Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I have published a book on physics “Physics from Wholeness”, one in Swedish on nutrition and health “Livets Bränsle”, a book on happiness “Choose Joy”, a book on a principle we find around us that shows how structure seals fate “The Devil is in the Structure”, one short picture book on “Manifestations of Warped Rationality”, and now “Non-Duality Illustrated”.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
My latest book is entitled “Non-Duality Illustrated: Metaphors to Unlock the Bridge to the Formless”. It is based on and inspired by non-duality, advaita, and uses metaphors that contemporary non-duality teachers use.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I only write when I am inspired. Sometimes I feel as though the writing just happens and I get to tag along.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
My latest book is primarily based on the teachings of Swami Sarvapriyananda and Rupert Spira.

What are you working on now?
I do not know where inspiration will take me next. Right now I will have some articles on health coming out on my Stay on the Health Track blog. These are on topics that currently fascinate me. They have to do with nutrition, but not as nutrients. Nutrition can be used as signals for how our genes work and what they express.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
One thing my books have in common is that they convey a sense of common sense that is uncommon. Hence the name of my website: Uncommon Sense Books.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Personally I feel the happiest when I let inspiration take me on writing sprees.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Get first into the positive vibration of what you want to achieve, and then act.

What are you reading now?
“Initiation” by Elisabeth Haich

What’s next for you as a writer?
Seeing where inspiration will take me. Looking forward to the ride.

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

Author Websites and Profiles
Barbara Piechocinska Website

Barbara Piechocinska’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile
Facebook Profile
Pinterest Account

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I’m from Southampton, England and I’m 21 years old. Besides some work in an anthology, “Cold Grey Walls Part 1” my first published book and I’m extremely excited about it.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
I’ve had the idea for Cold Grey Walls for a long time and started writing it back in 2015 I think, while I was still at college. I decided to release the story in parts so “Cold Grey Walls Part 1” is the first instalment (obviously) and is currently available in Amazon and Kindle.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
When I first started writing Cold Grey Walls I had post-it notes stuck to the hallway wall when I lived with my parents and each had little pieces of string connecting the characters and plot points together. It kind of looked like one of those boards you’d find in a crime drama on TV. I was made to take the post-it notes down but I still have them in a plastic wallet to refer to.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
I personally haven’t really read anything like Cold Grey Walls because I mainly read fantasy novels, like Terry Pratchett and Neil Gaiman.

What are you working on now?
I’m currently working on the next instalment of Cold Grey Walls which I hope to release soon.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
Spreading it around social media is a good way to get the word out and sites like this that will send your book around for you.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Just go for it! I was scared at first to have my work out there but it’s been really exciting.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
SUMO – Shut Up, Move On

What are you reading now?
I’m doing a degree in English and Creative Writing so I’m reading a LOT of things

What’s next for you as a writer?
I’m hoping to finish and release the complete Cold Grey Walls and then hopefully branch out and try and get some more of my work out there

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 Theif of Time by Terry Pratchett because it holds a dear place in my heart, The Green Mile by Stephen King because it’s just the best book ever in my opinion, I’d want to take some Harry Potter too but it’s hard to choose just one, maybe Order of the Pheonix because it’s so long it could keep me occupied for a long time.

Author Websites and Profiles
MollyAnn Hopkins Website
MollyAnn Hopkins Amazon Profile

MollyAnn Hopkins’s Social Media Links
Twitter Account

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I came of age in a small town in the deep South suspended in time and haunted with stories. I’ve published novels, poetry, short stories, and a play. Today I live in the Pacific Northwest.

I’ve been addicted to writing since childhood. I sold my first book door-to-door in the neighborhood when I was ten. I have five published novels: two horror (THE CALLING and ROADKILL), an American odyssey set in 1968 (LONG TIME GONE), and a dystopian thriller with a climax in a drive-in theater (RING OF STARS). That’s four. The fifth takes me to the next question.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
THE SOUL SNATCHERS. Look around—we’re happily addicted, notochord-level. We’ve become mesmerized by our tech, possessed by it. We’ve ceded important ground. I wanted to show how that works out when we think about addiction and power. And cyberterrorism.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I write by hand in notebooks. It’s more intuitive to me than typing. But then I can’t face keying it all in, so I dictate from my handwritten pages. Smartphones have gotten crazy good at voice recognition and translation.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
It’s kind of like asking what air have you breathed? So many. Early on, William Golding, Lawrence Durrell, Rod Serling. Later, mainly literary. I’m attracted to stylists: Bellow, James Salter, Michael Ondaatje, Nabokov, Walker Percy. T.C. Boyle. A couple of my favorite genre writers are Thomas Harris (SILENCE OF THE LAMBS) and Neal Stephenson (SNOW CRASH).

What are you working on now?
Publicity for THE SOUL SNATCHERS (http://www.invernesspress.com/soul_snatchers.html), just published in January by Inverness Press.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
Awesomegang.com looks promising!

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Decide which rules for you—the muse or mammon. “You have to serve somebody.” If sales are more important, choose a genre and brand yourself to it. If it’s writing for the love of it, don’t quit your day job. Don’t quit it in either case.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Many are called but few are chosen.

What are you reading now?
Elaine Pagels, Lewis Mumford, Jennifer Egan, Czeslaw Milosz.

What’s next for you as a writer?
Maybe La La Land in 1970s Chicago.

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?
FROM DAWN TO DECADENCE–Jacques Barzun

THE MASKS OF GOD–Joseph Campbell (multivolume cheat but I might finally get to finish all the volumes)

THE COLLECTED POEMS OF W.B. YEATS–William Butler Yeats

ROBINSON CRUSOE (a user guide)–Daniel Defoe

Author Websites and Profiles
Richard Sanford Website
Richard Sanford Amazon Profile
Richard Sanford Author Profile on Smashwords

Richard Sanford’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile
Facebook Profile

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I am an independent author who has so far written two novels and a poetry book. By day I work as a marketing copywriter, by night (and weekend!) I work on my fiction. I live in Sydney, Australia, with my husband who co-founded my publishing company, PRNTD, with me back in 2011.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
My latest book is called The Nowhere. It’s an Australian coming-of-age novel with LGBT+ and mystery themes that is told through the eyes of Sebastian Johns. The book shifts around in timeframes as it builds up to a dramatic event that took place in the summer of 1998. The main thread of the book is set in the late 90s in outback Western Australia, where Seb lives with his father and brother on a remote farm.

The book was partly inspired by my own life experiences, particularly in my teens where I lived in a small country town and came to terms with my own sexuality and identity. The fact it’s set in Australia is down to the fact I’ve been living here over five years now and have done a lot of travelling around this beautiful yet mysterious country. I’m also inspired by remote, cut-off places – they make the most interesting settings in fiction to me.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
Hmm, I’m not sure about unusual habits. But sometimes I have full-on conversations with my characters in my head as I’m developing them. Ok, I realise how crazy that sounds. But it works!

What authors, or books have influenced you?
Oh wow, countless. Too many to mention. But to name a few: 1984 by George Orwell, Vurt by Jeff Noon, Misery and It by Stephen King. And more recently: The Dry by Jane Harper and Barracuda by Christos Tsiolkas.

What are you working on now?
Well, it’s full steam ahead right now with the roll-out for The Nowhere. But I’m also in very early development stages of a new crime novel, so watch this space…

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
Social media has been fantastic, as it’s such a direct way to find and communicate with your audience. I also think Goodreads is great for running competitions and sending out ARCs. I need to investigate other methods/websites but Awesome Gang looks fantastic!

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Focus on the story first. Whatever that story is, spend as long as you need to on planning it, writing it and editing it. All the ‘how should I get this published?’ stuff should come later.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
“If you want to be a writer, you must do two things above all others: read a lot and write a lot. There’s no way around these two things that I’m aware of, no shortcut.”
― Stephen King, On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft

What are you reading now?
‘The Lost Man’ by Jane Harper.

What’s next for you as a writer?
As I mentioned earlier, I really want to focus on getting The Nowhere out into the world. I put so much of myself into this novel, so I want to say I gave it my all in terms of promotion (as soul-destroying as it might feel sometimes). But I also want to get cracking with my next project, so it’ll be a juggling act of promo, writing and my day job (also writing). Phew!

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?
Another tough one. Well, I’d have to take Ani Difranco’s new memoir ‘No Walls and the Recurring Dream’ as it’s out next week and I’ve wanted to read it for ages. Then it would have to be my three books (Shell, Verses and The Nowhere) just in case the island turns out to have any locals I can sell them to!

Author Websites and Profiles
Chris Gill Website
Chris Gill Amazon Profile

Chris Gill’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile
Facebook Profile
Twitter Account
Pinterest Account

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
Hello! I’m M. Billiter. “A Divided Mind,” is my 15th book, but my first work of domestic fiction. After writing more than a dozen romance stories, the universe brought a different type of story into my life that I knew had to be told and one I was uniquely qualified to write.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
It started with a phone call. It was the day before a major college kickoff event I had helped plan for more than a year. I was crazily finalizing last-minute details when my son, Kyle, called saying he needed to talk. I still remember my exasperation from being bothered at work. What? What could it be now? With four children to support, I was finally getting my boots on the ground as an adjunct professor. My placement on the planning committee was a huge step forward in my career. An interruption at work meant a disruption in what I was trying to build.

When I pressed Kyle for an answer, he started to back away from the conversation. That’s when I knew. I knew it was more than a phone call. And suddenly, I couldn’t breathe or stop my mind from racing – pregnant girlfriend, drugs, failing a class? What I heard in reply wasn’t at all what I expected.

“I’m hearing voices.”

I didn’t understand what was happening to my son. I only knew I wanted it to go away. The campus event no longer mattered. In trying to build “something,” I let what truly matters – family, children, home life – break down. As I sat in the waiting room at the counseling center while Kyle saw an emergency intake specialist, my only focus was on my little boy. At, 6’1 my 18-year-old was far from little. He was my gentle giant, my brave heart. Together we navigated the world of mental health without any clue what was ahead. During this time, the journalist in me surfaced. I asked a lot of questions, which I wasn’t always sure I wanted to know the answer.

By delving into the darkness, Kyle shared with me demons I never knew he battled. It was heartbreaking and heroic. The story we lived became the story we told – with a twist. What started out as a quest for answers, turned into a fictionalized, chilling story of what could happen if a divided mind was left untreated.

“A Divided Mind,” was a book that wrote itself and one I am immensely proud of.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
Lately, I’ve traveled a lot for work. When random pockets of time present themselves, I’ll pull out my phone and start writing.

The “Notes” section on my iPhone is my go-to for writing. Whether I’m in line for coffee or the Metro, a note is open and I’m text/typing or voice messaging into the folder. It’s amazing how much I can accomplish in a short period of time – like answering a Q&A for a book tour!

I cut and paste the questions into the note section, answer them and then email myself the file. That’s key! I backup my work by emailing or texting myself the file.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
When Oprah began her book club, I discovered a lot of great authors – Tawni O’Dell (Backroads), Elizabeth Berg (Open House), or Wally Lamb (I Know This Much Is True). Her monthly book selections that focused on domestic fiction, women’s issues, and literary works were gems that expanded my library.

I’m also an admirer of short stories and writers like Benjamin Percy. Authors like Percy, O’Dell, Berg and Lamb, who are at the top of their game with superior craftsmanship – character development, engaging plots, and emotion that is palpable – make me thrive to put my best work on the page.

What are you working on now?
“The Divided Twin,” is a stand-alone work of domestic fiction. For readers of, “A Divided Mind,” the story picks up four years later in the lives of the Kovac family.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
Great question! I find book tours and book blogs reach readers more effectively than any social media I post!

Do you have any advice for new authors?
I always encourage the writers in my classes to believe in themselves and the story they’re writing. If a writer isn’t invested in the work, it shows on the page. It lacks engagement, emotion, and energy. When a writer is passionate about the story they’re writing, it pops. It comes alive with all those elements it lacked: engagement, emotion, and energy.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
The piece I always return to is something Alexandra “Bo” Fuller said during a writing conference in Jackson Hole, Wyoming.

“Write to keep drunks awake around a campfire,” she suggested of writing.

If I can do that, then I’ve done my job!

What are you reading now?
Elizabeth Berg’s, “What We Keep.”

What’s next for you as a writer?
The New York Times Bestseller’s List and a featured spot, in Oprah’s magazine. You know, nothing big – just everything I’ve always dreamed for my work!

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?
“Time Traveler’s Wife,” Audrey Niffenegger
“Open House,” Elizabeth Berg
“Back Roads,” by Tawni O’Dell
“On Writing,” by Stephen King

Author Websites and Profiles
Mary Billiter Website
Mary Billiter Amazon Profile

Mary Billiter’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile
Facebook Profile
Twitter Account

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I am a husband and father living in South Wales. Working in IT I have a lot of experience with new technologies and have always been fascinated by robots and AI. Currently I have one book out in a three part series. The second book is currently in progress.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
My last book was Nova Llar : Training Days and is set roughly 40 years in the future. It follows the training process leading up to the first mission to another solar system.
The inspiration came from a number of places really. I have always enjoyed the sci-fi genre in general. I have always been fascinated by the possibility of a future where humanity has put aside what makes us separate and works together towards a common goal. In addition I have always had another universe in my head with its own lore and history. This first book is my attempt to bring that universe to life.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
Most of my writing takes place in the evenings and late at night once the kids are asleep. One thing I find helps immensely is to go without and sugary snacks or food for a few days. It always seems to help focus my mind.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
There are a lot of books that have influenced me. In particular, Nathan Lowell’s “Trader’s Tales from the Golden Age of the Solar Clipper” series and M.Pax “The Backworlds”. Both were available on the Amazon Kindle store and certainly helped with the daily commute in London.

What are you working on now?
I am currently works my on the sequel to my first book. So far I have a title and the first couple of chapters, Nova Llar : Journey.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I’m quite new to promoting my work. Currently the most active phase of my marketing is done in Twitter. I do have a site also however I am still in the process of sorting out the domain name.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
If you have an idea write it down. It doesn’t matter if it becomes something later or not, the point is you have the idea to work from. When you do start writing don’t feel any pressure to write and write. Usually 1-2 hour stints can achieve more than a whole day, at least in my experience.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
It doesn’t matter what you do as long as you are doing it to the best of your ability. Half measures rarely lead to results and when they do they can be disappointing.

What are you reading now?
Unfortunately my free time is practically none existent so I don’t have anything to read right now. I am on the lookout for something interesting though.

What’s next for you as a writer?
I have a few short stories to write as support for the series. In addition there are some other ideas I have for the expanded universe. Ultimately it’s going to come down to 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?
This is honestly a tough question. The first book I would take would be my Bible. As for the other four it would have to be the Lord of the Rings trilogy. It usually takes me a few months to get through them so it should kill a few years going through them a few times.p

Author Websites and Profiles
B.A. Lane Website
B.A. Lane Amazon Profile

B.A. Lane’s Social Media Links
Twitter Account

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
“Breaking the Foundation of Procrastination” is the first, and for now, the only book I’ve published. Since I was writing a lot of self-help, self-development articles and blog posts for other people as a ghostwriter, I decided to do it for myself, under my own name, so that I could provide more freedom and opportunity to my own expression. I am quite passionate when it comes to all the wonders and problems we people are blessed and challenged with. After all the time and effort spent on those topics, I felt the need to share all of the understandings, knowledge, support, comfort, and motivation I’ve found on that path.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
My books’ name is “Breaking the Foundation of Procrastination”. And it illustrates exactly what the book is about. This is not the book that gives advice about overcoming procrastination since procrastination is only a symptom. It wants to help us understand where does it come from, together with lots of problems we usually find ourselves stuck with. This book goes to the very roots, causes, and triggers, and from that point of view, it’s showing us how we can change the unwanted results, effects, and consequences.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
My passioned interest in my books’ topic is born primarily out of the troubles I had when it comes to writing. I didn’t understand why I have so many resistance for doing something I really loved and believed in. And the first step towards letting that resistance go was one of those I described in the book. It was breaking that one big goal to the lots of little ones. And from my perspective, I’m not writing a book. I’m writing one thought, sharing one insight, describing one understanding at a time, and with time and working flow, it all shapes itself into a book, fearlessly and naturally.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
I have a bachelor in World Literature and spent more than half of my life reading all I could related to self-help, self-development and spiritual stuff, so it’s hard for me to answer this question. Everything influenced me. I believe that there is no bad book for a good reader. That doesn’t mean that some books aren’t better than others, it means that the wise man learns from everybody. If we found single thought that inspires or illuminate us in an overall “bad” book, wasn’t that book good for us? Also, there are people able to read a book flooded with wisdom and finish it untouched by a single drop of it.

