Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I am a Media graduate from the University of Botswana,currently staying in Gaborone.I am currently working on my second book.I love writing and photography.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
The edge of Doom.I write mostly on love .This book was inspired by fathers who leave their children .I wanted to call out to such fathers to let them know what pain they bring into the lives of themselves and their children.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
Well,when i write i put my emotions into every page.Lol,i believe that isnt unsual.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
Norah Hess,Danielle Steel and Sidney Sheldon

What are you working on now?
I am working on my second book,it will soon be published on the Amazon Kindle store

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
Facebook,awesome gang and all other sites that are interested in helping authors out.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Believe in yourself.Writing is a calling,strive for originality and let the emotions leap out of the pages into the readers minds.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Dont cluck with the Chickens when you are an eagle

What are you reading now?
Motivational books

What’s next for you as a writer?
I will continue 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?
Motivational books
Romance
Christian Books

Mash Keitumetse’s Social Media Links
Facebook Profile
Twitter Account

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
Vicki Batman, has sold many romantic comedy works to magazines, several publishers, and most recently, two humorous romantic mysteries. Along the way she has garnered awards and bestsellers. She is a member of Romance Writers of America, Sisters in Crime, and several writing groups. An avid Jazzerciser. Handbag lover. Mahjong player. Yoga practitioner. Movie fan. Book devourer. Cat fancier. Best Mom ever. And adores Handsome Hubby. Most days begin with her hands set to the keyboard and thinking “What if??”

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
Just Desserts…and Other Stories is a collection of very short stories. Inspiration can be found in many places, especially in the crazy things my family says.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I like to write to classical guitar. No words to songs to penetrate my brain. Besides, the music is really beautiful.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
I began reading, like many of you, The Bobbsey Twins, Trixie Belden, and Nancy Drew mysteries. When I was fourteen, my mom introduced me to Emilie Loring romances. I found Daphne du Maurier, Mary Stewart, M M Kaye, and Dick Francis. When I became obsessed with Dick Francis mysteries, I finally confessed to Handsome I wished I could write like this. I love(d) Sue Grafton, Janet Evanovich, P. D. James, Sophie Kinsella, Jill Mansell, Marian Keyes.

What are you working on now?
I’m writing my third humorous romantic mystery, Temporarily Out of Luck; a holiday short story, Romeo and Julietta, a paranormal short story, Pixie Trixie.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I use lots of social media and many book sites.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Persist. Don’t let anyone define you. You are in control of your writing destiny. So persist!

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
The first critique I ever had showed me how to write tight and suggested a book which helped me immensely.

What are you reading now?
Right now, I’m reading a book for book club and more contemporary romance.

What’s next for you as a writer?
I need to finish those projects I’m writing. I hope to release short stories in ebook form 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 love to have a solar powered e-reader. Some books I’ve read over and over are A Knight in Shining Armor, Rebecca, and Madam, Will You Talk?

Author Websites and Profiles
Vicki Batman Website
Vicki Batman Amazon Profile
Vicki Batman Author Profile on Smashwords

Vicki Batman’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile
Facebook Profile
Pinterest Account

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
3 e.g.The Devil House: Lady in White
Series: The Devil House, 000.1
By Levi John Atkins
A family move into new house and find the truth in hands of demon, an evil spirit or devil, especially one thought to possess a person or act as a tormentor in hell but boat salvage crew discovers the eerie remains.In open dark, dead graveyard sea where no one can hear you and don’t leave lights OFF or they will get you but all if not what its seems.

Thanks for reading by
Mr.Levi Atkins

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
The Devil House: Lady in White
Series: The Devil House, 000.1
By Levi John Atkins
A family move into new house and find the truth in hands of demon, an evil spirit or devil, especially one thought to possess a person or act as a tormentor in hell but boat salvage crew discovers the eerie remains.In open dark, dead graveyard sea where no one can hear you and don’t leave lights OFF or they will get you but all if not what its seems.

Thanks for reading by
Mr.Levi Atkins

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
Horror

What authors, or books have influenced you?
Movie e.g oujia

What are you working on now?
The Devil House: Lady in White
Series: The Devil House, 000.1
By Levi John Atkins
A family move into new house and find the truth in hands of demon, an evil spirit or devil, especially one thought to possess a person or act as a tormentor in hell but boat salvage crew discovers the eerie remains.In open dark, dead graveyard sea where no one can hear you and don’t leave lights OFF or they will get you but all if not what its seems.

Thanks for reading by
Mr.Levi Atkins

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

Do you have any advice for new authors?
The Devil House: Lady in White
Series: The Devil House, 000.1
By Levi John Atkins
A family move into new house and find the truth in hands of demon, an evil spirit or devil, especially one thought to possess a person or act as a tormentor in hell but boat salvage crew discovers the eerie remains.In open dark, dead graveyard sea where no one can hear you and don’t leave lights OFF or they will get you but all if not what its seems.

Thanks for reading by
Mr.Levi Atkins

Author Websites and Profile
Levi Atkins Author Profile on Smashwords

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
Rich Cavaness is best known as a popular author, trainer, and coach in the field of the science of success and personal development. He is a Certified Master Coach and his areas of expertise are teaching the 17 Principles of Success by Napoleon Hill, personal development and training, helping individuals with divorce and marriage issues, and his passion is the Monthly Wisdom Program, which is a monthly group coaching experience partnering with Derrick Sweet, Founder of the Certified Coaches Federation. www.MonthlyWisdomProgram.com

Rich has authored four books, two seminar manuals, and produced the 16 sessions seminar “Living a No Limits Life.” And the 12 session seminar for people struggling with divorce and marriage issues “E5 Marriage Experience” His books are as follows:

“Life After 9/11: ‘Five Spiritual Lessons”
“Decoding the Secret: The Law of Attraction from a Biblical Perspective” and Study Guide
“Gratitude: The Power of Thanksgiving in Our Lives”
“The Road: Experience Empowered Living”
“All Power 60 Day Personal Development and Coaching Manual”
“The E5 Marriage Experience Seminar Workbook”

With his unique blend of business and motivational savvy, coupled with his spiritual depth, Rich empowers people to take personal responsibility for their lives, to achieve more and to be a person who lives life with purpose and passion. His philosophy is, “Why live a good or mediocre life, when you have the power to live a great and no limits life!”

Rich has the unique and powerful ability to take any topic and make it easy for people to understand and apply to their lives. He teaches people today how to master the important areas of their lives: physically, mentally, emotionally, spiritually, financially, and in their relationships.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
The Gratitude Effect: Shift your mindset, Optimize outcomes, Boost emotional well being

I had a major accident in November 2011 and I was so grateful to be alive with no brain damage or permanent disabilities, started my journey from there in understanding the role of gratitude in my life and how it effects my attitude everyday.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
Not really, usually have 2-3 book projects going at once.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
Napoleon Hill: Keys to Success, 17 Principles of Personal Achievement
Tony Robbins: Awaken the Giant Within
Robert Kiyosaki: Rich Dad Poor Dad
W.Clement Stone: Success through a Positive Mental Attitude
Stephen Covey: The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People
Dr. Susan Jeffers: Feel the Fear and Do It Anyway!
Jack Canfield: Success Principles
Stephen Arteburn: Healing is a Choice
Gary Chapman: The Five Love Languages
John Maxwell: 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership
Rick Warren: The Purpose Driven Life
Joel Osteen: Your Best Life Now!
T. Harv Eker: Secrets of the Millionaire Mind
Brendon Burchard: High Performance Habits

What are you working on now?
Two books: one on Law of Attraction and manifesting your destiny and the other is on work life balance

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
Amazon, KDP, Fiverr, BookRazor, WrittenWordMedia…

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Its easy to get overwhelmed when you look at the project as a whole, I recommend hiring a coach or do lots of research, everything needs to be broken down into small steps done everyday. I coach people on how to write their first book and get it done in 90 days!

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
“You’re only one relationship away from changing your future!” Chas Wilson

Review your goals and dreams daily, and have plan of action to make them come to life

Your outer world is created by your inner self talk, so talk positive and powerful to yourself

What are you reading now?
The Power of Your Subconscious Mind by Dr. Joseph Murphy

How to Make a Living with Your Writing by Joanna Penn

The Power of Get Statements by Gary Barnes

What’s next for you as a writer?
To keep writing, embrace my calling, and look for opportunities to speak for business, organizations, non profits, churches, colleges and universities, and perform keynote speaking. Publish 2 books a year for the next 5 years.

If you were going to be stranded on a desert island and allowed to take 3 or 4 books with you what books would you bring?
The Bible
The Success Principles by Jack Canfield

Author Websites and Profiles
Rich Cavaness Website
Rich Cavaness Amazon Profile

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
My name is Tori and I’m twenty one years old. I live in a small town in Georgia with my mom and my Pekingese dog, Lori. I’m majoring in art education and my hobbies include singing, dancing, painting, writing, and studying foreign languages. I’m currently studying Korean, Japanese, Chinese, and French. I’ve written three books and my first book, Broken Souls, is now available in paperback.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
The name of my latest book is The Skeleton Lady. I had the idea for this romantic suspense when I was only fourteen years old when I was suffering from depression. I had a difficult time expressing my emotions and the Skeleton Lady became a sort of human embodiment of the emotions I was feeling.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
Yes, I always write everything down on paper first before typing it up on the computer. It may seem a little outdated, but I feel like I can be more creative when I write things down first.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
I’ve been highly influenced by Stephenie Meyer and Neil Gaiman, and have found that almost all of my books have a darker twist due to these influences.

