillers. She lives in Madison, Wisconsin with her husband Bill and their dog Tyler.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
My most recent book is a Choose Your Own Ending book for adults. Weekend Immune System is about a young woman named Juniper, who needs some direction in her life. That’s where the reader comes in. They get to steer Juniper in the direction of this job or that job, this boyfriend or that boyfriend. There are dozens of possible paths and endings. It all takes place over a three day weekend, showing that each little choice a person makes can completely affect the outcome of their life. That makes it sound heavy, but it’s a light, fun, silly book.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I usually have a lot going on at once, switching gears if inspiration strikes and takes me in a different direction.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
Some of my favorite authors include Margaret Atwood, David Sedaris, Sophie Kinsella, Mark Twain, Curtis Sittenfeld, and too many more to count. As a kid, I read constantly. My favorite books were Pippi Longstocking books, Anne of Green Gables, Sweet Valley High books, and anything by Judy Blume, Lois Duncan, and Lois Lowry. These books had a huge influence on my life and writing.

What are you working on now?
I’ve got a few works in progress right now. The title usually comes last. One is a ghost story. Another is about parallel universes. Another is a romantic comedy told from the point of view of a dog.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
When I have a free promo going, I usually try to share it on my blog, my author Facebook and Twitter pages, and in my newsletter. The best is when bloggers and readers help spread the news about it on their own websites or social media.! Sometimes I also share it on promo sites like eReader News Today.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Read books like On Writing by Stephen King and Writing Down the Bones by Natalie Goldberg. Read as much and often as you can. Read a variety of books in different genres, by different authors. Care about grammar. Be open to feedback and criticism.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
I remember learning a long time ago to “Write what you know” and this advice has stuck with me, and given me confidence. It’s a reminder that a story doesn’t have to be about amazing people or extraordinary circumstances to be compelling and fascinating.

What are you reading now?
I’m reading a book called Never Give Up by Susan Spahn, an author who I just met at a Madison, Wisconsin book event.

What’s next for you as a writer?
Finish all my works in progress!

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?
Two blank notebooks and two really thick anthologies of assorted classic short stories.

Author Websites and Profiles
Holly Tierney-Bedord Website
Holly Tierney-Bedord Amazon Profile

Holly Tierney-Bedord’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile
Facebook Profile
Twitter Account

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I started writing in the 1980’s when an interview I had with an Australian soap star was published in a UK magazine. I now live in Mexico. I have written 15 books to date.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
My latest book is Hasta Mañana. I was inspired to write it after my partner was murdered.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I sometimes get up in the middle of the night to jot down ideas that come to mind.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
I like J K Rowling but the books that influence me most are ones written by Stephen King.

What are you working on now?
I’m working on my next Penny Lane, Paranormal Investigator book, the title is The Mr Punch Murders.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I like to contact Joanna Penn.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Yes. No matter what, keep at it, even if you get bad reviews. All publicity is publicity.

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

What are you reading now?
I’m reading Wuthering Heights again. I love this story.

What’s next for you as a writer?
I think making myself known.

If you were going to be stranded on a desert island and allowed to take 3 or 4 books with you what books would you bring?
The Bible, Wuthering Heights, IT, Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone

Author Websites and Profiles
David J Cooper Website
David J Cooper Amazon Profile

David J Cooper’s Social Media Links
Twitter Account

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I spent my days teaching others to follow their dreams until finally one day I decided to follow my own. I quit my job as a teacher and set out on my own path to become a writer. Setting daily writing goals that have increased from a 1000 words a day to 5000, yikes! When I am telling stories I feel most alive. I am also a former rugby player and coach. I have overcome many obstacles in my life to get here, but the best views are after a hard climb anyway. I currently have 4 finished books, my flagship book Skye and the One Republic is my longest and I will be releasing a short story mystery series within the next few days.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
My latest book series that is about to be released is called The Alex Burke Mysteries. My inspiration came from the desire to have a gritty detective type that doesn’t choose to solve a mystery, but is forced.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
Everything about the way I write is probably unusual. I write around 5000 words a day. Writing various books and screenplays at the same time. I write on sticky notes, paper, and type. I do outlines, random bubble charts, basically anything I can.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
Tolkien, that name says it all. Lord of the Rings is why I fell in love with reading. Of course Stephen King is as good as it could ever get when it comes to writing. Last one is easy, I mean who doesn’t love Harry Potter?

What are you working on now?
The last installment in my Skye and the One Republic series. This series has been a joy to write and has been read by thousands. I am so proud!

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
Best method is just by communicating with people directly. It might be by saying thank you or even reaching out to someone about reading one. On vacation I usually talk to about a half dozen that end up getting my books which I am very thankful for. Facebook is great as well!

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Never quit! If people say your stories are no good or writing sucks, well first off those people are wrong. Second use it as motivation. Don’t let anyone tear you down. This is your dream, hang on tight and never give up.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Never give up – Jimmy V

What are you reading now?
Right now my reading is limited to non fiction. Reason being is that I want to gain a knowledge of how to write that style before I take the plunge.

What’s next for you as a writer?
I want to just keep on writing. My goals are to write a dozen screen plays and half a dozen books over the next year. Anything is possible.

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 would be tough, but honestly I would bring four books that I have never read.

