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Hayley Chow 

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I’m a mom of two, wife, engineer, reader, writer, runner, traveler, reluctant Gryffindor, and super nerd writing and trying to launch my debut novel. I live in Florida with my two wild boys, my long-suffering husband, and a dog that thinks she’s a cat.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
Odriel’s Heirs is a mix of all my favorite fantasy tales twisted up in my own spin. I wrote it when I was 22 and fresh out of college, so it’s very heavily inspired by my own feelings and experiences of crashing into the responsibility of being out in the world.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
Well, I seem to be developing a habit lately of writing 95% of a first draft and then waiting for 3-24 months before writing that last 5%. Personally, I hope this isn’t a permanent thing, but it does seem kind of strange. At least it gets done, right?!

What authors, or books have influenced you?
I absolutely love Garth Nix. I think he’s probably my greatest influencer. But I also think I’ve been heavily molded by Patricia McKillip, Tamara Pierce, and Jeff Wheeler. They’re such fabulous writers. I love them all!

What are you working on now?
I’m currently juggling three WIPs. I recently finished the first draft of a Cinderella retelling that’s waiting for revision. Idriel’s Children, the sequel to Odriel’s Heirs, is in the works, and I’m also revising my first middle grade fantasy, The Gatekeeper’s Son.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
So far, I’ve had the best luck with engaging with other readers and writers on twitter and instagram. But I’m giving this book promotion thing my best shot, so I’m hoping in a couple weeks I’ll have a better idea of the answer to this question!

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Start. Learn. Persevere. You may not be good at it at first (most people aren’t) but that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t start. Utilize the writing community on social media. Ask questions. Learn from others. And keep at it. It probably won’t be fast, but you’ll get there eventually- the race is long.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
I absolutely love the Banksy quote: “Learn to rest. Not quit.” It’s pervaded my thoughts on almost all of my endeavors. It reminds me to be patient with my goals and that persistence doesn’t necessarily mean constance. Take a break, take care of yourself, come back, and keep going. Breaks are part of the journey.

What are you reading now?
Sorcery of Thorns by Margaret Rogerson – I love her style!

What’s next for you as a writer?
The goal is to publish one book a year. I’m hoping the next one will be Idriel’s Children (the sequel to Odriel’s Heirs) sometime late next year.

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 just googled longest Fantasy books. I’m going to count series as one, since I’m betting I could find the collection in a set. So, according to the internet I’m bringing:

Discworld by Terry Pratchett
Malazan by Steven Erickson
Valdemar by Mercedes Lackey
The Riftwar Cycle by Raymond Feist

That should tide me over for awhile I think on my hypothetical desert island.

Author Websites and Profiles
Hayley Chow Website
Hayley Chow Amazon Profile

Hayley Chow’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile
Twitter Account

Sarah Sutton 

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I’m a 20-year-old gal from a small town–super small town!–who is just in love with the idea of love. I guess that’s why I’m always writing romances! I’ve written a few books, but I’ve only published one so far.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
My latest book is titled WHAT ARE FRIENDS FOR? and it really came from a different idea I’d had in the past. That idea was a friends-to-lovers, like this one, but with more of a fantasy element. A little fact about me is that I write fantasy *horribly*, so switching it over to contemporary romance made everything just click together!

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I wouldn’t necessarily call this “unusual”, but I always have to outline my books with pen and paper. I have to feel the words flow from my pen because that’s really the only way I can *see* my story unfold. I guess that is pretty weird!

What authors, or books have influenced you?
Some major authors that have influenced me are Kasie West, J. L. Armentrout, and Cassandra Clare. It’s kind of funny that the last two are more fantasy world writers and I write strictly contemporary, but their writing style is so inspiring to me. Every time I read any books by those authors, I get all the creative writing vibes!

What are you working on now?
Currently, I’m working on another YA Romance (shocker!) titled Out of My League about a fake relationship. It’s set to release June 16th, so very, very soon!

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
Promoting on Instagram has been a huge thing for me, at least interaction-wise. I absolutely adore making promotional images, so I find it fun to mix and match images and lines and that sort of thing.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Don’t let people’s negativity get you down. You’re doing what you love–writing books–and don’t forget that! And don’t lose sight of that, because that passion will keep you going when the world tries to stop you.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
“You can edit a bad page, but you can’t edit a blank one.”
Love, love, LOVE this. It totally inspires me to keep going in the drafting period, which is the hardest part for me!

