Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I was born and raised in Tunisia, North Africa, surrounded by several languages. I grew up loving to travel and to learn as many idioms as my brain could fit.
Even though I have always had a huge interest in science, and majored in scientific fields for both my bachelor and my masters, I always wrote.
Writing was a very personal activity for me. It was a way for me to express myself, to deal with several situations, to unburden my uncomfortable self from any emotional overflow I couldn’t express verbally. No one really knew I wrote, except for a couple of friends.
I wrote poems, essays, short stories… And as much as I wanted to maybe, one day, publish something, I never dared to.
One day, a couple of years ago, one of my friends asked me to help him and his new band in their first musical project. They needed song lyrics to practice and eventually to choose a few songs for their EP. Even though I was scared, I accepted right away.
That was the first time I gave some of my writings to people and hear my words being sang by others. It felt surreal, and I love it.
After that, I started a blog where I shared some of my writings, but quickly after I decided to write a book.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
The name of my latest book is “The Orchid”.
As much as I wouldn’t want to state this loudly, the story was inspired from my own life. It has an important psychological component, and a less important romantic story-line; but even though the whole story is fictional, the main idea came from me gathering a few writings of mine (about experiences I went through) and creating a bigger fiction around it.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I don’t know if I have any unusual writing habits, mainly because I am not sure what are the “usual” ones. Honestly, I just write whenever I feel the need to say something, or feel inspired. I might need complete silence, as it get too loud already in my head to the extent that my thoughts become faster than my writing speed, and I can’t allow any section of my brain to be distracted by anything, but apart from that, I don’t think I have unusual habits.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
The author that has influenced my style of writing is my favorite author, and that is “Amélie Nothomb”. I didn’t plan for my style of writing to be influenced by her, but I guess I read her books so many times that it just happened automatically.

What are you working on now?
Right now, I am working on song lyrics for a few musical projects.
I have one or two book ideas, but I am not sure when (or if) I will get to them.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I am still very new at this, but what I am trying to do now to promote my book is to try and get as much SNS publicity as possible (instagram, facebook, twitter,…), but also try to spread the word through reader communities (like Goodreads) and review websites.
I am not sure if what I am doing is the right thing, but I guess I will figure it out with time. That’s the fun in this whole adventure ^^

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Again, I am very new to this, so I should be getting advice too. But if I had to give on tip, it would be: don’t be ashamed to promote yourself. I mean, don’t overdo it, it might feel like you’re spamming, and it would give a very unwanted response from others, but you are accomplishing something big, so give yourself some credit, and be proud to spread the word!”

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
“Your writing style is weird sometimes. But don’t change a thing, it really reflects who you are!”

What are you reading now?
Right now I am (re)reading “Hygiène de l’assassin/Hygiene and the assassin” by Amélie Nothomb.

What’s next for you as a writer?
As I mentioned above, I have a few song lyrics to write, and maybe a second book? I am not sure if it would be a continuity to the first one or of it would be completely unrelated, but hopefully there will be more books to come!

If you were going to be stranded on a desert island and allowed to take 3 or 4 books with you what books would you bring?
I think I would take:
– “Journal d’hirondelle” by Amélie Nothomb.
– “Autobiography of a schizophrenic girl” by M.A. Sechehaye.
– The third or the sixth Harry Potter book, maybe also the recent one “The Cursed Child”.

Author Websites and Profiles
Sahar Ayachi Amazon Profile

Sahar Ayachi’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile
Facebook Profile
Twitter Account

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I live in the Southwest and have several stories set in the beautiful four-corners of New Mexico. I write inspirational and clean romance. These works are both contemporary and historical. I also, have two time travel romances. One is set in Galveston during the present and during the time of the occupation of the pirate, Lafitte. The other time travel romance is set in Ireland.
I have written more than twenty novels and am currently working on a new contemporary romance.
I have four children and nine beautiful grandchildren. My husband is a professional artist. Together, we share a house full of pets.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
My latest book is called Retribution. It was inspired by my enjoyment of romantic suspense novels and my desire to write a psychological thriller. It is currently up for nomination into the Kindle Scout program.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I sit in an armchair with my computer in my lap. I’ve always had a hard time working at a desk. I find the chair more comfortable.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
I enjoyed Janette Oke’s novels. Her characters became part of my life at the time I read them. I could identify and commiserate with the characters.

J.R.R Tolkien’s novels influenced because he wove his plots together so masterfully. I read them for the first time many years ago and enjoyed how his characters developed depth as they interacted with each other.

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What are you working on now?
I am currently in the process of completing a contemporary romance in which an aunt who is the sister of a child’s mother and an uncle who is the brother of the child’s father are sharing custody of the little boy after his parents die in an accident.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I have had the most success with Amazon giveaways and ads. I also use my mailing list to notify my readers about new or free books.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Keep writing even when you are feeling discouraged. I once had an inspirational article that was rejected a dozen times before it sold and was re-printed three times.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Let your work sit for a bit after you finish it. You will discover mistakes that you didn’t see on your first edits.

What are you reading now?
I just finished Dean Koontz’s Saint Odd series and will begin a new book soon.

What’s next for you as a writer?
I plan on editing a couple of suspense novels that I wrote a while back and have been letting them sit so that I will see them in a fresh light.

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, Mere Christianity and A Christmas Carol.

Author Websites and Profiles
Karen Cogan Website
Karen Cogan Amazon Profile
Karen Cogan Author Profile on Smashwords

Karen Cogan’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile
Facebook Profile
Twitter Account
Pinterest Account

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I’m a father of three living in Atlantic City, New Jersey. Besides writing, I work as a computer programmer and also help to run our family-owned Polish Water Ice shop on the Atlantic City Boardwalk. If you’re ever in AC, please drop by!

I’ve so far authored fourteen or fifteen books, depending on how one counts them.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
My latest series, Super Pulse, is about how ordinary people in a suburban neighborhood react and respond when an electromagnetic pulse (EMP) destroys the power grid in most of the world. I’d read a few books in the genre and noticed that most seemed to be about people who had anticipated the event and were more ready for it than I would be. It made me wonder what it would be like for the rest of us, and that’s who my series is about.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I’m a pretty busy guy, and I’m unable to treat writing as a full-time gig. So I find that I have to do a lot of my “writing” in my head while I’m doing other things. Many times, when I finally sit down to “write words,” as it’s known around my house, I’m merely transcribing the thoughts I’ve already thought.

Also, I find that a finger or two of Jack Daniels enhances the process for me.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
That’s so broad that I wouldn’t even begin to know the answer. Certainly I’d think that I’ve been influenced by John Grisham the most. Also Stephen King and Michael Wallace.

What are you working on now?
Right now I am working on Book 3 of the Super Pulse series, which is entitled Tabernacle. I recently bought the cover for it and I’m really looking forward to throwing it out there. After that I make take a brief hiatus from this series and write something else before coming back for Book 4.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
Come on, that’s easy. Awesomegang!

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Not a lot, because I wouldn’t presume that my experiences would be similar enough to most newbies. I didn’t get serious about writing until long after I had jobs, family, a mortgage, etc. So I was never able to set up shop as a full-timer and fully commit to it.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Not especially relevant to writing, but the advice I live by came from Woody Allen (as far as I know, I should check Snopes). “Eighty percent of success is just showing up.” To me it means that if one does all the little things that seem completely obvious (showing up, not being a jerk, doing what you say you’ll do, meeting deadlines, and many more) will set you apart from the masses. I never would have believed it when I was in college. I thought you had to be a rocket scientist to succeed. But it’s the little, obvious things that you thought *everybody* would do that matter the most, at least in my own experience.

What are you reading now?
I am “reading” King’s “The Bachman Books.” I know them so well that I don’t actually read the pages sequentially. I just pop it open randomly and enjoy, then move on.

Before that I read “Kane and Abel” by Jeffrey Archer. Before that was the autobiography of Arnold Schwarzenegger, one of my favorite human beings on the planet.

What’s next for you as a writer?
I had some success with mystery thrillers in the past, and might want to dip my toe in that ocean again soon. I live in Atlantic City now. It seems like a great setting for intrigue that I can place a good story or two in.

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?
One of the Harry Potter books, a John Grisham Book, Pet Semetary, and either Deliverance (a beautifully-written novel by a poet) or The Far Arena, whichever I found in the bookshelf first.

Author Websites and Profiles
Dave Conifer Website
Dave Conifer Amazon Profile

Dave Conifer’s Social Media Links
Facebook Profile

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
Hi, I’m Maggie Chase and I’m the author of the Jeweled Ladies series, which is currently five books (with another two in the works!). The Jeweled Ladies include His Topaz, Their Emerald, Her Ebony, His Sapphire and His Crown Jewel and all take place in Texas in the years following the Civil War. They’re all connected but they can be read alone. The Jeweled Ladies series is sex-worker positive, inclusive and diverse, with a high heat level. There’s something for everyone!

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
His Crown Jewel is the fifth book in the series and I’d been building toward this reunion romance for the entire series. Mistress is the madam who runs the Jeweled Ladies brothel and we knew very little about her–how she came to be in this place, with this much power (she practically runs the town of Brimstone) and most interestingly, what she’s got against Free Cyrus Franklin, a local black man. There was a tension between Mistress and Cyrus that practically vibrated off the page. I wanted to be very clear from the very beginning that even though these books were set in the 1860s after the Civil War that Mistress was an abolitionist and, underneath her businesswoman persona, a crusader who believed in equal rights for men, women, blacks, Natives–everyone was equal in her eyes. I also knew that she rescued people, using her great power and wealth. How did she come to be like that? I decided that she and Cyrus had known each other long ago, when they were still children and far from appearances, they did not hate each other. But a black man and a white woman couldn’t exactly set up house back in those days. So the struggle of them getting over their pasts and finding a workable future was quite the story!

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I do most of my writing by dictation. I light a candle for ambiance (and also to mask the smell of the rescue dogs sleeping under my desk) and I just talk. Sadly, when I dictate with Dragon, there’s a lot of typos–the homophone typos continue to bedevil me! So there’s still a lot of cleanup that involves typing but I dictate the rough draft.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
This whole series was inspired by Victoria Dahl. She took a short break from her steamy contemporaries to write a historical western called Harlot and I loved it–but the heroine in that book wasn’t actually a harlot and I got to thinking about what a book about actual harlots would be like. That lead me to a brothel run by the most powerful woman west of the Mississippi, Mistress, and her Jewels, the highly paid soiled doves. They all have a variety of really interesting stories to tell, both in and out of the brothel! I also really enjoy Vanessa Vale’s westerns. They’re so good! And on the other end of the spectrum, I inhale everything by Beverly Jenkins. I also read about a lot of dukes and a lot of contemporary books as well. Basically, I read almost everything (except psychological thrillers. That’s a line I don’t cross much.)

What are you working on now?
I’m working on the next two books in the Jeweled Ladies series, which are going to focus on Black Cam and Hatfield the Kid robbing the local bank and taking refuge in the Jeweled Ladies, both before (Cam) and after (Hatfield). There’s more than a few surprises in store for everyone involved!