Author Websites and Profiles
Bryan Kelsey Amazon Profile

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I’ve published three novels. The fourth is in editing, and I’ve got eleven more novels planned across various genres.

In regards to telling you about ME… well, that’s an intimidating question. Always is. I wilt under its weight every time I hear it, caught between boasting or confessing.

The boast: I write with purpose and meaning. I will not waste a reader’s time, and the depth of my narrative will often sneak up on you and bite you!

The confession: I want to be read so, so badly that it triggers my guilt. Each time I assert my books I feel like I’m lying. All the glowing reviews can’t alter that feeling, so I keep it to myself.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
My most recently published novel is called Trampling in the Land of Woe. The inspiration for this novel is complicated, but its DNA contains classic literature and steampunk all wrapped around a love story. Hephaestion, Alexander the Great’s lover and right-hand man, breaks into Hell while World War I is happening on Earth. His mission is to rescue Alexander, and the narrative follows him through the landscape of Dante’s afterlife from The Divine Comedy.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I know many people have rituals or special methods in which they approach their craft, but I’ve yet to settle on one. Each book is different for me and thusly requires a different mindset. Even if I would develop a charming or eccentric habit for writing, it would only last for the duration of that particular novel.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
James Clavell, M. M. Kaye, Issac Asimov, Flannery O’Connor, Shakespeare, Milton, Conrad, Charles Stross… this list expands and contracts daily with certain names rising above others at different times. I suspect I am more influenced by specific novels than the writers themselves, in which case I, Robot and Modern Prometheus really carved me as a narrator.

What are you working on now?
I just finished the sequel to Trampling in the Land of Woe, so it is time for a break! I’m going to write a humorous short story to relax, play a bunch of video games, and finally read Noble House.

After that, I’ll begin the next sequel and finish up the trilogy! It will be called The Patron Saint of Wrong.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
My editing and publishing team. I’m honestly useless at self-promotion, but my editors are my champions. Never would they represent me if I produced anything less than excellence, which is why they are amazing at their jobs. Here’s my editor’s website: http://www.upgradeyourstory.com/

Do you have any advice for new authors?
No.

Tempting as it is to leave it at that, I don’t want to give anyone the wrong idea. When I say ‘no’ it isn’t out of disdain. It’s that you, the new author, need no advice. You sit there trembling over the blank page, wringing your hands over your word selection. Fear rules far too many of your keystrokes.

No advice from me will fix that. So I won’t provide advice. Advice isn’t what you need. What you require is guts and discipline. Write. Just pound away and know that you can’t make mistakes while writing. Whatever doesn’t work you can throw out later or simply overhaul. Whatever DOES work is a joyous miracle, and it will propel you further into your craft.

Find the steel in your spine and tolerate no excuses from yourself.

Wait, is that advice? DAMMIT!

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
IF ~Rudyard Kipling

If you can keep your head when all about you
Are losing theirs and blaming it on you,
If you can trust yourself when all men doubt you,
But make allowance for their doubting too;
If you can wait and not be tired by waiting,
Or being lied about, don’t deal in lies,
Or being hated, don’t give way to hating,
And yet don’t look too good, nor talk too wise:

If you can dream—and not make dreams your master;
If you can think—and not make thoughts your aim;
If you can meet with Triumph and Disaster
And treat those two impostors just the same;
If you can bear to hear the truth you’ve spoken
Twisted by knaves to make a trap for fools,
Or watch the things you gave your life to, broken,
And stoop and build ’em up with worn-out tools:

If you can make one heap of all your winnings
And risk it on one turn of pitch-and-toss,
And lose, and start again at your beginnings
And never breathe a word about your loss;
If you can force your heart and nerve and sinew
To serve your turn long after they are gone,
And so hold on when there is nothing in you
Except the Will which says to them: ‘Hold on!’

If you can talk with crowds and keep your virtue,
Or walk with Kings—nor lose the common touch,
If neither foes nor loving friends can hurt you,
If all men count with you, but none too much;
If you can fill the unforgiving minute
With sixty seconds’ worth of distance run,
Yours is the Earth and everything that’s in it,
And—which is more—you’ll be a Man, my son!

What are you reading now?
Noble House! I’m only two chapters in, so don’t spoil anything!

I’m also reading A Call to Action by Jimmy Carter because I find his work well-researched and heartfelt. He’s a male feminist like myself, and the tone of voice in his writing has a steady confidence that drowns out the screeching of popular news.

What’s next for you as a writer?
Crippling anxiety and insecurity. It’s my jam.

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?
Hmmmm….

First, a book on navigation and celestial cartography. This would engage me with the clear sky above, and I would eventually know how to navigate myself purely by the stars.

Secondly, I would need a survival guide for the biome in which I’m stuck. Assuming there is flora on this island, I could procure water by digging up wet sand and filtering it through cloth etc… and a guide would help with making that an efficient process. I’d need full control of fire and a means to chop down and carve trees. Said guide should also have a section on shallow fishing as well as suggestions on how to re-purpose fish bones and coconut shells into something more useful.

Third, a book of some kind on how to construct watercraft. Up to this point, I’ll have done my best with survival, materials, and navigation. I’ll not resolve to die on some island when my wife and son are worrying about where I am.

