Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
Hi! I’m Marge.
I’m a real estate investor, writer, wife, mom, daughter, sister, friend, lifelong learner, unshakable optimist dedicated to sharing life experience and finding the best version of you…

Once trapped in Paralysis analysis state, thinking too much and end up not taking action, or started something but ended up losing the momentum. Finally, I break this habit and now surrounded by like minded people who’s living a life by design, not by default.

My first book was published July of this year and I’m currently working on my next one. I’m looking forward to know more and contribute in this community.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
My latest book is One Step At A Time: How To Turn Your Adversities Into Opportunities To Achieve A Better Life. My inspiration is seeing other people I’ve met that struggle from abuse and a dysfunctional family. Some of them are clueless that they have other options, by sharing some of my journey and other people stories, I am conveying the message to empower others: From Survivor to Thriver: Break the Cycle of Pain and Live to Your Full Potential…

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I guess when i started I usually get distracted with editing, I have a system now to stop that.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
Many authors from non-fiction, personal development books. John Maxwell, Stephen Covey, Adam Braun – The Promise of A Pencil, Sheryl Sandberg – Option B and Lean in, Marie Forleo, and many more.

What are you working on now?
I’m working on my second book, non-fiction focusing on creating the things you wish existed.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I haven’t found the best method yet but I had a free one with Buck Books for a day as part of my book cover package. So far,I got the best sales at that time compare to other days.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Yes, have a system in place, know when would you like your book done, are you planning to get it done in a month, 90 days, a year? No matter what your timeline is, it is very important to have the clarity for your timeline, and also accountability partner/team/coach. It will make your dream of publishing the book real if you have those two. Connect with other writers too. It is quite overwhelming at first, one thing is to write, then more to come after that, from getting it published then branding and marketing too.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Writers Write!

What are you reading now?
Called to Create by Jordan Raynor

What’s next for you as a writer?
I’m working on next book project.

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?
Good question, first, Bible. Then, ‘Robinson Crusoe’ by Daniel Defoe, then the rest would probably be any book specific to survival.

Author Websites and Profiles
Marge Di Blasio Website
Marge Di Blasio Amazon Profile

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I’m a Weight Loss Transformation Expert and Food Addictions Specialist, In-demand Professional Speaker, Seminar & Workshop Facilitator, and Certified Life Purpose Coach with nearly 2 decades of training experience.

I’m also the award winning author of the books: Be Your Own Weight Loss Coach, and Be Your Own Health and Wellness Coach, Be Your Own Weight Loss Coach: The Workbook, and Be Your Weight Loss Coach: Second Edition, and the creator of the Weight Loss Transformation Program.

My mission is to help those people who know that traditional diets and personal training absolutely work for them, because the truth is: You don’t need a traditional diet or personal trainer, and that’s not what I do.

I strive to bring top quality proven coaching and addiction techniques to my clients and students. My philosophy is that through hard work and determination, set with a proper mindset, you can go about fixing the issues of being overweight from the inside out, not from the outside in.

I help my clients work towards their goals by helping them deal with their emotional state; suffering from food addiction, binge eating and emotional eating, while dealing with the internal pain caused by it – issues I personally can relate to. I lost 101.5 pounds while dealing with my own issues with food addiction, binge eating and emotional eating, so I’m able to relate to my clients on a level that most trainers and coaches are not. I understand the pain and internal struggles associated with weight loss.

Through my unique style, you will meet all of your fitness and health goals, while helping to deal with the emotional struggles that go with being overweight.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
My latest book’s working title is: The Fat Epidemic (yet to be released), and is a no nonesense, no B.S., science-based approach to losing weight, and KEEPING it off.

There are no cookie-cutter, magic pill solutions here, just a science-based plan and approach to losing fat the RIGHT way, and keeping it off.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
Yes, haha! I NEED to listen to either music, or an audio book while writing. I have no idea why!

What authors, or books have influenced you?
Oh wow! Way too many to name, as I’ve read HUNDREDS of books! Sorry, but I can’t just name one, or ten!

What are you working on now?
As mentioned earlier, my latest book: The Fat Epidemic (working title, so it may change!).

What are you reading now?
Intuitive Eating

What’s next for you as a writer?
After I’m done with my latest book, I’ll be right back at it, writing a book specifically geared towards food addiction and binge eating.

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?
Just 3? Couldn’t narrow it down that much!

Author Websites and Profiles
Gregory Groves Website
Gregory Groves Amazon Profile

Gregory Groves’s Social Media Links
Facebook Profile

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I’m a full-time lawyer by profession, with a recently discovered passion for writing. I’ve recently written and published my first book, LIFE DEMYSTIFIED. My second book, CORPORATE CULTURE DEMYSTIFIED, is due to be published later this year, with other titles in the DEMYSTIFIED SERIES to follow

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
“LIFE DEMYSTIFIED. Understanding: The Secret to Success”.
I achieved amazing weight loss goals, including losing 30 pounds, in 2017. And i came to realise that this was through understanding my goal. And as i thought about it, i came to further realise that understanding is the secret to succeeding at anything in life. There is actually a chapter that goes into detail about how i came to write this book.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I candidly question the status quo

What authors, or books have influenced you?
My favourite book is The Richest man in Babylon

What are you working on now?
My second book – CORPORATE CULTURE DEMYSTIFIED

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I’m still very new at that

Do you have any advice for new authors?
I’m a new author, so i need advice more than i can give it.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Use whatever advantage you have

What are you reading now?
Eat that Frog

What’s next for you as a writer?
To continue with my DEMYSTIFIED SERIES. I’ve got 4 more titles to write.

If you were going to be stranded on a desert island and allowed to take 3 or 4 books with you what books would you bring?
The Richest Man in Babylon; The long walk to Freedom; Two weeks in November

Author Websites and Profiles
Marc Pillay Amazon Profile

Marc Pillay’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile
Facebook Profile
Twitter Account

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I am a debut author in the process of launching my first book – Killer Domes and the Chosen One. I consider myself a nomad, mostly residing in SE Asia where I divide my time between writing and volunteer work.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
Killer Domes and the Chosen One was inspired by the friendship of two dogs rescued from the meat trade in Asia. I was on a 10-day silent meditation retreat when I mentally developed most of the plot, otherwise, my mind would have been fully starved of stimulation and I would have most likely descended into madness.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
My writing is an adaptation of a brain movie. I don’t start writing until I know the complete story. Aside from that, I completely isolate myself for months with no socialising and minimal human interaction, to fully immerse myself in the fictional world.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
Unlike most authors, I’m not much of a reader. I’m a creator who has currently chosen writing as a creative outlet. It is most likely, subconsciously, that I have been influenced by games and movies.

What are you working on now?
Aside from the debut book launch, I am mentally developing a weird fantasy mystery.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I am yet to discover the answer to this question.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Ask people to read your stories before you publish. Find as many people as possible: friends, family, colleagues, other authors. Ask them to be honest and be prepared for the worst! Your own perception of the story is totally different from that of a first-time reader with an empty mind. You WILL need to change things, and then get others to read the revised versions. It will NOT be perfect the first time.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Tidy desk = tidy mind. You can also apply this to life.

What are you reading now?
Immortal Chaos: Twisted Fate by Melinda Hyde. She was kind enough to check out my book, so I’m returning the favour. I like to work with other authors, supporting and advising each other.

What’s next for you as a writer?
I’d like to work as hard as possible to write and self-publish 2 more books over the next 2 years. After that depends on finances.

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?
Bear Grylls books I would imagine!

Author Websites and Profiles
Gibbo Gibbs Website
Gibbo Gibbs Amazon Profile

Gibbo Gibbs’s Social Media Links
Facebook Profile
Twitter Account

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I am a positive, upbeat, friendly girl who writes dark urban fantasy about vampires murdering people and faeries torturing people.

I’ve written 5 vampire books and 1 & 1/2 faerie books.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
The last book I wrote is entitled “Dead of Night.” It’s the third book in my vampire series, and it was unintentionally inspired by one of my closest friends dying of cancer.

I think it turned out pretty good, but it was a hard book to write. My main character was meant to be struggling with the harsh realities of being a vampire, so it was set up to be a tough book from the get go, but then my friend died and the darkness just came spiraling out of me. I think the main character’s inner struggle came through more believably because of my inner struggle. Still, a hard book to write.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I don’t know how unusual it is, but this habit amuses my husband.

I talk to myself.

In my characters’ voices.

I find it very helpful for figuring out how how different characters would react to different events, but I guess I sound pretty funny when I’m doing it.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
Neil Gaiman, Terry Pratchett, Emma Bull, P.N. Elrod, Ann Rice, Charles De Lint, Kelly Armstrong, Joan D. Vinge, Terry Windling, Mark Twain, Dorothy Parker

What are you working on now?
That 1/2 a faerie book. It’s in the final editing stages, so it should be coming out by fall of 2019.

I thought it would wind up being between 20-40k words, since it was just supposed to be the back story of the love interest in my faerie story. Turned out he had a lot more to say than I first thought he would. It’s 70k words and counting.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
Right now I’m trying everything. I’ve been terrified to promote, so I haven’t, and my books have been languishing in Kindle hell. I decided it’s time to get started with marketing, but the results I’ve heard from people are all over the place, so I’m trying everything I can. So far it’s all working a little, but none of it’s working great.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Read books. You can’t write well if you don’t know what a satisfying read is.

Read books on writing and take classes or join writer’s groups. You can’t get good by osmosis.

Write, write, write, and finish a piece. You need practice, and you need to do more than start stories.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Hard to say for sure. There’s a font of super useful advice out there, and all of it matters.

My biggest “aha” moment was after a four-hour workshop on finding the theme of your work in progress. The instructor led the class through several exercises on word play, free writing, etc., finally leading up to piece it all together to find the theme.

It was four hours well spent. I didn’t really know what theme was before that class, and had a hard time defining it or understanding why it might be important. Now I know both those things, as well as how to find the theme of whatever I’m working on in less than four hours. It’s come in handier than I ever thought.

What are you reading now?
“The Golem and the Jinni.” I’m not real far into it, but so far I like it.