What are you working on now?
I’m working on a Christmas book about a dance teacher named Audrey who has been receiving gifts on her doorstep from a secret admirer. On the days leading up to Christmas, Audrey must solve the mystery of who her secret admirer is.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I don’t really have a certain method or website, I just try to spread the word of newest releases as much as possible on as many websites as I can.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
I would say to just write what makes you happy, not what you think will sell the most copies. At the end of the day, it feels much better to write what you want and not what everyone else wants you to write.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
The best advice I’ve heard is to follow you heart. I always find I’m the happiest when I do what I feel is right rather than simply doing what is logical.

What are you reading now?
I’m rereading Shiver by Maggie Stiefvater. This book has sentimental value to me because I read it in middle school and there are still drawings and notes from my friends inside. I also really enjoy the romance with a dark twist and the amount of detail the author used.

What’s next for you as a writer?
I work for a company that specializes in romance, so I will be working on new romance books. I would also like to write for Chicken Soup for the Souls and try writing manga (Japanese-style comics) and bilingual children’s books.

If you were going to be stranded on a desert island and allowed to take 3 or 4 books with you what books would you bring?
I would bring a book on how to escape a desert island, The Graveyard book by Neil Gaiman and a book of every Edgar Allan Poe story and poem ever.

Author Websites and Profiles
Tori Wilson Amazon Profile

Tori Wilson’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile
Facebook Profile

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

I am Ell P (not popularly known as Lakshmi Priya). I am a writer, artist and Leadership coach from Bangalore, India. I have over the years studied in thirteen different schools and colleges and moved across India and Europe. With an MBA in Marketing and Finance, I make my money coaching and training people in Leadership skills.

But really, my true passion has always been spinning a damn good yarn. My writing career began in August, 2014 when I became an integral part of the Write Club, Bangalore. An avid reader and writer since childhood, I rediscovered my calling in writing fiction when Litlatte was born, a publishing platform created by me and four other writers.

Apart from publishing anthologies and books, I regularly write for the monthly edition of Write Club Magazine and www.womensweb.com. I have been published in over 15 books, all available in Amazon.

I also attempt my hand at wall art and life size murals through, my art startup, www.m-artini.com.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
The latest book is called “The Door”, an Indie horror.
While I wrote the first draft of the story in 2014, I have only recently visited it again, re-written it.
At that point, my son, Simba, would hound me every single night, to tell him a story. The stories had to have horror and adventure, inspired by that, this particular book is all about a bedtime story, that ends with a twist, you would never see coming. (I can safely say that, because while writing it, even I didn’t see the twist coming).

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I usually write best, on my lounge, with a glass of wine in my hand. So if you spot any drunken rants, they would in all likelihood be true.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
Some of the authors that have paved my path while growing up, and still do are Harper Lee, Stephen King, JK Rowling, Margaret Atwood, Jussi Adler Olsen, Tana French, Gillian Flynn and Joyce Carol Oates.
I bet there are many other that I can’t think of now, but would definitely kick myself later, for not mentioning them.

What are you working on now?
I get published in various anthologies, so the idea is to churn out short stories weekly.

Plus I am working on redrafting an existing manuscript and a humorous parenting book.

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

Organic marketing works best if you have thousands of friends/followers on social media. Since I don’t think I am that popular, I often have to resort to Free book promotions.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Read, read and read.

Because if you can’t find time to read, anything you write will not be worth a reading.

Harsh..huh?

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
When writing magical realism, often I have seen people create a fantastical plot, and then try and explain it away as a drug induced hallucination. The best advice I heard on this, was that, “Don’t cheat your reader. If your imagination can’t logically explain fantasy, don’t attempt it, yet.”

What are you reading now?
Just finished Sapiens.

Reading The Rosie Project.

What’s next for you as a writer?
Publishing a series of full blown novels, in the genres of Paranormal Romance.

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?
Of course, first one would be mine. I will be my worst critic.

Ruskin Bond’s omnibus. (another one I should’ve mentioned in favourite writer’s section)

Neil Gaimann’s American Gods. (Dammit)

Stephen King’s Rose Madder.

Author Websites and Profiles
Ell P Website
Ell P Amazon Profile

Ell P’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile
Facebook Profile
Twitter Account

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I’ve worked in the security industry for over thirty years. The early part bouncing on doors in pubs and clubs on Sydney’s northern beaches. Then I started driving armoured cars and moved to the mid-north coast, but stayed working with the same cash-in-transit company.
I live on a farm at Mt Seaview and have written six crime/erotica fiction novels.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
My latest book is entitles “No More Bets.” It’s a follow on from a previous book I wrote “Shot At The Title.”

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
No not really, I’m pretty lucky I can write at any time of the day or night. I write like the manuscript is a movie going on before my eyes.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
Phillip Kerr, Peter Corris, too many to name.

What are you working on now?
just starting a bit of brainstorming for my next book, thinking up a plot and storyline.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I’ll try anything really, any website that will let me promote

Do you have any advice for new authors?
keep at it and keep reading. The more you read and write, the easier it is to write.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Believe half of what you read and nothing of what you hear.

What are you reading now?
Evil Life by Clive Small and Tom Gilling

What’s next for you as a writer?
just keep writing and promoting my books, entering them in the Ned Kelly awards.

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?
Greeks Bearing Gifts, by Philip Kerr, The world’s most Evil Psychopaths, by John Marlowe and Bloodhouse, by Michael Tatlow

Author Websites and Profiles
Ken MacKenzie Amazon Profile

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I am a 19 year old film maker who got curious about writing books. Valentine Slaughter is my first book and it is the only book that I published right now. I have written two books. The other one is yet to be edited. I am very passionate about making films, and that brought me to content creation. I like to create original content and that made me to write books

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
Valentine Slaughter is my latest book. I had seen couples enjoying their valentine’s day and I used to think what if this day had another side to it

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
Yes, I go non linear at times and try to bring the audience into the scene and make their time so worthwhile. The readers might get a taste of what characters gets in the book. I try to speak with the readers in my books.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
Lisa, the author of Touch and go had inspired me. It influenced me alot

What are you working on now?
I am working on a Sci fi short film and trying to make that as a book too

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
Since am new to this field I use social media for promotions and then I found this site

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Many authors worry because they feel their content is already said by someone and readers might not like it. But my advise is THOUGH MANY CONTENT HAS COME, IT WAS NOT WRITTEN BY YOU. EVERYONE HAS A UNIQUE WAY OF SAYING THINGS

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Do publish the first book and say my emotions out

What are you reading now?
Harry potter

What’s next for you as a writer?
It is my Novella, Multiverse

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?
Touch and go
Case against Williams
5 point someone

Author Websites and Profiles
Eshwar S Amazon Profile

Eshwar S’s Social Media Links
Facebook Profile

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I am a writer/poet/nurse/herbalist living in Charlotte, NC. I have not been formally trained as a writer but have had a pen in my hand since very young. I have collaborated on several books of poetry and have published 2 books of my own.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
My latest book is “Life Is Still Good” and it is a story about some of the most difficult times in my life. I was inspired to share after a good friend encouraged me that my story should be told. The original manuscript was completed 4 years ago and I did not publish it out of fear. But, after some hesitation, I moved forward in publishing this year.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I often write in my head, meaning that I have formulated the words, paragraphs, the “feel” of the text in my head long before I actually sit down to my laptop.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
Nikki Giovanni, Toni Morrison, Dr. Suess, Maya Angelou, Walter Mosley, Langston Hughes, Zora Neale Hurston, Sister Souljah…

What are you working on now?
I am brainstorming on a few concepts, a biography about my grandmother, or a book filled with hilarious family stories and history. I also blog pretty frequently so we will see.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I am still learning how to market unfortunately. I am such an artist that promotion seems laborious.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Keep writing and stay true to yourself!

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Strive to be better today than you were yesterday.

What are you reading now?
“The Isis Papers” by Dr. Frances Cress Welsing and “A Hungry Heart” by Gordon Parks.

What’s next for you as a writer?
More promotion, more books, and more adventures!

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 Midnight Series by Sister Souljah. Her books read like movies and I could never tire of any of them.

Author Websites and Profiles
Ashaki Ali Website
Ashaki Ali Amazon Profile

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I am a wife, mother, and cleaning lady from Nebraska. I currently have four books published on Amazon.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
My latest release is the The Wind of Chicanery. It is the second book in my new YA fantasy trilogy, Ember of the Planet. Ember came to be when, after watching a movie with a particularly fetching bad guy, I pondered the question, “What would happen if the hero fell in love with the villain?”

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I like to wear rings on each finger when I write. I have no idea why. I just do.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
Well definitely J.K. Rowling–doesn’t she inspire everyone? One of my biggest inspirations lately has been Diana Gabaldon and her Outlander series. They’re amazing works.

What are you working on now?
Right now I’m working on book three for Ember, as well as some projects I can’t really talk about yet. Secret stuff!

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
Goodreads is a great place for authors to connect with other authors and readers. Otherwise I like to engage with people on Twitter and Facebook, and I love doing interviews like this one on Awesome Gang!

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Just keep writing. Always write. Never stop writing.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Probably from Elsa, when she reminded us to let it go.

What are you reading now?
Right now I’m reading my way through the Princess Diary series, because a friend of mine had the books and said they’re good. It was the same friend who got me hooked on the Outlander series so I trust her judgement!

What’s next for you as a writer?
I’m getting ready to take a big step into a different genre, so I’m nervous and excited all at once! But I’ll still be doing my YA fantasies as well. So many books to write!

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?
Outlander, Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, and A Court of Mist and Fury. That sounds like an awesome vacation!

