Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I am a YA author who loves a good story, and the art of writing. I started writing at a young age, finishing my first novel when I was twelve years old, and I published my first book, Clara Claus, when I was nineteen. Since then, I have gone on to publish over twenty titles, including novels, short stories, and novellas, as well as the Amazon bestselling Christmas series, the Snowflake Triplet. Aside from writing fiction, I work to encourage authors both new and old with writing tips on my blog and in my young writers guild; I have also penned a book about keeping inspiration in your writing, and am working on another writing-centered nonfiction title.

Though novels are my first love, I am also an artist, and post pictures of characters on my website and Instagram. I love to see characters come to life in a visual way, and am always looking for a different way to tell stories. A few years ago I fell into screenwriting as well, and have been working on scripts as another storytelling method. If there’s a story to be told, I’m happy!

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
My latest title is actually an online read, free for readers. Its a first draft of a reimagining of one of my original published books, called Shadows of Past Pages: a Fantasy story about a girl whose creative writing project seems a little too real, and her best friend, who is definitely hiding something. I post every Tuesday.

Otherwise, my upcoming title is a short story from the Snowflake Triplet, called “The Tale of Wind and Winter”, out October 18th in ebook format (it will appear in paperback along with the final installment of the series, Clara Frost, next year). Every story I write is special to me, but this story in particular has been a different, unique experience. It picks up where the short “North of Dreams” left off, and my characters are in a very dark, sad, frustrating spot in their lives. Each book definitely has a Christmas theme, and usually a happy one, so when I set out to write this story I wanted to shake things up a bit, and have a little bit more mature vibe. This particular story is less about the happiness of the holiday, and more about how a family pulls together to aid one another in a rough time. Here you have four people who are vastly different, only two of them related by blood, and they become a rock for one another, even though some have only just met. It was fun to write, but really it reflects how I feel about family: sometimes you choose it, and sometimes you don’t, but a family is always there when you need them.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
Many, probably! All writers have something strange that they do, I think.

My strangest writing habit is probably my need to switch from writing on the computer to writing in a notebook, and vice versa, sometimes in the middle of a project. I also tend to work on as many as five projects at once, writing a chapter or two before switching, or even a few pages. It’s not for everyone, but it seems to be how I work best.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
There are so many authors and books that have been the building blocks for my life, both creatively and personally. I am so indebted to the wonderful people who have come before me — and the wonderful people who follow after, some of whom I have met and been inspired by as well.

My favorite author is Madeleine L’Engle, best known for “A Wrinkle In Time”. I particularly love her nonfiction books, because I feel like I’m reading the thoughts of someone who is so much like me, only wiser, and that can be a great comfort. I adore the work of C.S. Lewis and J.R.R. Tolkien, who have been an inspiration to me in many ways. The first author I ever met at a book signing is Ridley Pearson, who is one of the nicest writers I know, and who gave me wonderful advice when I was just starting out.

I love classical novels, particularly Frankenstein, which has influenced my work plenty. Fantastic works like Dracula made me love the dark and creepy, and fantasy tales such as The Princess and the Goblin drew me towards Fantasy as a child. Peter Pan is my all-time favorite book, because I love that story so much, and it has had such a large influence on my life; the book is definitely different than the play, and is my favorite version of the story. The Books of Ember, by Jeanne DuPrau are a particular favorite of mine. But it was Artemis Fowl, by Eoin Colfer, that made me decide, as a young teen, that I wanted to be an author. I had so much fun reading that story that I decided I wanted to write books that others could enjoy.

What are you working on now?
Several things (see question above)!

The most prominent titles on my WIP list right now are the last book in the Snowflake Triplet series, Clara Frost, which is scheduled to be released holiday season, 2017 — seven years after the first book was published! — as well as a third installment in my Phantasmagoria Duet, a contemporary Fantasy series that has been loads of fun to write. Aside from that I have several short stories, a few other novels, and a gigantic project that is an unofficial sequel to my favorite book, Peter Pan.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I am always trying new things when it comes to writing, marketing, and the like. While I can say Twitter has probably been the best tool to tell people about my books, I’ve found that nothing replaces word-of-mouth, even in the digital age. Striking up conversations, getting out there and meeting people, having book signings — these are the best ways that I’ve found to connect with readers. Plus, I love hearing feedback from my readers, and seeing how my stories have struck a chord with them!

Do you have any advice for new authors?
There are many things that I think are important when it comes to writing — being yourself, learning the difference between constructive criticism and plain criticism, mastering the elements of grammar, learning to find inspiration in everything — but I’ve found that my biggest advice would be this: take your time.

So many people want to jump into publishing, because it’s a lot easier than it used to be — and on the other end, writers can be very tempted to throw the words onto the page, and then immediately hand them to an editor or think the book is finished. But writing is like anything else: it takes practice and discipline — the kind of discipline that means putting in plenty of hours of practice and taking quiet chances, trying new things, writing and rewriting, so that when the time comes to release a book or do a signing or speak, you are confident and ready because you’ve taken the time to prepare. A doctor cannot read one book on medicine and expect to be able to take care of someone properly — and neither can a writer. So, my advice is, if nothing else: take your time.

Do these things: read, learn, experiment, keep writing, keep rewriting. Learning never truly ends, but if we put in the time, we can be the best writers possible when the time comes to move forward towards publishing and communicating with others.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
“Just keep writing until you get to the end”, and “finish something, because most people don’t finish”, both said to me by Ridley Pearson at a book signing (I’m paraphrasing, but that’s basically it). I think most writers struggle with finishing, especially if they’re working on their first story. Finishing is difficult, and sometimes it’s difficult to see the end clearly with all of the things that have happened in the middle, so I think it’s solid advice. Just keep going.

What are you reading now?
I read books like I write books: several at a time.

I’m about finished with the Middle Grade title “Flights and Chimes and Mysterious Times”, by Emma Trevayne. I’m also working on “Fierce on the Page” by Sage Cohen (a great writing book!), and “The Problem of Pain”, by C.S. Lewis. I’m somewhere in a book of fairytales, too.

What’s next for you as a writer?
That’s difficult to say, as I’m always trying something new. You never know with me!

Definitely the work and release of the books above: Clara Frost and the 3rd Phantasmagoria Duet story (still pondering a title). And the continued posting of Shadows of Past Pages on my website (please check it out — it’s a fun one). Otherwise, continuing to teach young writers, work on scripts, and perfect my art skills.

I would like to get more into screenwriting in the near future, and perhaps try my hand at a comic. We shall see!

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?
Such a hard choice! Can I really only choose a few?

I probably would bring my copy of “The Hobbit”, because it’s very dear to me, hand selected by my brother when I first showed interest in Tolkien. Probably “Howl’s Moving Castle” by Dianna Wynne Jones, because it always makes me laugh. Probably “Peter Pan”, because I can’t imagine never reading it again. And if I could possibly find a book that would eat and trap all of my other books for later use, I’d bring that one, too. If not then probably “A Circle of Quiet”, by Madeleine L’Engle.

Author Websites and Profiles
Alexandra Lanc Website
Alexandra Lanc Amazon Profile
Alexandra Lanc Author Profile on Smashwords

Alexandra Lanc’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile
Twitter Account
Pinterest Account

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
My name is T. J. Blake, I’m 23 years old and I have written four novels.
I would say that at the moment, I am pondering between the horror and thriller genres, but still looking to explore many genres and implement them into my stories. Having written a dystopian horror book series called ‘The Endurance Series’, a standalone dark thriller ‘The Author’, a short dark fantasy story called ‘Alive’, and my latest psychological thriller, ‘Deception: A Love of Lies’, you can see that I enjoy writing darker stories; which are riddled with mystery and suspense.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
My latest novel is called Deception: A Love of Lies.
I started working on Deception when I was studying for my final year of university, where I spent three years studying Creative Writing with English Language & Communications. For my Creative Writing dissertation, I wanted to work on a book idea of mine which required work, and a lot of it. The main reason being that this specific book idea did require research, and I mean, why not combine business (or studying) with pleasure?
My main inspiration was that I wanted to embrace something which is so common for many people across the globe – in this case, dog walking – and twist it to make people think next time they head out on a dog walk. The most important part was to make the story realistic, so that it makes you check your windows and doors at night – cruel I know.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I wouldn’t say so. I’m just the typical writer who fades from the real world and enters a new sphere. I’m also very irritating to be around when I write, as I can just completely ignore my surroundings (therefore ignore people and conversation). I just require tea (lots of it) and peace.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
Loads, so many different authors and books. I couldn’t name specifics but I would say all the books that I have read from numerous genres. I would also say films have influenced me too. Obviously, the legend himself Stephen King is a great writer who I aspire to be like. I admire his versatility.

What are you working on now?
I’m currently working on the marketing for Deception, but in terms of writing, I will be writing the conclusion to ‘The Endurance Series’, which I have already started.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I like to use numerous sites. I also like to give new sites a chance to show me what they’ve got – there are many bloggers who I have met and glad to be working with.
I also use Fiverr to promote work, as well as my own T. J. Blake #Author blog and social media pages.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Never give up. Sometimes writing can seem slow, almost possible to be noticed or have your writing read, but then it can be hectic and suddenly take off from nothing.
I’m by no means a successful author, but I love writing and I find it extremely therapeutic, and I will continue to fight for what I desire – to become a successful author.
If you’re a writer and that is what you want to do, don’t listen to anyone who decides to joke about your passion or tries talking you out of doing what you’re doing. They’re not worth listening to.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
My best advice actually came from a lecturer at Kingston University, who taught me the art of ‘showing’ a reader rather than ‘telling’. I used to be guilty of this, but now I’m not.
To help me with this, he went through my work (which was then called ‘The Dog Walk’, now known as ‘Deception’) and obliterated it with his red pen. He crossed out all the parts where I was telling the reader what to see or giving them back story, and basically wrote ‘rubbish’ next to those sections. After those five 15-minute sessions, I felt that I learnt more than I ever could have during those one to one sessions than I could have in a lecture theatre for two hours.

What are you reading now?
At the moment I am looking for new reads – feel free to recommend anything in the comments!
But currently, I’m reading Stephen King’s ‘Dreamcatcher’.

What’s next for you as a writer?
I’m not particularly sure. I’m just going to continue writing stories until I’m all out of ideas.
The next step is to complete The Endurance Series, and then I have about three other book ideas after that.

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 take 3 books, just because I would be busy exploring and thinking of new book ideas too!

Stephen King (Green Mile, Carrie, The Shining, whichever one!)

One of the Harry Potter books, just because I haven’t read one for years!

And maybe a more modern book, like Gone Girl.

How are you realistically meant to pick just three or four though!?

Author Websites and Profiles
T. J. Blake Website
T. J. Blake Amazon Profile
T. J. Blake Author Profile on Smashwords

T. J. Blake’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile
Facebook Profile
Twitter Account

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I have been writing all my life. I’ve published travel articles, short stories, book reviews, and corporate training manuals. I earned a Masters in Professional Writing from University of Southern California, and I’m an active member of Sisters in Crime. Although I’ve written five novels, Going Home was the first to get published. I also self-published a personal finance e-book, Live Cheaply, Be Happy, Grow Wealthy in 2013, and I write a personal finance blog, Countdown to Financial Fitness.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
Going Home, a murder mystery published by Sunbury Press in 2014, was inspired by my mother’s battle with Alzheimer’s. It opens when the baby-boomer heroine comes home to check on her elderly mother and finds her hovering over the bludgeoned body of her caregiver.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I don’t think any of my writing habits are particularly unusual.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
Before I became interested in mystery writing, some of my favorite authors were Kurt Vonnegut, Tom Robbins, and James Kirkwood. In the mystery genre, I like Sara Paretsky, Sue Grafton, Janet Evanovich, and many others that I’m just discovering. I love to read good fiction.

What are you working on now?
I just finished another mystery called Secrets of the Galapagos. The setting was inspired by my own cruise to the Galapagos in 2014. It’s not exactly a sequel to Going Home, but it features two of the characters.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I’m still trying to find the best way to promote my books.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Start building a platform early on. Try to send out advance copies and get reviews before your book comes out, or you will be playing catch-up, like I’ve done.
Don’t expect to get rich.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
You have to start building your platform before you publish.

What are you reading now?
For my book club, I’m reading Inheritance, by Victoria Wilcox. I’m about to start Three Women Walk into a Bar by fellow Atlanta Sisters in Crime author, Linda Sands.

