Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I have been a full-time actor and commercial model (modeling for “real” looking people for over 30 years. So far, I have been booked over 1,200 times.

Perhaps you have seen some of my work on House of Cards, Gotham, Halt and Catch Fire. And in ads for Coke, Molson Beer, Marriott, AT&T…

I have also given over 600 “Book the Job” workshops spanning 3 continents. I teach people who have dreamed of seeing themselves, (or their children) in TV commercials, magazine ads, in movies and TV shows, as well as those who have been in the industry for a while but want to jump their career to the next level.

I also offer private online mentoring programs – howtoactandmodel.com/coaching, where I am able to work with people around the world and help them with their career or to just get started in the industry.

I have written two books. My first book, How to Become a Successful Commercial Model went through 5 editions. in 2016 I wrote a new book, How to Become a Successful Actor and Model.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
How to Become a Successful Actor and Model.

I know how hard it can be to get started in the acting and modeling industry. When I first started, I had no idea what I was doing. There was no one to turn to and ask what is the best approach to having success.

So, I decided to write a “cook book” for people who really want to learn how to break into the acting and or modeling industry in a safe, smart and economical way. I am able to use the 30 plus years of experience to offer honest insights and suggest techniques that really work.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I don’t consider myself a writer. I love talking and sharing information. So, my book sounds more like a conversation I would have with my reader, as opposed to a text book

What authors, or books have influenced you?
Malcom Gladwell is someone who inspires me. I love his honesty, insights and humble approach to sharing information.

What are you working on now?
I am still a full-time actor and model, but I also write and video blogs and vlogs. This information is sent to everyone on my mailing list. I also share my industry experience updates via social media.

I am also an “Expert Writer” for BackStage publications. I write a monthly article that is geared to the acting and or modeling industry.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I work hard at always being truthful and not trying to sell anything. As you will see on my web site howtoactandmodel.com I don’t promise anything. The only thing I can guarantee is that I will offer you the information you need in order to have success in the acting and modeling industry. But it is up to the person to take my information and apply it in order to reach their goals.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Write about topics that you feel passionate about. Otherwise it can be an incredible grind.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
No does not mean never. As an actor and model, I hear no on a daily basis. It is also crucial that we don’t take things personally. When you don’t book the job you really want, it is not a statement about you. It just meant that either you did not audition well that day, or that you were not perfect for the role.

What are you reading now?
A book about the Iraq war.

What’s next for you as a writer?
I don’t currently have plans for another book. But, I do continue to blog and write articles for various industry publications.

If you were going to be stranded on a desert island and allowed to take 3 or 4 books with you what books would you bring?
Anything by Malcom Gladwell.

Author Websites and Profiles
Aaron Marcus Website
Aaron Marcus Amazon Profile

Aaron Marcus’s Social Media Links
Facebook Profile
Twitter Account
Pinterest Account

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
Born in 1975, in the Faroe Islands. Married to Trine and proud father of three.
I have written two books so far.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
My latest book is called Everybody stay CALM, I’m a PARENT!!

What inspired me to write this book, was the many questions about children and parenting that I got from other parents.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
Not that I’m aware of.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
William Heinesen, Carlos Ruis Zafon, Stephen King, Ernest Hemingway, R. Scott Fitzgerald, Mark Twain, and many others.

What are you working on now?
I am currently working on a psychological crime novel.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I am quite new at this, so I don’t have a favorite yet.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Just believe in yourselves, and keep writing.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Believe in yourself, and keep writing!

What are you reading now?
“KAFKA on the shore” by Haruki Murakami.

What’s next for you as a writer?
Hopefully I will get a best seller, and will be able to focus on my writing, instead of wasting time on a nine to five.

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 Shadow of the Wind” by Carlos Ruis Zafon
“Tårnet ved verdens ende” by William Heinesen
“De fortabte spillemænd” by William Heinesen
“The Great Gatzby” by F. Scott Fitzgerald

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
This is my first book. I have been an artist for 40 years working in photography and acrylic paint. Although I have had a lucrative career in those mediums I always felt I wanted to write. This first book is part of a trilogy.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
Darkwater – the Xenkur Chronicles Book 1

My book was inspired by my Christian faith. Although it is by no means a Christian book it was brought about by my love for my Heavenly father.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
Does writing in your pajamas count?

What authors, or books have influenced you?
Wiess and Hickman

What are you working on now?
Book 2 of the series which should be out in August 2017

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

Do you have any advice for new authors?
I am a new author

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Dream Big

What are you reading now?
Nothing, too busy writing at the moment

What’s next for you as a writer?
I have 10 more ideas for books so I’ll be writing for some 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?
Bible
Complete works of Sir Author Conan Doyle
The Complete Walker

Author Websites and Profiles
DW Johnson Website

DW Johnson’s Social Media Links
Facebook Profile
Twitter Account

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
Simon retired from industry to follow his passion for writing. He spends his time creating fantastic worlds for readers to lose themselves in, engaging characters that you’ll want to love and hate (sometimes at the same time), and stories that encapsulate the imagination and take you on a journey through life, death and everything in between. He also laughs way too much at himself in the mirror every morning.
James Fisher and the Bird Witch in my fourth book published so far, and there are another three in the pipeline.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
James Fisher and the Bird Witch was inspired by my love of music and literature. I wanted to encapsulate some real and some fictional experiences and wrap them up in the world of James Fisher. Missus Maize was a name that flew down from the sky and stuck in my mind while I was half asleep one morning, her story just had to be told.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I cannot write without my headphones blasting out music. I know, I’m weird right?