Author Websites and Profiles
William Galaini Website
William Galaini Amazon Profile

William Galaini’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile
Facebook Profile
Twitter Account

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
Journeyed from a West Texas girl to Africa, to Nurse, to Texas Game Warden, to Published Author.
I grew up with my identical twin, Linda, and three brothers in East Africa where our parents served as medical missionaries. My nursing, health education, and law enforcement careers combined for a rich twenty-year career teaching fitness and survival as a Lieutenant at the Texas Game Warden Academy. I currently pursue my mission — to unleash the champion in people — through my writing, speaking, volunteer work in the Discovery Program and my connections with people that cross her path.

I live near Austin, Texas, with my husband, Stanley, and Rhodesian ridgeback puppy, Buddy. Among my interests are travel and competitive sports. I am a gold medalist in the World Police and Fire Games in biathlon (running and pistol shooting), rowing, cross country, and cycling.

My writing career took a five year path from writing factual law enforcement curriculum to creative writing to publish my first book Heartprints of Africa.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
Heartprints of Africa: A Family’s Story of Faith, Love, Adventure, and Turmoil is my first book to write and publish-I am currently working on the sequel. I was inspired to write as I became aware of the power of story to cross gaps in culture, age, experience, faith, and background.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I do my best writing when I leave the distractions of home. My husband Stanley and dog Buddy take off on our RV so I can write. An unusual writing habit…I am most creative in the evenings with a hearty glass of red wine. Then I fix it in the moring.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
Catherine Palmer influenced me most. I grew up with Cathy in East Africa. She has published over 55 books and I felt that if she can write and publish, so can I. I grew up reading the adventure novels of Wilbur Smith-he inspired me with his exciting writing.

What are you working on now?
I am working on the sequel to Heartprints of Africa–Heartbeats of Africa.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I have a website-www.heartprintsofafrica.com but in my experience the best way to promote my books is by speaking and sharing with people that cross my path.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Just write. If you don’t know how to edit, design a cover, publish, promote…there are people all along the way that love to help.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Just write-don’t edit and write…just write.

What are you reading now?
Simon Ships Out by Jacky Donovon

What’s next for you as a writer?
Write and publish me sequel Heartbeats of Africa as I continue to promote Heartprints of Africa

If you were going to be stranded on a desert island and allowed to take 3 or 4 books with you what books would you bring?
The Bible
Diana Galbaldon series-love the time change books

Author Websites and Profiles
Cinda Brooks Website
Cinda Brooks Amazon Profile

Cinda Brooks’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile
Facebook Profile

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I have written a total of 9 books, and will be releasing two more by the end of September. I write in multiple genres, but I do love writing horror stories.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
My latest book is “G.P.S.”, the title was inspired by one of my friends in my FB group.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I don’t have any unusual writing habits. I just write because I love writing.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
I am a bit old school so I love the classics. Edgar Allen Poe, Danielle Steele, Stephen King (especially), and V.C. Andrews.

What are you working on now?
I Just finished up “The Double Mint Twins: A Twisted Tale Of Horror”

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I have only been promoting on FB and Twitter.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
My advice for a new author is write for the love of it, and don’t let anyone stop you from fulfilling your dream of becoming an author. Write every day if you can. Write down everything you see, and hear. Anything you think of could become a book, or even a best seller.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
The best advice I ever heard is if you are doing this to get rich then don’t do it, do it because you love to write, because there is no greater love than putting words to paper.

What’s next for you as a writer?
My next step hopefully is to be picked up by a publishing company.

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?
Steven Kings
Outbreak
G.P.S.
What Ever You Do Stay Alive

Author Websites and Profiles
Sherry Robinson Website

Sherry Robinson’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile
Facebook Profile
Twitter Account

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I’m a comicbook geek who grew up on the classic monsters and superheroes. I’ve only written the one book, Frenzy, but have written and published short stories years ago.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
I love werewolves! They are unstoppable machines of rage, like the incredible Hulk but with a lust for blood that can scare the pale off a vampire. There’s also the struggle of knowing that once they lose control outside of certain death they can’t be stopped. That can kill a person from the inside and makes for interesting character struggles.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I write all over the board but tend to do most of my work in the morning when the kids are at school and I’ve got some quiet time.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
Laurell K Hamilton gave me the biggest push to Urban Fantasy. Authors that also inspired me are R.A. Salvatore, Richard Matheson, and hy & Sapir (the Destroyer series).

What are you working on now?
I’m currently working on the next book in my series titled Full Moon Blitz. I’m following my lead (Kyle Poole) after he tore through his home town and is now on the run trying to find a cure to his curse. I’m looking to dig deeper into how this affects his mind and spirit.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
Promotion is challenging. I’ve met with other published authors and soaked in as much info as I could on being more than an author but becoming a business. I can’t say at the moment that I have solid advice on best methods. So far, Facebook was my most advantageous.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Aside from writing what you love, make damn sure that you clean that book up until it is free of any typos, grammar errors, run-on sentences, extra crap that doesn’t tell the story, and so on. If you’re self-publishing you need to hammer your copy out in as clean a format as possible or it will be shot down in flames. Mine was! It took me plenty of time to see my mistakes and more to clean them up. Also seriously look into setting up a writer’s platform. Make a brand. Don’t be afraid to toot your own horn daily. Get out there in the thick of the social media and make friends but don’t jam your book down their throats. Play nice and take all advice with a thick skin.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Don’t edit yourself. I met author Mark Henry at a book signing some years ago. It was the single piece of advice he gave me. I’ll never forget it. Editing your creative self will kill any story you think you love. Let it out. Don’t be afraid to tell it. Once it’s out on paper you can tear it up and play with it but if you hold back it will be obvious to all that read it.