Author Websites and Profiles
Dove Winters Website
Dove Winters Amazon Profile

Dove Winters’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile
Facebook Profile
Twitter Account

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I’ve published seven, with number eight due out in the fall. I wanted to be a writer when I was a teenager, but when I got kicked out of high school, that was pretty much that. I spent a lifetime doing just about everything else, until one strange day it was time to write “Once upon a Time”. I haven’t looked back.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
The latest, due out this month, is “Deep Cherry Red”. It’s LA noir, classic detective pulp, but it’s definitely romance driven. I’m in love with my femme fatale heroine, and I don’t think there’s any inspiration needed, other than a need to be near her. In any event, inspiration always seems to me to be too important, and all about the author. I’m only in business to tell stories.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I like to write when I’m punchy from lack of sleep. Getting up in the middle of the night (and the middle of a dream) is just about perfect.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
I like writers who disappear behind their stories. I like writing that’s so beautiful it becomes invisible. I love authors who love telling stories enough to learn magic, not the ones who are in love with “being authors”. John D. Macdonald comes to mind. Zelda Fitzgerald, whose voice is loud and clear in Gatsby, but was willing to let Scott take the credit as long as the story got told. Robert B. Parker, whose writing is so flawless it might as well be written in invisible ink.

What are you working on now?
I’m working on a fairy tale called “A Blueberry Moon for Corah”. It’s about a couple of senior citizens who reunite to finish an adventure they started when they were kids. Their survival will depend on learning to believe again in the things they’ve learned as adults to disbelieve. Like all good fairy tales (and real life), it’s got a huge dollop of horror. It will also make a case for ‘true love’.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I like anyplace where readers go…Facebook, bars, waiting rooms. I prefer the company of readers over writers. The best marketing for the next book is your last book, which is fair. You get one shot to become someone’s favorite author. If you do that, it’s all the marketing you need.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Forget about “being an author”. Be so fascinated and in love with telling stories, want so desperately to make people laugh and cry and get scared and fall in love, that the only thing you want to learn is complete invisibility, so you don’t cast your own shadow over the story.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Stephen King, paraphrased: Never use an adverb.

What are you reading now?
“The Long Goodbye”, by Raymond Chandler.

What’s next for you as a writer?
The next story, and the next, until I can’t.

If you were going to be stranded on a desert island and allowed to take 3 or 4 books with you what books would you bring?
I’m going to sneak a fifth.
“The Great Gatsby”, F.Scott Fitzgerald
“Double Play”, Robert B. Parker
“The Quick Red Fox”, John D. Macdonald
“The Shining”, Stephen King
“The Ocean at the End of the Lane”, Neil Gaiman

Author Websites and Profiles
Bob Bickford Website
Bob Bickford Amazon Profile
Bob Bickford Author Profile on Smashwords

Bob Bickford’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile
Facebook Profile
Twitter Account

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
Fueled by insomnia and copious quantities of sugar, I am driven to write worlds I wish I could live in and characters I wish I could meet. Between Michigan weather and a chronic lack of athleticism, I am left to spend most of my time indoors writing. I live in the Thumb of Michigan, an area high on cows and low on bookstores. I started writing at fourteen and has been hopelessly addicted ever since. My hobbies include arguing with my dog, having staring contests with my cat, hiding from moths and stalking that mythological creature known as Sleep.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
The Wolf King launches July 31, 2018 and is the sequel to my debut, The Wolf Court. The duology was inspired by a dream I had of a girl and a wolf running, terrified, through a cold snowy forest. The rest is of course waiting for you to read.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
Unusual, hmmmm. Well I don’t have an office so to put myself in the zone I put on some crazy looking lipstick. I never wear it out of the house, but somehow my “author face” wants dark purple lipstick with gold sparkles.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
Nancy Farmer, House of the Scorpion. E.P.I.C. So good. Seriously stop reading this and go buy that book.
Moving on…

What are you working on now?
I have a fancy sci-fi romance trilogy on the stove as we speak, as well as a couple of other interesting treats in the oven. A teaser you ask? Well, Russia (in the future), the plague, and dragons.
Intrigued?
That’s my job.

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

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Write whatever comes into your head. And show it to no one. NO ONE. I’m not joking, you will regret those first drafts so much. It’s best no one else has that kind of power. Black mail is a very real threat.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Everyone does it different. There is no formula to success. Just everyone trying their best.

What are you reading now?
Nothing. I know, shocking, painful, true. Someday, my prince will come. Bearing books, and chocolate, and time to enjoy them both.

What’s next for you as a writer?
More books, duh. And probably a mental breakdown. Depends on my schedule.

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?
House of the Scorpion. Freckles by Gene Stratton-Porter, so sweet, that book kills me dead every time. And White Fang, by Jack London.

Author Websites and Profiles
Bex Suk-Ko Website
Bex Suk-Ko Amazon Profile

Bex Suk-Ko’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile
Facebook Profile
Twitter Account

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I am a Canadian author, wife, mother, and have written over 8 books so far.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
A Dangerous Liaison – Phoenix Rising. I was inspired to write it because I like romantic suspense and an exercise in empathy.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I’m terrible with procrastinating. I need to stop that

What authors, or books have influenced you?
I like so many it’s hard to choose. What initially started my obsession with romantic fiction was when I received my first Harlequin romance in my teens.

What are you working on now?
The third part of the A Dangerous Liaison series.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
My personal website is www.leslieleblanc.com. As far as having a best, I’m not sure. I’m still working out kinks.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Study, learn as much as you can about what you need to improve your writing and getting your books out there. Don’t give up. Your dreams are worth fulfilling.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Set goals, increase knowledge, work smart not hard. I have really smart friends.

What are you reading now?
Right now I’m researching ways to improve marketing, articles and such.

What’s next for you as a writer?
When I finish my series I may write another romantic suspense, and maybe try writing short story erotica.

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?
Maid of Lorne, and the Fifty Shades trilogy (don’t judge me, lol)

Author Websites and Profiles
Leslie LeBlanc Website
Leslie LeBlanc Author Profile on Smashwords

Leslie LeBlanc’s Social Media Links
Facebook Profile

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
This is my very first published novel. However, I’ve been writing short stories since I was in High School.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
I drew a lot of my inspiration from Lolita by Vladimir Nabokov, as well as Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte and many many more. I love the concept of a coming of age novel as well as main characters with a duality about them.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
Before I write I usually listen to a bunch of heavy metal. Strange I know, but that usually helps me get in the mood for writing the next chapter.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
Like I previously mentioned the classics for sure. I also enjoy of number of LGBT authors such as Lex Jane, Abigail Roux, Jackie Collins and many more.

What are you working on now?
Right now I am working on several other stories. I’m keeping very hush hush about it because I don’t want any spoilers.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
As of right now I find that Facebook helps a lot for promoting my book. However, I am looking to branch out and find other avenues.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Don’t stop writing. No matter how discouraged that you get. Keep on going.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
One loyal fan is worth a thousand fake ones. In my opinion that advise changed my life. When I started writing I found that the loyal fans will remain so and they will do anything to help your book succeed.

What are you reading now?
Right now I am reading Crash and Burn by Abigial Roux. I finally got around to reading the final installment of the Cut and Run series. I must say that it was bittersweet.

What’s next for you as a writer?
Right now I am posting teasers, doing promotions and new chapters for my book. I want to get everyone involved in the process with me that way we can build together.

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?
Wuthering Heights (obviously), Lolita and lastly Chances by Jackie Collins

Author Websites and Profiles
J.K Jones Amazon Profile

J.K Jones’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I am an author from Stockport, U.K and I specialize in writing quiz books based on popular films and TV shows. I have written seven books so far with an eighth due to launch in summer 2018. Outside of quiz books, I have written short stories, flash fiction and am currently working on my debut novel which should be out in early 2019.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
Riddle Earth: A Lord of the Rings Quiz Book. The inspiration was obviously inspired by the LOTR film series. So, instead, I’ll talk about what inspired me to write quiz books.

I find that there are far too many distractions in modern day life and it is becoming much harder to stop for a moment and enjoy time with friends and family. That’s why I decided to create a reason for people to gather and enjoy each other’s company, and that reason is quizzing. It isn’t about who remembers what from a particular scene in a film, it’s about the chance to appreciate time together over a common topic. Quizzing also provides the perfect icebreaker and if strangers find that they share an interest in a film or TV show then it’s a brilliant way for them to bond over a quiz with friends.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I write each of my books in a spreadsheet and keep track of what percentage of questions I’ve written before transferring the completed quizzes to a document.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
Outside of quizzing, Terry Pratchett is my favorite author and he’s been an inspiration for my upcoming novel.

What are you working on now?
I’m currently finishing my latest quiz book (watch this space) and half-way through my debut novel.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
AMS, Facebook and Twitter are my main promotion tools.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Just write. Don’t overthink, don’t edit, just write.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
“Build your own dreams, or someone else will hire you to build theirs.”

― Farrah Gray

What are you reading now?
Trainspotting by Irvine Walsh and 10% Happier by Dan Harris

What’s next for you as a writer?
To launch my debut novel and enter the world of fiction.

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 Colour of Magic by Terry Pratchett
Fight Club by Chuck Palahniuk
Animal Farm by George Orwell

Author Websites and Profiles
Rich Jepson Website
Rich Jepson Amazon Profile

Rich Jepson’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile
Facebook Profile
Twitter Account

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I’m a mystery, mainly. There’s not much to me, but you’re welcomed to journey with me if you’d like;).

I.F.C.U Where is Johanna Blake? Part 1, is my first short story title in the series so far.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
I.F.C.U Where is Johanna Blake? Part 1

The inspiration just came to me as I love anything to do with crime (don’t mean it in a bad way;)). If I can create a story in my head, after either watching or reading something of the nature, then I get to work on it. There’s no real basis for inspiring my writing creativity… I just think up of a story that’ll give a challenge to write, and I do it… most of the time.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I’m sure that I do, but none that will come to the top of my head at the moment.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
For crime, mystery, suspense-thrillers: David Baldacci, John Grisham, James Patterson.

For sci-fi/fantasy: George Lucas’s Star Wars series, Suzanne Collins, Veronica Roth and J.K Rowling.