What authors, or books have influenced you?
I love David Gemmel, Terry Pratchett, John Steinbeck, Edgar Allen Poe…and a million others.

What are you working on now?
The fourth part to my Assassin series of books called Dragonblade.

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

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Keep writing, listen to advice, take a negative critique on the chin and learn everyday.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
This is a tough question. I’ve been lucky to have so many positive people around me in the last few years. So I guess it comes down to that old cliche, follow your dreams and believe in yourself.

What are you reading now?
The Art of Character – David Corbett
The Emperors Edge – Lindsay Buroker

What’s next for you as a writer?
I’m working on a concept for a book of short stories in the horror genre.

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?
Awe! Just three or four!
Witches Abroad – Terry Pratchett – my absolute favorite of all time.
Animal Farm – George Orwell – To remind me why I’m there.
The idiots guide to escaping desert islands
Legend – David Gemmell – Druss is my hero!

Author Websites and Profiles
Simon Corn Website

Simon Corn’s Social Media Links
Facebook Profile
Twitter Account

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
The author is a Professor of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine at the University of California’s Medical School at Davis, near Sacramento in Northern California. A two-time winner of The Indie Book of the Day Award, Jerold writes “tweener” mystery books (tough mystery stories that follow the cozy conventions of no graphic sex and no cussing), all published as e-books on Amazon Kindle with four also published as paperback versions, that are fast moving and entertain the reader. Several of the books introduce the readers to South America, a region where he has lived and worked that is a long way from home for most English speakers. He and his wife Elaine lived previously in Salta, Argentina and Montevideo, Uruguay. Jerry selects the most interesting South American locations he found for Roger and Suzanne to visit while solving miscellaneous murders. Montevideo, Salta, Machu Picchu, the Galapagos Islands, and Iguazu Falls are also characters in these books, and the novels portray these places as vivid and real. Jerry and Elaine breed prize-winning German shorthaired pointer dogs; Elaine also provides technical advice for Jerry’s dog-related novels like The Deadly Dog Show, Hunter Down, and Abra Cadaver, as well as editing for all of the books. Abra Cadaver is the fourteenth book (the ninth novel) in the series

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
Abra Cadaver, the latest book in the series, is the third novel in the series to feature German shorthaired pointer Juliet in a starring role. I try to write about areas I have first-hand experience with so the background for all my books is authentic. The fictional Juliet is modeled after our own Jolie, a champion conformation show and hunt test dog, and is a response to my wife Elaine’s requests to write books that would especially appeal to her dog breeder friends. We’ve previously taken Juliet through murder mysteries at conformation dog shows and hunt tests; the current novel uses her keen bird dog nose to look for buried bodies and hidden clues. It was inspired by a course in canine nose work I took a few years ago with Jolie’s mother, Vinia and by Elaine’s desire that the fictional Juliet exemplifies the versatility of a well bred German shorthaired pointer like Jolie.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I just try to write when I can find the time since I already have a full-time job as a Professor at the University of California. I honestly don’t know if I do anything “unusual” with regard to time management, or just what every other author has to wrestle with.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
The classics of the private eye mystery genre like Raymond Chandler, Dashiell Hammett, and Ross MacDonald, as well as contemporary mystery writers like Walter Mosley, Marcia Muller, and Robert B. Parker.

What are you working on now?
Another Roger and Suzanne mystery, which will probably be a novella, based on a plot idea suggested by my youngest son a year or two ago.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
Book blurbs on various Facebook sites and targeted mailings to dog club members and breeders.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Don’t quit your day job!

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Don’t quit your day job!

What are you reading now?
Several mystery novels I’ve accumulated from Amazon Kindle and a huge pile of scientific papers that will help me write the Background and Rationale for my next grant application.

What’s next for you as a writer?
Finish the next book and start another full-length novel, possibly based on a trip abroad we plan to take later this year.

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’m not sure, but they’d almost certainly be mysteries.

Author Websites and Profiles
Jerold Last Amazon Profile

Jerold Last’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile
Facebook Profile
Twitter Account

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I have been an engineer, tutor, entrepreneur, storyteller, and screenwriter. I am writing since 2005. Generally, I write about family, parenting, women empowerment, and inspirational fiction. In 12 years of writing experience, I wrote many poems, songs, and small and full-length stories.
What motivated me to write is observation and interpretation of life experiences. 'Mother – A Single Parent' is my second book bind up of those good and bad experiences I earned since my childhood. My first book 'A Boon to Research' is based on engineering field (metal matrix composites). This book sums up many hints and ideas related to mechanical engineering field along with my research paper which got Best Paper Award in 2012.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
My latest book is 'Mother – A Single Parent'. It was inspired by a 'character' I thought of when somebody gave me a genre 'somebody does beyond the limits for someone'. In beginning, I thought to write only five pages synopsis and then I ended up with the complete book.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
Well not exactly but sometimes when I write I write for weeks continuously. Like I finished the first draft of my last book 'Mother – A Single Parent' in one week. I did not go out of my room for the whole week. Sometimes I write in late nights. Most of the poems I wrote late night after 1 AM.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
There are my favorite authors and books I read in my teenage:
1. Peelu: the first narrator of the legend of 'MIRZA-SAHIBAN' (1981)
2. Waris Shah: wrote Heer [Heer Ranjha] in 1766
3. Hashim Shah: wrote Sassi Punnun

