Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
Hi guys! *Waves* I am fairly new to the author game. As of now I have been a published author for 18 months. I am from a city called Derby in the Midlands in the UK. We have beautiful countryside nearby. This is great for me as I love the outdoors and love to spend my weekends walking my dalmatian in the Peak District National park. I love coffee and when I am not writing, am usually reading a good book whislt drinking coffee and eating cake!

My first series is a fantasy aimed at young adults (Over 14 years old) I have released the first two books in the series with the full length prequel being released on the 5th May 2018. A Bond of Sovereigns and Souls is due for release on the 16th June 2018. I am excited to be writing book four right now!
I have many two more series planned after I complete this one. One fantasy and one sci-fi/dystopian.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
A Bond of Sovereigns and Souls. It is book three in The Goddess and the Guardians series which was actually inspired by a bedtime story I made up for my twin girls. Some of the characters are the same, I’ve kept their names and personalities, though I had to adapt the story line for an older age group and change the dragon’s name from sparkles!!

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
lol! I don’t think so. I’m still learning about myself as an author. I can write anywhere, anytime. I think this is out of necessity for fitting it in when I can.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
Oh my goodness, quite a few. The author who made me realise people would like to read a book like mine was S J Maas. I had about finished writing my first book but didn’t really know what to do with it. Throne of Glass was so good! Elize Kova was the first self-published author I read and she inspired me to go down the indie author route.

What are you working on now?
I am working on book four in my series. I am excited for the conclusion. There will be war and dragons, wizards and ice witches, magic and mayhem and of course lots of romance and a simply stunning clash between good and evil.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
Hard work! I make premade promo posts and post regularly on social media. I remind my mailing list regularly of the upcoming releases and if I can I book free/cheap promotions like Awesome Gang!

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Yes, if you are planning your first release make sure you have your next books completed or mostly finished before your release. You need to release regularly to stay on Amazon’s algorithm.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Don’t compare yourself to others either personally or from a writers point of view, everyone’s journey in life is different. (I love this advice though it is sooo hard to follow)

What are you reading now?
I have just finished Cruel Prince by Holly Black.

What’s next for you as a writer?
Write more books!! I may do a more adult series but I will definitely be writing more fantasy and have a fabulous sci-fi/dystopian series I want to get into the hands of readers.

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?
Lord of the Rings, just because….
Throne of Glass
A Court of Mist and Fury (Can I bring the A Court of Thorns and Roses boxset…?)
And one of Laura Thalassa’s book for a bit of romance, probably The Bargainer.

Author Websites and Profiles
Karen Tomlinson Website
Karen Tomlinson Amazon Profile

Karen Tomlinson’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile
Facebook Profile
Twitter Account

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I didn’t like reading as a kid. Then one day I was given a star wars book, and I love star wars. I have loved reading since. I even owned a bookstore for 4 years.

I’ve written just the one full murder mystery novel. Love and Death at the Renaissance Faire.
I have a whole series planned that start Love and Death. Each one has a unique location. I also have several brief guide books coming out soon. Like a brief guide to starting a business.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
Love and Death at the Renaissance Faire was inspired partially by my friend who is a famous murder mystery novelist. I have been wanting to write a novel for a long time. I was at the Renaissance Faire near Minneapolis, Mn and felt it would be a cool place for a story.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I have a reminder in my phone to write 500 words a day. When I start writing I usually end up with a lot more than 500 words.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
I love Enders Game. I also enjoy a lot of James Patterson books and RA Salvatore books.

What are you working on now?
A book that will blow peoples minds.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I’ve not had much luck with this yet.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Just keep writing. Each book will be better than the last.

What are you reading now?
A star wars book.

What’s next for you as a writer?
I’m planning to finish several short instructional books in the next few months.

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?
Enders Shadow, Ready Player one, Star Wars Shatterpoint and Lament by Maggie Steifvator.

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
James L. Mckinney resides in Hickory, North Carolina and has been writing since 2000. He was reared in Yancey and Mitchell counties in western North Carolina in the heart of the Blue Ridge Mountains. After graduating from high school (Cane River High School) in 1966 he served four years in the US Navy and is a Vietnam veteran. He has spent forty-one years as an active minister and is presently serving as a church pastor. Besides writing Bible books, he has expanded his writings to fiction, including many westerns. All his books are for a family readership. He has eight westerns in a series and is presently working on the ninth. He has written a total of twenty-four books, the last title THE LONG JOURNEY HOME.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
The Long Journey Home – For years many have tried to solve the mystery of the Brown Mountain Lights seen on Brown Mountain in Burke County, North Carolina. They have drawn visitors from across the continent and internationally. The US government has sent representatives to solve their mystery, yet, they remain unsolved. There are several myths concerning these lights and they have been embedded somewhat in the book by the author who presently lives within fifty miles of them.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
Watching mother nature and trying to describe her many moods help widen my imagination.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
Zane Grey, Louis L’Amour, Max Brand have influenced my writing of westerns.

What are you working on now?
A western titled The Blacksnake Brand.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I have just started promoting my books and haven’t gotten into it yet.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Just keep writing.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Write some everyday, even if it doesn’t pertain to the book you are working on.

What are you reading now?
The man who moved a mountain by Richard C. Davids

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, a dictionary, a large writing pad and perhaps one of Zane Grey’s books (western).

Author Websites and Profiles
James McKinney Amazon Profile
James McKinney Author Profile on Smashwords

James McKinney’s Social Media Links
Facebook Profile

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I have written two books so far and am currently working on another

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
My latest book is Rockyboy2 The Quest to Save the World Two things inspired me to write this book, the state of the planet, and my daughter’s boyfriend who is a Muslim, when I met him I had preconceptions about all Muslims. These were quickly removed by the sheer likeability of the young man and his visit at Christmas Inspired me to write the book, about how love can overcome fear and hatred

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I write at strange times of the day or night

What authors, or books have influenced you?
Stephen King, Jack Wild, K Kibbee, too many to mention

What are you working on now?
Looking for Love, a boy from Glasgow and his search for true love that takes him around the world

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I have my own websites rockyboy2.com michaelnicolson.com Goodreads is great and hopefully here at Awesome Gang which I have just joined yesterday

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Keep writing and never lose faith in yourself

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Don’t introduce too many characters into the novel at the begining

What are you reading now?
Ronnie Corbett’s life story, he gave me a signed copy for one of mine before he died

What’s next for you as a writer?
Finish the novel I am writing then do another one

If you were going to be stranded on a desert island and allowed to take 3 or 4 books with you what books would you bring?
rockyboy2 The Quest to Save the World, Cell by Stephen King, Playboy magazine

Author Websites and Profiles
Michael Nicolson Website

Michael Nicolson’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile
Twitter Account

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I am a professional researcher, analyst, and statistician, and of course, an author. I have written four books in the following order: The Underlying Evil – a sports thriller based on a fictionalized version of my experiences in the secret and seedy world of competitive bodybuilding; Fantastical Bedtime Stories for Boys – eight entertaining stories outside of normal time and space, which will stretch the imagination, Moonbeam – a fairy tale of high adventure centering on three young boys in a dark and magical forest; and Confessions of a White Heterosexual Male – a nonfiction work on the history of civil rights.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
Confessions of a White Heterosexual Male: Your Guide to Understanding Civil Rights History for Gays and African Americans. The book came as a result of watching the cult movie, Ironmaster and wondering what happened to the star of the film, Sam Pasco, who was my boyhood bodybuilding idol. Through my research I found out that he was gay and I wanted to know more about what life was like for him and those who have suffered from oppression.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I just try to get something written every day.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
John Grisham and William Faulkner. The Firm and Absalom, Absalom.

What are you working on now?
I just finished Confessions of a White Heterosexual Male. It took almost two years from start to finish. I want a little break before I start on something else.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I recommend Crush it With Kindle by John Tighe. He gives you a lot of tips on how to go about successively setting up a marketing campaign. I also am impressed with BookBub.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
I have been writing for over 20 years. Just keep at it. Self-publishing on Amazon is a wonderful avenue for new authors.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Nothing ventured, nothing gained.

What are you reading now?
Go Down, Moses by William Faulkner.

What’s next for you as a writer?
Maybe something in the self-help field.

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?
Lord of the Rings, Battlefield Earth, and anything by John Grisham or William Faulkner

Author Websites and Profiles
Tim McElhinny Website
Tim McElhinny Amazon Profile

Tim McElhinny’s Social Media Links
Facebook Profile

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I’m 21 and I go to college online, will be graduating next year! I’m also a mother and a wife, I adore my family more than anything. I’ve always got my head in the clouds, which is why I enjoy writing so much.
I have written 5 books. I’m currently working on another (cue secretive laugh) and my 5th book will be released at the end of 2018, which is super exciting!

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
The book that is coming out later this year would be Dusk of September!
Honestly, I was sitting at Red Lobster with my husband and I was just bouncing ideas off him. He told me he loved them all but I was just drawn into this one story.
You’ll have to check it out.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
For some reason, I always have to take a bath before I write anything. Then half way through my bath I get super inspired and have to rush to my computer and type out all my ideas.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
Last Christmas, by Kate Brian influenced me the most. This book was my first full novel I read on my own. It has stuck with me all of these years.

What are you working on now?
My lips are sealed for the most part… But I will tell you two things.
1. It is romance.
2. It has werewolves
Shhhhhh.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
Honestly, marketing is my downfall. I would have to say Twitter though.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Keep writing, no matter what obstacle you face. Don’t ever forget why you started writing in the first place!

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Ignore the negativity. There will always be someone who has a positive.

What are you reading now?
The Boy I Hate by: Taylor Sullivan

What’s next for you as a writer?
To keep on writing. Hopefully, get noticed.