What’s next for you as a writer?
I have 4 different ideas to pursue after I finish the faerie story I’m working on. I plan to poll my email list and find out what they’d like to read next before I pick.
1) Another faerie story?
2) Another vampire story, from the perspective of the main supporting character?
3) A ghost story that I wrote years ago that needs editing badly?
4) A mage story?
We’ll see what they say. I also have an idea for space pirates rattling around in my head.

If you were going to be stranded on a desert island and allowed to take 3 or 4 books with you what books would you bring?
That is an impossible question.

If I knew I’d be stranded on a desert island, I’d want books on how to survive and escape a desert island.

Aside from that, I can’t answer. I’ve re-read “Catspaw”about fifty times, so maybe that one, but maybe not just because I have read it so many times. “Good Omens” maybe, just because it’s co-authored by my two absolute favorites, otherwise I draw a blank.

If I’m not allowed to bring books on how to survive and escape a desert island, then maybe a set of encyclopedias just for sheer keeping the boredom off. That counts as one, right?

Author Websites and Profiles
Melody Taylor Website
Melody Taylor Amazon Profile
Melody Taylor Author Profile on Smashwords

Melody Taylor’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile
Facebook Profile
Twitter Account

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
Reading and writing; they often go hand in hand. Both have played a significant role in molding me into the person I’ve become. As a self-proclaimed perfectionist, taking up a lifestyle where I spend hours on top of hours editing might seem torturous, but the challenge of it all brings forth a sense of satisfaction that makes it all worth it.

I published my first book shortly before my 24th birthday, and holding a physical copy of it was my equivalent to winning a trophy for the first time. The first draft only took me 30-days to write, so I thought -‘I’ll be finished in no time!’-, rookie mistake. It seemed that there was always something coming up that was setting me back. Whether that be a crashing computer, file sync errors, or my own incompetence with formatting, I kept finding myself re-writing chapters of my book. Trial and error; sometimes that’s how we learn our lessons. It’s only wasted time if I continue to make the same mistakes time and time again.

The book I’ve published was not the first book I worked on. I had been trying to find the right project for years before I settled into the right one. Understandably, some of those others I’ve worked on may never see the light of day, which is fine, because they served as practice for the real thing.

Given my interest in history and writing, it would not be outlandish to assume that my favorite school subjects were History and English, but my interest in those subjects didn’t really develop until after I graduated. I was interested in EVERYTHING; world history, binomial nomenclature, anatomy, business, astronomy, psychology, etc. (world religion came later). I was buying second-hand books thirty at a time, I was filling notebooks with horrendously unorganized notes, and the flaw in my note-taking became gruesomely apparent. My ‘new and improved’ note-taking strategy came to form the e-newsletter that I started writing back in 2016.

Whenever someone discovers that I’ve published a book, they almost always ask if I’m going to write another one. The question throws me off every time, because writing is what I do, it’s who I am.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
Mahdi: The Guided One; History & Controversy is the name of my book. It’s a historical look at messianic figure from Islam that has a complex story. Islam is a polarizing subject in the Western world.

One question I always get asked is -‘Are you Muslim?’-. I am not. I’ve never practiced any religion. Religion often serves as a foundation for how people decide to live their lives. Religion is full of symbolism and beautiful stories. Religion is something many people hold very close and dear to their hearts. But I didn’t grow up in a religious household and I find joy just in studying the world religions as an outsider looking in. With that said, my decision to write this book came from a desire to understand, not to deface.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
My writing habits are not unusual to me. I can write in complete silence or while listening to music. I can write day or night. I do struggle to focus though if I can hear a TV, a podcast, or just general chatter in the background. One habit that some may find unusual is that I work on more than one book at the same time. By that I mean that I can work on ‘Project A’ for a day, then the very next day work on ‘Project B’.

I do have an usual reading habit. I can switch from reading ‘Book A’ to ‘Book B’, switching after each chapter, and I never confuse them with one another, even if they’re both works of fiction on similar subjects. I’ve done this with 7+ books at the same time with no issues. I never thought anything of it until people saw what I was doing and discovered that they were very much confused by how I could do it.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
There are many authors that have probably influenced my writing. Some of the authors that I’ve got a great deal of respect for include Nikos Kazantzakis, Sigmund Freud, David George Haskell, Daniel Quinn, Douglas Brinkley, Ayn Rand, Fiona McIntosh and many more.

What are you working on now?
A project of top priority that I’m working on at the moment is a historical novel. Writing fiction is a bit out of my comfort zone, but it’s exciting thus far. I don’t have an estimated date of publication; it’s too early to tell at this time.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I’m the wrong person to ask for tips on book promo. I’m optimistic that I’ll see good results here at AwesomeGang.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
My advice to anyone that wants to publish a book:

No matter how prepared you think you are, you’re going to find something that’s going to challenge you. Don’t walk away from a challenge. You’re going to make mistakes, just try to learn from them so you don’t make them over and over again. You can read it over a million times, but it’s best to get a second and third opinion, because there’s a good chance you’ve made some silly mistakes that only a fresh set of eyes are able to catch. Lastly, remember that the best way to become a better writer is to write more often. Practice makes perfect.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Some of the best advice is the most overlooked; practice makes perfect. If you want to get better at something, then practice, practice, practice.

What are you reading now?
I’m slowly working my way through Zen and the Art of Making a Living (1993) by Laurence Boldt.

What’s next for you as a writer?
I’m revamping my e-newsletter, promoting my published book, and continuing to work on my historical novel.

If you were going to be stranded on a desert island and allowed to take 3 or 4 books with you what books would you bring?
1.) Report to Greco (1961) by Nikos Kazantzakis
2.) With Malice Toward None (1977) by Stephen B. Oates
3.) A Brief History of Time (1988) by Stephen Hawking

Author Websites and Profiles
Alexander Ekwall Website
Alexander Ekwall Amazon Profile

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I served as an officer in the Royal Australian Air Force for 20 years and subsequently worked as a university lecturer and Human Resources consultant. I am deeply interested in the human condition – and has a keen interest in physics, biology, consciousness and sociology. He has lived in Australia, New Zealand and the United States. This is his first book.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
‘Ambisexuality: the anatomy of transerotic desire’ started out as the subject of a PhD. My interest emerged from my thesis supervisor, Frank Lewins, had a trans daughter, and this experience led him to research and write a book ‘Transsexualism in society’. But my research took a very different direction. My PhD focused on trans women sex workers and my post doc studies focused on the men who were attracted to non-operative trans women.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I write in cafes so I’m not distracted by domestics. I like to get up early and go to a cafe where I can study texts and write. I return for breakfast and then leave for another cafe. I repeat this process two or three times a day. I hardly ever write at home.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
Honestly, there are so many. Some influence my writing style, others influence my thinking about the subject matter at hand. I have a significant library of texts that contain notes, have passages underlined and have pages tabbed. How do I choose just one or two?

What are you working on now?
I am working on a documentary version of ‘Ambisexuality’ with Genevieve Cooper, a film editor in Perth based on filmed material that was shot at the time I did my post doc field work with Erica Addis and Pat Fisk.
I am also working on a book called ‘Ethereality’, an ambitious project which aims to give my take on a new interpretation of quantum mechanics. Like ‘Ambisexuality’, I am also working on a documentary version of this manuscript with Conway Lau, a film animator in Auckland.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
My website, at: https://ambisexuality.jameskwatson.science/

Do you have any advice for new authors?
People use the word ‘passionate’ very loosely these days. People say they are passionate about apple pie when all they really mean is they like to eat them. I still use the word in the old fashioned sense of the word. If you are passionate about someone, you marry them and stay married for the rest of your life. Your success is only guaranteed if you are passionate about your subject matter and persistent beyond what most people would feel is ‘reasonable’.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Don’t give up.

What are you reading now?
A science fiction called ‘Red Mars’.

What’s next for you as a writer?
My work on ‘Ethereality’ will carry me through for a few years. After that, I want to write a book on life and consciousness which its analytical basis from my current 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?
1Q84 by Haruki Murakami
What is Real? The Unfinished Quest for the Meaning of Quantum Physics
by Adam Becker
The Chrysalids by John Wyndham

Author Websites and Profiles
James Watson Website
James Watson Amazon Profile

James Watson’s Social Media Links
Facebook Profile

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I am a middle-aged multitasker who loves to read and write. So far, I have written 9 nonfiction books for adults and two picture books for children. The nonfiction books reflect several of my interests: healing crystals, craft fairs, and libraries. My two picture books are part of my Rockin’ Fairy Garden Tales. In these, imaginative creatures learn subtle lessons on topics ranging from acceptance, friendship, and diversity to options regarding plastic straws.

My favorite genre to read is probably the cozy mysteries, but it’s difficult to say for sure. I belong to a book club to force myself out of my reading ruts. I read mainly fiction, but I write mostly nonfiction. It’s the educator in me.

I am a K-12 teacher-librarian at two school districts and am a Certified Crystal Healer. I make wire-wrapped jewelry and am a vendor at craft fairs and holistic health events. I taught high school English for many years before becoming a school librarian and have also been an adjunct college English instructor.

I have lived in three Midwestern states and have taught on three Dakota/Lakota/Sioux reservations. The smallest community had fewer than 100 residents, and the school library was the only library.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
“Beach Surprise: Unicorns, Mermaids, Flower Fairies, and Rainbow Rocks Meet at the Beach” was released on June 14, 2019. Children naturally love rocks, especially shiny ones, so I had started a series that had talking rocks. My students and grandchildren enjoy magical creatures like unicorns and mermaids, so they joined the talking rainbow rocks and flower fairies.

My grandmother’s collection of (costume) pearl jewelry inspired a book that ties in with plastic pollution in our oceans. Who better to explain the hazards of plastic straws than a mermaid? My children’s picture books combine science with imagination to share gentle messages along with the fun!

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
As a “recovering English teacher,” I can’t stop revising. Even after my books have been released, I keep revising and re-releasing long after the book’s initial publication. I want my books to be the best of my abilities, so I keep tweaking even though nobody else but me would probably even notice.

I don’t think this is unusual for a part-time writer, but I regularly lose sleep to write. I will think of something or want to “quickly” revise something around bedtime.

I’ll think, “OK, I am just going to do this one thing so I don’t forget it.”

