Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I am a Canadian who was born in Toronto, but raised in a Markham. When I was sixteen I discovered the art of writing as a great past time because I wasn’t the most social person. I became obsessed with writing after in had written a couple of short stories using fictional characters based off people in knew and my own life experiences. After graduating high school, I knew that I wanted to be a writer. I enjoy writing fiction, non-fiction, comedy, and romance books on topics, events, and personal stories that are fascinating to me.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
I published my first fiction book on January 30th titled ‘The Girl Problem’, a book about a young man named Conor who has struggled with being overweight his whole life. His awakening day finally comes after tragedy hits, causing a chain of life changing events to be set in motion that would force him to go on an unexpected and inconvenient journey of self-betterment. This book was inspired by a time in my life when I was struggling with my weight.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I don’t think I do, the only thing I need to write is a laptop and some peace and quiet. When I write, I tend to speak to myself to see if what I’m writing sounds good or not. So, when I write I choose to do it in a quiet isolated place because if I wrote in a public setting then I’d look like a crazy person talking to myself.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
The two books series of ‘The Hobbit’ by J. R. R. Tolkien, and ‘Diary of a Wimpy Kid’ by Jeff Kinney are my favorite books. I’m not really big on reading, but I found both book series to be very engaging and interesting to read.

What are you working on now?
I’m currently working on my second book. It’ll be a humor filled combination of real life stories of mine, as way as an opinion piece on events that are going on in the world right now.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
For me I think Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter are the most effective methods for promoting my books.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
“Life is short, don’t let your fear of failure control your chances of success.”

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
“Be humble, let no one set your limits for you, set them yourself.”

What are you reading now?
Nothing at the moment.

What’s next for you as a writer?
Preparing my next book for publish.

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 Girl Problem – J.J August
Diary of a Wimpy Kid – Jeff Kinney
Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Rodrick Rules – Jeff Kinney
The Hobbit – J. R. R. Tolkien

Author Websites and Profiles
J.J. August Amazon Profile

J.J. August’s Social Media Links
Facebook Profile
Twitter Account

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I am an author, visionary, and entrepreneur (founding three businesses before the age of 24). After writing and publishing my first book, “The Good News Book,” at the age of 22 (which I openly admits allowed me to overcome my own demons stemming from religion), I found my love and passion for writing. I have conducted several radio interviews throughout the country and have had several articles published in various news outlets.

After six years of great self-discovery with experiencing first hand what works and does not work inter-personally, spiritually, and business-wise, I am now a full-time, inspirational author with my new book series, “iSin.” I believe there is a “superhero version” of every person just waiting… to be REALIZED, AWAKENED, and UNLEASHED!

iSin is an inspirational and self-reflective read that WILL EMPOWER YOU to REALIZE, AWAKEN, and UNLEASH the GREAT, SUPERNATURAL, and BOUNDLESS POTENTIAL RESIDING WITHIN YOU which will enable you to CREATE and LIVE a BETTER LIFE for you and those you love– “LIFE 2.0!” I have gotten great reviews (that can be seen on the website and Amazon) regarding “iSin: Have Your Cake and Eat It 2.0,” (the first book of the iSin Series) which further builds my confidence that anyone who “wants BETTER” and reads iSin will become better! I offer a money-back guarantee to any reader who wants BETTER, purchases the read, and does not find GREAT value in it.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
I have been gathering the material for over six years yet did not know how to organize the deep, spiritual material into a format that I felt would resonate with our modern-day society until recently; I experienced a tremendous amount of adversity in the few months leading up to deciding to commit to writing again, and this adversity almost broke my spirit many times yet in my heart and mind I knew and felt the darkness I was experiencing was really life simply “telling or pushing me” to write the book that had been long lingering in the back of my mind for the past six and now almost seven years. The adversity I was experiencing really enabled me to write this book more OPENLY and CANDIDLY than I would have ever been comfortable with before experiencing the darkness/adversity; furthermore, the darkness I felt caused me to consciously switch into higher energy or “my light (love)” before sitting down to write all of the material in my new book, iSin, which goes along with material discussed in iSin of “ACTIVATING and UNLEASHING” the GREAT POTENTIAL residing within you via changing how you think and learning how to use both the positive and negative emotions we all as human beings experience for your BENEFIT and GROWTH!

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I listen to music (from many genres) 99% of the time while I am writing. Music stimulates my creative juices, and music is suggested and included with every section of iSin.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
Tony Robbins
Rhonda Byrne
Eric Thomas

What are you working on now?
Building the brand around iSin and periodically collecting chapter titles for the next book in the series.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
Blog posts; I have an active blog with some really good content so feel free to check it out as my goal is to create an active iSin Community with people who believe in the values and principles that iSin promotes!

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Keep writing, get good feedback from people with all different perspectives, and don’t give up if are passionate about writing. Two things separate the “dreamers” and those who live their dreams; determination and perseverance

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Learn to love yourself– the potential of true love dwells and resides within you.

What are you reading now?
1 of 20 articles regarding how to promote your blog (haha). I have great content and now I am actively trying to reach readers!

What’s next for you as a writer?
Build a brand with this book with an active blog, podcast, and business built around iSin.

If you were going to be stranded on a desert island and allowed to take 3 or 4 books with you what books would you bring?
A book showing how to make fire, create clean water, build a shelter, hunt food, etc. because I have been raised in the country land of Alabama, but I lack these skills– haha
A big book with lots of pages that can be used for fire kindling (haha)
iSin so anyone I happen to meet on the island can read it and know just about everything about me and how I operate!

Author Websites and Profiles
Shay Dawkins Website
Shay Dawkins Amazon Profile
Shay Dawkins Author Profile on Smashwords

Shay Dawkins’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile
Facebook Profile
Twitter Account
Pinterest Account

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I suffered a great deal of metal problems,I suffered for years.I have obtained
my diploma in psychology, and still working to get further in schooling.I have wrote
3 Kindle short stories, and 1 paperback book.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
The name of my latest book is Desire Of Obsession12 that is now on paperback.
What inspired me to write this book was to help others.To see a dark cloud
and a light at the end.Also its something I have always wanted to do.Is to become an author.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
Yes, conjunctions.Sometimes I have to remind myself, don’t repeat.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
The Catcher In The Rye By J.D. Salinger,
James Patterson ,
Hugh Zachary,
and much more.

What are you working on now?
I am trying to expand my book Panic’s Of Tremble.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
There is a lot of hard work into writing a book.My advice for you is to never give up.
Try your best, and have a lot of patience.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Don’t do great don’t do bad, just do your best.

What are you reading now?
To be honest with you, I am not reading.I am writing.

What’s next for you as a writer?
Well, I am going to see where it takes me.

If you were going to be stranded on a desert island and allowed to take 3 or 4 books with you what books would you bring?
The girl who kicked the hornets nest,
A dictionary,
and textbooks.

Author Websites and Profiles
Janelle Moore Website
Janelle Moore Amazon Profile

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
My original education was in mathematics, switching later on to PhD in Artificial Intelligence. Following a long career in the Israeli Army, I held senior positions in hi-tech, Venture Capital and eventually making a switch to biotech and managing an institute for biomedical development, including establishing several start-ups in various fields of medicine..

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
The initial inspiration to writing “Can We Live A Happier LIFE?!” came when I was diagnosed with an advanced stage cancer, the battle, deep meditations, and discovering the answers.
Since then my life changed very much, giving a much higher priority to a healthy lifestyle, a lot physical activities, beginning surfing at age 64 and now preparing for my first triathlon.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
At the evening I plan the next chapter and let it go.
Then the subconsciousness “takes over” and the next morning the words & wordings come by themselves to my mind.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
Mostly Robin Sharma: “The Monk Who Sold His Ferrari” and
Paulo Coelho: “The Diary Of A Magus”

What are you working on now?
I’m in an advanced stage of writing a neuroscience book about processes in the brain and important understandings.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
It’s good to begin with a free promotion, on several websites.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Keep in mind, who are your readers, imagine and visualize their reaction to what are you writing.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Learn from everybody – everybody can teach you something.
Be a “Marathon runner” – always keep in mind the long range.

What are you reading now?
Books about brain.

What’s next for you as a writer?
To provide the reader value, he or she will take with them from the book for their daily life.