If you were going to be stranded on a desert island and allowed to take 3 or 4 books with you what books would you bring?
That’s a hard one.
Last Christmas by: Kate Brian
The Boy I Hate by: Taylor Sullivan
Vampire Academy by: Richelle Mead
A Shade of Vampire by: Bella Forest

Author Websites and Profiles
Elaine Abbott Website
Elaine Abbott Amazon Profile

Elaine Abbott’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile
Facebook Profile
Twitter Account

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
Tujunga is my second book. Cry Watercolors being the first novel. Presently I am working on my third novel, La Macha-a Costa Rican tale. After 32 years in Emergency Medicine, I am a happily retired physician living in Florida. Furthermore, I am also developing a unique concept for social “net-worthing” called Determined2.com.

My style of writing forms a common thread to that of many English-writing contemporary “Hispanic” authors: vivid romantic realism (in the fashion of Carlos Ruiz Zafon). In my latest novel, Tujunga, I incorporated a conspiratorial manner that has been often compared to that of Dan Brown.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
Enjoying the stars from my hot tub overlooking the Tujunga Wash in Los Angeles, a friend and I deliberated over profound mysteries of mankind. Not only was I inspired by one of these discussions to expound in a book, but the name to the story arose from the grand spectacle of the starlit canyon–TUJUNGA

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
Just write anything onto the page and later work it into a rhythmic telling of the plot

What authors, or books have influenced you?
My style of writing forms a common thread to that of many English-writing contemporary “Hispanic” authors: vivid romantic realism (in the fashion of Carlos Ruiz Zafon). In my latest novel, Tujunga, I incorporated a conspiratorial manner that has been often compared to that of Dan Brown.

What are you working on now?
The novel I have been working on is called La Macha. Though not a memoir, it is a story based on the life of my mother.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I am yet to find that out. Presently, I am working hard on self marketing my book and have reached many frustrating and costly junctures.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Never wait until it’s perfect before you write it down. Get it on paper and come back later to work out the kinks.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Inspiration comes from effort

What are you reading now?
A higher lowyalty

What’s next for you as a writer?
I hope to survive the maze and cost of self marketing.

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’ve never been one to re-read a book so it would have to be three books I’ve never read before. I like to emphasize yet to be established writers so I would pick books from the back room stock.

Author Websites and Profiles
Carlos Alvarado Website
Carlos Alvarado Amazon Profile

Carlos Alvarado’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile
Facebook Profile
Twitter Account

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I wrote my first story for fun when I was seven or eight. I started my first book at sixteen, and started writing regularly in my early twenties. In the last nine years, I’ve written eleven books, and had a blast doing it! What started it was my love for reading and the awesome and weird books I’ve read (mostly Goosebumps and Hardy Boys by age eight) that were a persistent inspiration for me. Writing will always be my passion… but to make ends meet, I work at the Omaha Zoo as a busser, and I’ve also interned there as a keeper in the jungle. What a fun experience! That is a true calling- but writing books has been and will always be my true passion.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
The last book I completed (Book 11) is called The Worthy One, about two families that join forces (the Kala’s and the Dzako’s… where did I get that from?) to create armor, weapons, and items blessed by Father Kala, the patriarch and professor at the University of Athens in Golden Age-era Greece. What inspired it? A little idea- I was playing a game called Oblivion and discovered you could create custom-made items and name them, so I named them after the family. I had an idea to write a book that the Kalantjakos’ made powerful items in ancient times of danger and magic. The Worthy One was great fun to write… I hope it’s just as fun to read.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
Not so unusual- but something that helps me get a book going until I have more content to go on is to put something in the very beginning of the book to get myself going, like story brainstorming or ‘this book is going to be awesome because…’ It helps set the tone of the rest of the book.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
I stand on the shoulders of giants… and probably do a poor job of doing it. My influences include Ray Bradbury, the Herberts of the Dune series, Arthur Clarke, Stephen Hawking, Stephen King, and Robert Heinlein, whose Stranger in a Strange Land is close to being the greatest work of fiction ever written.

What are you working on now?
A currently title-less book about the human race coming into contact with a superior intelligence that treats them like pets: people are plucked as they stand, by mysterious funnels that appear out of nowhere, to live like dogs with their echymalian masters in their homes. Naturally, this causes an uproar. Man must soon learn to turn His eye on himself and realize his hypocrisy: now that He is no longer top dog… how does He like it?

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
So far, I’ve really only tried Twitter (the account I made in my character’s name).

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Google it.
Whatever you want to know… Google it. That’s how I got published and how I’m researching how to promote it. It may sound lazy… but Google exists to serve. Use it.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
“If writers were businessmen, they’d have the sense not to be writers.”
Well no duh, because they’d do business… they wouldn’t write.

What are you reading now?
The Odyssey by Homer.

What’s next for you as a writer?
I won’t stop writing any time soon, but I’ve written enough to go on. I have a nice portfolio and now I must really hunker down and promote and shove it down the world’s throat. Nobody will give a damn otherwise.

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?
Stranger in a Strange Land
One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest
The Martian Chronicles
2001: A Space Odyssey

Jon Kalantjakos’s Social Media Links
Twitter Account

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I’m a jack of all trades. I’m a mom, first and foremost, to two rambunctious boys. I’m also an RN, a medical records consultant, a tutor, and of course an author. So far I have three books released. A novella in the Steward Saga called “The Tale of Briton’s Fury” and the first book in the Steward Saga series called “Rift in the Deep.” I also have a short book called “The Survival Guide for Nursing Students” that was published recently.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
I wrote “Rift in the Deep” when I was bedbound after knee surgery for twelve weeks. I had put writing on hold to get a “real” job (nursing is not for the faint of heart, ya’all). But as I was recovering, the idea for the book came to me one day. It was almost like an epiphany, and the opening scene of chapter 1 was the vision.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
Nothing I would term unusual, although I work with two VERY loud toddlers around me, climbing on me, and generally making it as hard as possible to concentrate! (I just got interrupted as I wrote that!)

What authors, or books have influenced you?
Too many to list. But the VERY MOST would be CS Lewis, Robert Jordan, and JRR Tolkien.

What are you working on now?
I’m working on Book 2 of the Steward Saga “Rise of the Warlock King” available at the end of May.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
Promotion is hard. Facebook groups have been the best for me, as well as Amazon ads.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Don’t get discouraged. My first series I wrote was TERRIBLE. Practice makes perfect. It’s a rare thing that your first idea is your best one.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Grow thick skin. Authors will be trolled, reviewers will be harsh. I laughed at my first one star review instead of crying, so that advice I really took to heart.

What are you reading now?
The Stormlight Archives by Branden Sanderson, Asrian Skies by Anne Wheeler, The Forsaken Crown by Christina Ochs, and The Beautiful Fight by Gary Thomas.

What’s next for you as a writer?
I will be working on the rest of the Steward Saga series. Book Three will hopefully be released at the beginning of August, and Book 4 sometime in 2019.

If you were going to be stranded on a desert island and allowed to take 3 or 4 books with you what books would you bring?
Only 4!!? What a ridiculously hard questions LOL. Ok, if FORCED to choose…1) The Bible 2) The Wheel of Time Series (I know, that’s probably cheating) 3) The Pilgrims Progress 4) ummmmmmm…omg. Ok, ok, THE CHRONICLES OF NARNIA. But that’s probably cheating again.

Author Websites and Profiles
Janelle Garrett Website
Janelle Garrett Amazon Profile

Janelle Garrett’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile
Twitter Account

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
At this time, I’ve published two steamy contemporary books in the SAY YOU WILL series; the third is due out in summer 2018. I’m also under contract for a historical book coming out in September 2018. I’ll be sending out free content and excerpts, so sign up for my newsletter if you want goodies! https://mailchi.mp/b6e9ee71b73f/ltuct7qyts

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
SAY YOU NEED ME is Janelle and Trent’s story. While it’s a standalone read, Janelle is Alyssa’s little sister from book one. I have a soft spot for “difficult” heroines. Janelle was so much fun to write, and her hero needed to be her total opposite. They push each other hard before getting to their HEA.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
Not really. I use all the tricks: word sprints, deadline-do-or-die (those are the worst), outlining, snowflake methods, the works. Every project goes a little bit differently. I’m open to whatever keeps me writing.

What are you working on now?
I’m still enjoying the steamy contemporary and dirty rom-com romances. Book three in the Say You Will series – spoiler alert, the title is Say You’re Mine – will be out this summer. I have several projects on submission, so check my website for updates! https://carrielomax.com/

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I think a broad strategy is the most holistic approach. I have yet to find a silver bullet.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Keep writing. Write the next book. Read deeply in your genre and broadly across other disciplines. Keep taking craft classes. We all have habits we have to learn and unlearn.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Write the next book.

What are you reading now?
Mia Sosa, Sarah MacLean, Helena Hunting, Tracey Livesay, Beverley Jenkins, Alyssa Cole, Victoria Dahl, Adriana Anders, Kate Clybourne…there’s a reason my TBR list only gets longer. There’s so many amazing and talented authors out there.

What’s next for you as a writer?
More books! I love 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?
I’d bring 3-4 solar-powered Kindles with libraries of classics, contemporary romance, historical romance, and mystery/crime/thrillers. Yes, I’m a cheating bookworm. I own it.

Author Websites and Profiles
Carrie Lomax Website
Carrie Lomax Amazon Profile

Carrie Lomax’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile
Facebook Profile
Twitter Account

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I have written for as long as I can remember. My first book about a teenage rock band was complete when I was 15 but corrupted on a floppy disk. The addiction to writing never subsided, even though the environment where the inspiration happens certainly changed. Now I have published two stand-alone books and am working on a third.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
Shrapnel is my latest book. It was inspired by the depth of female relationships and how we powerful women can be if they come together and encourage each other. I also played with the idea that in this technology-driven day and age, we can befriend people we’ve never met. It’s often easier to open up to those people about things we wouldn’t share with our friends and family. I explored this with my main characters, Elle and Jocelyn, who have never met but are able to walk each other through some tumultuous times in each other’s lives.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I am a homeschool mom of four kids, so it is rarely quiet in our house! I’ve learned to write amongst chaos. A momma’s got to do what a momma’s got to do! As long as I’ve got coffe in hand and music in my earbuds, then I’m ready to take on the writing world.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
One True Thing by Anna Quinlan and Little Earthquakes by Jennifer Weiner showed me how I wanted to develop deep and meaningful female characters. Firefly Lane by Kristin Hannah floored me. I knew I wanted to write complex women and show the growth of the woman.