One thing turns into one hour or two, maybe even more.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
When I was growing up, I read the Beany Malone series by Lenora Mattingly Weber so many times that the librarian eventually gave me most of the books. These books have long been out-of-print, but I will always keep them. They aren’t anything unique, but I loved them and read them repeatedly as a teenager and young adult. It was the characters and overall mood that captivated me.

What are you working on now?
I want to write another Rockin’ Fairy Garden Tale while it can still be photographed outside. Unfortunately, the focus is not yet fully focused! Fairy gardens aren’t that fun in the snow, you know! I know that I will rally in time. (Maybe tomorrow!)

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
It’s difficult to market on a budget, but Awesome Gang is…well, awesome! It even has author interview opportunities! It’s helpful having websites share book promotions because my family and friends have seen my social media posts multiple times; now strangers get to learn about my books. (Hi, strangers!)

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Definitely go for that dream! The personal fulfillment is a “natural high.”

Writing the book is the fun part, proofreading it is the not-so-fun part, and marketing it is the ongoing challenge. People have to first find your book before sales can add up, making marketing a crucial component.

You will learn so much as you go! So, so much! Nobody knows it all, so don’t expect to know it all. Just take that first step and keep moving forward. Search online; you will find many answers.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
The best advice is found in my favorite quote by Henry James:
“Three things in human life are important. The first is to be kind. The second is to be kind. And the third is to be kind.”

What are you reading now?
I finished “Dark Sacred Night” by Michael Connelly this morning and just started “Teaberry Loss of Tranquility” by R. A. Wallace.

What’s next for you as a writer?
I am writing more blogs for myself and others, and I will keep writing more books. Since photographs are an important part of my books, I need a better phone camera. I never know what will pop into my head, and that will be the next book.

If you were going to be stranded on a desert island and allowed to take 3 or 4 books with you what books would you bring?
I’d say that I’d take the longest book published, but what if I didn’t like it? This is an awful question because who can narrow it down to 3-4?

OK, I would take “The Book of Joy” by His Holiness the Dalai Lama and Archbishop Desmond Tutu with Douglas Abrams. I guess I’d take a college grammar book/anthology to keep my mind occupied; I know that sounds boring to most people. I could take two of my own books to revise them 100 more times, but that seems stupid. This question is too hard for me! I give up!

Author Websites and Profiles
Brenda DeHaan Website
Brenda DeHaan Amazon Profile

Brenda DeHaan’s Social Media Links
Facebook Profile

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I’ve just begun my professional writing career, although I have been writing since grade 6. My debut book has been published by Iguana Books. I have a published literary fiction short story that was selected in the “Just Words Volume II”’ anthology published by the Canadian literary magazine, Blank Spaces.

I live in Canada, married with 2 kids and a 20lb cat who is a master at blackmailing you for more and more food and kills any plant within sight.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
It’s a rhyming picture book called “Wonder Walk” which is geared towards preschoolers and the kinder crowd. I was inspired by the daily walks that I had taken as a first time mom with my then-infant son. I feel that the very relatable activity of enjoying a walk in the sunshine with your kid/s and the universal theme of bonding between a parent and child as shown in “Wonder Walk” will really appeal to parents and caregivers.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I’m a multi-tasker by heart and always seek to “kill 2 birds with 1 stone”. So I write on my iPad, while sitting beside my son as he watches his cartoons, does his puzzles and the like. I engage, talk to him, and then also go back to my writing. Sure this means, that I don’t write as fast as many authors do, but I also get to be present for my kids.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
I read very widely and try to absorb the writing style, characterization, the dialogues, the descriptions and what works for what genre. Sure, there are things that worked for that particular time and era, which wouldn’t work today, for example the obvious melodrama in gothic novels like “The Castle of Otranto” It’s always fun to observe the changes in the style of writing and which genres were popular when and what the collective reading tastes have to say about the society of that time.

What are you working on now?
I’m working on a psychological thriller that’s got a good deal of murder, gore, messed up family dynamics and characters who have a lot of grey in them. It’s funny, I go from children’s picture book to this very dark theme!

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I tend to like Instagram as I can showcase myself as a person behind the writer, someone who loves traveling (lots of travel pics up there). I find that eventually if people can relate to you, like you and aren’t constantly bombarded with book promo messages all the time, they would be more inclined to buy what you are selling.

I’m getting more into Twitter too, after avoiding it for many years as I thought 140 characters were silly! It was very encouraging to see that recently a video I tweeted a book reading I did at the MoonBeam Children’s Bookstore in Toronto was retweeted by others and now being seen by so many more people!

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Not many people tell you this: book marketing is a daily and constant grind. There are so many things to try and there is no one strategy that’s THE Jackpot.

You have to decide what your goal is with your books, keep at it daily, have little successes, pat yourself on the back for those mini successes so that you get motivation to keep going, pivot away from strategies that aren’t showing the results you want, and keep trying different things.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
It’s important to take time for self-care. I usually take a day off where I’m not doing any book marketing or writing.

What are you reading now?
Crime and Punishment by Fyodor Dostoyevsky. I’m 3/4 of the way done.

What’s next for you as a writer?
I’m querying literary agents about another children’s book that I have written, well, it’s more of a early middle grade fiction.

To continue writing, reading and learning about the craft of 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 take the following:

Persuasion by Jane Austen (I have read this novel 3 times, watched the 1995 & 2007 movie versions countless times)!

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows by You Know Who (lol)

Where the Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens

Carrie by Stephen King

Author Websites and Profiles
Ilham Alam Website
Ilham Alam Amazon Profile

Ilham Alam’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile
Facebook Profile
Twitter Account
Pinterest Account

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
A perfumer and pilot, Marie Urban – Le Febvre began to explore her family’s exciting past in 2010. She continues to delve into history, particularly how it relates to peace and freedom in the world today. In 2014 Marie moved with her husband, Sascha, and their son, Carl, from Paris to Berlin, where they fulfilled their dream of opening a perfume laboratory and launching their own “Urban Scents” brand of fragrances. Her journey into her family’s past influences her work as she sources ingredients that help provide income for people impacted by economic and political unrest. She’s currently developing “Utopia,” a scent that blends materials from around the world, including elements from countries at odds with one another. This fragrance is her personal expression of peace.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
Risking and Resisting: Discovering the Untold Story of My Family’s Fight for Freedom in World War II
It all began with a letter from a stranger. A single message from across the Atlantic launched a journey of discovery to an unknown chapter of Marie Le Febvre’s family’s past—a chapter filled with extraordinary courage and unexpected connections. Marie’s journey uncovered a heritage of risking and resisting during World War II, and forged in her a new understanding of freedom.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
Before being a writer, I am a perfumer creator. So, for me, words have scents and scents are also words for me.
I mostly write perfume formula… perfumes and smelling stories.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
Antoine de Saint Exupéry, Jules Verne, Maupassant

What are you working on now?
A scented story

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I am very bad about that …

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Live your dream

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Never give up

What are you reading now?
Allo la tour ? Y’a un boeuf dans le cockpit !
by Simon Hayot

What’s next for you as a writer?
The French version of Risking and Resisting

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 little prince by St Exupery
One Hundred Years of Solitude by Gabriel García Márquez
Perfume by Patrick Süskind
The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho

Author Websites and Profiles
Marie LE FEBVRE – URBAN Website
Marie LE FEBVRE – URBAN Amazon Profile
Marie LE FEBVRE – URBAN Author Profile on Smashwords

Marie LE FEBVRE – URBAN’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile
Facebook Profile
Twitter Account

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
My name is Jaylyn Hassan. I am 18 years old. I have published one book so far, but I have written many over the years

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
Street Racing Club is the name of my latest book. The title was inspired by a game called Midnight Club, where the main objective is to street race.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I know some writers like peace and quiet when they write, but i usually like to have music on when I write. I don’t know if that’s unusual or not.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
The authors that inspired me are Todd Strasser, Dorothy Allison, and Jonathan Rand

What are you working on now?
Part 2 to the Street Racing Club

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I usually prefer to promote my books on all of my social platforms.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Keep writing!

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

What are you reading now?
Drift X by Todd Strasser

What’s next for you as a writer?
Continue to create and publish more books

If you were going to be stranded on a desert island and allowed to take 3 or 4 books with you what books would you bring?
I would take my own book, Eminem’s The Way I Am and Angry Blonde, and Todd Strasser’s Drift X

Author Websites and Profiles
Jaylyn Hassan Website
Jaylyn Hassan Amazon Profile

Jaylyn Hassan’s Social Media Links
Facebook Profile

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I ama two-time leukemia survivor. I am also a public health professional with over twenty years of experience in the field. I’m passionate about empowering others through information, especially those who are not often seen or heard. After the experience of fighting for my life, I am sharing the lessons I have learned to help others make decisions from a place of compassion and love and not fear. I have just published my first book.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
My latest—and first—book is titled Partners in Healing: What to Say, Do and Give When a Friend is Sick. It is meant to help friends and family of those facing cancer or another life-threatening illness.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
This is my first book, so I can’t say I have any writing habits at all. I intend to write more books, however, so I guess I will develop writing habits at some point.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
I would say the Bible, Jack Countryman, Doddie Osteen, Paolo Coelho.

What are you working on now?
Right now I’m working on a companion volume to Partners in Healing. I’m hoping to bring it out soon. I am also going to publish Partners in Healing in Spanish.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I’m pretty new at this! I certainly hope the Awsome Gang will be helpful in promoting my first book. Then I can come back here for my future books.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Being a new author myself, I don’t have much advice to give except, don’t let your fear hold you back. Get help from editors, cover designers, formatters and whatever else you need, but write your book.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Don’t take criticism from anyone to whom you would not go for advice.

What are you reading now?
The Alchemist, by Paolo Coelho.

What’s next for you as a writer?
I’m already working on my next book. I am also an experienced public speaker and I will be speaking about my books.

If you were going to be stranded on a desert island and allowed to take 3 or 4 books with you what books would you bring?
The Bible, God’s Promises for Your Every Need, by Jack Countryman, and Why Some Positive Thinkers Get Powerful Results, by Norman Vincent Peale.

