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

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
Starting a Successful Blog: Share Your Passion and Turn It into a Business

I was trying to create a course on blogging for members of my Facebook group were very much interested in this topic.
Then idea of writing a book came into my mind, as I like reading kindle books from Amazon for myself too. So I created a kindle ebook and published it. And now paperback is available too!

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I love writing but sometimes I get too anxious to write. And I write it on my phone or mac, then read later and find that it was a good one!

What authors, or books have influenced you?
I like Doreen Virtue, Sarah Ban Breathnach,
Nathaniel Hawthorne,
S. T. Coleridge, Shakespeare, Milton,

What are you working on now?
I will soon decide the topic

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
Bookkitty/fiver gig
Twitter
Freebooksy
Awesomegang

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Just start writing anyway

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Actions speak louder than words

What are you reading now?
Influencer- Fast track

What’s next for you as a writer?
Travel

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?
Romantic Novel

Author Websites and Profiles
Saravjeet Sandhu Website
Saravjeet Sandhu Amazon Profile

Saravjeet Sandhu’s Social Media Links
Facebook Profile
Twitter Account
Pinterest Account

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I began writing when I was 9 years old and knew I wanted to be a author when I grew up. I wrote countless books, short stories, and poems over the years and became a paid ghostwriter for a few years in my early twenties. My writing career consisted mostly of fantasy, horror, and erotica.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
Hopeless To Healed

I had experienced some profound healing with my mentor Dr. Mark Tong. After several sessions he told me I should become a Spiritual Life Coach and he would certify me. Without hesitation I told him, “that sounds right.” He asked me if I could write a book sharing my experience as a way to start my Life Coaching Career. I laughed and told him I’d have it done in no time. After lots of procrastinating I finally sat down to write it. The title came to me first, and 30 days later I had a memoir to share!

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I tend to go through cycles. I either write nothing at all, or sit down for days straight while the words pour from my finger tips.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
My mentor Dr. Mark Tong was my biggest inspiration for my memoir. Wayne Dyer and Louise Hayes certainly make the list.

When it comes to my fantasy and horror writing, JK Rowling, Christine Feehan, and Poppy Z. Brite take the lead.

What are you working on now?
Having finished my memoir my biggest goal is launching my career as a Spiritual Life Coach. I’m sure more inspirational stories will come to surface and even a follow up.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
So far I have started with Kindle and Facebook. As this is my first published worked I am still learning and was excited to find awesomegang.com.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Never trust an author who writes more than s/he reads.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Just sit down and do it!
Nothing else will get it written.

What are you reading now?
The Lunar Chronicles by Melissa Meyer.

I am also reading Healing Letters by Myrtle Filmore and slowly working my way through The Artist’s Way and A Course In Miracles.

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 Course In Miracles
The Four Agreements
and The Princess Bride

Author Websites and Profiles
Iris Laflamme Amazon Profile

Iris Laflamme’s Social Media Links
Facebook Profile

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I’ve been writing stories since I was eight years old. I have thirty four completed novels but I never tried to get anything published. In spring of 2017 I had a near death experience and afterwards I decided if I was ever going to publish, now would be a good time to get started. I published my first, Murder in Venice, in the fall of 2018 and did well so I decided to try it again. Deja Vu came out almost a month, ago and I’ve been very pleased by the response to it, as well. I’m planning on publishing one a month for the next year in an attempt to build a brand for myself as a romantic suspense novelist. My third book, One Night in London will be out in January. All of these are available on Amazon.com

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
My most recent book is Deja Vu. It’s a romantic suspense novel. I’m not sure what inspires any of my books. I just get an idea and go with it.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
No really, in regard to writing, but I have noticed that my characters seem to have a commonality….most are musicians….in one form of the other. Deja Vu is different in that it doesn’t have a musician in it.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
I loved Jacqueline Susann’s novels when I was younger. I like John Grisham, Nora Roberts, F.Scott Fitzgerald. Not sure any of them have influenced my style. But those are the ones I like to read.

What are you working on now?
Well, One Night in London is going to be out in January so I am working on the final details there. Plus, I’m working on a wonderful new story, a trilogy, regarding diamond mines and wine producers in South Africa. Eugenia Morrison(a musician with the New England Symphony) is called to Houston, Texas where her father, a world-famous conductor, has been savagely murdered. She returns from his funeral to a ransacked hotel room and she soon learns that her father may have been a famous conductor, but he had a lucrative side line as a diamond smuggler. As Eugenia, known as Genie to her friends, tries to unravel the mystery surrounded by her death, she encounters not one, not two, but three dazzlingly handsome men who each vy for her affections….but which one of them is actually more interested in what Daddy left behind than her.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
Right now I’m using facebook, pinterest, and twitter. I haven’t done any large-scale paid promotions, yet. I was advised, since I have so many books, to get about half a dozen online before I start promoting. I’m beginning to question that, though.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Publish!

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Write, Publish, Repeat!

What are you reading now?
Everything I can get my hands on regarding Johannesburg which is the setting of my next book.

What’s next for you as a writer?
One Night in London publishes in January. And, I hope to have The Great Diamond Caper out sometime in February.

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 Great Gatsby by F Scott Fitzgerald
The Complete Works of William Shakespeare
A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens
Norton’s Anthology of Poetry.

Author Websites and Profiles
RJ Simpson Amazon Profile

RJ Simpson’s Social Media Links
Facebook Profile
Pinterest Account

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I was born and raised in the French-speaking area of Switzerland, in Greater Geneva, where I still resides.

I attribute to my origins my ever-peaceful nature and my undying love for chocolate. I have a passion for art, which also includes an interest in drawing and acting.

I’m the author of the Neve & Egan Cases series, which features an unlikely duo of private detectives in London: Ashford Egan, a blind History professor, and Alexandra Neve, one of his students.

Currently, I’m hard at work on my Urban Fantasy series Vale Investigation which chronicles the exploits of Death’s only envoy on Earth, PI Bellamy Vale, in the fictitious town of Cold City, USA.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
Hostile Takeover, is the first book in my new series Vale Investigation. It’s a mix of classic noir detective story and urban fantasy.

I’m a huge fan of mythologies and I wanted to create a universe which incorporates them all. That was the main driving force when I created this series. The idea is that each book will focus on a new branch of mythology.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
I have a varied reading list. It depends on the mood I’m in.

A personal favorite though is Jim Butcher. I love his Dresden Files series, and cannot wait for the next one.

What are you working on now?
I’m writing the third book in the Vale Investigation series. And also working with my amazing cover artist to finish the art for book two which hits the shelves next spring.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Never ever give up. You’re the only one who can kill your dreams.

What are you reading now?
I just started “Their Lost Daughers” by Joy Ellis, which is a crime thriller. Next-up on my reading list will be the latest “Space Team” by Barry J. Hutchison (space-opera comedy).

If you were going to be stranded on a desert island and allowed to take 3 or 4 books with you what books would you bring?
I’m a practical girl, so only self-help tomes on how to survive on a desert island. Once I’ve built my cabin out of coconuts and palm tree leaves, I’ll use my imagination to provide entertainment.

Author Websites and Profiles
Cristelle Comby Website
Cristelle Comby Amazon Profile

Cristelle Comby’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile
Twitter Account

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I live in the North of Scotland, with my wife Tess, surrounded by beautiful scenery where the deer and rabbits frequent the garden. I have written four books about the First World War being the centenary of the end of the War this year. I have also written a short, humorous book about the antics of two Generals in a fictional war.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
“Murder At Gallipoli” where I relate the action of the Battle of Gallipoli and the work of the Field Ambulance there before I question the reasons for the Battle and the conduct of some of the Commanders who I had previously held in high esteem.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
At times a tendency to make sentences into a question form.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
I love “Winnie The Pooh” and the illogical logic.
The Escapers by Eric Williams

What are you working on now?
A short, humorous story about two Generals and their antics during a fictional war in the 1920’s. The book is written in a purely conversational manner. The book “Lord Bigsby An Ambassadors Story” will follow on from “Bigsby A General Story” which has already been published. I am unsure how this works so I would appreciate comments.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
Hopefully Awesome Gang. I know nothing about social media or blogging!!

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Just write as it will surprise you what comes out.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Even if your books are not selling well to keep on writing. Eventually sales will come.

What are you reading now?
Central Asia by Kathleen Hopkirk

What’s next for you as a writer?
Try to promote my books which I am finding far harder than writing. I now enjoy writing short humorous 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?
The Bible
Agatha Christie
Winnie The Pooh

Author Websites and Profiles
David Wilson Amazon Profile

David Wilson’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile
Facebook Profile

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I am an American writer, poet, and artist living in the Philippines. I moved here this past February to be with my fiancé who left me as soon as I arrived. I am lucky, as he is a total dud. So I was not too sore about the outcome and I decided to stay here and write, finish this novel, as well as a book of poetry; Raven’s Poetry under my pen name Raven Chandler. To Be His Life- When A Straight Man Strays is a rewriting of a previous book of mine- From Lust To Love, which I took out of print to rewrite. I simply knew that I had a great story but it needed more work. That was the smartest thing I ever did, because I went from not being to sure about the book, to falling in love with it. A lot of my improvement as a writer has been in rewriting and editing my own work. It has made me a great editor; so much so that I am now gifted at editing other people’s work. I am however committed to doing my own work. I took another book out of print- Little Star Big Universe- to rewrite too. This is a work in progress. I also write under the pen name Spencer Chase. I did some writing on WordPress but removed it, as I saw that I was writing another novel. This book is also a work in progress- The Gay Adventures of Spencer Chase by Spencer Chase.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
My latest novel is To Be His Life – When A Straight Man Strays. I am always inspired by anything original. The original thing I wanted to create was a gay man and straight man falling in love. It is a common storyline, but not usually believable. I wanted to write a believable storyline. That was the challenge. Hopefully, I succeeded. I think I did. We will see when the vote comes in.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I can write all day without stopping. I was like that as an artist, too. People would say I am a workaholic, but when you are doing what you love, you are not really working, as work is doing something that you find labor intensive. This is a labor of love- like a hobby- but a job.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
I love Elizabeth Gilbert. I have read all of her books and highly recommend them all. For those who have only read Eat, Pray, Love, you are missing out on a lot more great books. I also love Harvey Fierstein. I have watched his movie Torch Song Trilogy over a dozen times. It has surely influenced my creativity a great deal. I also love Malcolm Gladwell. I have read all of his books, too. I like his approach to a subject and how he writes about it. I can see myself creating books like that in the future.