What are you working on now?
I am currently working on my third book. Here is a quick, early synopsis:
On the 10th anniversary of an event that changed the course of her life, Maggie Thayer is living a lackluster existence. Until she wakes up the next day…but 10 years earlier. Maggie is 17 again, and Levi James is still the boy of her dreams. And the world is still full of possibility. As she relives that day, knowing what is to come, will she make different choices and try to change the future she knows? Will she realize that maybe her life wasn’t as simple as she thought?

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I’ve created ads on a lot of websites and such, but at the end of the day, word of mouth is your best source of promotion. If you write a good book that matters to people, you’ll create raving fans. And those raving fans will share your book with their friends and family. They’ll buy it as gifts. They’ll share your promotions. They’ll tell their reader friends. There is nothing like word of mouth.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
#1 Be true to your story. You can’t please everyone.
#2 Write liberally, then go back and cut 10% out. Make it lean. Use interesting words to replace short clusters of words.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
The 10% rule from Stephen King. Write first without editing, then go back and cut out at least 10%. It has helped me so much as a writer.

What are you reading now?
Therapy by Kathryn Perez. She is an indie author as well, and I am really enjoying this book.

What’s next for you as a writer?
I’m in for the long haul. I have six more book ideas after the my current work in progress. But recently I’ve also been inspired for a couple nonfictions books as well. I freelance edit and love to come alongside other authors and help them with their books, so sometimes I feel like my entire life if books. But I love it. I’m a lifelong 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?
#1 My Bible – The Message Translation
#2 Firefly Lane by Kristin Hannah because it inspires me and I swear I’ve read it over and over
#3 Pep Talk by Terri Savelle Foy because clearly being stranded on a desert island I would need a massive pep talk!

Author Websites and Profiles
Jessica Shook Website
Jessica Shook Amazon Profile

Jessica Shook’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile
Facebook Profile
Twitter Account
Pinterest Account

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I have written for as long as I can remember. My first book about a teenage rock band was complete when I was 15 but corrupted on a floppy disk. The addiction to writing never subsided, even though the environment where the inspiration happens certainly changed. Now I have published two stand-alone novels and am working on my third.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
Shrapnel is my latest book. It was inspired by the depth of female relationships and how we powerful women can be if they come together and encourage each other. I also played with the idea that in this technology-driven day and age, we can befriend people we’ve never met. It’s often easier to open up to those people about things we wouldn’t share with our friends and family. I explored this with my main characters, Elle and Jocelyn, who have never met but are able to walk each other through some tumultuous times in each other’s lives.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I am a homeschool mom of four kids, so it is rarely quiet in our house! I’ve learned to write amongst chaos. A momma’s got to do what a momma’s got to do! As long as I’ve got coffee in hand and music in my earbuds, then I’m ready to take on the writing world.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
One True Thing by Anna Quinlan and Little Earthquakes by Jennifer Weiner showed me how I wanted to develop deep and meaningful female characters. Firefly Lane by Kristin Hannah floored me. I knew I wanted to write complex women and show the growth of the woman.

What are you working on now?
I am currently working on my third book. Here is a quick, early synopsis:
On the 10th anniversary of an event that changed the course of her life, Maggie Thayer is living a lackluster existence. Until she wakes up the next day…but 10 years earlier. Maggie is 17 again, and Levi James is still the boy of her dreams. And the world is still full of possibility. As she relives that day, knowing what is to come, will she make different choices and try to change the future she knows? Will she realize that maybe her life wasn’t as simple as she thought?

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I’ve created ads on a lot of websites and such, but at the end of the day, word of mouth is your best source of promotion. If you write a good book that matters to people, you’ll create raving fans. And those raving fans will share your book with their friends and family. They’ll buy it as gifts. They’ll share your promotions. They’ll tell their reader friends. There is nothing like word of mouth.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
#1 Be true to your story. You can’t please everyone.
#2 Write liberally, then go back and cut 10% out. Make it lean. Use interesting words to replace short clusters of words.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
The 10% rule from Stephen King. Write first without editing, then go back and cut out at least 10%. It has helped me so much as a writer.

What are you reading now?
Therapy by Kathryn Perez. She is an indie author as well, and I am really enjoying this book.

What’s next for you as a writer?
I’m in for the long haul. I have six more book ideas after the my current work in progress. But recently I’ve also been inspired for a couple nonfictions books as well. I freelance edit and love to come alongside other authors and help them with their books, so sometimes I feel like my entire life if books. But I love it. I’m a lifelong 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?
#1 My Bible – The Message Translation
#2 Firefly Lane by Kristin Hannah because it inspires me and I swear I’ve read it over and over
#3 Pep Talk by Terri Savelle Foy because clearly being stranded on a desert island I would need a massive pep talk!

Author Websites and Profiles
Jessica Shook Website
Jessica Shook Amazon Profile

Jessica Shook’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile
Facebook Profile
Twitter Account
Pinterest Account

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I grew up in Ireland and the only regret I have about my childhood was we didn’t have many books . At ten I was reading my neighbors Mills and Boon’s for want of some. I always wanted to write and started my first book at 12, but I realized pretty rapidly that I had not much to write about. From there, I started talking about traveling and never stopped. I left after college and came back after five years and started writing.
I wrote four books before moving to the States and doing a Masters in Creative Writing and two more books after that as well as a short story collection. But these were not meant to be published. They were stepping stones to ‘Debris’.
Between novels, I love to write short stories. They make you look at the world around you while the novel submerses you in your own world. My linked short story collection also set in Ireland is forthcoming with Fomite Press.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
Debris, and it is hard to say what inspired me towards it, as it was years in the making. I don’t mean the actually writing of the novel, but acquiring all the tools to make the novel what it is. Debris started off as a re-write of an earlier manuscript. Andre was always there, and there was always the accident and his move to his aunt’s house. But the earlier version he started using drugs. Erin was his girlfriend in England and played a small role. When I decided Andre should meet her in the estate, Debris became a different story completely. The great part was all the characters had already been put in place for ‘Debris’ so it felt as if I was moving towards it without realizing.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
No, not really. With three daughters, a husband, and a dog, I write any change I get. I do like early mornings whenever I get up.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
That is such a hard question and I wish I had made a list of all the books I’d read. Still there are some books that come to mind straight away. Margaret Atwood and especially Alias Grace when my opinions and perception of a certain character was thrown on its head. “Maps of Lost Lovers’ by Nadeem Aslam, I had to buy for everyone I knew. I loved the world he created and I was stunned by his beautiful writing and imagery. I remember thinking that I wanted to write like that. Of course, Michael Ondaatje, for the brilliant way he lets a story unfold, particularly ‘The Cat’s Table.”
During my masters, I fell in love with Latin American Writers, I’d always enjoyed Gabriel Marcia Marques but this added with Rosario Ferres, Borges, and Cortazar, it was impossible that the Latin American writers and magical realism would not to have an influence on me. In ‘Debris’ the influence, I believe is clear

What are you working on now?
I have just finished a second short story collection that I will put in the drawer for a while before revising. and I am revising my novel ‘Patient 55’ . Patient 55 is set in Ireland amid the controversy of the drug Metropone (M), a drug that erases bad memories. In order for the drug to work, the memories need to be written down and the patients need to undergo months of psychological assessment. I won’t say anything more for now.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I think reviews are great. Debris has been getting great reviews on Amazon and Goodreads which is brilliant. I also have an author face book page and have ‘Debris’ on Goodreads. but I don’t think I have a best method yet. I’m pretty new to the game of promoting books and have no idea about twitter or Instagram, so it can be daunting.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Just keep writing any chance you get. Don’t say that you have no time, make time, and read as much as you can. It is so important to accept feedback and criticism. I know it can be hard as a new writer, I didn’t like it at first, but now I thoroughly trust my readers. Feedback is not criticism, its clearing the way to make you become a better writer.
Don’t let the set-backs get you down either. Dust it off and move on, and eventually they will come less and less. And try to stay true to what you want to write.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Oh that is a hard one. But it was my friend who advised me to do a Masters, I didn’t think I would be able to having come from Ireland, but she insisted I needed to learn from others and be with other writers. At the time it was exactly what I needed. In terms of writing, Be Patient, and nothing is every done on the first draft.

What are you reading now?
Lily King, Euphoria

What’s next for you as a writer?
What can there be , only to continue writing and honing the craft. I’ve the screenplay done for Debris, and I would like to do more of those. I have so many stories that I’d written before Debris that I will re-visit and re-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?
The collected works of Flannery O’Connor and William Trevor.
George RR Martin, the Game of thrones series. He is brilliant.

Author Websites and Profiles
Lorna Brown Amazon Profile

Lorna Brown’s Social Media Links
Facebook Profile

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
This is my first novel.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
The name of my first novel is Breathing in Autumn. Observing different human interactions have inspired some characters. How and why we behave in such a way with people? And how some people make us better humans.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I usually write after mid night.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
I love Jane Austen and all her books have influenced me and raised my expectations of men.

What are you working on now?
Undecided. Have two options lets see which one I dive right into.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I still on the nascent stage of book promotion and will be trying everything.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Just write. Dont worry about people’s view. Fulfill your passion.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
It is nice to be important but it is important to be nice.