What are you working on now?
Right now I’m working on a book about meditation. Since I consider it the most important and beneficial practice we can adopt, and since I mentioned it as such many times in my book, I think I owe to my readers a complete guide for it. A guide that’s going to cover all those questions, dilemmas, challenges, fears, and ambiguities that I have had, and that many people face with when starting with meditation.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
Since I am a complete newbie, I’m still researching ways for giving more exposure to my book and reaching more potential readers. “Awesome gang” seems like a really good and helpful platform for both authors and writers, and I would really like there to be more websites like this.
For now, I am presenting my work mostly on my Instagram page (amy_wonders), where I publish small parts, quotes from my book so that people could see whether or not it resonates with them.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Oh yes, I do. Forget about the labels, forget about the numbers, forget about the expectations, someone else’s or your own. As they say, write to express, not to impress. Strive for authenticity, not originality. Do your best, but remember that perfection exists as nothing else but a lodestar that’s showing us the direction to the destination we’ll never get because it’s ever moving further. Always do your best, compete only with yourself, but don’t forget that perfectionism is nothing but a self-destructive Ego-trip. As Margaret Atwood said: “If I waited for perfection, I would never write a word.”

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
The mother of a bunch of great advice I’ve heard is the premise that we do not attract what we want, but what we are. For me, this was a life-changing thought, because it’s calling us to take responsibility, and shifts our focus and forces from the things we are unable to control, to those that we are.

What are you reading now?
“Emotional Intelligence” by Daniel Goleman

What’s next for you as a writer?
The same that’s next for most of the other writers, I suppose. Writing, reading, presenting myself to the people, listening to the feedback, improving, researching, more writing.

If you were going to be stranded on a desert island and allowed to take 3 or 4 books with you what books would you bring?
I would bring a guide on how to survive on in a desert island, and some ancient Buddhist scripts, since a lonely place like that would be perfect for becoming enlightened!

Author Websites and Profiles
Amy Wonders Website

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I’m a Brazilian journalist, screenwriter and multimedia producer. I have recently self-published my first novel, “The Missing Spirit”.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
“The Missing Spirit” began as a sort of fantasy-themed journal after an abrupt return home having spent years living overseas. The reverse culture shock was very intense and I had this daily urge to escape elsewhere while I tried to cope with the life I’d left behind. After a few months, the journal turned into a story of its own: a journey about a young human girl trying to find her place in a world ruled by gods.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
Yes. I don’t write according to how creative I’m feeling at the moment. I always determine exactly how many pages I’m going to write until I’m done for the day. If I’m inspired, great, if I’m not, then I’ll write for the sake of it. When I go over them on the following day I’m often surprised by mediocre material I thought would be brilliant and great material I was sure would be rubbish.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
Tolkien, C.S. Lewis, H.P. Lovecraft, J. K. Rowling, Walt Whitman and Terry Pratchett.

What are you working on now?
I’m working on a sequel for “The Missing Spirit”.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I try to have a solid digital presence, using an author website, a blog, Instagram, Twitter and Facebook.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Follow your gut, be stubborn and don’t be afraid of hearing “no”. The more “no”s you hear, the more special that first “yes” will feel.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
“Write the book you want to read”.

What are you reading now?
I’m finishing “Americanah” by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie.

What’s next for you as a writer?
I hope to connect with new readers and try to understand how my work resonates with them while I work on the next 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?
100 Years of Solitude, The Little Prince, Robinson Crusoe and Dune.

Author Websites and Profiles
P. J. Maia Website
P. J. Maia Amazon Profile

P. J. Maia’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile
Facebook Profile
Twitter Account

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
When I was six years old I hid in the bathroom in the early morning to read, afraid that if I turned the lights on elsewhere it would wake up my parents. Now I write in the bathtub, still afraid. But humor helps, and so I spend my days looking for open mic nights as a stand-up. Three books, one of them good.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
So Many Thrones: A Parody of Game of Thrones. The name was inspired by the book being a parody of Game of Thrones. The book itself was inspired by boredom and an irrepressible affection for George R. R. Martin’s prose.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
Yes.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
Toni Morrison, Thomas Aquinas, Robert Mueller

What are you working on now?
2084, a parody of George Orwell’s classic Brave New World
50 Essays That Will Not Get You Into Harvard

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I like to tell acquaintances about it and then watch as they forget before the conversation is over, and then to take advantage of the wonderful social media features developed by the lovely people at Goodreads.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Talk to a therapist.

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

What are you reading now?
The Bible

What’s next for you as a writer?
A long bath, then back to sleep.

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?
War & Peace
The Corrections
That’s it

Author Websites and Profiles
John Marquane Amazon Profile

John Marquane’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile
Twitter Account

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I’ve written five books, all dystopian and intensely focused on the fact that our technological advances are far outpacing our social advances. We humans have no single ethic, not even one that we should all agree upon – like ensuring the long-term survival of our species (even if we disagree about the method). Without this, we are being swept toward the final, cataclysmic creek: 7.5 billion in a leaky boat with no paddles.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
The latest book is the third in the “Over the Precipice” series called “The Wasting: Descent to the Cataclysm.”

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I read the text out loud in my first edit.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
Upanishads (which most Americans have never heard of), Bible, Catcher in the Rye, various Heinlein

What are you working on now?
Secret stuff!

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
Twitter most likely.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Like my Twitter profile says, assume you’ll write to support a substandard lifestyle. If you do better than that, then great!

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Look both ways…

What are you reading now?
Upanishads, Bible

What’s next for you as a writer?
I’ll write more books when I get angry again at humanity’s ignorance and laziness, present company excluded, of course.

If you were going to be stranded on a desert island and allowed to take 3 or 4 books with you what books would you bring?
Upanishads, Bible, Encyclopedia Americana (in entirety), Dancing Wu Li Masters

Author Websites and Profiles
Blade Cort Website
Blade Cort Amazon Profile

Blade Cort’s Social Media Links
Twitter Account

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I was born in the back of a stolen, horseless horse trailer… Nope, sorry, that’s the start of my main character’s life story. I was born in a cozy New England town. Connecticut, if you can believe that – the past stomping grounds of none other than Mark Twain, one of my many personal writing gods. I graduated with an English/Writing degree from Marist College in Poughkeepsie, NY. Went on to be a diligent (and precise as possible) editor and writer at Harcourt Publishers and Weekly Reader. Over the years I’ve written several books for younger audiences but as yet, have published none of them. “I Am Marcus Fox” is my debut novel and it is a literary action adventure/psychological thriller for adults. In the future, I plan to publish more novels for adults as well as books for young adults and middle grade.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
“I Am Marcus Fox”
When I started with Marcus, he came to me from out of nowhere. I don’t want to say he appeared to me or he came before me in a dream. Neither of those are true. But to this day, I don’t know where his character traits originated. He has a larger-than-life personality. He’s a modern day Paul Bunyan braggart and it’s hard to take anything he says without a heaping pile of salt grains. I’ve spent so much time with him that you’d think I might have a better take on whether his story is true, whether he believes it himself, or if he’s just touched in the head. He tells me fiction is stranger than truth. In a sense, it is his calling card. So perhaps that could be a clue? I’m still uncertain.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I have young children so my unusual writing habits are limited to one, really: write whenever I possibly can. That usually entails getting up pre-dawn and pounding on the keys before the wild things rise.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
Stephen King, Tom Robbins, George Orwell, Kurt Vonnegut, William Shakespeare… what? Really? Yup. When I worked at Weekly Reader, I even got to go back in time and interview him. (It’s a long story.) Lewis Carroll, Dave Eggers, J.K. Rowling, John Irving, Ernest Hemingway, Herman Hesse (Siddhartha!), Khaled Hosseini, Lois Lowry. More more more!

What are you working on now?
I am polishing up a Middle Grade novel that I hope to release in Fall 2019. I am also working on a rough draft of a new Young Adult urban fantasy novel.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
My website is www.bryoncahill.com. I have a bloggy there where I do a lot of talky talk with my fingee fings. I’ve also begun a self-imposed, somewhat nutty, monthly Shakespeare challenge. I would encourage anyone who either loves, hates, or kinda wants to like the Bard to join me there!

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Write like no one is watching. No, that’s advice for dancing. It works for writing, too! Because, well, no one is watching, are they? Not while you’re doing the work. So blast away and edit later. It’s definitely good to have some sort of plot arc in mind, but I wouldn’t stress the small stuff at first. Get your main guy (or girl) and have them do their thing. Let them surprise you, but not too much. In writing, the little surprises are the best as long as you can write yourself past them. In other words, don’t decapitate any of your characters unless you have a dang good reason. I’m looking at you, George R.R. Martin!

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Put your butt in the chair and write. Stay away from social media and all internet. Write, write, write. Try to be as distraction-free as possible. Do good work!

What are you reading now?
All’s Well That Ends Well (see previous Shakespeare answer), Pandemic by A.G. Riddle, and a nonfiction book about the Jersey Shore (where my family and I reside)

What’s next for you as a writer?
My debut novel launched today (5/7/19) so I’m pretty amped up on adrenaline right now. I’d love to get feedback (in the form of reviews) on Amazon. I’d also love it if my 20-month-old son would start being able to sleep without me so I could get back to waking up early to write! Anyone have a cure for that? Age, probably. Oh, but you asked about my writing plans. Directly, I’m going to bloggy (www.bryoncahill.com) soon about my experiences with launch week.

If you were going to be stranded on a desert island and allowed to take 3 or 4 books with you what books would you bring?
“1984” because it’s the cheeriest book I’ve ever read. Ha! No, but seriously, it’s awesome. Tom Robbins’ “Another Roadside Attraction” because every single line of that book is poetry. The Complete Works of William Shakespeare because there’s some good stuff in there. My Kindle with my entire digital library, and a plug for charging and an extra long extension cord, I guess… cuz I’m cheating.

Author Websites and Profiles
Bryon Cahill Website
Bryon Cahill Amazon Profile

Bryon Cahill’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile
Facebook Profile
Twitter Account

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I am a former CFO of a billion-dollar per year organization. I was struggling with stress-induced health issues and looking for a way out when I had a stroke, rendering me unable to perform my job duties. My book is about manifesting exactly what I needed in life, then overcoming the obstacles in finding gratitude for it! This is my first published book.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
My Lucky Stroke: One Woman’s Journey to Manifesting an Ideal Life
It was inspired by the experience of having a stroke and, through my recovery and work at overcoming the obstacles, understanding I had manifested my ideal life.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
Because of the visual and cognitive aspects of my brain injury, I write blindfolded. This keeps my brain from being overtaxed by looking at my computer screen.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
The Law of Attraction, Deepak Chopra, Elizabeth Gilbert, Stroke of Insight by Jill Bolte Taylor, Life Visioning by Michael Bernard Beckwith, Brene Brown

What are you working on now?
Promoting my first book and writing another. The working title is “Spiritual Audacity,” and it is about the spiritual evolution I underwent during stroke recovery and writing of my first book. In my life, I went from questioning Catholic to Atheist, Agnostic, and back to spiritual believer in God, but maybe not the God of my upbringing.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I’m not quite sure, as I’ve just begun. Who knows? Perhaps Awesome Gang!

Do you have any advice for new authors?
If you can afford it, get a coach. Many do group coaching sessions that are less expensive. Or join a writing group. It is inspiring to be with those who are like-minded writers.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
My first writing coach told me never to edit while I’m writing. Writing is a creative process, and editing an analytical process. If you switch back and forth, it tires your brain and doesn’t allow either aspect to work at its best.

What are you reading now?
“Einstein’s Relativity and the Quantum Revolution” on Audible (I don’t read well since the stroke). It’s not something I would normally read, but it was on sale and struck my fancy.

What’s next for you as a writer?
Oprah’s Book Club? Reese’s? NYT bestseller? Who 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?
The Secret Life of Pi (I think I need to read it a few more times to get the full symbolism)
Braving the Wilderness
How to Survive on a Desert Island without Losing Your Mind (I would have to write it.)

Author Websites and Profiles
Laurie Freedle Website
Laurie Freedle Amazon Profile
Laurie Freedle Author Profile on Smashwords

Laurie Freedle’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile
Facebook Profil

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I’ve written or co-authored a small handful of books in the past, mostly dry, non-fiction, reference books. I’m very pleased about my significant role in the writing of “The Long Way to Los Gatos” by legendary horseman Verne R. Albright. It’s the first “page turner” I was ever associated with. Only in the last few years have I made a determined effort to write entertaining fiction. There are a good seven or eight books still in front of me.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
“Encores” is the name of my first major fictional work. It is meant to suggest repetitive returns to the stage following a successful musical performance. Several of the book’s characters are classic rock musicians who have opportunity to keep performing in the afterlife, allowing for endless such encores.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I need quiet, but not TOO much quiet. I’m most productive when writing in large public libraries. I like hearing the soft, muffled sounds of people talking not far away. I don’t need to see these people. I certainly don’t need any interaction with them as I try to focus and write. But, besides the pleasant ambiance of their voices, I think an awareness of people nearby reminds me of the potential audience for my books. I’m forced to keep asking myself what they, as readers, might think of my work. That keeps my writing sharper and better honed than if it’s just kept trapped inside my own head.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
People familiar with Roald Dahl’s popular children’s books may not be aware of his short story collections from the 1950s and 60s – books like “Kiss Kiss” and “Someone Like You.” I love his detailed research and his wickedly twisted endings. If anyone ever said my writing reminded them of Roald Dahl’s work, I would take that as the highest compliment.

What are you working on now?
My “Encores” book is admittedly a bit “out there” – and it’s supposed to be. But the two novels I’m currently working on are more accessible, more mainstream. One is titled “Christmas Cake for Marjorie Simms” and the other (geared more for younger audiences), is tentatively named “A Town Called Sophomore.” I’m looking forward to seeing how they both turn out!

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
For me, there’s no denying Amazon.com as the mother-of-all book-promoting platforms. Most everything else I do revolves around Amazon. All my other efforts seem to point potential readers and book buyers in that direction.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
I have a several tons of advice for new authors. But to keep things short and simple, I’ll offer the standard chestnuts here: “Keep writing” and “Practice, practice, practice.” There’s just no getting around it. Secondly, there are hundreds of books on the subject that you could learn from. Many of them are excellent and I own several, but I only recommend three: “On Writing” by Stephen King; “Write to Learn” by Donald M. Murray; and “How to Write Swell” by R. Bruce Sundrud.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
On the backside of Mt. Whitney, I once found myself hanging onto a cliff by my fingertips. I had a heavy pack on my back and a forty-foot drop below me. It was a little too late, but at that moment I recalled my mom’s advice as I left on this adventure. She said, “Don’t do anything stupid.” (As far as writing goes, “Never let facts get in the way of a good story!”)

What are you reading now?
“Home” by Marilynne Robinson. It follows her novel “Gilead” which I absolutely loved. It gave me a greater appreciation for my relationship with my father, my grandfathers, and my son.

What’s next for you as a writer?
While it’s crucial to remain true to one’s creative self, any writer or artist must consider the value of their work as it relates to other people. What’s next for me is hopefully the reaching of broader audiences – not for the royalties, but to expand the value of my writing time and talents.

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?
One of my all-time favorites is “Into A Desert Place” by Graham Mackintosh. Besides the delightful, entertaining prose, it contains lots of survival tips that might come in handy on a desert island. I would also bring three copies of Tolstoy’s “War and Peace.” I’ve never read it, but I would have time to do so in that situation. When finished, I would bundle all the copies together as part of a makeshift raft.