What are you working on now?
Right now I am working on making money. When I left the United States earlier this year, I was struggling to make it payday to payday like so many others. I only had enough money to buy the ticket to the Philippines. I didn’t know where the money would come to survive once I got here, but I trusted it would come, as I believe that way. And it did. Before I left, I did my taxes and saw that my company had been overtaxing me all year, which resulted in a bounty of about $2k. Not much for the USA, but in the Philippines, that is enough to survive on pretty nicely for about 10 months. So that is what I have been doing. Writing and surviving. But now it is time to make some money and get a ticket out of here. Time to sell some books.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
That is yet to be seen. I really don’t have a handle on the marketing end of things. I have been reaching out to everyone and just about everyone has been sweet- promoting my books- which I feel very grateful for.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Unless you are a child prodigy, you will probably suck in the beginning and not know it. So work on it. Edit till you are blue in the face- making your work better and better. And study. Whatever you feel you might be lacking in- get a book or watch some youtube videos to find out how to improve. And improve. And don’t use And to start every sentence. It is very unprofessional.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
You need to experience many adventures if you want to be a writer. I did not seriously pursue writing till I was 42-years-old. But even when I was a child, the interest was there. I do not know who told me as a child that I needed to experience many adventures if I wanted to be a writer, but I never forgot that advice. My life has been a wild adventure and I expect it will continue to be so. I am not sure if this fact has anything to do with the advice I got as a child, but it is an interesting fact.

What are you reading now?
I just downloaded a lot of free lgbt books. I will get to them. Right now, I am busy marketing my own books. Gotta make some money before I go broke.

What’s next for you as a writer?
Lots. I am planning to move to Palermo Sicily as soon as my bank account is doing well again. I have a novel to write under my pen name Spencer Chase. Two more books of poetry to write under my pen name Raven Chandler. And two more books to write der my pen name Giorge Leedy. My legal name is Michael Leedy. He doesn’t do anything.

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 my book, To Be His Life- When A Straight Man Strays. That may sound cheesy, but the characters in my book are created from real people I know. So having the book with me would be like having all of my friends with me. Tiger Montana especially. He was created from the memory of my childhood best friend who died two weeks before his 20th birthday. Now, when I say I use real people personalities, that is true. But I do take liberties to make them fun and funny. They get traits that in real life they do not have.. and traits that in real life they do have. It is a mix. Basically, as a writer, I am like a scientist; adding and taking away until I have just the right formula. It’s exhausting, but the end result is amazing.

I am not sure what other books, but I would need a book on how to survive off the land, how to build a boat, and how to get from a to z.

Author Websites and Profiles
Giorge Leedy Website
Giorge Leedy Amazon Profile

Giorge Leedy’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile
Facebook Profile
Twitter Account

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
Hi! Writing is in my blood. When I was little, I made up stories typically involving secret passageways to other worlds. I had a difficult childhood, so the ability to leave this world and enter my imagination was a lifesaver. Now, I write so others can visit as well. I have written two books and a novella…all in the Ariboslia series…Astray (book I) and Adrift (book II – which was just recently published). Pepin’s Tale is a prequel offshoot featuring one of the major side characters. I’m hoping the final book in the trilogy, Aloft, will be available this spring.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
It’s all part of the same series. It was inspired long ago by the song, Silent Lucidity, by Queensryche. I tried writing it many, many times. But every attempt failed. Then, when my world came crumbling down all around me and I returned to God, the book practically wrote itself.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I think I procrastinate much like most writers. And I have a really hard time turning off my internal editor to just write. I’m a little OCD.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
Oh, so many… Especially C. S. Lewis. I adore the Narnia series. But I read a lot of Sci-Fi and Fantasy growing up. Plus some horror. I loved Stephen King, Dean Koontz and John Saul. But I don’t enjoy horror for the sake of horror…only for the tension and intrigue that keeps me turning the pages to figure out what’s happening. And I hate to admit enjoying the Twilight series. But I believe vampires are to be destroyed not admired or desired. So, my series returns vampires to their proper, must-be-destroyed place in another world (like Narnia), with dark, tense scenes with an undercurrent of hope.

What are you working on now?
I’m finishing up the final book in the series, Aloft. The first draft is mostly finished. Now for the fine-tuning.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I’ve had a lot of success with author promotions through Book Funnel or Book Cave in which many authors offer their books for free and share with their subscribers. And it’s a great way for readers to get free books.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Keep going. If you’re in it for the long haul, don’t let temporary snags or disappointments derail you. It takes time. Don’t give up.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Keep going.

What are you reading now?
I’m reading Sir Gibbie by George MacDonald (a fantasy author and minister who influenced C. S. Lewis) and The Edge of Nothing (by Crystal Crawford – a colleague)

What’s next for you as a writer?
I’m going to keep going. I’m never short of ideas. Pepin’s Tale is one story from what will be a collection of stories entitled, The Redeemed. So, I’ll probably work on that after Aloft is finished.

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 Hiding Place by Corrie Ten Boom. The Narnia collection.

Author Websites and Profiles
J F Rogers Website
J F Rogers Amazon Profile
J F Rogers Author Profile on Smashwords

J F Rogers’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile
Facebook Profile
Twitter Account
Pinterest Account

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I was born in Vancouver, British Columbia, and grew up on the Canadian prairies (Calgary, Alberta and Winnipeg, Manitoba). I returned home to Vancouver in the early ‘80s and worked as a corporate/commercial paralegal until the end of 2015. Part of the work I did as a paralegal involved detailed, technical writing. In January 2016, I began my career as a writer, drawing energy and inspiration from my west coast lifestyle, and employing the writing disciplines that I learned as a paralegal.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
My first manuscript, The Crest was inspired by a most unfortunate circumstance – the kidnapping of a child. Before I could write that story, I needed to know more about my characters. I needed the back story. As I dug deeper into who my characters were, and what would possess one of them to kidnap a child, I was introduced to their families and discovered even more interesting things to write about. I liked what my characters disclosed and felt compelled to write the stories of their elders. When their stories finally ended, I had three manuscripts. The Crest is the first part of a saga that I’ve called The Prophecy.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I know many writers who plot out their stories on walls and charts, before ever touching a keyboard. I don’t do that unless I need to keep data sorted, such as the vital statistics of my characters. What I tend to do is write a mental outline as I contemplate the direction to be taken by my characters. When I finally sit before my computer and begin typing, the characters take over and write the story.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
I enjoy sweeping, detailed and believable historical novels, such as Wilbur Smith’s stories of Africa and Diana Gabaldon’s Outlander series. I like to snuggle up with a good story and escape. It doesn’t have to be a historical fiction though. For example, I quite enjoyed J.K. Rowling’s Harry Potter adventures too.

What are you working on now?
A trilogy about a British spy. It will likely start around 1915 and end about 1950.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
I’ve met several new authors who try to follow the rules for writing a story, including plotting on big boards. Instead of worrying about rules, I suggest writing the story from the heart first, and listen to the characters. (Mine tend to write my story for me.) Then worry about the rules. The manuscript will have to be edited anyway; may as well insert the rules at the same time.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
The advice was given to me soon after I became a paralegal, by a lawyer with whom I worked. He said that I should approach everything as if I were speaking to a Man from Mars. Presume the Man from Mars knows nothing of our world and that you must explain every detail.
In other words, be clear, thorough, succinct and to the point. We called it the Man-from-Mars test. I still use that principle in my writing – always asking who, how, why, what, when.

What are you reading now?
I am reading a variety of books, fiction and non-fiction, to gain a sense of the times in which my new British spy character will live.

What’s next for you as a writer?
In addition to polishing The Prophecy saga during the past year, I challenged myself by writing at least one short story a month, and the occasional poem. I will continue to do that as I conduct research to support the British spy trilogy. One of the things I enjoy about writing historical fiction is the travelling that I do once I have a sense of the paths my characters will take.

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 Complete Novels of Jane Austen, a book of poetry by Elizabeth Barrett Browning, A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens, and Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone by J.K. Rowling.

Author Websites and Profiles
Jerena Tobiasen Website
Jerena Tobiasen Amazon Profile

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
7 I have written 7 books all about my travels, the first A Maverick Traveller, A Maverick New Zealand Way as I live here, A Maverick Pilgrim Way I have a British Passport and are of Spanish and French ancestory, A Maverick USA Way as I love that country, A Maverick Cuban Way as I loved those people, A Maverick Himalayan Way – just loved the hiking,

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
A Maverick Inuit Way and the Vikings I ended up in Greenland and Iceland. I just ended up there and had always wanted to go to Greenland, when I was in Iceland I was so pumped what a beautiful place.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
Yeah adapt to the environment with a pen and paper where there is no power, on a tablet when I lose my computer cable, then my laptop, on trains, planes, buses, in hosted dorms in hotel rooms you name it I write on the top of mountains in Nepal.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
Bill Bryson and random books and authors, a book about the last gathering of nomadic people in the Himalayas, and a true biography by a former British soldier.

John Pilger I really like his depiction of the worlds problems and Robert Fisk, also has an alternative viewpoint.

Eleanor Catton, The Luminaries.

Naiomi Kleins views of the environmental issues we are facing at the moment.

What are you working on now?
My next books

A Maverick Australian Way
A Maverick Middle Eastern Way

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
Medium
My website www.a-maverick.com on instagram and my facebook page

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Just believe in yourself and do not give a toss

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Its the journey not the destination .

What are you reading now?
Beaufort, by Ron Leshem. It’s about an old castle that later became an Israeli outpost during the troubles in Lebanon. I visited this castle which is close to a museum run by Hezbollah; interesting reading about the Israeli soldiers and how they fought here.

What’s next for you as a writer?
Keep on keeping on, enter my books in book festival, hope to make some money and to continue travelling

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?
Some more books by Alexander McCall Smith, author of the No. 1 Ladies’ Detective Agency. The Subtle Art of not Giving a F*ck, by Mark Manson,

Author Websites and Profiles
Mary Jane Walker Website
Mary Jane Walker Amazon Profile

Mary Jane Walker’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile
Facebook Profile
Twitter Account
Pinterest Account

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I’m a professional writer for one of the world’s most prestigious scientific institutions. It’s dry work, though, and I scratch my creative itch by spending my free time writing creatively. I’ve written hundreds of books, the vast majority of which are sitting half finished on my computer.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
A Letter to My Son, on Why I Hate His Mother. My relationship with my son’s mother fell apart in the grand style. Though I would never give my son this book, I felt like I needed to write something to him, as an imaginary audience, that would explain why I am not able to be in his life the way I would want to.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
If drinking good whiskey while writing is unusual, that would be the thing.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
Herman Melville and Friedrich Nietzsche. We’re in a time now where new spiritualities are required to confront the contemporary world. Nietzsche held the key, and Melville was the American Nietzsche, before Nietzsche was even born.