What are you reading now?
Harry Potter

What’s next for you as a writer?
Probably fantasy

If you were going to be stranded on a desert island and allowed to take 3 or 4 books with you what books would you bring?
Pride and Prejudice
Emma
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows

Author Websites and Profiles
Ava Deniz Amazon Profile

Ava Deniz’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile
Twitter Account

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
My name is Piper. I often say I’m a late blooming writer because I didn’t publish my first book until I was 36. To date, I’ve published two full-length novels, The Waiting Room and 60 Days (Missing Girl Series, #1) and the companion novella, Missing Girl. I am also the author of The Murder Lawyer Series, and the children’s chapter book series, The Lavender Fairies.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
My latest book is called When Luck Dies. It is a short novelette that is the first “episode” of The Murder Lawyer Series. The book is about a young, thirty-something lawyer, Luna Goldwyn, who is trying to find balance between being a high-profile criminal defense attorney and mother/wife. I wanted to write a series that read almost like a television show and also highlighted certain cases that make us question attitudes towards social norms and justice.

What’s different about this series than other book series is that each “episode” is about 50 pages long and a new episode is available every two weeks until we reach the end of the series. Readers can learn more about The Murder Lawyer Series by visiting this post on my website: https://piperpunches.com/8-things-you-need-to-know-about-the-murder-lawyer-series/

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
Oh, I don’t think so except that a lot of my writing takes place while I’m driving. I’ve been known to have full-length conversations with myself in the car that turn into dialogue in my books. Thank goodness everyone uses Bluetooth these days and hand-free talking. I don’t look crazy talking to myself!

What authors, or books have influenced you?
I love books that have strong characterization and multiple POVs. Some of my favorite authors are Jodi Picoult, Celeste Ng, Khaled Hosseini, Amy Tan, Rohinton Mistry, etc. I could go on and on!

What are you working on now?
Right now, I’m finishing up getting all episodes of The Murder Lawyer Series ready for their release dates. I am also proofing copies of my children’s chapter book, Brave Hearts (Lavender Fairies, #1) before it releases mid-May.

I am also working on putting together a reader’s retreat in a very warm and sunny place. If this is something you’re interested in learning more about, email me at piper@piperpunches.com.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
Promoting is the hardest part about being a writer because it’s hard to get in front of readers. The truth is that it’s a crowded field and we’ve turned into a scrolling society. I rarely use Twitter, but I do promote on Facebook and Instagram. Instagram is actually my favorite social media app. Come over and say hi! My handle is @piperpunches.

Also, I send out newsletters 1 – 2x a month to my VIP list. If you’re interested in being on the list, you can sign up at: http://bit.ly/pipersvips

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Oh, I have a lot of advice! If you’re a new author, this is an exciting time for you, but also scary. There’s a lot of uncertainty and you’ll get a lot of pushback. Don’t let this discourage you. Remember why you love to write and just show up. Show up and write on days when you feel blah and uninspired. Show up when sales are great and show up when they’re slow. No one every got to the top of the mountain by stopping halfway when the switchbacks became too numerous and the air got thinner. They simply took the breath they needed and get going. If you want success, you have to work hard for it, but the view from the top is worth it!

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
I’d say it comes from Dory on Finding Nemo – Just keep swimming!

What are you reading now?
Right now I am reading The Magic of Big Thinking by David J. Schwartz. I’m also excited to read Girls Burn Brighter by Shobha Rao, but am waiting to read this until I’m on my way to Aruba!

What’s next for you as a writer?
Well, I need to get back in front of the computer and start writing the sequel to 60 Days, but not quite yet. Writing two new series in a few short months has been exhausting, so I’m going to do a lot of journaling and soul rejuvenation before I begin the next book.

If you were going to be stranded on a desert island and allowed to take 3 or 4 books with you what books would you bring?
A Fine Balance by Rohinton Mistry
The Universe Has Your Back by Gabrielle Bernstein
A journal to write my own story because no one tells your story the way you do!

Author Websites and Profiles
Piper Punches Website
Piper Punches Amazon Profile

Piper Punches’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile
Facebook Profile
Twitter Account

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I am a workaholic that does not know what to do with herself when she isn’t working. My husband is military so I spend a lot of time alone living in new towns. I spend an awful lot of time online or writing. I’ve written over a dozen books now. When I started out I was writing romances but as I got more sure of myself as an author I started branching out into fantasy which is where I am now.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
My latest book is Moss and Clay. And they idea came to me when I was chatting with a fantasy author friend of mine that I really look up to. Together we came up with this idea of a doll, kind of like a golem, but that was animated by fae magics instead and how it would deal with life in America with its hodge podge of beliefs, customs, cultures, and legends. I told her she should write about that. she laughed it off and told me that she was way too busy and that I should write it instead. So I did.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I have a really annoying one that my editor hates. When I am thinking about which word would be the best word to use I will tap my finger on the comma key. As such my first drafts are always littered with random commas and I don’t always get them all out before sending them on. I switched to speech to text to combat that and now I end all of my quotes with periods. I don’t honestly know which bad habit irks my editor the most.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
Diane Duane of the Young Wizards series
Lilian Oake of the Jaydur series
R.A. Salvatore Forgotten Realms
and Adam Dreece of the Yellow Hood series

What are you working on now?
I am working on the third book in my Mab’s Doll series and a silly, short “unromance” that pokes fun at romance stereotypes.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
Word of mouth. The internet and websites help to bring my books in front of people’s eyes, but it is the word of a friend or person you know that gets a book sale.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Learn your audience. Not just who you want them to be, but who they really are. The people you attract are the people who will want to read what you write.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Be yourself, if you don’t know who that is, find out.

What are you reading now?
The Lost Voice by Lilian Oake

What’s next for you as a writer?
Working even harder. And hopefully have a sit down with RA Salvatore.

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?
How to Survive on a Deserted Island
A book on boat building
A book about how to man a boat and plot a course
And the most expensive book in existence in the hopes that someone would track it down.

Author Websites and Profiles
Rebekah Jonesy Website
Rebekah Jonesy Amazon Profile
Rebekah Jonesy Author Profile on Smashwords

Rebekah Jonesy’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile
Facebook Profile
Twitter Account

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
My name is Cecelia and I have been scribbling since I was a child. I currently have four books on Amazon: SPECIAL PICTURES TO TALK ABOUT (a speech development teaching aid), SILVER SPRINGTIME (a Christian romance), ALL FOR LOVE (a secular romance set on reality television) and MYSTIC EVERMORE (a paranormal vampire romance and adventure series).
I expect to write many more novels and poems. Sometimes stories burst out of me faster than I can type and I write very quickly. For years I was frustrated I could not share these stories with a wider audience. However, of recent times, Print on Demand technology has allowed me to control my publishing process.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
My latest book was MYSTIC EVERMORE. It was inspired by my love of American Gothic fiction in the style of Edgar Allan Poe and vampire stories following the tradition commenced by Bram Stoker’s Dracula.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
Is sitting with a laptop on my knees unusual? Jumping up at night to record words so perfect they can not wait?

What authors, or books have influenced you?
J.R.R. Tolkien, Thomas Mallory, Enid Blyton, C.S. Lewis, William Shakespeare, Jane Austen, Stephen King. H.P. Lovecraft.

What are you working on now?
Apart from this author interview you mean? Well I’m trying to finalise the sequel to ALL FOR LOVE, which will be ALWAYS A BRIDESMAID. This idea came to me while editing ALL FOR LOVE. Editing 29 chapters is a huge task. I loved the characters and the book was ‘stand alone’, so I challenged myself – how would a sequel fit on here? The answer came as a different reality television show, produced by the same TV station.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I don’t know yet. I am an Australia writer. The marketing platforms I am using as US based. So not only do I have to relate to an overseas audience – I cannot find the same tools to get known at home here in Aust!

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

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Write every day.

What are you reading now?
Other than my own writing, I’m bored. Any suggestions – I fancy something about werewolves?

What’s next for you as a writer?
SAINTS AND SINNERS will be published later this year. This is the second in the vampire series. I mean to edit and publish HOPE AND LOVE this is the sequel to SILVER SPRINGTIME.

If you were going to be stranded on a desert island and allowed to take 3 or 4 books with you what books would you bring?
The Bible. The Complete Works of Shakespeare, Tennyson’s Poetry and Sense and Sensibility by Jane Austen.

Author Websites and Profiles
Cecelia Hopkins-Drewer Website
Cecelia Hopkins-Drewer Amazon Profile

Cecelia Hopkins-Drewer’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I am a new author with one published book that is part of a four book series. The next book in the series is currently being edited and will be available later this summer. There will be three books that are for characters that will be introduced in this series.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
The Claimed Queen and I was inspired by science facts. I am a scientist with a lot of passion and I really enjoy writing a story that is fantasy, but still educational.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I always write in the dead of night, or early morning depending on your outlook. I feel like my focus is better at 3 am. It does result in very little sleep when I am writing as I have an eight month old baby who gets up at 6.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
C.L. Wilson and Jeaneine Frost are two of my favorite authors and I love reading their stories. I can escape into a fantasy world with their books, and I that my books will do the same thing for others.

What are you working on now?
I am working on the rest of the “True Immortals Series.”

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I have just started but so far I have really enjoyed using Just Kindle Books and Twitter. I have had good results using them.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Edit, Edit, Edit. When you can have as many other people read the book and catch typos. It is so difficult to edit your own work.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Never give up. Keep trying and it will pay off.

What are you reading now?
I am reading a book about were-panthers. Were-animal stories are not always my favorite but I am enjoying it so far.

What’s next for you as a writer?
To keep writing! I have discovered a real passion and I love putting my thoughts down on the page. I love having other people enjoy my stories.

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 Jeannine Frost Vlad and Leila four book series. I have read them probably fifty times and I would never want to be apart from them.

Author Websites and Profiles
E.M. Jaye Website

E.M. Jaye’s Social Media Links
Facebook Profile
Twitter Account

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
ANNOUNCING the release of Drunken Angel, the fourth novel from Charles Stoll which focuses on the mind of a serial killer.