Author Websites and Profiles
Belsie González Website
Belsie González Amazon Profile

Belsie González’s Social Media Links
Facebook Profile

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I have written two books that are presently comprehensible by the human mind.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
My latest book, the Cat and the Cultist was inspired by visions of the great old ones

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
Writing under the duress of the witching hour aided only by copious amounts of caffeine

What authors, or books have influenced you?
The great Abdul Alhazred

What are you working on now?
The next in the series of the Cat and the Cultist

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
Outside of the dark web, youtube

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Don’t write the simplest and easiest thing to make a buck, instead write what the great old ones put upon you.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
If you stare hard enough at something you dropped on the ground, eventually someone will pick it up for you.

What are you reading now?
Between the lines on the back of this box of cheerios

What’s next for you as a writer?
Take over the world… not this one, 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?
I only need one, the Necronomicon to summon my muses.

Author Websites and Profiles
C.R. Tyra Amazon Profile

C.R. Tyra’s Social Media Links
Facebook Profile

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I am a Petrophysicist with global experience .My area of expertise is in open hole evaluation is probabilistic & deterministic formation evaluation, Nuclear magnetic resonance and elemental spectroscopy data interpretation and integration, I have also done lots of work in cased hole formation evaluation using pulsed neutron logs.
I have extensively worked in integrated interpretation involving integration of data from various geoscience disciplines and in several field development plan projects.

I wrote “Geoscience in Petroleum Exploration:Fundamentals of Geology,Geophysics, Petrophysics and Drilling Engineering Techniques Applied in Petroleum Exploration” in 2017 and now I put a small book on Reservoir monitoring / cased hole formation evaluation using pulsed neutron logs.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
Oil industry is going through hard time for more than 5 years now.Many companies are not focusing on new exploration activities however , reservoir monitoring and cased hole formation evaluation is increasingly becoming important due to need of properly managing/monitoring current reservoirs. Pulsed neutron tools such as Pulsar ,RMT ,RPM are most important tools available in industry as of now for reservoir monitoring.
The inspiration behind writing this small book to educate petrophysicist , reservoir engineers and other technical peoples about physics and principles of this tool as they make lots of big decision on the basis of data acquired from this tool.

What are you working on now?
I am currently working with major E&P company working on these tools and also planning to write on machine learning in Oil and gas industry.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
Awesome gang is best website for promoting books.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Write on topic you love.

What are you reading now?
Machine learning/ Artificial intelligence

What’s next for you as a writer?
Machine learning/artificial intelligence on Oil and gas industry

If you were going to be stranded on a desert island and allowed to take 3 or 4 books with you what books would you bring?
Some books on Geoscience and some nice novels

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I always loved writing, and found out I was quite good at it – meaning people liked it. I’m one of the lucky ones, as writing has been part of my day to day job as well – I did work as a journalist, then moved to Public Relations, then to Marketing. I have published one book, but there are two more in the pipeline. I currently live in Bucharest, Romania, I very much enjoy fishing and boats and I love cats.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
My book’s name is Halloween, because the action starts on a Halloween night. The main character, Peter Weiss, is basically ripped off his normal life, and everything seems surreal, as the whole Halloween thing.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I try to be organised in my writing, but notice the “try”. I basically write whenever I get the time, as I am not a full-time writer. I just get my laptop and there we go.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
There too many to list, but I do however have some favourites – Haruki Murakami is my all-time favourite, for instance. Also, Ernest Hemingway is up there in my top writers list. I also read a lot of philosophy, SF, thrillers. There was a time when I basically read everything I got my hands on, and I believe all that I read had an influence.

What are you working on now?
I’m working on two books in parallel, one is marketing related and the other is the second book of the series, following Peter’s adventure from Halloween.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I’m just starting, so it’s quite early to assess. But let me put it this way, it’s different altogether from whatever I have marketed before. There is a lot to learn and to understand, and I find it very enjoyable albeit hard.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Publish. That’s my only advice, and keep doing so.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
To keep writing and at some point just abandon it and publish, as there will be always something else to edit and polish.

What are you reading now?
Murakami’s Killing Commendatore, an awesome read.

What’s next for you as a writer?
I have a lot more to publish. Also, I’d like people to get to read my books. I’m also planning on releasing a paperback edition.

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?
Ernest Hemingway’s The Old Man and the Sea
Haruki Murakami’s Blind Willow, Sleeping Woman
Plato’s Dialogues
Isaac Asimov’s Foundation – ok I’d cheat a bit here and get the whole series

Author Websites and Profiles
Cosmin Patlageanu Amazon Profile

Cosmin Patlageanu’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile
Facebook Profile
Twitter Account

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I am the nephew of Martin Luther King, Jr. and currently serve as Senior Fellow at the King Center in Atlanta, Ga. Growing up in one of the most socially and politically active families has given me a unique perspective on current events. I have written one book

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
I was inspired to write Affirmative Action For American Whites out of concern over the discourse taking place in our country due to the changing racial/ethnic demographics. Discourse that I fear will get worse and possibly violent if not addressed correctly, find out more about at https://isaacnewtonfarris.com/about-me/

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
No

What authors, or books have influenced you?
Martin Luther King Jr

What are you working on now?
My blog American Citizen

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Stay convicted about what you write regardless of naysayers

Author Websites and Profiles
Isaac Newton Farris Jr Website

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
Even as a young child I was always conjuring up stories and poems, filling them with colorful characters, sometimes sharing them with any friends or family who would listen. Since then, I’ve progressed quite a bit to formulating longer and more complex stories and sharing them with much larger audiences. As a storyteller, I’m adept at using my imaginative thinking and creative flair to bring my stories to life in engaging and entertaining ways. I was born in New Orleans, Louisiana and raised by a single mom who taught be to be a strong woman. I have one children’s book, My Rainbow Family, it is about multiracial family. I have written thirteen adult romance books, mostly paranormal/diverse/erotica romance, ten have been published with two more coming out this year. “Tell Me You Love Me” is set for August 15, 2019 on Amazon.
I blend multicultural characters into my stories.
I was inspired to write interracial romance due to my own interracial marriage to my husband, Brian, who is Dutch and Italian. Every so often, I reinvent myself. I never stop learning, growing or changing, all to be a better me. My husband and I have six children, three granddaughters and one grandson due on August 31st. I currently live with my husband and the younger two of our six children, including the family’s pets of three sassy cats, one of which is our grand fur baby, and one silly, but lovable German Shepard in Central Georgia.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
“Tell Me You Love Me” is the title of my latest book coming out in August. It was inspired by my dad, who is a retired police officer who was on a joint task force with the DEA. I have a mild background with law enforcement being a former peace officer in my twenties and I drew from that, but added a supernatural element to it. My three main characters work for the GBI, the Georgia Bureau of Investigation, which is a real law enforcement agency here in Georgia. However, I added Paranormal Crime Investigation Unit to it for the story. A supernatural killer has been summoned by someone who wants revenge and my character, Kenya Clark is a voodoo priestess who has a gift of vision, just by touching an object, she can see the crime through the eyes of the victim. She is partnered with Darrin Selinsky, who was on desk duty at GISAC, Georgia Information Sharing Analysis Center, for messing up one too many times in the field. He also hates the supernatural, but discovers some things about himself and the supernatural after he meets and is forced to work with Kenya. This is book one to the Kenya Clark series.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I am not sure my writing habits are unusual. I have older children at home so it’s pretty quiet unless the dog and the cats decide to go after each other. For some reason, I get more writing done when everyone is asleep and it’s just me and my thoughts. I used to write in my office, but my husband took it over after he bought me a laptop. I can sit and write anywhere, but mostly I write from my bed. It is easier on my spine since I have had two major surgeries on it.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
Rae Lori’s The Ashen Twilight Series, D. Renee Bagby/Zenobia Renquist, Charlaine Harris Sookie Stackhouse books, Laurell K. Hamilton Anita Blake Series, and Kathleen Woodwiss, her book, “Shanna”, was the first romance book I read. It was recommended by my creative writing teacher in high school, Ms. Cinda McCabe.

What are you working on now?
I am working on two series now, my first novel, The Blood Rose, is being republished by a traditional publisher and with a different name. It will have two follow up books as it is a trilogy. I am also working on the Kenya Clark Novella Series, not sure how many books just yet, but we’ll see what happens.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
Facebook and instagram have worked wonders for me and I am glad that I have also found Awesome gang!

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Don’t quit, don’t be discouraged by bad reviews, keep writing, keep learning and remember why you started.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
With God, nothing is impossible, trust and believe in Him. Don’t quit even when it seems impossible to go on.

What are you reading now?
The Taming of LaRue, (Predators MC Book 2) by L. Loren. I am a member of a Facebook group called I Love Diverse Romance, she is one of several wonderful authors I have met who also writes in the genre that I do.

What’s next for you as a writer?
Writing a book about my life, the things I have been through, overcome to help women, and maybe even some men, who have struggled with the same issues. I am not sure if I want to write is as nonfiction, I think it would be better as a book character based on my life. Not to protect the guilty, but to protect the innocent.

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, Kim by Ruyard Kipling, Narcissus in Chains By Laurell K. Hamilton, and Baby Be Mine by Victoria Smith.

Author Websites and Profiles
Mahogany SilverRain Website
Mahogany SilverRain Amazon Profile
Mahogany SilverRain Author Profile on Smashwords

Mahogany SilverRain’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile
Facebook Profile
Twitter Account
Pinterest Account

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
Hi! My name is Chris and I live in West London with my newly adopted little boy and my husband. This is my first book that I have written. I wanted to write this book to give help to those going through the UK adoption process and also to help prepare those considering adoption.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
The name of my book is MY ADOPTION JOURNEY 2015-2019 HOW MY DREAM BECAME A REALITY, YOURS COULD TOO.
During my adoption journey I soon realised that nobody has really documented their experiences during the adoption process, this is something that I really wanted to hear, not just the good parts but the true raw feelings. Adoption is hugely stressful and there is so much pressure on you from social workers. If we had heard this I think we would have been more prepared. There are tonnes of books out there for pregnancy experiences as well as surrogacy but nothing really for adoption other than VLOGS but then these are after the adoption etc. So not having this inspired me to write about my journey and to give advice to those going through it or those considering adoption.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
This is the first book that I have written so not really but. I did tend to write these whilst munching or in the early hours so I suppose they could be my unusual writing habits!