What are you reading now?
Right now, I’m reading Maybe This Time by Kasie West as well as Kiss & Consume by Lynelle Barrett. Both are very good so far!

What’s next for you as a writer?
Well, right now I’m in the final editing stages for Out of My League, but after this, I’m going to be working on a Halloween-themed YA Romance. Think the Christmas romances, but during Halloween time!

If you were going to be stranded on a desert island and allowed to take 3 or 4 books with you what books would you bring?
I would bring Clockwork Angel by Cassandra Clare, Nevermore by Kelly Creagh, and probably Lady Midnight by Cassandra Clare too. I’m a sucker for some good angst!

Author Websites and Profiles
Sarah Sutton Website
Sarah Sutton Amazon Profile

Sarah Sutton’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile
Facebook Profile
Twitter Account
Pinterest Account

Jerry Bader 

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
Jerry Bader is Senior Partner at MRPwebmedia.com, a media production company that specializes in Web video, audio, music, and sound design. Mr. Bader has written and produced dozens of video commercials for clients. Writing scripts and novels is a natural extension that grew out of the experience of creating attention-grabbing mini movies that focus on the emotional motivator.

Mr. Bader has written over a hundred articles on marketing, and he’s self-published novels, marketing e-books, hybrid graphic novels, scripts, biographies, and a series of children’s books. The Neo Noir Hybrid Graphic Novels are story concepts developed with the goal of having them turned into television series or feature films. There are currently ten screenplays, five of which have been self-published as hybrid graphic novels: The Method, The Comeuppance, The Coffin Corner, Grist For The Mill and The Black Crane.

He’s also written The Fixer published by Rebel Seed Entertainment. It has consistently been in the top ten percent in several Amazon categories. The Fixer is based on the true-life story of a colorful horse racing character. The follow-up to The Fixer is Beating The System that continues the story of the horse racing legend. Mr. Bader has also written Organized Crime Queens, The Secret World of Female Gangsters, What’s Your Poison? How Cocktails Got Their Names, Cowboys, Lawmen, & Outlaws, The Outlaw Rider, Dead End, Palermo, Stone Cold, The Aussie Switch, Ballet of Bullets, Noir I, Noir II, Deception, and Delusion.

Mr. Bader has also written a series of children’s books, ZaZa Books For Kids, that currently includes, Two Dragons Named Shoe, The Town That Didn’t Speak, The Criminal McBride, The Bad Puppeteer, Mr. Bumbershoot, The Umbrella Man, The Ninth Inning, and 14 Ridiculous Tales of Sage Silliness. All books are available at amazon.com/author/jerrybader

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
My latest book is “Delusion” which is the follow-up to “Deception”. I am currently writing the third book in the series called “Dilemma”. These books are about an MI6 analyst named Harry. The books are Neo Noir political/spy thrillers in the vein of “The Impcress File” and “The Third Man.” The books are inspired by the current political landscape and a short article I read by John Le Carré that was about his experience as a young agent and how the job can sometimes make agents slowly lose their minds and retreat into a fantasy world.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I divide my time between writing and painting. I generally start a book with a very general idea of plot direction, but for me the most important element is character. If your characters are developed properly they become real and take on a life of their own, doing things on their own without much help from me. I visualize each story as a movie so that it plays out in my head. Sometimes it goes in the opposite direction that I initially conceived but then I know it’s successful because the characters have come alive and grown independent from me.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
I like writers like Victor Canning and Lemore Leonard although I belive that writers like Quentin Tarantino and movies like “The Third Man” (Graham Greene) and “The Maltese Falcon” (Dashiell Hammett) have the greatest influence.

What are you working on now?
I am currently working on the third book in the Harry series called “Dilemma”.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I hope that “Awesome Gang” becomes that vehicle as I find that most promotion sites are either ineffectual or charge an amount that is so high you can never make your investment back.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Write. The only way to learn is to write. I also believe that you have to approach writing as a learning experience. If you haven’t learned something new while writing then what you’ve written is probably not worth reading.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Writers write for themselves and if others find what you’ve written interesting, great, if they don’t that’s okay too. If you try to approach writing like a marketing exercise become a copywriter not a storyteller.

What are you reading now?
Mostly researching ideas about story direction and interesting characters.

What’s next for you as a writer?
I haven’t decided.

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?
Anything by Victor Canning, Dashiell Hammett, and Lemore Leonard.