What’s next for you as a writer?
I’m looking for an agent for Secrets of the Galapagos so I can interest a big publisher.

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?
Gone with the Wind, The Great Gatsby, a good anthology of mystery short stories

Author Websites and Profiles
Sharon Marchisello Website
Sharon Marchisello Amazon Profile
Sharon Marchisello Author Profile on Smashwords

Sharon Marchisello’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile
Facebook Profile
Twitter Account

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
My name is Lynne Stringer and I love writing! Of course, that’s not all I love. I also love reading books, especially ones that take me out of the every day and into a new world. It doesn’t have to be a completely imaginary world, either. Anything with fascinating characters and interesting storylines will do.
My debut novel, The Heir, was released in June 2013. It’s the first book in the Verindon Trilogy, a YA science fiction romance series. Its sequels, The Crown and The Reign, were released soon afterwards.
My latest book, Once Confronted, is out in October 2016.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
I originally wrote my latest book, Once Confronted, in 1998, seven years after I was the victim of an armed robbery. My protagonist, Madison Craig, is also a victim of armed robbery, and it was helpful for me to write about her journey. I also wanted to challenge myself. In my story, Madison has to decide how far she will go in order to move on from the horror of that ordeal completely. Could I go that distance as well? I’d like to think so, but … It will always be a reminder to me of what I hope I’m capable of.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
My writing habits are pretty normal, although I don’t write drafts, as many authors do. I keep my drafts in my head.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
I have long been a fan of the Bronte sisters, particularly Charlotte.

What are you working on now?
At the moment, I’m busy promoting Once Confronted, but I do have another manuscript on the go. It’s set in futuristic Earth.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
My website, www.lynnestringer.com is the place to go to find out more about me.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Read a lot. The more you read the better you will get. Join a writers’ group. They will also help you improve. Most importantly, make sure your book is professionally edited prior to publication. This is an essential step if you want your book to be at its best.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Listen to your editors and consider all their suggestions with an open mind.

What are you reading now?
I’m reading a book called ‘Activate’ by Adele Jones. It’s the final book in the Integrate trilogy.

What’s next for you as a writer?
Lots of work promoting the new book!

If you were going to be stranded on a desert island and allowed to take 3 or 4 books with you what books would you bring?
The bible, how to survive on a desert island, how to build a raft

Author Websites and Profiles
Lynne Stringer Website
Lynne Stringer Amazon Profile

Lynne Stringer’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 an author of Contemporary Romance and Romantic Suspense. All my writing falls into the erotic category of each genre and some of my titles includes BDSM elements. I have numerous published titles to my credit, with more to come, if I can hold off on annoying bouts of procrastination. I live in Newcastle, Australia where I write, read, feed my Netflix addiction and drink coffee with my friends.
For those who enjoy labels and tags, as well as being an author, I am a blogger, a submissive, an aunt, dyslexic, a lover of all things erotic, a participant in the BDSM community, a widow, and an orphan.
In short, I am generally a bit of an eccentric who lives my life slightly left of center. You can find out more about me and my work by stalking me on the various social media sites where I occasionally hang out.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
My latest book is One Night in Sydney. It’s a contemporary romance set in Sydney, Australia. I wrote One Night in Sydney after seeing the series by Tirgearr Publishing and noting that there hadn’t been any Australian books written. So I came up with the idea of – what would happen if two strangers met on a plane and had an instant attraction to each other? To find out the answer, you need to read the book.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I like to vary the places I write. I mostly use my desk, but for a change I sometimes I write in bed, other times I sit on the floor or sofa. Occasionally I write outside. That’s the wonder of having a laptop.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
The authors I enjoy to read are paranormal authors like JR Ward, Christine Feehan, Nalini Singh, Gena Showalter and Kresley Cole. Even though I don’t write paranormal romance (yet), I love the way these authors write, the natural flow of their words and the ease of their characters conversation.

What are you working on now?
I’m currently working on a love story based on real life events. It’s technically not a romance but does have romantic elements.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I like to use a variety of websites to assist with promotion. One site or method alone won’t reach everyone so the more expansive your promotional reach is, the more readers find out about your books.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
My advice is, just keep writing. If the first book doesn’t do well then write the next and the next. Eventually something will strike a cord with readers. Also make sure your have a professional looking book so have a great cover and ensure it’s edited before publishing.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
It’s similar to my advice above. Keep writing. I remember an author saying she had fifteen books written and published before she started making a living from writing.

What are you reading now?
I’m currently reading two books. On Writing by Stephen King and Dark Carousel by Christine Feehan. I’m loving both.

What’s next for you as a writer?
I’ll continue to write romances but am also branching out and writing books that fit into the women’s fiction genre because sometimes romance doesn’t always have the standard HFN or HEA ending.

If you were going to be stranded on a desert island and allowed to take 3 or 4 books with you what books would you bring?
I think I’d take the first four books in the Black Dagger Brotherhood series by JR Ward. I love those vampires.

Author Websites and Profiles
Jan Graham Website
Jan Graham Amazon Profile
Jan Graham Author Profile on Smashwords

Jan Graham’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile
Facebook Profile
Twitter Account
Pinterest Account

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I’m a writer, knitter, amateur astrologer, Capricorn, and Japanophile. I love foxes, owls, sushi, yoga pants, Evernote, and black tea. When I’m not writing, I’m thinking about writing or spending time outside, unless it’s winter. I hate winter. Someday I’ll own a house in both hemispheres so I can avoid the season entirely. I’m a mom to two great kids and live with my husband and family outside NYC. I’ve written and published 9 books and I’m currently working on my 10th.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
The Daydreamer Detective is a cozy mystery set in Japan. Mei Yamagawa is out of luck, money, and a job and must return to her hometown a failure when she’s evicted from her apartment. Upon arrival at home, her best friend’s father is murdered and her best friend is named the main suspect. Mei gathers clues, with her mom, to solve the case and exonerate her best friend. I’ve always loved mysteries and wanted to write one, so writing a cozy mystery set in Japan was high up on my list of must-dos for 2016!

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
Not really. I can write pretty much anywhere, under any conditions, unless I just don’t feel like writing. Sometimes, though, I force myself even when I don’t want to!

What authors, or books have influenced you?
The majority of my favorite authors are science-fiction authors. I read and listen to a lot of audiobooks that are sci-fi. My favorite authors include John Scalzi, James S. A. Corey and many of the great classic science fiction authors like Arthur C. Clarke, Frank Herbert, and Isaac Asimov. I also read a lot of romance and YA fiction, basically picking up whatever is popular and sounds interesting. Right now I’m finishing Marissa Meyer’s Lunar Chronicle series, which I’ve really enjoyed. But my favorite author of all time is Haruki Murakami. I’ve read almost all of his books and his interesting and surreal sense of magical realism really inspires me.

What are you working on now?
The third book in my cozy mystery series! It’s called the Miso Cozy Mysteries Series and will be after The Daydreamer Detective Braves The Winter.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I believe in always having a permafree book to give away and I try to cycle through most of the promotion services at least once per month.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Don’t give up your day job. Or get a day job and don’t rely on writing. LOL. Writing and publishing is a volatile business. One month you can be killing it, making $10,000 or more, and the next month you make nothing. Have a steady job that gives you a paycheck, and some health insurance too. Write in the mornings, at night, and on the weekends. I’m a stay-at-home mom first and an author second. Once the kids are in school, I have the time to write. Before I came a stay-at-home mom, I was a web developer (and still am), and I wrote down my ideas on lunch breaks and in notebooks. Aspiring writers should work on their craft, study story structure and character development, and read a lot. Write when they can, and go to work. It’s the best way to get started.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Don’t look at your reviews! It was hard advice to follow in my first three years of being an author and only now am I really listening.

What are you reading now?
Morning Star by Pierce Brown. It’s the third book in the Red Rising trilogy and all of these books have been AMAZING.

What’s next for you as a writer?
More books, more writing, more keeping-on!

If you were going to be stranded on a desert island and allowed to take 3 or 4 books with you what books would you bring?
Can I just bring all the Harry Potter books?

Author Websites and Profiles
S. J. Pajonas Website
S. J. Pajonas Amazon Profile

S. J. Pajonas’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 a British horror, dark fantasy and erotica writer. I am signed by the US giant Crushing Hearts and Black Butterfly, imprint Vamptasy and Hot Ink Press. I live in Lancashire, England and have eight published works and three that were best sellers. I was signed through my first ever sub to an anthology and my first ever novel was also snapped up by CHBB and owner S J Davis.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
The Curse of Mary and the prequel All Legends, The Chronicles of being Isisti which is due out October 14th, 2016. These are by far my biggest and best works to date. They are gritty British horror, steeped in history and spans a thousand years. The prequel is the curses origins and the main book is the consequence of that curse. I have a three book deal for this series and the sequel is yet to be written. Originally intended to be a stand-alone novel, the readers wanted more and I couldn’t say no. I love my readers and they love this story.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I don’t think I do but know I must have. I can never write and read other books. I can’t write and listen to music as it distracts me way too much. I make notes and they are everywhere and in all the pockets of my coats, pants and where ever else I have stuffed them because an idea has come to me when I am out and about. I also read my work out loud to see if it flows correctly. I live alone so that isn’t so bad but when I have people over to stay, they think I am nuts.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
I have a lot but to name a few
Barbra Erskine
Graham Masterton
Edgar Allen Poe
Dean Koontz (his horror and older works)

What are you working on now?
I am working on a novel titled The Ancient Ones. A man called Professor Peter Stevens. He collects these special boxes known as Dybukk boxes, meaning spirit in a box and he unwittingly brings two creatures together that are part of a triad, the third is already free but on a leash by his arch enemy who is hell bent of ruining the professor’s life. The triad want to be free but this can’t happen as they hold the key to unleashing Lilith and the world end as we know it. The professor must find Britain’s native pagan gods together to put the triad back in the box. Easier said than done.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I use social media a lot. I also love bloggers, reviewers and there is nothing that can beat the readers championing your books.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Do your research, help your fellow authors and save up the pennies because you are going to need them. I love helping other writers, authors and companies with their promotion and it pays off because when I have something to promote or share, they come out in force to help me.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
The best advice was from the lovely being that is Rue Volley, she said, “this is your journey, you are signed with this company because you are one of the very best in what you do. Find your own path and keep on it.”
She has a lot of advice but this meant a lot and stood out when I needed it the most.

What are you reading now?
Right now, I am reading a book by an unsigned author who I am helping beta and editing her work called The Nights of Fire by H L Yates and I love it. I hope somebody signs her and the book is published for all to see.

What’s next for you as a writer?
I hope to meet all the deadlines I have this year and next. The prequel, All Legends, The Chronicles of being Isisti is released October 14th, 2016 and then I have a Horror/Erotica short Berlin War is released in December. January 2017 will see the release of The Ancient Ones.

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 any of Graham Masterton’s anthologies with a number of novels. I would bring Carmilla Voiez’s Starblood graphic novel because I would want something pretty to look at while reading a fantastic book. I would also take Rue Volley’s The Devil’s Gate because it is delicious reading.

Author Websites and Profiles
Nicolajayne Taylor Website
Nicolajayne Taylor Amazon Profile

Nicolajayne Taylor’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile
Facebook Profile
Twitter Account

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I am a mixed genre independent author. I started with Erotica shorts after becoming frustrated a fantasy novel I am working on wasn’t getting anywhere (world building, characters etc have taken me about eleven years). I really wanted to feel as though I was getting somewhere, so I dipped my toes into making erotica shorts.
Currently, I have fourteen shorts which are out for purchase but have a fifteenth novel I have been working on for the past couple of months. It is a different genre then the erotica and is rather dark. I had one person read it and nearly threw up.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
Latest book I have completed is Tribal Dawn: Blood-and-Shadow. It will be out to buy at some point in October after other things have cleared up. Not going to lie, I am crapping myself about its release.
For inspiration, well it actually started with one of my Erotica series, Tribal Alpha. They are written from the perspective of a young woman who becomes infatuated with a warrior. As I continued to write it though, the characters had backgrounds of their own and questions kept coming to mind about why they are like that, but I knew for the purpose of Erotica, I couldn’t include the full story of it. I kept it as a diary of this girl and decided to start the bigger novel as a separate project.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
All my characters must have a couple of songs they can related to otherwise they are not real enough for me to create. I have no idea why, but it seems to work.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
I’m not actually a big reader of fiction myself, not because I don’t want to, more because I don’t have the time. When I do get the chance though, I tend to read historical stories on different cultures or mythological tales.

