Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I have a lifelong interest in wellness, healthy eating, alternative medicine, and the outdoors. I am especially interested in using easily found tools and ingredients for improving healthy living. Born and raised in the Pacific Northwest, I enjoy the great outdoors, travel, cooking, and walking. I have published six books so far.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
Isolation Tanks: Relax, Recover, Relieve Stress with Float Therapy. I was hearing so much about the use of flotation therapy by podcasters such as Tim Ferriss and Joe Rogan, and athletes such as Steph Curry, Carl Lewis, Aly Raisman, and Tom Brady, that I just had to learn more!

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
Wearing blue light blocking glasses after sunset.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
Tim Ferriss

What are you working on now?
Two new books on reiki and chakras, which will be published soon.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
Andrew Butcher’s list of promotional sites

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Just write! Don’t worry about editing yet, just focus on getting your thoughts down on paper.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Just start.

What are you reading now?
Principles by Ray Dalio.

What’s next for you as a writer?
Learning more from my readers on the newest topics they are interested in learning about.

If you were going to be stranded on a desert island and allowed to take 3 or 4 books with you what books would you bring?
The Goldfinch by Donna Tart
Tools of Titans by Tim Ferriss
A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L’Engle

Author Websites and Profiles
Joanne Hillyer Website
Joanne Hillyer Amazon Profile

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I am a family physician with a B.Sc. in Biology and an M.Sc. in Neurophysiology. I have been reading science fiction since Grade Two, when I was given a copy of A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L’Engle by the librarian. I have been in love with the genre ever since. I have published four books: Welcome to the Madhouse, Genesis, Bud by the Grace of God, and soon to be released in April, Amazing Grace. The books are all about a medical space station in the distant future and looks at war from the casualty and doctor side of things.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
My upcoming new release is called Amazing Grace and it sees the heroine of the story really kick butt as she helps save everyone on the medical space station from the outbreak of a terrible biological weapon. The book talks about religious fanaticism and the insanity around doctrine that pushes people to kill others in the name of religion. It also focuses on prejudice, injustice, and intolerance, illustrating how harmful these beliefs are in our society. My goal is to focus on our present-day issues but extrapolate them forward into the future, where I can present certain themes in a futuristic setting.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I write whenever I can get a chance, whether it be in the middle of the night, between operations, or battling insomnia.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
I have been influenced by many of the science fiction greats and there is a long list! Dune by Frank Herbert and Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien have to be at the top. Then Lord of Light by Roger Zelazny, The Left Hand of Darkness by Ursula LeGuin, A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L’Engle, Foundation Trilogy by Isaac Asimov, The Book of the Long Sun by Gene Wolfe, Neuromancer by William Gibson, Cryptonomicon by Neal Stephenson, anything by Terry Pratchett, The Worthing Saga by Orson Scott Card, The Once and Future King by T.S. White, To Say Nothing of the Dog by Connie Willis, When Late the Sweet Birds Sang by Kate Wilhelm, Hyperion by Dan Simmons, Altered Carbon by Richard Morgan. So many authors! So many books!

What are you working on now?
I am doing the final edit on a YA novel titled HIRO’S HARDSHIP about two young boys stranded on a pleasure planet and how they save all the lost children on this terrible world.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I use everything: email list, Facebook, Twitter, Amazon ads, joint promotions with other authors. I am part of the Sci-Fi Roundtable on Facebook where authors help other authors.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
If you have already written a book, hire a professional editor and take their advice about fixing your book, no matter how painful it is. Make the corrections. Do the rewrite. If you want to learn to be a writer, take some writing courses. Always be open to advice and criticism. But most important of all, Finish what you start. Finish the book.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Show, don’t tell. Have your reader see, hear, smell, taste, feel, your setting. Have your reader walk inside your skin as you wear your character. If you don’t feel it, they won’t.

What are you reading now?
I am reading a book by an indie author called Necrotic City by Leland Lydecker.

What’s next for you as a writer?
The Grace Lord Series has six books planned. I am also launching my YA science fiction book, Hiro’s Hardship. I have a dragon fantasy almost completed as well, which I hope to publish in the near future.

If you were going to be stranded on a desert island and allowed to take 3 or 4 books with you what books would you bring?
They would have to be really long books! So, Winston Churchill’s six volume The Second World War, Edward Gibbon’s eight volume The History of the Rise and Fall of the Roman Empire, Gene Wolfe’s five volume Book of the Long Sun, and Dan Simmons four volume The Hyperion Saga. So cruel! Only four books.

Author Websites and Profiles
S.E. Sasaki Website
S.E. Sasaki Amazon Profile

S.E. Sasaki’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile
Facebook Profile
Twitter Account

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
Michael is a graduate of Brigham Young University and Western Governor’s University with degrees in German Teaching, Music, and Instructional Design. Though he grew up traveling the world with his military father, he now lives in Utah with his wife, Jen, and his two sons. Michael enjoys acting in community theater, playing and writing music and spending time with his family. He played for several years with the handbell choir Bells on Temple Square and is now a member of the Mormon Tabernacle Choir.

He is the author of the novels in The Canticle Kingdom Series, The Last Archangel Series, the Chess Quest Series and the Penultimate Dawn Cycle (The Hunger). He has also had work featured in various online and print magazines such as Bards and Sages Quarterly, Mindflights, Meridian, The New Era, Allegory, and Ensign. He has also won honorable mention three times in the Writers of the Future contest.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
My latest book is called “Bishop: Betrayal”. It is the fourth book in my Chess Quest series, and it is an adventure series inspired by the characters on a chessboard.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
I have been influenced by Brandon Sanderson, Terry Brooks, J.R.R. Tolkien, C.S. Lewis, Garth Nix, and others.

What are you working on now?
I am working on a new fantasy series that starts with a book called “The Wizard’s Brand”, which has to do with a boy who wakes up with a mark on his chest that grants him more power every day until the 100th day when he will burn up in a fiery conflagration.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
https://mdybyu.wixsite.com/author-michael-young

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Have patience. You are going to have to work on your craft bit by bit, day by day. Nothing about publishing goes quickly, but if you have the patience for it, the end results can be amazing.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
If you can stand to quit writing, then perhaps you should, But if you try and you simply can’t, then you have what it takes to succeed.

What are you reading now?
“Words of Radiance” by Brandon Sanderson

What’s next for you as a writer?
I am working on finishing up a number of fantasy projects that are most of the way there. I will be revising “The Wizard’s Brand” and brainstorming up a bunch of new potential projects. An author’s work is never done!

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 a religious man, I would bring my scriptures, but in addition to that, I would probably bring the Lord of the Rings, Mistborn, and the Chronicles of Narnia

Author Websites and Profiles
Michael Young Website

Michael Young’s Social Media Links
Facebook Profile
Twitter Account

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I appreciate this opportunity to share. I was born and raised in Chicago Illinois. I currently reside in San Francisco, California where I work as a flight attendant for a major carrier. When I’m not soaring above 30,000 feet, I continue to hone my delight for written expression, in particular, non-fiction works of inspiration for people of all ages and walks of life.

While many would forego crowded cafes and bustling metropolises, I move in close, drawn by my keen interest in social and cultural anthropology. In fact, I have embarked upon an extensive self-guided study to better understand humankind. It is this passion and interest that fuels my desire to publish stirring and authentic anthologies and stories.

To date, I have published one book, Start Again: Inspiration from the Sunny Side of Adversity. An anthology of overcoming adversities, in which six women share candid and heartfelt stories of their climb from the depths of human trafficking, domestic violence, homelessness, infidelity, and grief.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
I am extremely excited about the June 2018 release of my second anthology, Daddy’s Words, which honors our favorite superhero—DAD! This anthology is comprised of 25 stories from men and women, sharing their most precious lessons and memories of their fathers. Stories ranging from life-enriching and heartfelt to those that make us laugh uncontrollably. I felt compelled to place the spotlight on fathers who are and have empowered the women and men in their lives through their life lessons, humor, and unforgettable example.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I’m always scouring the internet to learn as much as I can about the writing process. Based on my discoveries, I don’t believe I have any unusual writing habits. I like to sit in a sunny park to stir my creative juices. Though, I’m not certain that counts as unusual.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
My list of most influential authors is too long to list. I’ll share my top five: Toni Morrison – Alice Walker – Maya Angelou – Brene Brown – Wayne Dyer

What are you working on now?
In addition to my June 2018 release, celebrating fathers, I will release my third anthology in October 2018. In this book, contributors recount moments when they stared fear square in the eyes and with no chance of retreating, they forged ahead and came through victorious.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I attempt to use every nook and cranny available to promote my books. I have joined numerous groups on Facebook. I use my local libraries, word of mouth, paid advertisement, and all of the popular social media platforms, i.e. Instagram, Twitter, etc. I also use my personal blog, which I update weekly. I realize there are so many untapped resources. So, I’ve started an Excel spreadsheet to list them all for future use.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
We get better as we practice our craft. So, I would advise writers to stay in the flow. Write as often as you can. Use your lunch break at work to write. Discover your best time for writing (morning, noon, or night) and commit to writing every day at that time. You don’t have to write for hours. The idea is to treat the writing process like a career rather than a hobby that you engage periodically. Make the commitment.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
The best advice as it relates to writing is to keep reading and writing and ask for feedback. That is how our writing muscle will be strengthened.

What are you reading now?
I am currently reading two books: Principles by Ray Dalio and The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho.

What’s next for you as a writer?
I want to continue improving, learning and growing. I hope to engage in more speaking opportunities and workshops as I spread my wings as an anthologist, writer, and publisher.

If you were going to be stranded on a desert island and allowed to take 3 or 4 books with you what books would you bring?
Because I’m stranded, I will need inspiration, laughter, and grit to sustain my sanity. So, my island library would consist of: Dr. Seuss – the Bible – George Carlin – and Maya Angelou.

Author Websites and Profiles
Carolyn Darlene Wells Website
Carolyn Darlene Wells Amazon Profile

Carolyn Darlene Wells’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile
Facebook Profile
Twitter Account
Pinterest Account

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
Zen Master Genro Xuan Lou, Laoshi self-published a book in German many years ago, and wanted to share his “insights” with a larger audience. He asked me, his pupil whom he later named to serve as a Zen and meditation teacher, to collaborate with him to do a revised, expanded and updated edition for the English-speaking world. This is the first book I have done, though I spent many years as a journalist for international newspapers and magazines.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
A living Master and I, his pupil, teamed up to offer readers a “new” book based on the age-old pathless path. The book “Find the Seeker!” accompanies people on a life-changing inner pilgrimage. It is a travelling companion and guide and a powerful, straight-talking wake-up call holding up a mirror to our worldly existence. Our inspiration is to humbly attempt to express what cannot be expressed in words, to tell things straight but to make it all understandable and compassionately pick people up where they are. Perhaps the book will serve as an inspiration to help readers reboot their spiritual search and renew their lives

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
No. However, the book was not easy to do. At the very beginning of his famous classic Tao Te Ching, Lao Tzu stated that the Tao that can be expressed in words is not the eternally unchanging Tao. It is a challenge to attempt to put in words that which is nameless and cannot be described. Moreover, it is crucial to ensure that one remains faithful to what one IS and not adapt the book to please the audience.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
The book contains a list of some books that we recommend. I have often turned to Ramana Maharshi, Eckhart Tolle, Wolfgang Kopp, Thich Nhat Hanh, Joel Goldsmith, various Zen Masters and many other. They can serve as inspiration and as signposts on the path. However, our objective is not to provide people’s minds with more matters for them to ponder, or stimulate them to engage in more mental acrobatics, but to help them unfold what they already are – and thus go beyond books and reading. Ultimately people have to walk the talk i.e. go down the pathless path themselves.