What are you working on now?
A message related family, friend, humanity, responsibilities, love, and will of someone to live for loving one's. It is a story of a brother, a friend, a stranger, a lover who individually played their role to maintain humanity.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
Apart from friends, family and social media there is a lot to do. To get a good promotion there is need of a good strategy irrespective of the cost. Ofcourse, Awesomegang is a good platform from which a book can reach many readers.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Keep on writing. Do editing again again again and again. Marketing is the backbone of your book.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Write a plan and then follow what you wrote.

What are you reading now?
At the moment I am very busy doing my full-time job and promotion of my latest book 'Mother – A Single Parent'. Therefore, I can not find time to read.

What’s next for you as a writer?
Well, being self-publisher for me next is promotion plan.

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 get such chance then I will take the screenplay of 'All the President's Men' written by William Goldman. Second, the screenplay of 'Django Unchained' written by Quentin Tarantino.

Author Websites and Profiles
KarmSavi M.S. Gill Website
KarmSavi M.S. Gill Author Profile on Smashwords

KarmSavi M.S. Gill’s Social Media Links
Facebook Profile
Twitter Account

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I live in Boulder, Colorado. When I’m not writing, I spend time hiking, biking, and coaxing my vegetable garden to grow. My previous works include “Punishingly Younger” (Skirt!, June 2009), “Yesterday” (Every Day Fiction, Sept 2015), and Picking Lemons: A C.J. Whitmore Mystery (Cozy Cat Press, 2013). My new literary novella, “Elizabeth: 100 stories. 100 words.” was released in April 2017.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
My latest book is “Elizabeth: 100 stories. 100 words.” I think of this book as a literary photo album.

It is a very intimate novella — told as one hundred stories, each exactly one hundred words in length — which takes us on one woman’s journey: from infancy to end of life, and her struggle with mental illness in between. Powerful, captivating, and ultimately heartbreaking, “Elizabeth” offers a glimpse into the world of bipolar disorder and the nature versus nurture debate that surrounds it.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
Nothing particularly unusual. I like to go to our cabin in the Rocky Mountains and write in complete silence.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
I have always enjoyed the classics, Jane Austen in particular. I appreciate story telling that focuses on the small details in our lives.

What are you working on now?
I have just started another “100 stories. 100 words.” book. Instead of telling the story of one person, this one focuses on the interconnection between people.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
Awesomegang, of course!

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Write about what is important to you.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Write at least 10 minutes every day. Ten minutes is the amount of time you need to keep in touch with your story (and therefore not move backwards.) Any more than ten minutes will be progress

What are you reading now?
Liane Moriarty. She is an Australian author and has a compelling writing style. It is hard to stop at the end of a chapter.

What’s next for you as a writer?
I am working on another “100 stories. 100 words.” book. I really like this format at the moment. I like the flash fiction nature of it. And yet, when read together, it is a literary novel.

If you were going to be stranded on a desert island and allowed to take 3 or 4 books with you what books would you bring?
Pride and Prejudice, by Jane Austen
Anne of Green Gables, by LM Montgomery
All Creatures Great and Small, by James Herriot

Author Websites and Profiles
J.T. Toman Amazon Profile

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I began my career as an actress in theater before switching to casting for film and television. I worked for a major film company and for independent directors on hundreds of projects. It’s a fast-paced business and intense! I ran to the country where I began writing fiction. I published “Heathcliff” and “Earnshaw” last year, two novellas based on Wuthering Heights.by Emily Brontë. Then I wrote “Girl on a Wire”, a noir-style new adult romance, and finally found my groove with “Hamlet and Ophelia.”

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
Hamlet and Ophelia was inspired by my experiences training in a professional acting program much like Bitter Green Playhouse. I liked the idea of following a group of aspiring actors on the journey because there is so much drama! (pun intended). The dreams are big, the risks are huge and there are no guarantee of making a living as there is in other professions. And then the effect that pressure has on relationships is fascinating. I see this as a 6-book series, following six couples introduced in “Hamlet and Ophelia.”

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
Yes. I settle in to write 2000 words and then immediately start doing other stuff. But the second I have to go somewhere for an appointment, I absolutely MUST write. I’m like a cat. So my trick is to give myself a task to do at a certain time–a disagreeable task, like laundry or cooking. It seems to work. Except today. Today, I’m doing this interview.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
Emily Bronte and her sister Charlotte Bronte were huge influences because I read them when I was young. I have theatrical tastes from reading plays. Influences are hard to pin down–I think so many authors have subtly shaped my writing over the years. I love a good mystery. Agatha Christie, PD James, Ruth Rendell. Nancy Drew! I loved those books. And I’ve read many of the classics.