What authors, or books have influenced you?
A few of the books that I read to my son are by a fab author called Olly Pike, his books are amazing and so educational. They focus on LGBT and diversity, fab twists on the traditional children’s books.

What are you working on now?
I am currently not working on putting another book together since I have just published. However I am writing a diary of the first year of adoption which I may publish in the new year.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
As this is the first book that I have published I am utilising every method and website. Amazon has been amazing and very useful. I have also used kindlepreneur.com which has fab tips of promoting books.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Just go for it. If you have that urge do it. Once you have written get the word out through friends and family, utilise social media. However, be wary of publishers especially if they suggest a contribution-based contract – just don’t sign. Amazon and Lulu are great for self-publishing.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Go with your gut! Has never done me wrong before.

What are you reading now?
Not currently reading but finished the ultimate classics…Harry Potter.

What’s next for you as a writer?
To continue the daily journal which I am considering making into my next book.

If you were going to be stranded on a desert island and allowed to take 3 or 4 books with you what books would you bring?
I would have to bring the Harry Potter books, my ultimate childhood books.

Author Websites and Profiles
Christopher Gaidhu-Withell Website
Christopher Gaidhu-Withell Amazon Profile

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I enjoy reading and love to write. When I first discovered books, I just had to read one right after the other. I had a thirst for words and stories. As an elementary school girl, I went to the library almost daily returning the books I read and getting more books. I remember I got a flashlight from my father’s took kit and hid it in my room. My sister and I shared a room. I would come home from school, do all my homework, and stay up most of the night on the floor next to the heating vent and reading under a blanket with my father’s flashlight shining on the words. I just couldn’t get enough books to read. I also kept a spiral notebook where I wrote my own stories. I never read them back and I have no idea what I did with them. I would finish one story and begin another until I had many spiral notebooks filled with stories. I guess they got thrown away when I grew up, and left home.

So far, I have written four novels, but have published two. The first two novels, I viewed as practice. Even though I took classes from writing centers and at a college, I wanted to write the first two novels to understand the nature of a novel. What is its purpose, how do I begin it, what happens in the middle and how do I end it. Of course, I also needed to know what went in between the three sections. But I wanted to understand the flow of a story, and what makes it different from someone saying, “I have a good story to tell you about what happened to me yesterday.” In novel writing, the author must use the elements of story telling and each element must be fully developed. I recognized the tools that an author should use, and have even specialized in two of them. The first two books helped he understand those things. After practice, then I thought I was ready to write. Sue Grafton said that it takes a person about five novels before the person becomes good at novel writing.

That Ever Died So Young is my first published novel. The book won an award. My efforts in understanding stories and story telling paid off. My second novel. Blessings and Curses, is a very complex story with more twists and turns than the first novel. I also used tension and empathy more than I did in my first novel. I am working on my third novel, presently.

I enjoy my characters as I write. I don’t think of them as characters. I think of them as people. As I write, I enjoy being with them. I see them as I write, and hear them speak. People who have read both books talk about how close they feel to my characters and how they feel like they are in the same room with them. I want my readers to feel what my characters feel, understand the way my characters understand things, and hear them speak.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
Blessings and Curses is my latest novel. It was inspired by my high school students. My high school student came from various backgrounds. I had a student who had lost a leg when he was nine, and told me that he wasn’t a man with only one leg. How could he take care of his family with one leg? Another student whose parents said he had to leave home as soon as he turned eighteen. He had caused too much trouble in the home. He turned eighteen months before he graduated. He was was, and still is, I’m certain, one of the nicest people you’d ever want to meet. Another student was involved in gangs when he lived in another state and his mother wanted him as far away from there as possible. I had many students who were from other countries and didn’t understand the language or the culture. They were students I thought of as “in the middle.” They had parents who were not involved in their education, who were too busy trying to eke out a living, and they didn’t speak English. The students “in the middle” went home to one culture and went to school where there was a different culture. These students, all felt like giving up. No one expected anything out of them, they were not able to contribute to society in any way, they thought, so why bother to learn anything. I spent many days trying to convince them not to give up. They were all listening to what society said about them and forming who they were on that. I asked them not to do that. I told them that the only person who gets to say who they will be and what they will do in life is them. I told them that so many times, that they began to listen to me. Partly because I wouldn’t allow them to not listen. Many of the students today have graduated from colleges and universities, own their own businesses, and my friend with one leg had his dream come true. I was able to get him a computerized leg and he walked across the stage to get his diploma. After that he was interested in attending college. Many of my students refused to give up because I refused to give up on them. They keep up with me and let me know how and what they are doing.
Olivia Douglass, my main character wanted to give up when she discovered things about herself. I thought so much about my students when I was writing her thoughts and feelings. The things that she did for herself came from some of the things my students decided for themselves. I want my reader to see that only you have the power to say what you will be and who you will be. Don’t give that power to others who don’t value you. My students helped me see how people value themselves based on what others thing, and we see that in Blessings and Curses as well. There is a strong family theme in the story. Many times when something happens in a family, the family members will pull away. When a family member is having trouble or going through a tragic situation, that is the time to support the family member, so what you can for them. In my classes, I thought of us as a family and encouraged support.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
Not really. I mainly want every part of the story to be authentic and when a scene worries me, I remove it and start again.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
I love Lee Martin, Clint McCown, Jodi Picoult, Kim Edwards, Nicholas Sparks, Anita Shreve, Karen Kingsbury, Anthony Doerr, Frederik Backman, Jamie Ford. Lolly Winston, F. Scott Fitzgerald, Crystal Wilkinson, Nora Roberts, Donald Ray Pollock, Geroge Pelecanos, Truman Capote, Elizabeth Strout, Sue Grafton. These authors not only write good stories, but they use the tools of story telling. These works are filled with not just one technique, but several in the same paragraph. That’s what makes their work different from others.

What are you working on now?
My novel now is, The Attractiveness of Wisdom. I hope to have it finished within the next several months. Then it goes to my writing group, beta readers and my editor.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
Awesome Gang, of course.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
If, in your heart you know you have to write, then write. I encourage new writers to know their genre. What type of story would you like to write? Read all you can about how to write stories of your genre, and recommended stories by authors of that genre. Remember to read for the language used in your type of story, the sentence type and length. Some stories have to have certain things in them, so read to find out how authors include those “must haves” in their stories in order to get an understanding of what it is and how it is used. Read and learn before you write. If you write first, you may be disappointed in how your story is received. Keep learning. Even after you have published, there are always new things to learn.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Keep writing. At first, I didn’t know what that meant. But it means that you need more practice in writing. You’re almost there, you have potential, so keep writing. In a sense it also means to mean continue learning. When it was told to me, I just did it. I continued writing and since I like to take things a part to see how something works, I did that to writing.

What are you reading now?
I am reading Sandra Brown’s Tailspin, and Isabel Allende’s In the Midst of Winter. I am enjoying both very much.

What’s next for you as a writer?
As soon as I finish The Attractiveness of Wisdom, I will begin my fourth novel. I would also like to be interviewed on podcasts, or maybe interview other authors on podcasts, and I would like to continue my dialogue, and other presentations at conferences, workshops, or wherever and whenever I can.

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 have to have A Man Called Ove, In Cold Blood, The Great Gatsby, and anything by Nicholas Sparks. Could I also sneak one of my novels in there?

Author Websites and Profiles
Judy Kelly Website
Judy Kelly Amazon Profile

Judy Kelly’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile
Facebook Profile
Twitter Account

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
After graduating with a degree in journalism from San Jose State University, I was accepted into the Copley Newspapers Editorial Program and then worked for 10 years on daily newspapers in San Diego, Sacramento, San Jose, Sunnyvale and in Florida. I have written two books, a nonfiction titled HOW TO PROMOTE YOUR HOME BUSINESS, and a novel, THE ROAD TO REVEILLE. I have another novel under way now.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
My novel is titled the ROAD TO REVEILLE and is featured on Amazon in paperback and ebook. The ebook version can be downloaded free from August 1 through 5, 2019. The book follows the exploits of a teenage Irish street thug in 1904 Manhattan who makes the mistake of trying to rob a tough old rancher in town visiting his sister. The story tracks the two of them from New York to the wilds of Wyoming cattle country.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
For some reason I’ve always been more productive when writing in the late afternoon and evening. I’m a slow, methodical writer and always write with the reader in mind. Readers love a good story that’s easy to follow, one that’s entertaining and imparts a theme or life lesson without being heavy-handed about it.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
Hemingway, Fitzgerald, Faulkner, Elmore Leonard, Martha Gellhorn, Ron Hansen. I’ve learned different things from the style of different authors. I’m influenced by clean, clear, tight writing.

What are you working on now?
I have another novel under way. It’s about two brothers, one of whom is just released from prison after serving years for a murder committed by his now very successful brother.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I’m still exploring that. Publishing has changed radically from the days that a publisher would assign anyone to either edit or market your books – unless you’re in the top echelon of authors. There are many fine books that never get properly marketed. And many good authors are not comfortable pushing their books from a platform composed of blogs and whatnot. It’s a different world now.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Yes, only write books that a publisher will recognize as a money maker. For agents and publishers, making money is the prime point. Many will publish a promising writer who’s not yet a money maker, but they are few and far between.

Just write the best book you can, keep readers always in mind, and learn how to craft a short, excellent query letter to land an agent.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
“Anybody who thinks that ‘it doesn’t matter who’s President’ has never been drafted and sent off to fight and die in a vicious, stupid war on the other side of the world or been beaten and gassed by police for trespassing on public property or been hounded by the IRS for purely political reasons or locked up in the Cook County jail with a broken nose and no phone access and twelve perverts wanting to stomp your ass in the shower. That is when it matters who is President or Governor or Police Chief. That is when you will wish you had voted.” – Hunter S. Thompson

What are you reading now?
An Incomplete Education.
The Kid, by Ron Hansen.
The Heavenly Table, by Donald Ray Pollock.
Who Killed Palomino Molero? by Mario Vargas Llosa.