What are you working on now?
At the moment, since the book just appeared, we are only working on promoting it.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I am in the process of learning, perhaps I will be in a better position to answer this question a couple of months from now.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Let me mention one piece of advice which has accompanied me for a long time, namely the saying ”Be as you are” by the great Indian teacher Ramana Maharshi. He did not say that we should ”become” as we are but to BE what we are.

What’s next for you as a writer?
We may consider doing Find the Seeker! in other languages, but at the moment the focus is on the here and now.

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?
Be As You Are – Ramana Maharshi; Zen Beyond All Words – Wolfgang Kopp; The Power of Now – Eckhart Tolle

Author Websites and Profiles
Clifford Stevens Website
Clifford Stevens Amazon Profile

Clifford Stevens’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile
Facebook Profile
Twitter Account

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I’ve read everything under the sun. Because of that, my interest in writing increased with each book I completed. I got to the point where I told myself that I could probably write my own book. Or at least try.

And try I did. I’ve written and COMPLETED one book so far, but it’s the first book in the series and the second one is underway. I’m also working on two other books in different genres.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
My recently published book is called, Inception: The Bern Project (Volume One).

It’s not so much a zombie book as much as it is a book that has zombies in it. I told myself I would never get into Science Fiction and would rather do Espionage/Political Thriller/Detective type books. Unfortunately, we don’t choose our stories, nor do we choose our characters. Sometimes they just speak to us as we dictate what they tell us.

I remember reading Stephen King’s On Writing. One thing that stuck out to me was when he talked about combining two story ideas into one. Well, I have a sheet of paper that has a bunch of story ideas written on it. One day, after I may or may not have been influenced by white wine, I combined two ideas; “contract killers and best friends” with “New World Order”. As I started brainstorming, my book was born and the rest was history.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
Yes. At least, I think it’s weird. I have to read for about one hour to get my brain into a literary mode. I also have to have a cup of bulletproof coffee and listen to some sort of music that inspires me to write that particular story. For Inception, I listened to ABBA’s greatest hits. For the sequel, I’ve been listening to Foo Fighters. I have no idea what I’ll be listening to for the third book.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
There’s way too many to list. But off the top of my head, I’m a big fan of Vince Flynn (RIP), Daniel Silva, Anne Lamott, Michael Connelly, Brad Thor, Brad Taylor, Malcolm Gladwell and Nelson Demille.

Nelson Demille’s Night Fall was one of the greatest books I’ve ever read.

What are you working on now?
The sequel to Inception: The Bern Project (Volume One)

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I have no clue. This is the first book I’ve published on my own. I refuse to use an agent/publisher as I just don’t want to waste the time writing query letters. So far, though, Amazon has been friggin amazing with how they treat Indie Authors.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
The first draft is going to be the ugliest, most disgusting POS you’ve ever written or read.

And that’s a good thing.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
I had a fellow writer in a writer’s group tell me, “Every artist started out drawing stick figures.”

What are you reading now?
The Origin by Dan Brown.
Back Blast by Mark Greaney.

What’s next for you as a writer?
To write more. I’ll never stop.

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?
SAS Survival Handbook.
Anarchist Cookbook.
Lord of the Flies.
Robinson Crusoe.

Author Websites and Profiles
M James Conway Website
M James Conway Amazon Profile

M James Conway’s Social Media Links
Facebook Profile
Twitter Account

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I love reading, writing, art, cooking, history, literature, ancient civilizations and many things metaphysical. I have written a novel called Mallias the Greek Gangster. Now, I am working on a series of installments of a novel called The Potion Maker. Book One from the series is already in print.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
The Potion Maker. Book One A Stargram.

What inspired it? I am not sure. Many factors came into play regarding the inspiration for this book. I love magical realism in literature. For those with a vivid imagination, there is a very fine line where magical realism begins and leaves realism behind! I wanted to merge magical elements, creating a new reality in the series that leave fuzzy borders.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
Yes! I write most of my work in my head. Seriously! I can’t sit at a desk or table and write. And I can’t write on paper. I wait for signs of ‘overload’ and then I transfer my work onto my laptop. Usually, I do this while in bed, or on a comfortable armchair with my feet up, noshing on something or with a cup of coffee and a cigarette.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
Philip Pullman, J K Rowling, Marion Zimmer Bradley, Vikram Seth, Gabriel Garcia Marquez, Borges, E F Benson

What are you working on now?
I am working on the installments of The Potion Maker. It is amazing to feel the freedom that comes with the creative process.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
A combination of methods seems to work best. I have a website, I use twitter and like to visit sites around the web.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
The most important advice to new authors is to write, write and write some more. Editing and rewriting a hundred times what you think is a final draft is great. Creating something requires labor. An author goes beyond writing, they are creating an art form. There will be blocks, there will be doubt, there will be frustration. Do not let this stop you. Once the work is out, then new authors need to be patient. Very patient. Popularity can be purchased. But that is a bubble. It pops. You want the book to be appreciated and recognized by readers for what it truly offers. It takes time for a book to finally take its proper place on bookshelves or readers all over the world.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
The best advice that I have heard is to write about what hurts. Many times there is a catharsis going on behind the scenes of every book being written.

What are you reading now?
When I am writing, I never have time to sit down and ‘read’. That doesn’t mean that I am not reading. I find myself reading bits and pieces of classical pieces, keeping my inspiration up. After all, classical literature, landmark pieces of writing, are our teachers.

What’s next for you as a writer?
I am still working on The Potion Maker. I am not sure what is next. Both this project and the novel I recently published, Mallias the Greek Gangster, are voices of women. I think that I am gravitating in that direction, exploring a diversity of the female archetype/stereotype. I enjoy creating fusion. Fusing unlikely elements and styles of narration. I want to take it a step further in my next project. That is for sure.

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, and three or four blank page notebooks. Being stranded will provoke me to write on paper this time. And the Bible is an incredible book. It hides worlds of meaning within its words. Bringing any other books along would defeat their purpose. I think books complement our state of mind. I really couldn’t choose any 3 and bring them with me because I feel that books, from classical to trashy, are part of a collective consciousness of creativity that we can either ‘enter’ or glean from when ‘in’ society. They keep us safe and sound in the active world, and they lose their ‘magic’ on a stranded isle…

Author Websites and Profiles
Suzanne Valtsioti Website
Suzanne Valtsioti Amazon Profile
Suzanne Valtsioti Author Profile on Smashwords

Suzanne Valtsioti’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile
Facebook Profile
Twitter Account
Pinterest Account

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I am an Engineer, Meditation guide and Author.
One incident in my life inspired him to write a book on meditation. i was undergoing mental stress due to some personal problems in 2009, and as a result i became afflicted with deep depression. Then someone advised me to practice meditation.
I began to feel a magical change in his thoughts in the early days of the practice of meditation, and with regular practice i completely defeated my depression and now living a stress-free and happy life.
I developed some simple and easy meditation techniques, and these techniques have helped countless men and women improve their mental health and fitness, and take control of their stress, anxiety, worry and negative thoughts.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
“Stress to Happiness ” is my first book and it is available in 5 languages i.e English , German, Italian, French & Spanish.

I coverd 3 quick and easy ways of Meditation for quick stress relief

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
No , but i was undergoing mental stress due to some personal problems in 2009, and as a result i became afflicted with deep depression. and with regular practice i completely defeated my depression and now living a stress-free and happy life.
I developed some simple and easy meditation techniques, and these techniques have helped countless men and women improve their mental health and fitness, and take control of their stress, anxiety, worry and negative thoughts.
So i covered those three quick and easy meditation techniques in my book

What authors, or books have influenced you?
I mostly read selfhelp books , it gives me motivation and strength.

What are you working on now?
I m working on my new book “GrandMothers 11 Secrets of. Happiness”. I will publish it soon.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I prefer social media promotion and awesomegang is the first website where i am promoting my book

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Write something new and helpful sothat anyone can take something positive from your book.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
One advice given by my mother that whenever u feel Stressed or depressed just do meditation and feel the calmness of your mind.

What’s next for you as a writer?
I will write more selfhelp 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?
Honestly ,i wont take any book with me , i will just meditate .:)

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I’m a bisexual witch from Olympia, Washington, and I spend most of my free time in the water, sometimes wearing a mermaid tail. I also love throwing elaborate theme parties, dragging friends and partners on unexpected adventures, and making art at 2 AM. I’ve been chased by a number of large, angry animals, including a steer, a sea lion, and a mountain goat. Is this relevant information? It might be. I’ve just published my first novel, but I have a backlog of 4 or 5 complete manuscripts, some of which will one day see the light of day.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
Persons of Consequence was inspired by spite, which is the purest motivation in the world.

I’m only partially joking. Persons of Consequences is about two girls falling in love in the midst of a burgeoning cult on a college campus. I wrote the first draft immediately after graduating from college because I wanted to articulate how predatory people use radical communities like mine to find and control victims.

When I wrote that first draft I was a bitter little ball of confusion, but as I researched some of history’s most infamous cult leaders, I learned about social proof and manipulation, which has honestly strengthened my ability to write villains in general. Persons of Consequence ended up being a love letter to Pacific Northwest culture, and a hate letter to predators everywhere.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I can’t imagine what would count as an unusual writing habit. I wish I could say something like I write best when upside-down, or when dressed in a ball gown and tiara.

My writing process is pretty normal. I sit on my chaise lounge with my laptop, start writing, and when I hit a scene or sentence I’m not sure how handle my mind starts finding distractions, and I have to corral my thoughts back to the problem they’re avoiding. Repeat ad infinitum.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
Terry Pratchett is one of the biggest influences on my life, philosophy, and writing. The way he can take me from laughing, to crying, to contemplating the meaning of sin, then back to laughing, all within a few pages of a comedic fantasy novel is still astounds me. I’ve read almost all of his books, but when he died I put the ones I hadn’t yet read aside, so someday when I’m feeling particularly low, I’ll still have new Terry Pratchett novels to read.

Keri Hulme also had a big impact on me, growing up. When I read The Bone People in high school I was astounded by the way she wrote from dreams and played with language. That was truly exciting.

There are others, of course, hundreds of others, but those are the two who spring to mind immediately.

What are you working on now?
I’m getting ready to publish Lubbers in July 2018. It’s the first in a trilogy of YA mermaid novels. It has magic in it, but in some ways it’s closer to science fiction than fantasy: the series is really about first contact with an unknown intelligent species, which is one of my favorite science fiction tropes. As an open-water swimmer and daughter of fisher people, I absolutely adore the ocean, so getting to invent an entire underwater civilization is a real treat.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I’ll let you know when I find out. Book promotion is still uncomfortable to me, but I’m getting over that because I love it when people read what I’ve written. I live for getting inside other minds, and letting others get inside my mind.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Just do it. Finish a writing project, polish it up, and put it out there. Stomp down the Imposter Syndrome when it raises its ugly head. Art is ultimately about sharing ourselves, and that’s nothing to be ashamed of.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
“Time is not what you need. Intention is what you need.” – Maggie Stiefvater

I think that applies to more than just writing.

What are you reading now?
Fairy Tales from the Brothers Grimm by Philip Pullman
Romantic Outlaws: The Extraordinary Lives of Mary Wollstonecraft and Her Daughter Mary Shelley by Charlotte Gordon
My Lesbian Experience with Loneliness by Nagata Kabi

Also 3 or 4 more. I’m not great at focusing on one book at a time, or one project at a time. Some people say it’s because I’m a Gemini.