Author Websites and Profiles
Jerry Bader Website
Jerry Bader Amazon Profile

Jerry Bader’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile
Facebook Profile
Twitter Account

Daniel Barnes 

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
From the struggles and the fortunate, Daniel Montez Barnes strive to bring forth both to all who read his work. Taking life experiences and Trials, summarizing all that he know into a read for all. In Elementary Mr. Barnes has always been a writer and never left what he know to be a art of self or what he refer to as a embedd skill. As time brought him to where he is now Daniel Barnes, father, caretakers, and family oriented shares what is known to be avoided and what will help you advance. A Moral to every story, poetry, and genre . Three Books Authorized and more to come.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
“Straight From the Mind” is my latest title which is Free – handedly written. What motivated me to construct this book or more like a conversation is what I refer to it as. But me being up attending to my second newborn needs, I was thinking about life and the problems along with solutions.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
Most Definitely, I write spontaneous, that’s why one of my alias is #writerb4author. I have over a dozen books in process From abrupt jotting and notating.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
Donald Goines
Ashley and Jaqavious of “the cartel”
Langston Hughes
Joyce meyers

What are you working on now?
“The Bosses Daughter A Mob style atmosphere where a random man ends up saving a high ranking member, which he is the persuaded to become. Unknowingly while living a double life he coincidentally is passby the bossess daughter that then goes deep after FBI and Rival territories are thrown into the mix.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
The best method in promoting my book is manually through the social network. Facebook and Amazon are preferable tools to utilized.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Stay Dedicated, Strive, Persistent, Determined, Prepare, and with every goal and draft, maintain self-discipline

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Patience is the key and Only Your Works can provide opportunities, with faith instilled in both comes opportunity.

What are you reading now?
Working on the Spiritual aspect of things m

What’s next for you as a writer?
I would desire to be able to reach as many individuals with my words in hopes to changes lives so that one that listen or read may change lives, and so forth. Also, of course be successful in it all.

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
Survival techniques for Dummies
Straight from the Mind
Nature Cookbook from scratch

Author Websites and Profiles
Daniel Barnes Website
Daniel Barnes Amazon Profile
Daniel Barnes Author Profile on Smashwords

Daniel Barnes’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile
Facebook Profile
Twitter Account
Pinterest Account

A.E. Worth 

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I’m an artist and obsessed with everything to do with painting. Being a Pisces, I’ve mostly given in to the fact that I am a dreamer and a lover of all creative arts. Throughout my life, I have written a lot of poetry, and this is my first published series.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
I recently published the first book in my series called Angel. Book one is titled The Blossoming Flower. I wrote this series because as a survivor of sexual abuse and trauma, I have often struggled to feel as if I belong in this world. The series is about a girl, Angel, who experiences abuse, betrayal, and, as a result, PTSD, and how she finds a way to overcome it despite strong suicidal urges. The first book in the series, The Blossoming Flower, describes her early childhood in a dysfunctional family and the experiences she had with physical and sexual abuse. My goal is to help other people that have survived similar traumatic events.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I write at night, but that isn’t unusual for authors. I also cry a lot, because I didn’t want to relive it.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
I love fantasy books and because I read so fast, I almost always prefer a series to an individual book.
The first book that touched my soul was called My Name is Not Angelica.
I found Stranger In A Strange Land fascinating.
I love the Wheel of Time series by Robert Jordan and that inspired me to read fantasy novels.
I will never forger the Sword of Truth series by Terry Goodkind. I love it so much.
My current favorite is the Dresden Files and I really need for Jim Butcher to release the next one.
Did I mention that for that reason, I prefer for the ENTIRE series to be out before I start reading it?

What are you working on now?
Right now, I am editing the second book in the Angel series, the Lost Sheep. It encompasses Angel’s adolescent years and the struggles she encounters while struggling to cope with her initial abuse.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
Honesty is the best method for me. My books appeal to nearly everyone because most people have been abused or betrayed and a lot of people don’t talk about it because they are afraid of being judged. I find that social media works well and appealing to realistic, heartfelt situations such as struggling to cope with depression.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Write, and don’t let anyone tell you that you can’t. Everyone might doubt you, even those closest to you, but you know what you are capable of.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
If you don’t know what to do, help other people.

What are you reading now?
Editing takes up most of my spare time but I will drop everything for two days for Harry Dresden if it ever comes out.

What’s next for you as a writer?
After this series is completely published, I may write fiction or fantasy.

If you were going to be stranded on a desert island and allowed to take 3 or 4 books with you what books would you bring?
The biggest ones I could find!