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I’ve had good luck on Awesomegang (of course) but I also find Freebooksy to be really successful. I’m still trying to find my footing, marketing wise. Writing books is the easy part for me! Marketing is much, much harder.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Write the book! The best book marketing in the world can’t sell something that doesn’t exist. Book first!

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Give yourself permission to write. It took me a long time to be comfortable with the fact that I sat down and did something for myself instead of taking care of my family or someone else. Those kids can learn to make their own lunches, you know?

What are you reading now?
I just finished the entire Maiden Lane series by Elizabeth Hoyt and am anxiously awaiting the last one in the series this fall. I’m also really looking forward to Vanessa Vale’s new Outlaw Brides series!

What’s next for you as a writer?
More books! There are more Jeweled Ladies stories waiting to be written, just as soon as I iron out a few plot points for the series arc. But always, more 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?
I always loved Island of the Blue Dolphin by Scott O’Dell, which also doubles as a handy survival manual for being stranded on a deserted island! And then I’d have to ask if anthologies counted as one book or two…because there are some really good anthologies out there!

Author Websites and Profiles
Maggie Chase Website
Maggie Chase Amazon Profile

Maggie Chase’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile
Twitter Account

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
Aileen Friedman was born and raised in a small coastal town of South Africa called Amanzimtoti. She married, Ali, in 1982; in 1992 her family moved to the Western Cape and eventually settled in the coastal village, Gordon’s Bay. Aileen and Ali have been blessed with four daughters and six grandchildren.
When all her children had left their home and South Africa, Aileen and Ali sold everything they owned and left South Africa with the intent on traveling through South and Central America. Upon the news that their youngest daughter, living in Cozumel Mexico was expecting a child, they cut their travels short to be with her. They were only planning to stay in Cozumel for six months but fell in love with the Island and its people and subsequently decided to make Cozumel their home.
Aileen is an award-winning author of several published novels, she taps into her personal experiences for inspiration and her work has been very well-received throughout the world, for its accessibility and the believable characters she creates. Having been a dedicated Christian since 1989, her stories carry a message of hope and faith for all her readers.
For 2017 Aileen is publishing two children’s books Mr. Trolley Adventurer and Jamie’s Discoveries as well as her sixth novel Radar Love. She is actively looking for a film company to produce her screenplay Changes From a Sunset that is based on her first novel.
Where ever Aileen resides or travels, she carries the message of God’s love to all that will hear.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
Radar Love.
I have always had a fasination with WWII stories and when I was looking for inspiration to base my novel on I came across the Radar operators and fell in love with the concept. It is so different from the usual doctors, nurses and pilots and the Radar was also such a highly guarded secret during the war that I could not resist.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
Not really, perhaps one quirk is that I tend to neglect writting for days and then I have to force myself to start again. Once I do though I can’t stop (until I get sidetracked again!)

What authors, or books have influenced you?
I love Sarah Sundin’s novels.

What are you working on now?
My Heart and You – a heart transplant patient and a Mexican artist.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
From my website and shared on Twitter, Facebook, Pinterest, Tumblr, LinkedIn Instagram.
Best results are usually from Twitter

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Forget the idea that your first novel will be a besst seller. Write becaus you love it and you will survive

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Don’t ever give up on a dream

What are you reading now?
Of Windmills and War by Diane Moody

What’s next for you as a writer?
To get my second children’s book, Jamie’s Discoveries illustrated and published

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
whaever is the thickest so I won’t finish reading too soon

Author Websites and Profiles
Aileen Friedman Website
Aileen Friedman Amazon Profile
Aileen Friedman Author Profile on Smashwords

Aileen Friedman’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile
Facebook Profile
Twitter Account
Pinterest Account

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
Hi everyone! I’m an author, playwright, and television & film writer. I’ve had three books published so far, with three others soon to come out. My newest book is “How to Live Like a MILLIONAIRE When You’re a Million Short.” It’s an information-packed guide with tons of money-saving tips on Entertainment & Travel, Shopping & Fashion, Health & Beauty, Home Décor and more. The book also includes many of my true-life experiences, which have been exciting, fun, and often funny, too. My first book was a humorous relationship book, “Never Kiss a Frog: A Girl’s Guide to Creatures from the Dating Swamp.” I’m happy to say it has been published in ten countries. My second book is “MUTTweiler: An AutoDOGography,” cowritten with my dog, Boomer. I did the typing; he did the dogtating!

I’m also a writer for television and film. I wrote a family movie that came out last year online and on DVD. “How to Beat a Bully” is a “Home Alone” type comedy with an anti-bullying theme. On television, I’ve written for numerous series, including Murphy Brown, FAME, Sherman Oaks, Friday the 13th – the Series, and Carol & Company, starring Carol Burnett and Jeremy Piven. I was fortunate to receive a Luminas Award for the Positive Depiction of Women in Film and Television, and the Writers Guild of America honored me as a writer of one of the 101 Best TV Series of the Past Seven Decades. As you can imagine, it was extremely gratifying.

One of the things people always find interesting is that I didn’t study writing or literature or film in college. In fact, I have a Master’s Degree in Biology and Physiology! I worked for a brief time in Washington D.C. at the National Academy of Sciences as a Biomedical Information Specialist. Then one day I decided, I didn’t want to be a scientist – I wanted to be a STAR! So I quit my job, sold my furniture, sold my boyfriend (didn’t get much for him) – and moved to New York to become a star. I worked as an actress, and even did stand-up comedy for a while. I used to go on back-to-back with Jerry Seinfeld. Then, one day I decided I either had to take a vacation or get a job! Duh, not much of a decision. I took a vacation and went out to Los Angeles, and never went back to New York. Although I thought I was going to do acting in LA, I switched to writing and that became my passion.

In addition to my books, television and film, I’ve also written a couple of plays, and two Web Series that are based on my books, Never Kiss a Frog and “How to Live Like a MILLIONAIRE When You’re a Million Short.” In addition, I’ve written over 100 travel and entertainment articles for different magazines. However, my favorite things to write are screenplays and books.

I’ve lived in quite a few places: I grew up in Philadelphia, then went to graduate school in Boston, after which I moved to Washington, D.C. and then New York, before moving to Los Angeles which I currently call home.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
My latest book is How to Live Like a MILLIONAIRE When You’re a Million Short — and it’s easy to say what inspired it. For over 20 years, I have been living like a millionaire even though I’ve never been close to being one. I have a beachside apartment, a cool car, and designer clothes. The only thing I don’t have . . . is a job. The strange thing is that most people I know have steady jobs with regular paychecks every month, and they never seem to have any money to do anything. Yet, I don’t get a monthly paycheck – or sometimes any paycheck – and still I’m able to enjoy life, even the high life, all the time. Everyone has been asking me how in the world I do it. So, I finally decided to reveal my secrets – by writing the book and telling everyone how I do it – and how they can, too!”
In the book, I tell lots of my personal experiences, plus I give tons of money-saving tips on entertainment, travel, shopping, fashion, beauty, health, home décor, celebrations, charity and more. I also include many opportunities to go exciting places and get fabulous things for free.

The book is especially meaningful for authors and others in the creative arts, because we don’t have that steady job or steady paycheck. We might get a chunk of money for one gig, and then not work again for weeks, months, even years at a time. Yet, I have found the ways to go out and have all kinds of amazing experiences and buy whatever I want, without spending a lot of money. The opportunities are out there, but most people don’t know about them. These days so many people don’t have the money to do things that would bring them joy – and now, in my book, they learn they can do them — all sorts of incredible things – without having to spend a bundle. In fact, I even tell how to spend 6 nights at a 4-star resort in Spain… for FREE!

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
When I’m writing solo, I tend to stay up till the wee hours of the morning. For screenplays and television, I often write with a writing partner, and that’s fun, particularly with comedies. For my books, I’ve written several alone, and with a couple of them I’ve actually teamed up to write with partners. I know that having a partner is not as usual a practice for authoring books, but I enjoy the collaboration of working with a partner. It’s not as lonely, and you always have someone to run things by and brainstorm with — and someone to make decisions with, be they creative or business decisions. Of course, if you write with a partner, you also have to split the money! Although when I co-wrote with my dog, he didn’t want any money – he just wanted extra treats!

What authors, or books have influenced you?
My favorite book is Roget’s Thesaurus. Okay, I’m joking, but it’s sort of the truth. Of course, these days there are many thesaurus choices online, and they are terrific for authors. Powerthesaurus.com is my favorite. I also like the Online Slang Dictionary and Thesaurus at http://onlineslangdictionary.com/thesaurus/ and http://urbanthesaurus.org. In today’s world, so many new words and phrases are being coined all the time, and I think it’s important for authors to stay up-to-date and keep their writing fresh, especially if their books are about contemporary topics.

As far as my favorite fiction authors, I tend to like those who combine fascinating stories with lots of humor. I always loved Nora Ephron’s books. Carl Hiasen and Dave Barry are other authors I enjoy for the wit and creativity in their novels. I also love a good thriller. Although I read it decades ago, the novel “Coma” by Robin Cook was one that has stuck with me through the years.

What are you working on now?
I am working on two novels – one is set to come out at the end of October. It’s a multicultural thriller about a beautiful surgeon with a secret, a tough detective with a cold heart, and the murder that brings them together. I’m using a pseudonym, because it touches on a controversial subject and it is so different from my other books, which are lighthearted and fun.

I’m also completing the novel version of “How to Beat a Bully,” which is the movie I wrote with a writing partner that came out last year. We will be ready to publish the middle-school novel later in 2017. So many stories of bullying are sad or distressing, we wanted to create one that could provide kids and parents with smiles and laughs, yet still promote the idea, “It’s better to be friends than bullies.”

I also have a romantic comedy movie that is soon to go into production as well as a buddy comedy and a thriller. I often have many projects going at once. The truth is you never know which one is going to take off first.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I’ve just started promoting it, via Facebook and direct emails and doing this Q & A! I also answer HARO requests. I did a radio show this morning and hope to do many more. In addition, I am sending out press releases every day. That can be expensive, but here’s something I just found out about and it’s my top recommendation to other authors: 90 DAYS OF FREE PR Releases: www.Expertclick.com/Discount/Marilyn_Anderson

Do you have any advice for new authors?
My advice is to just love what you’re doing and be passionate about it, because it’s a ton of work and you never know if it will pay off… or how, or when! Also, if you believe in your work, never give up.

I had a couple of screenplays that I truly believed in; they got optioned numerous times but never made. One was finally produced 20 years after I wrote it. My newest one, How to Beat a Bully, was optioned eight times by Hollywood producers and never made. I finally decided “no more options.” That’s when things took off. I found an investor, teamed up with a production company who brought in a second investor, and we were cast and in production in six months! The movie came out on Amazon and iTunes and the DVD was picked up by Walmart! That was a real coup for a little indie film. The truth is there are always ups and downs, and craziness in all aspects of the business. You just have to keep believing in yourself and in your work.

As far as other advice for authors – know that there is no specific timeline. Sometimes you will have an idea, and it might marinate for years before you actually sit down to write it. Live happens, and we don’t always get to things as soon as we’d like to. For both my first book, Never Kiss a Frog, and my latest book, How to Live Like a MILLIONAIRE When You’re a Million Short — I had the ideas long before I started writing the books. I knew I wanted to write them, but other things came up that took precedence. Then, when the time was right, I just put my mind to it — and focused on writing the book.