What are you working on now?
I have about a thousand book ideas. Currently, I’m going through them all and bringing them to completion.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
That remains to be seen.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
This has been said before. Writing is a need, not a desire. You can spend endless hours writing with nothing coming of it. But keep at it. Writing is a spiritual quest, and there are no guaranteed outcomes.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Inspiration will find you, but it has to find you working.

What are you reading now?
The Writer’s Journey.

What’s next for you as a writer?
Keep working on those old ideas and polishing those old manuscripts.

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?
Beyond Good and Evil, by Friedrich Nietzsche
Moby Dick, by Herman Melville
Blood Meridian, by Cormac McCarthy
The Antichrist, by Friedrich Nietzsche

Author Websites and Profiles
Ringo Mandingo Website
Ringo Mandingo Amazon Profile

Ringo Mandingo’s Social Media Links
Twitter Account

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
As a Sagittarius I`ve always been the explorer, not only in world travel pursuits but also alternative fringe subjects. My writing incorporates a wide variety of subjects, from natural healing techniques and alternative living guidelines through to fictional works for both young and older readers. Some of my books via Amazon include fiction, such as `Aaden BlueStar Awakening` and self help, such as `Wisdom Wellness Diet` and `Is There a Cure for Cancer` through to a survival guide `How to Survive and Live off the Grid`.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
My latest work is `Aaden BlueStar Awakening` and was initially inspired by my sighting of a UFO mother ship and four smaller craft. That might sound strange but it was also witnessed by three other people who were with me at the time and that was the catalyst for me to research that subject. To clarify, the book is fiction and it started out as a sci fi novel aimed at the adult market, but then I was influenced by J. K. Rowling`s works and I rewrote the BlueStar more from Aaden`s perspective. Aaden BlueStar Awakening is like a blend of Harry Potter and Star Wars except the `wizard` in this tale is a boy who thinks he`s a normal teen until a lightning strike awakens memories that he`s an extraterrestrial born here for a special mission – and his senator father is also not of this world.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
For fiction, I find the best way for ideas to flow is to sit in a comfortable chair with a dictation machine. I go into an altered state and `view` the scenes unfolding. It`s like I`m watching a movie and I simply describe the scenes before me.

For non-fiction, I do a lot of research, so my writing style varies depending on what I`m writing.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
J. K Rowling had a big influence, but I`ve been influenced by many writers, ranging from the earlier classics to more recent authors like Madeleine L’Engle, Julian May, Dan Brown, Wilbur Smith, Ursula K Le Guin, David Wingrove – the writing styles are quite diverse. It`s not only books that sparked my curiosity and creativity – the earlier Star Trek and Star Wars series had a big influence.

What are you working on now?
I`m currently working on a translation of ancient prophecies and how those prophecies might hold the clue to our past and future.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I`ve recently discovered kindlepreneur.com and it`s a great resource for information and links to many book promotion sites. It`s through them that I found Awesome Gang.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Most writers are introverts, so the promotional side is often difficult to master, but the fact is, with so many books being produced weekly and the convenience of self publishing making it easier to get the stories out there, the market is flooded with new books. You might have a great book but if no one can find it then it`s not going to sell. That`s where the likes of awesomegang.com and kindlepreneur.com can be a great help. Follow the links and put in the effort.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Learn how to slay your baby!
That might sound rather strange, but to an author, their new manuscript is like a brand new baby, perfect in every way. When a woman has a baby, the infant might be rather plain but to the new mother it`s beautiful. Likewise, the new author needs to get some perspective. One way to achieve this is to set it aside for a period of time, preferably a few months, then read it as though you`re a stranger reading someone else`s work. It`s easier said than done, but if you can achieve it you`ll find many things that need changing. It`s best not to change immediately but simply mark the areas with a red marker pen and finish the reading before going back and making the changes. Then set aside again and repeat step one.

What are you reading now?
Currently I`m reading Homo Deus – A brief History of Tomorrow (as I mentioned above, my reading is quite varied).

What’s next for you as a writer?
Right now I need to concentrate more on the promotional side of the writing – that`s just as important, if not more so, than the creative side.

If you were going to be stranded on a desert island and allowed to take 3 or 4 books with you what books would you bring?
If I was going to be stranded on a desert island I think the first book of choice would be a copy of my own `How to Survive and Live off the Grid` (might come in handy as a reference).
Then maybe a book on philosophy to understand how I got stranded on the desert island in the first place – Maybe Path of the Masters by Julian Johnson would be a contender.
For entertainment I think possibly `The Wheel of Time` and `Ender`s Game` would be my choice (mainly because I haven`t read them and they were recommended by a friend).

Author Websites and Profiles
David Gaughan Website
David Gaughan Amazon Profile

David Gaughan’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile
Twitter Account

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I have written The Quick Style Guide for Writing for the Web and English Usage, A Great Escape: Short Stores for Travelers, Mr. Thoreau Goes to Boston, Rivers of Words, African Safari Bootcamp for Women, and most recently, The Car of the Future and Other Stories.

I have taught English, creative writing, and cultural anthropology at universities in Asia.  I began my writing career through penning proposals, product descriptions, and advertisements while a sales and marketing representative of computer products and services and for a major film industry magazine.  I also wrote resumes and marketing literature while the branch manager of a writing company.  I earned a Bachelor of Arts Degree from the University of California at Santa Barbara.

I enjoy reading, traveling, and teaching.  In my free time, you might find me trekking through the jungles of Africa, lazing on the shore of a verdant river in Southeast Asia, or backpacking in the Himalayan Mountains.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
The Car of the Future and Other Stories. It’s a young adult collection of short stories about love, travel, and facing obstacles. One of the underlying themes concerns how we are ruining our physical, social, and employment environments.

I grew up in Southern California where the air was severely polluted and the cities run on gasoline and a car economy. You see trash and an over abundance of signs and electronic billboards where ever you go. You often encounter trees covered in plastic bags, that have been carried by the Santa Ana Winds.

Then I traveled to Switzerland, where the people honor and respect the environment. You don’t find a scrap of liter on the streets, in the boat harbors or on the beaches. It’s clean and pristine. I thought there’s got to be a better way. So I wrote The Car of the Future which is about a group of students at Cal Tech Institute who design and build a car the flies and is powered, not by gasoline, but burns clear clean air. They have to fight off the oil industry and the countries that are profiting from it, to design, build, and introduce their car to the world.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
My best time to write is in the middle of the night. I go to bed early and wake up at 1 am, 2 am, 4:30. It’s quiet and my creative energy is flowing like a river in “spring flood.”

I love to write travel stories (see my book The Great Escape: Short Stories for Travelers.) And I love to visit the countries and the places I write about.

When I wrote African Safari Bootcamp for Women I spent three months in Kenya. I lived inexpensively and visited many of the towns and cities and the Masai Mara National Reserve. I got to know the people and the environment. I often went hiking in the bush alone to get a feel for what it would be like for the characters in my story to be stranded without food, water, weapons, or transportation. I was able to adapt some of my experiences to those of my characters.

I was never attacked by wild animals, but one time I walked passed a fenced retreat for a wealthy Nairobian, and the man and his son came out to warn me about how dangerous the area was. He showed me trees elephants had crushed and tracks of rhinoceroses. They walked with me into the nearest town.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
I’ve been inspired by the best writers of all time and works on how to write such as the Elements of Style from Strunk and White, Steven King’s On Writing, and William Zinsser’s On Writing Well.

I love to read classic fiction, particularly old English authors such as Jane Austin, Charlotte Bronte, and Charles Dickens. I loved Sense and Sensibility, Jane Eyre, and The Tale of Two Cities. I occasionally read an oldy such as The Canterbury Tales, Don Quixote, or an ancient Greek play. I found Uncle Tom’s Cabin from Harriet Beecher Stowe particularly inspiring. Her book told about the terrors of slavery. And she as a woman broke through all glass ceilings.

And of course I am taken to new heights from recent author’s such as Ken Follet, J.K. Rowling, and Diana Gabaldon.

Recently I loved The Moonlit Cage from Linda Holeman. Although the book was written primarily for women, I felt like I was travel right along side the character. Her character’s voice and descriptions make it real! I saw eight more of her books on Amazon. I going to read them.

What are you working on now?
I am taking a hiatus from writing books. I’ve written and published six in four years. I am now considering my next one.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I love to use the book and reader promotional sites like Awesome Gang. Book Bub, PrettyHot.com, and Good Reads. They support authors and readers and provide forums and resources for both.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Keep writing! Don’t give up. Learn to market your books; you’ll have to do this whether you self-publish or work through an agent and publisher. And self-publishing is the key to longevity as an author; if one of your books doesn’t sell, a publisher can end your career by refusing to publish you again. If you do it yourself, you can just change direction and keep right on going.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Don’t give up. Whatever you dreams are, keep right on going. If you can dream it, you can achieve it. Go over, under and through your obstacles. You’ll grow and become stronger for doing it.

What are you reading now?
I finally got a copy of The Handmaid’s Tales from Margaret Atwood. Powerful! And after not reading any Shakespeare for a long time, I have delved into The Merchant of Venice. It reads like a modern novel.

I’m glad I read The Moonlit Cage from Linda Holeman on a weekend. If I had been reading it during the week, I would have foresaken all work to finish it. Although the book was written primarily for women, I felt like I was travel right along side the main character. The author’s “voice” and descriptions make it real! I saw eight more of her books on Amazon. I going to read them all!

What’s next for you as a writer?
Another novel. It’s going to be an action-adventure one that touches on contemporary issues. It’s too early to announce the story or title.

I’ve been blogging on https://kenswriterscorner.wordpress.com for two years on topic such grammar, overcoming writers block and travel. It’s time to begin 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?
Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone to remind me of the height of 20th and 21st Century contemporary literature and to inspire creativity. Strunk and White’s The Elements of Style to provide a grammar refresher and an example of exceptional style. Then I’ll need to figure how to make paper and a pen, so I can continue to write. I know, I’ll use big leafed seaweed, a seagulls feather, and the ink from an octopus.