What are you working on now?
Currently working on the second Tribal Dawn.
After that, I will be working on releasing twelve more short Erotica’s before December, in particular series which I started but I got distracted from. They will be the last I release of the genre for some time so I can focus my energies on Tribal Dawn and then the longer, fantasy project after.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I don’t really have a method and am still learning much of the process myself. I think blogging weekly has helped a lot and staying active on social media.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Make a plot line plan, even just a single sentence to summarise each chapter. That has become invaluable to me with times of writers block.
Don’t keep on checking how many you have sold each day, leave it at the very least a week between because it does become disheartening.
Do stay active on social media and make sure to blog at least once a week, even if it only gets one view and you are only writing that your cat threw up on you that week.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
To schedule writing, no matter what. Even with writers block, keep on writing.

What are you reading now?
The Touch of Ghosts by John Rickards. Although I am an incredibly slow fiction reader and not that far into it. So far though, I am enjoying it!

What’s next for you as a writer?
Keep on writing! Finish up the erotica’s by December, have all the Tribal Dawns completed and released by summer next year and then onto the project which I have been working on for over a decade!

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 SAS Survival Handbook, Zulu Rising by Ian Knight, Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (the one I never got to finish as a teen!), A Clash of Kings by George R.R. Martin (in the middle of reading that too).

Author Websites and Profiles
Cassie Wolf Website
Cassie Wolf Amazon Profile
Cassie Wolf Author Profile on Smashwords

Cassie Wolf’s Social Media Links
Facebook Profile
Twitter Account

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
Hi, I’m CJ and I am a 6 year old author. Yep, you heard right, I’m 6 and I write children’s books. You may be thinking what does a 6 year old know about writing children’s books? Well…. A lot. I’ve been reading them since I was a baby, or rather, my mom has been reading them to me (a lot), but that still counts, right?
That has all changed now. Thanks to my amazing mom (okay, those might be her words, not mine), and really great teachers, I can read them all by myself. I sometimes have a hard time with the big words, but, I practice every day, so, I’m getting better.
My mom thought it would be a great idea if I started writing my own books so that I can practice both reading and writing, and I must say, she was right (Don’t tell her I said that. She might start to think that she’s right about everything).
So, now I write books. I call them CJ’s Practice Readers, and I have decided to share them with the world so that other kids, especially 1st graders as awesome as me, can practice their reading too.
So, let’s recap: -I’ve been read to all of my life.
-I am now reading all by myself.
-I’m 6 years old.
-I’m in the first grade.
-I have an amazing mom who, coincidentally, is an author as well.
See, told you, I AM TOTALLY QUALIFY TO WRITE CHILDREN’S BOOKS! Yep!

I’ve just published my first book and I am working on my second one. I think they’re pretty awesome and I hope you will too!

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
My book is called Bluey Louie’s Ocean Adventure! I love sea creatures and thought that it would be great to write a book about them so that i can share my love for them with the world.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
I like to read Kids National Geographic.

What are you working on now?
I’m working on a book about a dinosaur. It’s called Meet Sam!

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

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Just write.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Make books that you would want to read and then share them with the world.

What are you reading now?
Geronimo Stilton- The Race Against Time.

What’s next for you as a writer?
I’m not sure yet, but hopefully it’s something awesome.

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 and everything dinosaurs, animals, sea creatures and amphibians.

Author Websites and Profiles
CJ Smith Amazon Profile

CJ Smith’s Social Media Links
Facebook Profile
Twitter Account

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
“Dream, Recurring” is my first novel. However, I plan to have three more in this series. Along with a short-story “mini” series about Bigfoot. In addition I have planned another series of five books along with a “one off” called “A Grain of Sand”. (Which will come after this first series.)

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
“Dream, Recurring” is my first project. The inspiration came from a short screenplay that I wrote back in the ’90’s which the novel is based on called “The Dream”. In that script was a woman who kept having a recurring dream night after night. So when it came to the novel I wanted something in the title that better reflected the story.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
When I’m writing I have a schedule of three pages a day. (Mainly because I have to still go to another job.) What this has meant is that no matter where I am in the story (emotionally) I stop at three pages. Then the next day I’ll read what I just wrote, fixing any minor edits before going into the next three pages. I’ve found that I can pick up where I left off, emotion and all, from the day before.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
Terry Pratchett is my favorite author. He produces a series of books under the series title: “Discworld Series”. Each book is witty, with a great story-line. They aren’t “Paranormal” at all but that’s who I like. Hahaha…

What are you working on now?
I’m preparing two fronts. On the one hand I want to write the screenplay for “Dream, Recurring”, however on the other, my wife and one or two readers are already looking forward to the next book: “When Night Falls”. (That’s the second book in the series.)

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
Well, I’ve just started the promoting. However, I’ve found some interesting things along the way.

1. Start talking about your book long before it comes out. Build relationships with as many people as possible.

2. Join as many Facebook groups about writing as you can. They do help. However, its key to write a post that drives click-through then finally hopefully conversion.

3. I’m now here at Awesomegang and am excited to try them out!

4. I’m also looking at Seriousreading.com too. They have a trial $1 for the first month and $14.99 for every month after that. They pack in quite a bit for that cost.

I don’t know how it’ll go but I do know I’ve just begun.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Don’t give up. Keep writing. That’s the biggest thing. You are the driver of your own project so it’s important to keep moving forward. I’ve also found that if you talk about it to people around you, the more you feel committed to publishing it.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Develop your characters! Once that happened the plot was able to form better out of that. In addition, write a logline. This is a “what’s it about” for movies. The one or two sentences that describe a film when the writer isn’t there. It works for books too. It’ll help shape your story in a big way.

What are you reading now?
“The Lost Rescue” by Daniel Owen. It documents the true story of two wagon trains that went west into Oregon back in 1845 and 1853. This to me is the definitive guide to that part of American history, little known to many (except those who live in Oregon of course).

What’s next for you as a writer?
Writing the screenplay to “Dream, Recurring”. I should be able to knock that out fairly quick so I can move to the next book in the 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?
Any of Terry Pratchett’s books. Something from Dr. Wayne Dyer’s collection. Plus the “The Lost Rescue”. This covers something entertaining, something inspirational and something historic.

Author Websites and Profiles
Mark Canniff Website
Mark Canniff Amazon Profile

Mark Canniff’s Social Media Links
Facebook Profile
Twitter Account

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I have written two novels. Patches of Grey was my debut and Matters of Convenience is scheduled to come out on November 15th of this year. I also wrote the novella Feeding the Squirrels which was published by SynergEbooks. And I am the author of quite a few short stories. Anthologies that contain my short stories are Proverbs for the People (Kensington Books), Role Call (Third World Press), The Game: Short Stories About the Life (Triple Crown Publications), Prose to be Read Aloud: Volume One, Ménage à 20: Tales with a Hook, Forever Travels, and IAI Short Story Compilation.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
Matters of Convenience. You can find a synopsis and excerpt (first 5000 words) at https://kindlescout.amazon.com/p/33R345E7HDCNR

I wanted to explore love stories from a variety of angles. Unrequited love. Unbalanced love. Slow and steady time tested love. Fast burning deeply passionate new love. Illicit love. Love that is settled for and into. In Matters of Convenience I found a way write of each of them among other varieties of devotion within the context of a single story.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
In 2016 is it now considered unusual to write longhand? If so then that is my unusual writing habit. Blog post length material is typically typed these days, but my first drafts of fictional pieces continue to come about by putting pen on paper. I don’t have a particular writing routine. My only rule is to always have a pen and some paper on hand just in case inspiration strikes.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
I am an avid reader and all of the books I have read over the years influenced me in ways I am mostly unaware of. The author I received the most blatant assist from was Judith Guest. I used her wonderful novel Ordinary People as a template to help me write my first novel. Studying it served as a writing course when I had an idea in my head and needed guidance on how to lay it out on pages.

What are you working on now?
I am working on a series of children’s books (The Absolutely Amazing Adventures of Ava Appelsawse) in collaboration with my extremely talented wife who is the illustrator. The first story has been written and awaits illustrations while I proceed with writing the second and beyond. My novel Matters of Convenience has been submitted to Amazon’s Kindle Scout contest. The link below will take you to an excerpt that went live 9/14 and will be up for 30 days. Please check it out if interested, and hopefully you’ll see fit to nominate MOC for a publishing deal from Kindle Press. Thank you very much in advance to those who show my book some love. If KP chooses to publish Matters of Convenience, everyone who nominated it will win a free copy.

https://kindlescout.amazon.com/p/33R345E7HDCNR

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I’m a big fan of GoodReads which I utilize to review books along with doing some promotion of my own prose. I use facebook and Twitter to promote my writing as well. All three sites are ones I would spend cyber time at whether that time could be used to market myself or not, so the promotional opportunities are a bonus rather than the primary reason for being there.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Regularly read plenty of varied material. Even if you have a favorite genre that you write and prefer to read, be sure to go outside your comfort zone from time to time. You never know where the next writing or life lesson may come from. Venture beyond the confines of your own literary neighborhood and explore. And keep your pen regularly moving. It’s harder to start back up after stopping than it is to continue going. One of the posts at my blog A Line A Day is “Advice for Aspiring Authors” – http://lineaday.blogspot.com/2010/04/advice-for-aspiring-authors.html

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Get over it. The advice was about a girl but probably can be applied to writing somehow.

What are you reading now?
Youngblood by Matt Gallagher. It’s about the war in Iraq.

What’s next for you as a writer?
I much prefer writing to marketing but the latter is a necessary evil. I have targeted 11/15/16 as the publication date for Matters of Convenience which means the writing of it is done, the hustling to get eyeballs on it barely begun. Full energy will be put into that while waiting for the plot of novel # 3 to reach my consciousness. If things work out for me with the Scout contest, Amazon’s Kindle Press will publish Matters of Convenience in ebook format while I put out the print edition under M.U.D. House Books. Once again I encourage readers to check out the excerpt from MOC at https://kindlescout.amazon.com/p/33R345E7HDCNR

While engaged in the Kindle Scout campaign I will also be working on the Ava Appelsawse books.

If you were going to be stranded on a desert island and allowed to take 3 or 4 books with you what books would you bring?
The World According to Garp by John Irving. Love in the Time of Cholera by Gabriel Garcia Marquez. The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao by Junot Diaz. Lolita by Vladimir Nabokov.

Author Websites and Profiles
Roy Pickering Website
Roy Pickering Amazon Profile
Roy Pickering Author Profile on Smashwords

Roy Pickering’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 Mary Schmidt and I write under the pen names of S. Jackson & A. Raymond. We have published twelve books thus far and another due out in November. S. Jackson is a retired registered nurse; a member of the Catholic Church, and has taught kindergarten Catechism; she has worked in various capacities for The American Cancer Society, March of Dimes, Cub and Boy Scouts, (son,
Noah, is an Eagle Scout), and sponsored trips for high school children music. She loves all forms of art but mostly focuses on the visual arts; as amateur photography, traditional, and graphic art as her disabilities allow. More recently, she loves to devote precious time with her first grandson, Austin.
A. Raymond is a member of the Catholic Church, and has helped his wife with The American Cancer Society, March of Dimes, Cub and Boy Scouts, and sponsored children alongside his wife on music trips. He devotes his spare time to fishing, reading, playing poker, Jeeping, and travel adventures with his wife.

Somewhere in my fifth grade school year, I wrote a play for three friends and myself, all on my own for a school assignment. In reflection, it seems really hilarious now. My ‘co-writers’ were quite glad when I volunteered to write the play by myself (how little did I know at the time). Picture in your mind a young girl about nine years old, using an old manual typewriter, not knowing how to type, and using old style carbon paper between layers of white paper. That was a recipe for disaster in 1969. Needless to say I had many errors and with carbon paper the copies underneath were even worse. We performed our skit and so many laughed at our pathetic yet humorous play. I wrote short stories growing up and kept journals, however books were really my thing. It seemed like every time I turned around I was obtaining a new library card due to the current one being stamped complete. Diving into a good book made any day perfect and you would be surprised at the number of books I read over and over. I drew paper dolls and clothing for them, and using watercolor as my medium when painting scenes, especially flowers. I continued with art in high school exploring a wide variety of arts and I loved it! The creative side of me loves to be an amateur “shutter-bug” and we actually have an online art gallery. In college I went into the sciences of all things and received a Bachelor’s degree in the Science of Nursing. My nursing career was highly successful and I hung up my nursing hat in December 2012.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
In Shadow and Friends European Vacation, a small dog named Shadow wins a free trip to Europe because of all of her books that teach children safety at home, and during adventures. Shadow is allowed to take five friends with her on this fabulous trip, and she chooses to take five squirrel friends. In this delightful and funny book for children, safety is taught through the hilarious antics of
her friends. Throughout this story of teaching children about historical areas and places in Europe, squirrel antics keep children entertained, and safety is learned. Targeted at ages 4-11, this book is easy to read and perfect for home or classroom. This story illustrates a few of Europe’s fascinating features
with illustrations for children and adults. Of all things, National Lampoons inspired part of this fourth book in a children’s series.