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?
Robin Sharma – “The Monk Who Sold His Ferrari” and
Paulo Coelho – “The Diary Of A Magus”
Eckhart Tolle – “The Power of Now”
Hermann Hesse – Siddhartha

Author Websites and Profiles
Zeev Gilkis Website
Zeev Gilkis Amazon Profile

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I write about sex and relationships, with a bit of fetish thrown in for good measure. I have been fascinated with fetish for a very long time. My writing is where my fetish fascination meets my art. I have written a bunch of short stories, Billionaire’s Little Sweetheart, which came out on Valentines Day was my debut novel, and I am very happy with my baby so far, as are my readers (or at least that’s what they’re saying anyway! )

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
Billionaire’s Little Sweetheart is my latest book. The inspiration for it came from when I was living abroad in North America. I saw my friends, who were all local students, struggling to get by. Imagining how tough it was for them was difficult for me as the student loans system in Australia is much easier to navigate, and the debt is much less crippling. I imagined what it would be like to have someone take you away from that, and then Leon, the Daddy Dominant in the book started to take shape… what would he be like? What would be his motivations for helping someone out, aside from mere altruism? How would she feel taking his help? The characters are less close than other DD/lg characters I write (in books yet to be released, be patient, dear readers!). This alienation due to an uneven power dynamic around money and his fear of intimacy was really interesting to write, as apposed to the usual girl meets daddy/daddy takes girl/girl snuggles into her daddy formula. I hope readers enjoy the different dynamic at play.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
Not too unusual, but tea is definitely the best anti-writers-block I’ve come across.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
There are no books that directly influenced my writing, however, I read widely and know that as a result of coming into contact with so much creative and imaginative work, I have more to draw on when I sit down to write.

What are you working on now?
I am working on another age play romance, this one is dealing with a much more intimate relationship, which is a nice change in the dynamic between characters. These two are very different to Cindy and Leon. They’ve been fun to write, I can’t wait to share the story with readers!

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I’m a very bad book promoter. I have only started looking into how to promote Billionaire’s Little Sweetheart recently because so many of my readers have been happy with the book and I wanted to reach new readers with something that I felt they would enjoy.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Write, write, write and when you’re done with that, write some more! The only way to get good at anything is to do it. Also, read. Don’t just read in the genre you wish to write in either, read everything! I never watch television because there are just too many great stories in print. Don’t starve yourself of great writing.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
I loved that quote, “They can because they think they can.” For me, this really resonates as I am trying to do something many say is impossible, and make a living writing. So, all I have right now is the knowledge that I can do this, because I think I can. Just as anyone else who was told no ever, has.

What are you reading now?
Like everyone is doing right now, I am reading plenty of dystopias. I just finished “We” and will start re-reading either “Animal Farm” or “1984” next.

What’s next for you as a writer?
I will keep writing age play romances for as long as I am welcomed to do so by the community.

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?
My kindle is not an option? No?

I would take The Unbearable Lightness Of Being by Milan Kundera, A Short History On Nearly Anything by Bill Bryson, and my copy of the complete works of Oscar Wilde (it’s physically one book, it counts!).

Author Websites and Profiles
S. L. Finlay Amazon Profile

S. L. Finlay’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile
Twitter Account

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I have always been a writer by hobby, but in the past few years I have tried to turn that hobby into a career. My first book that I self-published was a young adult fantasy, Toby Ripwood and the Dark Sphere Enigma. After that I decided to write in a genre that was close to my heart – horror! My latest self-published book, Chromozone Flesh and Blood, is a zombie horror and I am currently writing a sequel to that.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
Chromozone – Flesh and Blood. I was inspired to write it because I am a big horror fan and I felt there was a gap in the market for something different zombie-wise. A lot of zombie horror books, the main protagonist is male and I wanted to have a strong female lead that women can relate to. Of course men can enjoy the story just as much!

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
Not sure I have any unusual ones, but I do seem to be a bit of a night owl when it comes to writing. My imagination and creativity comes alive at night and my words seem to flow better. I always have a pen and notebook on me to remember ideas I have.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
I own Max Brooks’ How to Survive a Zombie Apocalypse and I have read it several times. There is so much information in there about zombies that I didn’t even think of – an example is ear plugs because the groans from the zombies would eventually drive you mad!

What are you working on now?
I am currently working on the sequel to Chromozone – Flesh and Blood, hoping to release it later this year.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
Perseverance is the best method. There are so many indie authors out there, it is hard to stand out. I promote tirelessly on Facebook groups and through amazing websites like this one.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Best advice I can give is to stick to it and never give up. If you truly want to be a writer then do it, don’t let anyone tell you that you can’t do it. Secondly edit, edit, edit and edit some more!

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
When I first started out writing someone said to me: It’s ok to make mistakes as long as you learn from them.

What are you reading now?
I have just started reading The Bazaar of Bad Dreams by Stephen King.

What’s next for you as a writer?
I will be continuing to write my sequel and also promote my first book to try and get a bigger audience. I hope to one day go to a book event and be able to do a signing of my 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?
I would take The Bazaar of Bad Dreams by Stephen King – I want to be able to finish it. I would take my own book – might have a chance for a bit of promotion! Finally I would take Game of Thrones by George R Martin – love the show, but never had a chance to read the books.

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

Paul Roberts’s Social Media Links
Facebook Profile
Twitter Account

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I’m a crazy and I think super witty guy. I spend a lot of time with my family. I love sports (even though I should probably retire). I love the creativity that writing allows and fosters.
To date I’ve written 3 books – well published 3 – I have a few more that are for my eyes only!
I have 2 teenage kids that are knee deep in school activities. 3 dogs, a cat, a fish and a snake too.
And I’ve been married for 16 years!

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
The name of my latest book is titled Games of Guilt. It’s part 3 of the Hidden Guilt Trilogy. The Hidden Guilt trilogy is one of a kind and is about a detective and his past – the past he thought he’d left behind. It’s really a super ride. So far it’s gotten great reviews people are really liking it.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
Not really – other than listening to Kenny G and Lindsey Stirling (I’m a bit of a music fan too). And sometimes classic piano good stuff!

What authors, or books have influenced you?
Number one on my list would have to be James Patterson. I love the Alex Cross series. I’m also a Jack Reacher fan – but who isn’t? I also like to read Harlan Coben. Coben and Patterson are master storytellers – which is what I consider myself to be a storyteller.

What are you working on now?
I’m working on the first standalone novel for David Porter – it’s titled Death Toll Rising. It’s about a terrorist group that attacks world leaders – and pin the murders on America. It’s going to make waves.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I use Bookbub, Freebooksy, Awesomegang, Ereader News, KND – and I work with other authors as well.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Keep writing… read as much as you can and keep writing. And hire a good editor. I use Susan Hughes out of Houston. She is good and she challenges me creatively. No matter how “good” you think the book is – hire an editor.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Learn as much as you can about as much as you can. (It’s actually my own quote – devised from several tidbits of advice I’ve received.)
I don’t limit that thinking to writing though… in all phases of life.
Make some time to write everyday. The skill is a muscle that needs to be exercised!

What are you reading now?
Cross Justice by James Patterson and Promise Me by Harlan Coben

What’s next for you as a writer?
Just keep writing more books… I actually have more book ideas locked up in my brain than I have time to write! My audience grows everyday so I have to keep them fed!

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?
Moby Dick
Game of Thrones
and Twilight for my wife

Author Websites and Profiles
Terry Keys Website
Terry Keys Amazon Profile

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

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I’m an indie author with three published books, soon to be five.

Someone once told me a good bio should contain five things nobody knows about you, so here are some things you might not know about me:
• I’ve written two books that haven’t seen the light of day. They were practice. I have two children’s book published, Meena Mouse’s Perfect Raspberry and Hubert Little’s Great Adventure. I also have a novel, Gatekeeper, a collection of dark short stories, Myth, Magic and Monsters.
• My love of things fantastical and stories in general began when I was four. My mother read me and my brother Gulliver’s Travels. My brother only remembered how Gulliver put out the fire in the Lilliputian town by urinating on it. I saw the story as a portal to magical worlds. From around the same time I remember a book about fairies, brownies and other little people.
• I had a fantastic teacher who nurtured my storytelling. When I was in the second half of fifth grade and sixth grade, we lived in Ismay, a tiny town in eastern Montana. It was my father’s first superintendent of schools job. There were eight kids in my classroom ranging from fourth through eighth grades. My teacher, Evelyn Hoem, was well ahead of her time and involved students in reading and writing activities appropriate to their development and interests. She nurtured every talent in every kid. I was a story teller, sometimes implicating and scapegoating my brother or friends. I also loved horses.
• I wrote my first story in Mrs. Hoem’s class. It was about a Montana ranch girl who caught and tamed a wild horse. The story won a blue ribbon at the Montana State Fair. I also won blue ribbons on a couple of ink drawings. Someone actually bought one and paid me five dollars. I thought words were more thrilling that pictures, so I’ve been writing stories ever since.
• As a teacher, I always remembered what Mrs. Hoem instilled in me: a love of story. I tried to pass that love on to students. I recently Googled her name, thinking about her for this bio and found an obituary. She died in 2003.
• I’m terrified of spiders.
• I am a proud member of the South Carolina Writers’ Association (Formerly South Carolina Writers’ Workshop). I live with my sports junkie husband in Murrells Inlet, SC. When I’m not writing, I knit and create video book trailers for myself and authors.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
Twenty years ago a friend and I wrote a romantic suspense called Double Danger. It had a protagonist with baggage who falls for a man with a mysterious past. There are spies, assassins and computers. Some readers might not know that back then computers were booted from a 5 ½ floppy disk.

We’ve updated the book, and it will be released in May. It’s set in Michigan, where both my friend and I spent our working years. We’ve been to all the places we used in the story. We’ve been in the little towns with lyrical names like Bevort and Epoufette. We’ve both crossed the Mackinac Bridge numerous times: Mighty Mac.