Author Websites and Profiles
Ken Wasil Website
Ken Wasil Amazon Profile

Ken Wasil’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile
Facebook Profile

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
At the moment, I have just the one book written. My plan is to write two more in the coming months after quite a long learning curve.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
My book is called Six Eyes. It was inspired by trending geopolitical issues such as migration, growing nationalism, and populism.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
Not that I know of… I like to write in my living room because there’s so much light flowing in there and I feel fresh and awake and I can concentrate for longer. My concentration is normally pretty terrible! It’s probably one of my weakest attributes.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
I love to read all kinds of books. When I was a young teenager I used to read Terry Pratchett books. As I got older I moved on to Stephen King books and count a number of his novels as my favourites.

What are you working on now?
I’m working on a book called ‘Ringfenced’. It’s a book about lines within our societies and when it’s acceptable to cross these lines. It’s based on white supremacy and religion.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
So far, I don’t have much experience unfortunately. I am trying all kinds of methods and websites and hoping to get my name out there more and more. It’s a slow process and I doubt any of the YouTube videos promising me 20,000 sales in a month are true. If they were I would have become a published author years ago.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Perservere. I doubted myself a million times when I started writing. It can be a lonely process at times and you’re always comparing yourself to other authors and it can all feel a little daunting at times. But keep going! You’ll get there in the end and it’ll feel amazing when you’re finished. Plus, the first book is likely to have the steepest learning curve. After that, you’ll learn more and more and it will get easier and easier.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
To never lose focus on your goal.

What are you reading now?
Currently, I’m reading Misery by Stephen King, and Aberystwyth Mon Amour by Malcolm Pryce.

What’s next for you as a writer?
I am going to keep focusing on my goal to write all the stories I want to. So far, I would say I have about three or four other books in my head at the moment waiting to be written.

If you were going to be stranded on a desert island and allowed to take 3 or 4 books with you what books would you bring?
A Short History of Nearly Everything – Bill Bryson
The Reluctant Fundamentalist – Mohsin Hamid.
1984 – George Orwell.
The Catcher in the Rye – JD Salinger.

Author Websites and Profiles
Greg Clark Website
Greg Clark Amazon Profile
Greg Clark Author Profile on Smashwords

Greg Clark’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
Hey there! So… I grew up in Oceanside, CA, went to school in L.A. and then moved to Europe. I’ve lived in Slovenia (5 years) and Russia (1 year). I mostly dabble in Theology and Mythology.

As of this interview, I’ve published 3 books, with the final 2 “Solve the World” novels coming out in the next few months.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
Solve the World (4 part series). Originally, I created it as an audio-drama podcast. The initial idea was to tell one massive story over the course of 100 weekly podcast episodes. It took me 3 1/2 years to complete the podcast. I let it sit for 18 months after finishing it, but have now begun the arduous process of taking my podcast manuscripts and editing them into book form.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I like to listen to one song over and over again. That way, years later, when I hear the song again, it immediately takes me back to that specific story I was writing.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
Neil Gaiman, C.S. Lewis, Dostoevsky.

What are you working on now?
Finishing up Part 4 of Solve the World.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I really don’t know, yet. Still figuring out how to sort my way through this promotional jungle.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Not really! I am a new author!

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Writers write. Everybody has ideas, but it’s the discipline of actually writing that separates the idealists from the… uh… dealists(?)!

What are you reading now?
“The Other Gospels” — apocryphal writings about Jesus.

Author Websites and Profiles
Dante Stack Website
Dante Stack Amazon Profile

Dante Stack’s Social Media Links
Facebook Profile
Twitter Account

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
As of 2018, I am a post graduate student of economics at the University of Calcutta. My first short story “A Rural Coincidence”, won a Commendable Mention at the Wingword Short Story Prize 2017 organized by Delhi Poetry Slam. I was Shortlisted the following year, for my internationally acclaimed story “The Farewell”, at the Wordweavers India Short Story 2018 Contest. I also received an Honorable Mention for my winning entry “Two Birds”, at the International Photography Awards 2017 under Non-Pro Nature – Wildlife category.

My debut international poetry e-book “VOYAGES Volume I – A Collection of Poetry”, self-published in 2018 by Notion Press, was reviewed and rated Five Stars by Readers’ Favorite, USA and garnered favorable positive feedback from authors, bloggers and reviewers around the world. The e-book also received a Gold Star in TheBookDesigner.com’s September 2018 e-Book Cover Design Awards.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
My latest book is my debut international poetry e-book VOYAGES Volume I – A Collection of Poetry. It is a new style of writing poetry wherein a two line quotation has been provided at the end of each poem which gives a gist of the preceding lines. This has been adopted to make poetry more comprehensible among people who commonly mistake it as a genre understandable only to the Elite. The inspiration behind this was that most people share two line quotations on social media everyday when they are sad, happy, angry, betrayed or in love. What people don’t realize is that if they keep all these quotations together then it forms a new style of poetry. A poem can be looked as a collection of quotations. Therefore, I experimented this new idea of mine in this book and it has been a huge success. People who are reading it are surely appreciating my thoughts and efforts.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I do not have a specific time to write. I write when I feel like. It may be months before I write another poem or it may be hours within which I complete writing a short story. My thoughts are random and when some idea comes I immediately finish writing it on any paper in front before the thought gets lost. Daydreaming and talking to myself are two important things that help me write better and I will not shy away from stating it.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
My favorite authors are Paulo Coelho and Khaled Hosseini.
As far as inspiration is concerned, I am inspired reading the works of Paulo Coelho and when it comes to inspiration from an author as a person, I am more inspired by Vikram Seth although I never had the opportunity to meet him. I just love reading that man’s biography. Any books written by the aforementioned authors have influenced me but there are definitely many more books influencing me always!

What are you working on now?
I am working on VOYAGES Volume II – A Collection of Short Stories. It will be a unique book since my writings reflect different experiences of people and I am sure it will have one situation/character with whom the reader can relate to. It will not be the usual short stories and there will be lots of satisfaction and peace of heart in every conclusion. It will reflect the goodness that is abundantly still present in this world but is just not always pointed out/discovered.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
My author website coupled with my official Facebook page promotions works best for me.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
To never let the aspirations fall down. As a student of economics I would say that every individual has a limited set of resources which he/she tries to maximize. Now the process of maximization is different for different individuals and it may not always lead to the best/efficient outcomes. But we either fail or we learn. If we fail then it simply means that our time has not yet come and we must always keep faith in our own processes simply because it is our own. Imitation never leads to efficient outcomes!

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
When flowers have blossomed in your garden then it need not be announced, the fragrance will automatically reach if it’s strong enough.

What are you reading now?
My economics text and reference books since my semester exams are near. Lol.

What’s next for you as a writer?
I mainly write poetry and short stories. I may start writing an adventure novel but it will take time. The thought is still pre-mature and in development.

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 take with me “The Alchemist” by Paulo Coelho; “The Kite Runner” by Khaled Hosseini; a few short stories by Vikram Seth and some poetry books.

Author Websites and Profiles
Debjeet Mukherjee Website
Debjeet Mukherjee Amazon Profile

Debjeet Mukherjee’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile
Facebook Profile
Twitter Account

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I’m Aniket Singh (Born- 1 jan 1997), born in Rewa, Madhya Prades(India), to Hindu parents, grew up in Hometown Sirmour, Rewa(India). I’m an Engineering undergraduate from National Institute of Technology Bhopal, where I spent 4 years of my life. This is my first book, Which I wrote when I was in his high schools. I have an excellent academics record with me for which I won several awards and recognition. I like writing poetry, articles and stories.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
I have read Chetan Bhagat, Nikita Singh, Durjoy Dutta and they influenced me to publish my own book.

What are you working on now?
I’m working on another book whose title I haven’t decided yet. It is again a love story.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
I want to say that just believe in your work, live while you write and enjoy you work.

What’s next for you as a writer?
I keep writing poetry and stories whenever I feel like; so yeah, I’ll keep doing that.

Author Websites and Profiles
Aniket Singh Amazon Profile

Aniket Singh’s Social Media Links
Facebook Profile

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
It’s always an eye-roll moment for me when I read someone’s answer to this question when it’s something to the effect of, “I’ve been writing since I was six years old — it’s my passion!” But unfortunately, most of the time it’s true. I grew up in the San Francisco Bay Area and the arts and business were always trying to find a decent nexus, which is probably how we wound up with Silicon Valley. But for me, I just wanted to write and for people to read it.

The Outlandish and the Ego is my debut novel.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
The Outlandish and the Ego is the name of my book. There are so many things that went into the idea for it. But at the end of the day I was trying to write the best novel I could, and at that point in time I really loved the idea of creating two, extremely divergent narratives and having them collide at the end. It’s obviously intended to make people laugh as much as it is designed to mock certain socio-political structures. Trying to write something that was fun to work on and ultimately, funny for someone to read really drove the process.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I tend to write with my feet instead of my hands.

…Not really. I’m an insomniac and tend to write in the early morning hours — like 2 am through 4 am. I once read an interview with Eddie Vedder where he swore up and down that the brain reaches new levels of creativity when sleep deprived, and I think there might be something to that.

Another habit that might not be that ordinary is that I hand write first drafts of things. I wrote the entire first draft of The Outlandish and the Ego in about 12 to 14 pocket-sized Moleskin journals. Those journals are among my favorite possessions now.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
I always make a point of starting the answer to this question with Jack Kerouac because without On the Road I’m not sure I would have ever been interested in books — period. I was an angsty teenager who thought the only art that could bend and blend styles and provoke social change was music. Just dumb. But there was something about that book that first made me pick it up, and upon reading it, changed my world. Kerouac’s prose just expanded how I thought about literature, what you can do with it, and most importantly, how your independent sensibilities can infiltrate the story.

After Kerouac it’s really all about Hunter S. Thompson. I always wanted to be a journalist, and despite being just a really wickedly talented writer, Hunter was a true journalist at heart. He was trying to deliver the truth in his own way, and often times his way was more honest than traditional journalism. His wit, his tone, his cadence, his sense of humor and his sense for the dramatics — all of it was such a glorious package. I’m just glad I found his books. They profoundly changed me as well.

Outside of those two, writers like Jerzy Kosinski, Tom Wolfe, Ken Kesey, Louis-Ferdinand Céline, and of course, Hemingway, are among my favorites.