Author Websites and Profiles
Russell Róbe Website
Russell Róbe Amazon Profile

Russell Róbe’s Social Media Links
Facebook Profil

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
Hey, I’m twenty something years old and live in the outback in Australia. I used to live in New Zealand, but there weren’t enough kangaroos for my tastes. I work as a singing and piano teacher most afternoons and as a writer most mornings and evenings. I currently have five books published and am featured in two anthologies.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
Consort to the Shadows is my latest, and it was inspired by numerous things, including my fascinations with weird diseases, my obsession with the idea of flying, and my love of all things dragonish and violent.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I used to do much of my writing in the splits. This was excellent for my back but terrible for my wrists. After developing carpal tunnel, I adopted the more normal habit of sitting at the table. My dog is three kilos, so she fits nicely on my lap while I type.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
I love the Psalms in the Bible and have always adored the life story of King David. In many ways, I modeled my main character a little after him. I’ve also greatly enjoyed fantasy fiction by Mark Lawrence, Stephen Lawhead, and J K Rowling, and I admire the style of Katherine Mansfield, Thomas Hardy, and John Galsworthy.

What are you working on now?
I’ve literally just finished a book set in outback Australia, dealing with the ramifications of bereavement caused by suicide from the perspective of a child. I’m going to give it space now, because it’s such a big topic. I’ll probably resume editing my middle grade urban fantasy fiction series, so that that can hit the shelves one day.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
You know, I’m going to be honest here. Nobody really knows what works, and it’s a fair measure of luck and who you know. For the rest of us, we just potter around, keep writing, and do some promotional work on the sides. My favourite is getting my books into local libraries, but I’ve got to be honest, that doesn’t earn me heaps.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
What you say matters. So stick at it, because someday, someone is going to hear you.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
This question doesn’t seem limited to writing, so I’m just going to say one that someone very wise once told me. When you’re in an argument, let the relationship win. It’s better than falling out over a little nothing, if you get what I mean.

What are you reading now?
Between the Lines by Jodi Picoult and her daughter Samantha. Never thought I would enjoy a teenage romance, but I have to admit it’s very cleverly put together.

What’s next for you as a writer?
The rest of my fantasy fiction series The Fledgling Account is due for publication. So far, I’ve had Rafen, The Sianian Wolf, Servant of the King, The Fourth Runi, and Consort to the Shadows (Part One) published. Next, Part Two of Consort will be released, and after that the final two books in the series.

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 would be my first pick, being Christian. May as well prepare for heaven if you don’t survive. A Severe Mercy was also fantastic, so I would have to go with that. And then I would probably have a couple of more practical volumes, about how to process coconuts into a thousand different foods and how to get off a desert island so that you can find a decent library.

Author Websites and Profiles
Y K Willemse Website
Y K Willemse Amazon Profile

Y K Willemse’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile
Facebook Profile
Twitter Account

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I’m a blogger at http://www.zerotoalpha.com and author of the book “The Year Of The Alpha: 366 Lessons On Adding Meaning To Your Life”. My main goal is fighting right now and other interests include self- development, becoming the best version of yourself and philosophy. I dropped out of college to pursue his dreams and I’m currently in Thailand to make sure he can achieve those dreams. This is the second book written by me but the first one that I published on Amazon.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
I had no intention of writing this book, to be honest. I was just sharing quotes on my Instagram story and someone commented on a particular quote claiming that I was contradicting myself. The quote goes as follows: “You have to be open-minded and close-minded at the same time”.

I didn’t bother explaining the quote but I challenged myself to put together a book where I share 366 of my own quotes plus the correct explanation.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I can’t write without coffee and I almost never write at night. I also reflect long on things before I write them down. I don’t really write drafts, I think about it until I feel like it’s good enough to write about. Then I write, revise and publish if I like it. I still have a lot of unpublished blog posts.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
I really like the works of Robert Greene, Victor Pride, Ryan Holiday, Mark Manson and Gary John Bishop. They’re straight to the point so I guess those had the biggest influence on me since that’s my writing style as well.

What are you working on now?
Right now I’m focusing on my upcoming Muay Thai fight on the 14th of May in Samui (an island in the south of Thailand). I write a little bit in between training sessions but the main focus is the fight right now. I can’t spread myself to thin because that could result in a TKO loss. That’s something that I rather avoid.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I think social media is a great tool for promoting your book. Aside from that, I noticed that free promotion site like awesomegang give me more sales than the paid ones so I would suggest finding out which free ones are the best.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Keep writing no matter what. I faced a lot of adversity while I finishing this book. I changed training camps which resulted in a lot of drama, had trouble at home because I hate normal jobs and got dumped. All of that happened in a single month. I could have stopped me from writing but I pushed on and all those events gave me extra chapters for the books. The obstacle is the only way. Don’t shy away from writer’s block either. Keep going, you’ll break through the plateau.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
If not you then who?

What are you reading now?
Right now I’m reading thinking fast and slow. It’s a very scientific book but it’s a great read.

What’s next for you as a writer?
No challenges yet, we’ll see what the future holds. I’m planning on writing some blogs reflecting on my 3 months stay in Thailand. Those will be released in July/August.

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 Art Of War
Book of Five Rings
Laws Of Human Nature

Author Websites and Profiles
Alex Dw Website

Alex Dw’s Social Media Links
Facebook Profile
Twitter Account

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I’m a clinical researcher by day, and a writer at evenings, weekends, first thing in the morning, and whenever I can snatch half an hour or so.
My first novel, The Brotherhood, is a psychological thriller set in a religious sect. It was published by Crooked Cat books last July. The sequel, The Refuge is due out on 28th May 2019.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
The Refuge, which will be released later this month, is a sequel to The Brotherhood, and deals with the aftermath of events in that book, and tackles a ‘what if’ question. ‘What if your long lost sister turned up after several years of captivity?’
The Refuge is available for pre-order on Amazon: http://mybook.to/therefuge

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
As long as I’m armed with my laptop and some free time, I can write anywhere and any time. A beverage of some sort should be within reach, and I like to have background music, although when I’m deep into writing, I would be totally unable to say what songs have been playing!
My ideal writing spot is on a balcony looking out at sun, sea and sand (and some shade so I don’t burn, and I can see the laptop screen properly). Shame it only happens a couple of times a year. Most of my writing is done in my home office – a converted garage – with a view of my drive and the house opposite!

What authors, or books have influenced you?
My main influences have been Agatha Christie, Dick Francis and Dorothy L Sayers.
I always write best in first person, and love the pace of the Dick Francis novels. The settings are brilliant, with relevant and cleverly distributed description.
Agatha Christie introduced me to crime! Her ability to get to the essence of a story, and yet provide all clues in the right order, and with a good smattering of red herrings, is an inspiration.
Dorothy L Sayers taught me most about the appeal of a great character. One of my absolute favourite characters in crime literature is Harriet Vane. She’s flawed, vulnerable, and kind.

What are you working on now?
I’m currently working on a crime thriller set in the late 1980s at Manchester University. It’s called Revelation, and will hopefully be available for release winter 2019/20. It was inspired by my own experiences of being a student in Manchester at that time, and another ‘what if’ moment – ‘what if a student was found hanged in Halls of Residence?’ ‘How would the friends react?’ ‘What if someone was manipulating the situation from behind the scenes?’

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I like Facebook because it allows me to interact more with the readers, particularly when doing live video posts – although they’re still a bit scary!
I’m still investigating the best promotional sites, but I’m very impressed with Awesome Gang so far!

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Make friends with other authors. Share your work in an environment you trust – a writing group filled with caring writers who will give you honest and constructive feedback. Avoid toxic groups – those people who want to pull you down, to make themselves feel bigger. There are loads of awesome people out there, who want to support you, and will feel enhanced by your success.
Also, find a course to learn about the craft of writing. Raw talent without the skills to refine it will not produce a marketable book.
Finally, keep reading. Read as many books in your genre as you can. Read books in as many different genres as you have time for. Learn what works for you as a reader. It will inform your writing.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
It’s probably a cliche now, but it’s totally true: Show, don’t tell.
I’ve read a few free books recently, where the author has basically just narrated the story. I felt excluded, as though I wasn’t part of the action. I want to be drawn in. I want to be invested in the characters. Show me what’s happening, and help me feel what they feel.

What are you reading now?
I’ve just started reading The Sewing Machine by Natalie Fergie for my book club. It’s had an interesting start, and I’m looking forward to reading more over the weekend.

What’s next for you as a writer?
The Revelation is the prequel to a series of crime thrillers set in present day Manchester

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?
Jane Eyre – Charlotte Bronte (favourite classical novel ever)
Gaudy Night – Dorothy L Sayers (favourite crime novel ever)
Crime and Punishment – Dostoevsky (I tried reading it once, and struggled, but I want to try again because I’m a bit older now, and would approach it differently)
The Brothers Karamazov – Dostoevsky (I started this one, and was really enjoying it, but didn’t get time to read for a couple of weeks. When I came back to it, I couldn’t remember who was who!)

Author Websites and Profiles
Jo Fenton Website
Jo Fenton Amazon Profile

Jo Fenton’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile
Facebook Profile
Twitter Account

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I am an Indie author from India. I have published 3 books to date. My debut novel is Twice Blessed (https://myBook.to/TwiceBlessed ), a thriller. The other two, Here To Hear, A collection of Short Stories (https://mybook.to/HereToHear ) and Lethal Acoustics (http://mybook.to/lethalAcoustics ) are part of The Quack House Series. You will find suspense in all my stories.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
My latest Book, Lethal Acoustics (http://mybook.to/lethalAcoustics ) is a short thriller featuring a happily married couple Manju and Sunil.

Recent happenings in the world and the role technology plays in our lives inspired the plot. The book is set in India but the events in the tale could have occurred anywhere in the globe.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
None. I type my stories instead of writing and perhaps use the backspace key more times than the space bar.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
Enid Blyton was the first author whose mysteries I read. She got me hooked to the genre so perhaps she has influenced my wring in some ways. I love language so I absorb something from every book I read.

What are you working on now?
I have just begun work on a a devious murder thriller. I wish I could elaborate but I am only a few pages into the book and the story is still evolving. This book may release next year.

My next novel is also a murder mystery and is expected to release in August/ September.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
That, I am afraid, is a work in progress. I am yet to settle down on any website. The trial and error is still on. I hope that Awesome Gang could become that website.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
There is a lot of advice available online. My suggestion to new authors is:”Listen to everyone. Follow what best suits your situation.”

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Persist. You will improve.

What are you reading now?
I am reading A Dance with Dragons by George R R Martin.

What’s next for you as a writer?
I am looking forward to having more books out each year and venture into new genres.

If you were going to be stranded on a desert island and allowed to take 3 or 4 books with you what books would you bring?
A book I am yet to read. To kill a Mockingbird,
Something for wisdom: The Bhagvat Gita
A happily ever after book: Pride and Prejudice
And a notebook (and pen) to record my adventures.

Author Websites and Profiles
Rani Ramakrishnan Website
Rani Ramakrishnan Amazon Profile

Rani Ramakrishnan’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile
Facebook Profile
Twitter Account

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
It’s hard to imagine a Harvard-trained physician penning stories about love and longing, but Dr. Christiana Jones has never been described as ‘conventional.’ Born in Nigeria, she spent every night pressed dangerously close to a kerosene lamp with a book in her hands, while her family bemoaned the lack of reliable electricity. As an adult, her colleagues would traipse off to yoga classes while Christiana, a.k.a. ‘Dr. Doom,’ donned her black belt and earned her fight name.

But for all her interests and passions, Christiana’s heart inevitably returned to storytelling. To this day, her greatest joy is crafting moving stories with strong heroines that pay tribute to the courage and resilience of women working in medicine. Saving lives day after day might take a heavy toll on their personal lives, but that doesn’t stop them from chasing their dreams and following their hearts.

Her first novel, Dancing with the Enemy was followed by Loving Dr. Martin. Her next novel will be released in Fall 2019.

Christiana loves to connect with her readers, so feel free to stop by and say hello, or join her mailing list for releases and updates.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
My latest book is titled Loving Dr. Martin. It’s the story of a young woman who parts ways with her boyfriend when he decides to pursue his dreams of success with his band overseas while she carries on with her plans to become a doctor. Twelve years later, he returns to Boston after a family tragedy. He unexpectedly finds himself her patient.

Doctors can’t fall in love with their patients, can they?

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I can’t think creatively and type at the same time. So I write out my novels on paper and then type everything up. It takes longer that way but if I try to type new material, I’ll get distracted fixing typos and will lose the creative flow.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
I’ve read thousands of books and have been influenced by so many. This must be the hardest question for avid readers to answer. I love a wide variety of romance/women’s fiction novels: contemporary, historical, time travel, suspense. Recently I’ve really enjoyed books by Susanna Kearsley, Amy Harmon, Kristin Hannah, Diana Gabaldon, Jojo Moyes and of course, Nicholas Sparks, a king of romance in a world dominated by women writers.

What are you working on now?
I’m working on my third novel which addresses the significant impact of a stressful career on a female physician’s marriage and family life. This is a big issue for doctors, women in particular. And what affects doctors will affect patients.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
Running free or discounted price promotions. My first novel Dancing with the Enemy is permanently free on Apple Books, Amazon, Barnes and Noble and Kobo.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
If you’re looking for easy, this ain’t it. If it’s hard you’re doing it right. Write, get better at it, and stick with it.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
The best advice I heard was giving myself permission to write a shitty first draft. By letting go of the quest for a perfect or even good first draft, I could simply let the story pour out and then in the oh-so-important editing phase, polish it into a readable manuscript. Readers pick up a book looking primarily for an engrossing story. If its packaged in beautiful prose, that’s a bonus.

What are you reading now?
I am in between books. (A rare condition that won’t last long.) I just finished reading The Overdue Life of Amy Byler by Kelly Harms. It’s a beautifully written novel celebrating Moms’ commitment to being there for their children but also reminding them of the importance of making time for themselves and celebrating who we are. There’s love, humor, New York City. I loved it.

What’s next for you as a writer?
I’ve recently left my full-time job as a physician to raise my children and focus on my writing. I will continue to write novels that showcase the heart and resilience of women physicians, bring to the forefront some of the situations that negatively impact our practice of medicine, and hopefully bring about change.

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?
Does my ebook reader count as one if I had a solar-powered charger? If so, being stranded on a desert island sounds like heaven to me. But if I MUST choose only 4 books, I’d rather drink sea water and die of thirst. Too dramatic? Okay. Sigh. I would choose an erotic romance by Sylvia Day (I am stranded alone, right?), a book on meditation so I can find peace in my solitude, and a book on carpentry so I can build a boat to get off the damn island once I get tired of the solitude.

Author Websites and Profiles
Christiana Jones Website
Christiana Jones Amazon Profile

Christiana Jones’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile
Facebook Profile
Pinterest Account

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I’m from Long Beach, California. Writing is my passion. I’ve written four books and I’m working on more.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
The name of my latest book is “A Journey of Flames and Love”. Journey was inspired by my love for fairy tales and happy endings. I did research on fairy tales that aren’t as well known. During my research, I discovered the Firebird fairy tale which is a Russian story. In the story, the Firebird is said to be a powerful and beautiful creature which could bestow riches on the finder. And, people from all over the kingdom would seek this majestic bird. I picked the Firebird tale because I loved the concept behind it. The Firebird Quest was fun to write.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I write without much plotting. I never know the outcome of the story until I write it.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
I’ve read so many books by different authors. But, the author which has influenced me the most is J.K. Rowling. I find her life story inspiring. She came from rock bottom and rebuilt her life with the power of language. And, her story has touched the hearts of millions world wide. I would love to meet her someday. But, I’d probably be star struck. LOL!

What are you working on now?
Right now I’m working on the second book in the Hearts of Love and Faith series. I’m also working on a young adult version of the same series. My books have three versions: a christian one, a romance one, and a more secular one.

The religious version of my story is called “Blessings of the Firebird’s Light”. In Blessings, the quest takes on a more spiritual meaning as the characters search for inner-truth.

A Journey of Flames and Love is the romantic version of the story. Journey focuses on my characters Audry and Roei as they go from enemies to reaching common ground.

And, my young adult version is for anyone to read. My characters are enemies but now we have more in the mix, including Audry’s son. The religious themes are toned down, and in some places it’s non-existent.