Author Websites and Profiles
A.E. Worth Website
A.E. Worth Amazon Profile

A.E. Worth’s Social Media Links
Facebook Profile
Twitter Account

Willem Neill 

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
Well, where do I begin? With the number of books I’ve written, I guess. It’s an easy question after all, because the answer is 0. EMBERED SOUL is my debut novel and I’m so excited to share a little bit about it with you!

As for me, I’m just a guy from Brisbane, Australia and grew up in a pretty normal suburban household. No fancy forests or horse riding for me, just my mum and I with the cats (we like cats!). My first real creative idea I remember was telling my friends in Grade 4 that I was going to create a real-life Jurassic Park. Of course, there were a lot of laughs but I was serious, though I realised that wasn’t going to happen.

Instead, I turned to writing down my ideas and then before long, I was sketching them too! I’m probably one of the few people in my generation that read LORD OF THE RINGS before even touching HARRY POTTER, and my first BIG fantasy series I read was Emily Rodda’s DELTORA QUEST! Man, how that sparked my imagination and love for creature design. I bought the DELTORA MONSTER BOOK soon after and between Tolkien and Rodda, my love for Fantasy was solidified!

That was until 2001, when HALO decided to come out and then I was on the Military Sci-Fi train before long too! I soon devoured all the HALO books I could find and then crept my way into more classical stories such as STARSHIP TROOPERS and THE FOREVER WAR. Suffice it to say, these were hardly considered the stereotypical reading of a boy between 8 and 10 years of age.

During my teens, I became heavily invested in DUNGEONS & DRAGONS and that’s where my love for storytelling truly took root! I loved dealing with all the crazy situations and encounters our DM threw at us and before long, I was crafting entire worlds for my own group of adventurers. I’ve always loved the blank check that D&D gave me to tell fantasy stories, but eventually, I wanted to go full-Tolkien and make my own from the ground up.

Fast forward 10 years or so, and here I am!

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
EMBERED SOUL is may latest (and only) novel although I have written a novella title THE SOUTHERN KING, which is exclusively available to my newsletter subscribers.

In both cases, the books were inspired by my adventures in D&D games, the monster hunting stories featured in The Witcher novels and my absolute love for Tolkien’s approach to building not only a world, but a fleshed out mythology.

That leads me to my next inspiration which are the many tales of Greek mythology. Everything from the creation of the universe, to the various war among the Gods, to the heroic tales of Heracles, Perseus and Jason! I love it all and I find that their influence and cultural impact can still be felt today in various ways that haven’t been thought of yet! And of course, I love the monsters and mythical beings featured in all of them. For any who read my fantasy, you will quickly recognise a lot of these themes and set pieces and I promise that you’ll love them!

My final inspiration (promise!) is my investment in the video game series, DARK SOULS. I mention this series specifically for three reasons. First, the awesome, dark and Gothic world that features a lost hero fighting insurmountable odds to emerge victorious bloodied and beaten is too good (I love beating my own heroes up in their battles! After all, how many games do you play where you come out without a scratch, hmmm?). Reason 2, the music! It sounds weird, but I love music and how it affects your immersion in a story. The right music can punctuate a scene like nothing else in the creative industry (if you’ve watched literally any movie with a Hans Zimmer soundtrack, you’ll know what I mean). It doesn’t sound so relevant when I talk about writing a book, but trust me when I say that DARK SOULS’s music really gets my creative juices flowing.

The third reason, and most important, is the way DARK SOULS tells its story – which is to say, it doesn’t tell you anything! What I mean by that is DARK SOULS is a rare example of perfectly executed interpretive/visual storytelling. Every piece of armour, weapon and creature fits into the lore in a meaningful way, and it is up to the audience to piece together the clues to work out the intricacies of the world. Of course, I can’t write a novel this way, but I am a big fan of getting readers invested in the world and I find the best way to do that is reveal information organically through the characters and the various scenes in my story. Even fantasy readers get tired of exposition dumps and I find that taking the effort to craft world building information into the world and dialogue is much more effective, especially if readers start discussing what they think is happening (or going to happen!).

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
To be honest, no. I’m a simple guy with a set of goals for my novels. My writing ethos is defined by three simple rules, laid out by three highly successful writers:
1. “Little by little, one travels far.” – J.R.R. Tolkien
2. “Write everyday! Start with 1,000 words a day and you’ll have a novel before you know it.” – Stephen King
3 “SIT YOU A** DOWN AND WRITE!” – Patrick Rothfuss

So, nothing too flash I guess, but highly effective. The only really odd thing I do is listen to crazy soundtracks from various fantasy style artists to help me get in the mood. If I was writing sci-fi, I suspect I would do something similar. Like I said, music is powerful, and I make full use of it.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
Well, you’ve already heard of my love for Tolkien and Rodda – I owe both of them much. But there are plenty of other authors that helped me on my journey.