What are you working on now?
The sequel to “Hamlet and Ophelia.” It’s called “Invisible” and it’ll be a contemporary spin on A Midsummer Night’s Dream.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I am still trying to figure that out! I don’t understand Facebook. I know I should, but honestly, I don’t have time. I’m just dipping my toe in with this novel and I’ll see what works. YA is a special cat. to try to reach readers.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
1) Keep your mind on your story for one hour and you’ll be amazed at how much gets written. It’s amazing because it is hard to do but you get there with practice.
2) Don’t read your reviews. UNLESS you are prepared to keep working no matter what you see. I don’t know if it’s developing a thick skin so much as just making up your mind that nothing is going to keep you from writing.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
The best advice I’ve seen (and haven’t taken) was given by Hugh Howey who said don’t check your sales. Just don’t. He’s right. They mess with your mind and your focus is blown.

What are you reading now?
“Talent is Overrated” by Geoff Colvin. I’m hoping he’s right!

What’s next for you as a writer?
Continuing writing Bitter Green until I get sick of it or the readers do. And finishing the Wuthering Heights series which is owed one more book. And learning Facebook. Arghh.

If you were going to be stranded on a desert island and allowed to take 3 or 4 books with you what books would you bring?
The Bible. The Complete Works of Shakespeare. An Agatha Christie omnibus (if such a thing exists) and Survival 101 for Dummies because I would die before I got to read anything!

Author Websites and Profiles
N J Dorrian Website
N J Dorrian Amazon Profile

N J Dorrian’s Social Media Links
Facebook Profile

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I have written several dog books and created a continuing series for Harlequin some years ago as well a novel based on a popular soap opera. “Another World.” But mostly, I am a writer of continuing dramas for television and have been writing for major networks and cable for most of my career. I also created a drama series called “Ocean Ave.” which was sold internationally and wrote another cable series called “Miami Sands.” I write under many pseudonyms.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
My latest book is also my first series in print. It’s called “The Blood,” and Book 1 is “Secrets and Lies.”
You’ll figure out why pretty quickly. My inspiration comes from my love of creating characters and inhabiting their lives. I guess you can say I live vicariously through them. How else could I be a top model, a serial killer, a Druid queen, a wolf and vampire-spurned-lover all at once? Speaking of the latter and my specific inspiration for this series, I have always loved vampires and wolves — there’s something magical and marvelously misunderstood about them. I hope you will pick up on that in this series. I’m into Book 2 right now and hope to finish it this summer. You may notice that I dedicated this series to my Celtic boys, my major inspiration for all I write: the nine Irish setters who have owned me and inhabited my life since I was a child — and to the spirit wolf in all of us.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
Well, I get very hungry when I write, so I try to keep lo-cal snacks on hand! I think writing expends a lot of energy — almost as if you went out for a run, so you get hungry! Or at least I do! I also like to write early in the day. I’m not sure why that is, maybe because my dog gets me up early each morning, so that’s my most productive time … and my hungriest!

What authors, or books have influenced you?
Well, you can start will all the Arthurian legends: Mallory, of course, the the more modern writers like T.H.White, Marion Zimmer Bradley, Anne Rice, J.R.R. Tolkein, George R.R. Martin, Guillermo del Torro, Phillipa Gregory, to name only a few. Actually, I love all period fiction, but particularly anything originating in the British Isles from Medieval times to the War of the Roses and beyond; legends, fantasies, and vampire lore

What are you working on now?
The Blood, Book 2: Awakening

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
Awesomegang is great, as is Bknight and Goodreads and facebook and twitter, I hope will be good. This is really my first time getting involved in the promotion, so I’m feeling my way as I go, which is why I hope I will learn a lot from those who are kind enough to read my book and offer their comments.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Just write about what interests you regardless of what appears to be hot or popular. You have to have a passion for your subject, or in the case of a fiction writer, your characters. When they begin “talking” to you, just listen! And then start writing it down!

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

What are you reading now?
I’m re-reading Lady Phillipa Gregory’s War of the Roses series now that “The White Princess” has debuted as a TV series. As a note, Rebecca Ferguson who played Queen Elizabeth in “The White Queen” played a young character I created on “Ocean Ave.” I am very proud of her!

What’s next for you as a writer?
To keep the Croft and the Clare saga going — I have great plans and many, many more characters in my head.

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 Lord of the Rings trilogy; The Mists of Avalon; Bram Stoker’s Dracula

Brandylan James’s Social Media Links
Facebook Profile
Twitter Account

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I am a self-employed editor, proofreader, and novelist with the great passion for Romance. I had read a lot of books from a very young age so that it became my hobby. When I decided to start writing novels, it quickly became a way to express my true romantic self.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
The latest book name is “Bet on the Boss” and it was inspired by my vivid imagination. I read a lot of book with strong rich male characters and their interactions with poor proud women. But what about a rich strong woman with great education and ex-marine with no idea about the civil world? Read my answer in “Bet on the Boss”.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I think I have unusual writing habits. I can’t seem to limit myself to one category, so I try my hand in so different topics!