I’m writing three versions because I thought it’d be interesting to see how my world would evolve in different circumstances. Especially because I don’t see writers trying their hand at different versions of the same world. I loved the possibility of connecting the books. As the books are all fantasy, it’s not much of a stretch to imagine time-travel and world hopping may influence the story. My hope is one version of the story will appeal to someone. And, if I can put a smile on their face for a bit, then I’ve done my job.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I use twitter a lot. But, I also post advertisements on Facebook promo groups. It’s a lot of trial and error to figure out what’s working.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
For new authors, I would tell you to find your why. The desire to publish a book isn’t always strong enough to keep you motivated. I would say find the spark that will keep you writing even when you don’t feel like it. For me, the spark is accomplishing my goal of making a living off my writing.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
The best advice I ever heard was not to fear failure. In order to succeed, we have to fall. But it’s how we respond to it that matters.

What are you reading now?
Lately I’ve been reading my own work.

What’s next for you as a writer?
I would like to publish four books a year. I’d also like to see how the three different versions of my story will collide.

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 stranded on an island I would bring the Bible, Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone, and a book on survival.

Author Websites and Profiles
Kari Summers Website
Kari Summers Amazon Profile

Kari Summers’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile
Facebook Profile
Twitter Account

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I am a first-time author; #NoApprovalNeeded is the title of my first book. I am the Founder and President of KMACC SOLUTIONS, LLC. Organizations hire me as an Emotional Intelligence, speaker, consultant, and coach. I believe in women empowering women. I love traveling and practicing yoga. Wonder Woman is my favorite superhero and Brené Brown is my shero. I consider myself an extroverted introvert. I try to seek opportunities that push me out of my comfort zone because nothing magical ever happens when you are comfortable.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
#NoApprovalNeeded is the name of my book. I was inspired to interview women from all over the world because I was curious if they were experiencing a similar journey to mine. My forties have been a time of major life-changing events, tragedies, triumphs, self-reflection, unlearning, and transformation, and growth. I wanted to talk to the women about topics that everyone thinks about, but maybe they are afraid to speak about. I am interested in our humanness manifests in our daily lives… at work, at home, in our relationships, etc.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I have my handwritten notes spread out everywhere around me. I like to make lists of thoughts to include in my writing. I like to eat Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups and listen to music when I am trying to push through to meet a hard deadline.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
Daring Greatly
You Are A Badass
What Got You Here Won’t Get You There
EQ Edge

What are you working on now?
I am joining podcast hosts and radio show hosts for guest interviews about #NoApprovalNeeded.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
Facebook and LinkedIn have been the best place to create buzz and engagement for my book.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
You can do it! Set hard deadlines for your goals. Celebrate small and big milestones. Talk to other authors; they understand what you are going through.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
From Brené Brown… (paraphrasing)… Stop listening to the people who aren’t brave enough to get into the arena. They don’t get to criticize from the cheap seats.

What are you reading now?
Dare to Lead
Re-reading a Man Called Ove (one of my favorites)

What’s next for you as a writer?
I would like to write a book similar to #NoApprovalNeeded. Instead of interviewing women I would like to interview men. We know that men typically don’t have deep discussions about personal topics with other men. They usually stick to topics such as sports or their career. I believe it would be healing for men to read a book about what other men think about life-topics, vulnerability, sex and libido, relationships, body image, marriage and affairs, career, dad guilt (does it exist), etc.

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?
Gone With the Wind
Game of Thrones
Triggers
You Are A Badass

Author Websites and Profiles
Kris Macc Website
Kris Macc Amazon Profile

Kris Macc’s Social Media Links
Facebook Profile

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I received my favorite Christmas gift in the early 1980s, a Commodore 64 computer. I was around ten at the time. Being a kid, of course, it was fun to have all new computer games to play. But what I was most excited about was getting a Koala pad (one of the first consumer-level drawing tablets for a computer) to create my own art on the computer. That pad combined with a color-ribbon Okimate printer provided me with countless hours of creating all kinds of grammar school pixel masterpieces. I had always enjoyed being creative prior to getting a computer, but that was when my passion for art soared. It led to me majoring in computer graphics and animation at Columbia College. After graduating, I was hired by a company that created software for video editing, animation and effects. My career there lasted over seventeen years, during which I was promoted away from doing anything creative. When the company downsized our entire office a few years ago, I took my severance and treated it like a runway where I could transition my life/career back to where I belonged, doing art and illustration: specifically children’s book illustration. Over the past six years, I have illustrated six books including “Chicago Treasure” which is the first book that I have also coauthored.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
“Chicago Treasure” is the most recent book I have worked on as both co-author and illustrator. The concept for the book came from author Larry Broutman. He has three previous books and said he woke up one morning with the idea of taking photographs of children and turning them into the main characters in classic children’s stories. He contacted me about illustrating scenes around the kids. That concept expanded from the 10 or so illustrations that he was thinking of at the start to over 60 illustrated scenes in the final book. Along the way, I also worked on creating newspaper-like articles that summarized the stories and put a clever twist on them, based on the kids featured in the images. We call those “Chicago Pretender” articles as they have a lit bit of reality and a whole lot of imagination in them.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I am not sure if my writing habits are unusual… I might spend a bit too much time researching. With the “Chicago Treasure” project, I had to really get myself refamiliarized with all of the classic fairytale, folktale and current pop culture stories and characters. I found myself at the library a lot rereading them. It is very interesting to go back and revisit stories that you have not heard since you were a child and read them from a grown-up point of view now. This helped me with the illustrations, as well as writing the short stories we created based on them.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
Because I have been so focused on illustration, I would say I am more influenced by several illustrators (who oftentimes are also authors).

I have been very fortunate to take illustration courses by Lee White and David Hohn, both of whom have incredible careers in children’s books and illustrations.
I have been mentored first hand by Terri Murphy and Janet McDonnell, who ran my local SCBWI Chicago-Area Illustrators Network. Both Terri and Janet have flourishing careers in children’s books and have taught me everything I know about the children’s book industry and beyond. It is their generosity of knowledge that has had the biggest influence on me. I am forever grateful to them both.

Last, but not least, Larry Broutman, who brought me into his latest book project, is a fascinating person and has the most generous spirit. I am so inspired by his collection of books, his kindness, his drive and, most of all, his friendship.

What are you working on now?
So many of my friends and peers keep telling me I should work on my own book. I was reluctant to do so for a while, as I was not confident enough in my storytelling ability. Having focused solely on my technical illustration skills for so long, this is an equally challenging endeavor. But I think I am finally ready to give it a go. I am currently working on a manuscript/book dummy for a children’s book idea I have.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I have been active on social media for quite a long time. I do not have as large a following as some, but I am very connected to the communities I am a part of. Those connections have certainly played a large role in the promotion of my books. People who have known me for a long time have championed me as I made this shift in my career path over the past six years and are so supportive. Beyond that, any time you can get out there and connect with people by speaking at events, school visits and any other publicity certainly helps. Since this is all a bit new to me, I am still navigating and trying to figure out what are the best websites where I best fit in and can be active in online communities.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
When I decided to pursue children’s books, I joined the SCBWI (Society of Children’s Book Writer’s and Illustrators). It is an incredible organization full of likeminded individuals all on their own journeys towards creating children’s books. They are worldwide and have chapters and networks around the world. My local Illinois chapter has several networks with meetings that are open to the public, so anyone can attend and begin learning more about the children book industry and how to break into it. I love being a part of this group so much that I have since become a Co-Rep for the SCBWI-IL Chicago-Area’s Illustrators network.

My other piece of advice would be to write what you know. Stories that are uniquely you and related in some way to your life and your experiences always seem to turn out to be the most authentic and interesting.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
“Do great work and be great to work with.” I think most of us work really hard at giving our best when it comes to our craft, and that is important. But equally, if not even more important, is to be someone who is also great to work with. That means being upbeat and having a positive personality when interacting with others. It means meeting deadlines and making the process go smoothly for all involved in your projects. It is such simple advice but very effective. I share it with everyone. It’s a small world, and being known as someone that is good to work with will definitely take you places.

One other saying I rely on is “Life begins at the end of your comfort zone.” This is so true in all aspects in life. Sometimes you have to say yes to a concept or project before you even really know how you are going to complete it. Say yes to chances and opportunities, even if they scare you. (For many writers and illustrators, public speaking comes to mind). Stepping outside your comfort zone is certainly scary at first, but you never know where it will lead and how much it will enrich your life along the way!

What are you reading now?
Recently I have been going back and reading some of the classics I never read growing up, books like “Treasure Island” and “Lord of the Flies.” I also have read a relatively new YA series: “Arlo Finch” by John August. There are two books in the series so far, and I have enjoyed both of them.

On a more personal level, I really connected with “The Elephant in the Room: One Fat Man’s Quest to Get Smaller in a Growing America” by Tommy Tomlinson. I could relate to so many of his challenges and habits. I realized I am not the only one who struggles with similar things.

What’s next for you as a writer?
Once my children’s manuscript/book dummy is ready, I will be submitting it to agents and pitching it to publishing houses.

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?
Since I know in advance that I am going to be stranded, I would find a how-to guidebook on survival. I am not much of an outdoorsman, which means I have no experience in terms of building a fire, collecting water, building a shelter and so on. My top priority prior to leaving would be finding a book I could use to help me survive.

Next, I would grab one of the many “Art of…” books I have in my collection which showcase the art and magic behind some of my favorite animated films. I like several of them for many different reasons, but I think I might go with the “Art of Tangled” simply because it includes so many amazing sketches by my all-time favorite traditional animator Glen Keane. I could study his work all day long.

I am not the biggest fan of hot/humid climates, so being stranded on a beach would take its toll on me mentally. Therefore, I would want a book that allows me to mentally escape my surroundings and take me off to somewhere cold. I also want the book to be filled with lots of different characters and storylines, so I am thinking “A Song of Fire and Ice” by George RR Martin. I know this is actually a collection of books, but hopefully I can bring them all since they are in one box set (fingers crossed).

Finally, I would bring my favorite children’s book, “The Day the Crayons Quit” by Drew Daywalt, because I enjoy it so much.

Author Websites and Profiles
Rich Green Website
Rich Green Amazon Profile

Rich Green’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile
Facebook Profile
Twitter Account
Pinterest Account

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I think I like to write since I was a child, but I really decided to do it this year. I’m passionate about spirituality, the mystique of religions and ancient traditions, esotericism, self-help and other things that touch on these themes, so it was natural to write about it.

I started with a trilogy about an old shaman call Yani with the idea to deliver some wisdoms around joy, energy and love.
So I wrote 3 books for this serie : The Message, first in French as It’s my native language and after in English.
I wrote an other book, a really short story about a kind of out of body experience : A strange dream.
So far I wrote 8 books with the translation in english.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
The latest is still in progress – It’s about a young adult who is afraid to achieve her dream until she meet someone who help her to do it.
What inspired this book is the lack of confidence of too many people when it comes to do something they really love to.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I like to write the morning, or in my bed. But most of the time I write in the library.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
Paulo Coelho, Wayne Dyer, Pam Grout

What are you working on now?
Actually, I write also a non fiction book about religious fasting.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I will tell you when I will find the best strategies taht work fine for me in the long way.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
just write.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Do it, particularly if you are afraid to do it. And just remember that things will never be perfect, so don’t wait to make it perfect, just be good and if you want to rock, be great.

What are you reading now?
The secret of the secrets – Al jilani – it’s a small book about the heart and the divine.

What’s next for you as a writer?
To write more and be better days after days.

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 holy book of my choice.
The secret of the secrets by Al jilani

But I will take my Kindle, and I will find a way to charge it with the sun

Author Websites and Profiles
Mikaël Cormont Website
Mikaël Cormont Amazon Profile

Mikaël Cormont’s Social Media Links
Facebook Profile

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I’m a long-time book lover currently living in Huntsville, AL. For the past 36 years, I’ve worked for the Department of the Army in several different positions: a statistical clerk in a nerve gas laboratory; a public affairs specialist at a tank depot; and as a writer and editor for PS Magazine, an Army comic book designed to help Soldiers take care of their equipment. I’m coming to the end of my career now and needed something to occupy all that extra time I’ll have. I’ve always wanted to write my own book, but never thought I’d have the patience to do it. Amazingly, I’ve written four books now, all part of an epic fantasy series that’s still ongoing. I released the first three at the same time, in August 2018, so I’ve actually been a published writer for less than a year.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
My latest book is Magician’s Loss, Book IV of the Dark Mage Series. It was just released on May 1, 2019. When I started the series, I intended it to be a trilogy, but it took on a life of its own. I’m four books in and I figure it’ll take a minimum of five or six books to finish; at least if my characters don’t decide to throw me a few more curve balls!

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I’m not sure if it’s unusual or not, but I’m what’s called a seat-of-the-pants writer. From what I understand, most writers prefer to outline their story first. It makes the process faster and, I suppose, easier. As a “pantser,” I have a vague notion of how the book will end, but I never know for sure what my characters might do from chapter to chapter. It makes them more real to me and provides some of the joy of discovery that I hope my readers enjoy as well.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
Growing up, I read every science fiction and fantasy novel I could get my hands on. The library in our small town didn’t have much, but I read and re-read every book they had. I particularly loved Isaac Asimov, Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings, and the books of Edgar Rice Burroughs. In college, my favorite author was Stephen R. Donaldson. I’ve read his Chronicles of Thomas Covenant series multiple times. And, like many, I’m now a Game of Thrones fan. While I enjoy the HBO series, they are nothing compared to George R. R. Martin’s five Song of Ice and Fire novels.

What are you working on now?
I’m currently working on the fifth book in my Dark Mage series, Magician’s War.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
Marketing is the hardest part of writing. Whenever I spend time on it, I have this constant, nagging voice in the back of my head that insists I should be writing instead. So far, I’ve used some of the book promotional sites (Awesome Gang, Freebooksy, Book Barbarian, the Fussy Librarian, etc.) with some decent short term results. Eventually, I’ll need to figure out Facebook and Amazon ads, I suppose. But I don’t look forward to it.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Just that the book you’re writing is all yours. When you share it with others, particularly friends and relatives, they’re going to make suggestions. That’s not necessarily a bad thing and you might actually get some good ideas that way. But no one knows your characters like you do. Only you know how they would react to different situations. So the only person you have to please is yourself. Only if you’re true to yourself and the characters you’ve created will you be happy with the results.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Write what you love. Too many writers try to chase the latest popular trend and do what other authors are doing in an attempt to ride their coattails to success. If you write about what really affects you as a person, your writing will show it.

What are you reading now?
Just finished the second book of Ryan King’s Land of Tomorrow series.

What’s next for you as a writer?
I’m retiring at the end of this year with 37 years of federal service. So I’m looking forward to having more time to spend with my writing. Hopefully, the additional time will allow me to complete books a little faster.

If you were going to be stranded on a desert island and allowed to take 3 or 4 books with you what books would you bring?
That’s a tough one. My first inclination would be George R. R. Martin’s Game of Thrones series. But since it hasn’t been concluded (in novel form, at least), I’d forever wonder how it turned out. So I’d probably take Stephen R. Donaldson’s 1st Thomas Covenant series.

Author Websites and Profiles
D. Bruce Cotton Website
D. Bruce Cotton Amazon Profile

D. Bruce Cotton’s Social Media Links
Facebook Profile

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I’ve written two books: “Coming to Terms with Experience Through Writing,” and, “New Moon by Half.” Both were developed over a few decades during which I taught an introduction to poetry, and writing from experience, at several colleges, east coast and Chicago.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
My latest book is “New Moon by Half” A Lifetime in Poetry,” a book of poems written over several decades.

What inspired the Book is that I finally felt that I had enough good poems that were worth a hearing to make a book out of them.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
No. I write when my mind captures an image or feeling.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
Several books by C. S. Lewis (wrote my masters degree on C. S Lewis) ; “The Fifth Risk.” “Man and his Gods,” by Homer W. Smith.

Poetry: Howard Nemerov, W. H. Auden, Wislawa Szymborska, Sappho, Edgar Lee Masters, Emily Dickinson, Robert Frost, including his writings on poetry, C K Williams—and loads more.