After thirty years I’m still good friends with my co-writer, Nancy Tucker.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I write everywhere in notebooks, on sticky notes, on torn pieces of paper, dictating into my phone.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
I love stories about fairies and other magical things. Especially the Harry Potter books.

What are you working on now?
I’m working on a sequel to Meena Mouse.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I rely on other people’s word of mouth. It’s not what you know, but who you know. If someone mentions me, the information spreads. I try my best to repay other authors who give me shout-outs. Besides this website, I also like fkbt.com.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Never give up. Just do it. No matter how little you think you know about the writing/publishing process, just start. Tell your story, finish it and then learn how to revise, publish and market.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Consider the character arc. Your character begins as an ordinary person with a history and ends being an ordinary person. Ordinary is changeable.

What are you reading now?
I just finished reading Station Eleven. It’s a remarkable take on the post-apocalyptic trope. Art brings change.

What’s next for you as a writer?
Keep on writing. I also make videos for myself and other authors.

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 the Harry Potter books. There is so much to them I could read and reread them forever.

Author Websites and Profiles
Trilby Plants Website
Trilby Plants Amazon Profile

Trilby Plants’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile
Facebook Profile

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I’m an engineer, a manager, a marketer, and a martial artist…and I suppose now, an author. This is my first book. I never had a desire to write a book until I was inspired by my wife’s struggle with cystic fibrosis and her journey to get a double lung transplant. I left my job to be by her side in the hospital for 6 months while she was on a ventilator and not expected to survive. I wrote this book to share with people the thoughts and beliefs that kept me strong through a battle on some many fronts.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
“Lessons from a CF Cornerman: 38 Lessons I Learned During my Wife’s Illness and Lung Transplant” was inspired by a lifetime in martial arts. I had always seen myself as a fighter until life had put me in the position where I could not fight that battle. The best thing I could do was to be in her corner and provide the best possible support for my wife as she fought to stay alive. Besides…if I used a literal description in the title it would have lost it’s pizzazz. Who wants to read “Lessons from a Hairbrusher” or “Pocketbook Holder” or “Leg-shaver”? My guess, maybe 11 people.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I actually wrote most of this book on my iPad while sitting in the hospital room with Rebecca. I did it because that was where I spent my day and I did not want to forget any details. I think it actually made the story much better because every event and emotion was fresh on my mind as I wrote the first draft. When I went back through it the first time I found myself getting caught up in emotion and even remembering things that I would have otherwise forgotten. It was extremely inefficient since I can actually type. Not to brag but I received an A- in “Keyboarding for personal use” back in high school. Perhaps I should have mentioned that along with my college degrees…

What authors, or books have influenced you?
I love non-fiction and I wanted to write a book that I would enjoy reading. I’ll read anything I feel I can learn from or that gets me thinking. I’ve read everything by Malcolm Gladwell and enjoyed the books “Freakonomics”, “Born a Crime”, and “The Language of God” which are probably the best examples. I also enjoy books by Tim Ferriss.

What are you working on now?
I am actually working on launching a speaking career. For years I’ve spoken at events for the cystic fibrosis foundation and now I believe that is the best way to get the message out and share what I’ve learned and documented in my book. I really enjoy interacting with people and having good discussions. After seeing what good caregivers and today’s amazing technology is capable of, I am filled with hope for the next generation. Children diagnosed with cystic fibrosis and a variety of other illnesses are in good hands. When my wife’s lungs stopped working (even with the help of a ventilator) they pumped all of her blood continuously through a machine that added oxygen and removed carbon dioxide. WHAT?!? She survived on this (ECMO) for over two weeks while we waited for donor lungs. Wow.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
For me, the oldest ways have worked the best…talking to people. Perhaps it’s because there are so many books out there, or because people don’t read as much, or maybe because they think our story might be depressing, but I’ve not found a way to promote interest better than engaging one-on-one. It’s good to have a website or Facebook page to send people to but I’ve found that without a little interaction, people are hesitant to pull the trigger. I understand this because a book is a time commitment and for me, I consider the value of my time much more valuable than the $20 it takes to buy a book.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
I’m not sure I’m the right one to speak on this. I guess what I would say is to do a little everyday and don’t get overwhelmed by the “to do” list. A colleague of mine from Guadalajara would always say “How do you eat an elephant?” The answer was “One bite at a time.” I will now apologize for voicing that terrible thought but it’s good advice.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Darnit, I just used my elephant advice. Okay, I’ll quote a lesson from my book “Lesson 4: Be thankful.” There is a slight possibility that I am not the FIRST person to say this but in the context of our journey I found it incredibly helpful. It resets you and forces a positive perspective. When Rebecca was in a chemically-induced coma and I was experiencing a rush of emotions…dread, sadness, empathy, regret…I stopped to recognize that all of our experiences over the past 17 years had led me there. We had great memories, a lot of success, and we had grown a lot together. There was nothing we could do about her health but I was thankful that I had the previous 17 years with her and I would not trade them for anything.

What are you reading now?
I’m reading “When to Rob a Bank” by the guys that did “Freakonomics.” They do an amazing job uncovering people’s true motivations and exposing our idiosyncrasies. I don’t always agree with their conclusions but they really make you think about why we do the things we do.

What’s next for you as a writer?
I enjoy blogging for the cystic fibrosis foundation and writing articles for caregiving organizations as well. It gives me the chance to share and highlight the lessons I’ve learned and get my message out. The comments also give me a chance to interact with other people with similar challenges and compare stories. One of the things that surprised me about writing the book was how much I enjoyed hearing people’s stories. Whether I write another book or not, I will continue to share lessons and encourage discussions.

If you were going to be stranded on a desert island and allowed to take 3 or 4 books with you what books would you bring?
1. “The Art of War” – I’ve never read it but I feel that on a desert island, I’d have time.
2. “Outliers” – I would want the motivation to use that time to get better at something. With potentially tens of thousands of hours available to me, I would want to take advantage of that time.
3. “The Language of God” – I would want that reminder that there was a higher power. I know I should say the bible here but I don’t think I would read it enough to justify it. Stop judging me, I’m the one stuck on the island!
4. “Ship building and Island Survival” If I could not find a single book that covered these topics well enough I’d sacrifice any of the other books. Above all, survive.

Author Websites and Profiles
Raymond L. Poole Website
Raymond L. Poole Amazon Profile

Raymond L. Poole’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile
Facebook Profile
Twitter Account

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I am newly published author
I am award winning songwriter and poet
I am the founder of my own online poetry magazine called Create something for the future
I am mother of two beautiful children
I live in Nashville, Tenessee

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
I love to play with words and create my own world outside of reality.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
Yes, eating bread with strawberries

What authors, or books have influenced you?
Maya Angelou, Langston hughes, Sylvia plath, Anne sexton

What are you working on now?
Another poetry collection and other books

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
Author marketing club

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Just be yourself, be original and love what you do

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Always stand out

What are you reading now?
A few different books

What’s next for you as a writer?
I plan to keep writing more books, songs and screenplays.

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 Maya Angelou’s i am obsessed.

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
My name is Kimelene Carr. I am 32 years of age. I was born on the island of Trinidad and currently live there also. I am married with three kids. I homeschool my kids as well as give after school tutoring. For my ‘down time’ I go out in my backyard, sit under our looming bougainvillea tree and sip coffee whilst reading Byron. Other days, I would play, quite loud, Bon Jovi, old and new, and just clean the heck out of the house! I recently published my first novel, Sans Espoir and I’m currently working on three other books: Surreal, Wolfe and The Strange Happenings.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
Sans Espoir was actually first thought up by my husband. He had a habit of waking up at any hour of the night and recite a poem that came to him whilst he was asleep. So, one Sunday afternoon, he woke up from a nap and began telling me a story which he insisted I wrote down. I had always loved writing but had never really pursued it. My husband, knowing of the dream I once had to be a writer , encouraged me to use his story idea and start a novel. So I began! As I was putting together a setting and giving the characters names and personalities, a very dear friend of mine was killed, quite tragically, so I used his life and death as inspiration for one of the main characters as a sort of tribute to his memory. Then, it all came together.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I absolutely cannot type my drafts. The only time I sit behind a computer to type is when the story is completed and ready to be formatted so it’s all pencil and paper. I use encyclopedias for research and many times ideas for dialogues or setting would come to mind after I have fallen asleep. Very often, I wake up at 2am or so and jot down storylines.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
Books such as Miguel Street and A Cow Called Boy influenced me to use a West Indian background for Sans Espoir. Reading those books helped build my appreciation for Caribbean settings and of course the language. (My upcoming novels however, does not have the West Indian setting as Sans Espoir.)

What are you working on now?
I am currently working on a Sci Fi called Surreal which I previewed at the end of Sans Espoir. It’s going to be everything it’s titled to be!