What are you working on now?
I.F.C.U Where is Johanna Blake? Part 2.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I’m just starting out, so I really couldn’t say. However, I’m hoping that the Awesome Gang promotion brings me some luck.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Just write. If you only have just thoughts, but never really trying putting them down on paper, or on a screen… then how will know if you’re really a writer? or even a story-teller? Just write, that’s the only advice that I can really give.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
“If you really want to do something that you love and enjoy doing. Just do it!” My mum said that to me several years ago when I was a teenager. And I still believe those words to this day.

What are you reading now?
Love Anthony by Lisa Genova and Destiny Blues by Sharon Joss.

What’s next for you as a writer?
Continuing the I.F.C.U (International Federal Crime Unit) series. I’m also still trying to work out some stuff regarding a long thought-of Sci-Fi/Fantasy series as well.

Perhaps most of all, I just want to keep writing my stories, my way for as long as I live.

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?
John Grisham’s A Time to Kill & The Pelican Brief, Stephen King’s The Shining, and Suzanne Collins The Hunger Games (first title in the series).

Author Websites and Profiles
CJ Hask Amazon Profile

CJ Hask’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile
Facebook Profile
Twitter Account

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
Obscure writer. Professional of ebook.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
Ash-colored sex. Now sell on amazon. It inspired bad and absurd part of human being.

But don’t worry. It is not difficult and scholastic. It just contains full of funny and

interesting events. I wrote many things about future. Society, Technology, robots.

Future of my country. (100% fiction)

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I think long period. Without perfect arrangement in my brain, I never write it as a book.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
T.S Eliot. Shakespeare . Hermann Hesse

What are you working on now?
Translation.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Try

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Try

What’s next for you as a writer?
To be successful writer

If you were going to be stranded on a desert island and allowed to take 3 or 4 books with you what books would you bring?
Ash-colored sex. (Of course.)

Demian ( Hermann Hesse)

Waste land (T.S Eliot)

Macbeth (Shakespeare)

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
Only one

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
Flying For The Scent. Experiences with bullying and low self esteem

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
No

What authors, or books have influenced you?
O. Henry. The last leaf

What are you working on now?
A mafia story

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I am just starting to promote my novel through different publications sites.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Believe in your self and do not give up . I have written in my novel , Flying For The Scent: Faluire is never a fear when sucess is a belief

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
You have to try to find out .

What are you reading now?
All the light we can not see.

What’s next for you as a writer?
to write my next 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 Quran. The prophet’s Mohamad sayings. The last leaf .

Author Websites and Profiles
Hasan Hamdan Website
Hasan Hamdan Amazon Profile

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I’ve completed two books and am working on my third.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
Dear Heart is my first published book. Music is an important element in the book and the title solidified for me when I listened to the song by The Ray Charles Singers.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
Generally, I write between 10 PM and 3 AM, and fortify myself with lots of coffee.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
I like John Grisham, Stephen King, Harold Robbins, Rex Stout and Donald Hamilton. But I think I was most influenced by the Trixie Belden mystery series when I was a girl.

What are you working on now?
A screenplay for Dear Heart and a third novel entitled Interoffice Romance.

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

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Never give up.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Don’t stop your writing session at the end of a paragraph or chapter. Stop in the middle of a sentence. It will be easier to pick up where you left off when you return because you won’t have to agonize over what comes next.

What are you reading now?
I’m rereading The Adventurers by Harold Robbins.

What’s next for you as a writer?
Mastering the art of writing a screenplay.

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?
Salem’s Lot and The Stand by Stephen King. The Adventurers by Harold Robbins, The Firm and A Time to Kill by John Grisham.

Author Websites and Profiles
Linda Lingle Website
Linda Lingle Amazon Profile

Linda Lingle’s Social Media Links
Twitter Account

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I have written one book about my life story.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
One Chance To Be A Man

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
all i want is peace and quiet

What authors, or books have influenced you?
PIMP BY ICEBERG SLIM, Nathan McCall Makes Me Wanna Holler

What are you working on now?
MY first fiction book

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
NOT SURE YET

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Do your research

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Use everthing thats free

What are you reading now?
nothing

What’s next for you as a writer?
To grow my company SoulConsciousBooks.net

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?
Pimp, The Alchemist, Kindred,

Author Websites and Profiles
D. Revolution Website
D. Revolution Author Profile on Smashwords

D. Revolution’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile
Facebook Profile

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I accidentally discovered an easy method of weight loss and decided to write a book about it. After years of research (I am a journalist and I consulted with physicians to confirm my findings) and the Full Edition not being ready, I decided: let me just put out there what I do have so people can get a head start losing weight the easy way— by adding thermogenic ingredients to one’s diet. So, I threw all my efforts into releasing the Sneak Preview Edition. That release quickly became an international bestseller in multiple categories and in multiple countries. It has remained a bestseller for the past 26 weeks!
However- I received the same two complaints from readers:
1. We want more!- when is the Full Edition coming out? Where is the rest of the book?
2. We want more!- send us more recipes and fast!
In fact, one eager reader was trying to convince me to send her my unfinished, unedited, basic draft of the Full Edition, so she could get more recipes. She promised not to show a soul!
While I would’ve felt awkward to do that (who does that, right?), it did spur me on to spend the past 5 months making a Starter Cookbook. I even let this particular fan weigh in on its cover, grateful for the idea!
The EAT HOT…LOOK HOT Starter Cookbook did set me back about 6 months on finishing the Full Edition, but I have to say: I’m getting better feedback on this book than my first.

They say ‘Three is a charm,” so let’s hope that means Book 3 of the series: ‘EAT HOT…LOOK HOT: The Secret to Lasting Weight Loss’ is a huge hit!

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
EAT HOT…LOOK HOT: The Starter Cookbook
Inspired by one reader who wanted more recipes to get started on the diet.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
Not really. I stay up late but so do many writers.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
I’m a fan of Danielle Steele and she has personally given me writing advice.

What are you working on now?
The Full Edition of EAT HOT…LOOK HOT.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I have yet to figure that out but I can tell you one thing for sure: it’s not Facebook, Twitter or Instagram!

Do you have any advice for new authors?
This depends on your goals for writing. However, you must realize that to achieve sales, marketing will be 99.9% of your work.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Everything that Steve Harrison says. He is a guru to authors.

What are you reading now?
Languages of Love

What’s next for you as a writer?
To finish the much-awaited Full Edition of EAT HOT…LOOK HOT: Secret Strategies to Lose Weight Quickly. I’m starting a Hot Sensation out there and almost every day, I read posts of readers and fans saying ‘when’s it going to be ready,’ or ‘I can’t wait.’
Right now, all they have is The Sneak Preview Edition of EAT HOT…LOOK HOT and it’s Starter Cookbook. Plus my bonus newsletter that I’m happy to give your readership. They can get top Miami chef’s cooking demos, recipes, guides and even write to me (yes, I try to respond) at www.EatHotLookHotDiet.com/ShoppingGuide

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
Book of psalms
and books on maintaining a positive mindset because it must get pretty lonely on a stranded island.

Author Websites and Profiles
Alessandra Solis Website

Alessandra Solis’s Social Media Links
Facebook Profile

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I am a native Texan and love telling the history and stories of my state. I started writing about two years ago and to date I have written five books.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
My latest book is titled Blood Trail. It is the the fourth book in my Heck Carson series. These books include many historical events and characters that helped to build the Texas frontier.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I’m not sure how unusual it is, but I write out the first draft of my books by hand.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
The authors that have had the most influence on me are: Larry Mcmurtry, Louis L’amour, William Johnstone, and Stephen King.

What are you working on now?
I am currently working on the fifth and final book in Heck Carson series.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I write a blog (Under the Lone Star), where I discuss Texas history and the people, food, and events that make Texas so awesome. As far as promotions, I’ve had the most luck with Facebook and Amazon ads.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Write. Write everyday. It’s not so important how good this writing is, as long as you keep at it, you will improve everyday. The second most important thing is to read everything you can get your hands on, especially books in your genre.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
A quote by Stephen King. “If you don’t have time to read, you don’t have the time (or tools) to write.”

What are you reading now?
I am currently reading a biography on George H. W. Bush by John Meacham. I draw much enjoyment and knowledge from reading biographies. By reading about those who achieve success in their particular field, one can see that the most important attribute that all these people share is perseverance.

What’s next for you as a writer?
I have been plotting a contemporary mystery set in Texas.

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?
Lonesome Dove, It, and the entire Smoke Jensen series of Westerns.

Author Websites and Profiles
john spiars Website
john spiars Amazon Profile

john spiars’s Social Media Links
Facebook Profile

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
All of my writing is meant to explore and discover, not to express. I write in order to learn, to think things I wouldn’t think otherwise, or to imagine in new ways. Poetry abd nonfiction both do that for me. Speculations on Postcapitalism is my fourth book, and I have two others coming: The Great Mechanism and What Is Liberalism? I study capitalism and history to understand what gives that system its relentless power and inevitability. Why does capitalism keep winning? And how is it eventually going to lose? For me, it is all about asking these questions.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
Speculations on Postcapitalism: How digitalization is disrupting everything we know about modern civilization, came from the insight that digital products are economically very different from normal products–so much so that markets can’t function for these products. More and more products are becoming digital, and that means the whole economy could be disrupted. If that happens, what happens to our society, which is built around capitalism. The intrigue of these questions is what inspired the writing.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I write very morning, and I sometimes write very intensively. Speculations was drafted originally in five weekends.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
In this case, Paul Mason’s Postcapitalism: A Guide to Our Future and Nick Srnicek and Alex Williams book Inventing the Future. But I read widely, and have been deeply influenced by poets Robert Bly and William Stafford, psychologists James Hillman and C.G. Jung, and by Joseph Campbell.