What are you working on now?
Promoting “New Moon by Half: A Lifetime in Poetry.”

Also a Universe poem, because I was struck with the thought that mathematicians—for centuries—exploring the makeup of the universe—without thinking that this was anything more than serious mathematical Play—found again and again that this was just how the universe was put together! Mathematicians were also amazed.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
Yet to be discovered. So far Facebook, Instagram and Amazon have given me a clear sense
as to how accessible the poems are (quite accessible).

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Get a journal and begin writing down anything that captures you with feeling. Pay attention to what your mind is doing, moment by moment, as you write. And if you need further guidance, get “Coming to Terms with Experience,” to understand the writing process that will unfold with journal writing.

And, as a professor said to me early on: “Put a mile of words onto paper.” (This advice was given to him early out of his desire to paint: “Put a mile of paint onto paper.”)

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Pay close attention to what you mind is offering.

What are you reading now?
Re-reading “Man and his Gods,” by Homer W. Smith

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

If you were going to be stranded on a desert island and allowed to take 3 or 4 books with you what books would you bring?
If I were stranded, I wouldn’t have had time to take any books, perhaps other than a small pocket notebook (which I carry at all times), and a needle-point ballpoint pen (which I carry at all times)—so that I could sit, think, and write.

Author Websites and Profiles
Scott Oury Amazon Profile
Scott Oury Author Profile on Smashwords

Scott Oury’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile
Facebook Profile
Twitter Account

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I have written a novel and a short story so far, and my plan is to release two more books within the next month.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
Keep the Wolves At Bay is the name of the book and I was inspired by all the strong female characters that I’ve read about over the years. I love the concept of reverse harem (I sometimes wish I could have that type of situation haha), and

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
While most authors tend to stick to word limits, I’ve actually found that to be pretty difficult to me; however, if I write by chapter, I end up writing just as much if not more than I would be using a word count way of writing.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
Bink Cummings has influenced me the most. Although we write in different genres, her story made me want to take the chance to write and self-publish.

What are you working on now?
Right now I’m working on the second book to the Alpha Queen series, as well as an MC Romance that’s loosely based on my life experiences.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I use Facebook ads the most, and I’m trying out Awesome Gang to see what the results will be. This is my first time submitting to paid promotion.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
No matter what people may say about what you’re doing…don’t let their negative attitude defeat you. Let it motivate you to succeed.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Honestly, I haven’t heard any useful advice that I’ve taken with me throughout my life. When I do, though, I’ll be sure to let y’all know.

What are you reading now?
Nothing. I haven’t been able to find anything new that I like so I just end up rereading good books I’ve already read.

What’s next for you as a writer?
I want to have my whole series complete by the first year. I’m dabbling into MC Romance so that’ll be interesting.

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?
Shelly Laurenston’s last four shifter novels: Hot and Badgered, In a Badger Way, Wolf with Benefits, Bite Me

Author Websites and Profiles
Elise St. George Website
Elise St. George Amazon Profile

Elise St. George’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile
Facebook Profile
Twitter Account

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
My first children’s picture book will be released mid summer 2019. Finalizing illustrations now.
I have been writing in one form or another since I was in high school. First poetry, and articles, and then journal type pieces – none of it with an eye toward being published. After college graduation when I started on my career, I didn’t take much time for writing again until after I retired. I have really gotten the writing bug again, and have various things in the works – in my writing life children’s books have become a passion.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
Scooter and Friends Take a Vacation – and I have wanted to write a children’s book about animals ever since I read The Wind in the Willows. My book is an rhyme, and I have been putting things to rhyme for as long as I can remember – now sure how that all started, since the poetry I used to write was all free verse.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
Only one is probably when I have trouble sleeping at night I fall back to sleep thinking up new ideas for my next story –

What authors, or books have influenced you?
Books I’ve read many times, and are all time favorites, are Wind in the Willows and Pride and Prejudice.

What are you working on now?
sequels to Scooter and Friends Take a Vacation; a piece with a working title “The Cat who would be Dog”

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
More on this when I finish the 8 part Marketing Mentoring program I am currently taking.
After only 2 sessions I can tell it is a program I will be recommending to any and every author who wants to improve their marketing skills!

Do you have any advice for new authors?
If thinking about assisted independent publishing, be sure to look up ALLI – that was, and is, a wonderful resource for me with reviews on editors; proof readers; illustrators; publicists; publishsers, etc., etc. A great organization, and a great resource.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
several things: trust yourself; don’t be afraid to fail; Ignore the Naysayers – and once you succeed – give something back!

What are you reading now?
mainly edits of Scooter
other than that, my latest book club book is The Nightingale – loving it! and before that
The Whistling Season and News of the World (thank goodness for book club – it keeps me from getting overwhelmed with my own stuff!)

What’s next for you as a writer?

If you were going to be stranded on a desert island and allowed to take 3 or 4 books with you what books would you bring?
again – The Wind in the Willows; Pride and Prejudice; -which I would read again and again – and then the latest Brad Thor and David Baldacci books

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
My name is Jerry Lee Guin. I am a U.S. Navy veteran, having served on Midway Island and the USS Mullany DD 528. Afterwards, I worked as a lumber salesman for 25 years and later as a propane plant manager.
I am an outdoorsman and chose to live in the mountain community of Hawkins Bar in Northern California.
My first book “Matsutake Mushroom”(an outdoor field guide) was published in 1997.
I then began writing western fiction short stories. I have written between 40 and 50. Twelve of those short stories make up the book “Trail Dust.” Published in 2006.
Then I turned to writing my first novel. “Drover’s Vendetta” appeared in 2011
Followed by a total of 13 more western fiction novels.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
My latest book is named “Due Justice.” It is the fourth and final volume in the James P. Stone series.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I try to do a little writing or research every day. I take breaks for two or three days then do some more.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
There are many great western authors out there. Robert Randisi influenced me to join Western Fictioneers. I am also a member of Western Writers of America.

What are you working on now?
I am currently working on a sequel to my novel “Unlikely Partners.”

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
Work through your publisher and Amazon. I have done book signings. I send announcements to two local newspapers.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Be precise, know your subject matter and do not get in a hurry.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Believe in yourself and your abilities.

What are you reading now?
I like to read action westerns so I am reading a book by Peter Brandvold.

What’s next for you as a writer?
I plan to work on a novel and possible do a few short stories, as the need arises.

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?
Aside from the Bible, I would take “Appalossa” by Robert B. Parker and a couple of his detective books.

Author Websites and Profiles
J. L. Guin Website
J. L. Guin Amazon Profil

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I am an award-winning writer of books and screenplays, and a TV and film director and producer. I have worked for major broadcasters and studios on a wide variety of successful projects in the US, UK, Australia, Europe, and the Middle East.

When I was young, a man behind a big desk who called himself a ‘Career Specialist’ fell about laughing when I told him I wanted to tell stories. The ‘Expert’ had other plans. “You should be an engineer, that’s what you should be,” he said. I ignored his advice and embarked upon a very different life.

Kill Code: A Dystopian Science Fiction Novel is my latest book-the first in an exciting new dystopian science fiction series set in a world facing climate catastrophe where nothing is what it seems.

Fans of fantasy adventure books like ‘The Hunger Games’, ‘The 5th Wave’, and ‘Divergent’ will be captivated by ‘Kill Code’.

Besides ‘Kill Code’, I also wrote ‘Scary Lizzy’ – a novel about an eight year old girl, Sarah Wilde, who befriends an African child ghost – and the teen action adventure book, ‘The Boy Next Door ‘ – or what happens when a teenage girl has a crush on her next-door neighbor, who isn’t all he seems. And I co-wrote ‘Art Pengriffin and The Curse of The Four’ – a young adult fantasy adventure about a teenage boy who discovers his father was Merlin the Magician. It was a Kindle Book Review Awards Semi-Finalist.

When I’m not writing, lazing on the beach, drinking coffee, reading, or going to the movies, I love to travel – anywhere, and anytime I have any spare cash.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
My latest book is Kill Code: A Dystopian Science Fiction Novel, and although set a few years in the future I was inspired to write it because of what I see going on around us – climate change, environmental destruction, and the vast inequality of wealth. But I didn’t want to create a dry lecturing tome, which is why I put these elements into a story which is full of adventure and action, and numerous twists and turns to hold even the most jaded reader’s attention.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I guess I’m like many writers in being particular about the chair I use, and it’s position in a room. I arrange it so I can look out the window – which inspires me as I see the world going by, but can be a major distraction. These aren’t really unusual writing habits but they are my own idiosyncrasies. Maybe I should develop a few unusual writing habits though. Hanging upside down like a bat and typing away on my laptop would be something I might try one day.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
As a kid, I read sci-fi books all the time. The novel Planet of the Apes (Pierre Boulle), which explored many of the themes that are still so relevant today particularly affected me. Since then I have read most of the master’s of sci-fi—Ray Bradbury, H. G. Wells, John Wyndham, etc. and more recently, Sabrina Vourvoulias’s (Ink), Emily St. John Mandel (Station Eleven) and the extraordinary Hav by Jan Morris. I love reading crime and thriller novels too, and the surprising twists and turns the principal characters go through when the genre is written by brilliant authors like the late Elmore Leonard, James Patterson, and Gillian Flynn. We often dismiss crime books as ‘pulp fiction’ but I find they can supply far more insight into people and their actions than so-called literary novels. I’m hoping eventually to write a series in this genre, but it’s a daunting task when you look at what’s out there already.

What are you working on now?
I’m looking to get more reviews for Kill Code, so if anyone out there can help with that, thank you! I’ve also started writing the second book in the trilogy, and I’m hoping to get it out by the end of the year.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I think getting good reviews does work since it reassures people that the book is worth a read. I like this website of course and the fact that it’s linked to so many others. Bookbub too seems to work, though you have to be a plutocrat to afford to advertise on it!

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Writing is like riding a bike. At first, it seems impossible to do, but as you practice more and more you surprise yourself and get better and better at it. But it is hard work and really takes enormous effort. You have to want to write more than anything in the world. If you have that desire then my advice to budding writers is “Just Do It.”

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
The best advice I was ever given was when I was told at school by a career adviser that I should become an engineer. He laughed when I said I wanted to write, and his negatively spurred me on.

What are you reading now?
I’m just finishing a book called The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho. It’s totally unlike anything I usually read, but it’s a simple, inspirational novel.

What’s next for you as a writer?
There’s only one thing I want to do as a writer and that is be better at it, which means writing more!

If you were going to be stranded on a desert island and allowed to take 3 or 4 books with you what books would you bring?
That’s difficult to say since I wouldn’t want to bring any books I have already read yet – with the impossible exception of Flowers for Algernon by Daniel Keyes. It’s an amazing book.

Author Websites and Profiles
Clive Fleury Website
Clive Fleury Amazon Profile

Clive Fleury’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile
Twitter Account

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I’m 24 years old and have a passion to help other people better the quality of their lives. Originally, I wanted to do that through medicine but found it wasn’t the right path for me. Currently, I’m pursuing online entrepreneurship as a way to better the lives of others. I’ve written one book so far and its the first of a multi-part, non-fiction series I’m working on.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
The name of my latest book is “Weight Loss 101: A Practical Guide To Lose Weight And Keep It Off Forever.” It was inspired by my own past struggles with weight loss and my interest in nutrition. I’ve been obese and I’ve had a six pack, so I know what it feels like to be on both ends of the weight spectrum. I found a solution to not only lose weight but keep it off for the long term, and I wanted to share that with people.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
When writing from home I like to dress up like someone going to work to put me in a more productive mindset.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
Too many to count or even think of off the top of my head, so I’ll just list my current top 5 books:
1. How to Win Friends & Influence People by Dale Carnegie
2. The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People by Stephen Covey
3. The Magic of Thinking Big by David J. Schwartz
4. How Not to Die by Dr. Michael Greger
5. Rich Dad Poor Dad by Robert Kiyosaki

What are you working on now?
Currently, I’m working the next book in my non-fiction 101 series: “Habit Change 101: A Step-By-Step Guide to Build New Habits (and change old ones)”

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
As I’ve only written one book, I don’t have much experience with promoting my books. Hopefully, Awesome Gang will be my best method.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Stop worrying about perfection. The hardest part isn’t even writing the book, it’s marketing it. If you’re self-publishing, just make sure your book is good enough and then start learning the ins and outs of marketing. Remember, you don’t have to be great to start, but you have to start to be great.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
“Whether you think you can or you think you can’t, you’re right.” – Henry Ford

What are you reading now?
I’m currently reading “Your Best Year Ever” by Michael Hyatt

What’s next for you as a writer?
What’s next for me is to learn how to market my books effectively and release the next book in my 101 non-fiction series.

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 two non-fiction books, one teaching me how to survive on an island by myself and the other on how to make a boat. I would also take two fiction books, probably “The Alchemist” by Paulo Coelho and The Lord of the Rings trilogy (please let that count as one book, thanks).

Author Websites and Profiles
John Labedzki Amazon Profile

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I’ve been writing professionally since I was 26, but I’ve wanted to become an author since I was twelve after sneaking a Harlequin book out of my mom’s bedroom.
I currently have eleven books published in these romantic sub-genres: historical, time travel, romantic-suspense, contemporary western, contemporary romance, erotic romance, and New Adult. My books range between sweet (no sex, sex behind closed doors, or mild petting) to spicy (explicit scenes with dirty language).
On top of that, I have about ten more manuscripts on my computer waiting to see publication.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
Lyrical Embrace (book 4 in the Deerbourne Inn series) is my latest publication from The Wild Rose Press.
I love small town romances, especially ones with an edge and a little bit of danger weaved in. I’m not sure why, but right away I pictured a young woman running away from the big city to escape her abusive boyfriend. I mostly write romantic suspense, so this idea worked.
My heroine, Erica, was in a bad relationship and finally found the courage to break free. Even though she found help, a new love, and a chance for a better future, the past was still looming over her.
I think a lot of readers can sympathize with such a situation, especially those who have experienced abuse and neglect from someone claiming to love them.
I also love stories about music and rock stars, but I don’t like the cheating and drugs that go along with the lifestyle. I haven’t published a story featuring a musician yet, so I figured I should get on the ball and do it.
My hero, Dylan, has retired from the New York music scene, and he now teaches kids how to play instruments. He’s gotten his life back together after all the drama of being a semi-star, and he and Erica have an instant connection.
This story is fun, uplifting, and hot. The characters are real and flawed. I really enjoyed writing it, and I hope readers will love it.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
Not really. I try to write a little every day, but it’s so much easier when the characters keep talking to me in my head, demanding I write. On a bad day, I either write zero words or maybe a few hundred. On an extremely excellent day, I can usually write around 8000 words. On average, however, 4000 words a day is about my norm.
To write well and to write a lot at one setting, I need a comfortable chair and a clean environment. The main thing I need is silence. If there’s music or people talking around me, I can’t concentrate and I lose my temper. Background noises like car engines, the ceiling fan, wind howling, etc, is fine for me.

What are you working on now?
“Arresting Mason,” book one in the Arresting Onyx series, came out last year, and I hope the second installment in the series will come out sometime in early 2020. “Arresting Jeremiah” follows hardnosed parole officer Jim Borden and his obsession Calista Barlow as they stick their noses where they don’t belong and fall deep into the trouble with the criminal organization known as Onyx.
This series is a set of five romantic suspense books with a standalone HEA for each rough-and-tumble hero and their spunky heroines.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
Social media, blogging, interviews (like this one!), magazine ads, contests/giveaways, and swag are great marketing tools. For small-press authors, marketing is left mainly to the author due to the publisher’s budget restraints. It’s also a challenge because it’s difficult to divide my time equally between promoting one book, sometimes more than one at a time, and writing another book. I have my regular life to live too. With four cats and a husband to take care (thank goodness my hubby is the cook in the household), I stay busy.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Writing is the easy part and it’s only half of the work. Handling rejections and bad reviews with finesse is a must, taking care of marketing and publicity demands is a handful but a requirement, and writing your next book while dealing with everything else is cause to bring out the vodka. But ‘tis the life of an author. You gotta love it, and I do with all my heart.
Make friends with other authors and readers via social media. Don’t be shy. Start a blog even if you aren’t published yet, so you can join blog tours. A tour is a great way to get a free ebook as long as you write a review and post it on your blog. The author’s readers will then come to your blog to read the review. They’ll know YOUR name, and that’s what you want—to get your name out there.
Just keep trying. I know it sounds cliché, but there’s nothing else to do. If you don’t try, you won’t succeed. Period. Keep your hopes up, take rejection letters in stride, and if a publisher or editor gives you feedback on why he/she rejected your work, listen to their feedback. They know what they’re talking about.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Don’t give up even when you’re feeling bad about yourself and the quality of your work. No one is perfect. Don’t rush a project; give it the love and attention it needs to be the best it can be. Both you as the writer, the book itself, and the readers deserve it.