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
Having a facebook page has proven to be a great way of reaching people but I must say, Goodreads has helped me widen out in the world of writing and publishing.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Keep on writing. Don’t doubt yourself and accept honest criticism, it’s what’s going to help you develop your skills as an author.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?

What are you reading now?
I’m currently reading Heidi. It’s my 3rd book on my Goodreads Challenge of 40 books for 2017

What’s next for you as a writer?
I am in the process of pulling everything together so I could start publishing Surreal. Along with Wolfe and The Strange Happenings, I hope to also publish a book of poems and after that, I endeavor to start working on a Writer’s Dictionary.

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?
Definitely: The Count of Monte Cristo, The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford, Miguel Street and To Kill A Mocking Bird

Author Websites and Profiles
Kimelene Carr Amazon Profile

Kimelene Carr’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I am the author of The Power of Time Perception. I also do research in Astrophysics, compose music for Ads, video games, and I am real estate development expert.

A husband and father of two lovely daughters and a son, I reside in Dubai where I am the CEO on a multi-billion construction project.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
My latest book is titled “The Power of Time Perception: Control the Speed of Time to Make Every Second Count”.
A few years ago, I started thinking about how time seems to speed up as we grow older. Most of my friends shared the same experience. So I started researching the subject in Neuroscience and Cognitive Psychology, and thought of writing a book about my finding that will help people understand time experience.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I only write after 10:00 p.m, when the kids have gone to sleep and I get some quiet time.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
I am influenced by Richard Dawkins books, Steven Pinker, Bill Bryson, Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi. Books like Flow Psychology, How the Mind Works, etc

What are you working on now?
I am take a brief break to focus on promoting my latest book that is due to be published on 1 April 2017. I am also working on composing a music score for a BBC documentary. Brainstorming ideas for my next book

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
You have to use several channels to get the best results. Social media (Facebook in particular) can be very effective in spreading the word. Blog tours are also great for awareness.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
The best advice is to grow your mailing list. Get more fans to join your list (through giveaways and free content) to enhance your platform and offer promotions. You can them use that platform to promote new books

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
The 20/80 law, 20% of your effort gets 80% of the results. Focus on the marketing channels that work best and drop the ones that don’t offer great value for money. This usually ends up being at most 2 or 3 channels.

What are you reading now?
The Brain That Changes Itself by Norman Doidge.

What’s next for you as a writer?
I am collecting feedback from my readers on the latest book and exploring the next non-fiction topic to research and write about.

If you were going to be stranded on a desert island and allowed to take 3 or 4 books with you what books would you bring?
Tough question. Probably “The Ultimate Survival Guide”, maybe “War & Peace” by Leo Tolstoy, and definitely “Boatbuilding for Beginners”, just to get back home!

Author Websites and Profiles
Jean Paul Zogby Website
Jean Paul Zogby Amazon Profile

Jean Paul Zogby’s Social Media Links
Facebook Profile

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I have been writing short stories, songs, poems, and articles my whole life, but I just recently came out with my first novel. I graduated from college with a degree in English Literature in 2015, and I started writing Extraordinary Girl shortly after. Outside of writing, I am a 7th grade Language Arts teacher and journalist for The Runner Sports.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
My latest book is titled Extraordinary Girl. I felt compelled to write it after a breakup when my friend gave me the advice to stop kicking myself for believing in someone. Writing this novel was a journey through which I traveled on an emotional rollercoaster to try to explore the ups and downs of relationships and humanity. When it comes down to it, I felt like our experiences with other people are essentially narratives we are all writing. I wanted to take the opportunity to capture that idea in my story. My hope is that this is a novel to which people can relate. I hope people can find some of themselves in the narrative, and I hope readers can take something away from it.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I like to write in the dark. I turn off all the lights, my phone, and write with only the light from the computer screen illuminating the keyboard. It limits distractions and helps me focus entirely on what I want to write.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
I am influenced by John Green. His humor and light style of writing concerning heavier topics help convey messages to broad audiences. When an author’s work can be equally enjoyed by teenagers and adults, that defines success in writing.

What are you working on now?
I am working on two projects. I am working on a collection of poems spanning a long time frame of writing. My second novel, Unrequited, is in the infant stages of outlining. It is a young adult novel based around Jamie, a high school senior who never feels satisfied with what she has. No matter what, Jamie always feels like something is missing. The book goes through her journey of trying to figure out what is important in her life and what it means to feel fulfilled.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
My website is robwegley.com. I use it to market my book, Extraordinary Girl, now on sale on Amazon.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Just write. Don’t overthink your craft initially; you can come back and look at that later. Get your ideas onto paper and see what comes out. You can create something beautiful. You can make it technically sound later.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Allow yourself to be vulnerable. There are a lot of demands on people to act a certain way or convey a certain image; that doesn’t need to be the reality. Vulnerability allows for true art.

What are you reading now?
I am currently reading “The Rule of Mirrors” by Caragh M. O’Brien. It’s a good, young adult read that is psychologically thrilling.

What’s next for you as a writer?
I am going to continue my work on Unrequited. I am pushing for a January 2018 release.

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?
100 Years of Solitude by Gabriel Garcia Marquez, Brave New World by George Orwell, The Fault in Our Stars by John Green, and Cat’s Cradle by Kurt Vonnegut.

Author Websites and Profiles
Rob Wegley Website
Rob Wegley Amazon Profile

Rob Wegley’s Social Media Links
Twitter Account

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I’ve had a lifelong dream about writing a novel, and on January 1, 2017, I published my first one: Carve Me A Place.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
Carve Me A Place is a thriller inspired by true life stories I’ve heard and some I’ve experienced myself, though the entire story is fiction. Writing it was as thrilling for myself as it will be for my readers! It’s been a ride.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I played Twenty-one Pilots albums in the background during the ten months I wrote. Their music motivated me and got my mind in the right place to create.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
Ted Dekker: Three, Red, Black, White, Blink

Frank Perreti: This Present Darkness, Piercing the Darkness

What are you working on now?
My second book is called The Phoenix Scar, and I hope to release it before the end of 2017.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
Facebook has been my best avenue for advertising so far. I’ve used it to redirect readers to Amazon, Kindle and CreateSpace.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Take breaks! When you hit a mind block, walk away for awhile, but always come back. Keep everything you write. Outlines are great to work with.

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

What’s next for you as a writer?
More advertising ad promotions!

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, Blink, The Legend of Bace

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I’m Eric from Philly, USA. I have written 4 books so far and counting, There and Now (Volumes 1 -2), The Ten Facts of Life, and 21 Words of Wisdom.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
There and Now (Volume 2) is a book that revisits the 1990s from the hip-hop and club scene in Philadelphia as well as living on campus and struggling to stay positive.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
When you get in the groove, there is no stopping you. Take advantage of that time period when it descends.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
Michael Baisden

What are you working on now?
An essay entitled “Why do you want to come to America” highlighting the immigration issues currently happening in the USA.

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

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Keep writing. Don’t be discouraged by slow sales in the beginning.

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

What are you reading now?
A book on Twitter Marketing

What’s next for you as a writer?
Probably start working on There and Now: Volume 3

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 Michael Baisden books especially the Maintenance Man.

Author Websites and Profiles
Eric Reese Website
Eric Reese Amazon Profile

Eric Reese’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile
Facebook Profile
Twitter Account
Pinterest Account

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
Well, ever since I was a little kid I’ve had my nose stuffed in a book. Now that I’m an adult, not much has changed! Reading has always been one of my favorite things to do, so I’ve always had a fascination with writing stories and building worlds. As of now, I’ve only released my short novella to draw attention as I finish my full-length novel.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
Knight’s Gauntlet: From Slayer to Shephard just released a few days ago. I would say my perception of the world and how harsh it can be has shaped the plot and overall theme of the series to come, but a lifetime of reading fantastical stories wrought with magic and danger have influenced the world design and lore of my series.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I don’t really think so, but I don’t believe many people realize how strange they can be. For example, sometimes I enjoy coffee and a small breakfast before getting started. At other times, I’ll push myself to stay up into the wee hours of the night until I’m about to pass out, then start plotting out and tough spots I’ve been stuck on. You’d be amazed at what you come up with when you’re half asleep, it’s like digging up diamonds then being the one to cut them down the next day.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
I remember reading books like Harry Potter and Eragon as a child and dreaming about how much better the world could be if we actually had the ability to impact it in a tangible way. I think that’s why I love writing Fantasy stories so much, I’ve always thought that magic was an allegory for change and hope. Which, to me, is something we all desire desperately.

What are you working on now?
I am currently finishing the second part of my Knight’s Gauntlet series, The Trail of Cinders. It takes place where the introductory novella leaves off. Fun fact, my first book was actually the prologue for this novel. It just sort of took on a life of its own!

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
Ha, I’m far from qualified to answer this question. I CAN tell you what Google has to say about it, however! Network, network, network! Even if it’s just a Facebook fan page or a Twitter… page? I’m not sure, I don’t really use social media very much. There are quite a few sites like this one, however, that are amazing for getting more eyes on your new book.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Just write. It’s so easy to get stuck trying to craft the perfect line just to lose your momentum as you stop to fix a small typo. Just focus on getting your message on paper and telling your story to the world, then worry about the prose. That’s what editing is for!