“Shadow and Friends European Vacation” is a cute and hilarious book for those with children of all ages, and certainly hits age target range of 4–11. I laughed right along with my grandchildren as I read this funny story to them. No one would ever expect to see a squirrel zip-line down from the observation deck of the Eiffel tower, let alone four squirrels! Shadow certainly taught the squirrels and children about safety after that escapade, amid lots of laughter. Jackson managed to keep this learning story fun while teaching at the same time and keeping my grandchildren captivated throughout. This book is perfect for home, schools, and libraries. I highly recommend this book.
~ Susan Vance

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
Not really, but I do derive inspiration in the most unlikely of places such as my shower. We love writing engaging funny learning stories for children.

Unusual – well, our memoir has three beginnings! My first book happens to be a memoir. Most definitely! In my memoir, I hope to help other’s in life in a variety of settings. I want to inspire battered/abused women to have the positivity, that enables them to get out of bad life situations. I want to empower parents to be advocates for their sick child. I want to help other parents who have lost a child/children that there is hope, that faith will waver, and that this kind of loss is the “King of Loss” and to take it minute by minute, day by day, as they rewrite the life they had planned when their child was alive. I want to spread what my five year old little boy knew about Jesus and Heaven! I want to spread what my five year old little boy knew about Jesus and Heaven! I want to help parents and educators to know how to speak to a student who has experienced this kind of loss, and I also want to give information to parents, educators, and the like, information on how to spot and help children who are being bullied, physically and emotionally abused, molested, or sexually abused, through learning about good touch/bad touch.

A couple days ago a nine year old boy committed suicide due to being bullied. This is a sad situation for children. Recently, we wrote a book about bullies. In The Big Cheese Festival, we meet Stubby Mouse and his family and friends. We learn that Stubby Mouse has a secret, that he is being bullied by another mouse, simply because his tail is short. Read how Stubby Mouse stood up for himself, and how he ended the bullying, in this delightful story for children. Targeted at ages 4-8, the book is easy to read and perfect for home or classroom. Children learn how bad bullying is, and what they can do to help stop bullies! Stubby Mouse encourages children to take a stand against bullies, and always be kind to each other. This story illustrates how everyone is different and unique, and it is a delightful read with cute illustrations for both children and adults. Take a stand against bullying today!

“The Big Cheese Festival” is a must read book for those with children of all ages, even though it is
geared towards ages 4–8. Children learn what bullying is, and how to take a stand to stop bullies.
This story is perfect for home, schools, and libraries, as it is so important that children be taught, and
learn, kindness towards others no matter how different someone is to them. Jackson has cleverly used both boy and girl mice, in a manner that gets the point across while keeping children captivated. I highly recommend this charming book. Susan Vance

What authors, or books have influenced you?
Susan Vance and Max Bear are wonderful story tellers and they are indie published.

Growing up I was all about Nancy Drew, Cherry Ames, Little House on the Prairie, Dr. Seuss, Dick and Jane primers, well the list is endless there as well. I adore Regency and Victorian era romances and sci-fi books. In my 20’s and 30’s I favored historical fictional romance from author greats such as Lisa Kleypas, Julia Quinn, and the like.

What are you working on now?
Nest up is the fifth book in our children’s series featuring one small dog and our backyard squirrels. They will be celebrating Christmas in Manhattan. Lots of fun with this story for sure.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
Facebook, blogging, Twitter, and doing author interviews with fellow authors. I do have a publicist who handles Facebook for me.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Write from your heart and just do it!

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
One bad review isn’t the end of your writing career. Don’t use friends or family to edit or proof your book; professionals are better in the long run.

What are you reading now?
Letting Go Into Perfect Love by Gwen Plano. I highly recommend this book.

What’s next for you as a writer?
We just finished a screenplay of our memoir. “When Angels Fly”, and we have three producers interested in it already. Sarah had a story that needed to be told, Eli had an amazing story to tell and it just needed to be done. Many tears flowed, and the days were hard, indeed, but really, this memoir was written so that others could be helped in so many different ways. In essence, “When Angels Fly” is a true story of survival fraught with tragedy that will hold your soul. In utter sadness, great hope and faith grows. This is the inspirational story about a woman who was able to rise above an extremely abusive childhood and later marriage, to learn faith, love, and motherhood from her own son’s courageous fight with cancer. It provides an illuminating example of how women who are in physically, mentally and emotionally abusive relationships can successfully escape even in the most challenging of times. It also warns of how the actions of medical professionals can be a soothing balm or a deadly arrow. The story draws the reader into the life of a mother and her wonderful little boy who is strong beyond his years and who leaves a lasting impression on all who knew him. This story is so powerful, and the messages can help many, so making a move will help more people.

If you were going to be stranded on a desert island and allowed to take 3 or 4 books with you what books would you bring?
1. My Bible – I can read my bible over and over.
2. My memoir, When Angels Fly, as there are pictures of my children in it.
3. Robinson Crusoe as the inspiration for way to stay alive are useful, to say the least.

Author Websites and Profiles
Mary Schmidt Website
Mary Schmidt Amazon Profile

Mary Schmidt’s Social Media Links
Facebook Profile
Twitter Account

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I have spent most of my life studying science and technology, and more recently business, but I have been an avid reader for all of my life and love to escape into fiction. I just had some stories inside me that had to get out and this resulted in the two fiction books I have written.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
My latest book is titled Time Unbound. It is really the second half of Running the Inside Timeline, my first book. I am inspired by technology and the future of technology and where we are heading as a species. Technological change and innovation is happening so rapidly now it is difficult to envision what our world will be like in even twenty-five years. It seems to happen much more rapidly than that. Even so, I think when a new technology is developed, there will be unintended consequences, which is a plot element in my books.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I like to write after I exercise. My brain becomes really active with stories and plot turns while I am exercising and I want to get that creative burst down in writing.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
I think everything I have read has influenced me in some regard. My writing is influenced a lot by the ideas of Ray Kurzweil and I like the writings of Ramez Naam, Kim Stanley Robinson and Vernor Vinge as well as some of the classic writers like Heinlein, Asimov, Clarke, William Gibson and James P. Hogan.

What are you working on now?
I’m working on the third book in the Dawn of Time Travel series. I am introducing some new characters and will take them down a different path than the first two.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I am a natural geek and introvert, so it is very difficult to promote myself and my books. I am trying some new things with your website and different promotions on Amazon.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Being fairly new myself, I’m not sure I can give any advice other than to never stop dreaming up stories.

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

What are you reading now?
I’m reading some historical non-fiction that is background for the book I am working on as well as the Apex, the third book in the Ramez Naam Nexus trilogy.

What’s next for you as a writer?
Keep writing and improve every day.

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?
Neuromancer by William Gibson, Thrice Upon a Time by James P. Hogan, The Gunslinger by Stephen King, and The Time Traveler’s Wife by Audrey Niffenegger.

Author Websites and Profiles
Ada Fairfax Website
Ada Fairfax Amazon Profile

Ada Fairfax’s Social Media Links
Facebook Profile

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
Hi. I’m Tim Rees and my background is military and after that BBC drama. I’ve made a lot of films and drama series with the BBC, most notably, Mimosa Boys, a Play For Today written from my diary and letters. I left the BBC to focus on writing novels, but life kept getting in the way – I had to earn money and then there’s relationships. I’m happiest writing and being in love with a beautiful woman, but both those options are incompatible, at least for me, so now I’m focused on writing. My first novel was about an African American running for the White House. I wrote that thriller in 1997 and the hook line was: “A scenario of why Colin Powell failed to run for the White House.” I got an agent very quickly and flew to New York to sign a deal with HarperCollins. Everything fell through because of the perceived controversial subject matter. One vice president of a major publishing house wrote to me and stated I was stretching credulity to breaking point and beyond. He referred, of course, to the fact of my suggesting America would ever have a black president. For some years after that I found myself in another relationship and when that predictably failed, I returned to writing, but this time I thought I’d be smarter and get my foot in the traditional publishing door first by writing a memoir I suspected would quickly get published as it involved the Falklands war and a few anecdotes about the British royal family. In Sights: The Story Of A Welsh Guardsman was published by The History Press in 2013. Since I have written two novels. WTF will be perceived as controversial by many and it is certainly an adults only novel, but Delphian is firmly in the thriller genre, although it is a bit different.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
I wrote Delphian because I wanted to expose the hypocrisy that is vivisection, yet I accept the argument that if I had a child dying of cancer I would be desperate for a cure. Thus the story begins with someone’s child being used as a vivisection subject.

I also wanted to create a character that was a cross between Ludlum’s Jason Bourne and Forsythe’s The Jackal. Although I think Vincent, the starring rogue British agent, has ended up more like Timothy Olyphant’s Hitman with the addition he’s a master of disguise.

And I wanted the story to have international, commercial appeal. When I write a novel I’m very much thinking about film and write every scene as if I’m watching it in a movie. So for the atmosphere of Delphian I drew heavily on the Scandinavian TV series The Bridge and I have tried to marry that with the unrelenting pace of the Bourne film series. The readers will judge whether I’ve been successful, but it was fun trying.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I don’t know what you mean by unusual as my writing habits are usual to me. I suppose it isn’t usual for a thriller writer to allow the characters to lead the way with regard plot. When I begin a story I have absolutely no idea how it is going to finish. I know the points I wish to make, but everything that happens are decisions made by the characters themselves.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
In most recent years Clancy, Grisham and Child. But stories I read and re-read in my youth were Tarzan books by Edgar Rice Burroughs and when I was very young I devoured Enid Blyton’s Swallows and Amazons and Mary O’Hara’s trilogy, My Friend Flicka, Thunderhead and The Green Grass Of Wyoming.

What are you working on now?
Another thriller that again stars Millie Hind and Vincent.

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

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Finish the novel before you show it to anyone or ask anyones advice. Go with your gut. Writing is all about self-belief.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Rewrite and rewrite and rewrite…

What are you reading now?
Life Or Death by Michael Robotham.

What’s next for you as a writer?
I have already adapted Delphian into a three two-hour episode series for TV and WTF has been adapted to a two-hour film. I want to make a return to film making.

Author Websites and Profiles
Tim Rees Website
Tim Rees Amazon Profile

Tim Rees’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile
Facebook Profile
Twitter Account

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
Angellene M. Brown is a Graphic Designer for five years who reside in Clarendon, Jamaica. She loves to read and write fiction stories that has action, adventure, mystery and romance. She recently decides to share her first book with the world called Kidnapped A Phylisha J. Phillips Story, The Thief and The Dog is another book that is also currently out; it is a short story with action and humour.
Angellene is currently working on two books, The Mourners that is filled with action, adventure, supernatural and mystery. The Con and The Parrot is another short story with humour and action.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
My latest book is called The Thief and The Dog it’s about a dog who tries to stop a thief from
stealing a statue. it is a short story filled with humor and action. this story just came to me out of no
where one night when i saw a dog trying to jump over my gate.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
believe it or not i write the middle of the story before the begin or the end

What authors, or books have influenced you?
the books that inspired me is the Firm, Remember, P is for peril and The Bad Witness

What are you working on now?
i’m working on two books right now The Mourners, this story is mystery,action and supernatural. The Con and the Parrot is a another short story

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
kindle is the best website so far to get your book out there

Do you have any advice for new authors?
I know sometimes it’s frustrating to get your books to be known. my advice to you is to do a lot of research and don’t give up.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Never give up your dreams, you’ll regret it later if you do

What are you reading now?
Remember by Barbara Taylor Bradford

What’s next for you as a writer?
i’m working on two books right now The Mourners, this story is mystery,action and supernatural. The Con and the Parrot is a another short story

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?
Sue Grafton series G-M, Sleeping With Fear

Author Websites and Profiles
Angellene Brown Website

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I am a musician and an author I have two books out one is a poetry collection, and the other is a short story. I am still working on my novel a tale of two faces now.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
Its called Inception, and its just a crazy story about a guy named Jimmy who is a big screw up and some of the events and re connections he has throughout the story shape his thinking (or does it)

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
Yeah I write at 2am mostly while listening to heavy metal music, strange I know.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
Edgar Allan Poe, Emily Dickinson, Stephen King, those are the most promising authors.