What are you reading now?
I’m reading a lot of paranormal romances because I’m getting ready to start editing a manuscript in my as-of-now not-published vampire series.

Author Websites and Profiles
Amber Daulton Website
Amber Daulton Amazon Profile

Amber Daulton’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile
Facebook Profile
Twitter Account
Pinterest Account

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
Valencia Griffin-Wallace is a mentor and four-time bestselling author, including Motherless Child where she details her journey of forgiving her mother and growing up. Her no-nonsense, unapologetic style has changed the lives of many around the world through her presentations, books and podcast, Define U Radio. I have written and co-authored 10 titles.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
From A Mother’s Heart is my latest. I was inspired by the different moms I know who have different struggles. They say motherhood doesn’t come with a manual, this book fills that gap.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I shut down from everything, write and eat. Normally I gain weight during the writing process.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
Stephen King, Malcolm Gladwell and the book One Thing.

What are you working on now?
A semi-fiction book about being a black woman in America.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I normally send out a newsletter, talk about it on my podcast and have my group assist with getting the word out there socially.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Just write! Don’t worry about publishing, marketing or any of the other things that come after the story. Just write the story.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
If God had a problem with you, he would not have created you that way.

What are you reading now?
I am on a year-long reading journey of the Bible. I am looking for my next read. I just finished David Goggins book Can’t Stop Me and my eyes/ears need a break.

What’s next for you as a writer?
Brainstorming a children series. Since I have been writing as a child I want to inspire the love and freedom of reading/writing in other children.

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, Outliers, It, and Push.

Author Websites and Profiles
Valencia Griffin-Wallace Website
Valencia Griffin-Wallace Amazon Profile

Valencia Griffin-Wallace’s Social Media Links
Facebook Profile
Pinterest Account

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I have written five books and numerous short stories but to date have only submitted one for publication. I have been a reader and writer my entire life and have always been in love with words. I expect to submit a second novel for publication in six months. I am a married father of five, I live in New York and have a myriad of leisure interests from guitar to volleyball to writing, travel and reading.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
Dead Girls is the name of my recently published novel. I wanted to write a thriller with supernatural overtones.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
My writing is almost exclusively done at night. I enjoy a cocktail or two while I’m writing sometimes, not always, but as Hemingway suggests I only edit sober.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
Stephen King, Edgar Allen Poe, James Joyce, Ernest Hemingway – pretty eclectic, huh?

What are you working on now?
I am writing a post-apocalyptic thriller/love story.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
Awesome Gang is number 1 right now . . .

Do you have any advice for new authors?
If you believe in your self, spread your work. Never, never, never quit no matter how many people say no.

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

What are you reading now?
The Woman in the Window by A. J. Finn

What’s next for you as a writer?
I have a political thriller that I will be shopping arpound next. I’ve always wanted to write MG so that’s on the list, and I need to write a sequel to Dead Girls; people love Kimberly so she will be back.

If you were going to be stranded on a desert island and allowed to take 3 or 4 books with you what books would you bring?
The Stand, For Whom the Bell Tolls, The Half-Blood Prince

Author Websites and Profiles
Russ Trautwig Amazon Profile

Russ Trautwig’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile
Twitter Account

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
The author of the book served in the special operations forces for 5 years, took part in many actions. Commanded a group of special forces, was an instructor in combat training. After the end of the contract in the army, worked for 15 years as a bodyguard. Prepared several working teams of bodyguards. Published until 1 book, there is work on three more books in this series.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
The book is about a method that can help change the behavior of each person in any situation. The inspiration to write a book came at a time when the author himself realized what an effective method he has in his personal Arsenal

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
No

What authors, or books have influenced you?
Tony Robbins.

What are you working on now?
over three books from this series.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
Your site is the first one where I place my book

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Write about what he really experienced

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Don’t waste your time

What are you reading now?
What are you reading now?

What’s next for you as a writer?
Success

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?
Unlimited power, Conversations with God, Spartacus, survival Guide

Author Websites and Profiles
Mykola Liubezhanin Amazon Profile

Mykola Liubezhanin’s Social Media Links
Facebook Profile
Twitter Account

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I am the author of my first novel ‘The girl who loved herself’

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
‘The girl who loved herself’ – To create something of my own.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
Not unusual, But I write alot.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
Eckhart Tolle, Neale Donald, Dale Carnegie, Abraham Hicks.

What are you working on now?
My next book.

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

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Yes, If you want to become a writer than just write, write and write.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
‘Have a balanced life’ actually that’s what I aspire too as well.

What are you reading now?
‘The courage to be disliked’

What’s next for you as a writer?
To finish my next book asap.

If you were going to be stranded on a desert island and allowed to take 3 or 4 books with you what books would you bring?
My own (Laughs)

Author Websites and Profiles
Maleeha Yousuf Bertin Website
Maleeha Yousuf Bertin Amazon Profile

Maleeha Yousuf Bertin’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile
Facebook Profile
Twitter Account
Pinterest Account

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
Nací en Buenos Aires, Argentina. A temprana edad me vi influido por grandes obras literarias tales como Don Quijote de la Mancha, La caída de la casa Usher, El almohadón de plumas, Robinson Crusoe, entre tantos otros. Forjando así una solemne determinación por ser autor.
A la fecha llevo diez libros publicados, Bestiario, la Vida de Rose, Sangrienta Navidad, La Cúspide de los Espíritus, Cronología, Sin Poder Olvidar, El Ángel Caído, El Despertar de Cthulhu, El Ojo del Mundo y el más reciente Ciudad en Penumbras.
Más actualmente estoy trabajando en un nuevo proyecto que rendirá homenaje al Marqués de Sade.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
Ciudad en Penumbras nace inspirado en la narrativa gótica así como en ciertas leyendas de campo.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
Oír música mientras escribo me ayuda con la concentración y asumo que es inusual, pues a muchas personas los habría de distraer.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
El retrato de Dorian Gray, En la noche de los tiempos, y El Monje.

What are you working on now?
Actualmente estoy trabajando en una novela que culminará la obra inconclusa del Marqués de Sade, es decir 120 días de Sodoma o la escuela del libertinaje.
Mi libro se llama 90 Días de Sodoma o la academia de los placeres, la misma parte de las últimas tres partes faltantes en la obra original.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
No hay uno en especial sino las redes sociales, que hoy en día son fundamentales.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
No sobre exigirse, establecer horarios de trabajo, dos horas al día cuando mucho y siempre en el momento de mayor inspiración, así como evitar escribir los fines de semana. El descanso mental siempre como base ayuda a renovar las ideas.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Descansa y disfruta de lo que has hecho.

What are you reading now?
Acabo de terminar el Fantasma de la ópera, me ha parecido sumamente interesante.

What’s next for you as a writer?
Aprender constantemente y siempre aplicar mis conocimientos nuevos en mis trabajos.

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?
El Retrato de Dorian Gray, La filosofía en el tocador, La evolución de las especies y La interpretación de los sueños.

Author Websites and Profiles
Johnn A. Escobar Amazon Profile
Johnn A. Escobar Author Profile on Smashwords

Johnn A. Escobar’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile
Facebook Profile
Twitter Account

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
Hello my name is Maxine C Briggs. I am a history lover, sports enthusiast, and a new author from Flint, Michigan. I completed my first middle-grade novel in early March of this year.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
The Flint Renaissance Kings Basketball Mysteries is my debut middle-grade mystery. I love highlighting the charming aspects of my city while including my love for children, poetry, and sports.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
Eating baby carrots seems to cure writer’s block for me. I have no idea why.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
The authors who have influenced me are Langston Hughes, Lorraine Hansberry, Mike Lupica, Paul Dunbar, and Virginia Hamilton.

What are you working on now?
I am working on book two of The Flint Renaissance Kings Basketball Mysteries Series. The Case Of The Vanishing Vandals will be the follow up story to the introductory tale, The Case Of The Missing Jazzman.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I’m brand new to this process, so websites like Awesome Gang that encourage and support new writers, are best for me.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Believe in yourself. Be flexible. Celebrate your successes and learn from your setbacks.

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

What are you reading now?
The Collected Poems of Langston Hughes, 1940.

What’s next for you as a writer?
Learning the in’s and out’s of book promotion.

If you were going to be stranded on a desert island and allowed to take 3 or 4 books with you what books would you bring?
The Bible, a dictionary, a thesaurus, and a blank journal.

Author Websites and Profiles
Maxine Briggs Amazon Profile

Maxine Briggs’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile
Facebook Profile

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I have written over 20 book in my name as well as a couple pen names as well.
I am a woman with a passion for the craft of written words. It gives me so much joy to come up with story lines that you can relate to. I hope to take you out of your reality and into a place of mental chaos as well as bliss. If you don’t feel an emotional change when you reach the last pages, I have not done my job. I want you to be, happy, sad, mad or just plain ol confused.

My comfort zone is short stories that tease the mental palate. I want to draw you in as quickly as possible and make you salivate for more.

I know a lot of you are looking for full length standalone novels. I don’t offer that in this chapter of my journey, buy best believe, I will in the future. Til then please enjoy my short treats.

I am not the best writer in the world but I get joy from the level that I am at. Just as you are not the best at what you do but you get better in time, I too am improving and building my writers plate daily.

Thank you for joining me on this journey.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
The last book I put out is entitled Riding Dirty. I was inspired to write it by watching a story on the news about a police officer who was doing some unsavory things on the side while still wearing his badge.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
The first writer to get my attention was Toni Morrison. The warm feeling of empathy that I attain every time I read her work is indescribable. My writing style is vastly different than hers but I hope to give my readers that same intense feeling on the inside.

What are you working on now?
I am working on a story about a woman with a troubled past who is trying to overcome it and not turn back into the uncaring savage that she once was.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I usually use social media sites such as twitter, instagram, and facebook to get the word out.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
All I can say is that if you wake up and all you can think of is writing YOU ARE A WRITER!
Write daily even if have nothing to write about.
Read. The more you read, the better your writing skill will develop.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
The best advice someone told me is that NOBODY CAN TELL YOU HOW TO BE YOU.
Nobody can tell you how to feel or think so let that authentic way of thinking be visible on the page. Your audience will respect you for it and they will love you for being true to yourself.

What are you reading now?
I just finished re reading Moth to a Flame by Ashley Antionette

What’s next for you as a writer?
Next for me is to continue to keep pumping out content. I have an audience to entertain.

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 Bluest Eye
Mama
Beloved
The Bible

Author Websites and Profiles
LaToya Williams Website
LaToya Williams Amazon Profile

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I love to cook, hate to dust, livs to travel, read and write! I pen #1 Bestselling Regencies known for their spice, historical accuracy and their eloquence! With awards on my shelves for more than 60 romances, I’ve also written for Pocket, St. Martin’s and Kensington. I like wine at 5 p.m. and try desperately to persuade herbs and veggies to grow in my south Texas garden!

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
My newest novel, His Tempting Governess, releases June 17th.
I wanted to write about the challenges of falling in love with one’s butler, or maid or governess in disguise! The ton, you see, can be stuffy! I wanted to shake them up with new problems to overcome. So we have a lady who has the hots for her butler, a governess who falls for her Waterloo hero employer and a maid who cleans out the ashes of an old love affair and her former lover’s fireplaces along with finding a murderer!
DELIGHTFUL DOINGS IN DUDLEY CRESCENT is a series of 3 novels (so far!) and a combo of romantic comedy with a hint of mystery. It’s always a challenge for me to blend new sub-genres but this series has the added appeal to me of not focusing totally on dukes and earls and other such aristos. I get to reveal to readers more intricacies of those below stairs who lived a hard life of work.
If I also get to tell tales about the problems women of all classes encountered, I’m tickled.

What are you working on now?
I am delighted to say I am winging off to Paris very soon for 17 days. There, I’m doing research and sending back each day to my FB groups and followers pix, videos and tidbits of my delicious facts. Before I close up my home office, I am hard at work on Book 3 in DELIGHTFUL DOINGS, HIS NAUGHTY MAID! About to write the love scenes too. Always wonderful fun! (Rubbing my hands together in glee!)

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Write for the joy of it. The hard, delicious work of it. Write what you know, what you love.
Do what you can to promote.
Learn the best practices of the business and work, always, with ethical people.
Finally? My biggest bit: Never write to trend. Never.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
The best advice is often that which I hear when I listen to any speaker.
Really? Any speaker? Yes.
In this business since 1981 when I joined Washington Romance Writers, I have heard hundreds of authors speak on every topic from craft to promotion to mental and physical fitness. Whenever I show up, I tell myself I will hear one kernel of truth that I need to hear in that moment in time.
Sure enough, I do. I always take home a fabulous idea. It may not be totally new. It may not be new verbiage, but it can be a truth I forgot or I interpreted in such a way that it didn’t mean as much to me as it once did.
I go home with a solution to a “current” problem and I am always grateful to those who take time and effort to share their experience, strength and hope in this business.

What are you reading now?
I’ve got a few items going, always depending on my mood. I just finished a very good Regency romance by a friend. Now I intersperse THE PARIS VENDETTA (Napoleon in Egypt, you see!) with THE MUELLER REPORT (another mystery about to be solved!).

What’s next for you as a writer?
I’m cooking a series about a family of spies during the Regency, but set in Paris. I like the idea of seeing the challenges of Fouche and Talleyrand up close and personal!

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?
Might I take my 28 inch iMac with me instead, please? I can amuse myself more with that and besides, I’d get angry that I had to re-read a work. I don’t tend to read anything a second time.

Author Websites and Profiles
Cerise DeLand Website
Cerise DeLand Amazon Profile

Cerise DeLand’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 Chartered Marketing Manager and have written professionally for my business career for over a decade before turning my hand to fiction. As an avid crime fan, I regularly participate in the renowned Theakston Old Peculier Crime Writing Festival in Harrogate and I relish attending literature festivals across the country as well as engaging with online writing communities. I live in Leeds with my husband Chris and my son Jack.

I’ve just released my first crime novel, Murder at Macbeth, which was longlisted for the international Flash 500 Novel Award. It’s a murder mystery centred around a talented young actress who unwittingly stabs herself live onstage after a prop knife is tampered with. Bitter rivalries, secret trysts and troubled pasts are just the beginning of the story…

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
My latest novel is called Murder at Macbeth and was inspired by a newspaper article about a London West End actor who was accidentally stabbed live on stage. That got me thinking; what if that had been intentional? What a dramatic way to murder someone and believe you could get away with it.

I’m also a huge fan of the theatre and find the concept of interviewing a bunch of murder suspects who are also actors really fascinating – they could so easily be playing a part to hide the truth.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I find my ideas flow a lot better if I handwrite the text and type it up afterwards – definitely the more time-consuming approach! I also develop all my characters’ dialogue by talking aloud to myself – which my husband finds hilarious! I think it’s really important to enter the mindset of each character and consider how they would speak – verbalising that helps me to better describe their interactions in writing. I take it to the next level too and make a music playlist for each character to help bring them to life.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
The author who has inspired me the most is definitely J.K. Rowling. Not just because she created the incredible Harry Potter universe, but more so because she wrote the first books while she was a single parent looking after a young baby. I find that dedication incredibly inspiring. I wrote my novel while pregnant and working fulltime and did a lot of my editing while looking after a newborn, so I understand how challenging the balancing act can be.