Sapkowski is one of them! Admittedly, I didn’t know about his Witcher novels until I played the game in 2007. But when I found them, they were an instant hit with me. The monsters and the visceral action made them supreme page turners and it was also my first real introduction to political intrigue in fantasy. There were some pretty raw scenes in that book that I didn’t quite understand at the time, but grew to appreciate with time. What stuck with me most, however, were the unique monsters that populated this dark world. I loved how there were things I’d never even heard of and have never encountered outside of The Witcher and I’ve made it one of my main writing goals to create monsters unique to my own fantasy world. I can’t wait for you to meet them.

The next big name is Raymond E. Feist. What an absolutely, outstanding world builder! Seriously, there aren’t many writers out there that have written more than 30 novels set in the same world, so of course I was captivated after reading Magician! He was the first author that showed me that you didn’t have to leave the world, which you worked so hard to create, just because your trilogy has finished. No, instead, he showed over the course of many series how you can grow your world as easily as you grow your characters. The world you find at the beginning of The Serpent War Saga is so different to what you see by Magician’s End and it took me a few moments to remember that we were still in Midkemia! Let’s face it, we never REALLY want to leave the fantasy world we’ve spent hours adventuring in and as long as there is a story to be told, Feist proved that any writer can do it, so long as you’re up for the challenge!

This brings me to one of my favourite writers of all time and another fellow Aussie (Rodda is also from Down Under, did you know?). I’m talking about the late Sara Douglass and her marvelous Axis Trilogy! This is a series that I believe deserves WAY more attention than it receives and one I recommend any and all fantasy enthusiasts to check out. In a similar way to Feist, she created an amazing, fantastical world filled with crazy mythologies that I have not seen represented anywhere else to a similar effect. She is awesome and I like to think my writing carries on her legacy, if only in some small way.

Look, this list is not exhaustive and there are many, many more authors I’d like to mention, but those named here have been the ones to spark my own creativity and for that I would like to thank them! So if haven’t read any of their works, get to the library and do yourself a favour!

What are you working on now?
Many things!
Apart from expanding my world, it’s map and my list of characters and races (I’ve made my own original races too!), I’m working my way through the first draft of Book 2, which will follow on from EMBERED SOUL. I’m also drafting up the storyboard for my next novella, which will feature on the newsletter list and will accompany Book 2 as we work to it’s release.

There isn’t too much I want to say about the next book right now, since EMBERED SOUL hasn’t even published yet, but I can say that it will be bigger, bolder and raise the stakes way past where they were in EMBERED SOUL. It’s already at 105,000 words and there is still so much I have left to write. It’s going to be great!

I’m also doing some slightly less interesting stuff called marketing, which isn’t as fun as writing, but will work toward making sure I can write and publish easily in the future. Such is the life of an indie author, but I love it!

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
Literally anything on the internet! Ok, maybe not EVERYTHING, but in the age of social media and self-publishing, the options are nearly limitless!

Choosing no more than two social media platforms to manage is a good place to start. I use Facebook and Instagram, but you can choose whatever you feel best suits your needs and interest. If you haven’t published before, the focus should entirely be on building your newsletter/email list subscriptions – that’s where your best people and most loyal fans will stem from. It also gives you the most focused and effective audience to advertise your novels and blogs to.

Using platforms like Book Bub and Good Reads are essential too, because it’s focused on an audience that exclusively wants to find and read cool, new books. If you consider your novel to be ‘cool’ and ‘new’ then you need to set up an author profile and learn how to advertise here.

The final way to promote your book is to hunt down whatever email and contract address you can find for reviewers, bloggers and authors whose opinions you’d value. It can be a little disheartening when you have one reply for every hundred emails sent, but that’s just how the industry goes. Just remember, you need as many people to know you exist, so every email and message sent will add up! So don’t give up!

Also, do whatever you can to get an Audiobook produced! Audiobooks are a MUST in this day and age – that’s what my marketer says, and I’m inclined to believe her, because I listen to a TON of Audiobooks.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
My advice revolves around consistency, meeting quotas and discipline. You can’t ever finish a story without those qualities and I think that’s where some struggling writers fall down. Of course, bear in mind that I’ve not yet sold a copy of my novel, but I have finished writing and editing one and am halfway through my second book. I wrote EMBERED SOUL’s first draft in less than 3 months and it numbered to just over 110,000 words.