Also, I would advise authors to always have several people read the book when the first draft is finished. Not your mother or your best friend, but several other authors or people in the industry. Get feedback. Listen. If several people have the same issue, know that they may be right. Don’t be resistant to rewriting. That’s a major part of writing (although certainly not MY favorite part.) However, you want to be sure that when your book does go out, either to agents or publishers – or to the world – that it’s your best work.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Some wonderful advice I’ve received many times is that writing the book is the easy part. It’s the publicity and promotion that is the hardest, but often most important part. You can have the greatest product in the world, but if no one knows about it, it won’t go anywhere. So once their books are published, authors must be prepared to really get out there and promote their work.

The other life-changing advice I received was after I wrote my first book. I was invited to several other cities to give presentations, but most of the time I had to foot the bill for all the travel expenses myself. A book publicist suggested I contact a hotel and tell them I was an author of a book and that I would write an article about their property. The hotel hosted me for free. It was such fun, I decided to do more of it. I created a travel column in an online magazine, and went all over the U.S., staying at wonderful hotels and eating at fancy restaurants that I never could have afforded on my own dime. I wrote over 100 articles and had a blast while doing it!

What are you reading now?
Right now I’m reading tons of books on marketing and selling books! So much goes into getting a new book out and there’s so much information – I’m trying to learn as much as possible about it. I’m also reading a lot of screenplays. I’ve been a judge for several important screenwriting contests for many years, and this is the season for those contests. So that keeps me very busy between writing my own projects.

What’s next for you as a writer?
I’m always working on numerous projects. I have a new thriller novel that I’ve started, so I want to complete it and get it published. I also have a few new comedy screenplays in the works. Since my new book, How to Live Like a MILLIONAIRE When You’re a Million Short just came out, I’d really like to find the way to license it and have it come out in different regions as a series: How to Live Like a MILLIONAIRE When You’re a Million Short in New York… How to Live Like a MILLIONAIRE When You’re a Million Short in Chicago… in Atlanta… in London… in Paris, etc. I wouldn’t write them all, but I’d get experts in the various cities to do editions there that would use my title and original format. Also, since the information is so timely, new editions could come out every year or two. That would be my dream as the writer and creator of this project.

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?
Okay, the first book would be: How to Get Off a Desert Island! If that one isn’t written yet, perhaps I would start writing it. What other books would I want? Sign me up for a few thrillers, some humorous novels, and maybe a fascinating biography. I might want to read one of Mindy Kaling’s books, since she’s clever and funny. Can I join the five-books-a-month club and have them sent to the island? This is one tough question. Hopefully, I will never need to know the answer, since I don’t want to be stranded and I tend to get seasick and stay away from boats, so I don’t know how I landed on the island in the first place.

Author Websites and Profiles
Marilyn Anderspm Website
Marilyn Anderspm Amazon Profile

Marilyn Anderspm’s Social Media Links
Facebook Profile
Twitter Account

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I’ve written for a living my entire adult life as a journalist, ad man and marketer. I began writing fiction in 2012 and have since published three dark thrillers — IDIOT’S TALE, NIKA and THE BANSHEES.
In IDIOT’S TALE a rather inept private investigator, John Rainwater, becomes embroiled in the search for something called White Stone. He learns of it when the rich and beautiful Morgana Trehane bursts into his low rent office near the New Orleans waterfront to announce that she has just escaped from kidnappers who questioned her about it. He quickly discovers that it may be the scientific equivalent of the fabled Philosopher’s Stone that turns base metal into gold. Within 24 hours they find themselves in Miami, in the company of a bitter and violent female former Mossad agent, Roni Miller, who discloses the potential horror that White Stone really represents. Now all they have to do is avoid being murdered long enough for the threat to be contained.
The latter two novels form a two-volume series around the character Veronika Voronina Wright — Nika– a beautiful young Russian woman who came to a suburb of New Orleans as the trophy wife of a loutish lottery multimillionaire. But she is concealing a dark secret that will ultimately leave a trail of dead bodies from the Russian arctic to the Arizona desert.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
My newest novel is THE BANSHEES, the concluding novel of the NIKA series . The first novel revealed Nika as the childhood victim of an unspeakable crime and betrayal, which she savagely avenged years later. She escaped Russia by marrying Andy Wright. When Wright is murdered in an exchange of gunfire in which Nika kills the assailant, she becomes rich. She meets Alanna Quinn, a fiery Irish American woman, with whom she falls in love when she learns that Alanna was also horribly victimized as a child.
The two women begin touring the world, instructing other women in how to get away with killing the men who committed heinous crimes against them. Their murder seminars prove highly effective and the burgeoning body count puts FBI agent David Lapin on their trail, leading to final confrontation one reviewer likened to “a hard punch in the gut.”
I wrote THE BANSHEES because I knew that readers would not be satisfied with the dark prophesy that ended NIKA. But I also felt that a single, 600-page novel of the intensity of this story would be too exhausting for many readers.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
Alas, yes! I typically start writing after ten p.m. and may keep at it until near dawn. I began that practice when I was caring for my terminally ill wife, and now can’t seem to break the pattern. At that time, I thought writing was keeping me sane. Maybe it still is.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
Wow! There would be scores that meet that criterion. Just in the genre in which I write the list is long: Tom Clancy, Frederick Forsyth, Patricia Highsmith, Elmore Leonard, James Lee Burke, Greg Isles, Dennis Lehane, Raymond Chandler, Dashiell Hammett, Micky Spillane, Edgar Allen Poe, Ambrose Bierce. And that’s just scratching the surface.

What are you working on now?
I’m determined to dedicate this year to the grim task of marketing my three current novels. But I’m also mulling over a fourth suspense thriller set in the same imaginary South Louisiana parish where the NIKA novels are set. Entirely different characters and time line, however.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
Would that there were a single site, or even as few as a dozen sites through which you could market a self-published book! You’re marketing through a huge and diverse universe of reviewers and promotional sites. I just sent a printed copy of IDIOT’S TALE to a reviewer in Mumbai. Yes, there are some sites, like Awesomegang, askDavid, Bookbub that you make sure to employ. But if your list of contacts for each promotion isn’t somewhere north of thirty, you’re dogging it.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Steel yourself for being as much a marketer as a writer. Your chances of being accepted by a conventional publisher are practically nil. And even they do precious little to promote a new author who isn’t a celebrity of some sort. And only celebrities and well-established authors get more than a pittance in advances. Yeah, the occasional excruciatingly bad novel — I’m looking at you, Fifty Shades of Whatever — will make some hack writer a millionaire. You might also win the lottery, but it’s very unlikely.
Self-publishing is potentially far more likely to make you a bit of money — if you can write something people want to read, then work your tuches off at marketing.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
If you aspire to write. first read. Read the time-tested works of literature, the best of what’s current. Read nonfiction — history, science, current affairs. Read poetry. Read for content, then re-read for vocabulary and style. When you’ve read 500 books, you might be ready to write one.

What are you reading now?
I’m re-reading Carl Sagan’s THE DEMON-HAUNTED WORLD.

What’s next for you as a writer?
Writing and marketing until they shovel me under.

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?
Just four titles? Okay, Montaigne’s Essays — 900 worthwhile pages right there; thefull text, with footnotes, of Gibbon’s Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire (yeah it’s five fat volumes, but it’s just one title, right?); the complete works of Shakespeare; (I have that in one volume); and the complete Sherlock Holmes. And I’d somehow smuggle aboard a copy of the Rubaiyat of Omar Khayyam. It’s a small volume, no one would notice.

Author Websites and Profiles
Anthony Land Amazon Profile

Anthony Land’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I am an independent author who has just released her debut novel ‘Nightmare Zoo’, and hopes to publish many more YA and adult books in the future.. I have had short fiction stories published in the online literary journals Riverbabble and Haggard and Haloo, but enjoy writing full length novels the most. I have written and am at work on several other manuscripts that range from YA to adult, but sinister undertones and character-driven plots are a staple of my writing no matter what age group or genre I target.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
Nightmare Zoo was inspired by the G20 summit and protests that took place in Toronto in 2010. I was in University at the time and was intrigued by the outpouring of young protestors rising up to fight for what they believed in. The class warfare that headlined the papers was great fodder for the setting of my book and the struggles between characters of different economic backgrounds.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I like to make character maps to form detailed pictures of my protagonists that I can reference during my writing. This sometimes results in celebrities or unwitting stock photo models being used as inspiration for my characters.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
The books that have influenced me the most are the Gormenghast Books by Mervyn Peake, Station Eleven by Emily St. John Mandel, Oryx and Crake by Margaret Atwood, and the Harry Potter Series (No book list is complete without these!)

What are you working on now?
I’m currently working on several young adult books of different styles. The one I’m focusing on the most is set in a more realistic world than Nightmare Zoo, and focuses more on character and self discovery.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I am a big fan of GoodReads and have been using the site for several years to track my reading and flag books that I want to read. They have a great author program that allows you to promote your work in the GoodReads Community.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
The best advice I can give to new authors is to edit your book until you never want to read it again. Then edit it some more.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
The best advice I’ve ever heard is from David Mitchell (author of Cloud Atlas). He recommended moving on immediately after submitting a novel to a few publishers/agents. This means that you’re not sitting around pinning all your hopes on one book, but that you’re moving on to your next project. I think this piece of advice is great for saving sanity. Those wait times can get reallllllllllllllly long.

What are you reading now?
I just finished reading The Couple Next Door, by Shari Lapena, and have just picked up The Binding, by Nicholas Wolff. I’m obviously on a bit of a creepy trajectory.

What’s next for you as a writer?
I’m hoping to move on from ‘Independent author’ to being published by a reputable agency one day, but in the meantime I’m enjoying working on my own writing projects and honing my skills as a writer.

If you were going to be stranded on a desert island and allowed to take 3 or 4 books with you what books would you bring?
If I could bring 3 books with me, I would definitely choose The Tempest, by William Shakespeare, SAS Survival Guide, and a gigantic crossword puzzle book (Does that count?)

Author Websites and Profiles
Lila Evans Website
Lila Evans Amazon Profile

Lila Evans’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile
Twitter Account

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
Hi. I am the author of ‘The Smith Chronicles’ trilogy of YA sci-fi books: ‘The Golden Circuit’ (2013), ‘The Guardians Of The Oort Cloud’ (2015) and ‘Sempre’s Return’ (2016). I initally trained as a classical musician (guitar) at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland, then went on to do a PhD in Composition at the University of Edinburgh. Since then, I have written, taught and played music, but around 2010 I began to write poetry. After a few publications of some of those poems, in journals and whatnot, I realised that I wanted to try and write a novel. ‘The Golden Circuit’ was the result of that, and the trilogy began!