Charles Stoll was born on Long Island in 1956. He began to write seriously at sixteen as therapy when several friends died in a fire. In high school, he won a national award in writing (N.C.T.E.) and was granted a scholarship to Syracuse University. Charles was in the Honors Program and joined the Phi Kappa Psi fraternity. A favorite writing professor challenged him to write three books in three years to hone his writing skills. He accomplished that goal forty years later when life stopped interrupting.

“My pet peeves: books I feel that I’ve read before, that repeat the same ideas ad nauseum, that don’t answer questions they pose and that have characters that are blatantly good or bad. In my books, I try to place all the truths I have discovered in my own life. My characters have not only bodies, but minds and spirits and their own philosophy of life. The novels all offer fresh perspectives, insightful observations and a deeper message. My objective is to leave the reader with a deeper sense of the wonder and the mystery we call life.

“In my latest novel, Drunken Angel (Gatekeeper Press, 2018), Daisy Perlman overcomes an abusive childhood in the mythical town of Marmalade, learning her own version of life from her walks through the woods, to become the murderer that everyone loves. You will love her complete ignorance of civilized life.
In Sorry and Morticum (Gatekeeper Press, 2016), we visit Daytona a thousand years in the future when mankind is no longer the dominant culture, but life’s problems have a way of enduring.
In The Time Thief (Gatekeeper Press, 2015), Professor Royale, his crazy dad and his inspired students dig up dead bodies and end wars.
In Enigma, discovering the moments that form your life (Gatekeeper, 2014) Joshua Chambers discovers that the real moments that made him who he is were really the small moments.”

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
Drunken Angel was inspired by the rash of serial killers recently in the U.S. I wanted to explore the problem from the mind of a serial killer, looking outwards,
and from one who later regretted her actions.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I write whenever a thought enters my head, whether I’m eating, sleeping or whenever.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
I enjoy books with a philosophical bent: Dinner with Buddha, The untethered Soul by Singer, On the Road by Kerouac, Siddhartha, On the Road,
Plato’s Republic, etc.

What are you working on now?
I am thinking of exploring a psychotic mind from the inside out.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
Word of mouth. My reviews on Amazon help.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Write what you know. You’d be surprised at the things you’ve analyzed more deeply than the general population.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Write three books in three years. A favorite professor advised me to do this forty years ago.

What are you reading now?
Origin, by Dan Brown.

What’s next for you as a writer?
I intend to explore every cobweb covered corner of my own mind.

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?
Everything by Joseph Campbell!

Author Websites and Profiles
Charles Stoll Website
Charles Stoll Amazon Profile
Charles Stoll Author Profile on Smashwords

Charles Stoll’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile
Facebook Profile
Twitter Account

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I grew up in Latvia in a family of stage performers and spiritual healers. I’m an avid traveler and a cook. I’ve written a lot of stories, essays and a memoir under the name of Oksana Marafioti. Donatti’s Lunatics is my first book under my pen name, Ana Mara.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
My latest book is called Donatti’s Lunatics. Most of what you’ll read in it, was inspired by my father’s work as a real like ghost hunter and an exorcist.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I have to have water or coffee when I write. Sometimes, I turn on the desk lamp to help me get in the mood. I like to change my writing habits around, always keep myself on my toes.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
Definitely Bulgakov’s The Master and Margarita! The ultimate magic realism story about witches, love, talking cats and so much more. Also, the Anita Blake series by Laurel K. Hamilton.

What are you working on now?
Book two in the Doantti’s Lunatics series.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
All social media.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Write first. Procrastinate later.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Never take yourself too seriously.

What are you reading now?
Russian Fairy Tales

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

Author Websites and Profiles
Ana Mara Website
Ana Mara Amazon Profile

Ana Mara’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile
Facebook Profile
Twitter Account

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I have written three short books besides “Twisted Myths & Legends”. I have pulled three books off the shelves, so I can write another book of short stories and include them with.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
Twisted Myths & Legends.
I put together a book of short stories, that have just been in my notes.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I play World Of Warcraft to keep mind mind young and full of ideas.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
One of my Favorite Authors;

Charlotte Perkins Gilman
Born in Hartford, Connecticut, The United States July 03, 1860
Died August 17, 1935
Genre Fiction, Sociology, Poetry

Charlotte Perkins Gilman was a prominent American sociologist, novelist, writer of short stories, poetry, and nonfiction, and a lecturer for social reform. She was a utopian feminist during a time when her accomplishments were exceptional for women, and she served as a role model for future generations of feminists because of her unorthodox concepts and lifestyle. Her best remembered work today is her semi-autobiographical short story, “The Yellow Wallpaper”, which she wrote after a severe bout of post-partum depression.

What are you working on now?
The book I am working on is on the myths of the Djinn.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I have tried all the normal outlets and most don’t seem to have any influence on readers.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Are all the writing helps advertised, really helping? Are they going help you make money or they just lining their pockets with your money?

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Write from the heart.

What are you reading now?
I am re-reading The Hobbit and The Lord Of The Rings.

What’s next for you as a writer?
I will be writing Historical Fiction Novels, and working on some more books of shorts.

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, An Extensive Bible Study Book, J.R.R. Tolkien “The Hobbit” and “The Lord of The Rings”

Author Websites and Profiles
Starr Sayles Website
Starr Sayles Amazon Profile

Starr Sayles’s Social Media Links
Facebook Profile
Twitter Account
Pinterest Account

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I’ve written countless user manuals, knowledge bases, and many, many other technical documents. I have, however, only written one book so far.

My intention is to follow up with more novellas, since I love the style and it allows you to bring new content to your readers quickly.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
The First Day. It’s because the main character is introduced and it’s a brand new day… at least, to him.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
None that I’m aware of! I do prefer writing in the morning, I make it a goal to write at least several pages each morning while I’m still inspired and excited… you know, before we have to go to work.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
While maybe a bit of a cliche, Tolkien. The Lord Of The Rings wasn’t just a series of books, it was a universe with a million things to explore. I aim to do the same.

What are you working on now?
The second book in my series, we’ll start where we left off, but this adventure is going to take us much, much further this time.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
My book is available on Amazon ( https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07CQHBH2P ), and I use their promotion tools to start. Being new to it, it helps that their system is set up to guide new writers through the process.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Don’t be scared of whether people love it or hate it, be proud that you created something. That’s more than most people do in a lifetime.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Don’t eat the yellow snow.

What are you reading now?
I’m currently working my way through the Assassin’s Creed books that are available on Amazon. It’s one of my favorite game series, and the books so far are a great companion to the games.

What’s next for you as a writer?
I will continue to work on the following chapters of my series. I really want to expand on the universe and have at least four more chapters completed in 2018. At least!

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 the Lord Of The Rings books. If I can take the copy that has the 3 books combined as one, then I can also take The Hobbit, The Silmarillion and The Return Of The Shadow.

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I am a seventy five year old retired man who has been married for fifty two years to the same woman. How she puts up with me I’ll never know. I have one self-published book out and another book will hopefully be out sometime in the fall of 2018.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
My co-author and I are both senior citizens and our Historical Romance novel, Butterfly Wish, is our first book. Rich Marcano and I have been friends for over fifty years. After serving together in the U.S. Air Force and stationed in South Korea 1963-64 we lost contact with each other for many years. Thanks to the Internet we found each other again in 2012. We have been talking about writing a book about some of what we experienced, saw or heard about, while stationed in South Korea. It took us a long time to finally come up with the courage to write the book. Although it is fiction, we felt a story such as Butterfly Wish needed to be told.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
Being I co-write my novels with Rich we spend a lot of time on the phone and the computer.
We have no set time to write and rely mostly on inspiration to work on our novels. Sometimes that can prove inconvient to one of us but we always manage to do what needs to be done. Often I will write segments of the book and forward to Rich and he does the same for me.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
Well I can’t really speak for my co-author other then I know one of his favorite author’s is Louis L’Amour. But I have several favorites. James Michener, Ernest Hemmingway, Harold Robbins, Larry McMurty, Robert Louis Stevenson and Edgar Allen Poe to name a few.

What are you working on now?
A Paranormal Romance/Time Travel novel titled Twice Upon a Time.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
As a first time self-published author I do a lot of Internet searches trying to find the Web Sites I think will get me the most exposure. My book now is on Amazon/Kindle, Goodreads, Barnes and Noble Nook, Google Playbook and Scribd to name a few. I’m also on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and Pinterest. Now I’m on Awesome Gang, too. I also have my website www.aragonstories.com and you can purchase my book on https://www.bookbaby.com/

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Don’t ever give up. It’s easy to quit and a lot harder to see it through to the end.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
If you’re afraid of failure then it’s very unlikely you will ever succeed.

What are you reading now?
I am reading a novel by Eoin McDonald titled The Final Position. So far I am enjoying it very much. I don’t believe it’s out on the market yet.

What’s next for you as a writer?
Just keep writing stories that I think will entertain my readers. Being I have been around for seventy-five-years I can’t help it if my stories often offer lessons in life.

If you were going to be stranded on a desert island and allowed to take 3 or 4 books with you what books would you bring?
Wow that’s a tough one. I think my safest answer would be … any three books written by one … or as many as three of my favorite authors listed above.

Author Websites and Profiles
Dan Davidson Website
Dan Davidson Amazon Profile

Dan Davidson’s Social Media Links
Facebook Profile
Twitter Account
Pinterest Account

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
My name is Maria and I am a librarian. I live in Greece. I have published my first book-part of a series-and I am in the process of writing the others.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
My latest book is my first book. I was inspired by “The Mortal Instruments” by Cassandra Clare.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I stare at the ceiling if I am having a writer’s block but shh!! Don’t tell anyone.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
Many authors and books have influenced me but I am going to name two authors. The first is J.K.Rowling who taught me to love books. The second, Cassandra Clare who inspired my own series.

What are you working on now?
The second volume of “The cursed girl.”