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Not to be cheesy, but don’t be afraid of trying. It’s scary as hell putting yourself out there. I’ve been told that there is no shame in failure, only in accepting that failure as reality. To me, that means you should let your creativity flourish, and treat every bump along the road as a rainstorm to help it grow.

What are you reading now?
I’ve been rereading The Hellequin series, and The Kingfountain Series. Two of my favorite stories! And an unhealthy amount of writing workshop books, the vegetable of the reading world. It’s good for you, but is generally bland if not prepared correctly.

What’s next for you as a writer?
More writing! While obvious on the surface, that’s the extent of my plans so far. I want to keep writing and improving with each book and every series that I finish, until I can look back and be proud of what I did with the time I had here.

If you were going to be stranded on a desert island and allowed to take 3 or 4 books with you what books would you bring?
I’d hollow out a dictionary and stuff my Kindle in it. What, that’s cheating you say? Fine, that’s fine. Probably The Brilliance Trilogy, and The Foot Book. It was my favorite as a kid, and I think that in this situation I could use a little comfort..

Author Websites and Profiles
Cody Knight Amazon Profile

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I am a former journalist for a large metropolitan daily newspaper and also an avid book reviewer, with more than 200 reviews posted on Amazon. The Sisters is my first book. I’ve got another book just about ready for release called The DeathBorn, in which a creature from before time reincarnates as a serial killer. Readers can preorder it — it’s due out in May.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
The Sisters: A Mystery of Good and Evil, Horror and Suspense was inspired by a winter trip to Cape May, NJ. As my wife and I walked up and down the deserted seawall opposite these magnificent old Victorian homes, I tried to imagine what dark tales they might tell.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
Not really. I try to write regularly, whether possessed by inspiration or not. I find that, as Stephen King once said, even the stuff that you thought was terrible on the day you wrote it, winds up just about the same as the stuff you thought was brilliant.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
Well, Stephen King, Peter Straub and the old masters Poe and Lovecraft come to mind. But I also love the quirky characters and masterful imagery of Roald Dahl’s adult work, as well as Ray Bradbury’s wonderful foreshadowing of evil.

What are you working on now?
As I said, my current project is The DeathBorn — getting it just right is turning out to be a challenge. Creating the characters so they’re credible and vulnerable — not to mention the bad guy, who needs to generate a genuine sense of dread in the reader — especially when he’s not “onscreen.” There’s nothing like the thrill of dark anticipation in a really good horror book or film.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
Awesome Gang is among the best followed by four others for paid promotion. Of course, there’s the behemoth BookBub, which returns an excellent profit if you have enough reviews and deep enough pockets to access their million+ readers. But good old-fashioned blog hopping and the building of relationships is key as well. I should mention, too, that I got an excellent book trailer produced by BrilliantBookTrailers.com that has been great for building buzz.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Stay true to your vision of what you want your story to be. Let your characters come to life on their own, sometimes even surprising you by what they do — or don’t do.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Writers write. There’s no substitute for just sitting down and cranking it out, whether your muse is speaking to you or not. And I forget the other pithy pearl of wisdom, but it’s along the same lines…

What are you reading now?
Well, I also review books for other authors currently — almost 100 a year — so I find I don’t have much time for pleasure reading anymore. But when Stephen King puts out a new novel, I drop everything to read it.

What’s next for you as a writer?
Trying to just stay focused on my craft and, as I keep saying, cranking it out on both the good days and the bad.

If you were going to be stranded on a desert island and allowed to take 3 or 4 books with you what books would you bring?
The Stand, The Lord of the Rings, and the Collected Works of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle.

Author Websites and Profiles
Don Sloan Amazon Profile

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I have written 2 books: Stay Safe on Campus and How to Graduate Debt-Free!

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
How to Graduate Debt-Free was written to help friends and family who had kids getting ready for college.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
Just one: when I get stuck, I have to get out of the house and take a walk or go take a drive

What authors, or books have influenced you?
James Patterson, Stephen King

What are you working on now?
A book about sudden life changes like a job loss, death in the family, or medical emergency.

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

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Write more than one book.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Release several books a year

What are you reading now?
Miracle Morning for Writers

What’s next for you as a writer?
Finding ways to make more money and to reach 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?
The Bible, something by James Patterson and The Raven

Author Websites and Profiles
Marcia Kelley Website
Marcia Kelley Amazon Profile

Marcia Kelley’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile
Facebook Profile

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I am a UK horror author based in Staffordshire, England. My first publication was a short story in the dark anthology, Beast: A New Beginning. This was a horror-comedy loosely based on my paraplegic rabbit and his pet wheelchair. My debut novel, The Fear, is available now from Amazon and other retailers. Aside from writing, I enjoy dance, cinema and caring for disabled animals.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
My latest book is called The Fear, although I can’t fully explain the inspiration behind it without giving any spoilers! A lot of elements were plucked from real-life experiences, both my own and certain family members and friends. For example, one character in the book suffers from Alzheimer’s Disease – but that’s as much as I’m saying. It will probably become clearer upon reading the book where most of it came from, but generally speaking I’ve had a lifelong interest in the paranormal. So creating a work of fiction in a genre and subject matter that I’m passionate about felt like the right way to go for a debut novel.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I don’t know if it counts as unusual, but I always write my first and second drafts by hand. It just seems to flow better. If I was to sit in front of a computer screen and start typing from scratch, I probably wouldn’t manage a single sentence. I also play music and imagine scenes unfolding in my mind, similar to a movie trailer I suppose.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
James Herbert was – and still is – a horror legend. Also Shaun Hutson, I think he has a fantastically twisted sense of humour that really brings his books to life.

What are you working on now?
My second novel, Pack. It has a completely different tone to The Fear. Less supernatural, more bloody ‘hack and slash’ type of horror. I want to explore as many sub-genres as possible.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
As a newbie author, I’m still trying to figure that out and find my place in this crowded industry. One thing I’ve learned, especially from watching others, is that social media only has so much reach. We need to think bigger than that and target websites, bloggers, magazines, etc that specialise in your genre. They have the kind of following that you want to attract. Also interacting with fellow authors and readers on sites like Goodreads, entering contests and arranging giveaways attract a lot of attention.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Don’t give up! Persevere, think outside the box and just be yourself. Get to know your audience and build relationships with them as they’re the people that matter most.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
A personal approach to everything is always best.

What are you reading now?
I’ve got a backlog of new books to get through, but right now I’m re-reading The Dark by James Herbert.

What’s next for you as a writer?
Aside from working on my next novel and a few other side projects … I have no idea! But I’m excited to see where my journey takes me.

If you were going to be stranded on a desert island and allowed to take 3 or 4 books with you what books would you bring?
I guess some kind of survival books would come in handy, but I don’t read a lot of non-fiction! I’m into martial arts and have a couple of tutorial books, so they’d definitely be on my list in case there were any maniacs lurking. I’d also take something humorous like My Godawful life – a parody that makes me cry with laughter every time I read it.

Author Websites and Profiles
Rae Louise Amazon Profile

Rae Louise’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile
Facebook Profile
Twitter Account

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I work as an airline captain with a major European airline, but only part-time. Over the winter (and, if I’m honest, during the cruise too) I write books. The Pillars of Abraham is my first serious novel, but I wrote a children’s book, Little Green Men, a few years ago.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
I guess my latest book is The Pillars of Abraham. It was inspired by a science module I took at university: the idea that prior to our solar system, there was another sun right here, taking centre stage in its own solar system. Everything in our solar system is made from the debris that resulted when the star exploded in a supernova. I wondered if it hosted planets that could have supported life. What if they buried something in a chunk of rock that later became one of the billions of chunks that went on to form the Earth? And what if we found it?

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I write in two places: my local coffee shop (always at the same table) and at 38,000 feet in the cruise.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
William Boyd is someone I try to emulate — literary thrillers, character driven. Not sure I get close, though. I think I would do better writing comedy, but I read thrillers as a preference and so I think I ought to write what I enjoy reading.

What are you working on now?
A sequel to the Pillars of Abraham. I was recently in Prague doing some research.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I’m rubbish at promoting my books! I just love writing and hope that someone will stumble across my books, then tell their friends!

Do you have any advice for new authors?
READ. Don’t bother with creative writing course. Just read books by writers you admire. Analyse how they produce the effects they do on you as a reader. What literary techniques do they employ and how do they affect the story? I think a literature degree is far more effective than a creative writing degree when it comes to training storytellers.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Write. There are no aspiring writers, only people who write and people who don’t. Just write something, get started, it doesn’t matter how crap it is. You can polish it later.

What are you reading now?
Sam Eastland, Eye of the Red Tsar.

What’s next for you as a writer?
Learn more about promoting my books.

If you were going to be stranded on a desert island and allowed to take 3 or 4 books with you what books would you bring?
1. How to Catch Fish and other wildlife
2. How to recognise poisonous berries
3. The complete works of Charles Dickens — that would last me a lifetime.