What’s next for you as a writer?
Learning to speed up the writing to publishing process. My first few books needed a lot of work before they were good enough for me to even consider publishing. By now I know a lot more about structuring satisfying stories, and that makes the entire process quicker.

If you were going to be stranded on a desert island and allowed to take 3 or 4 books with you what books would you bring?
Probably those Terry Pratchett novels I mentioned earlier. I’ve heard they’re some of his best, and I’d be upset if I never had a chance to read them.

Author Websites and Profiles
K. D. Hume Website
K. D. Hume Amazon Profile

K. D. Hume’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile
Twitter Account
Pinterest Account

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I’m from Germany and grew up in the Rhineland. Because I always loved the sun and the sea, I traveled for many years through Southern Europe. During this time I took on a variety of jobs in order to support myself and allow me a lifestyle that gave me plenty of free time. – Free time for my other passion: reading and writing. “Sunshine, Sex & Easy Money” is my first published book. I wrote it in my native language German and it was translated into English in 2017.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
The inspiration for writing this book I got, when I was working in Athens/Greece as an independent female escort. It was an exciting time and I wanted to share my exceptional experiences with other people.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
Maybe not really unusual. I prefer to start my writing after all daily chores are done. Then I start writing with the radio playing a quiet tune in the background. Sometimes I continue writing after dinner.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
There are too many wonderful books and authors I have read to make a choice.

What are you working on now?
Currently, I am writing on my second book which once again covers in a light-hearted way the topic of prostitution.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
Difficult question… I get some response on FB, and little on Twitter. So far I don’t have my own website. Only my author page on Amazon. And I started with Instagram.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Write… just keep writing. Every day if possible. Open at least your document and read the last sentences. It keeps you flowing.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Try to write 1000 words per day and if you can’t make it, don’t worry!!

What are you reading now?
Next to my own manuscript I read “Life, the Universe and Everything” (Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy, Part III) from Douglas Adams.

What’s next for you as a writer?
Continue writing, – publishing, promoting and writing again.

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?
Even, if read them already at least 5 times in German and English, I would take “The Hitchhiker’s Triologie” by Douglas Adams and one book about survival.

Author Websites and Profiles
Maria Van Daarten Amazon Profile

Maria Van Daarten’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile
Facebook Profile
Twitter Account

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I’m a Seattle-based romance author, professional eavesdropper, and cake connoisseur. A Slippery Slope is my first novel, but the X Enterprises series launches soon!

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
A Slippery Slope is a contemporary NA second-chance romance about a woman launching a lube company with the one person she’s avoided for years. It was inspired by my own journey launching one of the most popular brands of personal lubricant, though the romance and the events in the story are a work of fiction!

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
Every now and then, if my brain has been working on a project, I’ll get a middle-of-the-night idea that I can’t help but jot down in the Notes section of my phone. Deciphering the notes in the morning is always fun!

What authors, or books have influenced you?
I love reading all genres, with a particular affection for YA, romance, and thrillers. Some of my favorite authors are Maggie Stiefvater, Jodi Picoult, Janet Fitch, and more!

What are you working on now?
I’m currently working on the X Enterprises series about employees at the hottest sex toy company in Seattle. Get ready for some racy romance reads!

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I love social media and reader-oriented websites for promoting my books.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Write as much as possible, in your best mood possible, and let your enthusiasm for your project keep your momentum going.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Don’t pin your happiness on what other people think of you. You can’t control what someone is going to say or think about your work, so make sure you’re doing it because you love it.

What are you reading now?
I’m devouring The Woman in the Window by A.J. Finn and it is incredible.

What’s next for you as a writer?
More books! I hope to publish at least four books in 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?
Oooh, great question!
1. Some sort of island survival guide
2. The Woman in the Window by A.J. Finn, because it’s the kind of book you can keep rereading.
3. The Name of the Wind by Patrick Rothfuss because it’s huge and lovely and would keep me reading for a while!

Author Websites and Profiles
Tanya Gallagher Website
Tanya Gallagher Amazon Profile

Tanya Gallagher’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile
Facebook Profile
Twitter Account

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I am from Greenville SC. This is my first book. It is one of a series.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
The name of the book is Urban Pulp Fiction. It is inspired by the world in my head. To escape reality I go to my world of what if’s.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
To me each chapter is a short story of it’s own

What authors, or books have influenced you?
Zane and Norie

What are you working on now?
Working on part two of the series.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I’m just getting started and looking.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Just write. It will come together. Have fun.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Write even if it’s trash. Every book needs to start some where.

What are you reading now?
The Bitter Sweet Revenge by R.C. Montgomery

What’s next for you as a writer?
I’ve always dreamed of my stories to become movies/t.v. show(s). I would like to work toward that.

If you were going to be stranded on a desert island and allowed to take 3 or 4 books with you what books would you bring?
My question would be…can I bring my kindle plus three hard backs?

Author Websites and Profiles
Phoenix James Website
Phoenix James Amazon Profile

Phoenix James’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile
Facebook Profile
Twitter Account

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I have written two books, The Evolving Woman Series Daily Reflections (c) 2004 and “The Evolving Woman Series Daily Reflections, What Lies Beneath the Mask (c) 2018.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
The Evolving Woman Series Daily Reflections, What Lies Beneath the Mask is the latest book. I wrote the first book while going through a very acrimonious divorce which followed an abusive marriage. And I wrote the second after going through recovery from an addiction to alcohol. While going through my rehab, I realized just how many masks I have worn throughout my life and I decided to republish the EWS book and re-name it as the Evolving Woman Series Daily Reflections, What Lies Beneath the Mask. I created a new cover and introduction for the book but the 31 women that I feature in the first book, remain the same.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
Not that I’m aware of. I usually write when I’m inspired or when I’m going through a difficult time. Out of that I write my blogs and this book.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
Right now I’m really into motivational authors such as Jack Canfield who is the author of the Success Principles and the co-creator of the Chicken Soup for the Soul books. Other than that – Wally Lamb, Stephen Leacock who was a wonderful Canadian humorist, Michael Ondaatje, Margaret Laurence, to name a few.

What are you working on now?
I’m working on my next book, “Lessons Learned From Being Run Over By A Bus!” In 2007, I was run over by a City transit bus and lived to tell the tale. I’m currently seeking contributors who have overcome challenges and gone on not only to survive but thrive. And

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I use my Facebook Page, Fans of Kimberley Langford Author, and I’ve also sent out media releases and have been interviewed by a student publication, the Mount Royal College Reflector. I also am setting up a book signing at my local library and hopefully will have a book signing at a local bookstore.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Don’t give up and just write. One of my friends, who is also a writer, says she writes in long hand first and just lets whatever she is thinking at the time, come out. Then she transcribes it into a word document and then let’s her “editor” come out. I’ve been doing the same and I find it really works well.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Don’t let the dream stealers stop you from doing what you love to do. Keep at it and be persistent.

What are you reading now?
The Success Principles (10th Anniversary Edition) by Jack Canfield. I love it. It’s motivating, inspiring and it is like having a course in a book.

What’s next for you as a writer?
Keep on writing. I’m also creating a journal to go with my book, The Evolving Woman Series Daily Reflections, What Lies Beneath The Mask. I’m also a textile artist and I will incorporate some of my pieces into the book.

If you were going to be stranded on a desert island and allowed to take 3 or 4 books with you what books would you bring?
The Sedona Method by Hale Dwokin
The English Patient by Michael Ondaatje
Alias Grace by Margaret Atwood
Sunshine Sketches of a Little Town, by Stephen Leacock

Author Websites and Profiles
Kimberley Langford Website
Kimberley Langford Amazon Profile

Kimberley Langford’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile
Facebook Profile

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I have the privilege of living in one of the greatest places in the world, Eugene, OR. Home of the University of Oregon Ducks! My wife and I pastor a great church in town (Joy Church) that helps lots and lots of people find hope, purpose, and a place to belong. I get the rare honor of getting to do for a living what I already live to do! We have three awesome kids: Evie, Jack, and Penny. I have written two books: Rocket Fuel and Reorthodox. I am also a musician and I have recorded four albums. Check them out on Spotify!

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
My latest book is called Rocket Fuel and it was inspired by a conversation I had with a lady one day about prayer. I casually mentioned the term daily devotions and she stopped me and said, “I don’t know how to pray.” I realized that there was a need for a practical guide to prayer and bible study for people who felt like they didn’t know how to have a relationship with God.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I jump from chapter to chapter and idea to idea a lot. This is weird because I’m usually a linear thinker but when it comes to writing my mind dances between ideas constantly. It’s frustrating because it makes it hard to track my progress but it’s just how I work. I remember when I finished my first book I was surprised because I wrapped up a few chapters at once and realized…oh I’m done! I finished!

What authors, or books have influenced you?
C.S. Lewis is one of my all time favorites. My son Jack’s middle name is actually Lewis and he’s named after my favorite author, C.S. Lewis. Lewis’ friends called him Jack so that’s there my son’s name comes from. I fell in love with fiction because of Tolkien. I remember my Mom trying to get me to read this book called The Hobbit for a few months when I was a kid. She said, “It’s about this little man with hairy feet!” Needless to say, that didn’t really catch my interest! Haha! I eventually ended up reading it and the rest was history. I loved it and devoured the Lord of the Rings trilogy soon after.

What are you working on now?
I am working on a practical guide to public speaking and preparation. Speaking is a big part of my job as a pastor and I want to share what I’ve learned over the years to help other people that speak regularly. It’s kind of a sneakily stressful thing as a pastor. You realize, there’s a Sunday every Sunday and it’s your job to encourage and inspire people every week while helping them grow spiritually. So, I just want to share the strategies I’ve learned for keeping it fresh and effective!

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I am relatively new to the promotion side of things! I am starting to experiment with ams ads for my books on Amazon and I am excited to see if it pays off. The one thing I think is really important when it comes to promotion is staying in touch with your readers. I added a free audiobook version of one of my books in exchange for an email address. This helps me stay in touch with the people that have already read my book!

Do you have any advice for new authors?
This is probably cliche but here goes. Start small. Write short stories or short books based around one idea. Basically, if you can clearly communicate one idea at a time you’re off to a great start. I find that the larger the scope of a book or writing project the more complex it is. Complexity is usually exponential. When you bite off more than you can chew the temptation to quit is much stronger. Write something that you can and will finish. This will encourage you to keep writing!

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
A man I respect once told me that every person was made in the image of God and deserved to be treated with kindness and respect. That really impacted me at the time and I have remembered it ever since. I desire to live in a way that elevates the people around me and helps them realize their potential!

What are you reading now?
Oh gosh, a lot! I usually have 3-5 books I’m reading at a given time because my interests are so diverse and I get too excited to wait to start a new book. I am reading Multipliers by Liz Wiseman, a book about the Israelite Conquest of Canaan, Luther by Eric Metaxas, Riptide by Lee Child and Douglas Preston, and anything I can find about the Oregon Ducks!

What’s next for you as a writer?
I am writing a book about Church planting at the moment. It’s a really niche market but it’s my expertise and passion! I’m having a blast writing it and I can’t wait to share it with the people that will read it! It might not be a bestseller but I believe that it’s a book that will really help some people!