What are you working on now?
Currently I’m mainly focusing on promoting my recently released novel. I do have a few other projects in mind though to work on next…

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I don’t think there’s one single magic website or method when it comes to promoting books. But as a Chartered Marketer I do understand how important promotion is, so I commit to spreading the word through as many channels as possible in order to reach my potential readers. Doing author interviews and guest blogs are great methods for engaging with people and giving back to the writing community by providing practical advice for the next generation of writers.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
I think honestly the best advice I can give is to believe in yourself and engage in a writing community, be that online or in person. When it’s difficult to keep going, surrounding yourself with fellow writers can be very inspiring. Learning from others is also fantastic for refining your own abilities too.
Literally thousands of people dream of writing a book and very few actually achieve it. The road to success is definitely paved with self-doubt and there’s hurdles at every stage, but it’s incredibly satisfying to hold your book at the end of it all.
And read – you can never read too many books.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
The best advice I ever had was from a fellow author, Stewart McDowall, who told me to write every day. Finding time to do that felt unsurmountable at first, but actually I was amazed how I quickly managed to carve out time to write – getting up 30 minutes earlier, snatching an hour during my lunch break, waiting for appointments and so on. It really did help to keep the momentum going and meant I didn’t stall.

What are you reading now?
Currently I’m reading Orphan X by Gregg Hurwitz, which is an action thriller featuring the vigilante Evan Smoak. It’s a great, fun read.

What’s next for you as a writer?
I have a few different things in mind, so will have to see what I get to first!

If you were going to be stranded on a desert island and allowed to take 3 or 4 books with you what books would you bring?
So the four fiction books I would take would be some of my all-time favourites; The Girl On The Train by Paula Hawkins, Angels and Demons by Dan Brown, Noughts and Crosses by Malorie Blackman, and of course the classic Harry Potter books by J.K. Rowling (the whole series would be ideal!)

Author Websites and Profiles
Samantha Goodwin Website
Samantha Goodwin Amazon Profile

Samantha Goodwin’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I am a product of a broken home, an on-and-off again runaway delinquent child, a recovered addict, a hopeless romantic, a road-exhausted gypsy, a loved father, a hated free soul, and a beloved friend… or despised enemy, depending upon who is asked!
This is my first book, but certainly not my last. I’m a walking, talking definition of spontaneity, I am not a very good follower and I have severe authority issues. I’m a clown, yet competent enough to give advice to most individuals on their worst day. I’m street-smart mixed with book-smart, despite the textbooks which were never opened in my college years. I’m wild and unpredictable, yet tame and boring. I love nature, I fear technology. I’m unspoken in opinions and beliefs, yet shy. I’m a loner, yet I have walked amongst many a crowd more times than not. I like to provoke discussions

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
A Footnote for Tomorrow. It is a poetry collection written about my struggles with getting clean and off hard drugs and alcohol. It was written over a twenty-year span about the highlights, the low spots and everything that falls in between from my twenties into my mid-thirties, from college to the road, to the music scene, to sober then relapse and repeat. I felt it would be a solid testament to my peers that anything was possible, and that no matter how far gone we wake up being, there is always hope.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I write anywhere and everywhere, whenever the urge hits me. If I can’t get to my notepad, I will text myself the words as I hear them reciting in my head. I prefer to write in a quiet secluded country setting, after meditation and mental elevation, but the craft doesn’t care what you want, it wants to be written when it wants to be written, however, wherever and whenever it decides!

What authors, or books have influenced you?
Jack Kerouac’s On the Road, which in turn turned me onto all of the beatnik writers and set the stage for the earliest cross-country road trips that began this book. Howl by Ginsberg is a poetic masterpiece, so ahead of its time that one not knowing this, could still find endless relevance in its passages. Bukowski, Ferlinghetti, and e. e. cummings fill in the list of my top influences.

What are you working on now?
A second collection set to be released this August, which is two chapbooks put together essentially. Most of the works are third-person narrative, dissections of the decay of today’s civilization, morals and values, as seen through the eyes of those walking the streets amongst it. The second chapbook was following the same theme as told as the tortured love triangle of old souls and narcissistic youth clashed in its discovery. The way we treat each other and ourselves, reflect outwards towards the world we have been for generations destroying, piece by piece…the legacy that we will leave to our children and their children.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
In my experience, it has been Facebook that has assisted in bringing together the grassroots readers and followers I have had since before social media. Beyond social media, everything is still very, very new to me.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Open your mind to be able to accept criticisms, most will be intended to benefit your growth as a writer, not as personal attacks upon you. Write with your own voice, the world has too much pop culture and the lines are blending so much that it has become difficult to identify most writers from one another. Be you. Stay open. Take chances, there is no reward without risk.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Despite whatever hardships we endure, it is our responsibility to overcome those challenges, not be bitter towards the world, but to instead leave in the hardships’ place an easier passage for those walking behind us tomorrow.

What are you reading now?
Presently, I have copies of Wanda Deglane’s Rainlilly, Walt Whitman’s Leaves of Grass; Yusef Komunyakaa’s Magic City and re-reading Fly on The Wall Press’ Persona Non-Grata, which is so masterfully assembled the compilation feels like more like a collective than a collection of works submitted by random, unconnected poets. Truly a great read.

What’s next for you as a writer?
There is no definitive answer to this question, I will bounce between fifty ideas and will walk a different direction for a few steps each, before deciding at last minute to take a path that was never on the table. I know there will be a cross-country book tour, potentially an overseas book tour, and the rest will have to present itself when the moment is right.

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?
Off the Road by Carolyn Cassidy; Howl by Allen Ginsberg; A Devil on One Shoulder and an Angel on the Other: The Story of Shannon Hoon and Blind Melon by Greg Prato and Into the Wild by John Krakauer.

Author Websites and Profiles
James Miller II Website
James Miller II Amazon Profile

James Miller II’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile
Facebook Profile
Twitter Account
Pinterest Account

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I grew up in the San Francisco Bay Area and moved to Los Angeles for graduate school. I’ve been a house painter, wrote, produced, and/or directed low budget horror films, taught high school for many years, and have also been a life-long volunteer in areas that benefit young people, especially marginalized youth. I have nine books in print and have written five more that remain, as yet, unpublished.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
Children of the Knight (and the rest of The Lance Chronicles series) was inspired by my years of work with gang-involved youth and incarcerated youth. Sadly, America continues to advance a one-size-must-fit-all agenda for children, and when the youth don’t fit into those pre-conceived molds they are kicked to the curb, thrown out of school, locked up in prison, or otherwise discarded. It’s this throwaway mentality and rigid thinking that is at the heart of the book. I’ve spent most of my life around youth that society disdains, and these kids have been among the most amazing, talented, insightful, and loving people on the planet. I hope readers will come to understand that these kids they read about in the media are misrepresented by preset agendas and that the media never presents the full story. I want readers to know these kids as I know them.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I listen to film score music while I’m conceiving and writing my books. Depending on the story and characters, I find film music in my vast collection that might be appropriate. But often, the film I choose would seem to have nothing in common with my story, but the music and the emotional weight that music carries fits perfectly with certain scenes or characters.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
Stephen King would be one. I’ve read most of his books. He’s more nihilistic than I’ll ever be, but he has created some great stories over the years. I loved Mark Twain and William Shakespeare, even in high school, and I still do. Susan Cooper writes great books for kids that I’ve always loved. I also admire the world-building of J.K. Rowling in the Harry Potter series. Thomas Tryon’s The Other is one of those books that inspired me to become a writer because I found it so engrossing and cleverly written.

What are you working on now?
I’m revising two middle-grade books that I’ve completed. One is science fiction and the other an off-beat action adventure. I’m also writing a new horror thriller for the teen market.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Finish the book. That’s number one. Revise as many times as you can and don’t be afraid to cut scenes that slow down the pace or “tell” more than they “show.” Make sure to work with a professional editor to get the book into the best possible shape. Then find beta readers to give you feedback. After all that, it’s time to send out queries. I recommend #PitMad Twitter events. They are a quick way to put your story out to a number of agents and publishers.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
I’ve heard lots of good advice over the years, so it’s hard to pinpoint anything in particular, but I’ve always tried to live by this one: the best way to learn is by keeping your eyes, ears, and mind open and your mouth closed.

What are you reading now?
I’m reading a few manga series as new installments are released. My son and I are listening to Spaced Out, by Stuart Gibbs. It’s a middle-grade science fiction mystery.

What’s next for you as a writer?
I’m hoping to find a publisher for one or more of my new books. If not, I might self-publish.

If you were going to be stranded on a desert island and allowed to take 3 or 4 books with you what books would you bring?
The Bible. A book on world history. The Neverending Story (by Michael Ende), The Other (by Thomas Tryon)

Author Websites and Profiles
Michael Bowler Website
Michael Bowler Amazon Profile

Michael Bowler’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile
Facebook Profile
Twitter Account

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I’m the author of 5 Amazon #1 bestsellers, a counselor at law, a book counselor, and a health & fitness coach who appeared as a success story and cast member in the popular P90X extreme home fitness program.

I live in Boynton Beach, Florida and Medellin, Colombia.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
The Sugar Belly Secret!

I sincerely want to help people to lose weight, get healthy, and live longer, happier lives. The Sugar Belly Secret was inspired by my own experience and fans from my P90X days who encouraged me to write it.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I write best late at night but wish I was a morning person.

What are you working on now?
I’m mostly practicing law and promoting my latest book in English and Spanish.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
I have a company that helps new authors to write and self-publish Amazon bestsellers. It’s called The Book Counselor (www.bookcounselor.com). Works like a charm.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Write your non-fiction book as if your reader is the real hero – or hero in the making – in the story. Readers are looking for a trusted, empathetic guide or mentor, not a hero who goes on and on about himself or hersefl. People want to be a hero in their own lives.

What are you reading now?
I’m reading a book about how to speak Spanish.

What’s next for you as a writer?
Not sure, but I’ve always wanted to write a screenplay.

Author Websites and Profiles
Joe Bovino Amazon Profile

Joe Bovino’s Social Media Links
Facebook Profile
Twitter Account

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
The main author is my son, Arnold. Arnie is only five years old, so his authorship experience has started quite recently. You know, life can also bring some exciting storylines, like books do. Actually it’s been his second book to be offered at Amazon.com. The first one was stolen by pirates and we will never be able to publish it. Real pirates are not so friendly and cooperative like it usually happens in books.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
Some time ago Arnie’s mom gave him a present – a black-and-white toy panda, it was with him all the time – day and night. Arnie couldn’t even share this toy with his younger sister because he loved the panda so much! We kept collecting new information about the life of these beautiful animals and one day we started making pictures with them. So this was the book “Good Morning, Son” appeared. I hope it’ll help you love pandas the same way we do.

I also want this book to help all wild animals, that is why we want to send a dollar from every book sold to The Ellen DeGeneres Wildlife Fund.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
The books written by Mr. Mintz ((our joint author’s name with Arnold) contain short, beautiful and lively stories. Simple manner of writing makes them easy to understand for both kids and adults. With these books your child will learn a lot about animals, about friendship and will know how to solve any challenge together.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
Our young author likes books with a ‘happy end’. Together with him we used to read stories by Sven Nordqvist, Jacob Strid, Alan Alexander Milne and others.

What are you working on now?
I and my son want all children in the world to learn about different wild animals. And we do hope that soon one more of my books will be released – we’ve already started writing a beautiful fairy tale about the small panda who was looking for her Mom. She will find her, I promise!

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
We use the resources of Amazon, our website www.goodmorningson.com, social media Pinterest, Facebook, Instagram, also Goodreads website. And now we are at awesomegang.com

Do you have any advice for new authors?
My advice come from my own experience. If there is something wrong with the first book you’ve written, start the second one!

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Everything that is done, is done for the best.

What are you reading now?
Now Arnold is reading ‘The Wonderful Wizard of Oz’ by Lyman Frank Baum.

What’s next for you as a writer?
It is quite difficult to say that for Arnie. Probably, after some time his books will be more biographic.

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 happened to get to an uninhabited island, it would be good to have some books about its animal and plant world, and about the God.

Author Websites and Profiles
Dmitry Mintz Website
Dmitry Mintz Amazon Profile

Dmitry Mintz’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile
Facebook Profile
Twitter Account
Pinterest Account

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
As the daughter of an Army officer, I spent my childhood moving frequently, and the privilege of experiencing different cultures inspires many of my stories. My three decades as a pastor/elder’s wife and the mother of four grown children also influences my writing. Currently, I have written four novels and contributed to two non-fiction anthologies. My novels are the first four volumes of the International Mission Force series, three of which have been released and the fourth is due to be released late 2019.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
My most recent release is KenyaQuest, the third in the International Mission Force series, which is set in Mombasa, Kenya, and released in 2018. The story was inspired by two very real heroes. The first was an 18-year-old young woman who traveled to Mombasa on a short-term mission trip and was inspired to devote her life to the children there. The second was a real-life Indiana Jones — an adventurous gemologist who discovered a brand new gem, lived in a tree house occasionally frequented by a leopard, and used a pet Python to guard his gems.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I frequently write sitting on a sofa with my feet up or sitting in a crowded coffee shop. While most writers prefer quiet to focus and concentrate on the story they’re crafting, I discovered when I was in college that I work better with lots of background noise. I also spend many hours online researching details of the destinations my characters will visit. Studying the language, geography, weather, diet, folklore, culture, and political history of a setting allows me to create a more realistic experience for my readers.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
The most influential authors to my writing have been Jerry B. Jenkins, Ted Dekker, and Tosca Lee. Jenkins’ not only spoke at the first writers’ conference I attended, but his writing in The Left Behind series was my first experience with Christian fiction. Ted Dekker taught me that even genres like fantasy or thriller can convey biblical truth in a powerful way. And Tosca Lee showed me how to climb inside the heart and mind of a character, whether that character is the first woman created or a fallen angel.

What are you working on now?
I recently completed the first draft of Volume 4 for the International Mission Force series, IslandGambit, and am working on edits for that as well as beginning the research for Volume 5.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
My most effective social media events have been Facebook Launch parties for each of my books! I usually set up in a coffee shop, with a team of friends to help manage the chaos, and answer questions, post pictures and songs, and draw winners for great prizes. I’ve only recently begun to really use Instagram regularly and I’m seeing great results so far!

Do you have any advice for new authors?
The one piece of advice I give all aspiring authors is to attend a writers conference, and the one I recommend if you’re in the eastern part of the US is the Blue Ridge Mountains Christian Writers Conference. Attending a writers conference not only provides the opportunity to learn from a host of excellent faculty about every aspect of writing, from the business end to plotting, editing, or writing a synopsis.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
The most memorable advice I’ve heard was, “Do quit your day job!” Although the well-known author of this advice didn’t necessarily mean to send in a two-week notice, he advised writers to center their professional identity in their writing. In order to become an author, we must first see ourselves as writers.

What are you reading now?
I’m currently reading “The Art of Hard Conversations” by Lori Stanley Roeleveld. This non-fiction guide provides concrete biblical advice on navigating those uncomfortable, critical, and sometimes painful conversations. Lori is an awesome storyteller who conveys so much truth in her blog posts as well as in her books.

What’s next for you as a writer?
I have two more volumes in the International Mission Force which are under contract, which I anticipate releasing over the next two years. In addition, I have several other storylines that I’ve been slowly researching and building. The first is a speculative fiction novel about a government conspiracy to fake the Second Coming. The other is the story of two firefighters in a small, southern town who work to bring their segregated churches together and find the arsonist who is burning down churches.

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 first would be a book on how to build a boat. I’d also bring Jerry B. Jenkins’ Riven, Ted Dekker’s The Complete Circle, and Tosca Lee’s Demon: A Memoir. Or maybe Havah – The Story of Eve.

Author Websites and Profiles
Felicia Bridges Website
Felicia Bridges Amazon Profile
Felicia Bridges Author Profile on Smashwords

Felicia Bridges’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile
Facebook Profile
Twitter Account
Pinterest Account

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
Tammy Campbell Brooks is a native of San Antonio, Texas where she resides with her husband and two children.
She enjoys reading, writing, and studying American history as hobbies.
The Ghetto Blues is her debut book written about true events that occurred in her life.
The successor of The Ghetto Blues novel, “Daddy Issues” is set to be released in 2020.