What are you reading now?
I need to finish the Reckoning of Asphodel. It’s a major epic fantasy that grabbed me from the get go but time and other circumstances pulled me back.

What’s next for you as a writer?
Maybe experimenting with superhero fiction. I’ve got some ideas burning in my brain that need telling.

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?
Obsidian Butterfly by LKH. One of my favorites full of monsters and big guns. Bentley Little’s the Collection. It’s full of twisted tales. And A Tale of Two Cities. My grandpa gave me his copy that he got when he was a boy in school. I promised him that someday I’d read it.

Author Websites and Profiles
Pike Stephenson Website
Pike Stephenson Amazon Profile

Pike Stephenson’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile
Facebook Profile
Pinterest Account

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
Kathryn Kelly is living her dream and writing books. She’s always been an avid reader and still devours books in her spare time. She also enjoys football, socializing, music, eating and jokes. Since the release of her first book, Misled, in December 2013, she has written 15 additional books.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
Misfit is my latest project and a Facebook friend of mine inspired me to write it. We were talking and she told me she wanted to see a M/M relationship between two of the bikers in the club. Since there was a girl there who was unattached and whom I wanted to be in a relationship before the series ended, M/M became MMF.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I have to have a physical copy to do my edits. First draft is fine on the computer, but then I must print it out. I redline so much. It looks like a school term paper from a teacher. But it helps me to see the bigger picture. Then, after the last draft is finished, I have to read a copy on kindle. For some reason, I catch additional errors that way.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
Too many to name.

What are you working on now?
Dirty Boy about a trustfund baby pornstar and his stepsister.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
Interacting with my readers always work best for me.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Never give up!

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Someone once told me that if I write a page a day, if I don’t have a lot of time to carve out, at the end of the year I’ll have a full manuscript with 365 pages.

What are you reading now?
Nothing because I’m writing on Dirty Boy and promoting Misfit.

What’s next for you as a writer?
A mafia themed romance.

If you were going to be stranded on a desert island and allowed to take 3 or 4 books with you what books would you bring?
Real by Katy Evans, Fifty Shades of Grey by EL James, and Unbeautifully by Madeline Sheehan

Author Websites and Profiles
Kathryn Kelly Website
Kathryn Kelly Amazon Profile

Kathryn Kelly’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile
Facebook Profile
Twitter Account
Pinterest Account

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I am the founder and director of the Light of the Spirit Monastery (Atma Jyoti Ashram) in Cedar Crest, New Mexico, USA.

In my many pilgrimages to India, I had the opportunity of meeting some of India’s greatest spiritual figures, including Swami Sivananda of Rishikesh and Anandamayi Ma. During my first trip to India I was made a member of the ancient Swami Order by Swami Vidyananda Giri, a direct disciple of Paramhansa Yogananda, who had himself been given sannyas by the Shankaracharya of Puri, Jagadguru Bharati Krishna Tirtha.

In the United States I also encountered various Christian saints, including Saint John Maximovich of San Francisco and Saint Philaret Voznesensky of New York. I was ordained in the Liberal Catholic Church (International) to the priesthood on January 25, 1974, and consecrated a bishop on August 23, 1975.

For many years I have researched the identity of Jesus Christ and his teachings with India and Sanatana Dharma, including Yoga. It is my conclusion that Jesus lived in India for most of his life, and was a yogi and Sanatana Dharma missionary to the West. After his resurrection he returned to India and lived the rest of his life in the Himalayas.

I have written extensively on these and other topics, many of which are posted at www.OCOY.org/

I have six published book through the monastery’s printing arm, Light of the Spirit Press (lightofthespiritpress.com)

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
The latest book is “The Christ of India: The Story of Saint Thomas Christianity” It was inspired by the strong connection between Jesus and India, both historically and philosophically. And his disciple, Saint Thomas, who was the apostle of India, built upon the foundation of that connection. The result is that unique form of Christianity known as Saint Thomas Christianity.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
The Song of God (the translation of the Bhagavad Gita by Swami Prabhavananda and Christopher Isherwood), the writings of Swami Sivananda, Paramhansa Yogananda, I. K. Taimni, and others in the spiritual realm have been prime inspirers

What are you working on now?
A new translation of the Bhagavad Gita into English

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
Too soon to tell

What are you reading now?
The Gospel of Swami Ramdas

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
Abbot George Burke (Swami Nirmalananda Giri) Website

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I grew up in County Donegal in Ireland, land of legends and storytelling. Ireland has a long and rich literary history stretching back to the Celts, and to this day you don’t have to go far to find someone who can entertain you with a good “yarn” over a pint of Guinness.