What’s next for you as a writer?
Getting another agent to get me a publisher, and a producer to pick up on my screenplay based on my novel.

If you were going to be stranded on a desert island and allowed to take 3 or 4 books with you what books would you bring?
To Kill a Mockingbird, and all of the books in The Outlander series.

Author Websites and Profiles
John McLain Amazon Profile

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I grew up in California and have spent the majority of my life stomping around the Bay Area. I graduated from San Jose State University with a degree in Applied Mathematics. I guess with my love of fiction and storytelling my brain thought it would be a great idea to study numbers. Hey, maybe now I’ll be able to invent the time machine and give my younger self a good slapping!
I’m an avid gamer. Name a game and I have most likely played it. If I haven’t, then let me know so I can add it to my infinitely scaling backlog. I also run a small website TalesFrom29A.com where I post short stories. One of them, Aux Adventures, is based upon video game shenanigans.
As of doing this interview, I have officially released one book onto the market. Its title is Kin of Exile. It involves a seventeen-year-old teen who uses a book to shoot lasers from his hands, learns to become less selfish, and attempts to save the world.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
Kin of Exile is the latest book I have released. The story was inspired by my love of action-packed books and the myriad of science-fiction/fantasy games and movies I have played or watched. I have always loved the idea of bringing the magic of fantasy together with the marvels of technology from science-fiction.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
Seeing as how I grew up around engineers, teachers, and scientists, and how I studied applied mathematics in college, I tend to include some math jokes into my stories. Some of them are fairly blatant and some of them are underlying, but my greatest hope is that they bring some smiles to some faces (and not eye rolls… please, dear god, no eye rolls).

What authors, or books have influenced you?
I could dump a list of names here, but if I was trying to be concise I would have to list these authors: Christe Golden, William C. Dietz, Jeff Grub, and Eric Nylund. Their respective books from the Halo series and StarCraft series were what I read in my childhood, and to this day, I find myself going back and rereading some of their works just to remind myself of how fun it can be to craft a story.

What are you working on now?
I am currently working on the second book of the Kin of Exile series. I also am writing an episodic collection of short stories (Aux Adventures, found on www.TalesFrom29A.com) based around video game shenanigans.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I don’t have a “best method,” but I have found it is important to diversify your sites. Also, word-of-mouth is stronger than you might think! Never feel embarrassed to talk about a story you have written. The storytellers of old had one method to pass along their tales, and there is no sense in letting that tradition die!

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Find a story that you want to- no, you NEED to tell. Then take the most important step in the storytelling process: start writing it! Don’t think about it, don’t put it off- just sit down and start writing.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
90% of life is just showing up…
Why?
’cause 90% of writing a book is just sitting down and writing it.

What are you reading now?
I am currently reading the Planeswalker books from the Magic The Gathering universe, leading into War of the Spark.

What’s next for you as a writer?
I have about four different series that I want to start work on… I’m going to focus on getting the first one out!

If you were going to be stranded on a desert island and allowed to take 3 or 4 books with you what books would you bring?
Ender’s Game, Halo: Fall of Reach, Liberty’s Crusade, and possibly one of the Harry Potter books. Though, just having one of them there might push me into insanity…

Author Websites and Profiles
Tyler Bunyard Website
Tyler Bunyard Amazon Profile

Tyler Bunyard’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile
Twitter Account

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I’m a recent graduate of Handong Global University (class of 2019), with a Life Science degree and a passionate love for drawing and writing stories. I have had a personal archive of unfinished stories that were mostly based on these intensely vivid and fantastical dreams I’ve had since I was a child, but I had only shared them with family and close friends. It wasn’t until the final exam season of the last semester of my university years that I actually got to finish my first story! I can’t help but describe the incident as a God-given gift, because I remember the time of writing being so feverish yet focused, and so in-the-moment and enjoyable that I ended up finishing the story in four days and also blazed through my finals with flying colors due to the stress-relieving nature of my writing.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
My first and latest book is titled “Red and Wolf: A Spirited Retelling of a Grimms’ Classic”. It is the length of a novelette (shorter than a novel but longer than a short story), and it is about Little Red who meets the Wolf in the Lost Forest. She is as good as dead— however the Wolf strangely lets her go on with her peculiar journey. An errand to deliver pie through the dark woods that hold countless enigmatic secrets. But what if there is no grandmother to deliver her pie to? What if the Village has an ulterior motive for sending her into the Forest?
This story was inspired seemingly out of nowhere on a lonely bus ride away from the school campus, but once I completed the entire story I realized that the story was my own interpretations of topics such as fear, choice, and true courage, based on my own struggles and experiences with the subjects. It includes several hand-drawn illustrations that I’ve done as well.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
Some of my stories are purely from my imagination, but (as I mentioned above) most of my stories are from very vivid dreams that I’ve always had since I was young. Because of this, I developed a strange habit of picking up my phone first thing when I wake up, still in a groggy state, (even if it’s in the middle of the night) to write out a quick synopsis before I fully wake up and forget it all.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
I’ve enjoyed all book directed at children, youth, and young adults, most likely because that is how I began my own reading journey, but above all, I enjoy children’s books considered classics, due to their cohesive expression of simultaneous depth and innocence. Some of my favorites are “Heidi” by Johanna Spyri, “The Little Prince” by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry, and “The Secret Garden” by Frances Hodgson Burnett (which coincidentally is the first novel I ever read).

What are you working on now?
Currently, I’m working on preparing to apply for medical school, because it is my dream to heal children in all aspects: emotionally and psychologically through art and stories, mentally through teaching, and physically through medicine. I’ve already been teaching and tutoring children in the English language and art over the course of 9 years, to over 100 students, and have enjoyed every moment of it. It is my wish to continue doing so later in life. I’ve started my journey to become an author and illustrator through my first book “Red and Wolf”, but would like to continue doing so for a more younger audience. But at the moment, my focus is on further developing my studies in Life Science in the medical field.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
The only method I’ve tried so far other than personal promotion on my social media networks, is to hold free book promotions through websites such as Awesome Gang to gain publicity. As a new author and a recent college graduate, opportunities such as these are highly beneficial.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
As a new author myself, the advice that I would give currently unpublished writers are to just get started. Whether it is just writing out a brief outline of a vague idea you have, or a random line or quote that just doesn’t seem to leave your mind, just jot it down and take it from there. When I was writing out my very first published story I had no idea that I would be able to take it to the place it is now. The fact that I had a folder filled with files of unfinished stories and records of dreams is proof that as long as you keep going, your epiphany is bound to come.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
The best advice I have ever heard is the one I mentioned above, just to get started and never give up. Sounds cliche, but what is overused is true for a reason.

What are you reading now?
I’m currently reading “Anne of Green Gables” by Lucy Maud Montgomery. I was surprised that with my love for children’s classics that I haven’t yet read that one, but better late than never.

What’s next for you as a writer?
I’m currently working on a children’s picture book, where I will write and illustrate the entire story on my own. This has been a dream of mine that I’ve had since I was a child myself, enjoying colorful picture books that I’ve completely immersed myself in, memorizing my favorite stories that my mother used to read out loud to me, even before I knew how to read. The specific story that I’m working on was inspired by the beautiful cloudscape that I witnessed on a late afternoon drive over a highway, about five years ago.

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 first and foremost bring a Bible, then The Little Prince, and a complete and comprehensive survival guide.

Author Websites and Profiles
Hannah Chong Amazon Profile

Hannah Chong’s Social Media Links
Facebook Profile

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
Hi there, everybody! I’m Carissa Andrews—speculative fiction author, freelance writer, and graphic designer. I write novels and short stories with a mix of scifi/fantasy/urban fantasy/paranormal/dystopia and a wee bit of romance added in. I currently have four full-length novels and two novelettes published. I also have three additional full-length books finished, each with publications happening between 2019 and 2020.

When not writing or designing something, you’ll likely find me with my husband and our five kids. (*Gasp* Yes, I said FIVE. Though, technically we have six, but one has her own house!) Plus, we just added two husky puppies to the mix… I have a crazy hectic household, but luckily all the energy is conducive (most days) to keeping busy and getting stuff done. It’s pretty much the philosophy of, “an object in motion stays in motion.”

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
I technically have three books all getting ready to launch.

Love is a Merciless God is my title found exclusively in the forbidden love box set anthology called Playing with Fire – due out October 8th, 2019. It was inspired by an episode of Angel in its format, but the storyline is all mine. It’s about a Guardian Angel who falls in love with her human charge, only to bring down the full force of the Angel Guild.

Awakening: Rise as the Fall Unfolds is my novel about angels and resolves the question of “What would it be like if Jesus never existed?” There’s time travel, alternative history, and awesomeness and it’s coming out November 12th, 2019.

Finally, I’m working on my Windhaven Witches series – due out in 2020. It’s going to be a quadrilogy, revolving around a mysterious house, a college student, and magick she didn’t know ran in her family.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
Not really. I tend to approach my writing with a mixture of creativity and discipline. I listen to music while I write and find that my best times are either first thing in the morning or in the evening as soon as the kids are in bed.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
Oh my goodness… so many I don’t think I could name all of them. I, of course, love JK Rowling, Stephen King, Stephenie Meyer, Shayne Silvers, Jennifer Armentrout, Suzanne Collins, Christopher Pike (as a kid), Douglass Preston and Lincoln Child. I don’t have ONE book that influenced me because they ALL did.

What are you working on now?
I’m working on getting the Windhaven Quadrilogy mapped out and written. I’d like for it to hit the NYT or USA Today bestseller list and I’m working hard to create a story that will be worthy.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
The best method for promoting my works has been my newsletter, but I also have used many great ones like Prolific Works, Book Funnel, and Story Origin… just to name a few.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
I have TONS of advice for new authors. So much so, I ended up creating an online school and business around it. It’s called Author Revolution. Search for us on Facebook and join our Sunday chats where we talk about all aspects of publishing.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
When you’re writing, write. It’s not the time to research or edit. It’s time to get words on the page.

What are you reading now?
Obsidian Son by Shayne Silvers

What’s next for you as a writer?
I’m working on my list run for 2020, as well as trying to hit a list this fall with Love is a Merciless God. My goal has always been to be a NYT Bestselling author and I plan to get there by the end of 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 Power of Now, by Eckhart Tolle
Relic, by Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child
Any of the Harry Potter Books.