Author Websites and Profiles
Ian Young Website
Ian Young Amazon Profile

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I’ve written three books.

My first, “A Simple Guide to Exercise Safety (What You Don’t Know CAN Hurt You)” is a guide to help people avoid unnecessary injury and death on their quest for healthy living and weight loss. After graduating from an intense and lengthy curriculum at a credible, well-respected and highly regarded personal training school, I learned about the many dangers that lurk beneath the surface with regard to exercise, so this book helps people understand how to implement a safe and structured fitness program.

My second book, “Streetwise Philosophy (A Bullshit-Free Approach to Spiritual Maturity)” is a short book filled with thoughts about the world we live in and the human condition. It’s meant to encourage people to wake up to themselves and how things are being played out in society. It reads like a manifesto, and I’m transparent about that in the intro.

It does contain some strong language. What can I say? Sometimes personal expression requires no bounds, and I’m not exactly politically correct.

Lastly, my third book, “Choose Awareness (How to Free Your Mind and Become Your Own Guru)” is designed to encourage free thought, self-awareness and becoming the one you lean on most for truth, trust and awareness.

I discuss techniques to help people become aware of what lives inside of us and how society influences us.

I first began writing years ago having been inspired by healthy living when I went into personal training. My own journey led me toward self-awareness, and while that, in and of itself, played a role in the health and fitness topics I wrote about, it took on a life and direction of its own. Now I focus primarily on human consciousness. Given the crazy world we live in, becoming a truly independent thinker is an asset….and a necessity.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
My latest book is titled “Choose Awareness (How to Free Your Mind and Become Your Own Guru).”

It was inspired by my observations about the world in which we live. How we perceive things, what influences our inner worlds and how these things play out in our personal lives and in society.

People, although they may not realize this, are being programmed every second of the day. It’s been going on since the time we were born. I’ve observed this. I see how what exists within us contributes to the world – and especially, how we’re influenced by the media, the advertising and entertainment industries, our belief systems, our thoughts and our peers.

This book is a step by step guide to awaken to the guru inside of YOU. To free your mind. To disengage from the thought suggestions that surround us at all times. To know and live your truth.

I was inspired to do this through my own awakening. I can’t NOT share this info…and this book was a true pleasure to put together. My best one yet.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
My best content shows up when I’m doing random things, so I often have to stop what I’m doing and start writing immediately so I don’t lose the words.

I’ve been known to speak my thoughts into the closest recording device and publish it later on because I wasn’t in front of the computer.

Normal, every day tasks also provide me with content because I witness how I react to my inner-world. Once I see it, question it and realize that I, too, am a walking reaction to what lives within me, I awaken to another aspect of my own conditioning and share this insight with others.

My most recent book started to write itself in my head after I had shut everything down for the night (and while I was still waiting for the proof of my second paperback to be delivered). I turned the computer back on, started writing and before I knew it, the intro was complete.

Spontaneity has been the main theme with my writing…and this blends well with my message about creativity and learning to trust the inherent wisdom and direction inside of us (once we shut off the noise).

What authors, or books have influenced you?
I love Dr. Wayne Dyer’s work. I also love J. Krishnamurti.

What are you working on now?
Now I’m working on marketing my book.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
My own website http://iammyimagination.com/ and social media.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Just get started, Hire a pro if you need one, but confront the self-doubt and know that all possibilities exist.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
“Act, don’t react.”
I’ve since tweaked it to “observe, feel, question and respond accordingly and intelligently.”

What are you reading now?
Fiction. All different genres. I love anything by Catherine Ryan-Hyde.

What’s next for you as a writer?
I’ll know the answer to that when it shows up (which will probably happen at some random moment while I’m cleaning, cooking, etc).

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 – Dr. Wayne Dyer “The 10 Secrets to Success and Inner-Peace.”
2 – Dean Koontz “From the Corner of His Eye.”
3 – Catherine Ryan-Hyde – any of her books.
4 – Anything by J. Krishnamurti.

Author Websites and Profiles
Dana Gore Website
Dana Gore Amazon Profile
Dana Gore Author Profile on Smashwords

Dana Gore’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile
Facebook Profile
Twitter Account
Pinterest Account

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I was born in Dublin, Ireland, but moved to Vancouver, Canada in 2009 with my wife and baby daughter. Now the proud (and active) father of two children, I pay the bills by working in my local library. I’ve only written one novel so far, The King is Dead, an epic fantasy novel recently published by Bella Tulip Publishing. I do have plans to release at least one more in 2017, including a series of short stories.

My favourite genres are fantasy, science fiction and horror.

I am a huge fan of mythology, and his future works will incorporate different legends.

I have a degree in Philosophy, with particular interest in Morality and Philosophies of Freedom.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
My latest (and only) novel is called the King Is Dead. As a long time lover of fantasy, I’ve read numerous novels where ordinary Joes (and Josephines) go from zero to hero in the blink of an eye, saving the day against all odds. I like to think I put a little twist on this with a pair of heroes who could only be described as underachievers.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
Not really. With two young kids and a job, getting the time to sit down and write is unusual.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
Tolkien is the obvious one, but I’ve also enjoyed Steven Erickson’s Malazan Books of the Fallen, and R Scott Bakker’s Prince of Nothing series. I’m drawn to darker, morally ambiguous stories, and was a fan of grimdark fantasy before I knew what it was.

Unsurprisingly, I enjoy anything dystopian, and count 1984 and Fahrenheit 451 amongst my favourite novels.

From a non-speculative fiction standpoint, I enjoy Oscar Wilde and Shakespeare. I also read history, with a favourable nod to Anthony Beevor.

What are you working on now?
I have a bunch of projects on the go right now. I’m writing a series of horror short stories based on Irish folklore, a fantasy novel based on the Second Battle of Moytura, an Irish legend, and a dark fantasy in which I’m currently in the world-building stage.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
There’s plenty out there. Facebook and Twitter are the obvious choices, Facebook has a million different book promo groups. Awesome Gang and Ebookasaurus are good. I’ve done really well out of Readers Gazette, who let you set up an author page and tweet your books on a daily basis.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Sit down. Write. Just go for it. I guarantee you one thing – if you don’t write it, it will be never be published, so just do it. There is plenty of support out there on the internet, and maybe even in your own town if you’re willing to look for it.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Get an editor. No matter how good a writer you are, you will make mistakes when telling a story.

What are you reading now?
Lovecraft Country by Matt Ruff, and The Destroyer by Michael Scott Earle. I usually have a “physical” book and an e-book on the go at once.

What’s next for you as a writer?
Hmm! I’ve a few projects on at the moment, but my short stories are closest to completion (I’ve finished three of six). It’s just a matter of whether I publish them separately or in an anthology.

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 guess people usually go for their favourites here, so I’ll go against the grain. I’ve read the first books in Brent Week’s Night Angel trilogy and John Gwynne’s Faithful and the Fallen series, so if I could bring the remaining books in each series, that would be awesome. I’d also need sunscreen, lots on sunscreen.

Author Websites and Profiles
Al Burke Website
Al Burke Amazon Profile

Al Burke’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile
Facebook Profile
Twitter Account

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I’ve been writing a long time – 19 years, though my early works were cringe-worthy and are locked far away where no one will ever touch them. To date, I’ve published nine works; eight fiction novels and one poetry compilation. Two of those novels are now unavailable because we (my husband/co-writer and I) decided to revamp the series.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
My latest book series is “Shades of the Sea and Flame” (the first book in the series is free – “Blood Pearl” – but all five are available for purchase). It was inspired by some very trip reams I had and my incessant constant need to write about vampires. not the shiny kind, but the old vampire that I remember from the days of reading Anne Rice and Jeanne Kalogridis. In my mind, vampires are these lording monsters that are beautiful, dark, and painfully sexy.
I wrote “Shades of the Sea and Flame” when I found out I was pregnant and realised I had to make a change in my life in order to make a change for my baby’s future.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I tend to write without much of a plan. I must have rewritten “Shades of the Sea and Flame” five or six times before I was convinced of it. And by rewriting, I mean that I had it completely done and edited and then scrapped the entire project and started over. I do write in the naps my little girl takes, so I write in bursts of twenty to thirty minutes at a time and try to write five thousand words a day.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
That’s a very long list. I would have to say that, primarily, Anne Rice is my inspiration, but I have other equally strong feelings for vampire authors like Jeanne Kalogridis and Poppy Z. Brite. I also loved the works of Alma Katsu (author of “The Taker”), and I sometimes enjoy reading Laurell K. Hamilton. My all-time favourite author has to be J.K. Rowling, in terms of her impeccable storytelling.

What are you working on now?
My new work is another set of five stories that revolves around a more modernistic setting, again, vampires, because I am weak for vampires. The new series is untitled at the moment, but it is a discourse on the difference between what the world sees as evil and the real meaning of evil.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
This is the first time I am doing any real book promotion, so, thus far, it would have to be Awesome Gang.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Write. Don’t get distracted, don’t think you aren’t good enough, don’t sit on your work for years and years waiting to be sure of it. It will never be perfect, you’ll always find fault with it. Write, and publish.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Writing is for the writer, but editing is for the reader.