The Undergrounders Series (Immurement, Embattlement and Judgement) is a sci-fi dystopian thriller trilogy set in a world in ruins after the earth’s core overheats and a ring of volcanos around the globe erupts. The main protagonist is Derry Connelly, a sixteen-year-old girl who survives, along with her brother Owen and a band of Preppers, in an underground bunker system. The scorched earth is patrolled by cutthroat gangs of escaped subversives, but that’s not the only problem. Mysterious hoverships operated by clones extract adolescents for their DNA in a bid to replenish the population. When Owen disappears, Derry strikes a deal with the murderous subversives and leads a dangerous mission to get him back. If you like a fast-paced apocalyptic tale, with a gritty complex heroine, and twists you won’t see coming, then The Undergrounders Series is for you!

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
My latest book is Judgement, the riveting final installment of The Undergrounders Series!

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
Not really, although I have a makeshift standing desk and I stand to write.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
1984 by George Orwell shook my world when I first read it and I have never forgotten that Big Brother is watching. That book spawned my interest in the dystopian genre. I also read every concentration camp escape story I could get my hands on, Escape from Auschwitz to name but one. I’ve always been fascinated by regimes and resistance movements, and the heroes who emerge from atrocities. As an author, I find it intriguing to place characters in dystopian, post-apocalyptic or sci-fi settings and watch what unfurls inside them as they go head to head with staggering odds. After spending several summers in Idaho, and learning more about Preppers and survivalists, the idea to plant Derry Connolly in a bunker community of homesteaders and mountain men took seed and The Undergrounders Series was born.

What are you working on now?
I’ve just begun a new young adult space trilogy but I haven’t finalized a name for it. The Expulsion Project is the working title!

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
Slowly building up a real reader base of fans. Supplementing those subscribers by running giveaways and using promo sites such as Awesomegang.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
If you are certain writing is where your passion and strengths intersect, don’t take your eyes off the goal. Put your shoulder to the wheel and throw your whole heart into mastering the craft, and taking incremental steps toward publication. Dogged persistence will get you there in the end, and the talent you have honed along the way will be your staying power.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Don’t edit a first draft!

What are you reading now?
Unwind by Neal Shusterman.

What’s next for you as a writer?
Finishing my next trilogy! And the next …

If you were going to be stranded on a desert island and allowed to take 3 or 4 books with you what books would you bring?
The Bible
1984 by George Orwell
Man’s Search for Meaning by Viktor Frankl
Anything by Bill Bryson!

Author Websites and Profiles
Norma Hinkens Website
Norma Hinkens Amazon Profile

Norma Hinkens’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile
Facebook Profile
Twitter Account
Pinterest Account

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I live in western Colorado with my husband, two cats, and one dog-who-believes-he’s-a-person. While I’m a mother to none, I’m an auntie to what feels like a small army…our newest recruit joined us in April 2016. Auntie loves you Porter Rayne! (I will neither confirm nor deny that I Facebook-stalk her mommy and daddy to see every picture of her little smiling face.)

I was born in Phoenix, AZ and raised in beautiful Colorado with my two younger brothers, who taught me to have a thick skin and a ready smile. They are at least half the reason I find inspiration the way I do and I love them for it. Despite my mother’s best efforts, I am NOT an outdoorsy girl; I’d much rather curl up with a good book or play through my favorite video game. (Yup, nerd all the way, right here!)

I’m a caffeine addict, chocoholic, and a hopeless romantic. I’ve carried on a passionate love affiar with the genre of fantasy since I was old enough to read ‘chapter books’, but I developed a particular soft spot for romantic fantasy while in my teens. I find inspiratation in hot showers, time with my nieces and nephews, and in random meanderings through mundane places.

I dabbled in creative writing for many years and even considered it as my major in college. (I ended up getting a Bachelor’s degree in Counseling Psychology.) The inspiration for the Elemental Trials series was born while I was in a high school creative writing class. It sat, unloved and forgotten, in a binder for years, only to be discoverd while moving into my first apartment. The fire was rekindled and it grew from a single, sophmoric tale to a full-blown series over the next decade. i published the first installment in the series, Errant Spark, in July of 2016. Dream. Come. True.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
“Errant Spark” is my one-and-only right now. It’s been evolving over the last 11-12 years, so I can’t pinpoint an exact inspiration. I’ve had a lot, and from a myriad of sources.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
Unusual? Weeeell…I wouldn’t call them unusual, but I prefer to be alone when I write and if I’m writing a steamy scene, I usually have a couple glasses of wine first.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
I’ve been able to read since before I can remember, so listing the authors and books that influenced me would take a year. Some that come immediately to mind are The Lioness Quartet by Tamora Pierce, The Chronicles of Narnia by C.S. Lewis, and “As Commonplace As Rain” by Diana Lau.

What are you working on now?
Right now, I’m working on the sequel to “Errant Spark”. I’m waffling between a couple of different titles.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I’m still experimenting with that. I have high hopes for OnlineBookClub–my promotion with them is coming up on September 9th–so fingers crossed on that. Otherwise, I’ve just been submitting my book to every blogger, website, promoter, and random passers-by who will take it.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Honestly, just write. Don’t worry about what your friends and family will think; there is someone out there who will fall head-over-heels in love with your work. Write for yourself and write the stories YOU want to read.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
A quote that I’ve seen attributed to Stephen King (but I think it actually originated with Vladimir Nabokov) comes to mind, though it isn’t really advice. “The writer’s job is to get the main character up a tree, and then once they are up there, throw rocks at them.” I try to keep that in mind when I get stuck on a scene or am wrestling with a plot dilemma.