What are you working on now?
Two new books which I mentioned, and also a book of essays on the #MeToo moment, as some have called it, in which I try to address men and their experiences–not as an apologist, but as one trying to give men the tools they need to stop doing the stuff #MeToo is talking about.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I’m still learning this.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Write, write, write, and don’t ever lose that focus. I did, and I regret it.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Write two pages a day. It inevitably becomes more.

What are you reading now?
Hah! Mostly my editor’s feedback!

What’s next for you as a writer?
I have a lot of projects coming toe fruition, which I hope will be useful to readers. Everything I do is to try to find a different perspective, and often to try to clarify language, especially about cultural terminologies. So, I will just keep going!

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?
James Hillman’s, Revisioning Psychology.
Rag and Bone Shop of the Heart poetry anthology.

Author Websites and Profiles
Anthony Signorelli Website
Anthony Signorelli Amazon Profile

Anthony Signorelli’s Social Media Links
Facebook Profile
Twitter Account

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I ventured into the world of e-book self-publishing in 2014, and so far, I have published 13 books. I write fiction and non-fiction around one central theme – preparing for the future. After working professionally on the transition from physical to digital media in the entertainment industry, I became really interested in how new technologies will affect our behavior in the near future. So I began my future tech thriller series, Life Online, on that theme and continued to build from there into non-fiction focused on how you can help yourself get ready for the coming changes.

My work and studies have taken me around the world, I love to travel and my books, including the non-fiction, are set in locations around the world. With one exception, my Ravencross romance thriller series (under the pen name E. Avalon) which is set in a mysterious city built around two crossing rivers.

For the formal record, in careers, I have been a diplomat, management consultant, digital operations executive and lawyer. In education, I have a BA, MBA, JD and MPS in Applied Economics. All of that experience and education goes into my books where I try to draw out human experience as well as a compelling story.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
People kept asking me how I’ve done what I’ve done. So I wrote my latest book, Bloom! Defeat Negativity, Overcome Bad Advice, Love Yourself, and (finally) Become the Happy Person You Want to Be, to provide some inspiration and motivation to people who are trying to have a happy life. A lot of the information in the book comes from work I did for an earlier non-fiction book called Life Dream. Life Dream is aimed at people who are interested in becoming entrepreneurs. Bloom! is more foundational, it’s to help people find out who they really want to be by reaching beyond negative external influences.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
Is it unusual to just write and write and write? As soon as I have an idea, especially for fiction, I can sit down and write the whole book. For non-fiction, I do tend to outline. But for fiction, I collapse into the world I’m inventing and tell the story. I can visually see the whole story play out in my mind, like a movie. So I describe what I see and hear as if it has already taken place, or is taking place right now.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
The list is so long. In Bloom! I have a link to download an entire article about the books that helped form my life philosophy. But okay, if I have to narrow the list down to two that fall under the category of “influence,” I’d say Rick Telander’s Heaven is a Playground that taught me I could make a living writing about a subject that really interested me. And The Celestine Prophecy by James Redfield that showed me I could write fiction based on spiritual ideas with a global appeal.

What are you working on now?
The next four books are part of two series. I’m writing book 4 of my Life Online series which are future tech cyber thrillers set in the near future. This one will cover supersonic air travel in a frightening and suspenseful story.

Then I have the next three books in the Ravencross romance thriller series. The Ravencross books are about the cast, crew and fans of a popular daytime drama who become dangerously and obsessively involved with one another while playing an online game based on the show. Each book covers three romances taking place in the real world, on screen and online. It’s a totally different concept for the genre.

All books in each individual series can be read independently. The characters cross over but you can pick up each new story quite easily.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
Giveaways seem to work well, especially if you have a series. You can give away the first book and then continue to promote the series to readers you know already have at least one book in the series.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Keep writing. Sometimes new authors get discouraged by the process and want to give up. But keep writing. And publish the book. You can do revisions forever and use that as an excuse to give-up. But if you publish you can feel that sense of accomplishment. With e-book self-publishing you have a lot of flexibility around publishing and promoting your book, but it does not start until you actually hit ‘submit’ for an online site.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Fail fast. Fail often. Fail forward.

You have to at least try to do whatever it is you want to do. If you are unsuccessful, that’s fine, take what you have learned and try again. I tweak my book launches every single time. I do not have a set formula that works for every genre. So if I do not think the book is doing well, I try and figure out another approach.

What are you reading now?
I literally have a stack of physical books and lots of Kindle and iBooks books with the ‘new’ banner still glowing at me. So I have to say which book did I pick up last. Thinking Fast and Slow by Daniel Kahneman. It’s deep, thoughtful, eye-opening material. For fiction, I’m reading The Pit by Frank Norris which was written at the turn of the last century.

What’s next for you as a writer?
Besides the books I’m writing, I have a business, Ready Entrepreneur, aimed at helping people achieve their goal of starting a business. This fits with my overall theme where I believe in the near future, when there are fewer jobs, there will need to be more entrepreneurs. But entrepreneurship is not taught in schools, so people who are interested have to learn on their own. Ready Entrepreneur focuses on finding the confidence time and money to get started, meet investors and go global.

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?
Well I’d want something funny but timeless, but I don’t know what that would be. I’m looking for a book that would repeatedly make me laugh so go ahead and send me a recommendation. To get lost yet again in a magnificent world I’d take my favorite by my favorite writer, Penmarric by Susan Howatch. For inspiration, Susan L. Taylor’s Living in Spirit.

Author Websites and Profiles
Case Lane Website
Case Lane Amazon Profile
Case Lane Author Profile on Smashwords

Case Lane’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile
Facebook Profile
Twitter Account

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I am a Washington state native, an avid reader and major Disney fan. I am currently pursuing my bachelor’s degree at The King’s College in New York City.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
My latest book is Some People Wonder. I started writing in high school, when a 15-year-old Ellie Clark’s story was dying to be told.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
Recently, I have picked up the habit of “audio writing”, which features me recording on my phone word for word the next scenes in my book, and then transcribing it on paper later. It may take more time, but I often like the writing that comes out of it much more than when I just stare at a computer screen.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
Authors like John Green and Kristin Hannah have shown me what it looks like to write emotionally-driven characters, and also realistic characters. They know how to foster emotional attachment to a story, and that is something that I hope to emulate.

What are you working on now?
I am currently working on my second novel. While most of it has to be under wraps, I am so excited about it. It is a whole new way of writing, and is something that is as challenging as it is rewarding. I can’t wait to share it.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I find the best way to promote my book is through connections. Social media and word of mouth are especially helpful, because having people talk about your book is how to spread interest for it.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
My best advice would be to not get discouraged. It is overwhelming (trust me, I’m still overwhelmed) to enter into this competitive world. All that matters is that accomplish what you set out to do, which means that you have to set attainable goals. Don’t be afraid to shoot high, but also don’t be disappointed if you haven’t gotten there yet.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
The best advice I have ever heard was right before (the day before) I left for college. I was having last minute doubts about moving across the country, and my friend looked me in the eye and told me that the people that leave are the ones that do something with their lives. If I stayed in this small town, I would not be the world-changer that I wanted to be. It was the push I needed to keep going.

What are you reading now?
Currently I am reading a work by F. Scott Fitzgerald called Tender is the Night.

What’s next for you as a writer?
I will continue writing. If it is the last thing I do, I will keep writing books, keep spreading my voice, and keep pushing until I have accomplished what I have set out to do.

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 Fault in our Stars (John Green)
The Night Road (Kristin Hannah)
A Dog’s Purpose (Bruce Cameron)
The Great Gatsby (F. Scott Fitzgerald)

Author Websites and Profiles
Marisa Recker Amazon Profile

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I am a Floridian, residing in Florida for many years. I have an Associates of Art Degree in Business Administration. I have Certificates of Completion in Beginners, Intermediate and Advanced Floral Arranging and Design, I have received a number of Recognitions of Appreciation Cards, plaques, trophies and certificates over the years from clients and students as well. I opened the doors of my flower shop in 1995,as a licensed florist, called Floral Designs By Alberta. I have done work in the floral industry since 1984 and is still a florist now. I am an All Occasion Floral Designer, A Floral Design Instructor, teaching Beginners, Intermediate and Advanced Floral Design. I have taught flower Arranging and Design since 2005 in West Palm Beach, Fl.
I am an active person that like interesting environments where nice things are happening such as great and interesting conversations where I am learning something new or creating something worthwhile that will benefit myself and others.
I am married to my husband James and we have 2 adult children.
I have always loved the beauty of flowers so what better way to be around beautiful flowers than to become a Floral Designer to create beautiful “Floral Designs” and be able as a Floral Designer to provide a beneficial service to others.

I have written one book to date. The Book I created is a “CURRICULUM OF STUDY GUIDE COURSE BOOK”.
The title is: FLORAL DESIGNS BY ALBERTA A Self Taught, Self Paced Education and Application Curriculum of Study for Floral Arranging and Design Beginners. It is a step by step educational teaching guide that enables a person to learn to create flower arrangements in the privacy of their home or personal space . People learn at their own pace when they invest in my Study Guide Course.
People that purchase the Study Guide Course can:
1. Purchase and study at their own pace
2. Purchase the Study Guide Course Book with the option of purchasing 3 DVDs, that I created with flower arrangements being created from scratch to completion, that will assist with their study. A Certificate of Completion can be earned with Teacher Assistance if they want that as well.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
The name of my latest book is a” CURRICULUM OF STUDY GUIDE COURSE BOOK” called:
FLORAL DESIGNS BY ALBERTA A Self Taught, Self Paced Education and Application Curriculum of Study for Floral Arranging and Design Beginners. I was inspired to create the Study Guide Course Book to make it easier for people who really want to learn the fundamentals (from scratch) of flower arranging and design to have an easier way of learning. I feel they will learn the basics easier by studying and learning from the Study Guide Course book while studying at home. I believe people that are very serious about learning how to create beautiful flower arrangements will be willing to learn, (THE BASICS) from scratch and do what is necessary to stay involved in the education and application process until they become excellent Floral Designers that will welcome any challenge and take it head on because they know they will learn something worthwhile after the challenge is completed. I put the conclusions I made from challenges I had that worked for me as a Floral Designer, from when I first became a Floral Designer after I earned my Certificates of Completion, in The Curriculum of Study Guide Course Book that I wrote.