If you were going to be stranded on a desert island and allowed to take 3 or 4 books with you what books would you bring?
The Bible (I know I know…safe answer), Mere Christianity, and probably the LOTR trilogy. This is by far the hardest question I’ve had to answer! There’s about 100 books I consider desert island ones.

Author Websites and Profiles
Jacob Schmelzer Website
Jacob Schmelzer Amazon Profile

Jacob Schmelzer’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile
Facebook Profile
Twitter Account

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I have written 16 books.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
No. I don’t have any unusual writing habits.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
Author Stephen King has inspired me. I just love his books.

What are you working on now?
Right now, I am working on a children’s book.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
Paid promotion websites is a great method for promoting my books.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
If writing is your passion never give up. Keep on writing.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
The best advice that I have ever heard was, “sometimes you have to fall down to hell in order to make it to heaven. Which means when bad things are happening you are close to success.

What are you reading now?
Right now, I am so busy that I am not reading anything at this moment.

What’s next for you as a writer?
As a writer I plan on writing more books and turning a few of my books into movies.

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?
Danielle steel – Rushing Waters, A Perfect Life, One Day At A Time, The Long Road Home

Author Websites and Profiles
Cindy Christmas Website
Cindy Christmas Amazon Profile

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I’m a new writer that just released part 1 of a 2 part series. It’s called Soundtrack of My Lyfe by Larry Blunt and it’s currently live on Amazon. Part 2 will be available March and it includes more action and drama. It’s a dream come true that I made into a goal. I tried to tell a collection of prison stories from my experience as well as other homosexuals. I’m a female impersonator that live a very open life and do as I can to make sure my story is told in full detail.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
“Soundtrack of My Lyfe” is about a prison story inspired by my own experience in their as a homosexual.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
Some days I experience writer’s block, and others I feel as if I could write a complete book in one day.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
I love reading books by Kiki Swinson, Nikki Turner, and Kwan…I love the way they twist their Urban stories

What are you working on now?
Part 2 of Soundtrack Of My Lyfe and another stand alone due in fall.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I use all social media sites, word of mouth, and my Google engines

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Take your time and stay focused, it may seem hard but networking is the key

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Stick to what you are use too

What are you reading now?
Inbox Indecretions 2 by Authoress Takiya Smith

What’s next for you as a writer?
To keep telling different stories people often inquire about but none have written

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?
Animal series, Wifey, The Coldest Winter Ever, True to the Game series

Author Websites and Profiles
Larry Blunt Amazon Profile

Larry Blunt’s Social Media Links
Facebook Profile
Twitter Account

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I am a parish pastor at The Redeemed Christian Church of God. I am also a poet, motivational speaker, mentor and a global peace advocate.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
The Terrorist Inclinations. The book was inspired by the need to find solutions to all forms of terrorism.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I write when inspired.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
Rick Warren, Joel Austin, Chinua Achebe, Niyi Osundare, Wole Soyinka.

What are you working on now?
poetry

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

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Publishing is a long distance race.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Every individual has unique characteristics tailored towards achieving destiny. Find yours and embrace it.

What are you reading now?
Non fiction books

What’s next for you as a writer?
Improve my skills

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, Open Heavens devotional, The Salt Value in You.

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I’ve been writing as long as I can remember. I’m the author of some 15 books, both fiction and nonfiction. The 90s were a real struggle for me as a fiction writer, as the only path to success for most writers was to get an agent, who would get you into a major publisher. The 00s broke things open for me. First, on-demand printing and the eBook democratized publishing such that upstart niche small presses started thriving, and then the next step after that was self-publishing became increasingly professional. Second, I wrote the first military versus zombies book (TOOTH AND NAIL) at a time when zombie fiction was just starting to really take off. That led to terrific sales, which led to an agent and Big 5 publication of my horror novel SUFFER THE CHILDREN, which generated terrific reviews and was nominated for two awards. Since then, I’ve been pursuing as hard as I can Big 5 publication and self-publishing, while essentially giving up on small press, though I’d still recommend that path as potentially viable for new authors. My fiction is fairly eclectic, but mostly speculative, sci-fi/fantasy and horror. I love the weird possibilities speculative fiction offers–you can really break boundaries and find something new and surprising.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
My latest novel is ONE OF US, which will be published by Orbit (Hachette) in hardcover then trade paperback in the USA, UK, and Canada, and debuting at San Diego Comic-Con in July 2018. The novel is about a plague that causes a generation of children to be born monsters, who must find a way to fit in–or fight for what’s theirs. The monsters are growing up rejected in orphanages throughout the rural South, making this essentially a Southern Gothic. Picture TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD meets THE ISLAND OF DR. MOREAU. It’s a powerful book about prejudice and inheritance, probably the best thing I’ve ever produced, certainly the most fun to write. I’m really proud of it and was lucky to have a terrific editor, who saw it as potentially the next GIRL WITH ALL THE GIFTS, also published by Orbit. I hope people enjoy reading it as much as I did writing it.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I’m a boring writer. I basically sit in total silence and stare at a screen typing away. If only that were as cool as playing a guitar on stage! One thing I can say about my writing that is maybe obsessive is the amount of research I do. One of my current ongoing projects is a self-published WW2 submarine series, which has sold extremely well. The books are short, pulpy, action-packed–picture Horatio Hornblower on a submarine. What distinguishes the books is the amount of technical detail that submarine book readers love. To get that right, I read probably 20 books about submarines in addition to a huge number of manuals about how every single part of them worked. The result is a likeable hero in an exciting narrative that is heavily grounded, gritty, and real even as the adventures themselves are pulpy.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
Too many to count. Every book I read, I learn something–what works, what doesn’t work. The last three books I read on craft I found very useful were STORY ENGINEERING, THE BESTSELLER CODE, and TAKE OFF YOUR PANTS! These books got me thinking about elements of fiction that works, planning plot points, and building stories around character arcs.

What are you working on now?
Right now, I’m working on finishing up the fifth episode of CRASH DIVE. This year, I’ll be finishing that series; supporting Orbit’s launch of ONE OF US in July; editing a second book for Orbit that is currently in contract negotiations; and starting a new novel. Oh, and starting research for my next self-published series. It’s going to be a busy year but a good one.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
Marketing is common now, and it’s hard to stand out. Marketing is a way to get some people to read your book, but in the end, the only way to get a lot of people to read your book is to write the best book you can, and that means you have to keep honing your craft.
That being said, for my self-published work, I have found it extremely hard to move standalone novels because of pricing constraints. So I adopted a “dime novel” model centered on creating series of pulpy, action-packed, 40K adventure books. The first CRASH DIVE book sells at $0.99 and is the “loss leader,” hooking people on the series. If you like the first book, you’ll get the second, which sells at the standard $2.99. By limiting the number of words, I can get more books out per year while keeping my day job and life as a single father going, and make a good return on my labor.
As soon as you have multiple books, you can start advertising. What has worked for me is advertising in newsletters pushing people at that first book every time a new release comes out, while building my own mailing list. The challenge with having your own list is often readers are fans of an author’s work in a particular genre but may not love the author enough to follow them anywhere. So when my zombie fiction tapered off, I lost a lot of readers. When CRASH DIVE is finished, I may have a similar problem. What I’m working toward, but still figuring out, is how to identify and reward the “true fans,” those readers who will read anything I write. Few authors enjoy a significant number of fans like that very quickly, the rest of us have to cultivate them one book at a time until they reach a critical mass. At that point, every book you write, as long as it’s as good as the one before, should launch with good sales and reviews.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Whatever advice I last received that changed my writing game. Whenever I go to a conference or rub elbows with other writers, I look for that one solid takeaway. I once heard a writer on a panel say when talking or shaping your book, think about the non-fiction concept. That’s how SUFFER THE CHILDREN (Simon & Schuster, 2014) went from essentially a vampire story to a story about how far parents will go to protect their children. At another conference, somebody told me about Autocrit, which got me using various apps to analyze my writing and help me become a better self-editor. A friend told me how to best use Amazon keywords to enable discovery, which boosted sales for my self-published works.

In short, I’ve never gotten that perfect overarching advice that made everything work for me. Instead, I’ve benefited from small bits of advice that nonetheless had a big impact on my writing game. So my advice is look for that one key takeaway in your interactions with other authors and in the how-to books you read. Nietzsche said a single sentence can change your whole world. Find that sentence and make it work for you, one sentence and one step at a time in building your craft and career.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Some accomplished authors make it and then give advice to the effect of, “Just do what I did.” Which rarely works. Everybody’s writing and career path is different, and there are many forms success can take. My career path looks like somebody falling up a flight of stairs, a lot of sweat, pain, and luck. I can tell you what worked for me was I was constantly writing, constantly chasing opportunity, and so was more likely to be in the right place at the right time when luck broke my way. In my opinion, the best way to win at this game is to treat is as a very long game. You need enough confidence to put yourself out there and dream big but enough humility to understand that today, you are not the best writer you will be, that you need to constantly learn and grow while you produce.

What are you reading now?
Currently, I’m reading FEVER by Deon Meyer, about the survivors of a nightmarish pandemic trying to rebuild in South Africa. It reads like a cross between THE STAND (the part where they’re trying to rebuild in Boulder) and THE ROAD (the core of the book is the relationship between a father and son, in which the father wants to protect his son’s innocence). It’s a very smart book, extremely realistic and insightful about what things might really be like if civilization collapsed. By the time this interview is published, I’ll be reading something else. I’m always reading, which leads me to another bit of advice for other authors, probably the kind they don’t need as they already know it: Always be writing, always be reading, always be learning.

What’s next for you as a writer?
Ideally, ONE OF US and my next Orbit book will earn out their advance from the publisher, and I’ll be considered a solid midlist author in Big 5. My goal at that point will be to sell a novel to Big 5 each year (ideally Orbit, they’ve been wonderful to work with) while keeping one self-published series going. I’ll keep writing as long as people keep reading it.
Thank you for having me on your site!

Author Websites and Profiles
Craig DiLouie Website
Craig DiLouie Amazon Profile

Craig DiLouie’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile
Facebook Profile
Twitter Account

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

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
Hygge: The Danish Secrets of Happiness. How to be Happy and Healthy in Your Daily Life and I would like to share danish secrets of happiness.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
no

Author Websites and Profiles
Maya Thoresen Amazon Profile

Maya Thoresen’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I am a wife and mother of 4. I reside in the southwestern suburbs of Illinois. I began writing 8 years ago. I was extremely proud when I completed my first two screenplays. I started writing my biography many years ago, but never completed it. I finally set a goal and went above and beyond my own expectations. To date, I have written 3 non-fiction books that are all available on Amazon.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
My two latest books are, “Stronger Core’ and “Stop Babying Bullies”. Both of these books are really dear to my heart. They were inspired by events that have happened in my life. “Stronger Core” is my story. It speaks about my trials and tribulations in my life and how I overcame them. “Stop Babying Bullies” also speaks on events that have happened in my life both to myself, my children, and several other brave victims of bullying.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I would say that my writing tends to be pretty personal. My editor told me that my books read like I am talking to a friend. She felt that wasn’t a good thing and suggested changing some things up. Yet, this was exactly what I was going for. I want there to be a personal connection to my readers.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
When I was young, I really loved “Chicken Soup For The Soul”, “Rich Dad, Poor Dad!” and many others that were inspirational.