The only way I could do that was by planting my butt in the chair and typing away. Even if I didn’t want to write that day, I still found a way; because despite how fun and energising writing is to me, it’s still a form of work and like all work, you just don’t feel like it some days. Achieving little quotas, like 1,000 words a day (or even 500 words if that’s what you can do) makes you feel great and that you’re progressing to that finish line.

I never go back and read any part of my first draft. To do such a thing is to invite uncertainty and doubt into your mind and you can’t afford to do that when you need it full to the brim with ideas, inspirations and dialogue for your characters. If I ever feel the urge, I just think about another piece of advice that Stephen King gave me in his memoir – “That’s what re-writes are for!” So I will just power through that first draft until I hit that last full stop.

To wrap things up then, I suppose my GOLDEN RULE is this – Write SOMETHING everyday and finish your ENTIRE novel before going back to review it!

I’d highly recommend setting a word count, and 1,000 words isn’t actually that much in the grand scheme of things. And, please, don’t worry about your first draft – it’s not going to be up to your standard, but that’s ok! The editing and re-write process will take a long time, so you will have plenty of time to make it pristine! So just please, for love of writing, FINISH THAT FIRST DRAFT and the rest will fall into place!

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
I refer you to my three simple rules for writing. Those three quotes are bang on!

But there is also another piece of advice that I heard from Neil Gaiman, and I love it:
“Make good art!”
Simple, right? But no less true. When times are tough and you’re feeling down and it seems like no one is going to read your story – it doesn’t matter – just make good art and all will be well. Don’t worry about selling another book, just keep writing another book (I kind of stole that from George R.R. Martin, but thought you’d be done with reading quotes by now).

What are you reading now?
I’m sinking my teeth into Tad Williams’s LAST KING OF OSTEN ARD. I never read his first series MEMORY, SORROW AND THORN, but his name is a big deal in the fantasy genre so I want to check it out. I only wish I knew THE WITCHWOOD CROWN is a sequel to the first series. So I guess I’ll be going back to read really soon (and I can’t wait! Mr Williams is freaking awesome!)

What’s next for you as a writer?
Publish EMBERED SOUL and finish Book 2. That’s it

If you were going to be stranded on a desert island and allowed to take 3 or 4 books with you what books would you bring?
This is an unfair question for people who read lots of trilogies, but I will give it a good crack!

LORD OF THE RINGS, because I can read that forever!
BATTLE AXE, which is the first book in Sara Douglass’s AXIS TRILOGY and I haven’t read it for a while; and
THE MEMOIRS OF ULYSSES S. GRANT – what? You didn’t think SFF was all I read, did you?

Thank you so much for reading my interview and I can’t wait for you all to read my story! EMBERED SOUL comes out April 7th on eBook, Paperback and Audiobook.

Until then, read with joy, write with success!
Will

Author Websites and Profiles
Willem Neill Website

Willem Neill’s Social Media Links
Facebook Profile

Taylor Aston White 

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I’m Tay, from England, UK. I have two children under two. So between the crying and vomiting (and that’s just from my husband!), I’m able to make up stories for a living.

I’ve written three full novels and one short story so far, but have plans in the not-so-distant future for many more books.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
Rogues Mercy (Due Early April) is the third instalment of the Alice Skye series.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I write in the bath. It’s hard to find the time when you have two children under two!

What authors, or books have influenced you?
Nalini Singh, Kim Harrison, Dean Koontz to name a few.

What are you working on now?
At the moment I’m working on the fourth instalment of the Alice Skye series.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
Your own website is your best friend!

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Just write.
You have to start somewhere, you can’t edit a blank page.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Just write. (Passing on the knowledge above)
Make sense really.

What are you reading now?
Peppa Pig books…
It’s not my usual choice, but my son loves them.

What’s next for you as a writer?
I’m currently looking into turning some of my novels into audiobooks too!