What are you working on now?
I’ve got something that has been gnawing on my imagination’s periphery for a decade. If The Outlandish and the Ego was a cartoonish satire that explored modern politics, then this next thing is more of a dark, psycho-analytical thriller that is taking a trip into madness and dreams. It’s in the early stages, but it has extreme potential.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
Aside from Awesome Gang?

In my experience, it was a game changer once book reviews started coming in. The first few months of sales were pretty slow, but I received 4-5 positive reviews in a short span and sales really picked up. That leads to a snowball effect, because then Amazon reviews started coming in hard too, which in turn leads to more sales.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
It’s probably a good idea to have a plan for after publication, way before publication. I think you should think about it in stages — who needs to read your book before it’s made public, where do you want the reviews to come from, what kinds of marketing materials will you need, and above all else, what’s your goal? For me, I just want people to read what I write, so I price down the e-book version of my book to make that happen.

What are you reading now?
I have a stack of comics that I’ve neglected for months that I have to get through. That should take a week or two. After that I look forward to reading The Courage of Hopelessness by Slavoj Zizek.

What’s next for you as a writer?
It’s my second novel. It’s a story that I keep coming back to in my mind as one I have to write. It’s going to be much different from my first book — much more serious and real, but make no mistake, I will find my spots for humor.

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?
Catch-22

Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas

Ragtime

On the Road

The Stranger

Author Websites and Profiles
O. Ryan Hussain Amazon Profile

O. Ryan Hussain’s Social Media Links
Twitter Account

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
Hi all, I’m an Aussie journalist, formerly of Sydney, now from the amazing Darling Downs in Queensland.
I’ve been a fencer for many years, spent too many holidays wandering around remote castles around the world and I love everything medieval.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
The 19th Bladesman. I wrote the first three books in the Shadow Sword series together, which meant I could dangle little threads in the early books and hold off pulling them until the third (or fourth). Fantasy readers are very clever and they’ll pick them up for sure.
I guess I write what I want to read and just really wanted to share my characters and stories.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
Not unusual, but writing has to fit in around the day job. I’m lucky enough to be a journalist still working as a journalist!

What authors, or books have influenced you?
I loved the Narnia series as a child – which probably put me on the fantasy path. I remember how Frank Herbert’s Dune astounded me; at uni we all went around saying, “fear is the mind killer” and thinking that was pretty cool. I love Michael Moorcock – I mean who can go past a soul-drinking sword? and lived, rather than read, Rhinegold by Stephan Grundy.
Away from the fantasy world, I’m obsessed with Gregg Hurwitz’s Evan Smoak from the Orphan X series. The character is so wonderfully vulnerable and I was hooked from page one of the first book.
I was mentored by the amazing Dr Kathryn Heyman so her books, particularly Storm and Grace, have been a big influence.

What are you working on now?
The second in the series, The Last Seer King, is with the editor, so I’m playing with the third, The Sword Brotherhood. I hope it’s not too dark …

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I’m hoping Awesome Gang is pretty good!

Do you have any advice for new authors?
I guess don’t rush it! My friends were jokingly suggesting I might like to leave them the publishing rights in my will, given how long it took to bring out the first in this series! But I think it takes time to learn to write. I have some practice manuscripts floating around in some dark part of the computer …

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
I was an early reader of GRRM and remember asking myself, “what do you think you’re doing writing fantasy!” Then someone (so sorry can’t remember who) said in a Qld Writers Centre magazine that you write the book that only you can write.

What are you reading now?
I just finished Madeline Miller’s Circe.

What’s next for you as a writer?
Releasing The Last Seer King. I hope I know what I’m doing this 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?
Tough question. The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas. Dear and Glorious Physician by Taylor Caldwell. The Orphan X series by Gregg Hurwitz (yeah I’m cheating as that’s three in the series so far) and Storm and Grace by Kathryn Heyman.

Author Websites and Profiles
S.J. Hartland Website
S.J. Hartland Amazon Profile

S.J. Hartland’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile
Facebook Profile

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

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
The confusion the series

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
No

What are you working on now?
The confusion series

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
None

Do you have any advice for new authors?
No I am a new author

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Nothing is perfect in life so don’t look for perfection.

What are you reading now?
The confusion

What’s next for you as a writer?
Start another serie

Author Websites and Profiles
Donovan Hylton Website
Donovan Hylton Amazon Profile

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I’m an advertising copywriter by day and an author by night (and sometimes day). I used to write SFF as a kid, but pursued advertising writing to “pay the bills.” I have a very good ad writer friend who started self-publishing, and he heavily influenced my decision to pick up writing fiction again.

I have written 5 books so far. The first is a traditional sci-fi novella. I also wrote my first fantasy novel, which is currently with my editor. And, totally unplanned, I stumbled into a MG fantasy series with talking animals, and the first book debuts on December 31st, 2018.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
The most recent book is named “The Squirrel Squire and the Tournament of Oaks.” I originally stumbled on a cute illustration of an owl on Twitter and thought, “Hey, someone should write a story for that guy.” Six months later, the picture popped up again except this time I decided to write it. I chased the illustrator down, but since they were busy, they referred me to their friend who did some absolutely amazing art.

I grew up reading Chronicles of Prydain by Lloyd Alexander, so I wrote it in that kind of vein. It’s kinda like a Brian Jacques story, but like Redwall meets Disney.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
Don’t know if it’s unusual, but I like to feel relaxed when I’m writing. It feels less like work that way. What does that mean? I enjoy writing reclined. With my feet up on a desk, or a table, or an ottoman. Funny enough, I don’t like writing in bed. That makes me want to sleep.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
At a very early age, the Richard Scary books had a big impact. Those illustrations seemed to hint at a world more fun than the real one. I also loved Roald Dahl and Shel Silverstein.

As I got older, I of course read C.S. Lewis. I also loved the tripod series by John Christopher and Lloyd Alexander and the Chronicles of Prydain was also hugely influential.

After that, it was Tolkien and Terry Brooks. I even read Le Morte D’Arthur by Thomas Mallory. For sci-fi, I read a lot of Ben Bova, the Adept series by Piers Anthony and the Foundation Series by Asimov.

As for my favorite modern writers, I’d say my favorite fantasy author is Raymond E. Feist and sci-fi is John Scalzi. I just started getting into Patrick Rothfuss, based on a recommendation from a friend. I know there are tons of brilliant writers out there, so I hope to be adding more to my list. I’m halfway through the first Game of Thrones book, but watch the HBO show religiously.

What are you working on now?
I am plotting out the second part of my fantasy debut (it’s a two-part book and now a 4 book series) and thinking about the first book after my sci-fi novella prequel. Finishing up edits to the second and third book of my MG fantasy series, which I call “Fantastic Tails Adventures.”

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I’m still learning the whole process, but I use promotion sites like Awesome Gang along with Book Bub and AMS advertising.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Take it one day at a time. There is a TON of information to learn. I message my friend who has been an indie author for six years a lot. Sometimes I even share something he didn’t know, which goes to show you how much there is to learn.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Hmm. That’s a tough one.

In regards to being an author, it wasn’t so much advice as it was a wake up call. I would talk to my writer friend about wanting to be an author. He had listed to this line from me, as he watched me sit on my novella for months. One day he says, “Writing isn’t a priority for you.” That was like a gunshot through my heart. And it was true. I spent too much time talking about wanting to be a writer, and not enough time writing.

I’ve been much more productive ever since. The most important part of being a writer is putting your butt in a seat and writing. Or in my case, feet up on a desk.

What are you reading now?
I’m a book stockpiler. Now that I’m writing a lot, I’m better at buying them than reading them.

I’m reading some MG fiction since I’m writing in that genre. Actually finished a cute story called Podkin-One Ear. I’m a few chapters into The Name of the Wind by Patrick Rothfuss.

What’s next for you as a writer?
I have a fantasy series to finish. The first book is called “A Rebellion of Magic.” It’s a two-part story in my Kingdom of Lies series. The first book launches in the first half of 2019 and (crossing fingers) the second book will come out by the end of 2019 . I also need to write my sci-fi series. The first book is entitled “Sentience: Awakening.” I’m hoping to have that out by the end of 2019 or early 2020.

If you were going to be stranded on a desert island and allowed to take 3 or 4 books with you what books would you bring?
Oooh, 3 or 4 books? That’s tough.

Magician Apprentice by Raymond E. Feist.

Old Man’s War by John Scalzi.

The High King by Lloyd Alexander (still good after all these years).

The Name of the Wind by Rothfuss, because it seems so damn good and I’d want at least one book I haven’t read yet lol

Author Websites and Profiles
Erik DeLeo Website
Erik DeLeo Amazon Profile

Erik DeLeo’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile
Facebook Profile
Twitter Account

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
im a travel blogger and an author of travel. i have two books about travel and love the literature.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
the name of the latest book called libro de viajes wanderlust en colombia y estados unidos. im inspired when travel.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
writing in the night.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
jane austen.
joseph conrad
mark twain.

What are you working on now?
im working in a travel guide of madrid.

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

Do you have any advice for new authors?
write a lot. the inspiration doesnt exist.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
the writing its 99% hard work and 1% inspiration

What are you reading now?
the oddisey

What’s next for you as a writer?
write a new travel guide in madrid.

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?
all books of jane austen.