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I think a good tool is facebook pages and YouTube but also reviews. Reviews show how people react to a book. But I don’t know very much about the subject since I am just starting my writing journey.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Write, write, write. Even if you think it’s pointless. You might see a mountain in front of you but you will soon see the exit. A thousand authors before you succeeded, why not you?

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
It’s not advice as much as a reaction. One of my beta readers told me excited that she loved my book and asked me if it was not a movie. I was so happy I almost cried.

What are you reading now?
I just finished “Once upon a time…upon a time” by P.A. Elliott

What’s next for you as a writer?
I want to publish the rest of “the cursed girl” series and embark on my next adventure.

If you were going to be stranded on a desert island and allowed to take 3 or 4 books with you what books would you bring?
That’s is the most difficult question someone can ask a reader. I have no idea. Are you sure I can’t bring the whole bookcase with me?

Author Websites and Profiles
Maria Vermisoglou Amazon Profile

Maria Vermisoglou’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I grew up, and live in Nova Scotia, Canada. To rest and relax I love to retreat into nature and spend time with animals enjoying the magic of spirit that surrounds us all. I write many articles, poetry, and quotes on my website and also for The Edge Magazine. Writing is my outlet to share with others.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
My latest book is “Thundering Mountain Ranch, As Feathers Fall”. It was inspired by spending time outside in nature and doing Animal Reiki at Two Rivers Wildlife Park. You can read about the animals in the novel, especially Bud, a Black Percheron, and Mabel, a Wild Sable Island Horse, along with the other animals and what we can learn from them, while also reading about natural remedies during Travis battle with cancer and their romance on the mountain.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I allow my mind to relax and write the words that flow to me. I go into nature near water and spend time with animals to be inspired to write.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
I love to read and take courses. My interests are varied. I love non-fiction books and fiction books. Shy Boy by Monty Roberts inspired my love of wild horses. I read the bible when I was young so that is where my spiritual sides comes from. My Mother always inspired me to write and my son inspires me to be the best person I can be everyday. My dogs have kept me busy outside leading me to inspiring locations and finds.

What are you working on now?
Next I am working on a sequel to “Thundering Mountain Ranch, As Feathers Fall”. I am also working on posts on my website and related social media.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I have posted my book on my website and have shared it on all my social media links listed on my website and continue to seek other avenues.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Get inspired. Meditate on your book and let the ideas come to you and flow out into words. Believe in yourself. Be genuine and true to yourself.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
You can do this!
Write what you know about.

What are you reading now?
I read everyday. From law to non-fiction and fiction books. I like to read inspirational books. I also do research on many things in life. I like to read about herbs and natural health.

What’s next for you as a writer?
I will continue to write. I am working on the sequel to my book and will continue to share on my website.

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?
Books I would take with me would be the Bible for faith and inspiration, Shy Boy because of my love of wild horses, and I hope there is internet on the desert island so I can log in and do research on many facets of life, animals, health, etc.

Author Websites and Profiles
Maria Lisa Polegatto Website
Maria Lisa Polegatto Amazon Profile

Maria Lisa Polegatto’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile
Facebook Profile
Twitter Account
Pinterest Account

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I’m the author of a dozen historical books, romances, and young adult fiction and non-fiction. Although I started writing young, I put off publishing until I had most of my family raised. My youngest son is in high school now, and since he was small, I’ve turned from freelancing to novels so he’s seen the process. I hope if anything he’s learned to go for it Currently, I live in Georgia and travel whenever possible to out West or down to the Caribbean for R&R and inspiration. I’m a beach girl, cat lady, and I have a serious Netflix problem.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
My latest book is A Pirate at Pembroke. It’s about a girl whose family is pressuring her to marry and marry well. Though she digs her heels in, she can’t help but be interested in a scandalous new neighbor with a pirating reputation.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I don’t listen to music when I write like some authors, but when I’m deeply involved in finishing a scene or scenes, I have to turn on some white noise like a fan to block out the real world.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
There’s almost too many to name, but I definitely have been influenced by Jane Austen and the old, classic dime store paperbacks that told stories of romance with class.

What are you working on now?
I’m finishing a sea fantasy, the first in a trilogy, called The Sea King. It’s been a fun escape!

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
Although social media sites like Facebook are great places to talk with others about your books, I find that staying active on Twitter by sharing information, sharing others’ information, and choosing positive tweets to focus on bring in the best results for followers, contacts, and sales.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Small bites, patience, and unwavering determination.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
If the grass is greener on the other side, water your own lawn.

What are you reading now?
My Kindle is stacked with ebooks–mostly historical romance and crime novels. I’m a pretty eclectic reader.

What’s next for you as a writer?
My next release is a non-fiction biography on Queen Victoria, coming this fall with Atlantic Publishing. Currently, I’m finishing a young adult sea fantasy about an ordinary boy who has no idea he has pirate and mermaid roots.

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?
How to Survive on a Deserted Island (Ha!), and Jane Austen, Patrick O’Brian, Tolkien, and scriptures.

Author Websites and Profiles
Danielle Thorne Website
Danielle Thorne Amazon Profile

Danielle Thorne’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile
Facebook Profile
Twitter Account
Pinterest Account

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I’ve lost count of how many books I’ve written now. I started reading seriously at about 13. My mother had all the science fiction books. All of them. Golden Age stuff appealed to me, so I binged on Clarke and Asimov. Then I got into Stephen King – I was probably too young for King – and Dean Koontz. later, I discovered Donaldson and Frank Herbert.

I learned about people through reading. Being an autistic kid, I didn’t understand people by meeting them. Fiction gave me the in-depth studies I needed to learn about humanity, and the stories I needed to aspire to be more human myself.

Eventually, I started writing. My first novel was completed when I was 15. It went in a desk drawer (it belongs there). Now I publish a book or two a year.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
Finding Life on Mars is like my 12th title, but the second novel I wrote as an adult. I’d just come out of graduate school and taken a year off from writing, then finished The Girlfriend Project. I liked the catharsis of that book but wanted to do something more complicated. Finding Life on Mars went through a couple of iterations, and I grew as a writer through each. I feel like I also grew as a person.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I can put out 10000 words a day when I’m really into a project. I guess my unusual habit would be autistic obsession with a story. It gives me a certain stick-to-it-iveness that my colleagues at times envy.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
Stephen King
Isaac Asimov
Robert Heinlein
Arthur C. Clark
Dean Koontz
Lee Child

What are you working on now?
I’m working on a post-apocalyptic adventure about isolation, loneliness and Ubuntu.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I have no idea, actually. I don’t write for sales; I write to clarify a thought or feeling that I can’t explicate in a short format. This is the first book I’ve ever really wanted to succeed.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Write! Limit the amount of advice you take from older writers; the markets now are 100% different than even 15 years ago. Old advice no longer holds.

And, don’t write for markets. Write for yourself.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Don’t sweat the petty things, and don’t pet the sweaty things.

What are you reading now?
Sean Russel, The One Kingdom

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

If you were going to be stranded on a desert island and allowed to take 3 or 4 books with you what books would you bring?
Dune. One Jack Reacher novel (if you’ve read one, you’ve read them all). The Stand. And, follow me on this one, Crime and Punishment.

I’ll read the first three then probably get bored with isolation, then use Crime and Punishment to build a papier mache raft and float home.

Author Websites and Profiles
Jason Dias Amazon Profile

Jason Dias’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile
Facebook Profile
Twitter Account

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I am a children’s author with Crimson Cloak Publishers. I have worked with children for over 20 years. I am married with 2 children and 4 grandchildren. I am on the Asperger’s spectrum and have had health and mental health problems. Because of my own belief and research I feel that healthy eating is very important in early childhood and therefore wrote fun books to encourage healthy eating. I have also written many more covering mental health, autism, self confidence, friendship, stranger danger, safety and books for charity.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
Sophie the Seagull who was afraid to fly. I think a lot of children today have fears and anxieties so this is something to help encourage children to face their fears in a fun rhyme book.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I sometimes wake up in the night with an idea and jot it down. Other than that no.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
Roger Hargreaves Eric Carle Julia Donaldson

What are you working on now?
I am now doing a local history book and writing songs for a musical both locally.

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

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Never pay vanity publishers and always check out to see if your idea for a book has already been done before.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
See it as a hobby not a career.

What are you reading now?
Call the Midwife

What’s next for you as a writer?
A novel which will be a true story about the war and how my parents met.

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?
Call the Midwife series

Author Websites and Profiles
Rosita Bird Website
Rosita Bird Amazon Profile
Rosita Bird Author Profile on Smashwords

Rosita Bird’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile
Facebook Profile
Twitter Account

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I’ve always written ever since childhood and of course I have always read books. I was quite a solitary child, so for that reason I was thrown back onto my own resources. Books – and later on, films – became my natural home and my window on the world. Eventually, I started writing my own stories. English was my best subject at school by far. As an adult I have always worked in publishing, so you might say I have lived among books and writing all my life. I have a handful of Berlitz travel guides to my name (all out of date now), but for the last few years I have been writing fiction. Four American Tales was published a couple of years ago, and my novel Farewell Olympus is out now. Today, I write because I feel I have to, it is part of me and it is something I can do reasonably well. And I see it as a personal contribution towards helping explain ourselves to ourselves, of widening our sympathies and understanding.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
I’ve just published my novel Farewell Olympus. It’s set in Paris and tells the story of a young man named Howard, whose ambitions for the sweet life are thrown into chaos by the unexpected arrival of his half-brother Eugene, whom he finds waiting for him on his doorstep. I’ve always like the idea of twins and opposites and how conflict can contain affection, even love, so that must have been some of my inspiration. Generally, however, like most writers, inspiration comes via hard work and unfolds day by day. I had the idea of someone turning up and ruining everything, and I quickly thought of Paris for some reason, so I wrote a few pages and that led me onwards and upwards to Olympus. There are elements of mystery and danger in the story that I had a lot of fun making ridiculous or farcical. It’s a book very close to my heart and, I believe, the best thing I have written so far.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I write with a goose quill dipped in snake venom.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
Every book I’ve ever read has influenced me in some way. I think books are like experiences: we can’t recall everything that’s ever happened to us, but all of it made us what we are today. Authors I admire include Dickens, Vidal, Capote – there are hundreds.