If you were going to be stranded on a desert island and allowed to take 3 or 4 books with you what books would you bring?
Lewis Carroll – Alice in Wonderland
Nalini Singh – Angels’ Blood
Anything from James Herbert

Author Websites and Profiles
Taylor Aston White Website
Taylor Aston White Amazon Profile

Taylor Aston White’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile
Facebook Profile
Twitter Account

Don Rich 

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I started writing full time in 2017, and I’m almost finished with my 9th book. I have a notebook that’s chock full of new plot ideas so, I hope to be adding to that number for a long time to come. I’ve been a pilot, scuba diver, sailor, fisherman and successful entrepreneur. You can’t do all of that and not have met some very interesting people along the way, many who when combined, have become inspirations for various characters. I currently live in central Virginia with my wife of more than three decades and a herd of adopted “fur children”.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
Coastal Paybacks. The idea came to me in a hotel down in Florida. I was helping my best friend haul a horse trailer down to Ocala, and we were recalling some very colorful people we both had known. A few had run into more than their share of trouble in life, and I mentally put myself in their shoes, thinking about how they would react to certain situations. The scene at Great Sale Cay in the Bahamas was inspired by a trip I took with my late father. We anchored there overnight in the late 1980’s on our way down to Marsh Harbor. We had the whole anchorage to ourselves that night, and when I recalled that trip, it hit me as being the perfect location for that scene.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
Not really. I try to get a minimum of a thousand words per day, but that doesn’t always happen. Sometimes the characters can refuse to cooperate. Other times I can’t get them to shut up, and I’ve ended up with thousands and thousands of words after nineteen hours of pounding away at the keyboard.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
Wayne Stinnett, Michael Reisig, Clive Cussler, John H. Cunningham, Jack Hardin, Steven Becker, and Carl Hiaasen. No books in particular, but much of what they’ve all written.

What are you working on now?
Coastal Tuna. A reality television fishing show moves to the Eastern Shore of Virginia, but not everyone is happy about it. In fact, some of the cast might just end up dead because of it.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
My Readers Group has been phenomenal. Everyone who has signed up for it buys each new book. About once a month I share with them things and stories that inspired my books. They also get sneak peeks at the covers, and they get first shot at all new releases at discounted prices. I have one of the best “open rate” percentages for all the notices I send out, much higher than the newsletters of all the other writers I know. So, I guess everyone in the group finds value in its content. There’s a link to join on my website, DonRichBooks.com. Also, check out TropicalAuthors.com. Great site!

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Write every day. Set a word goal and try to hit it. Don’t “force it” though on the days when the words don’t come. Get away from the keyboard and do something else for a while or even the rest of the day. Trust your instincts and your characters.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Absolutely the best thing I’ve ever been told is: WRITE A SERIES! Readers won’t totally invest themselves in characters they know they’ll never see again.

What are you reading now?
Wood’s Destiny by Steven Becker. Another installment in the Mac Travis series. See the note above about writing a series…

What’s next for you as a writer?
I’m just going to do what I love; writing books about coastal adventures. I’d love for the number of books that I’ve written to catch up with the number of years I’ve been breathing. Time will tell.

If you were going to be stranded on a desert island and allowed to take 3 or 4 books with you what books would you bring?
ONLY FOUR??? The latest from John H. Cunningham, Jack Hardin, Michael Reisig and Steven Becker. Hopefully they’ll all be really long.

Author Websites and Profiles
Don Rich Website
Don Rich Amazon Profile

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

Cindy Gunderson 

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
Hey! I just started writing full novels last year, and so far, I have three books out (Tier Trilogy) with four more standalone’s coming out in 2020! I am a musician, mom of four kids (we homeschool!), actor, and homemaker. I love playing basketball and ultimate frisbee, along with hiking and adventuring with the family.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
“Yes, And” is the title of my newest book, releasing in April. I am really involved in my church community and I had an opportunity to minister to an elderly woman every few weeks (we would go for lunch at Village Inn) until she passed away last year. I haven’t been able to get her out of my head. That experience, juxtaposed with my desire to understand the upcoming generation of adults spurred this book. What if two people came together from opposite ends of the age spectrum and helped each other with a sense of belonging? What are their struggles and worries? That’s what inspired this novel – wanting to explore all of that!

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
Well, because I have four rambunctious children, I have to grab my writing time where I can. Right now I am writing at a ninja warrior course. Is that unusual!? Ha!

What authors, or books have influenced you?
Robert Pirsig and Lois Lowry are two that immediately come to mind. Most recently, I haven’t been able to get “Where the Crawdads Sing” out of my head!

What are you working on now?
I am working on three other books for the year! “I Can’t Remember”, “Let’s Try This Again, But This Time In Paris”, and “The New Year’s Party”. So excited about all of them!!

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I am honestly still trying to figure that out. I use Instagram and Facebook, then am working on building my mailing list. It’s a learning process!