What are you working on now?
I am currently working on my first two fiction books. One is a story based on suicide and the other book is a romantic novel that was derived from a dream. I also plan on converting my screenplays into books.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I really love the platform that Amazon has in place for self-published authors. The author page is such a cool addition to their service.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Being that I am still myself technically a new author, I would say, don’t give up! Writing in itself is hard. You start to doubt yourself sometimes and your abilities. Don’t let your doubt or fear stop you from completing your books. Also, keep in mind that if you want your books read, marketing is the hardest part of the process. You can write an amazing book, but if no one sees it, no one can read it. There are tons of free ways to help market, but also be prepared to have a small marketing budget to help out. It all depends on the goals you have for your book. Have fun!

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Earl Nightengale says to build, work, dream, and create. Take action towards achieving anything you want for yourself. Without action, you can never succeed. Do things with a calm cheerful mindset that your time well spent will give you the results you desire.

What are you reading now?
Honestly, I reread both of my larger books last night. Before that, I started reading, “5 Languages of Love”.

What’s next for you as a writer?
As a writer, I plan on executing a killer marketing plan. I don’t want to post my books and sit around thinking that they will mysteriously be found. I plan on creating what it is that I want for myself. Which is to become a motivator, inspirational speaker, and heck best selling author sounds nice too.

If you were going to be stranded on a desert island and allowed to take 3 or 4 books with you what books would you bring?
A book about surviving on a desert, how to create food & water, and a picture book full of all of the people I love dearly.

Author Websites and Profiles
Da’Veta Core-Landmeier Website
Da’Veta Core-Landmeier Amazon Profile
Da’Veta Core-Landmeier Author Profile on Smashwords

Da’Veta Core-Landmeier’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile
Facebook Profile
Twitter Account

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I am an activist primarily, I realized a few years ago that the World is in dire straights and if I was to have kids then I wanted too be able to look them in the eyes and know that I contributed in making their World a better place. ‘Are you living or just existing?’ is my first book but won’t be my last by any means, I am addicted to writing now!

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
‘Are you living or just existing?’ was inspired by my own journey of feeling like I had a bigger purpose in life than just the whole 9-5 treadmill. I had become frustrated and bored and felt like I was just going through the motions so to speak. I actually asked myself this question and it led me on a huge journey or self growth and self discovery.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I wouldn’t say its unusual but I have to be in an environment where my creativity can flow, out in Nature for example. Like looking out on the ocean or in a forest for example. Otherwise I just get blocked up!

What authors, or books have influenced you?
People such as David Icke, Mark Devlin, or anyone who offers an alternative viewpoint to the mainstream rhetoric.

What are you working on now?
My next project is going to be writing around the whole subject of artificial intelligence. How it impacts the World, jobs, our human interactions, and just really questioning whether our love for technology is becoming rather dangerous and taking us away from our roots in Nature.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I have been public speaking for a few years, as well as blogging so I have a good platform of people that follow me. However I’m always looking to reach new minds which is why I’m here!

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Well I’m learning pretty early on in this game that persistence is key. Your book isn’t finished when it is written, in many ways that is just the start if you want to make it a success.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Wow I have had so much! I think to be your own best friend has to be up there. As humans sometimes our own negative self talk is our biggest problem. We need to encourage and support ourselves in the way we think.

What are you reading now?
Another artificial intelligence book ‘Rise of the Robots’ by Martin Ford

What’s next for you as a writer?
I will spend my time monitoring and nurturing my current book, and then will be starting the next one in the next few months 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?
Ok so firstly maybe a book from when I was a child to bring back some of those memories. ‘BFG’ by Roald Dahl maybe? George Orwell ‘1984’ and David Icke’s ‘Truth Vibrations’ would be the others.

Author Websites and Profiles
Tony Sayers Website
Tony Sayers Amazon Profile
Tony Sayers Author Profile on Smashwords

Tony Sayers’s Social Media Links
Facebook Profile
Twitter Account

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I’m from New Orleans, Louisiana and I’ve wanted to be a writer since I was nine years old. I’ve always seen books as a way to escape reality and travel to places and meet people on a massive scale. The words just connected with me in a way that made me want to do the same thing. To date, my published works the two children’s books in the “Little Bot” series, a novella called “Father’s Things” and my Novel “Escape from Undermind” with many more to come.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
My latest is book is “Journey to Wondertown: Worlds of Wonder Book II.” It’s a sequel to “Escape From Undermind.” I got a lot of love and support from the first book, so I’ve decided to continue it as a series. It’ll be released on April 17th.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I’m not sure how unusual it is, but I find that my most productive timeframe is between 2:00am until about 8:00am. It’s been that way since I was in high school. It’s perfectly quiet and there’s a lack of outside distractions. Even social media slows to a crawl around that time.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
There are so many. First and foremost I would have to say “Sea of Swords” by R. A. Salvatore was the most influential in terms of getting me into my genre, but “The Hobbit” and “Ender’s Game” got me into reading in general. Since then it’s been, Isaac Asimov, H. G. Wells, Edgar Allen Poe, H. P. Lovecraft, Ed Greenwood and Mary Shelly just to name a few.

What are you working on now?
I’m always working on a few projects. Right now, I’m focused on getting the word out about “Journey to Wondertown,” but I’m working on the “Escape From Undermind” audiobook to release as a refresher before the sequel hits shelves. I’m working on the sequel to Father’s Things and a some shorts stories I’ll be releasing for FREE on my website that’ll be companions to the “Worlds of Wonder” books.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I like to use my social media which gets the info to my most loyal audience first. I’m on twitter and instagram @jtgloryjones. Then it’s my website JonathanThomasJones.com. I also like to hang around at cons and on Goodreads a bit just to engage with the community and make new friends.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
The hardest part is looking at a blank page and then filling it. There are some authors who like to try to organize and outline every step, but the trick to art is that it will never be perfect and it will never even be done if you don’t start. Just put that pen to paper and let the feeling carry you. you’ll be shocked by how much the direction of your story will change with every page. Just craft a complete piece of art and worry about edits and rewrites later without worrying about how it’s going to sell or the time it takes. Tell your story first and foremost.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
The first person I can remember saying it is my father, but I’ve heard it several times in my life: if you want to be a good writer, you have to be a good reader. Read all of the books you can get your hands on, even those outside of your genre of interest. There’s a lot of education out there for writers, but those things can be best used as a way to teach you what you’re looking at when you’re reading books. Once you learn to connect that with what you actually read, then you’re truly on to something. Having a solid idea of what you like and don’t like can help you discover your narrative voice.

What are you reading now?
I’m currently reading “The Holder’s Dominion” by Genese Davis with “Child of a Mad God” by R. A. Salvatore next on the list. I swear I have an infinite backlog.

What’s next for you as a writer?
I have an immense love for education and desire for more diverse representation in fiction so I’ve been writing for younger audiences for a while. I think I’m ready to start writing for a more mature audience. I’m also interested in writing for other mediums like television, film, comics and especially video games, so we’ll see how that goes.

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 rather a ton of pens and notebooks so I could use that peace and quiet! Seriously though, I would want a Mirriam-Webster Dictionary, “The Languages of Tolkien’s Middle Earth,” “The Complete Works of Edgar Allen Poe” and “Bulfinch’s Mythology.” I picked the first two so I could stimulate my mind with constructive activity and I could use the other two, which are anthologies, to ration one story a day as entertainment and reward for surviving. They’re pretty big anthologies, so hopefully I won’t have to read them over and over by the time I get rescued. I’m eventually getting rescued right?

Author Websites and Profiles
Jonathan Thomas Jones Website
Jonathan Thomas Jones Amazon Profile
Jonathan Thomas Jones Author Profile on Smashwords

Jonathan Thomas Jones’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile
Facebook Profile
Twitter Account

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
Hiya,

The types of books I write are set in a fictional world called Rhye, of which there is a book about that you can get for FREE when you sign up to my readers group on my website.
The type of books I enjoy writing are very interactive where you make choices how the story will turn out. There is always a goal to achieve in the story and it is totally up to you how you will achieve that goal.
I first started making stories when I was seven years old at school, I have even created my own paper and pen based battle game that can be played anywhere. That’s where it all started for me and when I hit fourteen, I was given a typewriter and began writing stories from then on. I have only just started to publish my work, so there is many more books to come.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
The book that is set for release on March 18th 2018, is a survival horror story where you wake up and find yourself chained to a wall in a cell. I wrote the book when I was twelve back in the 90s and its the first in a trilogy that I am releasing now, the sequel called Crypt of the Vampire and is due out in August 2018. You find out all the details on my website where you can get a FREE book to read.
I was inspired by the story because for one, I like vampires, and secondly, I was grounded as a child a lot and I needed to come up with games to play when I was on my own a lot. It fuelled my creative mind and gave me the time to come up with the ideas that I am beginning to share out with everyone finally now.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
Yes, I have about 30 books that are finished and I am slowly beginning to release them one at a time. Right now, I am working on about five other stories and looking for illustrators to work with for future projects. I am always writing stories and coming up with ideas for interesting stories, too many to be honest. If anyone wants some, they can come and have them, Ive got enough for myself to last a lifetime. I usually find that writing a book is much like running a marathon, I need to warm up to it slowly in order to get through it. Plus I do it old school, with my hands and paper before hitting it up on the computer.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
My influences come from only a couple of places. I have been inspired by Stephen King and the creator of Lara Croft, Ian Livingstone. I used to read their books as a teenager and its now the style and genre I enjoy writing in now. But in all honesty, I write in every genre, I have many stories that are action, adventure, comedy, romance, science fiction and others. it’s working through them one at a time. I love telling stories and I have learned so much from past writers and film directors such as Steven Spielberg.

What are you working on now?
Right now I am working with an illustrator to release a book this year that ties in with my other series of books that are coming out now ( 100 series) its called Lords and Kings: Blood Wars, again a story I came up with when I was about 15 and is ace because you can choose to play as one of eight different characters in the story.
Im also working on follow ups to the 100 series with new titles, which can be found inside any of my books, the first 12 have been detailed. I am also considering other projects now in the fiction genre and science fiction genre about a script I wrote about two years ago that never got filmed. Its part of a trilogy, its called HOME and its about space exploration and founding Mars, with the effects it has on the human mind. Its also a tale of a single mans journey into OCD and AGORAPHOBIA and how he deals with it. It questions reality and the human mind with what we see as real. I’m also writing episodes to a possible tv series based in my fantasy world-just in case a studio wants to option my books. hehe

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
Head over to my website, you get a FREE book if you sign up to my Readers Group, where you will get exclusive access to future books, exclusive books that may not get released, updates on things I’m doing now and access to my entire catalogue all in one convenient location. In each book I have adverts for the free book and where to get it. Head over to www.adamjpestridge.com and pick it up.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Look for my book called Story and how to write one, its free and will help you craft a GOOD story as opposed to one that people will not find interesting. Its a short book as an introduction into writing with an invitation to write for my series as well.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Success is evolved failure.
If you find a job you love, you wont have to work a day in your life.
Never give up.
If at first you don’t succeed, try, try again.

What are you reading now?
I don’t tend to read as much now as I did. Currently I am going through all the Fighting Fantasy Series, only because I am doing a series on them for You Tube you can check that out on my channel. Adam J Pestridge

What’s next for you as a writer?
Keep on writing until I f***ing die.

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 dictionary for future use.
The bible for the stories.
A complete collection of survival manuals/handbooks – just in case
Any Stephen King book as they are massive and would take ages to read.