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
My latest book is ‘Sempre’s Return’, the third book in the series. I wanted to bring back the baddie from Book One, but this time make him even worse! I also wanted to investigate the lives of Polo and Kane Smith, the cousin and brother of my main character Mikita Smith. The popular character, Gompi, my mutant, also has a greater role. I got so much feedback about him from the two previous novels that I felt inspired to give him a bigger part in this one. Of course, all the weird plot lines and zany humuor is still there, and I feel like it’s my favourite of the three books.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I rely a lot on free writing in the early development of each book. The process opens up plot and character ideas one normally wouldn’t have thought about previously. I normally plot the beginning premise and the ending, but I intentionally leave the central details open. This might make the process more difficult than a fully outlined story, but I find this pays off in the end with wilder scenarios and events. Sometimes I even let my pet chimp write a bit…

What authors, or books have influenced you?
My favourite authors are many, but I find Douglas Adams, Jack London, Philip K. Dick, Alexandre Dumas to be at the top of my list most days. ‘The Count Of Monte Cristo’ is perhaps my all-time favourite novel. I’ve read that several times. It’s the revenge plotline that gets me every time. What a story! Of course, London’s ‘Call of The Wild’, ‘Adams’ Hitchhikers Guide’, and Dick’s ‘Scanner Darkly’, ‘Do Androids Dream’ are all in there as Top of the Pops.

What are you working on now?
At the moment I have begun work on my fourth novel tentatively titled ‘Runna and the Flying-Ships of Nordica’. It’s a story about a young girl who leaves her horrible foster family and sets of on a journey along the ancient trade routes of Scandinavia to Constantinople, of course, travelling there as a stowaway on a Flying-ship! It’s set in no particular time or era, it could be in the past or future, I leave that open-ended. The main character is about the same age as Mikita Smith, maybe slightly younger, but they share the same sense of abadonment. I’m really enjoying investigating into the history of Nordic culture, and watching episodes of ‘Vikings’.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I like Goodreads the most. Twitter and Facebook are still new to me, I was a bit late to the party on those. I’m thinking of doing some ‘reading’ on YouTube. Maybe a chapter or two per post. I found local booksellers here in Edinburgh to be very wary of new writers, however, I have plans for Comic-Con next year. I think new ideas and methods of promotion are needed nowadays as there are so many authors out there it’s difficult to get through to your audience.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Edit, edit, edit. Then edit some more. And when you’re done with that, edit it again. And again… and… … I think I’ve made that point now. But in terms of technical stuff I would say watch out for repetitions of words near each other, that’s a real bugbear of mine. Also, sentence flow. This really distinguishes a writer of quality. And use your commas wisely!

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
‘Clean as you go’ (when preparing a meal). Seriously, the best advice for writing could be ‘Don’t write about what you know’. Whether you use that or not is up to you, but I always think that if you write about familiar things then it will be too easy, and maybe a little bit dull. Challenge yourself to delve into new territorities of research.

What are you reading now?
At the moment, I’m reading the autobiography of the knuckleball pitcher RA Dickey called ‘Wherever I Wind Up’. It’s a cracking story of failures and, ultimately, triumphs. If you like biographies then this one is must. You don’t have to be a baseball fan to enjoy it. Though clearly, that helps.

What’s next for you as a writer?
Completing my new novel ‘Runna and the Flying-Ships of Nordica’. Then the sequel!

If you were going to be stranded on a desert island and allowed to take 3 or 4 books with you what books would you bring?
‘The Count of Monte Cristo’, ‘Morton Feldman Says’, ‘The Ultimate Guide to the Rider Waite Tarot’ and ‘The Collected Poems of Robert Creeley’.

Author Websites and Profiles
John K Irvine Website
John K Irvine Amazon Profile

John K Irvine’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile
Facebook Profile
Twitter Account

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I started publishing relatively late, comparatively. I was thirty eight when I released my first book. I’ve published two books, and working on a third now.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
My latest book is called “Silent Game” and it’s the sequel in my Hector Hargrove series of novels. It was inspired by scavenging bits and pieces of other crime thrillers and putting my own twist on it. It has shades of Thomas Harris, Michael Connelly, and James Patterson.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I write in bed a lot. Sometimes it’s the only time I can focus. Once everyone in my house is down for the night, the house gets very quiet and I can focus on what I need to do to write.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
Far too many to list. I’m an enthusiast of most genres. Unlike a lot of people, I’m not into the ‘classic literature’ like Salinger or Hemingway. I’m a huge fan of Chuck Palahniuk.

What are you working on now?
I’m working on an untitled science fiction project about a gentleman who, after an accidental-seeming discovery, finds himself being chased by a behemoth of an alien warship and is subsequently rescued by an alliance of humans and alien races who are fighting for the release of the human race, who have been enslaved, unknowingly.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
Amazon ads are mediocre. Facebook ads are good for growing my customer base. The best thing I can do is network.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Read, and write, daily. Try to write a couple thousand words every day. Accept criticism. Try to improve. Realize your first work won’t be a hit. Grind it out.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Life is tough, get a helmet. I take this to mean that things aren’t always fair, and don’t go your way. Prepare for that.

What are you reading now?
Darkly Dreaming Dexter

What’s next for you as a writer?
I’m going to continue writing my Hector Hargrove series, and release my science fiction series. Alternating between the two genres allows me to keep things fresh, as they use different parts of the imagination, which allows my batteries to recharge on one while I write the other.

If you were going to be stranded on a desert island and allowed to take 3 or 4 books with you what books would you bring?
This is a tough question.
1: A book of survival techniques.
2: Fight Club
3: The Legend of Drizzt Boxset
4: The Stand

Author Websites and Profiles
Gabriel S.A. Clason Website
Gabriel S.A. Clason Amazon Profile

Gabriel S.A. Clason’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile
Facebook Profile
Twitter Account

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I can remember when I was eight, writing that I wanted to be an author, because the teacher crossed it out and put ‘authoress’. However, life got in the way and I didn’t write my first book until after I retired. I was spending the winter in Portugal and my husband was ill, it was raining and I’d read every book in the place – so I thought the obvious thing to do was to write one!

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
My latest book is called ‘Death at Brambles’. I wanted to write another book about Rosie, who appears in my first book. Rosie’s the sort who’s always getting mixed up in causes – in this case, trying to stop a beauty spot being destroyed by new housing. I’d just been involved in a similar campaign in my own village, and I thought it would be a good background to a murder mystery.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I do quite a lot of writing in Portugal, where I spend my winters.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
I have a literature degree so I was brought up on the classics, but as I’ve grown older I like books to be well written but light and entertaining, so I’ve read a lot of English murders – I like Stephen Booth who writes about where I live – but I also like Sue Grattan. A big influence, though, was reading the serials in ‘Women’s Weekly’ when I visited my grandparents on a Sunday afternoon – they whiled away some dull moments when the adults were talking, and left me with a soft spot for the romantic novel, though these days I can hardly bear to read them! But it did influence me when I wrote my first book, ‘Mind, Body and Rosie’.

What are you working on now?
The next one will be another murder mystery and Rosie will be in it again.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I’m a newcomer. Until now I’ve used a combination of Kindle Select and Facebook – this is the first time I’ve used Awesomegang and I’m hoping to reach new readers.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Be very determined and don’t be put off.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Don’t be discouraged by criticism – you can’t please everyone. However bad you feel, do ask yourself if there’s any justice in the criticism – it will help you to be a better writer.

What are you reading now?
I’ve been reading ‘The case of the Poisoned Partridge’ by Diane Janes. This is about an unsolved murder case in the 1930s, and it’s fascinating because of the light it sheds on the crime novels at the time. I always thought writers like Agatha Christie were using a bit of artistic licence, but it turns out detection really was like that at the time.

What’s next for you as a writer?
I am just happy to think that my books can pass a few hours enjoyably for some one.

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 certainly take one or two of the classics I read as a child and gave me my love of literature – ‘Pride and Prejudice’ ‘Jane Eyre’ and ‘Wuthering Heights.’ And I also like ‘Dostoevsky’s ‘The Devils.’ I’m fond of A.J.Cronin’s ‘The Citadel’, because it was the first book I read that made me realise a novel didn’t need to be a thriller or a romance – it could just be about life! I also like Dorothy Sayers, and the short stories of Dorothy Whipple. A mixed bag, really.

Author Websites and Profiles
Pauline Wharton Website

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I am a science fiction author who is diagnosed with high functioning autism. I am also a connoisseur of the science fiction, fantasy, and superhero genres. In addition, I am an autism ambassador, hoping to demonstrate the potential benefits one can gain from being autistic.

As a writer, I utilize my autism to visualize the story taking place inside of my head like a movie. Also, I have a very strong memory, allowing me to store information about my characters and stories in my brain as though it were a computer hard-drive. My superhero series, The Young Guardians, is based on a childhood fantasy I shared with my best friends of becoming superheroes.

So far, I have written and published five books: The Young Guardians and the Genesis Spell, The Young Guardians and the Great Darkness, The Young Guardians and the Revelation Orb, The Young Guardians Chronicles: Compendium 1, and The Writing Arsenal of a Common Man. All of these books can be found on Amazon and Amazon Kindle.

I am also a passionate pit bull lover and own two sweet and loving pit bulls named Wally and Fitch.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
My latest book is The Writing Arsenal of a Common Man. I included the phrase “Common Man” in the title because at the end of the day I am a common man. The Kindle book is a collection of poems, short stories, flash fictions, and plays I have written last year. During that time, I wanted to expand my horizons as a writer and increased my writing arsenal. While publishing the book, I included a picture of one of my pit bulls on the cover. Since the book came out last Christmas, I decided to use a picture of my pit bull wearing a Santa hat.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I think it would be fair to call myself a method writer. The reason for this is because whenever I crank up epic music through either Youtube or iTunes and start writing, I enter a unique mindset in which I cannot stop writing unless I am struck by a bolt of lightning. I compared this mindset to that of a method actor after I heard about how Jared Leto has been portraying the Joker in the Suicide Squad. During the filming process of Suicide Squad, Jared Leto never broke character as the Joker to the point in which he terrified his fellow cast members. When it comes to writing and listening to epic music, I enter a trance-like state in which I become consumed by the scenes I envision as I write. This process is difficult to snap out of, but is as addictive as an adrenaline rush!

What authors, or books have influenced you?
The Inheritance Cycle influenced me because they gave me an idea of how to craft the origin story of a hero. Also, the author of the Inheritance Cycle, Christopher Paolini, published them at an early age so I wanted to match my achievements to his.

What are you working on now?
I am working on a fantasy book that revolves around an individual’s conquest of an empire. One could argue that the inspiration I get from my fantasy book is a bit extreme. In order to gain as much authentic inspiration and information as possible, I have been listening to medieval documentaries, tasting exotic food from the period, and participating in medieval reenactments. This summer, I intend to take my research even further by taking blacksmithing, archery, fencing, and horsemanship classes. One could argue that I will be risking life and limb to gain the inspiration I need for my fantasy book because some of these activities are potentially dangerous. Still, I will be able to get the right feel and sensation of performing these tasks and incorporate them into my fantasy book. I have never put this much effort in writing a book in my life!