Tammy’s latest release(co-writer, Tahirah Brooks): Tar Baby(2018) Young Adults African American fiction.
Tar Baby 2 release date: May 2019

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
The latest book is Tar Baby 2, it is the sequel to Tar Baby.
I was inspired to write Tar Baby series because of colorism in the Black communities.
I wanted to give dark-skinned women a voice and platform to discuss the issues.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I write without a timeline. I write based on what I see.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
The autobiography of Malcolm X. A very inspiring and powerful autobiography.

What are you working on now?
I’m ghostwriting my mother-in-law’s autobiography, titled, “Lucille”

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

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Write what you love.
Keep writing because you have a story that needs to be told.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Depend only on yourself.

What are you reading now?
Genesis Begins Again

What’s next for you as a writer?
I’m ghostwriting an autobiography and then I will follow-up with the sequel to my debut novel, “The Ghetto Blues”

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 Ghetto Blues
Tar Baby
Tar Baby 2
Unapologetic Poetic

Author Websites and Profiles
Tammy Campbell Brooks Website
Tammy Campbell Brooks Amazon Profile

Tammy Campbell Brooks’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile
Facebook Profile
Twitter Account

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I am a multi-genre author and poet based in the UK. I wanted to be Lois Lane when I grew up but work experience at my local paper was eye-opening. Instead, I went on to work in a variety of admin roles for over a decade but never felt quite at home. I’m an avid reader, baker and Pinterest addict. My writing career began when I won second place in the Barking and Dagenham Pen to Print writing competition in 2015 with my debut novel, The Gaia Effect, setting my writing career in motion. I’ve written eleven books covering hopeful dystopia, humorous fantasy and slice of life short stories as well as poetry. I continue to write passionately whilst being hopelessly addicted to cake.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
My latest book is The Interspecies Poker Tournament, The Roshaven Case Files No. 27. It’s a humorous fantasy novella set in the world of my novel The Rose Thief and is inspired by a throwaway comment from Ned Spinks, one of main characters in The Rose Thief. It was lots of fun to go back to the characters and develop them a little bit more but I had to be careful because this book is set before The Rose Thief!

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
When I can’t look at words on the screen anymore, I end up printing out the book so far so I can go through it with my green pen and start making notes on the plot holes and the places I need to expand things. I also use NAME as a placeholder for secondary characters when I don’t want to give them a name yet. I don’t have a set writing time or even place because I’m also a stay-at-home mum so things are never guaranteed lol.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
My humorous fantasy books have been very influenced by the works of Terry Pratchett, Douglas Adams and Piers Anthony and I’ve been told by my readers that they can appreciate the influences.

What are you working on now?
My next book will be The Gaia Solution, book three in my The Gaia Collection hopeful dystopia series. I wrote the first draft last year during NaNoWriMo so I’m expecting there will be lots of plot holes to deal with first. Cue the print out and the green pen!

But I have just finished editing The Interspecies Poker Tournament so I am feeling editor burnout, it’s a tough process. I’d like to get stuck into a new writing project and I have the bare bones of a new multi-book series which I’m very excited about. I’ve also decided to plan these out a lot more as I’m usually a pantser so that will be a new experience.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I do most of my promotion through my website (www.cbvisions.weebly.com) and my Facebook and Twitter pages. I have just started dabbling in Amazon Ads but have not yet had the time to get stuck into those properly. I’ve found that having author interviews on other writer blogs is great for sharing your work and I run an interview segment on my own blog every Wednesday called A Slice of Cake With…

I also try to be as personable as possible on my social media marketing so that people feel like they are getting value and not feeling like they are always being given a hard sell.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Stay positive. It’s unlikely, unfortunately, that you will become an overnight success. It will take a lot of determination, motivation and gumption (I love that word) to keep writing and marketing your books. Don’t give up when you get a no thanks. Don’t give up when you get fifty no thanks. If you know that writing is what you want to do then follow your dreams, learn as much as you can about your craft and keep writing.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Once your book has been released into the world, let it go with love. Obviously, you’re going to promote the book, continue to market it and talk about it to everyone but you can’t get hung up on negative or no reviews or that it’s not an instant number one bestseller.

What are you reading now?
At the time of filling in this interview, it’s May which is Short Story Month so I have been catching up on all the indie author short stories I have on my Kindle. At the moment I’m reading Star Mage Exile by JJ Green. I’ve got lots more on my never-ending to be read pile but I don’t mind, it’s fun to have lots of choice when deciding what to read next.

What’s next for you as a writer?
I’ve decided to go wide with my books so I will be using IngramSpark for that wider distribution in the near future. I’m hoping to get the rest of my books released on audiobook and I have more instalments to both my ‘Tales from’ short story collection and ‘Little Book of Verse’ poetry collection. Then there is the multi-book series I mentioned earlier, I’m not sure what genre that will be yet – possibly magical realism?

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?
Can I cheat slightly? I’d take the Wheel of Time series by Robert Jordan, the Discworld series by Terry Pratchett, the Rivers of London books by Ben Aaronovitch and everything by Robin Hobb. So that’s only four authors.

Author Websites and Profiles
Claire Buss Website
Claire Buss Amazon Profile

Claire Buss’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile
Facebook Profile
Twitter Account

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I am an electrical engineer with a BSEE from Wayne State University, Detroit, Michigan. After college, I worked as an engineer for Chrysler, and then went on my own. I published several Basic language computer programming books in the 1980s entitled “Mostly Basic Applications for your Apple 2.” I wrote two fictions novels, both started in the last 1980s. I published Caught in Time on Amazon in January 2018.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
Casinos in Space. I liked gambing, and always wanted to go on an ocean cruise. So, I set up the book on a space cruise with gambling casinos.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I wrote most of the last four chapters of Casinos in Space on an Apple iPod Touch while at dinner with my daughter. That may be unusual.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
Isaac Asimov, J. R. R. Tolkien, Arthur C. Clarke, A. E. van Vogt, Steven R. Donaldson,

What are you working on now?
A fantasy based on the Internet.

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

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

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

What are you reading now?
Fire in the Sky by Andrew Mayne

What’s next for you as a writer?
Start a new book based on the Internet.

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 Hobbit and The Chronicles of Thomas Covenant the Unbeliever

Author Websites and Profiles
Howard Berenbon Amazon Profile

Howard Berenbon’s Social Media Links
Twitter Account

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I’ve always loved psychology and I started writing in non-fiction, but soon realized just how small that market is. So, I decided to branch out into fiction while still exploring those ideas, and I realized that I could also leverage history to better connect people to these ideas.
“History provides a venue for us to look at ideas in entirely new ways. If I say I’m writing about peer pressure most people think that’s a teenage issue. If I reference the history of the Nazi party it completely changes how people think about the idea. That’s what I try to do with my writing. I write historical fiction because history can change how we understand certain ideas.”

“My series is intended to rob the persuasions machines and propaganda producers of their power of influence. To empower people to see how the tricks work then disassemble them.”

“I think a good story entertains, a great story stays with you. It leaves you thinking about the world differently.”
I’ve written five books, but two are no longer in print and I don’t have the rights to publish them digitally.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
My newest release is The Sky Fall Conspiracy. I wanted to look at how propaganda and media persuasion worked, so I scanned through history for moments when those ideas felt really potent. The first is Nazi Germany, and the second is the Orson Welles War of the Worlds scare and in 1938 those two events overlap. So that’s where my story takes place.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I have a treadmill desk so I walk while I write. Once, I tried to see how much walking I could do while writing a book and walked for six hours in one day. I could bearly move the next day. After that I knew I needed to track my data and find some kind of balance.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
I’m a fairly eclectic reader. I love Dan Brown and Malcolm Gladwell, but also read a lot of Brandon Sanderson. I guess when I started writing I felt like my books were meant for the same kinds of people as Dan Brown, but I think my style has changed over time.

When it comes to raw art of story I always think about Sanderson and how he tells his stories.

What are you working on now?
I still working on this series. I have one book left to finish it off, but there is room and I have ideas for lots of branching series within it. I don’t know if I’ll chase those though.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I think ads have worked the best for me. I’ve written enough of them that I have no problem getting clicks, comments, and likes.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Soooo much. I’ve made so many mistakes, and I keep making them. I would say first don’t be afraid to rewrite. Second, write your short story giveaway first, use it to build your email list, then start the series. The importance of that list can’t be overstated and the sooner you start building it the better off you will be.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
I think it’s just too vague a question. I’d need something more specific. Best marketing advice? Best craft advice? etc…
Best marketing advice: build an email list with a free short story giveaway.
Best craft advice: Don’t fall in love with your story. You got some of it wrong, let people point it out to you and be grateful they did.

What are you reading now?
The research for my current series is done so I’ve picked several history books for the next series I’m preparing to write. It’s not hard research, but a general consumption so I can pick up little things.
Fiction, I’m working my way through the Wheel of Time Series.

What’s next for you as a writer?
Once I finish this series I move onto the next one. I’m really looking forward to it. I’ve been reading books on propaganda and media persuasion for years and I want to study something else.

If you were going to be stranded on a desert island and allowed to take 3 or 4 books with you what books would you bring?
Skyward. A survival guide and a blank book to write in.

Author Websites and Profiles
Joseph Bendoski Website
Joseph Bendoski Amazon Profile

Joseph Bendoski’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile
Facebook Profile
Twitter Account

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I am a reader and a writer. I have been writing from the minute I learned to form complete sentences, as a child. I love gyrating to music and cooking. I have written many stories, but mustered up the courage to publish only one till date.

My stories cover a vaste genre from murder mystery, fantasy and romance to pure, sensual erotica depending upon my mood and frustration levels.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
My latest book is ‘The Domme Dame (Volume I – The Beginning)’.

The Domme Dame series takes you on the sensual journey of Isobel, a lesbian dominatrix, from the first jolt of attraction as a teenager to her slow and natural descent into the world of BDSM.

As for what inspired it, it would be a mixture of frustration, fantasy as well as a healthy dose of curiosity within the world of lesbianism.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I tend to obsessively breath, eat, drink and think about my story until the plot, the characters and every scene has been detailed, vividly inside my mind. However, by the time I decide to put it in words, I lose interest and rush to another, new plotline.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
Many authors and many books have influenced me. Over the years, there have been too many to count.

What are you working on now?
Currently, I am working on two projects –

1) The Domme Dame (Volume II – Falling In)

2) Unnamed (A zombie apocalypse/ romance story with a kickass heroine)

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I am a newbie, learning the ropes as I go. But I find forums to be extremely useful

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Don’t Quit. Don’t Falter. Don’t Lose Confidence.

No matter your book sales or your first bad review, never ever give up on your dreams.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Rest if you must, but don’t you quit.

What are you reading now?
English Novel – Nalini Singh
Translated Novel – To be a virtuous wife (Chinese to English)
Manga – Shokugeki no Soma (A manga on cooking)

What’s next for you as a writer?
Completing my books and making sure I do not get distracted by a new plot.

If you were going to be stranded on a desert island and allowed to take 3 or 4 books with you what books would you bring?
1) How to Survive on a Deserted Island – Tom O’Shei
2) Robinson Crusoe – Daniel Defoe
3) Bhagavad Gita
4) An erotica (to keep my loneliness at bay)

Author Websites and Profiles
K Z Amazon Profile

K Z’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I have written my first book this year. I spent over 20 years in education and decided to leave my job in order to pursue my purpose of starting a business.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
Power, Love, and a Sound Mind: How Three Simple Truths Changed My Life is my latest book, inspired by my decision to step out in faith and leave a career in education and start a recruitment consulting business.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I usually have to drink hot tea or coffee while writing.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
Authors such as Joel Osteen and Steven Furtick have influenced my perspective on writing and have allowed me to be bold in expressing my thought in writing. They are honest and real in their writing, and I appreciate their transparency.

What are you working on now?
I am working on an inspirational daily meditation based on my first book as well as a book about true surrender to God’s will.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
My website is https://www.boldfaithpower.com.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Don’t allow others to influence your words. Sometimes you may have to be in seclusion when writing, even if just for a brief time. Let God speak to you before you write. And invest in a proofreader and/or editor as well as other professionals as much as possible to make sure your work is your best.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Live life on purpose without regrets.

What are you reading now?
In addition to the Bible, I am reading books by Joyce Meyer, Joel Osteen and Steven Furtick.

What’s next for you as a writer?
I hope to engage more with readers and encourage others to pursue their purpose.

If you were going to be stranded on a desert island and allowed to take 3 or 4 books with you what books would you bring?
I would bring the Bible, Joyce Meyer book (any), Steven Furtick (any), and Joel Osteen (any).

Author Websites and Profiles
Denise Nixon Website

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I love music, movies, writing and reading. I’m a lifelong resident of West Virginia. As much as I love to write I also get outdoors to enjoy fishing and gardening. I have four ebooks on Amazon.
The Forth House
The thing in the Pit
Jorah Crow
Fangs and Claws

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
The Forth House. I wanted to write an eerie haunted house story.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I do set a schedule for my writing but I won’t force myself to write. I don’t always know how my story will end.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
Stephen King
Ernest Hemingway
Henry Miller

What are you working on now?
I’m starting a story about a man searching for his son who is missing in Africa. It will be about 60-80,000 words. And might be finished by October 2019.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I think its Goodreads.com for me. Also Facebook and Awesome Gang.

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

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
That reading makes you a better writer. And try to write everyday.

What are you reading now?
I’m a huge Game of Thrones fan and I have been reading lore about the seven kingdoms.

What’s next for you as a writer?
I might write a screenplay.
I have a few unpublished stories I may decide to publish. It would be in 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?
The Old Man and the Sea.
Game of Thrones A Song of Ice and Fire.
Platoon
The Treasure of the Sierra Madre

Author Websites and Profiles
Cameron Joseph Amazon Profile

Cameron Joseph’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile
Facebook Profile
Twitter Account

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
Born and raised in London, England, Sam Anthony is the author of psychological thrillers such as The Adulterer Series:
The Adulterer’s Handbook (out now)
The Adulterer’s Confession (coming Autumn 2019)
The Adulterer’s Contrition (coming Spring 2020)
Sam loves reading, peanut butter and jazz (preferably at the same time).
He wishes his beloved wife to know that The Adulterer books are works of FICTION!

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
The Adulterer’s Handbook: A Novel
I wanted to write a book that I’d enjoy reading. One full of twists and turns, peril, tension, naughtiness, moral dilemmas and humour.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
Not really. I try to complete 1000 words a day and I try to get it right the first time because I hate editing.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
Any by Gillian McAllister, Erin Kelly, Angela Marsons, Shalini Boland, Caroline Mitchell, Mel Sherratt, Shari Lapena, Mari Hannah, Sarah Pinborough, Jo Spain, Lisa Cutts, Sharon Bolton, Holly Cave, C J Tudor, Susie Steiner, Ruth Ware, K L Slater, Jenn Ashworth, ,Holly Seddon, Clare Mackintosh, Eva Dolan, Damien Boyd, Steve Cavanagh, Imran Mahmood , Robert Dugoni, Tom Bale, Peter James, Linwood Barclay.

What are you working on now?
The Adulterer’s Confession: A Novel
Book 2 in The Adulterer series. It’s raunchier and darker!

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


Twitter: @Foodcook314
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/45356402

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Just write. Every day if possible. If it’s good, make it better. If it’s rubbish, make it better. Once it’s written you can edit it. Write what you like.

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

What are you reading now?
The Stranger Diaries by Elly Griffiths
Cold Granite by Stuart MacBride

What’s next for you as a writer?
Complete The Adulterer series.
Born and raised in London, England, Sam Anthony is the author of psychological thrillers such as The Adulterer Series:
The Adulterer’s Handbook (out now)
The Adulterer’s Confession (coming Autumn 2019)
The Adulterer’s Contrition (coming Spring 2020)
Then write some more psychological thrillers, starting with The Teacher (coming Autumn 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?
Pride And Prejudice by Jane Austen
Little Dorrit by Charles Dickens
Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte
Pride And Prejudice by Jane Austen (just in case I dropped my first copy into the sea by accident)

Author Websites and Profiles
Sam Anthony Amazon Profile

Sam Anthony’s Social Media Links
Twitter Account