Author Websites and Profiles
andrea garcia Website
andrea garcia Amazon Profile
andrea garcia Author Profile on Smashwords

andrea garcia’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 3 books. They are all non-fiction books with an advocacy theme. I have won 12 book awards. In addition I have authored hundreds of articles for 18 years on health related topics. I also have been a regular blog contributor on 2 caregiving sites and an infertility site.
I love writing and also love doing workshops and speeches helping patients, family members, and healthcare professionals learn about coping with catastrophic illness and the challenges that brings.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
My latest book is called Role Reversal How to Take Care of Yourself and Your Aging Parents. It was inspired by my father. I wanted to write his life story. He was a member of the greatest generation, a World War II vet, and an extraordinary man who touched many lives. I began writing his story and then expanded it to include information on the universal challenges caregiving brings based on my 40 years professional experience as a medical social worker.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I do like to write about things I know about and have had personal experience with. I wrote my 2nd book while my baby daughter napped. Before I write a book I spend about 3-4 months doing research to see what has already been written on my topic of interest. It doesn’t make sense to me to write a book that has already been written. I want to be sure I have something new to say and a fresh perspective to offer my readers.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
I really enjoy a wide variety of authors. Barbara Kingsolver, Harper Lee, Elizabeth Berg, Alice Munro, Wallace Stegner, Anthony Doerr. I enjoy both fiction and non-fiction. To Kill a Mockingbird is my favorite book. The writing and character development was just perfect. When Breath Becomes Air by Paul Kalanithi was incredibly powerful and moving

What are you working on now?
I am doing speeches, radio interviews, and workshops on caregiving related topics. I also am a regular blog contributor on http://www.intentionalcaregiver.com/ and http://thecaregiverspace.org/ I also write articles on aging and caregiving topics.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I use my Facebook and Twitter pages to post articles I have written or articles I find that offer information and resources for caregivers. I also have entered a number of contests and won book award which got me a lot of free publicity.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
You need to find a great editor to work with to get the best possible final book you can. Be patient and be prepared to do multiple drafts before you will have a final product. There are many ways to get a book published today everything from major publishers, to hybrid and indie publishers, and self publishing. Figure out what is best for you. You also must build a platform to promote yourself and be prepared to market yourself in creative and countless ways.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Jane Friedman is someone I read all the time. She has incredible advice for authors and people trying to get published. I think she is an amazing resource for authors.

What are you reading now?
Men we Reaped by Jesmyn Ward.

What’s next for you as a writer?
I am trying to decide what is the next direction I want to go. Thinking about potential topics for a book. In the meantime I continue to write original articles on infertility and caregiving toics.

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?
To Kill a Mockingbird, All the Light We Cannot See, Animal Dreams

Author Websites and Profiles
IRIS WAICHLER Website
IRIS WAICHLER Amazon Profile

IRIS WAICHLER’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile
Facebook Profile
Twitter Account
Pinterest Account

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I ran away from home at age fifteen. After being kicked-out of high school, I joined the United States Navy and did 23 years on nuclear submarines. As an acoustic intelligence instructor for the Navy, I became interested in adult learning theory and after completing a baccelaurate and master’s degree in the field I took a position as Director of Instruction at a technical college and thus beginning a fifteen year career in academic advisement. I earned a post graduate degree from the University of Georgia and a doctorate from Liberty University with research on student motivation. I went from GED to an Ed.D.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
My latest book is “The Art of Academic Advisement – The Five Step Process of Purposeful Advising”. It was inspired by the lack of good advisement for college students which often results in good students dropping out when it could have been prevented. When a student leaves my advisement she or he is set up for success and I give five steps to ensure it.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I write like I talk. I have a twisted sense of humor and it shows in my writing.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
Victor Vroom, Terry O’Banion, Wes Habley, George Carlin

What are you working on now?
A companion workbook to The Art of Academic Advising”

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

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Write on what you are passionate about.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
“Seek first to understand before seeking to be understood” – Stephen Covey

What are you reading now?
Thank You for Being Late – An Optimist’s Guide to Thriving in the Age of Accelerations – Thomas L. Friedman

What’s next for you as a writer?
Write a book on how to guarantee a student will be successful in their college experience.

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, Strong’s Concordance, The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People (Covey)

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I just completed and published my first book, a young adult/adult cross-over fiction adventure novel . It is the first installment in what will be a series. The sequel is in outline form. The third is in conceptual form.

When I’m not busy crafting award-winning fiction and reducing the powers of darkness to whimpering crybabies, I can be found at the controls of a high-performance aircraft, a high-performance car, my eye glued to the scope of a high-powered rifle or putting free weights through their paces at the local gym. I have a great many interests, including reading, which is useful to a writer. I have been an avid reader for as long as I can remember. I’ve never been bored. So many interests, so little time. Time is our great enemy. I really need to make it to Heaven so I will have unlimited time to pursue my unlimited interests. My proudest achievements in chronological order are graduating from UCLA, being accepted in the U.S. Navy flight program, starting and running a successful business, being baptized in the Christian faith, getting the girl of my dreams to become my wife, my three sons, and now becoming a published author with a chance to become a bestselling author.

When I was ten I happened across a book at the library on the UFO abduction case of Betty and Barney Hill and life hasn’t been the same since. Some people have a fascination with the supernatural. I am one. The light side, the dark side, it is all fascinating, however, I am all about battling the dark side, so not surprisingly, so are my characters. Just as strange things are known to happen on the sets of movies that deal with darkness, some very bizarre things have happened during the crafting of my novels. Stephen King personifies horror. I strive to do the same for the paranormal genre. I have employed my extensive knowledge of the supernatural in crafting this exciting, fast-paced groundbreaking series of novels that will turn how you perceive your world upside down.

The world we live in is becoming stranger and stranger by the week. We all feel it. Matt Legend is a series for the times. The end times. The truth is not out there anymore. It is right here among us. Take the journey if you dare. You won’t sleep as well nights but it is better to know what’s here ─ and what’s coming. And don’t go into the forest.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
Matt Legend: Veil of Lies was inspired two things. First, there is the challenge of crafting a unique story others will find fascinating. Only you can tell a story your special way. Every voice is unique, like fingerprints or your bio-frequency.

The second motivator is putting the record straight on witchcraft. A certain unnamed author glorifies witchcraft. She is not the only one. There is no such thing as a good witch. Every successful writer needs to write from the heart, have a message, and be passionate about that message. I am passionate about battling the forces of darkness in all its many manifestations. Not surprisingly, so are my characters.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
Besides waking up at 4:30 every morning without an alarm clock and immediately launching into writing and continuing until I drop, and writing at all odd hours of the day and night whenever an idea or inspiration strikes, I have no unusual writing habits.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
I like Stephen King and many of his books and topics. His Pet Sematary (sic) was quite interesting. The late Joan Rivers gave me a copy one day to read. That was before it became a movie. She told me she was going to take it on a flight the next day and wanted to know if I wanted to read it. I sped-read it and found it inspirational.

What are you working on now?
I am working on the sequel to Matt Legend: Veil of Lies. It is entitled Matt Legend: The Hollow Earth. It is in keeping with the reality that the world we think we live in is not the world we live in. It is a novel inspired by U.S. Navy Admiral Richard E. Byrd’s historic flight into the inner earth.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
To be honest I am still seeking the magic formula for promoting self-published books in a manner that emulates the success of the successful marketing of published books by the major publishers. I am picking up the scent. I am on its trail.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
First, be first a student of the craft. Being a great writer is one thing. Being a great storyteller is another. Don’t confuse the two. You need to be both.

Second, read, read, read other authors’ works. Don’t write in a vacuum. It is important to see how successful writers are crafting their works so you aren’t unwittingly wasting your time and energy trying to reinvent the wheel. The wheel has already been invented. Use it.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
As it applies to writing, the best advice I have heard is to write everyday. Even if you can only write a few sentences that day, write every day.

What are you reading now?
I am reading Stephen Quayle’s Empire Beneath the Ice: How the Nazis Won World War II.

What’s next for you as a writer?
Simply put, writing sequels in the Matt Legend series until I drop.

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. Adam Smith’s Wealth of Nations. I was a political science major and have always intended to read it but never got around to it.
2. The Bible (enough said).
3. Strong’s Concordance; a must companion to the Bible.
4. The latest copy of the FARs (the Federal Aviation Regulations), of course. I are a pilot (word misuse intended).

Author Websites and Profiles
Denis Mills Website

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I write under my pseudonym, J.A. JACKSON, my initials. My true name is Jerreece Ann Jackson. I was born in Arkansas and come from a family rich in storytellers. I was raised on the Southside of Chicago and spent many summers in Arkansas, Chicago, and the Bay Area of California. I consider Northern California home. My fondest childhood memory is sitting around on Saturday nights listening to the old stories my parents, grandparents, cousins, uncles would tell while playing dominoes or cards. I am a romantic at heart. I have written over nine novels. Currently, I am working on Book III of Lovers Players & The Seducer.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
I am working on Book III of Lovers’ Players and The Seducer. I haven’t really set the title in stone yet. But it will be like the Prodigal Son returning home.
It’s inspired by Book I and Book II.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
Occasionally, because I don’t do it every day, but from time to time to get my writer’s juices flowing. I have to take a long walk, around someplace with some water (lakes, streams, rivers, or oceans).  I have several parks in my area that are perfect. For me, it seems that once I’m at the park, and I sit by the water and stare into it. The water becomes like hocus pocus for me and my writer’s juices start to flow and I get ideas.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
Many authors and books have influenced me. First on my list is Jane Austen, Pride and Prejudice. Next, I know why the caged bird sings by Maya Angelou.
Third Goddess of Vengeance by Jackie Collins. These are followed by many other great books and authors that I love. A few are my other favorite influencers are Harold Robbins, Cathy Yardley, Nora Roberts, Madelyn Alt, Cecily von Ziegesar, Jude Deveraux, Beverly Jenkin, Stuart Wood, Omar Tyree, Tony Dunbar, Roxanne St. Claire, Kristi Gold, Eileen Wilks, Nalini Singh, Harold Bloom, Juli Alexander, Juliet Marillier, Diana Gabaldon, Nora Roberts, Laurell K. Hamilton, Jane Austen, Jackie Collins, Sidney Sheldon, Zora Neale Hurston, Tina McElroy-Ansa Sharyn McCrumb, Mia Caldwell, and of course Maya Angelou and many, many others.

What are you working on now?
I am working on Book III of Lovers’ Players and The Seducer. I haven’t really set the title in stone yet. But it will be like the Prodigal Son returning home.
In addition, I have a completed book called Diamond at Midnight that is finished and needs to be set for pre-sale on Amazon Kindle, also it needs a Promo Book Tour.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I use a few. The most effective are Bookbub Ads and Amazon Ads. Next up for me are BKnights’ Gig, Goddess Fish Promotions, Rockstar Tours, KINDLE MOJO, Authors Marketing Club, Book Flurries, Addicted to Books as well as various Facebook -Book groups.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Persevere! Then never stop believing in yourself. Next, I would say always listen to the voice within. It is your number one fan and keep pushing yourself to completion of your novel. Because you really are more capable than you know. Believe in yourself. And finally, I would say remember NO is not fatal. Ignore the folks who say no because somebody will say yes.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Persevere! Was the best advice I ever got. Next up what I learned growing up is other up and keep moving forward. But the most important thing I ever learned or had someone say to me was the word “No!” and then they followed it up by saying the word “no” ain’t fatal. It won’t kill you and it can’t stop you. What they were saying is that if one person say “no” to your work, remember another one will say “yes” to your work.