Author Websites and Profiles
Adam Pestridge Website
Adam Pestridge Amazon Profile

Adam Pestridge’s Social Media Links
Facebook Profile
Twitter Account

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
Having written a two-book autobiography, you’d think I’d be more comfortable talking about myself. But self-promotion makes me cringe. I wrote because I have a truth to tell, about the behind-the-scenes of sex crimes prosecution and honestly, the narratives told themselves. It astonishes me and makes me more proud than I can say that readers report that they have found the books compelling and inspiring and have genuinely learned from them.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
“Sex Crimes: Then and Now” is a two-book publication in both e-book and print versions. The first book (the “Then”) was originally published (print only) by Random House in 1993 and honored as a New York Times Notable Book of the Year. It follows my years first as a trial attorney and then as chief of the special victims bureau in the Queens (NYC) District Attorney’s Ofiice. The sequel (the “Now”) follows my years as the special prosecutor for sex crimes in a rural county in the Pacific Northwest.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I’m a lot better editor than writer so I type out a lot of words and then eliminate most of them.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
I love all sorts of good writing but I have to say that my favorite author is Andrew Vachss. Nobody writes more purely and powerfully.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
Well, certainly I’m hoping it’s this one.

Author Websites and Profiles
Alice Vachss Website
Alice Vachss Amazon Profile

Alice Vachss’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile
Facebook Profile

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
My name is Jamila Mikhail, I’m 21 years old and I am currently the author of one published book. It was always my lifelong dream to write and publish a book because I’ve been writing in several languages ever since I was old enough to hold a pen. I’m brand new to the indie author scene and so far I’ve been absolutely loving living the dream even if I’m mostly unknown in the business!

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
My most recent book is called “Innermost” and it’s a compilation of emotional poetry that I’ve written over a span of nearly half a decade, but mostly around the time of my PTSD diagnosis. It was actually my therapist who suggested that I begin to write seriously, and not just as a hobby, but it’s not until recently that I could build a proper platform to accomplish my dream. Innermost is really about all of the emotions known to the human heart, the good ones and the bad ones and whatever falls in between.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
Indeed I do! Ironically I can only write when I’m doing something else at the same time. I know, I know, multitasking is said to be unproductive, but personally I’ve never been able to do otherwise. If I just sit there and force my head to come up with words and sentences and whatnot it feels like writing is a chore and not an escape from life. Inspiration usually just strikes me out of nowhere when I’m doing something else, so it’s while keeping busy that I’m usually the best at being a writer.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
This is a very hard question to answer because I’ve read so many books that have impacted in so many ways over the years. I have quite an obsession with clean romance novels, and anything related to the 20th century. I can easily say that the book that had the greatest impact on me was “Death Dealer” by Rudolf Hoess though, after reading it I finally understood what Mikhail Bakunin meant when he said “Real humanity presents a mixture of all that is most sublime and beautiful with all that is vilest and most monstrous in the world.”

What are you working on now?
I’m currently working on a youth novel called “Don’t Let Me Go” that is set to hit the marketplace on July 1st. It’s my way to tackle the epidemic of anxiety, depression and other mood disorders among teens and other young people. I’ve been there and reading something I could relate to was more often than not my escape. By writing and publishing this book it is my hope that I can pay it forward.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
Because I’m a poet I’ve found myself to be right at home on Realisticpoetry.com but I’ve also made great connections on Instagram. I’ve also done surprisingly well at doing good old fashioned promotion by hand with postcard-sized cards I had printed advertising my book. Even those who didn’t care for the actual book commented on how stunning the card was!

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Don’t get discouraged! There’s no one way to go about writing, publishing or marketing. Just because one method didn’t work for you it doesn’t mean that you are a failure. Other authors are so quick to tell you how it should be but the truth is that this industry is a trial and error process for success. It’s important to have a plan but ultimately you’ll have to craft your own that caters to your specific needs because no two books are the same!

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
“Don’t be afraid of what it might cost you.” This wasn’t so much about a financial cost, but more towards an emotional one. Battling PTSD has left me with a distorted self-image and I greatly lacked confidence in myself.

What are you reading now?
Unfortunately I can’t say that I’m reading much for leisure right now because I have about a dozen books about WWII and the Holocaust lined up for a university level correspondence class that I’m currently taking about the history of major global conflicts. I suppose that “The Psychology of Dictatorship” by G.M. Gilbert would still count in this case, no?

What’s next for you as a writer?
Next up I plan on entering my current published book and the upcoming one into several contests and once I have three or four books on the market I’d like to start doing festivals too. Hopefully along with that modest success will come next too!

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 most likely bring books about spirituality and astronomy because they are really the only two topics that I know I can ponder endlessly and never reach a definite conclusion. Thinking about the past would drive me crazy because it would be out of my reach, and contemplating the future would be very painful knowing that I might never get there, but I can ponder the meaning of life and death, the afterlife and what’s hidden beyond the stars forever and each time it takes on a different form and I come to a different conclusion.

Author Websites and Profiles
Jamila Mikhail Website
Jamila Mikhail Amazon Profile
Jamila Mikhail Author Profile on Smashwords

Jamila Mikhail’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 retired from a forty-two year career in hospital nursing. In retirement I have self-published three books including two novels. Both novels deal with addictions, sex, in ‘A Mind Full’ and drugs in ‘A Walk to Beautiful.’ My first book was a kids book illustrated by my sister with me providing the one-line of text on each page.
All three books are available on Lulu.com. The two novels are on Amazon.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
‘A Walk to Beautiful’ is my latest book and my work in treatment centers as an RN and a relatives drug addiction were the catalysts for its inception.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I don’t think it’s unusual but I do carry a notebook with me at all times. I make notes about lots of things I see and experience everyday.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
I like ‘The Big Sleep’ by Raymond Chandler.

What are you working on now?
My third novel as a sequel to ‘A Walk to Beautiful.’ Same characters come back to deal with another set of tragedies.

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

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Keep going and keep learning about the skill of writing well. Attend a local writers circle and submit work for their criticism of praise. Carry that notebook with you at all times. It is surprising how often I have an idea, and it is gone out of my mind before I get home to make a note of it.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Accept criticism and learn from your mistakes.

What are you reading now?
‘Along Came a Spider’ by James Patterson.

What’s next for you as a writer?
I am attending a local college doing an advanced writing course.

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?
Four books from ‘The Sword of Truth’ series.

Author Websites and Profiles
Robert Lashley Website

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I am originally from Western New York. Studied pre-law and early childhood education before switching gears and entering the military. Served in the Army and attended universities in NY and TN. I currently resides in the South with my two pups and two teenage daughters (and still relatively gray hair free). Now I spends my days and nights on Netflix and Hulu, teaching ESL, writing and surfing the internet.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
Bad at Love
It’s the story of a divorced single mom that falls for a younger man. It was inspired my a TV with the older woman/younger man concept but unlike the TV show, my characters are fully aware of the age difference.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I don’t know if it’s unusual but I meditate so that I am able to hear my characters more clearly.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
Sherrilyn Kenyon and Shannon Dianne are two of my favorites. Tethered by LD Davis is another one that really struck a cord with me.

What are you working on now?
It’s untitled right now. Two people reconnect years later and find that the spark they once had is still just as strong as ever.

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

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Its hard, but if its your passion its worth it.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Do what you love and it’s never a job

What are you reading now?
Joe Biden’s “Promise Me, Dad.”

What’s next for you as a writer?
I hope to expand my readership. I think romance novels appeal to so many people. We all want to escape into a beautiful love story. If we didn’t the Hallmark channel would be out of business.

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. Boat building for dummies
2. Deserted Island cookbook
3. Shannon Dianne’s “Sh…Mine.”
4. A book of crossword puzzles or Sudoku

Author Websites and Profiles
Emeline Piaget Amazon Profile

Emeline Piaget’s Social Media Links
Facebook Profile
Twitter Account
Pinterest Account

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
My name is Davis Summerlin. I’ve currently only written one book but I have three in the works, one of which I’m co-authoring with my brother.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
My current book in publication is titled, If Only. To answer the question of what inspired it is somewhat difficult. While “If Only” is a work of fiction I began writing the book as a response to losing a baby, and watching what that kind of loss did not only to myself, but to my former fiance as well. My book centers around whether or not the protagonist is going to get an abortion or not, and all the people potentially affected by her decision. While the baby we lost was due to a miscarriage, and came with its own burdens. A miscarriage is a natural phenomenon, yet despite that the loss was still overwhelming at times especially for my former partner. I can only imagine how much harder it is for people who go through the abortion process. Regardless of their political ideals and sentiments its never an easy decision. In my book I hoped to capture the weight of that decision, both on the people making it, and those affected by it.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I like to write by hand. The computer is rife with potential distractions and while I’m working on increasing my focusing ability, a plain notebook is a welcomed substitute. Its also much more portable. I enjoy writing in nature, going off trail, sitting on the edge of a cliff with my notebook and seeing where my mind goes.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
Hemingway has been my biggest and most recent inspiration. I like to think my writing style is a cross between him and Mitch Albom (another strong influence on me). What I love most about Hemingway in the works I’ve read is his limited use of description. Often times we praise an author on their ability to paint a picture with words, but more often than not their description is too flowery, almost to the point that it becomes meaningless if not flat out boring. Hemingway’s descriptions are to the point, so much so that at times he won’t describe the setting at all. He’ll simply say the name of the place he’s talking about. I love that. Its as if he’s challenging the reader. As if he’s saying: “If you want to know what it looks like, go see it for yourself!”

What I love about Mitch Albom’s work is his ability to create a nice mix of reality and fiction, both in his list of works but also within the stories themselves.

What are you working on now?
I’m currently working on “The Love Frog” a tribute to my wife. It is our story, or rather a collection of stories that culminate into our own. I hope to have it published by the beginning of July 2018 in an effort to celebrate my coming son or daughter expected to be born later that month.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
My favorite method that I’ve seen the most results thus far is email marketing, like with your own lists. I’m currently building my own lists but such a task is a long term tactic and I’ve only just gotten into the game. However, even with after my list becomes respectable utilizing lists such as yours will most likely still be a favorite tactic of mine, as the results are almost instantaneous and exciting.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Don’t edit…just kidding…sort of. What I mean to say is don’t waste your time editing as you write. Get it all out on the page in its freshest and most likely ugliest form. When its all said and done and you’ve got all your thoughts on the page then put it away for a few days. Then take the red pen to it. You can rinse and repeat this process however many times you’d like but remember no matter how many times you self edit, its always best to hire an editor after you’ve fixed “all” your mistakes, I guarantee you they’ll find more. I hired two, a content editor and a line editor.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Basically what I said above.

What are you reading now?
I’m currently reading a slew of books. A training book for my 3 dogs, a new fantasy book I found on an email list titled “The Buried Symbol” by Jeffrey L. Kohanek, Shooting Eros by Benjamin Laskin, and Dude You’re Gonna Be a Dad by John Pfeiffer.

What’s next for you as a writer?
Well after “The Love Frog” I’m co-authoring a book with my brother. Then I’m trying my hand at my company’s namesake product the “Dicebook” in which I attempt to merge the CYOA and the Game Book genre’s of the 80’s together. Ultimately these books will essentially fill the role of gateway books for fans of the CYOA genre to explore the similar genre of Game Books, but either way that should be fun. I’ll also be putting together several contracts and begin expanding Dice Book Publishing’s authorship, moving forward from just my brother and I to bringing in new authors.