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I like to utilize a combination between WordPress, Twitter, and Facebook to promote my books, but recently I added GoodReads to my list of resources to promote my books.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
If you initially have a self-taught writing style, it would be wise to refine it even further with both practice and counsel from other writers. If you really want to receive formal training in writing, then take creative writing classes like I am. In my experience, a combination of these things always provides the best results.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Christopher Paolini, author of Eragon, told me the following:

“If you are introducing new characters, it depends on how you want to present them. Are they a group who travels together? Or do they each join the hero separately? Whatever you do, make the initial meetings interesting and entertaining, and try not to drown the reader in tons of exposition. We don’t need to know everything about these new characters’ backstories. Not right away. It’s good to keep a few secrets. And good luck with the writing!”

What are you reading now?
I am reading Star Wars Aftermath: Empire’s End, which shows what happened to the Rebel Alliance and the Galactic Empire right after Return of the Jedi.

What’s next for you as a writer?
After I finish the first fantasy book, I will be writing the next volume of the trilogy. Then when I am done with my fantasy trilogy, I will write the fourth and final volume of The Young Guardians Series. After all of that, who knows?

If you were going to be stranded on a desert island and allowed to take 3 or 4 books with you what books would you bring?
The four books I would bring would be Dune, Eragon, Watchmen, and Star Wars Darth Bane: Path of Destruction. These are easily my top four favorite books.

Author Websites and Profiles
Grady P. Brown Website
Grady P. Brown Amazon Profile

Grady P. Brown’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile
Facebook Profile
Twitter Account

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
Okay, a little about myself. I was born in Brisbane, Australia and raised in West London, England. I love action movies and martial arts and grew up watching Jackie Chan movies. Ironically, I never used to read much, I always preferred to watch the movie, but I love writing and because of that I have come to love reading too. After all, they go hand in hand. So far I have published three short stories, a novella and a Novel. Two of the short stories are in the horror genre and the rest of my books are fantasy.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
My latest book is a fantasy novel called ‘Blood Rage’. It was inspired by an interest I had in exploring my Irish heritage, coupled with my intrigue of paganism and magic. This has seen creatures from celtic folklore work their way into the story, bringing some lesser known mythical beings into my writing.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
Nothing I would really call unusual, I just come home from my day job and immerse myself in my life as a writer. This includes reading emails, reading books, writing reviews, blogging, marketing my books, networking and writing/editing new stories. Thankfully, I have a the love and support of an amazing woman behind me.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
I love Joe Abercrombie and find he has influenced my writing style. I also try to inject a little humour into my books where I can and I think this is a bit of Jackie Chan rubbing off on me.

What are you working on now?
Currently I have a few short stories in various stages of completion as I plan to release a series of shorts in an anthology of my own stories. These are mostly horror, but also include some fantasy. I also have a couple of novellas, but one, or both, may turn into novels because I am really enjoying the stories that are unfolding in them. Without giving too much away about the novellas/novels, one is about life and death and the other about a vampire in the making.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
Promotion is tough. I have had my own blog for a while now that I have built an bit of a following on, but I have only recently started delving deeper into promoting my work. I am trying various things at the moment, including Facebook ads, networking in online groups and trying to get my books into bookstores and libraries.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Yes, read books, join a writers’ group/critique group, absorb as much as you can. Over time you will become more experienced and you will learn to filter out the bad advice. Listen to others, but be true to yourself. Becoming a good writer takes time, anticipate it is not going to happen overnight, believe in yourself and don’t give up – you only fail when you give up trying.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Oh boy, that’s a hard question. I’ve been given so much advice over the years. Thinking about it now, it is probably to join a writers’ group. That is probably the one thing that has helped me the most. I’ve learnt to give and receive feedback, filter good and bad advice, touch up on my grammar and learn new writing skills. It has put me in touch with other writers and writer’s resources. It has helped me to believe in myself as a writer and so much more. I can’t emphasise the benefits enough here, if you haven’t done so already, this is the one thing I would put on top of your list of things to do as a writer.

What are you reading now?
I have just finished reading The Final Empire (Mistborn #1) by Brandon Sanderson, and I loved it. I will probably start on Mortal Engines by Philip Reeve next, as I have been meaning to read this for some time. I also want to start on a book to help hone my writing skills called Creating Character Arcs by K.M. Weiland, as I am constantly researching the craft of writing, looking for ways to improve as a writer.

What’s next for you as a writer?
There is so much to do as a writer, it is so easy to get bogged down and not actually do any writing. Especially when you have a full time job. I am focussing on building my writing career in the hope that it will start to pay the bills and I can shift from my 40 hour a week job to writing full time.

If you were going to be stranded on a desert island and allowed to take 3 or 4 books with you what books would you bring?
The Blade itself, Best Served Cold and An Argument of kings by Joe Abercrombie. I’d also take The Final Empire (Mistborn #1) by Brandon Sanderson.

Author Websites and Profiles
allan walsh Website
allan walsh Amazon Profile

allan walsh’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile
Facebook Profile

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I have a seemingly dull job as a commercial banker in a very affluent town called Greenwich Connecticut. I also have a master’s in English, which, I have been told is a strange combination. Before finishing my undergrad or going into banking, I was a salesman, a real salesman–the kind they tell jokes about involving farmer’s daughters. It was a hard-drinking lifestyle, and I met some odd characters. I lived and worked in one of the most affluent towns in the world, but had no money and managed an existence in the shadows of the wealthy. The people I met and some of the scams I learned about as a banker inspired me to complete my first novel, “Monkey Man: a crime story.”

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
“Monkey Man: a crime story” was inspired by two things that are polar opposites in the context of my life. First, the characters are all based on my life in the 80s and 90s when I was a hard-drinking, brawling, philandering salesman. Second, the basis of the book is the crime of money laundering, knowledge of which I’ve derived while in my current life as straight-laced, clean-cut, family man, New England Banker. Being a mere 40 miles from New York City, bankers in this neck of the woods are exposed to every scam imaginable and are trained to detect an array of financial crimes, and since I work for a small bank, I’ve been given unlimited opportunity to garner knowledge above and beyond what’s been required for my position.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I have to sit and write every day, even if I only have time to open the file and do some edits–I call that the twenty minute work day. My goal, however, is 1,500 words per day.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
“The Great Gatsby” is my favorite novel. I also feel I’ve been influenced by Hemingway and Toni Morrison, and poets like Keats–Ode on a Grecian Urn has always bothered me as have the plays of Edward Albee.

What are you working on now?
I’m working on a sequel to Monkey Man. This one will go very dark into the world of identity theft and human trafficking.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I’m still trying to figure that out.

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

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
A work of art is never finished, only abandoned, and a writer is someone who has more trouble writing than normal people.

What are you reading now?
Hamilton by Ron Chernow

What’s next for you as a writer?
Write that next book. I need to come up with a good title.

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 Old Man and the Sea, The Great Gatsby, For Whom the Bell Tolls, The Sound and the Fury.

Author Websites and Profiles
David Moore Website
David Moore Amazon Profil

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
In 2011, I published the novel FAR AWAY HOME about a young woman who left New York City in 1868 to start a new life in Utah. Up to that time, most of my writing focused on professional journals and texts. When I ventured into fiction, I wrote short stories. One received honorable mention in a NOW short story contest and was published in Creative Woman.
The novel began as a chapter for a history book. I conducted my research in the American west for three years; I even drove a covered wagon (check out the Youtube video on the FAR AWAY HOME page at www.susandenningauthor.com). When the history book project dissolved, I used my research to write an historical novel.
As a self-published, unknown author, I never imagined anyone would read FAR AWAY HOME. But tens of thousands of readers did. For four years, it ranked among the Top 100 in the Historical- US and Romance Western categories. To my great surprise, many readers requested the next chapter of the story. In EMBRACE THE WIND, Aislynn’s journey continues.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
My latest book is EMBRACE THE WIND, an Historical Novel of the American West: Aislynn’s Story- Book 2. It was inspired by the readers who wrote reviews and emails saying how much they enjoyed Aislynn’s story in FAR AWAY HOME, and asked to read the next chapter in her life. I never expected this reaction to my first, self-published novel. When it became apparent that many people wanted more, I started my research. I decided to have Aislynn leave her home in Utah and go to Wyoming. In 1870, the Wyoming Territory granted women rights they could not find anywhere else. It was the first place in the USA that allowed women to vote in a federal election, serve on juries and run for elective office. I felt very blessed to have the opportunity to write about this extraordinary place and this amazing period in American history.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I don’t think I have any unusual writing habits, although those who know me may see some! They may think it’s weird that I talk about my characters like they are real people with lives that spin out on their own accord. For me, the plot just comes with the characters already formed. I feel like the story belongs to them, and I’m just passing it on. OK, maybe my writing habits aren’t unusual- I am!

What authors, or books have influenced you?
Like any other writer, I love to read. I enjoy classics. I read The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald regularly. He is such an inspiration. He doesn’t seem to waste a word. Every sentence is vital to the story.

What are you working on now?
Right now I am working with a producer/director who is interested in making Far Away Home and Embrace the Wind into a film or TV movie/series. It is a very exciting prospect. I can’t wait to see how this part of my story ends.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I think the best way to promote an e-book is to use an online advertiser; if readers are interested in a book, they can easily click it and purchase it. At first, I tried promoting my books at bookstores, libraries, book clubs and museum store at the historical sites mentioned in my book. I loved the interaction with my readers. It is fascinating to hear how they interpret my words. I have a clear vision of my characters and their actions, so always I enjoyed learning the readers’ perspective on them. However, selling paperback books myself became very costly with printing and shipping. Although I did not publish my books to make money, I could not afford to lose money. Now I use Awesome Gang. It’s a great resource and Vinny is very helpful. I have also used Bargainbooksy.com, TheFussyLibrarian.com and Justkindlebooks.com with strong results.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
My advice to new authors is simply what most writers will tell- keep at it but now when to stop. My work involves a great deal of historical research. I tend to dig too deeply into reams of details, most of which are useless to my story, but will help me if I ever appear on Jeopardy! I would advise authors to get the information they need and start writing. Ultimately, authors need an editor who will tell them when to stop making corrections. I am hesitant to put my work out there, but there comes a time when I have to let go. I find a very good editor will let you know when it’s time.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Believe in yourself is probably the best advice I’ve heard for writing and for life. One of my favorite songwriters is Beth Nielsen Chapman. In her song, “The Color of Roses,” she writes:

Only the ones who believe
Ever see what they dream
Ever dream what comes true

I think that says it all.

What are you reading now?
I just finished Girl at War, by Sara Novic. I thought it was very well written. It is an intense story about a young woman who escaped war-torn Yugoslavia and returns to find the pieces of her former life. I just bought The Things We Do For Love, by Kristin Hanna, and I am looking forward to reading another one of her novels. I enjoyed The Nightingale very much.

What’s next for you as a writer?
I am considering learning screenwriting. It is a vast departure from novels, but I am always willing to try something new.

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?
As I mentioned earlier, The Great Gatsby. I think Pride and Prejudice, Gone with the Wind and mostly because it’s huge and would keep me occupied for years, my copy of The Complete Works of Shakespeare.