Many of those challenges were not just from learning to create flower arrangements . Some challenges were from learning about flowers in particular, their colors, their types, their longevity, how to sustain cut flowers for a long shelf life and much more knowledge I needed to acquire to become a good Floral Designer.
As important as all the reasons for needing floral knowledge are, we also need to concentrate on learning to create “FLORAL ART”, not just making flower arrangements. We as Floral Designers need to be different in our creative imagination and be unique in our creative ability because “WE ARE CREATIVE FREEDOM”.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I don’t think so.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
Maya Angelou-American Poet, singer, memoirist, Civil Rights Activist, Author, Historian, Songwriter, Playwright , Dancer, Stage and Screen Producer, Director, Performer, Singer, Story teller, etc. – April 04, 1928-May 28, 2014- at 86 years old. She has influenced me by being who she was as a person. She was in my opinion a brilliant woman with a great sense of humor, very articulate, knew who she was and who she belonged to. She was
“A GREAT COMMUNICATOR” in every way and one of the most fascinating people in America. Her list of attributes goes on and on and on. All of American claims her because she truly is a “ONE OF A KIND AMERICAN”.
I know why The Caged Birds Sing is one of my favorite books.
The book that has influenced me the most from childhood to now is the King James Bible. It is the most fascinating book of all the books in the world, to me.

What are you working on now?
I am working on A Self Taught, Self Paced Education and Application Curriculum of Study for Floral Arranging and Design, The Intermediate Course. This course is created for people that have learned the fundamentals of the Beginner Floral Designer and is able to accept the challenges of learning a more complex Floral Design Strategy that this curriculum course will teach. It is the Second Edition to The Curriculum of Study Guide Course for Beginners.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I am trying to find the best methods when it comes to promoting my Curriculum of Study Guide Course Book. Ingram Spark has been a great help for as an Author. Being on their email list has enabled me to receive a number of very good tips on how to promote my Book. I now have a Google listing for my Business, a Facebook and Twitter account.. I will be getting listings on other sites as well. I have a website: www.flowersbyalberta.com that I am promoting the book on as well.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
My advice as a Published Author is, always be aware that your book, no matter it’s status or classification now, was created from your hard work and intellect. It is no easy task to create Curriculum of Study Guide Courses or books of any kind that are well thought out and compiled the right way. We as Authors should not feel timid or reluctant to represent our hard earned creation, in the proper way that is right for our work.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
The best advice I ever heard concerning The Curriculum Of Study Guide Course Book for Beginners, was from someone that criticized the color of the book cover of my book. At first I felt bad that the book cover color was criticized . I remembered why I created the color of the book cover in the first place. I remembered why the single stem flowers are on the front and back cover, why the front and back covers are identical. The Book cover was designed to be the way it is because it is a large piece of a number of pieces of the same puzzle that was needed in the creative process, that needed to fit to make the book complete. After thinking about it, I fully understood what my purpose was in doing what I did on behalf of my book to make it the best it could be. Later, I respected the negative criticism I had gotten about the book cover from that person. I decided going forward, I will respect negative criticism along with positive feedback about my work because both negative criticism and positive feedback can both be constructive if we allow them to be.

What are you reading now?
Now, I am reading a number of marketing books, looking for the best way for me to get my Curriculum of Study Guide Course Book out in the market and being sold. I feel the training at home method is a very good and convenient method that will catch on as more people purchase and study this course book.

What’s next for you as a writer?
The next thing for me as a writer is to complete the Second Edition of the Curriculum of Study Guide Course, “The Intermediate 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?
I would bring :
1. The King James Bible.
2. FLORAL DESIGNS BY ALBERTA A Self Taught, Self Paced Education and Application Curriculum of Study for Floral Arranging and Design Beginners –
Author – Alberta C. Brown
3. I know Why the Caged Birds Sing- Author – Maya Angelou
4The African American Experience – A History – by Globe Fearon Educational Publisher

Author Websites and Profiles
Alberta Brown Website

Alberta Brown’s Social Media Links
Twitter Account
Pinterest Account

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I live in New Zealand in the earthquake-hit city of Christchurch, where two of my books are set. These are Stim and Kaleidoscope, both contemporary / literary fiction in which the main characters have Asperger’s Syndrome and/or Bipolar Disorder, and they experience the Christchurch earthquakes in the books. I’ve also co-written three humorous fantasy books (out of print), and written one dystopian book and two middle grade interactive fiction books (another one to be published soon). I like to try different genres.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
My latest book was Duel At Dawn, an interactive fiction book for kids aged 10-14 or so set in Paris during the reign of Louis XIII. I was inspired by reading The Three Musketeers, and this book is set at the same time and allows the reader to take the role of the main character. It’s so much fun to write these books. In what other genre is it possible to kill the main character several times in the same book?

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
Not sure about unusual. I’m a night owl and often don’t start writing until 11pm. It helps to have a coffee dependency.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
I read widely, fiction and non-fiction, so I’ve probably been influenced by a smidgeon of everything.

What are you working on now?
I’ve just finished writing a third interactive fiction book, and I want to try another genre. Either thriller, mystery or cozy mystery, but not sure which one yet.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
Networking with other authors on Facebook or in writers’ groups, plus my own website, and occasional advertising through email lists all help a little. I’ve recently started using Amazon ads too.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Three important things: (1) read widely; (2) read books on the craft of writing; (3) talk with other authors and/or join a writers’ group. All of those things help immensely.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
It was to buy and read “Writing Tools” by Roy Peter Clark. There’s lots of good advice for novelists in there.

What are you reading now?
I’m reading the Mortal Engines series (four books), which are for middle grade readers. My eldest son read the first one and loved it so much (and has now read them all) that I started reading them too. They’re set in a dystopian future in which cities roam around on wheels.

What’s next for you as a writer?
I’d love to write full-time but I can’t see that happening yet, unless I manage to write a blockbuster. I’m going to see how I go writing a thriller or mystery of some sort and will pitch it to agents.

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?
LOL. If I wanted to get off the island, I’d take ‘Raft Building 101’ or ‘Train to be a long-distance swimmer’. But I’d probably prefer to lie on the beach and read. In which case, I’d take my favorite book, “Passage” by Connie Willis, “Emma” by Jane Austen, and “Misplaced” by Lee Murray.

Author Websites and Profiles
Kevin Berry Website
Kevin Berry Amazon Profile

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I always tell people that I’ve always been a reader first. A long-time romance reader, I decided to jump in and write my own books when a story hit me and I couldn’t shake it!

So far, I have released 4 full-length novels, 2 novellas, and 1 short story.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
My latest release is simply called Elliot: The Williams Brothers. It’s a spin-off from another series that have going and was originally one of my National Novel Writing Month projects.

At one point, even now still, I got very tired of seeing so many “Alpha Billionaires” and thought, “Why aren’t there ever female billionaires?”

So, I wrote one. She’s the heroine of Elliot’s story and she’s so special to me, not just because she represents a very underserved population but because she’s pushing those boundaries of what people see when they hear the word “billionaire.”

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I’m not just a writer – I also own my own business, which means I work full-time. Lucky me, I get to do that from my home office, but it makes my writing time a little scattered. I did a time lapse video not too long ago (you can check it out on my facebook page) that shows me jumping from writing to work and then back again, taking care of one of my kids home sick and more.

It’s a balancing act – as is anything worth doing!

What authors, or books have influenced you?
Suzanne Brockmann is my big #1 influencer. Not because we write the same or I read her books and thought “I can do this” because that’s not how it happened.

The thing I admire most about her is how staunchly she stands behind her convictions, her backbone of steel, her bravery for taking on the challenge of being a woman and writing authentic SEAL romance.

She’s a total rock star in my book.

Beverly Jenkins, not only because she’s a legend and a word magician, but because she is one of the coolest people in the world.

What are you working on now?
Two days ago I finished writing the first book in another spinoff series that will be called The Boston Billionaire’s Club. Don’t worry – the heroine has her own money and he’s no alpha. I originally wanted to advertise it as Beta Billionaires, butI’ve been told that I can’t do that – that no one wants to read betas.

I don’t know that I believe that, but I’m going to try like heck. Not everyone is into alphas and I write the kind of heroes that I would fall for. Hopefully, readers can get behind that too!

So, stay tuned for that release soon!

Up next, Book 5 of my Freehope Series!

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
Bargain Booksy so far has been great and I’m still rubbing the genie lamp hoping for a BookBub at some point!

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Keep writing. Keep your ears open to good advice from proven authors. Good, knowledgeable authors are out there and are usually willing to lend a hand.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
“Put your head down and keep writing.”
-Marie Force

What are you reading now?
I just read Sworn by Maria Luis

As a rule, I hate books with cliffhangers, but I love Maria and her writing is gorgeous. Thankfully, Defied, book 2 comes out in just a few weeks and I’ve already preordered!

What’s next for you as a writer?
I have a YA LGBTQ Time Travel book I’ve been picking away at. It’s not my regular genre so I’m trying to take my time and do it right. I think if I ever finish, whether it sells or not, will be something I can really be proud of.

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?
Crazy Cool – Tara Janzen
The Witness – Nora Roberts
Dark Lover – JR Ward
Fallen Too Far – Abbi Glines

(all contemporary romance classics)

And The Game of Thrones Series if I can’t choose ALL romance!