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Just keep trying! You are going to fail and that’s totally ok. Actually, it’s more than ok. It’s a necessary part of the process. Don’t give up!!

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
The only job of the artist is to understand the time in which he is living.

What are you reading now?
#1 Ladies Detective Agency

What’s next for you as a writer?
I honestly believe that if there is a story I am supposed to tell, I will be inspired to write it. So I am just continuing to write ideas and notes down until the next thing strikes me!

If you were going to be stranded on a desert island and allowed to take 3 or 4 books with you what books would you bring?
The Book of Mormon, a large anthology of poetry, The Count of Monte Cristo

Author Websites and Profiles
Cindy Gunderson Website
Cindy Gunderson Amazon Profile

Cindy Gunderson’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile
Facebook Profile

Jennifer Smith 

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I write contemporary, sensual romances set in small New England towns, and across the globe. I’ve published seven novels. Former flight attendant turned novelist, I covet spending time with my family when I’m not writing. And I truly enjoy chatting with readers. Hanging out with my author friends is pretty great, too!

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
HOLDING PATTERN (Landing in Love: book 2) is a new release. My love of travel, and years of working as a flight attendant inspired this series. Living in New England, I love writing about the places I’ve visited and base the fictional towns on real ones. Each of the Landing in Love stories include unlikely couples finding love.

Here’s more on HOLDING PATTERN:

After the tragic loss of his wife, Cole Miller’s not ready to fall in love again. Isolated, he pores over charts and monitors the weather when not at the helm of his boat. So when this Cape Cod lobster supplier runs into a beautiful tourist, fate entangles their lines. This sophisticated lady rekindles his desire, summoning an inner storm and, causing him to question if he can move on from his past.

Begrudgingly following doctor’s orders, billionaire Veronica Lang takes time off from running her corporation and rebranding her airline to recuperate at her newly built seaside mansion. When she gets involved with a hunky lobsterman, she regrets lying about her identity. Cole may be the distraction she sorely needs, but something about him soothes her damaged soul. Keeping secrets could ruin her health, her relationship, and her company.

Will Cole catch her hook, line and sinker? Or will she be the billionairess who got away?

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I’m not sure if my writing habits are unusual, or not, but for me the story plays out in my mind as if I’m watching a movie. I write the scenes as they come, often out of order, and work them until they make sense.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
What authors influenced me? Okay here is my shout out to all the women writing romance in the 1980s and 1990s. I read buckets of those types of novels in my teens. Recently I’ve been reading Science fiction romance and Grace Goodwin is one of my favorite authors in this genre.

What are you working on now?
FLYING BACKWARDS, my first novel, also inspired the Landing in Love series. These aviation-inspired novels are stand-alone titles, featuring fresh, flirty stories of modern women and every-day men finding their happily-ever-after in small New England towns. I’m currently working to release the third book in the series and have six more already outlined or drafted.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
Most of my readers are on Facebook, so I have a group for my fans ~ Jennifer W. Smith’s Book Squad. I keep this group up to date on my writing progress, specials, and they get to weigh in on my work-in-progress. Of course, I have a Facebook fan page and like to share books by other authors there as well.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
My best advice for new authors is slow and steady…writing and promoting is a marathon. It’s easy to get caught up in all the excitement when your book is being released, but having a plan in place will save your sanity in the long run. Also, network with other authors. They know what you deal with and how to overcome challenges. And bonus, they love talking about writing! My family is very supportive but their eyes glaze over when I go on and on about a new scene or story line. Hehe.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Keep writing! This is what it’s all about for most writers. But you publish a book and now you are a small business owner, marketer, computer wiz…the list goes on. It’s so important to set aside time to write.

What are you reading now?
Most writers are readers! I read a few books a month (not as much as I’d like). I’m currently reading Artemis Crow’s book, LYON’S ROAR. I love her unique voice. She’s a true storyteller.

What’s next for you as a writer?
I’ll continue writing and releasing the next novels in my Landing in Love series. Also, I’ll be attending author events to meet readers, chat, and sign their paperback copies. RomantiConn (romance conference) is coming up July 25, 2020 in Connecticut. I’d love to meet you! For more locations where I’ll be signing check out my website jenniferwsmith.com

If you were going to be stranded on a desert island and allowed to take 3 or 4 books with you what books would you bring?
If I was stranded on a desert island I’d take THE OTHER BOLEYN GIRL, WATER FOR ELEPHANTS, and any of Grace Goodwin’s novels.

Author Websites and Profiles
Jennifer Smith Website
Jennifer Smith Amazon Profile

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