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Cory Eckert 

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I’ve written a handful of what could be considered books over the past five years but never published until peer pressure was properly applied by friends and family.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
The Pandemic Life of a Midwesterner. The book is a comical recounting of daily life in rural South Dakota during the covid19 pandemic.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I’d wager all my writing habits are unusual but none worth mentioning.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
I wasn’t much of a reader but one series of books I couldn’t put down growing up was The Wheel of Time books by Robert Jordan.

What are you working on now?
I’m currently looking for my next project while also creating occasional updates to our facebook group for fans of The Pandemic Life of a Midwesterner.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I have never promoted one before so I’ll let you know how it goes!

Do you have any advice for new authors?
I am a new author but I guess my advice to myself would be… find a proof reader, then find another.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Duck!

What are you reading now?
nothing

What’s next for you as a writer?
Notes and journals until I find my next interesting 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?
The thickest ones I could get my hands on. If this year taught us anything, it’s that toilet paper shortages are no joke.

Author Websites and Profiles
Cory Eckert Amazon Profile

Cory Eckert’s Social Media Links
Facebook Profile

Anuki Saak 

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
Anuki Saak is Georgian Author with many years experience in human-related fields such as psychology, sociology and world history. Thanks to her experience she can predict the future actions of human beings. She has spent many years learning human characters.

Per 10 years of her psychology career, she made unbelievable discoveries in human beings and exactly that fact let her think to start writing books.

For 12 years, Anuki taught history at public and private high schools and universities. She was medaled several times for different reasons for her research in human history.

Today’s situation let her decide to write a book and share all the facts with readers. ,, Pandemic The Next Wave How To Not Die” Describes all the details from the very beginning to the ongoing situation. Everyone who will read this book will find the answers and not only the answers, but everything that everyone has to know.

She for right now have the only one book which is new released
Pandemic The Next Wave How To Not Die

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
Pandemic The Next Wave How To Not Die
Inspiration to write this book came from current global situation I did big research to bring exactly the true that everyone is looking for

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
Yes I do

What authors, or books have influenced you?
A. Curtie
D. Carnegie

What are you working on now?
Vegetarian recipes

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
Promotion websites, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Pinterest

Do you have any advice for new authors?
To be careful with what to write

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
To wake up

What are you reading now?
Nothing

What’s next for you as a writer?
Upcoming 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?
The Lord of the Rings, The Magic Skin, The Amazing Mukator

Author Websites and Profiles
Anuki Saak Amazon Profile

Anuki Saak’s Social Media Links
Facebook Profile
Twitter Account
Pinterest Account

Tania Cucciniello 

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I am a certified massage therapist with 15 years of experience and I finally decided to write by first e-book about fascia therapy.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
The name of my e-book is Connect: A Practical Guide to Fascia. I was writing an article for my blog about fascia therapy when I realized how much content I had, it had to be a book!

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I write about the human body and mind, I always include benefits about the topic in question so that people may be able to make healthy choices every day.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
I love anatomy books by John E. Upledger, Deane Juhan, Erik Dalton, Ida Rolf, Moishe Feldenkrais. I also love self-help books from Don Miguel Ruiz, Eckhart Tolle and Wayne Dyer.

What are you working on now?
Articles for my blog.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
Articles on my blog, email campaigns and social media.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Do your research- from what ISBN number you need for your book to the steps on how to self-publish it. Also, write everything in Word and not some fancy e-book generator program as you don’t even need the formats they promise because Amazon, Google Play and your own blog accepts Word and PDF files.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
My own mantra: If you tie your goals to being healthy, you will always be happy.

What are you reading now?
Job’s Body by Deane Juhan

What’s next for you as a writer?
Continue writing articles on my blog about health, possibly expanding on my current e-book and a second book idea might be brewing already

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 Four Agreements, Job’s Body, The Bhagavad Gita and my own book- Connect: A Practical Guide to Fascia.

Author Websites and Profiles
Tania Cucciniello Website
Tania Cucciniello Amazon Profile

Tania Cucciniello’s Social Media Links
Twitter Account
Pinterest Account

Dorothy Rosby 

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I’m a syndicated humor columnist living in the beautiful Black Hills of South Dakota. I’m also the author of three books of humorous essays: “I Used to Think I Was Not That Bad and Then I Got to Know Me Better,” “I Didn’t Know You Could Make Birthday Cake from Scratch, Parenting Blunders from Cradle to Empty Nest,” and my latest, “Alexa’s a Spy and Other Things to Be Ticked off About: Humorous Essays on the Hassles of Our Time” I’m currently working on my fourth and hoping to give it a shorter title—something like Wow or Best Seller.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
“Alexa’s a Spy and Other Things to Be Ticked off About: Humorous Essays on the Hassles of Our Time” wasn’t inspired as much as it was provoked. It’s a book of humorous essays on some of the things we have to deal with just because we’re alive now–intrusive technology, spammers and scammers, uncivil behavior, materialism and clutter, uncivil political discourse and others.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
Not really. Pretty boring here. For me, it’s all about putting my butt in the chair first thing almost every morning. The one weird things is that ten minutes before every hour my Fitbit reminds me that I ought to move, so I get up and do something physical for a few minutes–load the dishwasher, put in a load of laundry, get a snack, get another snack.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
I grew up reading Erma Bombeck and I’m sure she was an influence. But a bigger one would be growing up in a large family. I’m number 9 of 10 children. That meant 12 people in a house with 3 bedrooms and 1 bathroom. You need tools to survive that and wit is a weapon in a big family. My father had a great sense of humor though I didn’t think so when I was a teenager. But humor was important to him and making him laugh was a way of standing out in the crowd.