If you were going to be stranded on a desert island and allowed to take 3 or 4 books with you what books would you bring?
1. How to survive on a desert island for dummies (if that exists)
2. The Sun Also Rises by Ernest Hemingway
3. Dark Lord: The Rise of Darth Vader

Author Websites and Profiles
Davis Summerlin Website
Davis Summerlin Amazon Profile

Davis Summerlin’s Social Media Links
Facebook Profile

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
My name is Sarah. I’m a vegan, travel and spiritual lifestyle blogger who focuses on all topics towards a happy & healthy life.
Early on I discovered my passion for health, well-being and getting to know my own body.
Yet for the longest time I didn’t know which career path I should take, and how my future should look like – there were just sooo many options

I eventually decided to follow my intuition and excitement; and so I started to create my own individual career. I began by travelling to India to become a certified yoga teacher. In India it became very clear that this is the path I want to walk on further – I became a student of an online school that trains certified health coaches.

I never thought I would ever write or even publish my own book; but you never know what happens next Even though I never thought of really publishing anything, I have always loved to write, and express myself through words out on paper. Then one day I woke up and thought: If so many others can do it, why can’t I? And so I sat down and began to write. I’m sure this first book won’t be my last.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
I called my latest (and first) book “The Veganning”.
I am a firm believer that we should never stop learning and exploring – no matter what kind of teacher we choose, there will always be something we didn’t know or didn’t see before.

In 2015 I had such an eye opening experience, and I started to wonder why people are vegan. Everything I found during my researches shocked and fascinated me at the same time. There is so much that is not talked about – and so much of it is incredibly important information – that I devoted myself to help spread that message out into the world.

The Veganning is only the beginning…

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I would say that my creative side is switched on once the sun settles. When it is dark outside, and people usually go to bed; that’s the time when words just flow out of me and onto paper.

When I was a student and had to do my homework I could never focus with any noises in the background. However, now I am super inspired by loud music – it seems as words scream into my ears they more easily flow out of my hands

What authors, or books have influenced you?
I have always loved books and reading. Mainly those who made me think and dream about the story, characters, history, stories in the back/on the side,… fascinated me the most.
But also books about personal growth, building a business, following your passion, setting and achieving goals, … influenced me a lot!

What are you working on now?
I’m currently working on my online space over at yettoreveal.com

I created it a few years ago, yet I never was fully behind it and liked how it represented myself. I’m currently trying my best to make it my second skin – something that is really me.

Yet I have about 1 million further ideas and projects that I’m excited to get into.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I hope I won’t disappoint anyone with my answer: but as I am really just starting out and this is my first book, I am currently in the process of discovering my best method of promoting my books…

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Even though I am a new author, I would love to share something I have learned throughout my journey of writing and publishing my first book. My advice for anyone who wants or thinks about writing a book is: just start! It sounds so simple, yet for me it has been the hardest thing in the whole process. Once I made the decision to start and laid out a plan I could follow, it seemed to flow.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
It’s a quote that was sent to me once:
Ideas won’t keep; something must be done about them. – Alfred North Whitehead

What are you reading now?
I’m currently reading “The Universe has your back” by Gabrielle Bernstein

What’s next for you as a writer?
Even though it is a goal/dream of mine to write more books, I for now will focus on my blog. I have big plans for it and would love to create some kind of online data/online magazine about all kinds of topics related to spirituality, personal growth, mindset, health, healthy & happy living, … that inspire, support and help others on their very own journey towards a life they love.

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 had the chance, I would bring “The Alchimist”, “The Shack”, “#Girlboss” and “Eat, Pray, Love”
In their very own and idividual way they tremendously inspired, shaped and influenced me!

Author Websites and Profiles
Sarah Gluschke Website

Sarah Gluschke’s Social Media Links
Pinterest Account

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I am a father of two that has always enjoyed writing songs and poetry. I recently published a collection of poems that I’ve written over a span of 25 years. My children inspired me to write my first children’s book, Jiu-Jitsu Jim. It is the second book I have published thus far.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
Jiu-Jitsu Jim and Colors by Candlelight were both published this year. Colors by Candlelight is a collection of poetry I have compiled over the last 25 years or so. My poetry is mainly inspired by my relationships and also spiritual and emotional struggles I may have faced.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I write poetry in church a lot.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
The title for my poetry collection, Colors by Candlelight, is taken from a poem by Elizabeth Barrett Browning entitled The Lady’s Yes. I included it at the end of the book as an homage to a bygone poet. I enjoy a variety of literature and poetry from the Brontes and Hemingway to Shakespeare and the Bible. I’m a big C. S. Lewis and Tolkien fan as well.

What are you working on now?
Another children’s book that combines poetry and images to convey a parent’s love for their children.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I’m still in the early stages and promoting is the most challenging thing, especially since I am a pretty private person and don’t like to throw my stuff on Facebook.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Have unbiased people read your work before putting it out there.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Have unbiased people read your work before putting it out there.

What are you reading now?
The Old Man and the Sea by Hemingway and All Quiet on the Western Front by Remarque, which is a difficult book to work through.

What’s next for you as a writer?
Probably compiling more of my older poetry into a collection and maybe writing a shorter children’s novel.

If you were going to be stranded on a desert island and allowed to take 3 or 4 books with you what books would you bring?
The Bible, Till We Have Faces by C. S Lewis, Shakespeare and T. S. Elliot

Author Websites and Profiles
Daniel Thomas Amazon Profile

Daniel Thomas’s Social Media Links
Twitter Account

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
30 Days Time-out is my first
book and at this time I don’t know if I will write another book again.
I am a pianist, music theorist, teacher, speaker, besides being mom of 4 wonderful children. I love art and creative activities in general. My life has been very interesting until
now. Extra-ordinary, as I always
say.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
The name of my book, “30 Days
Time-out: Journal of a
Paused Friendship” was inspired by my best friend’s decision to “punish” me, as an adult, with a time-out for 30 days. That unusual behavior inspired me to write a journal during these long 30 days: I kept talking to my friend through the journal, despite he was trying to control when and how I should have talked to him. Nobody will take us away the freedom of expression.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
Yes: I mostly write on my phone or on paper. Then I edit on the computer.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
For this particular book I was inspired by Silvio Pellico’s “My Prison”

What are you working on now?
I am working on a parallel story of 30 Days Time-out, the untold truth about what has really happened during that same period.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I am still experimenting. I will probably answer the question in a couple of years.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Write following your intuition.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
There is no right or wrong in what we try to accomplish, as we are all on the path of life.

What are you reading now?
“Emotional Agility” by Susan Davis.

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

If you were going to be stranded on a desert island and allowed to take 3 or 4 books with you what books would you bring?
only 3 or 4 books? I would surely bring with me the books I haven’t read yet and these that haven’t been written while I am answering this question.

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I live in Parker, CO with my wife of 15 years, our two sons (13 & 7) and our 100 lb Malamute. My wife has supported my crazy endeavor to be an Author and sometimes I wonder why :). I have been writing for 8 years. I am currently writing the 4th and final book in my Keepers of the Orbs fantasy Series. The first book in this series is what started my writing career in 2010 and I feel like I’ve come a long way since then. So far, three books in the series (The Unknown Man, The Rising Past, A Shadow Within), my Young Adult Fantasy (The Final Offering) and a short story (Redemption) have all been self-published on Amazon. I’ve also completed two other novels, one Sci-Fi title (Saukarian Children) is currently being edited and revised, and my very adult oriented Urban Fantasy (Vampire’s Curse) is currently in negotiations with an Independent Publisher (more news to follow soon).

When I am not writing, I spend my days working as a Principle Subject Matter Expert an d can usually be found reading, spending time with my family, or enjoying a nice Whiskey with a Cigar.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
My latest novel is Vampire’s Curse. This was my 2016 NaNoWriMo project. I got the idea after binge watching the Twilight Series movies over the course of a September weekend with my wife. I have watched them many times before and even read the books. While watching it with my wife, this time I just stopped an thought “this is all too clean”. I turned to my wife and said my next project is going to be the exact opposite. Low and behold, November rolled around and I needed a project. Vampires’ Curse was the result.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
No, not really. I write every night. Usually it is in the later hours of the night as I wait for my family to go to bed, before I sit down at the computer. This usually occurs between 8:30 and 9 and I typically write until midnight. I also always have to have the T.V. on. I can’t write without it (even though I’m not watching what is on). It has to be on. My wife thinks I’m crazy.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
Many. Stephen King is one of my favorite authors. I still think the Dark Tower series is the greatest thing I have ever read. I read a lot of Grisham, Koontz, Tolkien, George R.R. Martin, Robert Jordan, Brandon Sanderson, Weis & Hickman, After writing Vampire’s Curse, another author in my weekly critique group recommended I read the Bill the Vampire series by Rick Gualitieri, which I really enjoyed. I also recently stumbled across the Fat Vampire Series by Johnny B Truant, which I am also really enjoying. Just read Wrinkle in Time (I know, don’t judge me) as well as Ready Player One and Armada.

What are you working on now?
The fourth and final book in the Keepers of the Orbs series. Exciting to be closing this chapter, but it’s also a little sad at the same time.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
Since I write a lot of Fantasy, I tend to lean toward Book Barbarian. Awesome Gang is another good one, eBook Habits, etc.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Just never stop writing. You will only grow as an author the more you practice. Also, don’t be afraid to accept criticism. I learned so much more from the critical reviews than I ever have from the fluffy, blow smoke up your *** reviews.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Read and never stop reading.

What are you reading now?
Fat Vampire 2: Tastes like Chicken

What’s next for you as a writer?
I am close to finalizing a deal with an Independent Publisher for Vampire’s Curse. I am intending for this to be a series of several books, which the publisher is interested in, and I think with them behind me, I can finally take the next step.

If you were going to be stranded on a desert island and allowed to take 3 or 4 books with you what books would you bring?
That’s tough. Before I read the part about 3 or 4 books, my mind jumped to the Dark Tower. But I couldn’t survive on only half the series. So that just won’t do. I guess I would have to say Lord of the Rings.

Author Websites and Profiles
J.G Gatewood Website
J.G Gatewood Amazon Profile

J.G Gatewood’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile
Facebook Profile
Twitter Account

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
Hi! My name is Caitlin and I’ve just released my first novel in my three-part series. I live on the East Coast in the US, and love it here! I’m a wife and a mom to two little boys, and I also work in marketing for a software company during the day. Before releasing my novel, I was published in a paranormal anthology. I’m also a moderator for a Facebook writing group where we have about 4.3k members.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
The name of my latest book is “Him” the first book in a series titled “The Migrator Series”. This series has been one of those ideas floating around in my head for years and years and years, and I finally sat down and got it all out on paper. I was inspired by an idea that came to me in one of my college writing classes. Finally, about 1.5 years ago I was able to sit down and write down a full plan for a story. It was originally meant to be a single book but slowly morphed into a trilogy.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I wouldn’t say unusual, but I definitely have to be creative with limited time on my hands. I usually write on the couch in the evening, once work is over and the kids are asleep, or early in the morning if I can squeeze it in before the kids wake up.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
I’ve always loved to read, but I think the biggest influence in my life was the Harry Potter series. The books were so magical to me and showed me what being transported to another world really looked like. I remember waiting on my front steps for the mailman to come deliver Book#5 when it was released. I was so excited!

As I grew a bit older, I found influence in Stephen King and Chuck Palahniuk as well.

What are you working on now?
Now, I’m working on Book 2 in The Migrator Series trilogy! This book will be titled, “Her”.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I find that word-of-mouth has been very good to me. Getting my friends and family excited about my books has been not only fruitful but extremely rewarding! I also find that using social media (organic and paid) can have a real impact on promotion! However, I’m still learning as I go. Some things will work, some things won’t – but I won’t know if I don’t try!