What are you reading now?
I like to have a couple of things going in that department. Right now, I’m reading a WIP by my friend, fellow author, and CP, Elisabeth Hamill, and I just started “Lord of the Fading Lands; Tairen Soul”.

What’s next for you as a writer?
I’m focused on finishing the Elemental Trials series, but after that? The world is my oyster, or so they say.

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?
“Master of Crows” by Grace Draven, “Salem’s Lot” by Stephen King, “The Sword of Shannara” by Terry Brooks, and I’d find a way to combine all the Dresden Files novels by Jim Butcher into one book.

Author Websites and Profiles
Ronelle Antoinette Website
Ronelle Antoinette Amazon Profile
Ronelle Antoinette Author Profile on Smashwords

Ronelle Antoinette’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile
Facebook Profile
Twitter Account

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I am the grandson of four Holocaust Survivors and have written three books. All of my books deal with the lives of my grandparents. They highlight the entire life journey of these incredible Survivors. The central theme is “Survive and Thrive”.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
My latest book is “Escaping Death, Embracing Life: The Jack Grinbaum Holocaust Experience”. This book is the written version of an interview I did with my Grandpa Jack about his Holocaust years. The book also covers what he remembers from before the war and just after the war. I have been inspired by my grandfather as far back as I can remember and I decided that now is the time to share the inspiration.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I like to give the reader a view into the whole person when I write. I don’t focus on specific “action” events as much as stories that reveal larger things about the person. I have been told that my books have a special narrative quality that uses imagery and pictures to paint a full picture.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
Some of my favorites are Mitch Albom, David Halberstam, Elie Wiesel, Anne Frank, John Feinstein and David Maraniss

What are you working on now?
I am now transcribing the interviews I did with my other two grandparents specifically about their time during the Holocaust. In the book about their lives, “Czech Mates: Holocaust Legacy” I take the reader on a full life journey, but this new book will give many additional details about their time in escaping the Nazis during the war.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I use Facebook and Twitter and also try to send outreach to people who hopefully will have an interest. It has also been important to spread the word through people I know.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Make sure you love your topic. You also need to keep at it in terms of promoting the book. There are so many titles out there, you need to find your niche and keep at it virtually every day.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
To keep plugging away and keep trying to find those people who will take up your cause. Elie Wiesel’s book “Night” was gathering dust on book shelves until a Rabbi in New York many years after it was published brought it to prominence. If your book is worth reading, people will take up the cause…You just need to reach them! I guess this isn’t advice I heard but it is advice I gathered!

What are you reading now?
“ConsterNation! The Economics Behind the Angst” by Paul Winghart

What’s next for you as a writer?
I have a series of Holocaust books that I intend to write. After that I am not sure, but I know I am not done! I love the writing process!

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?
They would need to be books I have not read. I would pick two sports themed books, one political book and one I would need to do a search for and see what strikes me. I love reading books about life in a professional sports league and about specific political campaigns

Author Websites and Profiles
David Weiss Website

David Weiss’s Social Media Links
Facebook Profile
Twitter Account

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I’m a children’s book author and non-fiction writer. After many years of working with children as educator and caregiver, I was able to bring my long-time dream of writing a children’s book to life. I debuted my first book ( a nursery rhyme) in June, followed by the second book in July. They are both part of the series Let’s Learn while Playing.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
My latest book is called Dinosaur Adventure: A Field Trip to Remember. This book, in particular, was inspired by field trips to museums and zoos I partook while being a teacher. Also, by observing children and learning how they interact with the world surrounding them, I was able to reflect on a variety of materials and get ideas to create.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I tend to plan my writing routine for the morning hours when I feel more creative. That said, I don’t think I have an unusual habit, but certainly when I sit down to write, I need to have a big mug of coffee. Otherwise, I can’t focus.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
I grew up reading my mom’s romance novels and with that, I became a huge fan of Sidney Sheldon. Besides the enticing stories, I love the way he paces the plot and develops the characters. Later on, I got into the works of Danielle Steel; another one who once I start reading, I cannot put the book down. I’m thrilled with Jennifer Weiner’s books as well. Those are main ones, but for quite some time, I have been reading authors of a similar genre such as Stieg Larsson ( The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo), Gillian Flynn ( Gone Girl), Jodi Picoult ( My Sister’s Keeper) and having a blast.

What are you working on now?
Besides working on promotions for my second children’s book, I have been crafting another nursery rhyme. This one will talk about safety for children. And I’m also dedicating some time to a story about body shaming.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I’ve been playing around and testing different strategies for book promotions, and so far the KDP free book promotion is serving me well. That allows me to access multiple free websites/services and have the book in front of a broader readership. That is priceless!

Do you have any advice for new authors?
This goes especially for indie authors. As much as we, as writers, want to spend our time writing, and I know, some of us are not comfortable with promotions, promotions will have to be part of your routine if you want to get any result. So, get used to it.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Promote your book as much as you can. Don’t let it sit on Amazon or other retailers waiting for the readers to come.