What are you reading now?
“Prince Lestat and the Realms of Atlantis” by Anne Rice.

What’s next for you as a writer?
My whole life I’ve had big dreams. I want to be the type of writer that can one day walk into a movie premier of my latest book release and have a slew of things to say while secretly feeling completely mystified that my books would ever have taken me that far, so… I guess, my next step as a writer is to quietly take over the world, one letter at a time. Muhahaha.

If you were going to be stranded on a desert island and allowed to take 3 or 4 books with you what books would you bring?
Hmm… “Covenant with the Vampire” by Jeanne Kalogridis, “Wuthering Heights” by Emily Brontë, and “Scribble Boy” by Philip Ridley.

Author Websites and Profiles
Carmen Dominique Taxer Website
Carmen Dominique Taxer Amazon Profile

Carmen Dominique Taxer’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile
Facebook Profile
Twitter Account

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
When I was seven or eight years old, my parents must have seen some spark of creativity because they gave me a writing tablet and package of pens and told me to go to town. I’ve been scribbling ever since. I love all things historical with the WWII being my favorite ear to read and write about, although the Civil War era is a close second. I’ve written about ten books, some of which should never see the light of day. However, I have published three romance novellas: Love’s Harvest, Love Found in Sherwood Forest, and On the Rails: A Harvey Girl story. Under Fire, the first in a trilogy about WWII war correspondent/amateur sleuth Ruth Brown, will be released on July 2017 by eLectio Publishing. My books are Christian fiction.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
On the Rails is my latest book. It is set during 1910 and is about a young woman whose well-planned life falls apart when her boyfriend breaks up with her. Tired of being gossiped about she jumps at the chance to take a job as a Harvey Girl in Arizona. I was inspired to write the story because of a visit I took to Arizona to see the Grand Canyon. There I heard about the many young women who came from all over the country to work for Fred Harvey as waitresses in his restaurants. I began to imagine why the women would leave their homes and perhaps travel long distances to take a job.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
I read Betty Smith’s A Tree Grows in Brooklyn as a teenager, and it greatly affected me. That’s when I knew I wanted to be a published author and affect others the same way. Because my books are set in the 1940s I read a lot of books written back then: Dashiell Hammett, Graham Greene, Raymond Chandler, etc.

What are you working on now?
I am currently writing a mystery tentatively called Murder of Convenience. It is the first book in a series about five friends who each join a different organization to serve during WWII. This story is about a vision-impaired woman who joins the USO to escape a marriage her parents have arranged. When her prospective fiance turns up dead, she must solve his murder in order to prove her innocence.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I have had great success marketing my books through Celebrate Lit – they have a variety of promotional opportunities including blog tours and FB blasts.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Don’t listen to the naysayers. It’s easy to get discouraged, but write what you love and stick to it.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Archer Mayor said the key to success is your butt in the chair. Just keep writing.

What are you reading now?
I am currently reading Graham Greene’s This Gun for Hire

What’s next for you as a writer?
I need to finish the five book series and develop speaking opportunities.

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?
Only three or four books, huh? Okay, here goes: the Bible, A Tree Grows in Brooklyn, Gone with the Wind, and the Lion and the Lionhearted by Joanne Bischoff.

Author Websites and Profiles
Linda Shenton Matchett Website
Linda Shenton Matchett Amazon Profile

Linda Shenton Matchett’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile
Facebook Profile
Pinterest Account

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I am a 38 year old writer from Glasgow who writes mystery thrillers based around my home city. Glasgow is a city full of culture but it also has a side to it that makes it a perfect setting for mystery. My first full length novel Lost Girl came out in May 2016. I am now in the process of putting together my fifth book.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
In the Wake of Death came out in September 2016. Originally I had an idea to put out a romantic LGBT novella which would be separate to the previous book. It wasn’t long though before my mysterious side kicked in and the book became a thriller. It also allowed me to flesh out characters that I had previously had a lot of good feedback for. So it became a full length thriller.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I’m not sure about unusual. I flesh out all my chapters on an excel spreadsheet and set up a date for writing that particular chapter. It helps me keep to deadlines and plays up to my OCD side.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
I have been recently introduced to a lot of self published authors. There is some fantastic stuff out there. My favourite writer is Lisa Gardner. I love how authentic her characters feel when I’m reading them. I also love that she has so much continuity and cross over. There’s lots of cheeky little asides, for instance, to Quincy even when the book is not necessarily part of his series.

What are you working on now?
I am working on my fifth book ‘The Daughter’ which is the 3rd in the DI Phil Morris series, but also merges with Detective Kevin Wallace who will be introduced in the next book (out in March) called ‘The Dead of Winter’.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I use facebook and twitter incessantly. I’ve met a lot of great people and acquired great support networks there. I would love to commit more time to those.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Share and interact. Your key task is to promote your work but if you only use your social interaction to promote yourself, you’ll soon find that others will unfollow you. Make friends, give support and take it when it’s offered. I have some great friends that I’ve made through promoting my books who have given me the guidance to improve and learn.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Don’t read reviews! Seriously though, reviews are great exposure, but they can fill your head with nonsense. Especially when one review tells you how amazing you are and the next rips you to shreds. You have to learn to be thick skinned and self aware enough that you don’t take yourself too seriously.

What are you reading now?
Who killed Vivienne Morse by Diane J Febry. It’s brilliant. I started it in December and then got side tracked. I am now back to it and almost finished. Its well worth a read.

What’s next for you as a writer?
I want to get more exposure on my existing books. I also have an idea for a different type of series that I might put under a different pen name. It’s not at all related to the type of writing that I do. It would be more in the lines of human interest than mystery. I have discovered when writing my existing books that I love to explore the dark side of people and the relationships and dynamic of family life. That’s a real undertone in my books, so I’d like to do something that is focused completely on 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 have been told 1984 is one I should read before I die. I now have a copy that has lay by my bed for about 3 months. If I found myself on a desert island with books and time to read – that would be one. I’d also take with me The Scolds Bridal by Minette Walters and one of the Adrian Mole books because I laugh hysterically every time I read them.

Author Websites and Profiles
Billy McLaughlin Amazon Profile

Billy McLaughlin’s Social Media Links
Facebook Profile
Twitter Account

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I’ve worked in counter-terrorism, marine conservation (saving whales and dolphins) and international refugee policy. I’ve worked on the staff of two Federal Government Ministers – to translate that into American, a Congressman and a Senator, and run the Australian Consulate in England. But through it all I was also an antiques dealer. Today I’m a full-time antiques dealer and writer. I tend to focus on French and English kitchen and country pieces, and I travel to Europe once or twice a year to find new stock. I write feature articles for magazines, I’ve written my first book and I’m currently working on Vols I and II of my second title.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
Travel & Shop The World For Free: How to turn antiques & vintage shopping into free international travel condenses 30 years of experience as an antiques dealer and international buyer, to teach an absolute beginner how they can do the same as I do. Every year I travel to Europe for a month once or twice, shopping, sight-seeing, exploring different places and generally having fun. Then I return home, sell all my purchases, get all my money back, so I can do it again. In Part 1, my book takes the reader step-by-step what they have to do: how to plan a buying trip, where to go to find the best buys, exactly what to buy when you get there, how to ship it home, and then how to sell it. Part 2 of the book is less instructional and more entertaining, where I give the full-on ‘travel feature’ treatment to a variety of destinations I’ve enjoyed visiting and shopping at. I’ve met many people who say they would like my lifestyle, and now they can have it, but without all the trial and error I went through as I developed this approach.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
Oh I break all the rules of good writing, apparently. I always have the TV on in the background. I sit in the middle of my living room rather than shut myself away in a quiet spot. And I always, always do my research before I start writing. There’s no stream-of-consciousness with me, no “just get it out”, no “done is better than perfect”, I’m afraid. I research, research, research. Then I edit my research. Then I write. And after I’ve written, I self-edit. I know! Shocking! There are many experts who tell us the best way to write, but the best way is the way you feel most comfortable with.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
For this book there was no individual influence, because there is no other book like mine on the market. But something I did bear in mind from successful non-fiction writers is that a bit of humour goes a long way. If you want someone to remember something, make it entertaining and funny. That works on me when I’m trying to learn something new, so I tried to make even the drier aspects of my advice as entertaining as I could. When I get to fiction – because yes I do have a fiction series slowly taking shape in my brain – I really like Daniel Abraham, Philippa Gregory and of course George RR Martin.

What are you working on now?
Right now I’m working on Vols I and II of Little Beasties & How To Collect Them. These books will focus on some of our most favourite real and mythical creatures to describe their interesting and at times downright bizarre social history, and then highlight the vintage collectables that are especially good, that would make a rocking (and hopefully valuable) collection. For these books I’m drawing on my tertiary training as a social anthropologist to write the first half of every chapter – the social history – and my extensive experience as an antiques dealer to discuss the vintage collectables in regard to each animal. Many people have told me they’ll buy these books just on the basis of the Dragons chapter alone, so lucky I’m really happy with that chapter!