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Keep going. The writing and editing process is hard and brutal and sometimes feels impossible, but you can do it. Getting to the end feels so good.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Make other writing friends. My friends who are also writers are my support network. Yes, my husband is absolutely supportive and wonderful, but nobody gets your problems like another writer!

What are you reading now?
I am finishing up “The Martian” by Andy Weir.

What’s next for you as a writer?
More books! More stories! I would like to finish up The Migrator Series trilogy by the end of this year. I am also looking forward to being part of an anthology with some of my writing friends!

If you were going to be stranded on a desert island and allowed to take 3 or 4 books with you what books would you bring?
The Stand – Stephen King
The Great Gatsby – F. Scott Fitzgerald
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – J. K. Rowling
Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland – Lewis Carroll

Author Websites and Profiles
Caitlin Mazur Website
Caitlin Mazur Amazon Profile

Caitlin Mazur’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile
Facebook Profile
Twitter Account

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I wrote my first book in the first grade and haven’t stopped since! I can’t remember a time when I didn’t have stories in my head. To date, I have written fifteen published works, mostly paranormal romance. It’s one of my favorite genres to read as well. I love mythology and pull many of my ideas from Celtic, Native American, Norse and Greek myth.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
Cupid’s Bow is my latest book, a Valentine’s novella. It’s my first set in a world with Greek gods and it was a lot of fun. Taking place in Vegas, the book ‘stars’ Cupid. Yes, that Cupid, but he’s no cherub in a diaper, he’s a hot Greek god. Cue lost his bow because he doesn’t believe in love anymore, but the Fates may have found a way to change that.
A hot sexy romp with a bit of action and heartbreak. Just the way I like them!

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I don’t know about unusual, lol. I don’t write linearly though, I tend to write my stories in scenes, then stitch them together.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
I love so many authors, in so many different genres. Definitely Nora Roberts, Sir Walter Scott (Ivanhoe is my favorite book of all time!) and Stephen King.
I also love Kresley Cole, Tessa Bailey and Pippa DaCosta.

What are you working on now?
Right now, I am working on my first ever contemporary story. A romantic suspense featuring an Australian art thief, a reclusive painter and a whole lot of twists and turns you will NOT see coming. Clean to the Bone should be out in late 2018.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I am honestly terrible at marketing, as a writer, I really just want to WRITE. Word of mouth works fairly well for me, my fans are amazeballs and I love them to pieces!

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Write, write…and write some more. Join Facebook and Goodreads groups to learn about covers, genre and marketing aspects. Network. And WRITE.

Also, don’t give up. Most people don’t hit it big over night. Just keep writing!

What are you reading now?
I’m reading Play Dead by Anne Fraser. Loving it. Also, just finished Wall of Winnepeg & Me, which was phenomenal.

What’s next for you as a writer?
More writing! It’s my mantra. I have a contemporary romance series in the works, along with a shifter PNR series, a UF series and a surprise novel in late 2018 which will make my long time readers veeeery happy.

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?
Ivanhoe, Sir Walter Scott. The Amber series by Roger Zelanzy (it’s in two hard bounds) Through a Glass Darkly by Karleen Koen and The In Death series by JD Robb (I know the last is cheating and IDK!) lol

Author Websites and Profiles
Heather R. Blair Amazon Profile

Heather R. Blair’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile
Facebook Profile
Pinterest Account

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
Working at a grocery store since 2001, working every position there and becoming one of the managers of a corporate chain store, I have seen and heard it all in the retail/service world. I had to get those stories, thoughts, feelings, and ways to escape out of my head. I had to write not out of compulsion but out of a love of writing.

Then the rest is as they say, history.

I grew up in a small town in Southwestern Michigan (coincidentally a town that no one that visits knows how to pronounce correctly), originally attending school to become a music therapist but the tapping of the keyboard was more addicting and found myself attending Andrews University in Berrien Springs, MI.

I play the drums, I love wearing ties, I will eat all your Oreo’s, having an expensive hobby of collecting watches and an unhealthy addiction to Netflix.

5 books –>
Primetime – A Novel
Progeny (Book 1)
The Stair (Book 2)
Mental Twistitution (Book 3)
The Vault

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
THE VAULT

I needed a break from my psychological thriller series and wanted to write a “billionaire philanthropist” that was truly inspiring. I had been researching time, watches and philanthropy and it all came together. There weren’t many books, to my knowledge, that used the capabilities of eBooks to their full advantage so I wanted to not only use social media but blur the lines so much that if readers wanted to go further into into the “Easter Eggs” Sam Montgomery would come to live in new exciting ways.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I have to have music.
Every novel I write has its only genre or time period and it takes me a good while of just going through finding the right vibe to right and research.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
This is tough I never like this question because I actually don’t read a lot. And what I do read isn’t fiction, but research. What I mostly read are non-fiction, medical books, history books. I’m DEATHLY afraid that if I read an author to much that I’ll start to write like them and lose my voice or be compared too closely.
With that said, the very first book I ever voluntarily picked up and read was THE DA VINCI CODE…I read it in a weekend and I’m a slow reader. Finally what put me over the edge was EXTREMELY LOUD AND INCREDIBLY CLOSE; how Foer told the story was inspiring and that’s when I said, “I can do that.”

What are you working on now?
I’m working on my next novel called MERCY STREET. It’s actually part of my TWISTITUTION series, set in a criminal asylum. The series is told out of order (for a specific reason) and follows Dr. Cylus Pine and interaction with different criminals in each novel. MERCY STREET will be set in Pennsylvania and I’m getting ready to take my second research trip and will be using what I’ve learned in developing THE VAULT to take the “interaction” to the next level and break the fourth wall, so to speak, for the reader.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
As an indie author I’m not sure we ever figure it out.
I think each story and each novel requires something different. There is no sure-fire way of doing it.
But you have to do everything you can, whatever it takes.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Tell the story you want to read.
Actually the way I approach it is, its not my story, its the characters’ story I’m telling, I’m just trying to present it in the most honest, realistic, respectful and truthful way I can. If the characters don’t like it, then sue me, but it has to be real.
If I’m not entertained by it, neither will anyone else.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Keep going. Don’t stop. And write what inspires me.

What are you reading now?
The Maze Runner series – because its totally out of norm for me.

What’s next for you as a writer?
MERCY STREET research trip to Pennsylvania – it will take me a week.

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?
What are the thickest books you can think of?
Those – because I want as many pages I can use for kindling if I need.

Author Websites and Profiles
Brian Harrison Amazon Profile
Brian Harrison Author Profile on Smashwords

Brian Harrison’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile
Twitter Account

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I’m 21, Canadian, an Aries, a cat person, and an obsessive reader and writer. I’ve written five full-length novels and dozens of novellas and short stories. I started writing at twelve, finished my first book at seventeen, and I’ve been writing ever since. I started self-publishing in 2014 and never looked back!

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
My latest book is a novella called Forsake This Violent World, and I’d describe it as ‘Spirited Away’ meets ‘Kill Bill’ with a wide range of inspirations. I was fueled a lot by abstract imagery when writing it; dark hallways shifting before your eyes, the moon cracking into a million pieces.

The idea that struck the entire thing into existence was the mental image of a girl stepping through the rippling surface of a mirror. Once that flashed through my head, I had to chase it somewhere, and the entire story spawned from there.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I tend to be nocturnal when I’m working on a project. Something about the night energizes me. I tend to listen to Spotify playlists (mostly pop like Kim Petras, Dua Lipa, Maroon 5, Justine Valentine, et-cet) and drink a lot of water and coffee. Other than that, I just zone out and lose myself in a story for hours.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
Cassandra Clare, Leah Raeder/Elliot Wake, Ruth Ozeki, Patrick Ness, Carrie Mesrobian, Liz Braswell, Sarah J. Maas, Amanda Hocking, and Rainbow Rowell are some of the biggest. I also draw a lot of influence from Tahereh Mafi, Laini Taylor, and Maggie Steifvater. Lev Grossman is probably a big one as well.

What are you working on now?
I’m about to start my first round of edits on a Lovecraft-inspired short story called How You Become a God, about a man who feels compelled to travel to a remote island only to begin undergoing a gruesome, Godlike transformation into a sea monster. It was a very surprising, cathartic piece of writing for me to draft; it just flooded out of me one night.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
It used to be Twitter, but now I’ve left that site and I’m in a flux-state. I’m in the process of building a static author site, so currently I just post on my blog. My main source of knowledge and aid has come from several Facebook groups where Indie Authors exchange advice and support. I highly suggest new authors seek out communities like that!

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Just write. Let it be bad. Your first draft isn’t just ‘allowed’ to suck–it’s supposed to. Editing is magic. You will build something better out of this heap of word vomit eventually, so for now just worry about getting to the end.

Also, read Rachel Aaron’s book ‘2k to 10k’ on writing efficiency tactics. It will change your life forever.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
‘Just do what works for you.’

I think in the current literary community, we have a tendency to treat personal taste as the hard and fast rules of writing. Every reader is different, and every writer is different. If you want to write something badly enough, there is someone out there who wants to read it. Don’t worry about whether or not it’s conventional enough.

What are you reading now?
I’m halfway through Cassandra Clare’s latest, Lord of Shadows. I’m also nearing the end of Altered Carbon. I just watched the Netflix show and loved it, so I had to pick up the trilogy. The first novel has been amazing so far, and I highly recommend both it and the adaptation!

What’s next for you as a writer?
Everything! This year is going to be crazy. Call me mad, but I’m going to attempt to write seven or eight novels this year, as well as dozens of novellas. I might not sleep. My coffee addiction might leap to a whole new level. But I’m going to do it!

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) A Tale For The Time Being – Ruth Ozeki
2) Carry On – Rainbow Rowell
3) The Nine Lives of Chloe King Omnibus – Liz Braswell
4) The Magicians – Lev Grossman

Author Websites and Profiles
Apollo Blake Website
Apollo Blake Amazon Profile

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
This is my second book. My first was called Happiness from the Bible, published by Lighthouse Christian Publishing. My third book is in my head, but I haven’t started writing yet.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
The Joy of Philippians. I love reading and studying the Bible, and also I find Philippians very inspirational. Putting those things together, it seemed natural to me to write a book about Philippians.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I’m very patient – it took me about six years to write each of my two books! If I get bored or don’t have enough time, I’ve found that I can leave a project alone and still come back to it and finish it.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
C. S. Lewis is probably the strongest influence on my writing. These days I read a lot of 19th century British literature, and I’m sure that has an effect on me.

What are you working on now?
I’m “resting” from finishing up my second book, but I suspect I’ll catch the writing bug again soon. I also publish articles in mathematics.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
A lot of Christian related themes or issues are in my head all the time, and sometimes it strikes me that something I’m thinking about needs to be put down on paper. i do it partly for myself, but I also hope that I might say something that someone else finds helpful.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Don’t worry about whether or not it’s good enough or whether or not someone else will like it. If it’s interesting to you, write it!

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Trust in the Lord your God with all your heart, soul and mind.

What are you reading now?
Lorna Doone. I’m almost finished. I don’t usually see it in the very top of the classic lists, but I’m really enjoying it. I hope I’m not going to be disappointed in the ending, because I could see it ending in a lot of different ways! I’m also reading a book of excerpts from the writings of Kierkegaard – I like to keep one fiction and one non-fiction book going all the time.

What’s next for you as a writer?
I’m just going to stay open to new ideas, and whenever I see something I want to write about, then I’ll try to put it down.

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?
Beside the Bible, maybe the Chronicles of Narnia, Lord of the Rings, Lewis’ space trilogy.