What are you reading now?
Recently, I finished ROOM, a novel by Emma Donoghue. I wrote a review about it, which you can find on my website. But for the past two weeks, I have fallen behind on my readings. I have a pile of books to catch up with, and the next one on my list is A Good Marriage by Stephen King.

What’s next for you as a writer?
Keep bringing stories to life. I have tons of ideas flowing through my head right now. So, I’m already thinking of the next 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?
This is a tough one because I could get the whole collection of Sidney Sheldon and Danielle Steel. But since I have to settle for four, I’ll bring a mix of fiction and non-fiction. There it goes: Nothing Lasts Forever (Sidney Sheldon), Sisters ( Danielle Steel), On Writing (Stephen King), and The Art of Work (Jeff Goins).

Author Websites and Profiles
Kelly Santana-Banks Website
Kelly Santana-Banks Amazon Profile

Kelly Santana-Banks’s Social Media Links
Facebook Profile
Twitter Account
Pinterest Account

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I am an engineer but got into writing when I started with a fanfiction. I have always loved to read but never thought I had the capability or talent to write anything. When I watched Hellboy 2: The Golden Army, I was absolutely disappointed with how the movie ended. I wanted the antagonist Prince of the Fey to have a different ending. This feeling grew so strong that I started writing out my story and started posting it on fanfiction.net. Readers started viewing and reviewing the story and very soon, I saw myself coming up with more chapters. I also met my beta-reader and my best author friend through this platform.

Writing fanfiction brought me the confidence to write and put myself and my story in front of over a thousand readers. It gave me the opportunity to put out all the stories that have played in my mind all this time.

Recently, I have started working on an original series, The Rose Chronicles which is a Gothic themed paranormal romance. I have completed the first book and the second one is on its way.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
My latest book is titled Graveyard Rose. It is part one of the The Rose Chronicles with two more books in the series.

The book is inspired from Bram Stoker’s “Dracula”. Dracula was seen to be helped by a group of Slavic gypsy men. The idea of a terrible vampire getting helped by humans was intriguing to me. I mean, this is Dracula, not sparkly Edward Cullen! So, I developed a story similar to Vlad Dracula’s and created Maldorfina, a region in the Carpathian mountains where the humans are in a treaty with vampire lords.

The background of the story is set amongst dark, foggy Carpathian forests.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I like listening to music while I write. I always like something playing the background, mostly to block out all external noise.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
I have grown up reading JRR Tolkien and JK Rowling’s books. Even though I read all genre, I love fantasy books the most.

What are you working on now?
I am working on the second book of The Rose Chronicles, tentatively titled “Blood Red Rose”. I am almost half way through it!

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I am new to self publishing and I am still on a quest to find good marketing platforms. The most effective till now has been to join author groups on FB. There are generous writers in the crowd who helped me to promote by reviewing my book on their blogs, tweeting about my book etc.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
I would say that patience is the key. It is hard to get noticed when you are newly published. Just relax and take the time to network with other authors and learn as much as you can about self-publishing. Then use that knowledge to promote your books.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
“To be true to thine own self”
Shakespeare, I think?

It is important to be true to yourself no matter what mask you put on in front of the world. You are the only person who knows what you love. So, stay connected with that.

What are you reading now?
I am reading “Dark Desires” by Eve Silver. It is a Victorian suspense/thriller and the plot has me hooked to it.

What’s next for you as a writer?
I want to complete the next two weeks by October so that I would be free during Nanowrimo! I want to take up the challenge of writing a full length novel in one month.

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 three Harry Potter books and my Lord of the Rings trilogy book.

Author Websites and Profiles
Ginny Clyde Website
Ginny Clyde Amazon Profile

Ginny Clyde’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile
Facebook Profile
Twitter Account
Pinterest Account

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
My first book ‘Your Professionalism Is Killing You (How to Be a Better Communicator)’, was published in 2008. ‘Swayed’ is my second attempt to put my weird influence/behavior ideas in writing. My behavior change philosophy is the product of my many eclectic life experiences. I’ve co-authored software, built a company that hit national revenue success, practiced acrobatic swing dancing, been a NASA test subject, and welded large public art sculptures. I’ve also spent a lot of time with my team helping individuals and companies uncover the underlying behaviors around communication that impacts overall performance and happiness.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
My most recent book, ‘Swayed: The Power of Context to Increase Influence,’ was published earlier this summer. Based on decades of research with my company Allegory, ‘Swayed’ provides a framework and deliberate practices to improve the key elements of influence: communicating to be heard and remembered. Allegory provides group training, one-on-one coaching, behavior change, and company culture services and have worked with many people to develop the theories and practices outlined in ‘Swayed’.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I write best when I block out two days and write in one giant run-on sentence. I write without editing or thinking. I just let it flow. Then, I spend a day trying to make sense of it all.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
Storytellers – anyone who can describe things in a way that the words have a smell to them, like Cormac McCarthy, Charles Maturin.

“Me Toos” – authors who talk about everyday life in a way that I can find myself in (and laugh at myself with), like David Sedaris, and Anne Lamott.