What are you working on now?
Promoting Farewell Olympus is taking up all my time at present, but I am nourishing the idea for another novel about a stranger who comes to live in a small town and sets off conflicting reactions. That’s about as far as I’ve got! It takes me ages to develop an idea.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I can’t say I have one, so I hope Awesome Gang will do the trick! So far, nothing has been worth the effort. Perhaps it’s more of a cumulative thing. I’ve left my profile and books all over the Internet, so one day maybe someone will think to look at what I do. Social media have been extremely disappointing. It’s hard when you don’t write genre: I know it’s hard when you do write genre, but when your work is not easily categorizable people don’t look for it. I write reviews on my website, something I enjoy doing. That has brought me a little recognition, but not anything that has translated into sales. It’s a marathon …

Do you have any advice for new authors?
It’s a marathon … Be true to your vision. Cooperate with other writers. Help others. Listen to advice but make up your own mind.

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

What are you reading now?
The proof copy of the paperback to Farewell Olympus. My goodness it’s a cracking read!

What’s next for you as a writer?
I have a backlog of unpublished novels I really should get around to publishing. Then I’d like to write more novels.

If you were going to be stranded on a desert island and allowed to take 3 or 4 books with you what books would you bring?
The Wine of Solitude by Irene Nemirovsky; War and Peace by Leo Tolstoy; Lincoln by Gore Vidal; O Pioneers by Willa Cather.

Author Websites and Profiles
Jack Messenger Website
Jack Messenger Amazon Profile

Jack Messenger’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile
Facebook Profile
Twitter Account

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
Andrey Vlasov became interested in photography when he was 22 years old. His passion for traveling merged with his new love for photography blending the two hobbies under his creative name ‘Photravel’. Over the past years he has visited 25 countries, some of which he lived in for months at a time.
Seeing the world through the eyes of a traveler inspired Vlasov to create and share travel books filled with hundreds of unfiltered photographs capturing the true essence gained from exploring these regions.
Since publishing his first book in 2016 titled Thailand: A country of Smiles, Vlasov has published three more travel guides; San Francisco: A City of Love, Los Angeles: A City of Fame and Other California.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
“Other California: Sacramento and National Parks, Sequoia and Yosemite”
I was very inspired by my trip to those beautiful national parks in California.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
Yes, I would say that my books are unusual. I give the information about places and tourist attractions throught my photos and have just short text in the beginning of each book to inspire readers.

What are you working on now?
My two new titles: “Miami: A City of Endless Summer” and “Prague: A City of Romance”

Author Websites and Profiles
Andrey Vlasov Website
Andrey Vlasov Amazon Profile

Andrey Vlasov’s Social Media Links
Facebook Profile
Twitter Account

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
Darren DeSmeaux grew up in a middle-class suburb of Minneapolis with his older brother and sister. In his youth, he led an active life, often times outdoors, playing most any sport he could. Eventually, his passion turned to hockey, where he spent countless hours playing games or practicing on the outdoor Minnesota rinks.

He played high school hockey, then Junior A hockey, and went on to play Division-III hockey after that. He was voted All-American as a defenseman three of his four years in college, then played a year of minor league hockey after graduation. Once his short flirtation with the professional hockey ranks ran its course, he retired and moved back to Minnesota.

Darren’s early retirement was short-lived, as he began his business career shortly thereafter as an inside sales representative. After six months of phone sales, he moved into finance, where he has filled various roles for about the past 9 years. He received his Master of Business Administration degree while he worked full-time.

His first role in finance was working for a medical device manufacturing company, and after two years, he took a different role at a large grocery retailer and distributor. Two years later, he was presented with a great opportunity to work for a small, rapidly-growing telecommunications retailer that had just relocated from another state. Darren spent the next five years working directly for the CFO and hand-in-hand with the private equity ownership group.

The company grew from just over 100 retail locations to over 1,200 locations in a span of four years, which included fourteen separate acquisitions and a large merger. The entire company was then sold to another much larger private equity group. Darren DeSmeaux left the company in early 2017 to take a career break and pursue a freelance writing career, although he remained on as a consultant through October 2017 while the company transitioned its headquarters away from Minnesota.

Darren has written two books (only one of which has been published) and is currently working on two more; Bipolar Man – Anxiety Andy and the Investment, which is the second installment of the ongoing comic series, and The Adventures of Baby Doll and Chi-Chi, a children’s book based on the real-life adventures of his two daughters.

He is an agreeable, sarcastic, and analytical person who is very easy to get along with and is amongst the most honest and genuine a person there is. He loves sports, especially golfing and hockey, and he enjoys many various activities such as writing, SCUBA diving, being a father, watching movies, and reading about science and outer space.

He has also recently tried to become involved in helping fight against the stigma of mental health ailments. Along with that, Darren has expanded his knowledge of consciousness, reality, existence, Buddhism, meditation, spiritual awakenings, the afterlife, and many more somewhat related topics. He is also beginning to delve into the realm of Quantum Mechanics to try to understand how the building blocks of life interact.

He currently lives in a suburb of Minneapolis with his wife and two daughters.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
I published Bipolar Man! – The Introduction to Existential Erica in April 2018, and am currently working on the second installment of Bipolar Man! – Anxiety Andy and the Investment.

My inspiration came from real-life events, my own life specifically, and some of the details come through in my books. I’ll leave it up to your imagination to determine what’s real and what’s not.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I write after I meditate…it lets my creativity come through most effectively.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
The Alchemist, and anything written by Eckhart Tolle.

What are you working on now?
The second Bipolar Man! book, and a supernatural thriller that should read mysteriously.

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

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Write, even when you’re stuck, you can always come back and polish it, or change it.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
The only things you’ll regret in life are the decisions you didn’t make, and the chances you didn’t take.

What are you reading now?
Nothing…I’m spending all my free time writing at the moment.

What’s next for you as a writer?
It depends. I’d like to continue the Bipolar Man! Comedic Adventures for a long time.

If you were going to be stranded on a desert island and allowed to take 3 or 4 books with you what books would you bring?
The Alchemist, A New World and The Power of Now, and Molecular Consciousness.

Author Websites and Profiles
Darren DeSmeaux Amazon Profile

Darren DeSmeaux’s Social Media Links
Twitter Account

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I am a poet with musicality. a fervent lover and traveler.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
Current Feels was inspired by my excessiveness. I feel too much, sometimes to my own detriment and i always thought it was a weakness. that it was something only i felt until i interacted with my Instagram audience and learnt that a lot of people feel too much good and too much bad and so Current Feels was born. The objective was to simply nude my muchness in a collection of poetry exploring various love subjects and that in doing that it would allow everyone who reads the book to embrace their own muchness.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I wouldn’t call them unusual really but i write better with a cold beer in one hand or in the woods

What authors, or books have influenced you?
I read a lot so a legion of novels and poetry books played a role in shaping me as a writer. yet with that i would like to believe my writing still maintains my authentic voice so i can’t say person X has influenced me

What are you working on now?
I am taking a break right now. Writing Current Feels was a heavy emotional journey.

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

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Keep it real. It’s useless trying to be like every other writer out there. Readers appreciate an authentic and unique voice so tell your stories in your own way.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Read. Read. Read.
I wouldn’t be a writer if i didn’t heed this advise.

What are you reading now?
I am in between books.
I am reading Quiet, Black Box Thinking, Bone and Sun and her flowers

What’s next for you as a writer?
To write more.
You see i am what society calls introverted so my primary means of self expression is writing and so it’s as necessary as breath to me.

If you were going to be stranded on a desert island and allowed to take 3 or 4 books with you what books would you bring?
The prophet by Kahlil Gibran
The 40 Rules of Love Elif Shafak
The love poems of Rumi

Author Websites and Profiles
Portia Mabaso Website

Portia Mabaso’s Social Media Links
Facebook Profile

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I currently have nine books published, all either contemporary or erotic romance.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
One Night in Inverness is the latest to be published. It’s my third contribution to Tirgearr Publishing’s City Night series. I was inspired by a recent holiday to Loch Ness, and the beauty of Scotland.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
Not unusual, but I have to have a large mug of tea to hand when I’m writing. I can’t write without it.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
So many! I will read pretty much anything and don’t think I have a particular favourite author.

What are you working on now?
I’m currently working on several projects including two more contemporary / erotic romances, and a possible fantasy series.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I use Facebook and Twitter to promote my books. I’m a social media addict.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Listen to the feedback. Join a local writers group if you can.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Hire an editor. You will never find all of the typos etc. on your own. A professional editor has spent years training and honing their skills to help perfect your work.

What are you reading now?
I’m currently finishing an Arts and Humanities degree, so reading Gulliver’s Travels for my final assignment.

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

If you were going to be stranded on a desert island and allowed to take 3 or 4 books with you what books would you bring?
Hitch Hiker’s Guide to the Galaxy – preferably an anthology with all of the books in one. Book 5 of the Game of Thrones books (I’ve read the first four and they take a while for me to get through them, so that should keep me busy for a while). And an SAS Survival Guide. So I can survive.

Author Websites and Profiles
Charlotte Howard Website
Charlotte Howard Amazon Profile
Charlotte Howard Author Profile on Smashwords

Charlotte Howard’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile
Facebook Profile
Twitter Account

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I am an English poet and writer who is new to the publishing process, however, I have been writing poetry for over two decades. I found that by actively embracing both the creative and feminine sides of my personality, I draw from greater strength of character and clarity of vision.

I am a self-confessed Geek, my thought process is deep but not overwhelming, instead I lead with my heart; being intuitive; sometimes dark, but honest; fun; passionate and inspiring.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
In my debut book of poetry, “Proceed With Awesome: A Poetic Voyage”, I leave everything on the page for the reader to explore or empathise with, as I would like for you all to dwell in a more positive or decisive place by each poem’s conclusion.