What are you working on now?
Now I am working on the second book in Winchester Brothers series. It will be Alan story. Please, be patient and you can see it in May here

Do you have any advice for new authors?
My advice for new authors – start writing and don’t stop! Everything else will fall in place!

What are you reading now?
Right now I am reading “Jockblocked” by Jen Frederick

Author Websites and Profiles
Kate Zonk Amazon Profile
K

Kate Zonk’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I am 23 years old. My husband and I got married on October 8th of 2016. We have a beautiful baby girl. I thoroughly enjoy reading older novels.
I have written one play manuscript and one novel. I am currently working on a screenplay and another novel.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
Of Hell and Angels. I had been toying around with the idea since I was sixteen. I am a Catholic who believes in God, but I also believe in forgiveness. When I started Of Hell and Angels, it’s purpose was to help others become accepting of different religions. The book developed into a story that expanded into an unhealthy love story between the soul, sin, and the desire to be loved.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I usually read the dialogue out loud in character. I also talk to myself about the outline, and how certain foreshadowing methods can be useful in future books.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
A wide variety of authors has made an impact on my life. I adore Charlotte Bronte, Emily Bronte, Jojo Moyes, Jane Austen, Alexandre Dumas, and E.L James.

What are you working on now?
The second book to my “Of Hell and Angels” series. It will probably be my favorite out of the three. I am also working on a screenplay for “Of Hell and Angels”.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I am not sure yet. This website seems very promising.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Write what your voice cannot dare say aloud. The dark thoughts that are written free a mind filled with insecurities.

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

What are you reading now?
“After you” by Jojo Moyes. I am still not over the first book. I definitely had to give myself a pep talk after I finished it. I don’t cry often, but “Me Before You” didn’t go easy on my emotions.

What’s next for you as a writer?
I have an abundance of ideas for other novels. The problem is getting them on paper. I try to work on one idea at a time, and my goal is to finish my series before I do anything else.

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, Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte, Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone by J.K. Rowling, and The Complete Works of William Shakespeare by William Shakespeare.

Author Websites and Profiles
Haley Driskell Website

Haley Driskell’s Social Media Links
Facebook Profile

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
Currently, I only have one novel published, but the sequel is nearly completed and there will be a third book as well to complete the series.

I have always been a writer, putting pen (or pencil) to paper from the moment I could do so. I spent many hours in my room as a child dreaming up and writing stories or playing imaginary games, either with friends or by myself.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
My current title is called, “Red, White & Blues: Book One”. It is the story of a group of eventual friends, young people growing up in the 1960’s and 1970’s and coming to that great mecca of freedom and adventure: San Francisco. It involves the Vietnam War, free love, drug experimentation and a fictional outlaw motorcycle club that some of the vets end up joining. Ultimately, it is a story of ordinary people and lasting friendships.

I have always had an interest in this time period, despite the fact that I was born a little too late to actually be a part of it.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I do not have any unusual writing habits, but I do very little pre-planning (for better or worse). I simply sit in from of a blank Word document and begin typing. The story takes its own shape and it is guided by the characters themselves. Ultimately, some things may change, but the majority of what I initially write remains intact.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
One of my favorite authors is James Salter and his book, Light Years”, is what I consider the gold standard of fiction writing. I also really admire Wallace Stegner, who was probably the greatest American writer of his time. His book, “Crossing to Safety” is brilliant.

I also love Henry Miller, Charles Bukowski and Jonathan Tropper. And I recently read an incredible novel in a similar style to Wallace Stegner called “The Summer Guest” by Justin Cronin.

What are you working on now?
I am currently editing and tightening up the sequel to “Red, White & Blues: Book One”. It is an almost endless process, but after almost ten read-throughs and lots of changes and edits, it is nearly done and I expect to have it published by the end of 2017. It will focus on the growing children of the main characters from the first novel while also telling the continuing story of the adults, now heading into their 40’s.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I use Facebook quite a bit, but recently I have been using Twitter to some good effect. Quite honestly, I didn’t get how Twitter worked until very recently, so I am focusing on that now.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
My advice is simply this: write. Don’t worry about whether or not your story is good, about how or if you’ll publish it, sell it, etc. Just get your story down and write for yourself first. I have not had much success with my book, but I couldn’t be happier that I wrote it and published it. When you get reviews from people you don’t know that have read and enjoyed your book, it is worth every minute of work that you put into writing it.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
I don’t know! I have joined a few writers’ groups on Facebook and receive a lot of useful information and tips through those, but it is a constantly evolving field. Indie authors are at both an advantage (you can publish your book virtually on your own and for very little money now) and a disadvantage (once it’s published, the marketing and getting readers and exposure is all on you).

What are you reading now?
Right now, I’m reading “Angle of Repose” by Wallace Stegner. I have read it before, but with great authors, it’s always a joy to read their books again.

What’s next for you as a writer?
My next goal is to finish and publish the sequel to “Red, White & Blues: Book One” and then continue with the third book which will end the series. I have already written about 200 pages of the third book. After that, I don’t know. I suppose I’ll have to wait and see what the next story is that presents itself to me.