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
My Newsletter on my website (www.frenchandvintage.biz) has resulted in quite a few sales of the print version of my book. But what is going to be huge for me is that a national magazine in Australia has asked me to be part of a big promotion they have coming up. That will be target my specific demographic – antiques, travel and lifestyle readers, and I’m very excited by this big break.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
What has led to me getting exposure with major influencers in my field, to the point where they are taking an active interest in promoting my book, is that before I started writing my first book I wrote a lot for local newspapers. And I did that for free, in order to build my writing resume. That gave me some publishing credibility with smaller magazines when I started to approach them. I got a lot of knock-backs, but enough accepted my pitches that I then had even better credibility when I approached the bigger national glossy magazines.

But to get your foot in the door, over all your (considerable) competition, you’ve got to start for free. Local newspapers are often really happy to receive free content they don’t have to edit, and for which you’ve also provided some great photos. And not only do you have to offer great content for free, you have to be entirely reliable. Meet your deadlines, no matter what. Even if the editor contacts you and asks for something at a ludicrously short deadline, meet it. And edit yourself thoroughly. The newspaper editor will then cut your piece to ribbons, which takes a lot of getting used to – I don’t think I’ve ever gotten used to it! – but that’s what newspaper editors do because they have strict space constraints. In fact, having my carefully crafted articles torn to shreds by newspaper and magazine editors is what prompted me to start writing books – then I can say whatever I want, and no-one gets to edit me except me.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
If not now, then when? I’ve followed that advice throughout my professional career, then when I moved into becoming a full-time antiques dealer (giving up a good, regular income paid by someone else, which was a bit scary), and especially as a writer. Get started right now! There will never be the perfect time for anything, so make it now.

What are you reading now?
I’m reading a variety of fiction historical adventure books, and watching a bunch of comparable movies, to help me learn what works best in this genre, what I enjoy the most. So when I start work on my own fiction books I’ll have a better idea of how I want to proceed.

What’s next for you as a writer?
Right now I’m working on Vols I and II of Little Beasties & How To Collect Them. I’m learning all sorts of strange and bizarre facts about dragons, cats, mermaids, elephants, even chickens! It’s a fun writing process, but I really need to up the pace and get them done. After that I’ll be giving the same treatment to a variety of food – the working titles of those volumes are The Foodies Essential Guide to Antiques & Collectables, but I’m sure I’ll come up with something a little tighter than that when the time comes.

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?
Oooh, tough choice. I love reading. I read every single day. So they’d have to be long books. I’d really like to take the next 3 or 4 of George RR Martin’s Song of Ice & Fire series. I’ve read all the other books, several times, and now I’m waiting impatiently for the rest of the series – just like the rest of the planet. So hurry up, George! I now know from experience that writing can be a slow process, and that life intervenes, but I’m about to be stranded on a desert island and I need those books!

Author Websites and Profiles
Debra Palmen Website
Debra Palmen Amazon Profile

Debra Palmen’s Social Media Links
Facebook Profile

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
Hi, I’m really happy to be speaking here – so many thanks!
Well, from the year dot I have had a massive interest in the human condition. It started out with a huge interest in anthropology and sociology and then moved to psychology and social psychology. At the same time I began reading Marx and Freud and various philosophers – still I was hungry!
It was as if the real important bits from life were still missing – the keys to unlock the good bits were still to be found, As my journey progressed I found that it came not from reading the works of others (although doubtless that is important too!) but from finding out how to look within – that came from meditation! I believe the secret to creativity lies in removing the blocks that we often place there by ourselves – meditation is a fantastic way to remove these! My life continued in a beautiful way when I met my wonderful wife – Nasim. Currently we live in Bristol, England with our cat Bella and are very happy. I believe in helping people and I believe in putting every bit of effort in to get the best life – I think it really is true that happiness lies within us – we can all find it. “Your Mind = Complete Excellence” is my first book and I hope you really like it!

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
The name of this book is “Your Mind = Complete Excellence”. It is inspired by attempts, in the early days less successful and latterly more successful(!) to understand the human condition! We are all linked in this amazing world we call existence. So many people have done great work in attempting to describe the human condition – Sigmund Freud’s fantastic work is well known to us, yet, on the other side of the globe, ancient folk practiced techniques which also enabled access to the deeper levels of our being. Scientists research and find that in many ways there is no time – ultimately there is only now – this has been understood by some for thousands of years. This is the understanding of the deeper levels of our minds. On this level healing takes place and magic is possible. To live in tune with the processes that go on within us is, I think, essential. We can find great peace on these levels and I hope this book can, in some way, help others to find great peace and well-being within themselves and to be able to pass that on to others.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I don’t have too many writing habits. I try and make content uplifting and positive and fill the book with as much useful information as possible!

What authors, or books have influenced you?
Well, we’re all on a bit of a quest in life I would say! So, quite a lot of authors that I have read have been trying hard to get to the nitty gritty of human experience – Freud comes to mind but also some of Plato’s works. The sayings and what little we know of Heroclitus is always extremely interesting! That said, I don’t think you can really be influenced by these people – you have to come up with your own story! But, I truly admire their journey! The things that have influenced me most are the theory of Anatta, the understanding that all is in permanent flux, the understanding that our senses are just ways of interpreting reality (important ones though!) and that the mind is also a sense(!), the understanding that consciousness is what there is – various practices will allow us greater experience of wider areas of it! That free-will is extremely important to well-being and that healing is always possible.

What are you working on now?
I am trying to get this book to a wider readership – hopefully as many people as possible are going to read it!
I have some ideas for the next books – there are loads(!) – here are some working titles –
‘The Sixth Sense’ – This would explore the view that we indeed do have 6 senses and that the mind, or third eye is just as important, possibly more important than the other senses. If you walk around Europe you will see statues of the pineal gland quite a lot – it was widely understood that it has a central role in human experience. The gland has a layer of cells which are of the same material as those of the retina – it is not called the Third Eye for no reason! Your inner vision, or imagination is often linked to intuition – a hugely important part of being a person!
I have another idea called ‘Adventures in the Akash’. This is basically the idea that the importance of the Akashic field is huge – this is what they used to call the Ether – ultimately it is an infinite ‘matrix’ of the building blocks of the universe – space isn’t absent – it is full of amazing stuff.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
So far I have just used ‘Issuu’. I am very glad to have found this website though and thank you very much for the chance to promote my book on it!

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Don’t give up! Follow your ideas. The creative process is important for the world I would say – if you have an idea – it could grow into something brilliant – follow it!

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
One of the Dalai Lama’s quote is – ‘Never give up’! I really believe that this is true because – you don’t ever give up – evolution is constant. Aligning yourself with your focus is powerful – never give up evolving, never give up being creative, never give up growing – and remember – everything changes – all the time!

What are you reading now?
Big anomaly here – not reading anything! I like to write but haven’t read anything for a while!

What’s next for you as a writer?
Keep writing!

If you were going to be stranded on a desert island and allowed to take 3 or 4 books with you what books would you bring?
Digha Nikaya (Long-Sayings of the Buddha)
The Bhagavad Gita
An annual of some kind
A fun novel!

Author Websites and Profiles
A Dumont-Namin Amazon Profile

A Dumont-Namin’s Social Media Links
Twitter Account

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
Born in Spain, but I consider myself a citizen of the world, I have traveled in many countries, and from all of them I have learned much. Thanks to my long experience in exporting to more than 60 countries, throughout Asia, the Middle East, Africa, Europe and Eastern Europe, now I am glad to share the best way to succeed in sales in my first book: “Sell More and Better, eternal sales techniques beyond the internet” . A mix of fiction and non-fiction, starting with the universal principles of selling, to finally unveil the valuable formula to retain customers and exceed their needs. After the success of the Spanish edition, now it is available the English version.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
My first book, the initial one of a series, is “Sell More and Better, Eternal Sales Techniques beyond the Internet”
It is inspired by the desire to share what has been very useful to me throughout my career, knowing what has really worked, and what has not. The road is done walking, and only those who have already walked can recognize and tell what the curves are like. In that sense, one of the mottos of the book is: “learn in a short time what it takes years to discover”

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
No

What authors, or books have influenced you?
The Greek classics.

What are you working on now?
Right now in the promotion, but plan to write the second volume of the series.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I think the best is a mailing list, but it takes time to build!, the problem is to find time to make a good website and similar. Time is gold nowadays…

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Just keep writing. And believe in yourself.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
“Everything you can buy with money is cheap”

What are you reading now?
The way of the heart (Fernando Sánchez Dragó)

What’s next for you as a writer?
keep promoting my first book, and publish it in other bookstores.

If you were going to be stranded on a desert island and allowed to take 3 or 4 books with you what books would you bring?
Bible, Bhagavad Gita, Tao Te Ching.

Author Websites and Profiles
Raul Sanchez Gilo Website
Raul Sanchez Gilo Amazon Profile