Author Websites and Profiles
Susan Denning Website
Susan Denning Amazon Profile

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
My mom read to me from the day I was born, and I am thoroughly convinced that her dedication and intellectual nurturing is the greatest attributing factor in the passion for stories I’ve had all my life. I may be a cliché – a rom-com stereotype, if you will – but I literally was THAT kid. You know the kind – more interested in engaging with the pages of a book than actual people, nose always in a book, the “don’t-talk-to-me-right-now-I’m-in-another-world-entirely-and-won’t-hear-you” personality type. I literally carried a book in my purse with me to take to family outings, church gatherings, and parties. Sometimes I’d even coordinate. The first – and only – time my dad took me to a college football game, I brought along a Hardy Boys book that centered around a football player’s murder. I was teased good-naturedly by my friends and parents, chided by guardians for sneaking a book out of my bag to read when I was supposed to be socializing, and griped at by my sister for zoning out completely in the middle of a novel. And it never, ever stopped.

I’ve always loved to write as well, and all my life, I’ve written short stories, poems, songs, chapter books, plays. Unlike a lot of children, I knew from a very young age what I wanted to do with my life, after, of course, the obligatory stint in kindergarten where I thought I wanted to be a veterinarian – I wanted to write books. Now, looking back at some of the pieces I wrote when I was young, from grade school to high school to college and beyond, I can see myself growing and changing as a writer, and it’s a wonderful experience. I have always doggedly chased down that dream of publishing books, despite any opposition that has tried to intercept me. I’ve always been stubborn, especially when I knew what I wanted, and this, writing books and telling stories for the world to enjoy and learn from, was exactly what I wanted.

Besides reading and writing, I enjoy indulging in pop-culture – I love young adult literature, Doctor Who and Disney movies, playing Skyrim, cat videos and memes. I’m also a dedicated reader and writer of fan-fiction, and I like to use it to practice my writing, hone my skills, interact with other fans, writers, and readers, and, of course, put my own spin on my favorite stories. After all, if I love a character, story, or world enough, I’m rarely satisfied with what I’m given – I never want the character to fade, the story to end, or the world to dissipate back into reality – so I add to it and grow it, for my own personal enjoyment and that of others.

Crocheting is another hobby of mine, as is baking – and eating, sometimes en masse – sweet treats. My faith is extremely important to me. Cats, in my opinion, are the greatest creatures God put on this earth. Quidditch is my favorite sport (I’m a Ravenclaw). I think these seemingly random facets of my personality are incredibly important to who I am. Although some may scoff at my love of British science fiction dramas, video games, and young adult literature, what it says about me is that story is still, and ultimately, the most important thing in the world to me. A compelling world, a flawed but admirable character, a fairy tale, a story… this is what I love, and who I am, and who I am proud to be.

Currently, I have completed two books – one available now, and the other still awaiting editing – though I have many more ideas just waiting to be written.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
My latest – and debut – novella, House of the Dead, is a glimpse over a mysterious garden wall in Munster County, Ireland – from our world, the world of the living, to the Celtic Otherworld, the Irish realm of fairies – and of the dead. It is an exploration of some of the most intriguing facets of Irish and Celtic myths, packaged neatly in a frame narrative about a young girl whose curiosity leads her right to the cusp of life and death. It’s not a depressing book, however – instead, I take some of the most terrifying and strangest creatures from this culture’s mythologies – the Dullahan, the Cat Sidhe, and changelings – and I present a different perspective on them, and in doing so, on death – and life – itself.

Within the frame narrative of eleven-year-old Blake Callaghan’s journey over the garden wall are three shorter stories. First, the story of the Dullahan – the headless horseman – and the stubborn old man who ran from death. Second, the story of the Cat Sidhe, and the prince who chased after death. And finally, the story of a changeling who dared to defy tradition, and the child who defeated death. House of the Dead is equal parts mysterious, fantastic, playful, and insightful – and though it is at times dark, it does not revel in the darkness. Instead, it uses what normally unnerves us – the dark, death, loss, uncertainty – to further define and tease out meaning in the light. It is meant to be an enjoyable read, but on a deeper level, it is meant to make you think – perhaps rethink – what we have long held as truths about life, about death, and about the power of story.

House of the Dead was primarily inspired by Celtic and Irish mythology. I have always been fascinated with folklore and legends, and although there are a lot of books out there today that retell stories from Greek, Roman, Norse, and Egyptian mythology, what you don’t see a lot of is Celtic and Irish. The culture is so rich, and even though it is, as most all mythologies are, preoccupied with death and the afterlife, I found so much potential for deeper meaning, not just about death, but about life, within.

The novella started out as a short story – less than 1200 words – for one of my creative writing classes when I was working for my Master’s degree a few years ago. It was skin and bones at that point, but it had so much potential – and I was so fascinated by the world I’d started exploring – that I decided to expand upon it for my creative thesis at the end of my graduate program. The deeper I delved into the myths, legends, and cultures of the Irish and Celtic peoples, the more I fell in love with them and knew I had to write more. After I graduated, I simply could not let this story go. It was something I knew I had to tell, because it was, to me, a revolutionary perspective on some of humanity’s most common assumptions about how the world works, and this fascinating mythology was the perfect conduit to present these ideas. Most notably, I wanted to use the literary technique of defamiliarization – where you take something mundane and present it in a new, fantastic way, and in turn, take something fantastic and make it mundane – to encourage readers to think outside of the norm about their lives and their stories.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I have noticed over the past few years that every time I start to really concentrate on writing something, my head, of its own accord, it seems, begins to tilt ever so slowly to the left until it is actually resting on my left shoulder. I don’t know why I do this – if it’s a byproduct of concentration or just a strange quirk – and I don’t know if it actually accomplishes anything other than giving me a crick in the neck, but there you are.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
All of Rick Riordan’s young adult novels are a huge inspiration for me. The way he takes myths and translates them to the modern time, all while maintaining a snarky, lighthearted tone even in the darkest of situations, is phenomenal.

T.A. Barron’s novels, most notably his Great Tree of Avalon and The Lost Years of Merlin series, were a huge inspiration for House of the Dead in particular. Barron’s books were where I first, long ago, learned of the Celtic Otherworld, the great god Dagda, and the mists beyond time. His work has stayed with me since, maintaining my fascination with the Celtic myths.

Neil Gaiman’s The Graveyard Book is one of the most charming, beautiful, and deepest books I’ve read to date. It has so much heart despite its dark subject matter – death – and it tells such a beautiful, awe-inspiring and eye-opening tale that it brings tears to my eyes every time I re-read the last chapter. The feel that he has in The Graveyard book is what I’ve always wanted for House of the Dead. I wanted to write a book that, despite its dark and usually distasteful subject matter, reveals the other side of the coin. One of Gaiman’s greatest achievements in this book is his subverting the expectations about death. In making the main character, though still alive, grow up with the dead after being adopted by ghosts, he makes death seem normal, and not only that, but he uses death to highlight the importance and beauty of life.

What are you working on now?
In a complete switch of genres, I am currently working on a fantasy satire novel that examines stereotypes and social expectations through the lens of fairy tale conventions. It’s somewhat in the tradition of Terry Pratchett or Jonathan Swift, with lots of laughs interspersed with some deeper commentary about society’s expectations and the consequences – and rewards – of defying them. Further into the future, I have planned a post-apocalyptic, character-driven thriller and a science fiction thriller that will use its fantastic setting to comment and critique some of our current society’s discrepancies. I seem to have no set genre; I simply write what stories I feel need to be told.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
Facebook is a great marketing tool if you know how to use it correctly. I’m still learning, but I have been able to generate quite a lot of interest through Facebook advertising, which is fairly cheap and pretty efficient. I have high hopes about marketing sites like Awesome Gang, Pretty-Hot, and Bargain Booksy as well. Poets & Writers is another great source to find marketing help and information, along with reviewers and contests you can enter for more exposure.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
This may sound cliché, but write. Just keep writing. Don’t let what others say discourage you, and if you want to self-publish, go for it, and don’t let anyone’s doubts or criticisms stop you. A few facts about the self-publishing industry to give you some perspective:

Self-publishing sometimes has a bad reputation, but that’s mostly because of the monopoly that traditional publishing houses have had on the industry for so long. The balance of power is shifting with the age of technology, however, allowing people with small budgets and large ambitions to make their own way in a once-exclusive market.

It’s an amazing tool, when used properly. And I think if the demands and process of self-publishing were more widely known, people would have a much greater respect for and would be more willing to support Indie authors. The people who self-publish and are serious about it have to be extremely dedicated, because they are their own publishing company – they have to arrange editing, design, cover, and, most difficult of all, marketing. It’s not an easy road, but it’s a rewarding one.

One of the difficulties of being an Indie author is the stigma that’s often placed on the idea of self-publishing. A lot of people think that if a book isn’t published traditionally, it’s not good. This simply isn’t true. People need to realize that the odds are stacked against any potential authors from the start – even if they’re great – because of the way that the publishing industry works.

Publishing houses only accept a certain number of manuscripts a year, and most won’t even consider one if it is sent in directly by the author. They require an agent. Agents are great, but they’re also expensive, and even with one, you’re not guaranteed publication because publishing houses have thousands of manuscripts and only a few spots to fill per publishing season. Know that self-publishing is a viable and legitimate form of self-employment, and that an author isn’t “bad” because he or she goes the Indie route.

Personally, I didn’t even try to go the traditional way with my book – I’ve always found self-publishing a more attractive option, especially knowing the sheer odds of even getting my book seen by a publisher. Do I think I could publish traditionally? I do, and someday I might make that plunge. But for a newlywed with bills to pay, getting an agent and pursuing the traditional route wasn’t feasible.

There have been plenty of self-published authors who have been contacted by traditional publishing companies after garnering a lot of success – some of them even becoming bestsellers! Believe it or not, some of these authors chose to continue self-publishing rather than sign on with a publishing house.

Just remember that, in the end, being published traditionally doesn’t come down to solely talent; it relies on other factors, like money, circumstances, and resources – like pretty much everything else in this life. This is a great time for independent authors – so if you are one, be proud, and if you’re thinking about it… take the plunge! It’s worth it.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Although I still sometimes struggle to follow this advice, I was recently advised to not allow criticism or negativity affect me. When you put yourself – your work, your story, your art – on the line, out there for the world to see, you will inevitably come across people who disagree with you or don’t like what you’re doing. I was told to remind myself of what I have accomplished, to remember how far I’ve come, and to hold my head up and be proud of my accomplishments, to have confidence despite any negativity or rejection that comes my way, because I know exactly how far I’ve come.

It’s easy to let one negative comment in a sea of positive ones discourage you and ruin your perception of yourself, but it’s not worth it. We can’t change what others think about us. It’s what we think of ourselves that matters most, and nine times out of ten, even critics and Negative Nellies are going to at least respect a confident individual, even if they don’t agree with or like their work.

What are you reading now?
To be honest, I haven’t been reading much lately since I’ve been so busy with House of the Dead. Although I haven’t actually picked it up in weeks, I am technically still reading Rick Riordan’s The Sword of Summer. I’m also listening to How to Fight a Dragon’s Fury on Audible with my husband. I’ve read the How to Train Your Dragon book series before, but it’s my husband’s first time – and he loves it as much as I do!