If you were going to be stranded on a desert island and allowed to take 3 or 4 books with you what books would you bring?
“Light Years” by James Salter
“All the Live Little Things” by Wallace Stegner
“Ham on Rye” by Charles Bukowski
“Up Above the World” by Paul Bowles

Author Websites and Profiles
L.V. Sage Website
L.V. Sage Amazon Profile

L.V. Sage’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 dreamer and have been most of my life. I’ve been a professional in several different fields, nursing, engineering and finance, but nothing is more satisfying as seeing those stories leave your dreams and become a book that others enjoy reading. My latest book, The Orb – Book II of the Fantasmagorical Forest trilogy – has just been released and is fifth book I’ve published.
It’s been a long learning process from the first book I wrote to the latest and I’m always thrilled to discover a new story and a better way to write it. Having someone read one of my books and tell me they loved it is beyond gratification and keeps me writing.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
My latest book is The Orb, the second book in The Fantasmagorical Forest trilogy. The trilogy of The Fantasmagorical Forest centers on Katelin, a teenager who had difficulty dealing with the grief of losing her father. After entering the forest, she slowly begins to come out from beneath the pain and finds strength in her ability to overcome any obstacle. I am always inspired by young people and how they seem to be able to deal with so many issues today and come out stronger. Youth has that innate ability to climb the most difficult hills and have fun doing it.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I have to be in a quiet place with no distractions. I know so many writers who can write on the subway, cafe, or even in the middle of the night. Me – I have to be insulated from any outside stimuli – even music. So much of what is around me tends to be absorbed emotionally and I don’t want that interring with my thought process. I guess I’m one of those writers who has to stay in their own head while putting a story together.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
Every book I read influences me. It might only be timing of the story or character development, but they all offer some little bit of information I may need to improve my own writing. Many books I read, if nothing else, encourage me to get in front of the computer and let my imagination loose.

What are you working on now?
I am plotting out the final book in The Fantasmagorical Forest. I love this part of writing where I take an idea and make it into a story. Book III will be the most adventurous of all three. I can’t wait to see how it all ends – or doesn’t end. I just might get this one done and want to keep working with these characters for a while longer. The longer a writer works with the same characters, the more they enjoy dreaming up more trouble for them to get into.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I work a lot on word of mouth and haven’t spent a lot of time promoting on websites. I do some signings and try to be involved with the local libraries. I guess I’m not like so many authors who pound the pavements and internet to drum up sales.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Mine is probably the same as most authors tell everyone, and that is just write. You can never get better if you don’t put the words down on paper and learn how to make them the best they can be. Even if what you write is garbage, you can always take that garbage and make it sing, but you can’t make a blank piece of paper even whimper.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Learn the craft. You can’t be good at anything unless you understand the rules and the process. Also to read – a lot. Reading books gives you a valuable insight as to how a story should unfold and how to keep the reader entertained.

What are you reading now?
I’m reading The Rising by Heather Graham and Jon Land. It’s a great book to become immersed in as you read – plus it has teenage characters which I love.

What’s next for you as a writer?
I’m going to finish The Fantasmagorical Forest trilogy and have an idea of a book after that is finished. There is always a new story floating around my mind that is fighting to get out.

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 probably bring 3 or 4 of the biggest (in size) books I could find. They would keep me busy for a long time. Maybe War and Peace, Under the Dome and Nostradamus and his prophesies. The last one so I could contemplate what he really meant. Lastly, I would bring Breathless by Dean Koontz, just because I love the ending. Odd assortment, I know, but I would never get bored.

Author Websites and Profiles
S.L. Dwyer Website
S.L. Dwyer Amazon Profile

S.L. Dwyer’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I have written quite a lot of books in the PNR/URBAN genres before 2015. I took a two year break and started my new line of books ENTER TOMORROW under M.Black. This line has Simulation, EXOTIQA, Quantum State, and Animal Graph, currently.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
Animal graph was inspired by a dream and my love for wildlife and nature.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I love to relax in my bedroom and write on my bed or porch. I seem to not be able to focus as well if out in public, having too many distractions. I love tea.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
Veronica Roth, J.K.Rowlings, Stephanie Meyer, Suzanne Collins, and Jane Austin.

What are you working on now?
Animal Graph, book 4. None of the books are in the public yet.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
http://MBlackDystopianThrillers.blogspot.com

Do you have any advice for new authors?
I think you have to know this is a very tough business. And it is s business. It is a craft first and you have to be passionate about writing or don’t bother. But once the book is done, more work begins. And a lot of rejection.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Don’t give up. Do what you love, because in the end you will have all those memories you love.

What are you reading now?
REBEL. I finished Recoil and Refuse. I read on my kindle and generally KU books. If I really love the book or have spoken with the author personally, I usually buy the print to go into my indie shelf. I focus on indie books, since they tend to be much more original and passionate than the formula books coming out of publishers.

What’s next for you as a writer?
I will be working on a robot book called ELECTRIC GARDENS and it will be released in 2018. I have 4 new worlds for sure for 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?
Hunger Games, Divergent, Survival Guide for Dummies.

Author Websites and Profiles
M. Black Website
M. Black Amazon Profile

M. Black’s Social Media Links
Twitter Account

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
Out of high school, I joined the US Marines and served just post Viet Nam as a Military Policeman. Nothing in my life has touched me or changed me as much as those four years learning about honor and discipline.