Author Websites and Profiles
Jenni M Rose Website
Jenni M Rose Amazon Profile

Jenni M Rose’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile
Facebook Profile
Twitter Account

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I used to have a minor reputation for killing agents. My first agent was Jay Garon, who also repped John Grisham early on. Jay passed away, and after some angst I linked up with a new agent, only to see, after just a few months, a spate of “in memoriam” and “testimonial” Internet posts about her…

I’ve been agentless since. My first published novel, back in 1991, was The Serpent’s Crown, which was called “powerful, riveting and timely” by the New York Times Book Review.

I’ve indie-published a couple of novels. Other Harbors (2017) told the story of my mother and her three sisters, orphaned in the 1920s. Espionage surrounding an early twentieth century arms race is the setup for Demented Choirs (2005).

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
My latest, out in May, is The Point of the Spear, which hinges on the discovery of ancient human remains that play into our oh-so-contemporary attitudes about race and immigration. “You think, if something is buried, you have to dig it up,” one character says to protagonist Con Tully, a wealthy American who wants to build a performing arts center on a hillside overlooking a picturesque river.

It turns out the bones are much, much older than any previously found, and this triggers a violent controversy. Think, Charlottesville 2017.

The idea has been with me a while, since a well-publicized flap over the so-called Kennewick Man in the northwest in the 1990s. One of the archaeologists involved described those remains as “Caucasoid,” which some people obviously (and wrongly) heard as “Caucasian.” There was even a facial reconstruction, later disavowed, that made the old guy look like Patrick Stewart.

So who was here first? Does it matter? What are the risks of digging up the past?

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
Actually, I think the main key to productivity in writing is to have the most regular habits you can.

You can’t grovel to your muse. You can’t always have your desktop Zen garden in perfect order and your temples aligned to the earth’s magnetic field. But you can put your butt in the chair every day.

As Allen Appel, an old friend and writing vet, puts it: “Sit down, shut up, and get to work.”

What authors, or books have influenced you?
The books that have most shaped my interests and my writing are probably All the King’s Men by Robert Penn Warren, What’s Bred in the Bone by Robertson Davies, and The Tenants of Time by Thomas Flanagan.

Common thread: They all deal with our urgent need to make sense of the past.

Among currently active writers, I’m a big fan of Alan Furst, Alice McDermott, Michael Chabon and (sometimes) Ian McEwen.

What are you working on now?
Right now I am trying to flesh out a collection of short stories I hope to publish in the fall. My story Cantabile was recently accepted for the 2018 issue of Delmarva Review. I have about a dozen stories on hand, but some of them are fairly old and could use a refresh. I’m also kicking around two or three ideas for another novel.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I’m trying to figure this one out. Like any indie author, my main reliance is word of mouth. I’m trying to get to the point where I have a critical mass of content available, that is, if someone likes something of mine, they can find two or three additional books right away.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
The best advice I can offer is this: Nobody ever has to see your first draft. It’s private. Get it written, even if you think it stinks. Get all the people, settings, and events of your story in order and down on paper (or screen, I guess). THEN go about making it better.

Second best advice: Sit down, shut up, and get to work.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
See above.

What are you reading now?
I’m in the midst of The Weight of Ink by Rachel Kadish – there’s that old long-arm-of-the-past business again.

Next up is Audrey Schulman’s Theory of Bastards.

What’s next for you as a writer?
Trying to keep building my content offerings. Trying to attract more readers, more reviews. Right now the indie path seems much more compelling to me than conventional publishing.

Step One is to get a reader to try one of my books. Step Two (assuming they liked Step One) is to have more books ready and waiting as soon as they’ve flipped the last page.

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?
Eventually, I think I would get tired even of the books I love most if I had only them to read, over and over.

Does the island have electricity? If so, I think I would skip the books and smuggle good recordings of the Beethoven Symphonies, Mozart’s The Marriage of Figaro, and Bach’s Goldberg Variations…to all of which, I think, I could go back again and again.

Author Websites and Profiles
John J. McKeon Amazon Profile

John J. McKeon’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile
Twitter Account

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I am a former journalist, whose work has been published by numerous magazines and newspapers throughout the United States. In the late nineteen eighties, I wanted to do more creative writing, so I signed up for an undergraduate poetry class at San Francisco State University. One of my poetry professors encouraged me to apply to the Creative Writing Program, which I did, and was accepted. While working on my M.A. in English with a Concentration in Creative Writing, I switched my focus from poetry to fiction.
I have published four books, including three short story collections, From Here to There and Other Stories (Paraguas Books); The First to Disappear (Spuyten Duyvil), Finalist in the International Book Awards, Best Book Awards, and National Indie Excellence Awards; and Hairway to Heaven Stories (Cherry Castle Publishing); and one memoir, Even When Trapped Behind Clouds: A Memoir of Quiet Grace (WiDo Publishing), Honorable Mention in the Reader Views Literary Awards. I received Honorable Mention in the Women’s National Book Association Contest, was a Finalist in the Adelaide Voices Literary Award for Short Story, have been nominated for the Pushcart Prize, Best of the Net and the storySouth Million Writers Award; and had an essay selected as Notable for Best American Essays 2014.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
My latest book is Hairway to Heaven Stories, a linked short story collection set in what has been a predominantly African American neighborhood that is beginning to gentrify. I was inspired to write this book because I have been both a victim of gentrification, having to move out of San Francisco because I could no longer afford to live there, as well as a gentrifier. I have moved around a lot in my life and have lived in several neighborhoods like the one I write about in Hairway to Heaven. Many of the characters in the book were inspired by people in the neighborhood where I previously lived in Portland, Oregon.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I suppose the most unusual writing habit I have is that I need to have the lights turned down very low in the room when I’m working on initial drafts.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
Many books and authors have influenced me, but especially Julio Cortazar, Gloria Naylor, Aravind Adiga, Kiran Desai, Salman Rushdie, and May Sarton.

What are you working on now?
I am working on some personal essays and preparing to get back to work on a novel set in a six-flat building in San Francisco. The novel will focus on the lives of the diverse characters living in the flats, as well as being a bit of a love story about San Francisco.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
The best promotion for my books has come from editors of journals who have published my work.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Write every day and revise, revise, revise. Remember that the first draft is just the beginning, not the final product.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
While it’s become a bit of a cliché, I still think “show not tell” is the writing advice that has helped me the most.

What are you reading now?
Barkskins by Annie Proulx.

What’s next for you as a writer?
I’m hoping to finish this 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?
Tough to pick only three to four, but here goes. The Snow Leopard, by Peter Mathiessen; Journal of a Solitude, by May Sarton; The Shipping News, by Annie Proulx; and The Inheritance of Loss, by Kiran Desai.

Author Websites and Profiles
Patty Somlo Website
Patty Somlo Amazon Profile

Patty Somlo’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile
Facebook Profile
Twitter Account

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
My Name is Kessa Grant, I’m from a little island in the Caribbean and have always loved literature since I was able to pick up a book and understand the words written in black ink on white paper. I’ve always loved creating my own world with my own characters. the best part about being an author for me is creating characters I think others could relate too. I’ve been writing at a very young age and my literature teachers are the ones that helped me to understand how to get into the minds of my characters and any characters written by any author.

literature has been the biggest part of my life; it helped me to be able to speak and communicate with others as an introverted person. I love all forms of literature and outside of the literary world, I’m also a visual artiste.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
The Alpha’s Mate

it’s actually inspired by my love for supernatural and my significant other scolding me for not doing what i love.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
not sure, but I like to shut myself in, i don’t sleep if something is bothering me about my writing and i like to put a small headlight on and read as to not disturb my significant other during the night.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
C.S Lewis, J.K. Rowling, N. E. Bode, Lauren Dane, Suzanne Wright, Georgette St. Clair

What are you working on now?
I’m working on book 2 and also a light novel of a different story

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
this one is actually the first I’m trying so I wanna see how it goes

Do you have any advice for new authors?
do your best and don’t doubt yourself you can make it.

What are you reading now?
Junjou Romantica

What’s next for you as a writer?
continue to share what i love with everyone

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?
very interesting, Can’t live without Cornelia Funke so I must have one, The Alpha’s Mate by Kessa M. Grant, any book from Georgette St. Clair. Ascension from Lauren Dane

Author Websites and Profiles
Kessa Grant Website
Kessa Grant Amazon Profile

Kessa Grant’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile
Facebook Profile
Twitter Account

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I like electronic music a lot! Particularly trance and dance music, they’re the genres that help me set the right mood for writing. I’ve written 6 books so far, three of them are in English: one stand-alone fantasy-action novel “Kyle’s Nightmare” and two books in the epic fantasy series “The Arid Kingdom”.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
“Kyle’s Nightmare” is my latest book and, strangely, what inspired me to write it was a normal day while waiting at the bus station. But when I started writing it I related to a memory from my high school days. Kyle is a young man who discovers he is in a dream but he can’t wake up. Something like that happened to me. I was sleeping and, in my dream, all of a sudden I realized it was just a dream. I pinched my skin but I didn’t wake up immediately. I had enough time to look around the place inside the dream. Obviously, after a minute or so, I woke up. A weird experience, yet so inspiring!

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
If daydreaming is considered unusual then that’s it. I never start writing before staring into space for a long while or daydreaming while doing house chores or while walking outside.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
I don’t have a particular author or book that influenced me. But I do think all the books that I’ve read are stored somewhere in my subconscious and they influence me without me being aware of that.

What are you working on now?
The third book in the “Arid Kingdom” series and the stand-alone, yet connected to “Kyle’s Nightmare”, fantasy novel “Mattia’s Dream”. Mattia is Kyle’s younger brother.

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

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Remember if it’s your passion then you must fight for it.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Have patience and be persistent.