What are you working on now?
A Tale Of Two Faces its a thriller romance novel!

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
Google what you can, call everyone you know, try to do tons of readings. I like smash words a lot, as far as websites for ebooks. Email your manuscript to as many publications as you can, and don’t be afraid of rejection, for every 10 you submit you might get two that publish, and thats’ a success.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Learn how to format ebooks and get proficient in word and you will do just fine.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
You don’t know what will happen if you never try, and put yourself out there!

What are you reading now?
Emily Dickinson poetry collection

What’s next for you as a writer?
Who know’s its hard to tell. I go by inspiration and if lightning doesn’t strike well I have to wait a tic till it does lol!

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?
Stephen King — Pet Cemetery
Edgar Allan Poe — Complete Works
Emily Dickinson — Complete Works
And A Map, though not a book it might get me out of my situation a little quicker lol.

Author Websites and Profiles
Mike Santucci Website
Mike Santucci Amazon Profile
Mike Santucci Author Profile on Smashwords

Mike Santucci’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile
Facebook Profile
Twitter Account

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I’m the author of the fantasy series REBEL VAMPIRES. Blood Dragons was my debut novel and Blood Shackles is the second book. Blood Renegades is published spring 2017. I’m a fantasy and paranormal romance fanatic and music junkie – cut me open and I bleed Nirvana… I spend my time falling in love with the rebels fighting their way out of my head… and onto the page.

I’m a traditionally published short story writer under the name R. A. Johns. I write fantasy for rebels – dark romance with a thriller edge.

I wrote my first fantasy novel at the age of ten, when I discovered the weird worlds inside my head were more exciting than double swimming. My teacher called my parents, concerned about the ‘strange fantasy and science fiction books’, which I was avidly reading. My parents were rather proud of that. Since then I’ve studied history at Oxford University, run a theatre company (my critically acclaimed plays have been described as ‘uncomfortable, unsettling and uneasily true to life’) and worked with disability charities.

I head the Oxford writing group Dreaming Spires and am a member of the British Fantasy Society. But usually? I’m lost in my own secret worlds. And who would want to leave them?

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
Blood Shackles is out 1st November 2016. You can see it here: http://viewbook.at/BloodShackles
It is available now for pre-order.

It’s the second book in the Rebel Vampire series but is standalone. The first book in the series – Blood Dragons – was released in August: http://viewbook.at/BloodDragons

Rebel Vampires is set in the supernatural world of Blood Life, where vampires are both predator and prey. In a secret paranormal London, society is divided between First Lifers (humans) and Blood Lifers (vampires). I love vampires. But I wanted to write a vampire book for adults. Where they were not simply the hunters but also the hunted. They’ve always hidden in the shadows. But their whole species – and even the world – is threatened when at last they’re dragged into the light.

In the first book – Blood Dragons – the idea was sparked by my autistic son. He has a photographic memory. Light (the Blood Lifer in both books) has both a talent for remembering things and for numbers too. I wondered what it would be like to live through the centuries witnessing glorious wonders and devastating horrors. And remembering everything with the clarity of a photograph.
Blood Dragons is out now (e-book and paperback): http://viewbook.at/BloodDragons

There are three people in this affair…and two of them aren’t human. A rebel, a red-haired devil and a Moon Girl battle to save the world – or tear it apart.

In my latest book – Blood Shackles – the idea was sparked by freedom. Or the loss of it. Human trafficking and slavery. My husband is a police officer and it’d startled me the increase in human slavery in England. What would happen if it was the Blood Lifers, who could be trafficked? Like Taken with vampires. Light is forced to write a slave journal for his new Mistress: but can a slave truly love his Mistress? Or a Mistress their slave? What different types of freedom are there? And can Light free his family, his whole species – even himself – from their chains?

WELCOME TO THE BLOOD CLUB – WHERE THE PREDATORS… BECOME THE PREY.
http://viewbook.at/BloodShackles

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I write everything out by hand, rather than onto a computer. I can’t write creatively on a computer. I can write emails, interviews and essays. But not novels, plays or short stories. For me, the same flow isn’t there. And there’s also the danger of the easy edit. On a computer you can stop. Delete. Shift around whole sections. On the page, you can’t do that. For the first draft you need to simply let it all flow out. And not edit as you go. The critical voice – which allows you to edit – shouldn’t be switched on until the second draft. That’s the one I do when I type onto the computer. After that, I do edits, which focus on different elements – and polish the text, like polishing a gem.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
When I was eight I injured my leg and wasn’t able to walk for six months. I’d been a little tomboy until then. But that forced me to devour books. And I read two things: my mum’s entire collection of antique Dickens. And my parent’s (and local library’s) adult fantasy and science fiction. Including Brian Aldiss.

Aldiss’ books are genius for world building and hit you in the gut with their emotion: without even appearing to try. They taught me that fantasy and science fiction can be powerful. Because they can talk about our world, through new ones. Can challenge and subvert. And can do it under the guise of thrilling entertainment. It hooked me. And I never returned to children’s books again.

What are you working on now?
I’m writing the third book in the Rebel Vampires series – Blood Renegades. It’s out spring 2017.
Light has only two weeks to give his witness to a Blood Life inquiry, on trial for his life, before he’s burnt at the stake – because who wants to hear the truth? There will be ancient Long-liveds, conspiracies and of course dark romance. There may even be revolution…

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
Bloggers. Having a good relationship and working well with the people around you. Being a UK based author is tough. A large number of my readers are in America – and I physically can’t get to see them or tour around easily. I can’t visit bookshops. But I can go online whenever I want. I can interact via email, my website, Facebook, Twitter and Google. I love chatting to readers, reviewers, other authors and bloggers. I’m highly social, so it works well for me. Being an author is primarily solitary. But promoting a book isn’t. You need a network. So thanks to all the fantastic people, who’ve supported me so far – as Light would say – ‘you’re blinding’!

Do you have any advice for new authors?
1. Know your craft. I wrote plays before writing novels, so I do see it as a craft. If you have the talent, then it can be refined. You can learn by writing, just like a violinist practices for hundreds of thousands of hours to become a virtuoso. I’ve written a number of novels before these ones. Also short stories. The more you write? The better you’ll be.

2. If you’re passionate and love writing more than anything else? Live it? Breathe it? Would write even if you were never published? Then don’t stop. Don’t give up. And think how many times all writers have been knocked back. A writer will have a writer’s heart. And you’ll know it. Just keen refining, keep writing and keep trying. Writing is tough – but if it’s in your soul? It’s who you are. And don’t let anyone make you doubt that.

3. Don’t be solitary. Find a group and writers who are further along the journey than you. You can learn from them – their mistakes more than their successes if you’re wise! I head the Dreaming Spires Group in Oxford and love Book Groups and Writers Group. I’m always open to them contacting me. I think it’s important writers help each other out. Many authors will point to a writing mentor as the defining point in their career.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
“Be authentic.”

It doesn’t have to just apply to writing. In fact it shouldn’t. It should sink deep into who you are. To be able to present who you truly are to the world? That’s something few of us can manage.

In writing terms? It sounds easy. But it isn’t. It means strip away ostentation. Or learnt rules. It means thinking deeply about what genre you intend to write in – and why. Does it truly represent who you are – what you’re passionate about? The issues you care about? And writing them in a style and voice, which reflects that?

But the pay-off? A truly authentic voice sings off the page. It’s where great writing lies. And even greater compensation? You as a writer will feel truly passionate about your work because it will mean something to you down to your core. Because it’s authentically you. It won’t be marketing – it will be telling people about a book you love – and means something. Genuine.

That’s what Rebel Vampires means to me. Both Blood Dragons and Blood Shackles are personally important to me. They’re authentic.

That’s why it’s the best advice I’ve ever heard.

What are you reading now?
I’m rereading Anne Rice’s The Vampire Lestat. It’s my favourite Anne Rice novel because I love Lestat. Anne Rice has the ability to take you with her deep into the world she creates. Lestat is such a compelling and morally complex antihero.

I love antiheroes; I’ve always been drawn to the dark character, who’s searching for redemption. In plays or books, I would focus often on the minor character, who was struggling to do the right thing, rather than the hero who won the day without a second thought. If there was no struggle – no near insurmountable obstacle to overcome – where was the excitement?

In Rebel Vampires Light is just such an anti-hero on a redemptive journey. And the obstacles he has to face? Let’s just say…it’s going to be exciting…

What’s next for you as a writer?
Next year I have Blood Renegades coming out in spring. It is the third book in the Rebel Vampires series. I’m also working on several other ideas around the Rebel Vampires world.

I’ll also start work on another series but this time something different to vampires… It will, however, still be fantasy for rebels, dark romance with a thriller edge.

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?
OK, so if I was stranded, I would want books either for comfort or which would make me laugh (because come on – not much else to laugh at, right?). So…

1. Douglas Adams: The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy. Don’t EVER see the film. Just read the book. Ever since I was a kid and I was unwell, this was my comfort book to make me snigger. So English. And so funny.
2. Mikhail Bulgakov: The Master and Margarita. The best Russian satire you’ll ever read – and if that doesn’t sell it to you…add in vampire attacks, the devil dropping in on Moscow and a vodka-glugging black cat… The best fantasy I’ve ever read.
3. Charles Dickens: Pickwick Papers. When I was eight and working my way through Dickens, this was my favourite. And still is. It was Dickens’ first novel, written when he was only 24. And it’s a genius mix of hilarious characters, farcical events and satire, which tips into the tragic. There’s nothing more English. Or reminds me more of London. I’d need that on a desert island: to think of home…

Author Websites and Profiles
Rosemary A Johns Website
Rosemary A Johns Amazon Profile

Rosemary A Johns’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 a self published author, having published my debut novel, Baby Blue, in June 2016 through Amazon.
I am an avid reader as well as a writer, reading extensively and in a variety of genres. I find this helps, especially if I’m lacking in inspiration and I’m looking for a new idea!

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
My latest book is entitled Baby Blue and is a novel of contemporary fiction.
I started writing it in September of last year – 2015 – after a holiday in Cornwall with my husband. I remember sitting on top of a large crag of rock overlooking the sea and the character of Suzanna Sharp just seemed to form herself in my mind!
The plot itself, I think, came from a lifetime of reading some of my favourite contemporary authors such as Jodi Picoult and Diane Chamberlain. I wanted a subject I could really get my teeth into but also convey a strong message to its audience.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
Depending on my subject matter, I like to listen to movie soundtracks while I write… Is that unusual?!

What authors, or books have influenced you?
My Sisters Keeper by Jodi Picoult was one of the first contemporary novels I read that had me absolutely addicted to books of similar genre.
I have read a LOT of Jodi’s books and I love the honesty with which she writes.
Diane Chamberlain is another firm favourite, as her topics are always interesting and thought-provoking.
I have to say, though, one of my all-time favourites has to be Kate Morton. Her descriptions and love of language never fails to amaze me and I often feel like I’m part of another world when I’m reading one of her books. The Forgotten Garden is definitely a book that has influenced my love of both reading and writing.
I can’t not mention a childhood favourite of mine – Brian Jacques. He wrote a series called Redwall in the 1990’s and I devoured each and every book when I was about eleven years old! His were the only series of childhood books that I remember crying real tears when I had finished the last book in the series!

What are you working on now?
I am currently working on a series of novels entitled The Good Pirate – a historical adventure series for Young Adults – and hope for this to be released early 2017.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I’m still learning when it comes to promoting and marketing and I can completely see why this is a full-time job in itself!!
Sites like Goodreads and various social media platforms – Twitter, Facebook – do make it easier to stay in touch with others who are like-minded and share the same goals.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Don’t let the fear of failure keep you from doing what you love

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
I suppose ‘Do what you love’ isn’t really advice, but whenever someone says this or I hear it on TV, it always rings true for me. I’ve never been happy in any job that I had since I was sixteen as they always held me back creatively, and so I make sure that every day, I do something that I’m passionate about. It makes me feel alive

What are you reading now?
I’m reading a book called The Illusionists by Rosie Thomas

What’s next for you as a writer?
I am currently working on the editing process for my next book, The Good Pirate.