What are you reading now?
Currently, I’m reading an old book called If Tomorrow Never Comes by Sidney Sheldon.

What’s next for you as a writer?
I have a finished book called Diamond at Midnight that I need to do a Pre-Sale on Amazon/Kindle. I was planning on getting this out this last in 2018. However, I haven’t had time to make the pre-sale arrangement and line up the Promo Tour. So I will make in my 2019 priority.

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 three books I would take with me on a desert island are the Hebrew Bible because I always wanted to read it.
Conversations With God by Neale Donald Walsch. And the latest book I was writing so that I could finish it and start writing its sequel.

Author Websites and Profiles
J. A. Jackson Website
J. A. Jackson Amazon Profile
J. A. Jackson Author Profile on Smashwords

J. A. Jackson’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile
Facebook Profile
Twitter Account
Pinterest Account

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
Grail of the Grimoire is my first published novel and third completed manuscript, the others never seeing the light of day and never will. Grail’s trilogy will continue in early 2019.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
Grail of the Grimoire came from reading Harry Potter with my daughter. The first chapter of Half-Blood Prince is about a meeting between the Muggle prime minister and the Minister of Magic and it got me wondering about what would happen if magic and the “normal” world interacted more closely, but I knew I didn’t want to put the story in the present day. After weighing some other options (that may become new trilogies somewhere down the line), I figured out that the Third Crusade doesn’t get enough attention, especially in books for non-adult or new adult readers.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
My favorite place to work is the airport. It’s so busy and full of white noise that it is easy to get lost in your work. We’re lucky in that Tampa International is one of the best airports in the country. It’s easy to get in and out of and has some great restaurants and shops if I need a break. If parking was cheaper, I’d be there a lot more often.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
In college, I had a rough period where I was bored with writing and stuck for ideas. My program thought everyone needed to write literary fiction and I’m just not that smart or skillful. So I wrote a note to the British writer Nick Hornby asking for advice. He was very busy at the time (About a Boy had just come out), but I still received a response about a week later. It basically told me to write what I wanted as that is the only way to survive in this business. I framed the note.

What are you working on now?
I’m working toward wrapping up Grail’s trilogy in the first part of 2019. I’ve had some distractions in the second half of 2018, but I’m starting to make progress again. After that, we’ll see where the muse wants me to go.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
Prolific Works (formerly Instafreebie) has been great for growing my email list. I see at least one sale every time I send out a newsletter, which is usually once a week or so. You have to make sure to join as many group giveaways as you can.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Unless you have a huge traditional press backing you with a marketing budget, you won’t sell a lot of your debut. But it’s a vital part of the process to figure out what works for you in terms of productivity and marketing. It’s different for everyone. The things you will learn in the first six months or so will last the rest of your career.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
My favorite quote has always been this from Henry Ford: “Whether you think you can or think you can’t, you’re probably right.” Goals are only daunting in our minds.

What are you reading now?
A Tale for the Time Being by Ruth Ozeki. I’m on somewhat of a Japanese culture kick at the moment. My favorite book of 2018 was Educated by Tara Westover. Not only was it a harrowing true story, but it helped me better understand how different other people, other Americans, can be from my experience.

What’s next for you as a writer?
Just keep putting words on the page. Or iPad, as it were. The best way to sell more books is to have a new one coming out.

If you were going to be stranded on a desert island and allowed to take 3 or 4 books with you what books would you bring?
A survival manual, a book on shipbuilding, and another on navigation… just kidding!
I’m usually not one to reread books, but these are the ones I have:
Any late Harry Potter (Order of the Phoenix and up)
A Shakespeare anthology
Dante’s Divine Comedy

Author Websites and Profiles
J.S. Sterling Website
J.S. Sterling Amazon Profile

J.S. Sterling’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile
Facebook Profile
Twitter Account

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I graduated in Applied Physics but my heart has always been with people. I love to think, understand and then write down final thoughts about the most various subjects.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
Mind Your Own Business is for everybody who wants to find their own voice and create an authentic brand for their entrepreneurship venture or work.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I have no rules.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
Paulo Coelho
Carlos Castaneda
Neale Donald Walsch

What are you working on now?
Right now I’m working on a book about a favorite subject of mine: emotional intelligence.
I look forward to sharing with the world my knowledge about this subject. I hope it brings a lot of value to everybody in the world and helps heal many.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Whatever we do to others we do it to ourselves.

What are you reading now?
A man of peace in a world of war – about Kofi Annan

Author Websites and Profiles
Vanessa Ace Website

Vanessa Ace’s Social Media Links
Twitter Account

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I am a retired orthopedic surgeon who traded his knife for a word processor and after retirement have written 5 books, 2 novels and 3 non-fiction works. My first book, Man’s Unofficial Guide to the Use of his Garage, was prompted by how organized I had made my garage; the second book, The Comb in the Urinal and Other Perplexities of life, is 16 short stories about everyday objects found in the most unusual places and how they got there such as the mattress on the side of the road, lost dog sign, and lost luggage. Some of these stories are true, and I challenge the reader to figure out which ones are fiction and which are true; My third book, THE WAY I SEE IT: A Head-to-Toe Guide to Common Orthopedic Conditions, is written solely for patients and the layperson in order to educate them about their aches and pains and allow them to talk intelligently with their doctor. It includes 90 disease processes, 80 photos/x-rays/diagrams, and include every major joint in the body from HEAD TO TOE! My 4th book, YOU DEAR SWEET MAN, was inspired by a digital subway ad that was so sharp, it was almost in 3D, and I thought, “Wow, it would be so cool if the model in the ad moved within it.” From there, 66,000 words later, I had written a paranormal suspense novel with an unpredictable twist.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
My latest novel is THE MYSTERY OF FLIGHT 2222 inspired by a short story I wrote in high school 60 years ago. The plot has always been in the back of my mind and with the success of my first novel, YOU DEAR SWEET MAN, I decided to embellish the plot and transform it into a full length book. Synopsis: Two strangers meet while seated together on a long distance air flight. The more seasoned of the two creates a game to pass the time. They choose seven passengers and proceed to guess their names, age, occupation, marital status, personality traits and more about them. Later, they are informed of severe mechanical problems disabling the plane, leading to a crash into the sea. They survive along with only seven other passengers, incredibly the seven people from their game. The interaction among the passengers creates stresses well beyond one’s imagination leading to a subsequent prolonged and horrifying adventure in a raft, presenting many obstacles to their survival including sharks, severe weather, death, hunger, thirst, declining physical and mental health, paranoia, and pirates of the high seas. Their long awaited rescue from the ravages of the sea is just the beginning of a trip to Hell and back.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
Oh yeah! I never have an outline. I do research but only during the writing of the manuscript depending on what happens to my characters. My characters write the book, and I only organize it.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
Rod Serling. I loved the stories of TWILIGHT ZONE, and my novels reflect that.

What are you working on now?
I am working on the life of a doctor, my life, but not really an autobiography. The book, Bones and Me, takes the reader through what it feels like to have decided to choose the medicine as my profession and how all the years of study, sweat, toil, fun and sadness defines me today.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
thomasneviaser.com
facebook.com/neviasersbooks
Amazon Author Page: https://www.amazon.com/Thomas-Neviaser/e/B076BFV8QX/ref=ntt_dp_epwbk_0

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Believe in what you have decided to do whether or not others think different. It may work out, and it may not, but the journey will have taught you so much. Remember, throughout life, we all find ourselves “ALWAYS A FRESHMAN,” beginning new lives, works of art, writing literary works, or finding the next job. I’m 78, and I have started my Freshman Year by writing my 6th book.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Be your own boss! Simple but a strong advice.

What are you reading now?
Too busy to read now with children, grandchildren, dog training, and bird hunting. It’s Christmas time, and it’s time for my family and some hunting with my 2 labs.

What’s next for you as a writer?
Trying to market my books, finding interviews on the radio and elsewhere. Hopefully, find speaking engagements to impart my orthopedic knowledge to the public. I don’t expect to make a lot from my books, but I would like people to read them and get enjoyment from them. I am especially proud of my orthopedic book, THE WAY I SEE IT: A Head-to-Toe Guide to Common Orthopedic Conditions. I have finished 3 speaking presentations that include Low Back Pain, Shoulder Problems, and Knee Conditions.

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?
Kon Tiki, The Third Reich, Atlas Shrugged (all 3)

Author Websites and Profiles
Thomas Neviaser Website
Thomas Neviaser Amazon Profile
Thomas Neviaser Author Profile on Smashwords

Thomas Neviaser’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile
Facebook Profile

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I have written 3 novels and two short stories thus far. However when I’m not busy writting my own works I am very busy getting several books from Wild dreams Publishing ready for their cinema debut.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
I have two that just came out. The first is Secrets, Lies and Betrayal. This is the 4th installment to the Lite and Darke Series.

The second is housed in the book “A Wild dreams Christmas: from our house to yours” My story is called “A Christmas Heiress”

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
My husbands says that I wiggle my toes while really deep into writing. Other then that… as long as I have my coffee on hand I’m good to go.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
I’m really in the Black Jewels series by Anne Bishop

What are you working on now?
Currently and this is as of Dec. 2018: i am working on the script for “Down the Rabbit Hole” by Kristen Collins, Book 4 in the Lite and Darke Series. That is called “The Silent Wars”. Book one of the Obsidian Chronicles : titled ” The Secret of the Sword” This one is a spin off from The Lite and Darke Series

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I have a few different ways to be contacted
for Authors and readers Face book is the fastest way to reach me.
https://www.facebook.com/melisa.lyons.lynn
or
https://www.facebook.com/OfLiteAndDarke

My website is
MLRuscsak.com this is for news
For merchandise
Wild-Dreams-Publishing.myshopify.com has everyhting from books to mugs

and for industry professionals
https://www.linkedin.com/in/m-l-ruscsak-5b6043139/

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Never give up and believe in yourself. You can only go so far if you put limits on yourself.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
no is not an answer. If you want something find away around that “No” and go for it. Even if it means making your own road

What are you reading now?
As I’m working on the script and reading as I go, I guess it counts …. “Down the Rabbit Hole” By Kristen Collins

What’s next for you as a writer?
Keep writing and Keep publishing. But Also helping others along the way.