What are you reading now?
Sadly, I’m stuck on marketing materials…

What’s next for you as a writer?
Getting my first 10 reviews for any of my books.

If you were going to be stranded on a desert island and allowed to take 3 or 4 books with you what books would you bring?
Definitely survival books! I am not going to rely on any fictional book—no matter how much I love it—for living on a desert island. I put reason first! If I want to have the chance to read more than 4 awesome books, I must survive and get back to the normal world. (laughs)

Author Websites and Profiles
Tina Silvens Website
Tina Silvens Amazon Profile
Tina Silvens Author Profile on Smashwords

Tina Silvens’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile
Facebook Profile
Twitter Account

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
The bug first bit in my early thirties. I’d decided to write the closing chapter in John D. MacDonald’s Travis McGee series in which Travis would, like MacDonald himself, meet his demise. Wrote a few chapters and an outline. Snagged a major New York agent. And then learned the MacDonald estate wouldn’t release the rights. Since then I’ve written seven novels, featuring everything from gumshoe detectives to angry punk rockers to even a god or two.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
Breaking In is my latest baby. The premise is simple: when a frustrated artist can’t get any traction, he decides to break into the Whitney and hang his own painting on the wall. And it was in part a way for me to vent my own frustrations about the absurd process of trying to find an audience for my work. Like they say, write what you know.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I’ve discovered I have to write upside down, suspended from the ceiling, preferably just inches above a large tank filled with piranhas.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
What hasn’t? I obviously owe a debt to numerous authors, mainstream and genre alike. And while it’s great to be inspired by those with talent, I’ve also learned a whole lot about writing thanks to the flops and near-misses, books that would never rank as classics, but have too much heart to ignore. As for the last book that really blew me away, I’d’ probably nominate Ann Padgett (sp?) and Bel Canto.

What are you working on now?
I’m thinking my next will be a coming-of-age set in 80’s San Francisco. The punk rock scene. The AIDS epidemic. Youth meets the guy with the scythe. I’ve even got a working title: Learning to Die.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I have a conflicted relationship with social media. Yes, I recognize its enormous potential for connecting authors and readers, but still, it feels like eighth grade. Who’s hot. Who’s not. Buzz over substance. That said, I got more downloads from a one day promotion with Ebook Stage than I did in a year on my own. Bottom line? It’s all a crap shoot.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Treasure the writing. The process of trying to get your work out there, of finding an audience, can crush your soul to dust. Which means you need something to sustain you, to give you hope, and that something has to be your own work. A perfect sentence. The exact right word. Moments when your own characters do something that surprises you. If these things don’t give you joy, then go back to macramé.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
There’s no such thing as the right path. Only your right path.

What are you reading now?
Manhattan Beach by Jennifer Egan. It’s her attempt to write a classic Big Novel, instead of her usual more experimental work. And while it’s beautifully written, it’s almost funny how she can’t stop being herself, how her awareness and quirky perspective leaks out on every page.

What’s next for you as a writer?
I’m trying to put together an event called LiveWord with my writing group. The idea is we’d work with a local theatre to present excerpts from our work read aloud, sort of midway between a standard reading and a performance. Problem is, I’m discovering most of them are too bashful to submit anything. People. Go figure.

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 big ones – more words means more time. Maybe one Neal Stephenson. Halpern’s Hero of the Great War. War and Peace, by that Russian dude? And I suppose I’d have to add Finnegan’s Wake, just to torture myself.

Author Websites and Profiles
Brian Marshall Website
Brian Marshall Amazon Profile

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
When I was a child, Jehovah’s Witnesses told me all my neighbors were going to die. That bothered me.
I’ve been looking for a Philosopher’s Stone to save humankind… and my neighbors.
I truly believe the universe is a Matrix. Maybe we live inside a black hole.
So far, I have written only one book, “One over Infinity”.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
It’s called “One over Infinity – Episode I”.
I believe we live in a simulation. Sol Ferrari, the genius girl, finds out this universe conspires in favor of life.
Once I was at a party. I Tetris’ Theme Song began. It was the spark necessary to materialize, day by day, One over Infinity.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I always write in my bed.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
I’m into dystopias. George Orwell, William Gibson, Aldous Huxley.

What are you working on now?
I’m studying Group Theory. Also, I’m writing One over infinity – Episode II.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I honestly don’t know anything about promoting. I simply wrote my book and here I am.(he smiles!!!)

Do you have any advice for new authors?
I’m a new author myself.
I’d say: “Hire a good editor. Listen to him/her.”

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
“Show. Do not tell.”
It’s incredible we don’t learn everything in school.

What are you reading now?
The sun on my head, by Geovanni Martins.

What’s next for you as a writer?
One over infinity – Episode II.

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?
1984
Animal Farm
Dom Casmurro, by Machado de Assis.

Author Websites and Profiles
Paulo Gramacho Website

Paulo Gramacho’s Social Media Links
Facebook Profile
Twitter Account

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
Baby Sleep, Mommy Sleep is my first book. But I plan on releasing several more in the “Easy Parening Series”

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
The name is “Baby Sleep, Mommy Sleep.” I was inspired by friends and family who don’t get any sleep because of their little ones.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
This book is organized in lots of lists and is more of an encyclopedia rather than a book to just read front to back.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
Too many to name!! I love fiction and non-fiction and am constantly reading.

What are you working on now?
I’m working on more books in the easy parenting series and helping my friend Jenny Jade on her authentic Chinese cookbook that will come out later this month.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
This is my first book promotion. Facebook has been very helpful though.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Find someone who has already done it and get their advise first.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
What one person can do, another can do.

What are you reading now?
The Martian

What’s next for you as a writer?
I hope to release several more books this year and continue learning from reading books.

If you were going to be stranded on a desert island and allowed to take 3 or 4 books with you what books would you bring?
The Princess Bride
Think and Grow Rich
The Bible
The Way of Kings

Author Websites and Profiles
Julie McDuffin Website

Julie McDuffin’s Social Media Links
Facebook Profile
Twitter Account
Pinterest Account

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I am a retired United States Marine Corps Master Sergeant and I currently work as a contractor for the Department of the Navy. In my day job, I work as a project manager on cybersecurity projects. It is a continuously evolving environment, and I enjoy the changes and challenges that come with that line of work immensely. However, writing Fiction is my passion. I would love to spend all of my time writing, but the ‘starving artist’ lifestyle has never appealed to me, so I write when I have time, which isn’t nearly as often as I’d like. I published Model Marine in January of this year, and hope to release my next book by next year.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
I began writing Model Marine when I was working on my thesis for my Master of Fine Arts in Creative Writing degree. I received my degree in 2012, but I didn’t believe my thesis was ready for publication. By that time, I had begun my second career in the Defense Industry, so for the next several years, I threw myself into my project management work, studying for and receiving industry certifications–all the while feeling my creativity being sucked dry. In the spring of 2017, I realized I needed to tap back into the literary field that I’ve loved since childhood. I dug up Model Marine and began working on the story every spare moment I could find, determined to finish it by the end of the year.

It was very important to me to get this novel right. I wanted to reveal to civilians and remind veterans of the inspirational aspects of the warrior spirit. I wanted this story to be well written and engaging. I wanted it to have literary and social significance, but still be of interest to a general audience. I wanted it to reveal through the plot and characters the environment of the Marine Corps, and give readers a sense of what America’s veterans experience in war. High ambitions, I know. Only time will tell if I have met those goals.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I usually write in my PJs, in bed or on my back porch. I do not like sitting at a desk!

What authors, or books have influenced you?
There are so many great authors, it is very hard to pick a few. However, Jodi Picoult and Diana Gabaldon are a couple of my favorite authors.

Tim O’Brien’s The Things They Carried was a significant influence on my decision to write and publish Model Marine first. I have several short stories that I hope to turn into novels eventually, but I was so moved by Tim O’Brien’s collection of short stories, that it made me want to write a story about my generation of warriors that would be as impactful as his.

What are you working on now?
Outside of normal working hours, marketing Model Marine is taking up the majority of my time. I hope to begin writing again by the Fall of this year.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I have several websites, including Awesome Gang, that I like to use during my Kindle Countdown deals. For a full listing of the sites I frequent, I recommend buying How to Make a Killing on Kindle 2018 Edition by Michael Alvear. That is where I discovered Awesome Gang and several others.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
I don’t care how well you write, get your book professionally edited. All writers have some weakness(es). (I confess that my greatest weaknesses are punctuation and capitalization; you may have already discovered that!) There are also different style guides for different industries, and it’s important that your professional editor is well-versed in the Chicago Manual of Style.

For continued improvement as a writer: Read books in your genre and books about writing. If you are self-published, also read books about Kindle and CreateSpace. For an excellent book to improve your writing skills, I highly recommend Sin and Syntax: How to Craft Wickedly Effective Prose by Constance Hale.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
In my day job, we are constantly reminded of the need for continuous improvement. I would say that writers need to apply that rationality to themselves and their stories, as well. There is always room to improve our marketing strategies; our writing, whether through the narration, plot, or character development; and the subject of the stories themselves.

What are you reading now?
The Outlander series by Diana Gabaldon.

What’s next for you as a writer?
I will continue marketing Model Marine: A Novel until this Fall. I won’t know which story I’ll be developing next until I start 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?
If I were stranded on an island, I would have all kinds of time to read and write, wouldn’t I?
1. Outlander (Book 1). I could read it several times and learn something new each time.
2. A volume of Shakespeare works (Tragedies).
3. On Writing Well by William Zinsser, so I can continue to improve my writing skills.
4. The largest novel (Literary Fiction) that I have never read!

Author Websites and Profiles
Sondra Sykes Meek Website
Sondra Sykes Meek Amazon Profile

Sondra Sykes Meek’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile
Facebook Profile
Twitter Account