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 Forgotten Garden’ by Kate Morton, ‘Triss’ by Brian Jacques, ‘Pirates!’ By Celia Rees, and the Bible

Author Websites and Profiles
Chelcie Cotton Amazon Profile

Chelcie Cotton’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile
Facebook Profile
Twitter Account

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
Currently, I’ve written only two books. But, I’ve already started on the three and final installation of the Keynosian / Northern Alliance conflict series.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
Fallen Sun is my latest, despite the story taking place 75 years before the story of my first book Sectors. Fallen Sun was inspired by Sectors actually. I wanted to tell the story of a woman that gave birth to the resistance and set the stage for the current resistance fighters that will be presented in the 3rd book.

And I wanted to tell the story of a really powerful woman that kicks major butt.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I guess my most unusual writing habit is, I don’t… won’t work on the weekend. That’s family time, and I really hold that time sacred.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
My biggest influences are Frank Herbert, Daniel Keyes and Paulo Coelho. I love writers who have some subtexts to their stories that are applicable to real life.

What are you working on now?
I’m currently working on the 3rd book. No name yet. I usually give my novels a title after their completed. I have to ask my wife to see what clicks for her. She has the better sense of what works commercially than I do.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I think the best think you can do is write a great book. Everything else is just getting people to give it a chance. With a good book, you can be sure that if someone takes it for a spin, they’ll have a good ride.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Writer’s block is a myth. The cure for writer’s block is writing. Even if it sucks, you can always go back and fix it. Bottom line is, you can’t edit a blank page.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
If you’re going to write something in the sci-fi genre, take it to it’s logical end. That way, you can understand all of the implications those alterations can have on the world around your characters.

What are you reading now?
I’m currently reading a sci-fi horror called The Flight of the Ferryman.

What’s next for you as a writer?
More great stories! I would really like to be a prolific writer, but having a day job really makes it difficult to do so.

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?
All of the books of the Dune series written by Frank Herbert.

Author Websites and Profiles
Harule Stokes Website
Harule Stokes Amazon Profile

Harule Stokes’s Social Media Links
Twitter Account

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
My name is Maxine Sarr and I’m a former criminal defence lawyer from Manchester. I now teach English as a second language in Ecuador and I’m a newly published author!

Criminal defence law was my passion but it sucked the marrow from me. It overtook my life and I was unable to stop working, even when I wasn’t working. I worked 18 hour days 7 days a week and eventually I got to the stage when I realised I needed to leave for my health and sanity. The biggest decision I’ve ever made in my life – walking away from something that I’ve always wanted to do, to be.

I like teaching but I’m not passionate about it. When I left England I said I wanted to teach to keep a roof over my head but eventually I wanted to be a writer.

Moral Justice is the first book in a trilogy under my pen name Catherine Michael. I’ve started a short humourous story under my own name which I hope to self-publish next month.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
My first and therefore my latest is Moral Justice.

There were days in Manchester, after work, after a particuarly gruesome case we would end up at the nearest pub and attempt to drink away the angst. Moral Justice came from a throwaway comment made by a colleague that stuck in my mind.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I don’t think so. I tend to get up at about 4.00 a.m. to write. This is because it’s an hour before the chickens who live above my apartment. I figure if I get an hour’s worth of writing with the only sound being the river running next to my apartment before the chickens start calling out to each other (which is usually about 5) I will be in the zone. It works.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
In my 20s to 40s all I read was crime and law books, fiction and non-fiction. I was obsessed and very picky. Stephen King and John Grisham being at the top of my list then. I also loved to read the classics – A Tale of Two Cities is one I still re-read, so is The Portrait of Dorian Gray.

When I left the law in 2006 it opened my eyes to the real world and different genres. A book that kept me awake all night until I finished was Rohinton Mistry: A Fine Balance; very powerful book.

Now that I’m no longer working full time it’s given me the opportunity to read books I wouldn’t have the opportunity to if I still lived in England. Fingerprints of the Gods by Graham Hancock, all the books of Khalil Gibran and Rumi and a man, much like myself in spirit, Henry David Thoreau.

What are you working on now?
I’m writing a short humourous story called A Day in the Life of An Extra. This is based on something that actually did happen to me after I left law. I had the opportunity to work as an extra at The Opera House in Manchester and the whole experience still makes me smile today.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I have no idea I self-published two days ago and for one of those days I slept!

I’m trying to connect with all types of websites, youtube, facebook groups, Twitter (but for the life of me I cannot get to grips with that particular website), Pinterest. I’ve got my own website but I’m still learning the process. Before I started writing I only had a facebook account that I logged onto every three or four months to let people know that I’m still alive.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
No, I’d like some.

I think that it’s easy to get caught up in the software tools and “help” for a fee that’s out there that it takes discipline to just put your head down, write and believe in yourself.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Write and believe in yourself.

What are you reading now?
I’ve started to re-read (for the fourth time) Rust and Bone by Craig Davidson.

What’s next for you as a writer?
I will publish A Day in the Life of an Extra next month. I want to do a lot of research for the second book of the Moral Justice trilogy. It has some dark subject matter and I want to do it justice.

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?
Rohinton Mistry – A Fine Balance
Oscar Wilde – The Portrait of Dorian Gray (when did it change to Picture of Dorian Gray!!)
Khalil Gibran – A Tear and a Smile
Henry David Thoreau – Walden

Author Websites and Profiles
Catherine Michael Website

Catherine Michael’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile
Facebook Profile
Twitter Account
Pinterest Account

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
Jamala-Ms. J has been writing for 35+ years. She currently resides in the Atlanta, Georgia Metro with her musician/videographer husband. She reads almost anything and writes mainly fiction. She dabbles in poetry, prose and other non-fiction works. She has been published in regional magazines and newsletters. She is currently working on another collection of short stories. She has several collections of short stories, which include And I Trusted You, What Is This World Coming To? and The Run Trilogy.

Jamela-Ms. J also has a few standalone short stories and flash fiction pieces; Quickie, Cruel Intentions, Your Love, Family Gathering, Mr. & Mrs. Santiago and Unknown Factor. The Run Trilogy is a compilation of three short stories (Hit and Run, You Better Run and Who’s Running Now). A novella, Kidnapped in Love was released in January 2014 and a 2nd edition has just been released. She enjoys, reading, singing and obviously, writing. Jamala-Ms. J believes everything good will take hard work and is worth having, especially if it benefits others.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
My lastest book is Kidnapped in Love2: Backfire. It is the 2nd part of a story inspired by the phrase, “I’m going to kidnap you.” This was said by a friend several years ago and I developed a story around it.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
Yes. I usually write several different pieces at one time. For instance, I can usually work on a fiction piece, then go directly to writing a grant or a piece for a nonfiction piece of work. I just divide my mind in half and get it done.

I also, start at the ending and work my way back tot he beginning of the story.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
VC Andrews, Danielle Steel, Mary Higgins Clark, Jane Austin, William Faulkner, James Patterson, Dean Koontz

What are you working on now?
I am completing a fiction piece, Kidnapped in Love2: Backfire and I’ve also begun a nonfiction piece on bipolar disorder

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I have just begun to promote my work and mainly use Twitter at this point.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Write, read and never give up.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Believe in yourself or no one will.

What are you reading now?
I just complete the Bible.

What’s next for you as a writer?
I want to move into writing for screen (large and small).

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?
Hmmm, this is tough. For sure, I would have to have the Bible and the Color Purple. Unfortunately, I cannot think of any others.

Author Websites and Profiles
Jamela Thomas Website
Jamela Thomas Amazon Profile

Jamela Thomas’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile
Facebook Profile
Twitter Account
Pinterest Account

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
Thanks for taking the time to interview me. “How to be a Great Manager – Now” published by Pearson is my first mainstream book. I’m a Training Consultant and Speaker with a love of theatre which I still entertain from time to time. My academic background is Psychology and my Doctorate is from Brunel University Business School (focusing on the training and emotional support of customer-facing professionals – particularly teachers and nurses). I trained as an Organisational Coach, using my skills within the public sector. I am currently one of the resident guest experts on The Chrissy B Show discussing positive psychology and wellbeing (Sky203). I also host “Lifestyle:MK” on Secklow Sounds, and present at National and International conferences.

I am the founder of CLICK Consultancy and CLICK ARTS:
CLICK Consultancy specialises in personal and professional development using experiential learning techniques. All my programmes are UK CPD (Continuing Professional Development) Standards Accredited, and my clients include local and International community groups, universities and public sector organisations. I am also a member of the BPsS, the IPPA, the IFL, HEA and British Actors Equity.
CLICK ARTS is a voluntary community theatre group (supported by CLICK Consultancy), producing plays and musicals to support and raise awareness of local charities. We have performed at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival as well as locally and abroad.
I am also a director of “A Great Escape” (a live escape game company) offering an unusual team activity for corporate and friend & family groups where I also offer organisational training for teams.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
My book is “How to be a Great Manager – Now” and it is the flagship of the Pearson “Speed Read 2-in-1 Series”. It was Book of the Month in WH Smith Travel in July and was also put forward to the CMI Book of the Year Awards. The Speed Read series is a set of practical books for busy managers focusing on the key skills for high performance at work. It is unique in design as the early chapter pages (printed on grey) offer tips that can be put into practice at once, and the later pages cover the theory and promote reflection when you are able to sit down and digest everything. It’s a double learning experience.
My inspiration is my firm belief that managers don’t choose to be “bad”. Their faults may be a product of the fast-paced environment and lack of support which is sadly common. However, they do lack one thing that good managers do – and that is self reflection. If you are always fire fighting, when do you have time to sit and think?
My book offers immediate ideas for common managerial issues, but also explains why those techniques are successful, and encourages you to think about how they worked in practice. If I can empower you by getting you to know what works for you – you’ll be able to repeat that positive action in future.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
Ha ha – no, I don’t have any “unusual” writing habits. I do try and make myself write even when I don’t feel like it, as refining is always easier than staring at a blank piece of paper. I do still use paper and pen a lot of the time – maybe in this digital world that’s a little unusual? I also don’t throw anything away even if I don’t use it as it may come in handy in a different project.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
I prefer reading non-fiction books and have a number of textbooks from my academic studies (I have a degree in Psychology, a graduate diploma in Law (PgDL and Teaching (PGCE) as well as a Masters in History along with my PhD in Business.) However, I really enjoy Jeffrey Deaver’s work not just because of his writing style, but he researches the fields his characters work in and I learn a lot from his novels – which then inspire me to find out more about that field. For example, his book “The Blue Nowhere” got me very interested in Cybersecurity.

What are you working on now?
I’m currently teaching my Personal Development and Practical Business programmes at Brunel University. The academic year has started and I am part of their “Business Life Programme” for Employability and Student Enrichment. I’m going to be one of the keynote speakers in December at a Business, Social Sciences and Education conference in Dubai – so I have half an eye on that, and I’m still blogging. I have some ideas for another textbook, but at the moment, I’m keen to promote this one as it’s still early in its shelf life.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I have a personal website: www.draudreyt.com, and I find LinkedIn is helpful. I tweet elements from my book and I’m starting a YouTube channel – I’m going to be recording a trailer for my book today in fact!!

Do you have any advice for new authors?
If you are sending unsolicited enquiries to publishers make sure you structure your proposal professionally. Publishers don’t want pages and pages, just a summary and sometimes a timeline – they can see how you write just from your enquiry. If you get lucky and a publisher wants you to write, be open to new ideas – while you may not be writing exactly the book you planned – you will be writing a book that people with knowledge and experience know will sell.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
I use Inner Child Therapy/Self Parenting Techniques, and one of the best things I’ve read is a variation on the “love yourself” approach – if you feel unappreciated or unloved because you give “all this love to other people” – imagine if you gave all that wonderful love and appreciation that you have to offer to yourself too. As adults we may still look for others to fulfil our needs when – especially if we give so much to others – have an abundance to offer to ourselves.

What are you reading now?
I’m currently reading “Quality of Life Therapy” by Michael Frisch as I’m looking for ways of bringing in more positive psychology techniques to my teaching.