Author Websites and Profiles
Carissa Andrews Website
Carissa Andrews Amazon Profile
Carissa Andrews Author Profile on Smashwords

Carissa Andrews’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile
Facebook Profile
Twitter Account
Pinterest Account

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
For as long as I can remember, I’ve always wanted to write and share my stories. I’m not exactly sure where the passion came from, I’ve just always had a story to share with my friends. Some of my friends just liked to watch me play with dolls because of the soap opera-like and sometimes scary stories I would come up with. I’ve written several short stories from those days to the present, completed 4 books, and have several others waiting in the wings… though I think every writer has more than one project gathering virtual dust in their computers just waiting to be completed and shared.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
My latest book is “A Warrior’s Path: Rise of a Legend” (The Originators series). Back in college, my creative writing teacher wanted everyone to branch out from what they were used to and the entire class change their genre for at least one story. I decided to write a soft, sort of child-like fantasy story. It was the only story I got a lower grade on, but I enjoyed the journey so much that I tried again. After the class had ended and “The Lord of the Rings: Fellowship of the Ring” came out, I decided I wanted to try something a little more in the epic fantasy range. It took almost 16 years and a lot of story backtracking, but I completed book one with ideas for others. With any luck, it won’t take 16 more years for book two.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I wish I did. It really helps to have some sort of habit so the ideas flow freely, but I haven’t had a habit in awhile. Right now I just get some coffee or tea, turn on the laptop, open the story I’m working on, and then ignore it in favor of watching what my favorite YouTubers are doing. Sometimes, they give me ideas for interesting scenarios in which case, they turn into background noise while I write like crazy. Well, I suppose that is my habit in its own way, but it would be so much better if I did more writing and less watching.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
I grew up loving Poe but fell absolutely in love with the Dragoneye duology (Eon and Eona) by Alison Goodman. Her descriptions drew me in and created a vivid image in my head without being too wordy. I wanted to achieve the same, no words wasted. Another of my favorite books is “Memoirs of a Geisha” by Arthur Golden. It’s such an interesting and believable story. I find myself reading all three of these books over and over again and finding something new to love about them every time. I hope that one day, my stories will be as engrossing to others as these three are to me.

What are you working on now?
Right now, I’m working on book two in my Originators series as well as jotting down notes and scenes for other short stories and books. I should really try to focus on just one story at a time.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I haven’t found the best method for promoting my books just yet. I’m only just realizing the importance of promoting. It’s like I’ve read the blogs and all the advice but just didn’t believe it, kind of like when I was a kid and never believed what my mom told me until I experienced it for myself. Some of us are just hard-headed.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Don’t be hard-headed. Listen to the advice of successful authors. Writing the book is the easy part. Always have other people, meaning more than one, go over what you’ve written because you may have missed something important. Just because the story is clear in your head, doesn’t mean it’s clear to the reader. And if you can afford it, for crying out loud, hire an editor. That one friend who’s good at English can help if you can’t afford it, but I’m sure there are places online who can do so as an exchange, they read yours and you read theirs. But above all else, learn about where and how you’re going to promote the thing even before you’re finished writing it. Promote it when you’re writing it. Promote it when it’s in the beta phase. Promote it when it’s finished and you’re ready to release it next month. Promote it again when it’s out. Always be promoting, but don’t be annoying about it.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
You’re never too old to achieve a dream. Take breaks when you need to, but don’t ever stop reaching for the stars. I forget where I heard them. Probably everywhere, but my favorite is “Never give up, never surrender,” from “Galaxy Quest.” It’s all-encompassing.

What are you reading now?
“Unhooked” by Lisa Maxwell. “Peter Pan” has always been a favorite of mine and this book takes that idea to a new and interesting place. I’m really loving it so far.

What’s next for you as a writer?
Write some more, read some more. I’m sure I’ll have a plan someday, but for now, I’m just hoping to get some work off the ground.

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?
“Eon: Dragoneye Reborn,” “Eona: The Last Dragoneye,” “Memoirs of a Geisha,” and the complete works of Edgar Allen Poe. I never get tired of them.

Author Websites and Profiles
Gena Ervin Website
Gena Ervin Amazon Profile

Gena Ervin’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 Peruvian-American gal from the Midwest who now lives in southern Germany. I used to work as a microbiologist but now I am a translator living life in the Land of Beer and Pretzels (as I so affectionately call it). I am also an expat blogger, documenting my adventures as well as the adventures of my pugs. I only have one book published at the moment, but I have written countless in my attempts to better my writing.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
My debut novel is called The God Queen and it was inspired by thirteen-year-old self who wanted to also have cool space adventures and have powers. I wanted more stories with lady heroes (back in the late 90s there weren’t so many).

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I wouldn’t call it unusual, but I like writing everything in a notebook and then regurgitate it onto the computer afterwards, I sort of self-edit at the same time.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
Growing up, Tamora Pierce was my biggest influence. She still is, but now I add Sarah J. Maas and Victoria Schwab who are my age and women I absolutely admire!

What are you working on now?
I am working on the second book in my Rebirth Saga.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I like nurturing relationships. I try making friends in the reading and writing community – it makes a huge difference when you need help with reviews and promoting. Sometimes they can’t help directly at that moment, but they find other ways to support you. Most books get the best recommendation through word of mouth – so I work to have relationships with people who help spread the word.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Keep going. Writing is a journey, not a destination. Once you finish your first book, write the next one. There’s also no time limit on your dreams – just keep going.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Don’t self-censor. I used to do that because I was worried about what people would think (especially concerning love or sex scenes). Once I finally got that thinking out of my head, it was so freeing and my writing flowed so much better for it.

What are you reading now?
V. E. Schwab’s A Darker Shade of Magic.

What’s next for you as a writer?
I am working on the next book of my series, starting up a YouTube channel where I can mix my expat life with my writing life, and we’re getting a new pug – which I am the most excited about.

If you were going to be stranded on a desert island and allowed to take 3 or 4 books with you what books would you bring?
A Court of Mist and Fury by Sarah J Maas
The Snow Queen by Joan D. Vinge
Behind the Throne by K. B. Wagers

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

M. L. Tishner’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile
Facebook Profile
Twitter Account
Pinterest Account

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
My name is Hanna Abi Akl. I’m a Lebanese-born English writer living in France. I write contemporary poetry and prose. I started writing seriously at college, and published my first novel at 23. Since then, I’ve published 2 poetry collections and I have an upcoming novel set for the coming weeks.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
My latest book is a novel titled “It’s a Big Big World”. The work is fiction but is inspired by the struggles of adjusting in a new country and the hardships of institutionalization, which are common themes for any immigrant looking to step out of their homeland to prove their worth in the world.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
Sometimes I take a drive in my car while listening to music to get the writing juice flowing. I also sometimes write in my car.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
I’m a big Bukowski fan and I don’t try to hide it. I admire raw writing that is honest, brutal, and naked. I’m also a fan of the Beats and their experimental, almost lyrical approach to writing. I enjoy reading Hemingway too for his economical style of writing.

What are you working on now?
Poetry.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
Social media in general – Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, LinkedIn – as well as Goodreads.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Stay true to your writing. When you start, you automatically find yourself at the bottom of the rejection mountain. You need to climb slowly but surely. No matter how much your art is rejected, you shouldn’t be fazed by it and keep believing in your work.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Be honest with myself and my voice.

What are you reading now?
“Slouching Toward Nirvana” by Charles Bukowski.

What’s next for you as a writer?
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?
“Love is a Dog from Hell” (Charles Bukowski)
“The Brotherhood of the Grape” (John Fante)
“The Old Man and the Sea” (Ernest Hemingway)
“On Writing” (Charles Bukowski)

Author Websites and Profiles
Hanna Abi Akl Amazon Profile

Hanna Abi Akl’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile
Facebook Profile
Twitter Account

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
Umm, I have written so many I’ve lost count, but I am in the process of releasing my 13th book.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
My latest book was Ivy’s Poison! It is a standalone but part of a series with 11 other authors. The inspiration was the Author’s Round Table. We modernized and made the men into assassins. Mine is Bors. He is quite the character and is winning hearts! Reader love him!

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
My characters talk to me. That may seem “unusual” or crazy, lol, but it is true.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
J.R. Ward (Black Dagger Brotherhood) and Kresley Cole (Immortal After Dark).

What are you working on now?
Volatile Waters. It is the fourth book in my Tainted Water series. Its quite dark, and a challenge to write, but I’m excited to see what readers think. New to me readers can goes the first book, Blue Waters, for FREE on my website.

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

Do you have any advice for new authors?
I do. Only write for the passion of it. Not for the money. The money is the hardest part of this gig. It can happen, but it takes work!

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
I’m still waiting, Hahahaha…

What are you reading now?
I’m not, unfortunately, just writing.

What’s next for you as a writer?
I have so many different projects going but I would love to do more public speaking. I write about abuse and sexual slavery.

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?
Oh my gosh! Only 3 or 4? I’d probably be stranded on the island because all my books sunk my boat!

Author Websites and Profiles
India R. Adams Website
India R. Adams Amazon Profile

India R. Adams’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile
Facebook Profile
Twitter Account

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
Ted E.F. Roberts is a poet, researcher and reviewer who lives in Florida and spends as much time as possible in Thailand. A former student of Lyn Lifshin and a World of Poetry “Golden Poet Award” recipient, his poems have appeared in numerous hard copy and online venues including Cosmopolitan Magazine, BareBack Magazine, Literotica and ZuZu Petals. Ted’s work has been featured on numerous sites including Writer’s Café, DUP, Open Arts Forum and Web Digest Weekly. This is Ted’s 2nd book…”love etc.” was the first collection, now out of print.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
“making love a verb” was compiled over 2 years and represents all the various genres and styles I write in. I included the pieces I felt were my best.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
Well, aside from shunning capital letters (a la e.e. cummings), I do favor diverse styles and tones of love, romance, erotica and “near-otica.” I tend to write with more depth than length and love using neologisms. Some of my writing is experimental, but most is “conventional.”