I realised that beauty could be born out of not only love,
but also pain and other motivations. The more I used this therapeutic implement, the more I realised that it helped me to find a silver lining in even the darkest emotions, experiences, observations and topics; find positivity even in the face of extreme
negativity; find strength when I was being forced to feel weak; and find hope that my tomorrows would be brighter.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
Well, I only write when I feel an electric surge of inspiration rushing through me, fortunately this is pretty regularly. It can occur at any time, but waking up from a deep sleep to write seem to be my mind’s subconcious favourite option! Hehe.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
I absolutley love “A Short History of Almost Everything” by Bill Bryson, his writing style is amazing, it keeps you thoroughly engaged and you have to wrestle the book out of your own hands to get anything else done! Hehe.

I also enjoy being inspired by Nelson Mandela’s books, and anything by Maya Angelou. Aside from being fantastic writers, they were first and foremost superb human beings with huge hearts and a wealth of wisdom.

These are a select few, but I could go on for days, I love reading and I’m regularly inspired by others.

What are you working on now?
I have began working on creating a paperback edition of my debut poetry book, plus I continue to write new poems and original social media posts.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I enjoy using a multitude of methods to promote my book and writing, I find Twitter, Instagram, GoodReads forums and my website to be the most fruitful methods I currently engage in, giving me lots of opportunities to meet new people, inspire them and also be inspired.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Give your craft the attention it deserves, it shouldn’t be merely an after-thought. Although, that doesn’t necessarily mean writing every hour that God sends you, but you should get to a place where you understand your path, where you have a clear strategy for how you want to maximise your gift, its impact and its potential reach.

Researching and planning will pay dividends, what you don’t know, learn it, preferably teaching yourself. The more focus you give to your intended destination and to getting there, (rather than haplessly struggling to get nowhere fast), the more professional you’ll be along the way as you move ever closer towards your dream outcome, and thus, the greater your chance of finding that success or perhaps something even greater than you could’ve imagined.

Lastly, if you believe in what you are doing, if you’ve done your best to ensure your quality is at its best and the presentation is engaging, then use that belief to get you through any set backs, if you stay driven, you will find a way.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Be courageous in all things. The late great Maya Angelou once said “Courage is the most important of all the virtues because without courage, you can’t practice any other virtue consistently.”

What are you reading now?
Funnily enough, I am working my way through “The Complete Works of Maya Angelou”, she had such a way with words and her passing is a huge loss to the writing world!

What’s next for you as a writer?
Once my book is available in paperback, I plan to begin crafting my second book of poetry, which I am really looking forward to… I can’t wait to share more of my poems and show how my offerings have become even more creative.

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?
Ooh, decisions, decisions! The books I would bring if I were stranded on a desert island would probably be…

The Art of Happiness – The Dalai Lama,
Long Walk To Freedon – Nelson Madela’s Autobiography,
The Complete works of William Shakespeare …which should pass some time, and
The Mammoth Book of One-Liners – Geoff Tibballs …for over 10,000 laughs.

Author Websites and Profiles
Following Whispers Website
Following Whispers Amazon Profile

Following Whispers’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile
Facebook Profile
Twitter Account

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
Resonance is my first book in a five-book series. I hope to have the following four completed in the next year or so.

I have a medical and scientific background and have spent most of my life studying or doing research. I’ve always been interested in many things and haven’t pursued the straight and narrow path. I started out with Bioengineering as my undergraduate degree but added a B.A. in German language and literature. I wanted to become fluent in a modern language while having an excuse to take the Philosophy and upper-level English classes that I loved. After graduating, since I was uncertain whether I wanted to pursue an M.D. or a combined M.D./Ph.D. program, I did some research at Harvard and then decided to move to San Diego for the M.D./PhD. program and stayed to make a life here. I love to spend time with my family, friends, dogs and nature and enjoy reading, singing, dancing, walking, hiking and doing yoga. I’m a dedicated mom, a sharer, a giver, a teacher, an introvert, a nurturer, an activist, and a pain-in-the-butt sometimes since I stand up for what I believe in (nobody likes change), but most importantly I always try to be a good person, to be honest and to do the right thing. I love to laugh, especially since I often take myself too seriously.

I wrote the first draft of Resonance in late 2009, in just a little over two months between wrapping up my Ph.D. in Neurosciences and heading back to medical school for the clinical years. I put the manuscript aside for a few months, then did one round of editing and shared it with friends for feedback. I also shared it with an acquaintance who happened to be a nonfiction agent. After reading it, she wanted to represent me so we sent it off to about ten paranormal romance publishing house editors. Resonance was almost picked up by one publisher, and aside from the fact that most were only looking to purchase vampire novels at that time, I received a lot of helpful constructive criticism. I also realized that I should have spent more time crafting the novel (doing much, much more than one edit) and should have at least consulted a developmental editor before submitting. After that experience, which was a little disappointing but mostly positive, I decided I would self-publish, especially since paranormal editors weren’t that interested in psychics. I hired an editor for a thematic, developmental edit, but then life got in the way, and the years passed by. After several updates and revisions later, Resonance was finally published on March 16, 2018. In 2009, I wouldn’t have imagined it would take me so long to finally pull the plug and publish, but I also wouldn’t have foreseen the twists and turns of my life.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
The title, Resonance, refers to two concepts. Most importantly, Resonance reflects my reasoning for why psychic abilities have increased over the past 30 years. The universe is not stagnant. As Harry states, “we live in a sea of environmental exposures we can barely fathom.” I propose that a change in the background electromagnetic radiation spectrum due to a far-off event (like a supernova) altered our world. When exposed to this different EMF environment in the womb, neurodevelopment changes such that psychic abilities amplify (the EMF resonates with the developing brain). Another reason for the title, Resonance, is that in this world, powerful psychics can resonate with each other and connect on a different plane than normal people.

What inspired it? Well, I’m very interested in the possibilities and potential of the brain and mind (since I have Ph.D. in Neurosciences, it must interest me a little ). I’ve also had a fascination with psychic phenomena, ghosts and spiritual concerns for as long as I can remember. I’ve taken a local shamanism class and mindfulness classes. Like everyone else, I wonder about what the heck happens to us when we die and what’s true in this universe that we can’t easily perceive. I’ve had some personal experiences that could not be explained scientifically or rationally. I have also always loved reading stories about special abilities, superpowers, magic and the supernatural.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
Not that I’m aware of. I either write in my office or in my bedroom if I want to feel cozy, and my two sweet dogs keep me company most of the time. However, I plan on purchasing Dragon dictation to give dictating a try. It would be great to write and walk my dogs at the same time. I’ve heard Dragon has quite a learning curve though, so I keep putting it off.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
My all-time favorite book is To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee. I had a visceral connection to this book and fell in love with literature while reading it in middle school. My favorite series, though not in the genre I usually read, will likely always be Harry Potter. I loved the world J.K. Rowlings created, and I loved sharing it with my children even more. Some of my favorite go-to authors are Diana Gabaldon, Karen Marie Moning, Kresley Cole, Patricia Briggs, J.D. Robb/Nora Roberts, among others. You can check out my Goodreads profile to see many of the other books I’ve read.

What are you working on now?
Dissonance, the 2nd book in the Resonance series. It’s a bit darker than the first book. I’m also working on starting my author blog and getting a medical blog called TheMedicalException.com going as well.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
Honestly, I am brand new to this profession (published only 1 month ago) and haven’t figured it out yet. I took Mark Dawson’s excellent courses, Self-Publishing Formula 101 and Ads for Authors. I’d planned on advertising on Facebook as my main marketing strategy, but unfortunately, with the FB algorithm changes that have happened this year, advertising on FB has been neither cost-effective nor helpful. Since FB hasn’t worked out, I’m trying different strategies now but don’t know yet which will be fruitful. Marketing is definitely my least favorite part of self-publishing.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Get your work out there! I sat on Resonance for almost 9 years. I have a huge fear of failure, and though I had many obstacles, the biggest was my fear. It held me back. Let go of your fear and just do it.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Find something new you’re grateful for every day.

My family puts this into practice at dinner each evening, where we go around the table and share at least one thing we’re grateful for that day. This ritual helps us focus on the positives in life.

What are you reading now?
I just finished the Mortal Instruments series by Cassandra Clare, which my daughter wanted me to read. I have to read every book in a good series, so that took a little time. At her request, I’m now reading We Were Liars by E. Lockhart, and next on my list is Karen Marie Moning’s High Voltage.

What’s next for you as a writer?
Finishing the Resonance series and possibly a nonfiction medical genetics book. I also have a few stand-alone book ideas that are beckoning me, but I’d like to finish the Resonance series first.

If you were going to be stranded on a desert island and allowed to take 3 or 4 books with you what books would you bring?
Hmm, if I’m alone and can only have 3-4 books for the rest of my life, I imagine escapism would be the most important element but being a good-sized book would help too. OK, first would be the last Harry Potter book (Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows) – I think it was the best of the series and I could entertain myself by recalling the previous six. Harry Potter also reminds me of time reading with my kids and would make me feel closer to them. The second would be Outlander by Diana Gabaldon for the romance. Jamie Fraser, with the way he truly loves Claire body and soul, is probably the most appealing romantic lead ever (yes, I have a minor crush on a fictional character). For the third, if it’s ever published, I’d take the last Game of Thrones book so I could occupy myself trying to remember the immense number of sub-plotlines. The fourth would have to be a practical book to teach me how to build a shelter, set traps, forage for food, purify water, etc. since I’m not much of a camper. Otherwise, I wouldn’t survive long enough to finish reading the other three books.

Author Websites and Profiles
Jennifer Greenhall Website
Jennifer Greenhall Amazon Profile

Jennifer Greenhall’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile
Facebook Profile
Twitter Account
Pinterest Account