What’s next for you as a writer?
I will continue to keep blogging, and develop ideas for a new text. I would like to write about starting a new business – not the “how to”, but a bit of a “warts and all” approach to the emotional and psychological expenditure and commitment involved, along with ideas to build resilience that I’ve learned. I heard something on the news a couple of days ago about how people start businesses and then sell them whereas if they stuck with them longer term they could be worth ten times the amount. I just don’t always think business owners (unless they are very lucky financially and have the right support around them to do the donkey work…not just the “fun part”…a lot of people like the “fun part”) have the strength to continue sometimes!

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 3 or 4 books I haven’t read. I tend to enjoy certain writers unless something takes my fancy in a bookshop. (I’ve done so much performing that I pretty much know the Complete Works of Shakespeare already *laughs*). So, I would probably choose the next Jeffrey Deaver, the next of the “Babylon” series written by Imogen Edward Jones, and in all honesty I might bring the Bible too. A cliche perhaps, but I’ve not read it…or else some sort of puzzle book!

Author Websites and Profiles
Audrey Tang Website
Audrey Tang Amazon Profile

Audrey Tang’s Social Media Links
Facebook Profile
Twitter Account

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
When I’m not wrangling toddler boys and spending time with my husband, I write fantasy and contemporary young adult and new adult novels. Born and raised in sunny Florida, the only thing keeping me in the heat is a not so healthy Disney World obsession and a love for the ocean. I am the author of The Forgotten Fairytales series–The Forgotten Fairytales & Forget Me Not. Book 3 is coming next year!

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
Forget Me Not is the second book in the Forgotten Fairytales series. The series was inspired by a picture I found of a castle. I just had to know what was inside and before I knew it, it was a school of reincarnated fairytale characters!

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I have to write from start to finish. I rarely write scenes out of order and when I do it’s rare I use them.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
Sarah Dessen and Judy Blume made me fall in love with reading, then I discovered Meg Cabot and from there I spiraled into a world of fantasy young adult books.

What are you working on now?
I am currently writing the 3rd book in the Forgotten Fairytale series. On the side I am working on a New Adult series that I am super excited about!

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
Facebook is awesome to meet other readers and bloggers.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Keep at it and never give up, no matter how defeating it can be!

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Always take risks, if you don’t you’ll always regret what could’ve been.

What are you reading now?
I am reading Long Shot by Kayti McGee

What’s next for you as a writer?
After I finish the Forgotten Fariytales series, I have a few other books I am working on. One is a New Adult contemporary series and the other is a stand alone YA contemp 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?
Oh god, this is so hard. The Duff by Kody Keplinger, Insatiable by Meg Cabot & Little Women by Louisa May Alcott

Author Websites and Profiles
Angela Parkhurst Website
Angela Parkhurst Amazon Profile

Angela Parkhurst’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile
Facebook Profile
Twitter Account

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I’m from Brisbane, Queensland, and mostly read fantasy and romance, with the odd smattering of science fiction. I love characters – they make or break a story for me. I geek out over games and books and movies, so long as their characters are complex (though not necessarily lovable!). I’m currently obsessed with Bucky Barnes and the ladies of the Marvel universe. I’ve only written a single short story that’s available on Amazon at the moment, but I’m working to rectify that – I’m creating a superhero universe for my next story.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
“His Smile Like the Sun” – it’s a romantic short story based in Sydney, with an unusual protagonist. I’ve always loved Sydney (I grew up there) and I felt that it was the best setting for this story. I’m not sure what inspired it short of an insatiable love of romance!

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I’m not sure what unusual is – I can either sit down and bash out a story and hate it, but sometimes I’m inspired and am relatively satisfied with the first draft. It depends on when the inspiration hits, I guess!

What authors, or books have influenced you?
J K Rowling’s was the first book series I ever grew attached to. I owe a lot of my love of reading to her. C S Lewis is a close second, and then it really depends on my mood – I’ve read from genres all over the place, from lit fic to Mills and Boons.

What are you working on now?
Working title is “Static” – it’s about a group of people who can channel electricity, with static electricity being the most common form channelled. I’m not sure where I got the idea, to be honest. Superhero fiction is a favourite so I think I was just trying to find an individual way to introduce a new superhero.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I’m still learning that myself!

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Just write, to start with. Don’t worry about quality, just smash out your first draft and then go back over it with a fine-toothed comb. Don’t worry about going over your target word count, either – you’ll definitely cut it back while editing.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Write every day, no matter the quality.

What are you reading now?
“The Dragon Book”, a collection of dragon-esk fantasy stories written by authors like Diana Wynne Jones and Neil Gaiman.

What’s next for you as a writer?
I’d really like to edit more. I loved editing my manuscript, and I’d like to practice it more – I think it’ll help my writing also.

If you were going to be stranded on a desert island and allowed to take 3 or 4 books with you what books would you bring?
1. How to build a raft (the Dummies guide)
2. The Bible
3. Narnia
4. Surviving (the Dummies guide)

Author Websites and Profiles
Gabrielle Kempthorne Website
Gabrielle Kempthorne Amazon Profile

Gabrielle Kempthorne’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile
Facebook Profile
Twitter Account

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
Tell us about yourself and what inspired you to start writing
• About Myself
Levi Cheruo: I am a passionate writer, a gifted poet, an accomplished lyricist, a recorded singer, and above all a freelance journalist based in Nairobi, Kenya.
I have penned down FIVE titles, which are readily available and accessible both online and offline in Paperback and eBook formats via CreateSpace Publishers, Amazon, etc. They include:
[1] There is no Country Called Kenya: If you Must Steal, Just Steal a Little Please
[2] The UglyBeautiful Tale of a Stupid, Stupid Heart: When Mother Hen Eats her Grownup Chicks
[3] A Must-Have Guide for Every Aspiring Writer: Easy, Learnable, Realistic and Sure Ways to Earn Money as A Writer Online (Earning a Living as A Writer) (Volume 1)
[4] Please! Remember to Forget Me! And Other Short Stories
[5] Crawling to my Death and Other Poems: A Poetry Anthology
More so, I have two other works that will be hitting your bookstores at the soonest opportune possible. These include a Swahili Riwaya titled Yajapo Yapokee, and an English Novella titled Married to my Shadow: Love is for the Dying and Weak in Spirit.
Additionally, I am an occasional Op-Ed contributor for major local dailies here in Kenya namely:
1. The Daily Nation
http://www.nation.co.ke/…/440…/2841514/-/fsy6my/-/index.html
http://www.nation.co.ke/…/440…/2533486/-/bw5vng/-/index.html
2. The Standard Group Media
http://www.standardmedia.co.ke/…/why-ex-pm-back-door-admiss…
https://www.standardmedia.co.ke/…/lets-avoid-the-road-that-…
3. News24
http://www.news24.co.ke/…/raila-a-political-cheat-or-timely…
http://uganda.news24.com/…/1001-reasons-that-makes-kenya-bo…
4. Sido News Network
http://www.sabaots.com/Levi_Cheptora_Cheruo.html
5. Kenya Yote
http://kenyayote.com/political-appeasement-killing-the-spi…/
6. Kenya-Today

Police Reforms Should Go Hand In Hand With Judiciary Reforms

7. Kenya London News
http://www.kenyalondonnews.org/?p=3769
Some of my fiction writings have also been featured in reputable sites such aswww.africanwriter.com and www.writeoutloud.com.
• What Inspires Me to Write
Levi Cheruo: Not long after my birth, my parents walked their separate ways after a not-so-happy marriage that I would come to learn many years later was characterized by violence, drunkenness and negligence.
Denied both motherly and fatherly love, it didn’t take long to realize I was on my own. I started asking why…then Papa died, closely followed by Isabel, my late girlfriend, and the only kind soul I ever knew.
For me, writing is not only a past-time hobby, but a therapeutic undertaking that has helped me discover the real me.
What happens around me greatly inspires me…. It could be the sudden loss of a loved one, the runaway culture of impunity, and rampant corruption in my country, a heartbreak, and most important, solitude and loneliness.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
My books are mainly centered on the themes of relationships, justice, equality, good governance, and leadership accountability.
The UglyBeautiful Tale of a Stupid, Stupid Heart was inspired by the 2007/2008 Kenya’s Post Election Violence, and the subsequent victory to the alleged perpetrators; There is No Country Called Kenya is an answer to the current wave of perpetual state-sanctioned thieving that threatens to tear Kenya apart, and so are the rest of the titles.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I never write an outline neither do I ever bother with character autobiographies before commencing my writings. I just write…

What authors, or books have influenced you?
My favorite authors include:
1. Violet Kala, Zimbabwe: Waste not Your Tears
2. Ngugu Wa Thiong’o, Kenya: I will Marry When I Want
3. Chinua Achebe, Nigeria: Things Fall Apart

What are you working on now?
I have two other works that will be hitting your bookstores at the soonest opportune possible. These include a Swahili Riwaya titled Yajapo Yapokee, and an English Novella titled Married to my Shadow: Love is for the Dying and Weak in Spirit.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
https://www.goodreads.com/author/program
https://authorcentral.amazon.com/

Do you have any advice for new authors?
f you have an idea you strongly believe in, and that you know it will impact many a soul out there, do not sit on it…write your heart out…you deserve to be heard as soon as last year!

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
When you are writing, you are just writing. You are not planning, you are not editing. You are writing. Once you have planned your story, it is time to sit down and write it.-JK.ROWLINGS, Harry Porter Series

What are you reading now?
One Day I Will Write About This Place: A Memoir
by Binyavanga Wainaina

What’s next for you as a writer?
As long as I am alive, I will continue uplifting souls, igniting dispirited hearts, cheering up sad faces, and restoring hope to the hopeless through my writings.

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 will definitely bring along a Bible, a Church Hymnal Book, Violet Kala’s Waste Not Your Tears, and Nelson Mandela’s Abridged Autobiography A Long Walk to Freedom

Author Websites and Profiles
Levi Cheruo Website
Levi Cheruo Amazon Profile

Levi Cheruo’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile
Facebook Profile
Twitter Account
Pinterest Account

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I grew up in the Adirondack Mountains region of New York State and later moved to Long Island to start a family of my own. I’ve been an educator for many years, am happily married to my real-life hero and enjoy being a mom to two active kids. For the past six years, I’ve been writing romance seriously. During that time I’ve completed eight manuscripts—four of which have been published. My debut released December 2014, a contemporary romance novella called Christmas Light, that was part of a four-novella anthology. My second book published was a stand-alone sequel to my holiday romance, a short contemporary romance novel called His Kiss (since retitled as The Rebel’s Redemption). Text Me, Maybe was my first romantic comedy, which released on August 8th. I’m especially excited that One More Sunset, the first book in my Mystic Escapes series has found its new home with Foundations LLC after its original publisher closed shop in June 2016.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
One More Sunset, a light romantic suspense with a dash of magic, releases on October 3rd. Years back, I’d shared with my husband my dream of crafting a series with magic and travel similar to Mary Pope Osborne’s Magic Tree House Series, but with romance for adults. A few days later, we were traveling upstate for Labor Day weekend when he asked, “Hey, how about a magic suitcase?” That must’ve been all the spark I needed because five hours later, we arrived at our destination and my journal was filled with notes. Later, those notes became the outline for this series.

I chose Key West as the setting for this first book because it’s a mysterious, romantic paradise I’ve considered my home-away-from-home for over a decade. I’ve travelled the Overseas Highway dozens of times, explored Old Town by bike and foot countless hours, learned the lore of Hemingway, and skimmed the island’s tropical waters by boat and Jet Ski. To me, Key West’s the perfect romantic setting for Abby and Dylan to heal and take a chance on love.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
I read A LOT, and I read a great variety. I’m an elementary school educator and am familiar with many middle-grade books and picture books as a result. In addition to Mary Pope Osbourne mentioned earlier, I especially enjoy the works of CS Lewis, Roald Dahl, EB White, and JK Rowling.
At home, however, I read mainly romance, including historical, contemporary, romantic comedies, and erotic, as well as select mainstream women’s fiction, adventure thrillers, poetry, and classics. Authors whose storytelling has influenced me include Nora Roberts, Sophie Kinsella, Susan Elizabeth Phillips, Julia Tom Clancy, David Baldacci, and John Grisham.