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 Black Jewels

Author Websites and Profiles
M.L Ruscsak Website
M.L Ruscsak Amazon Profile

M.L Ruscsak’s Social Media Links
Facebook Profile

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I’m Scottish, but have lived and worked in England since the 1980’s. I’m married, have two children, used to represent Great Britain in taekwondo, danced until I was forty and have degrees in Maths and Psychology and a PhD in Vision Neuroscience. I also have Multiple Sclerosis, which sucks. I’ve written three books to date, all of which I have self-published on amazon. The first, Kat by K L MacRae, is a story of hope, love, violence and revenge which follows an extraordinary period in kick-ass martial artist Kat Farthing’s life. The second and third books, written as Karen MacRae, are the first two parts of a fantasy trilogy following a young White Shaper called Anna as she learns to master her gift and attempts to bring down the greatest threat The Kingdom has faced in centuries.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
The latest book is called A Shaper’s Birthright. It’s the follow-on to A Shaper’s Promise. The inspiration behind the series is my friend Ann Clark. Ann dedicated her life to healing others through reiki and reflexology and generally being a wonderful person. She lost her battle with cancer in early 2018 and I was struck with the thought that her early death was almost as if she had taken all her patients’ illnesses into herself. A Shaper’s Promise therefore begins with the death of Anna’s Healer mother thanks to her Healer’s well overflowing with all the pain and poison she has lifted from her patients’ bodies. The other things that inspired the themes in the Shaper books are my friend Ann’s ability to see auras (she’d been able to see them her whole life) plus my Neuroscience background. I decided that auras should be a little like a 3D MRI scan that surrounded every living thing, telling those who could Read them what the person was thinking, feeling and doing as well as how and where everything about them was controlled. Now imagine being able to reach into that aura with your mind and change it however you like… That’s what it is to be an Aura Shaper like Anna.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
Other than obsession? Not really. I don’t think so anyway! I write most days, beginning with reading over what I wrote the day before and editing it. It means that some days I don’t seem to get much further forward, but there’s a lot less to do when the manuscript is finished!

What authors, or books have influenced you?
There are too many to mention, but some of my favourites are David Gemmell, Robin Hobb, Anne McCaffrey, Kyle Mills, Don Winslow, Ian Rankin, Robert Crais and R J Ellory. I tend to prefer easy-to-read, escapist fiction to anything deep and meaningful and that’s precisely what I write.

What are you working on now?
I’m about a fifth of the way through the final instalment of the Shaper series. The working title is A Shaper’s Farewell. It’s the book in which Anna and her friends will finally face Nystrieth, the Black Shaper who has taken control of the continent and is heading straight for The Kingdom and its big population of gifted.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I’m so new to this, I have no idea. Hopefully this one!

Do you have any advice for new authors?
I’d hardly call myself an expert, but I’d recommend starting with the right formatting; checking, checking, checking, checking and checking again for typos before you publish; never using ‘find and replace’ unless you’re certain it’s not going to cause a load of unnecessary work and never forgetting that there are hundreds of thousands of new books published every year so yours is unlikely to make you a fortune!

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Follow your heart and the rest will take care of itself.

What are you reading now?
Just finished a terrible book by a very famous author. It’s depressing how publishers will happily push the same old names despite the quality of work going down the pan

What’s next for you as a writer?
I’ve got the plots for two new Kat Farthing books more or less ready-to-go so, as soon as Anna and Nystrieth’s war is over, I’ll be delving back into the world of bodyguards, murder-for-hire and revenge. I love the character, Kat, and can’t wait to see what’s in store for her next!

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?
Frederica by Georgette Heyer (my go-to, feel-good book)
Legend by David Gemmell
Hyperion by Dan Simmons
The Last Detective by Robert Crais
No, I can’t do it… there are about a gazillion more I couldn’t do without!

Author Websites and Profiles
Karen MacRae Website
Karen MacRae Amazon Profile

Karen MacRae’s Social Media Links
Facebook Profile

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I enjoy reading books on psychic phenomena and all things metaphysical. Most of my life I’ve been fascinated with astral travel, dreams, the ability to see the future, and reincarnation. I’ve written three novels and incorporated all of those interests and more into my stories.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
My latest book is titled Dark Karma: Sword of Vengeance. It was inspired by my previous book, Tough Karma: A Race Against Time, which focused on the concept of unusual psychic talents, reincarnation, and a deranged villain. I wanted to use all of those concepts in Dark Karma, but take it to another level. The concept of traveling to other dimensions of reality intrigues me, and I thought it would be a wonderful element to include in this story. The main characters in Dark Karma, Nina and Luke, are supporting characters in Tough Karma so it was easy to write for them. Although Dark Karma can be read as a stand alone novel, you might enjoy it even more by reading Tough Karma first. A lingering situation from Tough Karma is sprinkled throughout the story line of Dark Karma and is brought to its conclusion.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I don’t know if it is unusual, but I write pieces of a story as it comes to me. I might have a fantastic scene for the middle of the story, or the ending, so I write that down and wait until a later time to write the events that led up to that scene.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
Stephen King, Dean Koontz, Kathryn LeVeque, Margaret Mallory, and Suzan Tisdale.

What are you working on now?
I’ve started writing my fourth book but I don’t have a title for it yet. For the time being, I’m calling it Karma Book 4. It is the follow-on to Dark Karma. It is proving difficult to write this story as a stand alone. My goal is to publish it sometime in 2020.

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

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Before publishing your book, have it professionally edited. It is well worth the cost. I also recommend having a few people “beta read” it first.

What are you reading now?
By the time this interview is published, I will probably be finished with the current book I’m reading! I love reading books even more than writing them, and I’m a pretty fast reader. To answer the question, lately I’ve been reading all the time travel romance novels I can find. That is my favorite romance genre.

What’s next for you as a writer?
Finishing my fourth book early in 2020 and starting a new series with my fifth 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?
That is a tough question. My Kindle is filled with fiction books. The only paperbacks I buy are non-fiction spiritual or metaphysical types of books that I can open up and re-read a particular section. I would have to seriously think about that before getting stranded.

Author Websites and Profiles
Laura Simmons Website
Laura Simmons Amazon Profile

Laura Simmons’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile
Facebook Profile
Twitter Account

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I hold a BA in psychology and DMD with a specialty of endodontics. Engaged in writing for the past thirty-five years, I have written for professional journals as well as having produced several non-fiction books. After three self-published books, Forty Something, Fifty Something, and Bedside Manner – How to Gain Your Patients’ Respect, Love and Loyalty, I was fortunate to have made publishing deals for my most recent non-fiction titles: The Sexless Marriage Fix – Basic Health Publications and From Waiting Room to Courtroom – How Doctors Can Avoid Getting Sued – Jay Pee Brothers Medical Publishers. Both of these books were release in 2016. In 2018 I had two more books published: Dating Again – A Guide to Dating Just When You Thought You Were Done… funny stuff, and my debut novel, The Divine Affliction.
Having left dentistry to write full time, I revisited my passion for fiction. I am now happy to present The Divine Affliction for publication with Black Rose Writing. Next up, another psychological thriller, The American Strangler, a tale of how the legal system is strangling America. Maintaining a social media presence, and having the time to write and promote my books, I look forward to engaging in the active telling and selling of my stories.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
My latest published book is, The Divine Affliction. Every night, coming home from my office, even late at night, coming home from meetings, movies or weddings, between 10pm and 1am, I would see an unmarked tanker making delivery in the middle of a cemetery. It was just about every night, and no matter the time, this truck was there. They had to be making deliveries all night long. This seemed so odd to me, but I didn’t have the guts to investigate or report the occurrences. However, my protagonist, Derrick Daniels did. And that was the beginning of his… and my adventure.

I’m troubled by the violence, immorality, and depravity seen going on all over the world. I seek an explanation, even if it’s in my fiction. I want people to understand there are, perhaps, reasons that exist right in front of us that we do not see. It is my hope that readers will realize the frailty of our security and existence. They will explore how the powers of ancient law collides with contemporary villainy. They will decide if violence is random or are there plots conspiring to bring an end to the idyllic life that used to define the American way.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I write in bed. My bed is my desk. This does nothing good for my posture. And my back is a mess. When uncomfortable enough, or when my computer battery runs low, I move to my desk. This means that while I explore new worlds in my mind, my travels in the real world are from bed to desk.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
Orwell, Conrad, Faulkner, Melville, Dickens, Steinbeck, and Fitzgerald are some of the giants I admire. The way they place words is true poetry in narrative/prose form. It’s like observing a master geneticist placing the building blocks of a complex life form to create a new creature. In my fiction, I strive for some semblance of scholarly content, however, when reading the real masters of literary fiction, I am humbled and know my place. My son is my biggest inspiration. He’s a budding author, and I have so enjoyed seeing him develop into a true talent.

What are you working on now?
I am working on The American Strangler which has two meanings. It’s about how the legal system is strangling every aspect of our society. It’s a thriller all about a vigilante who decided to do something about it.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
My website, http://www.novelsmith.com describes all of my books as well as more insight into my process. But Amazon is probably the best way to do promotions.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Stick with your craft. You never know it all. Keep learning from others. Don’t get discouraged, and make sure you have another job to pay for the room and board. Being a starving artist may be noble and offer good material for you stories, but it’s not fun.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Always read stuff that will make you look good if you die in the middle of it. P.J. O’Rourke

What are you reading now?
Origin by Dan Brown is my current read on audio book. I recently took his Master Class and was truly inspired. He’s a great talent and kind fellow. He tells the story of his first book signing before he was a known author (like me). He sat at the table for three hours. No one made the slightest eye contact with him. To the contrary, they avoided looking his way. Five minutes before the end of the event, having not sold one book, a lady walks directly toward him. He’ so excited… finally! She stops a foot away and say, “Excuse me sir, can you tell me the way to the bathroom.” Wow!

What’s next for you as a writer?
I would like to write a few more stories to inspire and teach. I would also like to write for a sitcom. Since I started late in writing as a profession, the chances for that happening are slim, but one never knows.

If you were going to be stranded on a desert island and allowed to take 3 or 4 books with you what books would you bring?
If stranded on a desert Island, I would want to take The Bible, The Talmud and Wikipedia. While I was never very learned nor religious, as I get older, I realize the Bible contains such amazing wisdom and tells every story imaginable. And the way I get lost in Wikipedia would keep me busy for eternity.

Author Websites and Profiles
ROBERT FLEISHER Website
ROBERT FLEISHER Amazon Profile

ROBERT FLEISHER’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile
Facebook Profile
Twitter Account