What authors, or books have influenced you?
Lyn Lifshin, e.e. cummings, The Beat Poets, James Laughlin, William Carlos Williams and F. Scott Fitzgerald. The list is a long one…I believe that a good writer reads, absorbs and incorporates.

What are you working on now?
Working on a novel, but isn’t everyone? LOL

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I’ll publish a web site, but I’ll leave the rest to professionals. The book was released on July 28th, so I haven’t had a chance to tackle extensive promotion arrangements yet.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Write daily, examine older work for re-write opportunities and don’t be afraid about expressing yourself in new and different ways.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Bet on the gray horse.

What are you reading now?
Re-reading all of F. Scott Fitzgerald’s work.

What’s next for you as a writer?
The novel and more travel (for more inspiration).

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! I’ll say “A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man” by James Joyce, “Complete Poems” by e.e. cummings, “Dispatches” by Michael Herr and any of the 152 books by Lyn Lifshin.

Author Websites and Profiles
Ted Roberts Amazon Profile

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
Hi! My name is Emanuel Lira and I have written one book in three versions: Portuguese, English and Spanish. It’s called “O Gato Ingrato”, “The Careless Kitty” and “Gato Ingrato”.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
“The Careless Kitty” is a tribute to our pet cat that died a few years ago. Based on real events. It’s rather a simple story about a cat that needs to save a poor mother from an annoying mouse that chews on everything around the house and what happens through it.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I’m a night owl. I have to write late at night to clearly hear my own thoughts.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
As a children’s book author, my biggest inspiration is Brazilian comic book author / cartoonist Mauricio de Sousa.

What are you working on now?
I’m currently working on promoting my book. I have other titles for the future, though.

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

Do you have any advice for new authors?
I’m a newbie myself, but I’d say to go with your gut, but also look for trustworthy sources online so you can find the best way to promote your book.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
If you’re working as an indie author, don’t deliver poor quality material. The market is very competitive.

What are you reading now?
Books on marketing.

What’s next for you as a writer?
Promote my titles and publish more books in the near future.

If you were going to be stranded on a desert island and allowed to take 3 or 4 books with you what books would you bring?
The Lord of the Rings
The Bible
The Complete Works of William Shakespeare

Author Websites and Profiles
Emanuel Lira Amazon Profile

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I self published “Bringing Our Souls to the Classroom” via Balboa Press in 2011. I have recently released “Affirmation Novenas” through Amazon. I am a full time teacher with the Catholic District School Board of Eastern Ontario and have been full time since 2001. I am a part time instructor at Algonquin College.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
“Affirmation Novenas” inspired by Wayne Dyer, Gord Downie, Louise Hay, Abraham Hicks, and my growing fascination with mindfulness, free will and luck related concepts.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
Hemingway, Orwell, Malcolm Gladwell, Mitch Albom, Gord Downie, Wayne Dyer, Louise Hay, Ester Hicks, Deepak Chopera, Eckhart Tolle, Marianne Williamson

What are you working on now?
My third book will be “Dystopia: The Family Law System.”

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

Do you have any advice for new authors?
As Marty McFly said, “You can do anything you set your mind to.” But there is no substitute for hard work.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
When Atticus Finch says to Scout, “It’s not time to worry yet.” I.e., it never is. I.e., as Gord Downie said, “It’s a good life if you don’t have to weakin.”

What are you reading now?
“What Philosophy Can Do”

What’s next for you as a writer?
Finish writing “Dystopia: The Family Law System”, a third as yet untitled affirmation philosophy book, a poetry book, and “Rock God” (novel).

If you were going to be stranded on a desert island and allowed to take 3 or 4 books with you what books would you bring?
1. “The 5 People You Meet in Heaven”
2. “Of Mice & Men”
3. “Blink”
4. “The Alchemist”

Author Websites and Profiles
Rob D’Alessio Website

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
Hi! I’m Nadia and I love writing about humanity’s dark side and how things may not always be as they seem to be. I also like exploring the flip side of fairy tales, which often gets left out in story books. I’m a huge fan of magical realism and I like to think that somewhat shows in my writing. The Mountain’s Secret is my first book, which I wrote in collaboration with Mr. Mintz, the author of Good Morning, Son!

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
My first and latest book is called The Mountain’s Secret and it was inspired by the untold sides of fairy tales, much like most of the stuff I write. I was interested in exploring the idea that secrets are powerful and how secrets can turn your whole perception of the world around. I was also interested in exploring how deceiving appearances can be. I can only hope this all comes through in the story.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I can’t write before it’s dark outside, so most of my writing happens at night. This usually results in most of my writing being done in the winter or at two in the morning, which makes it fun to read through later.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
Anna-Marie McLemore is pretty much single-handedly responsible for my love of magical realism. Her books continuously blow me away and I cannot wait for her next release. I am also in awe of Victoria Schwab’s writing style and the way she is able to paint such vivid images in my head with just a few words. I also really enjoy the way Schwab explores the dynamics between good and evil, which influences my work quite a bit.

What are you working on now?
I have about fifty projects that I’m currently in the middle of, but my main one as of right now is a queer Rapunzel retelling set in a world where forest animals and towers can talk and nothing is actually as it seems. I’m about halfway through the drafting stage right now, so fingers crossed that I actually get to the end of this one.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
I know this is probably going to sound really cliche of me but “you have to have a bad draft before you can have a good draft” has kept me writing for as long as I have. It’s a nice reminder to remember to keep going when I get overwhelmed by my project.

What are you reading now?
I’m currently in the middle of the Aurora Rising audiobook, written by Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff and I’m physically reading The Meaning of Birds by Jaye Robin Brown, which I’m very excited about!

If you were going to be stranded on a desert island and allowed to take 3 or 4 books with you what books would you bring?
Radio Silence by Alice Oseman
The Dream Thieves by Maggie Stiefvater
Wild Beauty by Anna-Marie McLemore
Vicious by V. E. Schwab

Author Websites and Profiles
Nadia Tatishceva Website
Nadia Tatishceva Amazon Profile

Nadia Tatishceva’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 young girl, born on 14th December 2002, who’s almost nothing like the millennial that she’s supposed to be.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
I’ve written just one book till now, Soul Spoken. Whatever I’ve seen, felt, met and been told about is what has inspired the creation of Soul Spoken.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
None at all. I’m a boring person.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
I believe that you’ll never be the same person that you were before reading any book as after reading it. I feel that every book influences me in a certain way.

What are you working on now?
I’m currently working on a nationalist romance.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Just that they should believe in what they are creating and not be pushed down by what someone else is saying or how some other bestselling author wrote their book and how their pattern of writing is nothing like theirs.
Every author is unique in all forms and we should be proud of our uniqueness.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
“Whoever does it is a human as well. If he can, so can you.”

What are you reading now?
The Twentieth Wife by Indu Sunderesan.

What’s next for you as a writer?
I have many stories that I plan to tell and I’m afraid that my writing speed is a little too slow according to my imagination. I’ve got some stories planned after next book, in order of when I plan to tell them.

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?
Immortals of Meluha
Palace of Illusions
Mahabharat
Anahita’s Woven Riddle

Author Websites and Profiles
Chaitali Nath Amazon Profile

Chaitali Nath’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile
Twitter Account

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I was born just north of the Golden Gate Bridge. I’m 47. I’ve lived all over the globe. I’ve worked so many different paychecks I can’t account for them all. But the one thing that has remained consistent throughout my life is writing. I’ve been putting words to page in some form or another since I was seven. I self-published a novel in four parts called The Legend of Lunar Pines. It’s about werewolves in a small, mountain town in Idaho, surrounding the idea that the werewolf myth came from some kind of reality. I also self-published a book called The Danforth State Mental Hospital. It’s an episodic narrative of different patients in a very unique mental hospital, where all the outcasts that defy explanation end up. Both are available on Amazon.com.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
The last book I finished writing is called Sharp Knives & Skewers. It’s a cynical, balls-to-the-wall, chapter by chapter description of everything involved in being a chef. I spent seventeen years in New Zealand as a chef. It was the most brutal, bad-ass, f***ed-up, adrenaline-driven job I have ever had. Very few people can withstand being a chef. I wanted this book to be a humorous, sarcastic, detailed account of every aspect of the front lines of the restaurant industry, and every word of it is true. I’m currently working on cover art, and plan to self-publish as soon as it’s spit shined.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I suppose that depends on your definition of unusual. Every writer has their own zone – that place or time where their other worlds open up. Every writer is different. I guess the only unusual thing about my writing is that when I have something in dire need of coming out onto the page, when the story is all but bursting from me, I do it like a machine. I wrote a 1500 page novel in just over a month. I took no notes, made no drafts. The seed of the story had been floating around in my head for ten years. One day, it wanted out and I wrote the whole thing start to finish in just over a month. Another time I wrote 42 four-page essays in just under a month. When I click on something, and find that sweet spot in the zone, it literally floods out. It’s like someone else takes over and I can’t type fast enough.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
Such a list would be a novel unto itself. I am inspired and influenced by the art of the story and the word.

What are you working on now?
A novel about the end of days that is far to big in scope, and too huge to even comprehend writing. I have fifty pages so far.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
So far the best method of promoting my books is word of mouth. Get people to read your book, and let the book speak for itself.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Only this: Never write for an audience. Write because it’s inside you, and because it’s what you would like to read yourself.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Out of the hundreds and thousands of quotes I’ve collected over the years, the best piece of wisdom I have ever come across is this: “Freedom is just another word for nothing left to lose.”

What are you reading now?
Walden and Civil Disobedience, Henry David Thoreau. I never went to college so I’m working on the reading list as I go.

What’s next for you as a writer?
Ten thousand unwritten ideas floating around in my head

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 Treasure Island. My favorite book of all time. I still have my first copy – yellowed, falling apart, and held together with tape. #2 The British SAS survival guide. I could live indefinitely on a deserted island with this book alone. #3 An Island to One’s Self, by Tom Neale, about a Kiwi who lived for years on a deserted island, by his own choice, and #4 probably a Playboy Magazine, for you know, entertainment.

Author Websites and Profiles
Mike Battaglia Website
Mike Battaglia Amazon Profile

Mike Battaglia’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile
Facebook Profile