After my service, Uncle Sugar was nice enough to subsidize four years of university and a BFA. Even while still in college I began my career as an illustrator working primarily in the role-playing game field. My early work included the Star Trek and Dr. Who role playing games for FASA, and lead to a long run on titles like Battle-Tech, the DC Universe Role Playing Game, Chill, Traveller and much more.

Later I founded Starchilde Studios where I created, wrote and published the game Justifiers RPG. Moving to New York to pursue work in comics, I wrote and drew for Valiant Comics at the height of their popularity. Additional work came my way from Marvel, Milestone/DC Comics, and Image. After leaving Valiant, I started Comicolor, one of the first digital coloring and lettering companies for comic books in North America.

I currently live and work in Kalamazoo, Michigan with my wife Betsy and daughter Caitlin who are also my editors and collaborators. I have three other grown children; Donald, Erin and Rose.

Cliff Notes:

I like to skydive. Celebrities who’ve jumped out of perfectly good planes include Michael Fassbender, Benedict Cumberbatch, Ryan Reynolds, and Vince Vaughn.

I have two different colored eyes — it’s called heterochromia and on my military ID card my eye color was listed as “hetero”. About 1 in 100,000 people have it. I live in a county with approximately 100,000 people, so it’s likely I’m the only hetero in Kalamazoo County. Other famous heteros include Henry Cavill, Jane Seymour, Simon Pegg, Benedict Cumberbatch, Christopher Walken, and Mila Kunis.

I was born on Boxing Day — I missed Christmas by about 15-minutes. Other famous almost Christmas babies include Kit Harrington, Jared Leto, Mao Tse-tung, Steve Allen, David Sedaris and Henry Miller.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
Orion the Hunter: The Spiral Arm Stories Season One
It’s a series of stories featuring Geos Ah’rion Rassas rel Pen’atha, the half-breed man tracker and Federation marshal known as Orion the Hunter. It includes six short stories and a full length novel that range from courtroom dramas to space westerns.

My main influences are Star Trek and Firefly. I’m a huge fan of both. Also films like Bad Day at Black Rock. A stranger comes to town and starts digging up all the dirty little secrets… hilarity ensues. High Plains Drifter is another inspiration, and comics I’ve worked on like Magnus Robot Fighter and Flash Gordon.Also, movies where the hero is a villain like Get Carter and The Limey. Bad bad people doing bad bad things to bad bad people.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I tend not to write sequentially, I don’t know if this is odd or not. Scenes come to me, and not necessarily in order and I write them as I get them, building the bridging sequences as needed. Also, since I’m an illustrator as well, I frequently start off my story by doing the chapter illustration I’ll be using when the book is done. The illustration often informs story elements, sometimes in surprising ways. I also often do character studies for the main characters and aliens, to help me crystalize their descriptions.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
Andre Norton’s books, which so often seemed to feature outsiders, half-breeds and loners. I read these in high school and fell in love with her universe. The idea of broken people as heroes, finding their place in the world touched me deeply. I grew up as a Navy brat and we moved every two years as I grew up. I was frequently an outsider at school and in whatever new housing arrangements we had.

Harry Harrison is another huge influence. Same thing with villainous heroes (or heroic villains?). Also because he started out writing and drawing comics and became a hugely successful scifi author. I want to have his trajectory.

A bunch of others; Leigh Bracket, Robert Heinlein, Larry Niven, and Isaac Asimov. Also Robert Bloch, Earl Stanley Gardener, Arthur Conan Doyle, Robert E. Howard, H.P. Lovecraft, and Seabury Quinn.

What are you working on now?
My latest book just released on Amazon and I’m getting ready to put it through Ingram as well. Lots of promotion and marketing stuff, but I’m also working on the first Orion the Hunter Season Two. It’s the anchor story in the book, so it’s more of a novella or novel than a short story. It’s a lot more world-building as well, since most of that story takes place on Orion’s mother’s homeworld. Orion and his partner get assigned to close protection for the Federation Ambassador to the Imperial Court; who is also the father Orion has never met. There’s still a lot of stabby-stabby shoot-em up in this story, but it also has a lot of backstabbing and political jostling.

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

Author Websites and Profiles
Clifford VanMeter Website
Clifford VanMeter Amazon Profile

Clifford VanMeter’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile
Facebook Profile
Twitter Account
Pinterest Account

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I was born in East St. Louis, IL, and raised in Lebanon, IL. I was raised by my grandmother who instilled in me at a very early age to love and fear the Lord. I am the eldest of five, three brothers and a sister, and I count it all joy to have been able to aid in their upbringing. To this day I still get phone calls to pray and help them through life lessons. I earned an Associate of Applied Science in Business Management from Southwestern Illinois College. Writing has always been a passion of mine. I was just an adolescent when I wrote my first book. I have been married to the world’s greatest husband, Paul Anderson, Jr., for almost 13 years. We met in an algebra class in college. At first he was not at all on my radar but God saw fit for me to need his assistance in the class and a wonderful friendship sprang up. As they say, the rest is history and we celebrated 14 years of marriage in April of 2017.