What are you working on now?
I tend to be a multi-tasker when it comes to writing. Currently, I’m drafting a small town contemporary romance, a flirty urban-set romance, and am in the edits process for the next book in the Mystic Escapes series called One More Touch. I’m also percolating ideas for One More Chance, the third story in the series which will be set between Long Island and Bermuda.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I believe writing the best book possible so that it resonates with its readers is the best possible way for me—or any author—to promote a book because word of mouth recommendations are golden.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Write and read a lot, and remember to focus on your own creative journey. Everyone’s is different.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
To enjoy the journey and treasure the little things.

What are you reading now?
I just finished reading The Way We Wish Things Were by Marybeth Whalen. She hooked me on her small town story from the opening scene and never let me go until the final page. The various POVs gave me all the feels, and her characters will stay with me for quite a while.

What’s next for you as a writer?
As I mentioned earlier, One More Sunset is Book 1 in Mystic Escapes, my romantic suspense/magical realism series set in exotic locales. Lysis and Elpida, the two powerful ancients from the first adventure, are at it again in Book 2, assisting another kori (the Greek term for a young woman) via the mysterious magic suitcase.
I’m in the process of editing this book, titled One More Touch. This time, our story is set mostly at a hedonist resort in Ocho Rios, Jamaica, where my wallflower heroine is thrown together with her hunky next-door neighbor she has secretly desired all summer. Soon, she realizes the man she’s in danger of falling for is facing a different kind of peril…and that it’s up to her to solve the obscure clues in her magic suitcase to save him.

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?
Since I love far too many books to just choose three or four to last me a lifetime on a lonely desert island, I think it would be wisest to choose survival manuals that would give me the skills needed to escape the island and return to civilization (and bookstores and libraries) again.

Author Websites and Profiles
Jolyse Barnett Website

Jolyse Barnett’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile
Facebook Profile
Twitter Account
Pinterest Account

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
Greetings everyone, my name is Richard Dalglish, and in July I had my first novel published, a fantasy-adventure titled “Day of the Fastle.” I’m the former managing editor of the business magazine Jewelers’ Circular Keystone (JCK), which covers the U.S. jewelry and watch industries. These days, besides working on my own fiction, I’m a freelance editor and writer, which includes editing all the fiction for 7-11 Press. I’ve also written three complete seasons (13 episodes per season) for two of 7-11’s multi-episode series, a space opera called “Phoenix Earth” and a young adult fantasy series titled “The Order of 5ive.” Like most writers, I’m a voracious reader. In fiction, I lean toward detective mysteries (Michael Connolly, Ian Rankin, P.D. James, Tana French, et al.), and I’m a big fan of Kate Atkinson. In nonfiction, I’m especially interested in (but not limited to) American history, politics, and what we used to call current events. I’ve done my share of traveling (always useful for a writer) and once spent two nights in Liechtenstein. I’ve also haggled with merchants in Marrakech, slept in an orange grove in Valencia, and paid homage to the Cavern in Liverpool. I was at Woodstock, and I ran the Gettysburg Marathon a few decades ago (3 hours, 56 minutes, 15 seconds). In addition to “Day of the Fastle,” I’ve written three other books, one due out next year, one yet to be submitted, and one that’s unpublishable in its present form. (I do like some of that last one and haven’t totally given up on it yet). I live in Yardley, Pennsylvania, with my wife, Julie, and our cat, Carli. I graduated from Franklin & Marshall College, Lancaster, Pennsylvania, with a degree in English.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
My latest book, tentatively titled “Jarn’s Dilemma,” is a fantasy novel that will be published in 2017 by Double Dragon Publishing, which also published “Day of the Fastle.” I enjoy detective mysteries, including police procedurals, and “Jarn’s Dilemma” is actually a fantasy police procedural. The inspiration was simply to see if I could write such a genre-crossing book, and I’m happy with the result (and I hope readers will be). The setting and most of the characters, including the protagonist, were familiar to me from another novel I had written. That novel (the one not yet published) was also a kind of mystery, so it seemed natural to use those same characters in a more overt detective-style story.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I always intend to create an outline before writing a novel, but I never get far. I list as many scenes as I can (not many), and then my brain seizes up. Although I know how a novel begins and ends, I don’t know everything that takes place in between until I start writing. There’s something about the actual writing process that sparks ideas and drives the story forward. Eventually, I write past the place where the outline stopped, but I go back to the outline and “catch it up.” The book is finished before the outline, but I continue catching up the outline anyway. Sounds crazy, but it’s actually a useful exercise because the finished outline provides the first draft of a full synopsis.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
I think any influence has been subtle, even subconscious, but I believe that nearly every good writer I’ve read may have had some influence. I’ll mention one fairly recent book as an example, “The Girl With All the Gifts,” by M.R. Carey. It’s like a master class in how to create suspense, how to handle multiple points of view, how to develop character, and how to create genuine emotion in a harrowing dystopian world.

What are you working on now?
As a temporary break from novel writing, I’ve been writing flash fiction, which is fascinating. The idea is to write a complete story in 500 words or 300 words or fifty words, yet you necessarily need to leave things out. A flash shouldn’t seem like a scene from something else or come across as navel-gazing blather that lacks actual characters doing something. Flash fiction is also called “sudden fiction,” which is a better name. A flash (I guess we can’t call it a “sudden”) is over in minutes, but done well it makes a sudden, strong impression.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I’ve taken an all-of-the-above approach. I’ve sent press releases, joined Facebook and Twitter, created an Amazon author page and Goodreads page, had business cards printed, been interviewed by an author (a former client) for her blog, and done a podcast for a website that’s for and about authors. I’ve announced it to two writers groups I’m a member of, tried to contact a couple of local fantasy book discussion groups, and e-mailed some book review bloggers (still waiting to hear from any of them).

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Take the craft of fiction writing (and any writing) as seriously as you take the imagination part. You need unique, intriguing, exciting story ideas, but without craftsmanship even great ideas can fall flat. You want to write sentences (thousands of them in a novel) that propel the story forward just by the way they’re written. You also need to understand elements like point of view, plotting, pacing, conflict, tension, suspense, characterization, dialogue, and lots more. Avoid overwriting.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
1. Good writing depends on revising and rewriting. 2. Write with the reader in mind.

What are you reading now?
“The Enemy Inside,” a legal thriller by Steve Martini, a new author for me.

What’s next for you as a writer?
Although I didn’t intend it this way (honest), “Day of the Fastle” cries out for a sequel, so I’d like to write one. I would also like to write a sequel to “Jarn’s Dilemma” and perhaps even a series of fantasy detective stories based on Jarn and the other characters in that 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?
“The Complete Works of Shakespeare,” “The Lord of the Rings,” “The Oxford Book of American Short Stories,” and “The Times Atlas of World History.”

Author Websites and Profiles
Richard Dalglish Amazon Profile

Richard Dalglish’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile
Facebook Profile
Twitter Account

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
The last 11 years I have spent in the non-profit world while I have written as a hobby / side job. Since high school, I have completed 8 books, with many more left incomplete or otherwise abandoned as writing projects. I recently left the non-profit sector to go back to school, where I’m earning my Master’s in Counseling. I am also the husband of a beautiful wife and an amazing son, and the 3 of us live in Portland, Oregon.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
My latest book is With God Again. It is a collection of the subjective spiritual experiences I have had over the years, and where I have seen the Spirit work in my life and in my world through those. I found that I needed an outlet to share some of the challenges and victories I have experienced, and I think the hope I have found in the midst of some of those challenges will give people hope.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
When I write, a lot of times it is the result of a build-up of anxiety and depression. Those issues cause me to lose sleep sometimes, and so I write my books in those sleepless nights. Several of the books I have written were written in a single sitting.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
I have been strongly influenced by Rob Bell, Chris Hedges (former NY Times journalist), Noam Chomsky, and the work of Graham Cooke.

What are you working on now?
I am working on building up a regular blog site. Now that I am in a new career, I have more freedom to talk about the social and political issues that are important to me.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
Twitter: @authorak or email: akelsay@gmail.com

Do you have any advice for new authors?
I would strongly recommend you surround yourself with authors and editors who are more talented and experienced than you. Learn from the best, follow after their methods, strategies for marketing and such, just find better people than you. If you are the best, smartest writer in the room, you need to find another room.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Related to writing, I believe you need a 10:1 ration of pages read: pages written. Reading lots of good stuff will help you write lots of good stuff.

What are you reading now?
I am reading a ton of material around my counseling degree. The Skilled Helper is the basic, 501 class textbook but I have found that it has application for other things as well.

What’s next for you as a writer?
I am developing my skills personally and professionally, and I am trying to find ways to use my writing skills for people to better help themselves.

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, Catch 22, 1984, and Ender’s Game.

Author Websites and Profiles
Aaron Kelsay Website
Aaron Kelsay Amazon Profile

Aaron Kelsay’s Social Media Links
Facebook Profile
Twitter Account

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
A leader in Experiential Marketing, I’ve developed hundreds of campaigns including two award winning, nationally recognized marketing campaigns for a Fortune 500 client. As a widely sought after writer and speaker, I have presented at several universities, national conferences (SXSW, CES, AdTech, BlogWorld, etc.) and hundreds of other events. My presentations offer insightful, educational content to businesses and organizations on marketing campaign development.

I am the author of The Ultimate Guide to Startup Success. This is his only published book.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
The Ultimate Guide to Startup Success. After successfully starting a handful of small businesses, I am often asked to provide advice on how one can start their own business. With this book, I went one step further and provided a detailed guide on how a person can start their very own business. With those folks who have some experience, interviews with more than a dozen professionals provides additional advice.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I don’t know if this is unusual, but I usually start writing at 5:30AM, so I can get as much accomplished as I can before I got into work at 8AM.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
I can’t say that any business category books have influenced me greatly, but personally, I found great joy in these:

The Northern Clemency
Philip Hensher

The Zookeeper’s Wife: A War Story
Diane Ackerman

My Life in France
Julia Child

The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society: A Novel
Annie Barrows and Mary Ann Shaffer

What are you working on now?
I currently work full time, but also am the owner of The Art of Yoga (http://artofyogastudios.com) as well as two food trucks in Columbus, Ohio. I’m excited about my next forthcoming book, on how businesses and brands can engage consumers with Experiential Marketing.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
My book is only published on Amazon. I’m still learning how to be best promote the title!

Do you have any advice for new authors?
“Done is better than perfect.”

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Don’t give up what you want most for what you want now.

What are you reading now?
A handful of book and blogs on marketing, part of the research for my forthcoming book.

What’s next for you as a writer?
I’m currently working on a book about Experiential Marketing. It’s the field that I work in professionally, so I expect that it to be an insightful guide for those interested in this category of marketing.

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?
Probably nothing from the business category! I’m on an island after all. I absolutely would take anything from Adriana Trigiani or Junot Diaz.

Author Websites and Profiles
Ryan Bauer Amazon Profile

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
Hey, there, I’m originally from Hawaii and have been teaching English in China nd traveling the world in the meantime for five years now. I’ve written The Little Red Book to help others enjoy the benefits I take part in as an English teacher.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
The Little Red Book: How to Become an English Teacher in China is the distillation of four and a half of years of my experience doing visa runs, eating my weight in barbecue and teaching. I’ve had so many people interview me about exactly how they can start teaching English in China that I thought I should write a book!

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I write my books entirely on my phone. I got used to using my phone for everything after I sold my laptop when I started traveling. It’s really nice not to have the extra weight and I find I can get everything done on my phone.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
In terms of travel writing, I’d have to mention J. Maarten Troost and Bill Bryson. Troost’s unpredictable life path is similar to my own lazy, whimsical style and Bill Bryson writes stories that get straight to the point while still being interesting and humorous.

What are you working on now?
The second Little Red Book, called Surviving the City, providing answers to the most common questions I’ve heard from teachers here. The cultural isolation, wacky traffic and

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I have no idea yet! Hopefully I’ll understand the proton prices a little better by the time my second book is released.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Start writing. If you want to write, the sooner you start writing the quicker you become a writer.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Be happy now, without reason, or you never will be at all.

What are you reading now?
Salt: A World History by Mark Kurlansky. I know, I am a party animal.

What’s next for you as a writer?
Gathering stories from friends here in China to add to my own in The Little Red Book 2.

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?
Lord of the Rings and the Hobbit. I expect on a desert island I could finally work my way through them.

Author Websites and Profiles
Cai Lonergan Website
Cai Lonergan Amazon Profile