What’s next for you as a writer?
I’ve got a book signing in a couple of weeks, along with some more promotions and events. When I have the chance, I’m working on the fairy tale satire I alluded to earlier and making plans for my next books, both of which are going to involve a ton of research and preparation, so I’ve got my work cut out for me, and I couldn’t be more excited.

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?
Now that’s just not fair. Can I have one of them be my Kindle with all of my favorites on it? No? Well, then, in that case… I’d bring my Bible, first and foremost. I’d also bring The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman, The False Prince by Jennifer Neilsen, and Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows by J.K. Rowling, I believe. Though I’d prefer to stay home with all of my books if it’s all the same to you, thanks.

Author Websites and Profiles
Elizabeth Wilson Amazon Profile

Elizabeth Wilson’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile
Facebook Profile
Twitter Account

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I’m Zeneefa Zaneer, coming from the Pearl of Indian Ocean, Sri Lanka. I’ve published two Sinhala books- Poodinna idadenna (Let me bloom)
Senehase Ridmaya (Rhythm of love)
And recently published ‘Nothing but Love’ which is available for purchasing at Amazon.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
A Heartless Summer-a short story.
This story was based on a true incident that happened years ago. I love to hear stories of the past from my elders. When my mother told about a child she knew I thought I must pen down about it to create some awareness about poverty and how important is charity. Charity is one important thing in my faith but we human don’t follow it to the word which eventually has caused chaos in our communities. We have a social responsibility over our community yet we neglect our duties.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I’m not sure whether it’s unusual, most writer share common habits. But when I’m writing a book I love to look into the mirror and pretend to be the protagonist. I talk like them, smile like them like I try to smile differently the way I’d imagined of a certain character. That helps me wear the skin of my protagonist when I’m writing their stories.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
Jodi Picoult, I love her poetic way of writing and the subjects she chooses to voice.

What are you working on now?
The book I’m working right now is ‘They Failed to Kill her’. Life is not only about chasing behind a man or a woman to win their love. Nothing wrong in that. But I’d been writing romances for so many years I’d want a change because as I mature in life I learn there are so many important things in life to be highlighted and discussed.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
Word of mouth. Recommendations of previous readers work well. Besides Facebook, instagram work well for me.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Read books of your genre. Study different voices. Be yourself. Keep it simple. Using beautiful words sound great but it doesn’t work well always. Rather using big words learn how to use those simple words you know in a creative manner. Readers don’t want to know how good your language is. They want to know how well you tell the story. That’s the job of a fiction writer. Enhancing your knowledge in language isn’t a crime but know what you are doing.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
You don’t have to have a degree in creative writing to be a good storyteller. Practice makes a big difference.

What are you reading now?
I’m late to read this book, but better late than never. I’m reading ‘How to kill a mockingbird’ right now.

What’s next for you as a writer?
Publish all my completed projects, that’s like I’ve got a plenty of them to feel the light of publication.
Being an influential writer to my tribe.

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 carry my holy scripture, the Quran for it uplifts my spirit when I recite it.
Books of Jodi picooult (whatever I grab of hers)
A journal to write down my thoughts
And maybe a children’s picture book

Author Websites and Profiles
Zeneefa Zaneer Website
Zeneefa Zaneer Amazon Profile

Zeneefa Zaneer’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile
Facebook Profile
Twitter Account

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I have been a writer since I could spell, but an Indie author for about four years. I have 12 books, and short stories on Amazon. Two of them are wide on other retailer sites. I live in Henderson, NV with my wife and 3 sons.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
My latest book is up for Pre-Order on Amazon, and it is called The Life of Ants. It was inspired by my fascination with human intelligence, and aliens.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I do! I still write with a pencil and a legal pad, and then go to the computer. I’m a little old school.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
Ray Bradbury, Richard Matheson, Stephen King, Hugh Howey. All of my Indie writer friends. I’m inspired daily.

What are you working on now?
My book The Life of Ants.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I promote on Social media, email lists, and my website, erniehowardwrites.com

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Be humble, don’t get discouraged, and keep writing. Write because you want to. I think there are a lot of people who write because they are in love with being a writer. Write because you are in love with writing.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
An empty page can not be edited.

What are you reading now?
Ted Chiang The Story of your life, and others

What’s next for you as a writer?
To keep writing. To get another novel done by 2018.

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 Gunslinger by Stephen King, Wool by Hugh Howey, American Gods by Neil Gaimen, and Bid Time Returned by Richard Matheson.

Author Websites and Profiles
Ernie Howard Website
Ernie Howard Amazon Profile

Ernie Howard’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile
Facebook Profile
Twitter Account
Pinterest Account

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
The books in my head or the books in print? There are 2, currently, in print. There is an infinite number, currently, in my head.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
Inclusion. Inspired by aliens.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I write long hand in different colored notebooks that cost 11 cents at Walmart.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
All of them, in one way or another.

What are you working on now?
How to relax. Also making yeast bread.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
Time will tell.

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

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Write what you know.

What are you reading now?
This web page.

What’s next for you as a writer?
More 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?
Little Women. Fried green tomatoes at the Whistle stop cafe. Calvin and Hobbes.

Author Websites and Profiles
Sophia Love Website
Sophia Love Amazon Profile

Sophia Love’s Social Media Links
Facebook Profile
Twitter Account

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
Hi. My name’s Evie and I’ve been writing and publishing hot erotica for several years under a slightly different pen-name, but this is my first contemporary erotic romance novel, and I’m very excited about it! Something about me? Well, I live in a sleepy seaside community in coastal Australia in an old house where I can walk to the beach. I write (hopefully) scorching-hot ‘intelligent’ erotic romance which I term ‘smut for smarties’. It’s hot enough to melt the pants off a popsicle and brimming with sumptuous freshly-angled descriptions of the oldest past-time in the world. I like bright, kickass (though sometimes flawed) cinderellas and handsome princes, all of whom ultimately find their Happily Ever Afters.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
My latest book is “The S’expert”. I was sick in bed with the flu one day, and I’d been writing an erotic short story to pass the time and feel productive. I was just reading over it before publishing when I decided it needed three short paragraphs at the start to describe how the couple in the story met. 72 hours later I discarded the original short story, because those “3 short paragraphs” I’d added had metamorphosed into 26,000 words that were way hotter than the original story I’d written. I LOVED these two characters, and really they dictated the story to me. They took me on their journey with them, and it was all I could do to get the words down quick enough!

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
Even though I LOVE technology, I often find myself ‘rockin it old-school’ with pen and paper. Also, when I’m on a roll, I HATE having to stop to do other things (you know, when real life gets in the way and you have to stop writing to eat or sleep or answer a question or be somewhere). Writing can push the demands of reality aside as the ‘inner life’ in my head takes over! I know at those times I often seem quite vague to other people around me.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
When I was younger I tended to read a lot of older books – nothing contemporary. Authors I love include D.H. Lawrence, Hermann Hesse, Anais Nin, Somerset Maugham, Simone de Beauvoir, Emily Bronte, Oscar Wilde, Dostoyevski, Thomas Hardy, William Thackeray, Mary Shelley, Pauline Reage, Richard Bach, de Laclos and if I’m after just something fun, I’m a sucker for Raymond Chandler or Agatha Christie. And lately I’ve really been enjoying Christopher Brookmyre (my other half thought I should read something written within the last 30 years for a change!)

What are you working on now?
I’m putting the final touches on a BDSM romance novel called “The Dirty Submissive”. It should be out soon. And I’ve been working on a romantic comedy series set around a movie set. I’ve got the first book almost finished, with another three or four planned.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
Review and blogger sites like Pretty-Hot.com are fantastic for authors. I’ve also had luck with facebook and twitter, but I think the best, most-honest and organic method is word of mouth, however that can be difficult with books that have a heavy erotic content because people can be reluctant to pass these books on to everyone in their circle of friends or family. REVIEWS ARE GOLD for authors! Never forget that any review on Amazon or goodreads – NO MATTER HOW SHORT – is such a boon for any author. It’s not just feedback to make the author a better writer, it’s also SO encouraging and improves an author’s visibility in the marketplace.
Take the time to write me even just a 3-word review, and I’ll be your friend for life!

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Write! Keep at it. Read as much as you can – both books in your genre and advice online from other authors. Kboards, AbsoluteWrite – these are great forums to pour over. Then just get your stuff out there and learn the ropes as you go.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Two Shakespeares and one from that ‘good book that I no longer read’: “Seize the day!” “To thine own self be true” and “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you”.

What are you reading now?
I want to be reading REVIEWS of my work! Hearing what readers think of what I write will let me know what works and what doesn’t, encourage me no end (writing can be a lonely and financially unrewarding endeavour) and ultimately make me a better writer. I LOVE hearing what you think. Please, readers, leave me a review – no matter how short. Thank you.

What’s next for you as a writer?
Within the next month, I’d like to publish two books I’m currently putting the finishing touches to. Then I’d love to sink my teeth into the other books in my series set on a movie set.

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?
Lady Chatterley’s Lover by D.H. Lawrence
The Razor’s Edge by Somerset Maugham
And a very large book detailing how to survive and be self-sufficient on a dessert island!

Author Websites and Profiles
Evie Bliss Website
Evie Bliss Amazon Profile

Evie Bliss’s Social Media Links
Facebook Profile
Twitter Account

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
My passion lies in helping others to lead their best possible life. It is a passion that blossomed from my own desire to succeed in spite of perceived obstacles and challenges that seemed to follow me everywhere.

During one of my defining birthdays, I questioned my entire life. What had I actually accomplished? Was I happy with my life? What were my stumbling block and how could I remove them or simply go around them? I decided to redefine my life as if I had no limits or boundaries. Miracles happened and dreams became living realities. As a test, I chose what I saw as an impossibility – to be a guest on The Oprah Show, paths opened and a month later, I was sitting on the Harpo stage talking to Oprah. That journey became my first book, Three Paths, Three Choices. The tagline, Getting the Life that You Deserve, was chosen as a reminder that we must first question what we feel we deserve.

For over twenty years, I have served others through coaching, speaking and one on one encounters in guiding clients to live their realized dreams. I have a deep love for helping others live their best possible life and nothing will stop my giving of myself in this endeavor. Reading is a passion and writing is a lifelong love affair. When I am not writing. reading or traveling – you will find me in my backyard garden.
My newest book is Choose Again! – Embrace the Blessing of Choice and Create the Life You Want (an update to the first book). I have also written The Art of Growing Older Gratefully – BE Attitudes for Purposeful Living and The BIG Business of Gratitude with its partner – The Big Business of Gratitude Journal.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
My latest book is Choose Again! and it was inspired by my continuing desire to guide others in living their best possible life through conscious choosing of daily thoughts and actions. It takes the reader on a journey that creates the necessary personal questioning to create a desire to change and more importantly ownership of making life changes.

I am constantly inspired by those who see opportunity when others see obstacles. I had the opportunity in this book to re-frame our definition of fear in a way that allows one to move ahead with speed when encountering fear instead of stopping or retreating. I see this new understanding of fear becoming a touch point for the book and for general discussions.