I am the proud mother of my 18-year-old daughter, Camille Harden. She truly has been my godsend. Being pregnant with her was my wake-up call and I thank God every day for allowing me to be her mother and for blessing me with her. She has graduated high school and I am so excited about what her future holds. I know she will be someone great and be used by God in tremendous ways. When Camille was around 2 or 3, I was told of the calling on her life, and the enemy has tried numerous times in the past 18 years to take her but God has said NO every time. I can’t wait to see what He has planned for her life. I know it will be grand.

I am the delighted grandmother of Landon Jackson. He turned 1 this past January and in his few months of life, he has brought so much joy to our household. I just know that he is going to be a Mighty Man of Valor.

I thank God for my mother and especially my grandmother, Mother Ina Neal. My granny, as she is called by everyone, is everything anyone would want their grandmother to be. She is kind, compassionate, caring, strong, and a bible toting prayer warrior. Her love and devotion for the Lord has been such an inspiration to me. While I love my mom and am so grateful to her, I genuinely thank Jesus daily that she allowed my granny to raise me because to see her in action categorically changed my life. There is no doubt in my mind that I am who I am because of her being who she is in God.

Being a former member of O’Fallon Apostolic Assembly in O’Fallon, IL, granted me the opportunity to grow in my walk with the Lord through the preached gospel and the occasion of holding several offices. I was permitted to serve as the superintendent of Sunday school, President of the Women’s Ministry, Vice President of Hospitality and former Vice President of the Pastor’s Aide Committee. I have been told that my love for souls, positive attitude, gift for administration, and willingness to serve makes me a true asset to the Body of Christ.

As of today, I have written two books and co-wrote on another. I am in the process of writing two other books hopefully to be published by late 2017. Be on the look out for With Prayers and With Love.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
My latest book was Fit For Your Future. It was a book written by a group of ladies from my old church. We collaborated on it in 2015 and it was published in June of 2016. Fit For Your Future is a 30-day devotional desired to align your body, mind and spirit. There are 10 devotionals about the mind, 10 devotionals about the soul, and 10 devotionals about the spirit. There is even a fitness tracker and some healthy recipes. The lady that inspired us on this collaboration is Dr. Tara Phelps-Jones.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I don’t think that my writing habits are unusual. I have been blessed to have the opportunity to write anytime of day. I am currently working on two books. I generally spend about 3-4 hours on each book daily. When I wrote my first book With Faith, I would get up at 5am to study and write, then go for a walk. But to me, this is not unusual.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
Cindy Trimm and Rainie Howard have influenced me drastically. I first read Commanding Your Morning in 2010 and that book changed my life in so many ways. I love the way it was written and how powerful the information was. I first met Rainie in early 2016. Listening to her give her testimony of her life inspired me in ways unimaginable. These two ladies will never know how they have influenced all that I have done and all I plan to do for the kingdom of Christ.

What are you working on now?
I am working on two books currently; With Love and With Prayer. It is my desire to have them both completed and published by the end of 2017. I have several other book ideas in the workings. I plan to write a book for my grandson L is for Landon; a children’s series Courageous Camille and a fictional book series.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
Up until this point, I have mostly used Facebook, Twitter and Instagram to promote my books. It is my desire to find and use other outlets.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
My best advice for any new author is no matter how little of a fish you feel in an ocean of authors, you have a word that needs to get out and don’t stop until you get it out there. You never know who is waiting to hear it.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
If at you first don’t succeed, try, try, try again.

What are you reading now?
Other than reading the Bible, I am currently reading Life Leadership.

What’s next for you as a writer?
As a writer my next goal is to get my next two books completed and published. Following that, it is my plan to start on the fictional series. My ultimate goal is to have a book or two on the New York Times Best Sellers.

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 difficult question. Of course my first book would be the Bible. I think I would choose as my second book

Author Websites and Profiles
Tamara Anderson Website
Tamara Anderson Author Profile on Smashwords

Tamara Anderson’s Social Media Links
Facebook Profile
Twitter Account

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I’m a teenage writer and I have written one book.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
My lastest book I wrote is the The Unexpected and wacthing a movie inspired me to write it.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
Not really.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
James Dasher, Imani Josey, James Klise, and Laura Ruby.

What are you working on now?
I’m now working on the second squel of the The Unexpected series.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
Kindle Select, doing the old fashin way as an telling people, connect with authors, book contests, free book ads or paid.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
New Authors, if you want to write and put yourself out their; just keep writing. Then find publshing companies to publish your book. If you get rejected a lot, try self publshing. As long your out their, the success will come in the long run.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
“Almost all good writing begins with terrible first efforts. You need to start somewhere”
– Anne Lamott

What are you reading now?
Going Bovine by Libba Bray.

What’s next for you as a writer?
What’s for me is to keep being successful as an author as I make more novels.

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 Outsiders by S.E. Hinton
2.Wolf Rider by Avi
3. Ahgotta Handleonit by Donovan Mixon
4.Spilt by Swait Avasthi

Author Websites and Profiles
Travon Toussiant Amazon Profile

Travon Toussiant’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile
Twitter Account