What are you working on now?
My next book in the series is about the human operating system. How what we think in our head shows up in our behavior. For most people I meet, being fake just isn’t a good strategy, thus a good hack for someone who wants to influence others is shifting what is going on in their head.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
We’ve had the best luck reaching out to our tribe of current and past clients – and have been experimenting with different marketing strategies on social media. So far, the best results have come from those who are already familiar with me and my work.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Perfect isn’t. Just write. Put it out there.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
My dad taped Rudyard Kipling’s “If” poem [https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poems-and-poets/poems/detail/46473] to my wall when I was a kid. The basic advice of the poem is that every moment in life is FOR you–not to you– and to live your own values when facing challenges.

What are you reading now?
‘The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks’ by Rebecca Skloot.

What’s next for you as a writer?
Getting a writing coach to help me better understand how to produce books that are readable. I do not think I naturally write in a readable style. I use editors to fix what I write, but I’d rather learn how to do it on my own.

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?
Eek.

1) ‘How to Get Off a Desert Island’ (assuming that book exists)
2) ‘Melmoth the Wanderer’ by Charles Maturin
3) ‘War and Peace’ by Leo Tolstoy (because it is so long)
4) ‘Gooberz’ by Linda Goodman (because a friend gave it to me years ago and I still haven’t read it)

Author Websites and Profiles
Christina Harbridge Website

Christina Harbridge’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile
Facebook Profile
Twitter Account

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
Hired is my debut but I am currently working on some other projects that are slated to hit the shelves soon.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
“Hired” was written as a desperate attempt to stay in this competition I was a participant in (I ended up at the third place, with “Hired”). In Hired, I explored the fundamental question of what is true nature of the relationship between humans and machines and how will it, if ever, change over time.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I can only write after midnight. I am NOT a morning person.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
JK Rowling, most importantly. Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone was the first real novel I bought and read.

What are you working on now?
I am working on full-length novel and some screenplays right now. The novel will be traditionally published while the screenplays were commissioned by a couple of production houses.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Write is a verb. So read a lot, and then write some more. Put it on a loop and keep it going!

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Neil Gaiman- “When anyone tells you they didn’t like your book, they are almost always right. When anyone tells you WHY they didn’t like your book they are almost always wrong”

So learn to trust your story-telling instinct!

What are you reading now?
Salman Rushdie’s Midnight’s Children and I just completed The Book Thief by Zusak yesterday.

What’s next for you as a writer?
I am excited for a couple of projects after I am done with this one. First is a Sci-fi Noir trilogy and after that I plan to write a couple of character studies.

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 Harry Potter series, for sure! I can never tire of them.
Complete bibliography of Sherlock Holmes.
Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy.

Siddhant Shekhar’s Social Media Links
Facebook Profile

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I am a biologist who spends time out on the Bering Sea working with all sorts of fascinating creatures. Seriously. I collect, maintain, and distribute data for scientific, management, and regulation compliance purposes in the Gulf of Alaska and the Eastern Bering Sea/Aleutian Islands. When I’m not tangling with squid and wrestling with sharks, I enjoy watching and playing sports of all kinds, playing guitar, and of course, writing, which I hope to make more than a hobby instead of “that thing I tried one time.” I currently have one published book, with several others in the works.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
The Rising (Supernaturals book 1).

I’ve always enjoyed superheroes, X-men, and things of similar nature, and wanted to combine those interests with my own ideas, letting my imagination create the story.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
Not that I’m aware of. Though, I do use my “Notes” app on my phone a bunch when random ideas come to me throughout the day, or pieces to add to a scene, character, or dialogue I have in a current story. Seriously, my phone has hundreds and hundreds of short notes.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
Tolkien, C. S. Lewis, Alexandre Dumas, J. K. Rowling, Rick Riordan.

What are you working on now?
I am currently working to finish up The Recruit (Supernaturals Book 2), as well as the first books in a couple other series I hope to complete: The Outbreak (Survival Book 1), a dystopian/post-apocalyptic journey; and The Lost Book of Behlkrumor (The Telkuhryn Chronicles book 1), an epic high fantasy adventure.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I probably use Goodreads more than anything at the moment. Though I’m still getting used to the whole advertising and promoting thing.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Read, read, read. Write, write, write.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
See answer to last question. Pretty much sums it up.

What are you reading now?
About halfway through the 2nd book in the Jesse Stone mysteries series.

What’s next for you as a writer?
At the moment, I’m just going to take things one book at a time, hopefully moving to writing as more of a career rather than a side thing or hobby.

If you were going to be stranded on a desert island and allowed to take 3 or 4 books with you what books would you bring?
The Bible, The Count of Monte Cristo, The Hobbit, and Boat Building for Beginners.

Author Websites and Profiles
Ryan Troske Amazon Profile

Ryan Troske’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile
Facebook Profile
Twitter Account

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I have written 2 books so far.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
“Pokemon Go Tips You Wish You Knew” inspired by hilarious game presented in July 2016. I believe this game will have a great impact on our society, and I wanted to help people to understand the game better.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I can write with my legs. Just kidding.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
Oscar Wild, William Shakespeare

What are you working on now?
Book about the best jokes ever.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
Pinterest, facebook, and other social media.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Be sure you can do it!

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
You are not $100 bill to be liked by everyone. Just do what you have to do, and be happy.

What are you reading now?
Paleo diet book

What’s next for you as a writer?
I am going to write jokes 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?
Robinson Crusoe, Harry Potter, and something about survival.

Donald Shaw’s Social Media Links
Facebook Profile