I am very excited for what lies ahead as I create my own possibilities from my greatest desires while helping others to create theirs.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
Whether I am writing fiction or non-fiction, I always start with my table of contents and the book develops from that. I constantly amend the TOC as I write. I have found this to be very helpful because as new ideas surface, I merely jot them down in the TOC and flesh them out later. It also keeps me clear on the mission of the book. The TOC becomes the window that I constantly review.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
My bookshelf is overflowing with possibilities. I love Wayne Dyer, Pam Grout, Louise Hay in the nonfiction genre. In fiction, I love Elizabeth Gilbert, Ann B Ross and generally fiction that takes me to another place. Good writing literally bring s me to tears sometimes. I love a book that makes me feel guilty in putting it down to make dinner.

What are you working on now?
My next writing adventure will be fiction. I have a few that have been sitting on the shelf for over 10 years. One is about a Russian who inspired the nation to pursue and honor the written word and the other is about a woman who spent her entire life seeking the status of bestseller.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I generally promote my books through speaking engagements and social media. I love engaging with my readers and meet them in the most unlikely places. I am enjoying this new to me venue – My Awesome Gang – and plan to become fully engaged.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Follow your passion and it does not have to be in only one genre. Write often without judging the outcome in your first attempt. Writers write . It is an urge that will not cease even when ignored. If you have that urge, follow it. That is one of your gifts and the world is waiting to hear your voice.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
There really is a Muse. If you want to experience it, write without thinking about what you are writing. The result will be a page filled with words and thoughts that you don’t remember writing and the prose will be excellent. You have experienced your Muse. Write at the same time everyday and it is easier for the Muse to meet you there.

What are you reading now?
I am always in the middle of two to five books. I am finishing emergence by Derek Rydell; rereading You Can Heal Your Life by Louise Hay; rereading Thank and Grow Rich by Pam Grout and starting the book by Damon Johns.

What’s next for you as a writer?
Discovering new ways to promote my books so that I can help more people and serve more people. In September, I will pull out the Russian book and prepare it for introduction to the world.

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 Celestine Prophecy
2. Eat, Pray, Love.
3. A Course in Miracles.
4. The Holy Bible
5. Miss Julia Takes Over

Author Websites and Profiles
Sherry Ransom Website
Sherry Ransom Amazon Profile

Sherry Ransom’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile
Facebook Profile
Twitter Account
Pinterest Account

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I have currently released my sixth fiction book, “Child of Paradise (Listen to your Dreams),” which is a paranormal crime thriller. Before this I have authored a children book series, “Magical Ventures of Loli and Lenny,” as well as a suspense romance novelette, “Redemption”.

I have been fortunate enough to manifest my love for writing through my career as an IT content specialist. I also blog in my free time on subjects close to my heart such as mindfulness, spirituality, personal growth, writing and intentional living.

These days my mantra for living an empowered life comprises of my one-hour daily pack of yoga, meditation and morning pages. I love to spend time with my family and generally be outdoors, taking a walk or simply spending time with nature. Music, swimming, dance and reading are my other passions. I live in India with my husband and two young sons.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
Child of Paradise (Listen to your Dreams) is my latest release. My desire to know about after-life born out of the early loss of my loved ones, has been the real life inspiration behind my new paranormal crime thriller. Some authors are visually led before they write a story. For me this usually happens after I research about a particular idea. But I already had seen flashes of some scenes in my mind’s eye – strong scenes – even before I crafted the backbone of this story. I strongly feel there has been a paranormal touch to the process of writing this book itself as these scenes came on quite strongly and later on blended very well with the story. Here the protagonist, like me, is haunted by dreams and these dreams have sometimes been prophetic or have brought a meaning in her life. My experience with psychics and mediums has also been touched upon through the heroine’s life. Her curiosity as well as her refusal to accept the conventional in turn is a catalyst in solving the mystery surrounding her sister’s death. This book touches upon subjects such as after-life, spirit guides, dream visitations, mediums, ghost hunters, homicide, police investigations, family ties and are for readers who’d love a thriller or a mystery with a supernatural edge. It also borders round corporate dreams and ambitions – the politics of it that can make or break a person. This too has been hugely inspired by my experience of a career in the corporate world. Hence the book is a journey I can closely relate to which is about loss, defeat, deceit, betrayal, depression and yet finding the light at end of the tunnel.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I am very disciplined where my writing process is concerned. If I don’t set a fixed routine, I tend to procastinate the writing part. The most tempting part is my research that diverts me to topics that can just eat away my time like no man’s business. Especially with youtube and other social media platforms, everything else can be just too enticing than the writing bit. I also like to write for a long hours at a stretch than shorter timeframes, and that usually happen when children go to school or spring breaks when there is lesser demand on school work or activities.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
There are so many of them that it would be a sacrilege to mention just one or two. Each and every author from my childhood has influenced my writing process and motivated me to write the way I do today. Writers like Anne Frank, Carolyn Keene, Louisa May Alcot and especially Enid Blyton were my early inspirers.

What are you working on now?
I am working on a sequel to “Child of Paradise.”

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
Facebook is a good platform for your close network of friends, families and acquaintances as it helps spread the word. Goodreads, I feel is a good platform to reach an audience of readers worldwide in a particular genre.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Don’t leave your daytime job or anything that helps generate your daily source of income for the sake of writing. That is because that nagging worry to pay your bills can kill all of your creativity. Go slowly but steadily.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Be disciplined about your writing habits and set a particular time-slot for it every day.

What are you reading now?
“I am Malala,” by Christina Lamb and Malala Yousafzai

What’s next for you as a writer?
I believe in mindful living. I take each day as it comes and enjoy my life as much as I can. I believe the journey itself is my reward and go with the flow of life. Every day, every step is a blessing and I cherish every bit of this this adventure called 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?
I am a big time self-help junkie and would take any of those on the current bestsellers list.

Author Websites and Profiles
Pratibha R DH Website
Pratibha R DH Amazon Profile

Pratibha R DH’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile
Facebook Profile
Twitter Account
Pinterest Account

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I’ve written books under other pen names and in different genres, but Hell to Pay is my first historical novel, and I’m super proud of it!

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
Hell to Pay was inspired by watching way too many heist movies! I was watching Ocean’s Eleven (again) with my husband, and just said “wouldn’t it be cool if this was set in Georgian London?” Since that’s a period I know pretty well, I decided that was the book I wanted to write.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
You can tell if the writing is going badly because there will be a glass of Southern Comfort & coke on my desk. If the writing is going well… sweet orange tea. I don’t really get it, either.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
Where do I start? Bernard Cornwell and Georgette Heyer top the list of course, but I am also a huge fan of Terry Pratchett, Robin Hobb, Suzanne Collins, Elizabeth Chadwick, Mary Balogh, Orson Scott Card, Sally Quilford, Graham McNeill, Dan Abnett, Arthur C Clarke, Jane Austen, Charles Dickens, Michael Anderle, Faleena Hopkins, Margaret Atwood… did I mention that I’m a qualified librarian who worked in public libraries for a decade?

What are you working on now?
Three projects! The next book in the Rogues & Vagabonds series, Neck or Nothing, is underway. I have a regency romance under my pen name to finish up called A Novel Miss, and I’ve also got some science fiction to edit under my third pen name!

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
Word of mouth for sure. Promotions and adverts will get you started, but the best thing you can do is have a group of people telling their friends to buy your book.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Never stop learning. Whether you want to be published traditionally or indie, whether you write just for yourself or you want to make a living at this, never stop learning. There is always something new out there for you to absorb that will make you a better writer, storyteller, and business person.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
The best advice I had was to quit my excuses. I have a busy day job, a long commute, two young children, a spouse, a home, a cat, more excuses, more excuses, more excuses. All of them sounded legit and were great reasons why I wasn’t writing. I had to quit them. I read Air & Light & Space by Charles Bukowski, then quit my excuses and started to write. Nothing in my life has changed, other than the fact I now manage to churn out my books despite having no “time”.

What are you reading now?
The Harlot’s Press by Helen Pike, which I’m enjoying. I just finished The Reader by Tracie Chee, which I’d recommend to anyone. Seriously, go read it. it’s awesome!

What’s next for you as a writer?
More books!!!!!

Seriously, I’ve got basic outlines for another nine books across three pen names and genres. I’m pretty busy for the next year or so!

If you were going to be stranded on a desert island and allowed to take 3 or 4 books with you what books would you bring?
You mean after I stop crying? Okay, here we go:

The Complete Works of Terry Pratchett, because I’m going to need a laugh.
The biggest, empty notebook ever and a pile of pens, so I can rewrite all my favourite stories from memory (is this cheating?)
How To Survive On A Desert Island, because seriously, nonfiction rocks, people!
How To Escape, Or Be Rescued From, A Desert Island, because I’m going to miss electricity and running water waaaaay too much.

Author Websites and Profiles
Gemma Williams Website
Gemma Williams Amazon Profile

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I’m a quiet fireball. The times that I speak are when righteousness deserves a voice, or when I’m initiating a joke with a friend. Motivating people in their journey to discover who they are, and empower their dreams, is sincere passion that I entail. Although, I’m young, the opportunity to provide leadership for my peers has always been potent. I admire being that person that people can look up to. More so, that’s why I began writing. As, the author of two books, literature is powerful in the message that it can provide.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
Released early March of this year, my latest book is Beyond the Worst. It’s a fiction story about the hardships that can cycle through our lives, whether we deserve the misfortune or not. I actually wrote the book several years ago, but decided to make some changes. The tragic murder of my youngest uncle Jay, touched me to write the dedication to the determined man he was. Surely, Beyond the Worst, can be saddening at times, but the moral of the story is aspiring.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
Unusual is an understatement to my writing habits. I tend to write in time gaps, which allows me to think of creative ways to write the next chapter. The time gap could range from a couple days, to a week, or a month.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
Even as an young adult, Charlotte’s Web is my favorite book of all-time. When your literature can touch people, in anyway possible, it’s self gratifying. I hope my books can touch people also.

What are you working on now?
Working, working, working is all I’m doing! I’m currently working on a third book, which will cause an uproar on social issues like sexuality intolerance and social bullying. In the midst of writing, I’m preparing to launch my online television network before years’ end.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
Chapter samples, pictures of the book cover, and more information on my books can be found at www.keandrecurry.com/books

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Be authentic, because this allows your readers to grasp your personality. Readers love feeling like they’re right in the middle of the story. Basically, put the reader in a dream with your story. I wish I would have done so with my first book.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
“Be what you seek,” is the best advice I’ve received. It’s self explanatory and straight to the point, what better advice can you ask for?

What are you reading now?
Still in remorse with the loss of my youngest Uncle, I’m reading “The Shack”. I seen the movie a month ago, and it’s defiantly worth viewing.

What’s next for you as a writer?
Next up for me will be a new book, clothing line launch, and the establishment of the online television network.

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?
Great question! Stranded on a desert island, I would bring Charlotte’s Web, The Shack, and Note to Self. Those three books would ease my nerves of being stranded in the middle of nowhere.

Author Websites and Profiles
Keandre Curry Website
Keandre Curry Amazon Profile

Keandre Curry’s Social Media Links
Facebook Profile
Twitter Account