What are you working on now?
I’m working on my fourth book, a book of humorous essays on holidays and other special events we get all worked up about.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
Based on the fact that I’m STILL not a bestselling author, I guess I’m still looking for it. Seriously though, I use many websites with varying levels of success, and am so grateful for the service they provide. (Thank you Awesome Gang!) My email list remains my most effective marketing tool.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Believe in yourself. You will get many rejections, and if you don’t I hate you. I’m kidding! What I meant to say is, if you don’t get rejections, you’re probably not submitting enough. Some readers may even say very cruel things about your work. The way I see it, there are two kinds of people in the world: those who do something with their life and those who criticize those who do something with there life. That’s easier. That doesn’t mean you shouldn’t learn from criticism. You definitely should. But you have to have a nearly unshakable belief that you are good and getting better at what you do no matter who tells you otherwise. You can pout now and then. You can even fall into despair for a day or so. But you can never give up.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Some variation of the above. And I never get tired of hearing it from other writers.

What are you reading now?
Tommy Tomlinson’s memoir “The Elephant in the Room.” It’s a wonderful book.

What’s next for you as a writer?
Plowing ahead on book 4 and staying ahead of my regular humor column deadlines is all I have time for.

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?
Three mystery novels and one empty journal to write about my experiences. I’m a writer, you know.

Author Websites and Profiles
Dorothy Rosby Website
Dorothy Rosby Amazon Profile

Dorothy Rosby’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile
Facebook Profile
Twitter Account

Scott Kimak 

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I’m a history teacher and a Kung Fu master. I came up with the story “I call him – HIM” when I was a teenager but I failed miserably to put pen to paper. It took me nearly forty years to make a second attempt. This time the words flowed unrestrained. I live in Harlingen Texas with the love of my life Diana and our four children.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
“I call him HIM” is the first book I’ve published but it’s part of a trilogy. As a child I went to Catholic school and attended church every day. Hearing about the struggle between good and evil inspired me to come up with the story I’ve written.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I don’t think so.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
Edgar Rice Burroughs was the first author I read as a child, and I devoured all of his books. As I got older I started to read Stephen King, Tom Clancy, and R.A. Salvatore. I’ve read other authors but those are the main ones that influenced me.

What are you working on now?
I’m writing the last book of the “I call him HIM” trilogy. Hopefully, the second book “The Angel of Death” will be out by the end of the year.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I haven’t had much luck with promoting my book on any platforms. So far, the best method has been word of mouth.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Learn about marketing and build up a following before you publish. You can be the greatest author in the world and not make a dime without marketing.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
That came from my father. He said to never give up and always work hard.

What are you reading now?
Currently, I’m reading “They came from Up” It’s pretty good.

What’s next for you as a writer?
After the trilogy is finished, I would like to create some solo novels with some of the side characters from the 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 want some books on survival, farming, fishing etc. Otherwise I’ll end up dead.

Author Websites and Profiles
Scott Kimak Website
Scott Kimak Amazon Profile

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

Callie Cole 

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I started to write in 2018. I released my first book and then didn’t write much until this year. So, I’m a new author two books published.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
My latest book is entitled Unlove You. It’s a story about a clean romance author who wants to write more sexy books. She falls in love with her editor.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I’m not sure it qualifies as unusual, but when I start a new book, I write the summary and chapter outline first, and then I take a day off and live with the story in my head for a day. I let the idea become etched in my mind and my heart before I begin writing it.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
So many to count, but within my genre I would say Hope Ford and Frankie Love. I read a tremendous amount of non-fiction as well.

What are you working on now?
My next book is entitled, Wild and Blue. It’s another short steamy romance. A friends to lovers police book.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
Well, being new, I’m only beginning to promote, but I do use Amazon Ads, and Social Media platforms, for now.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
I can’t stress this enough. Never, ever give up on your dreams. If you want to write, then write, make it happen. The other advice I would offer is to never feel you’ve “arrived.” You should always learn your writing craft. I can’t wait to see what kind of writer I become in five years.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Do it afraid.

What are you reading now?
Kendal Ryan’s, How To Date a Younger Man.

What’s next for you as a writer?
I’m lucky that I can do this work full time if I choose. So, the plan is to write like crazy and release one to two short reads a month.

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?
Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy
Animal, Vegetable, Miracle by Barbara Kingsolver
A Woman of Substance by Barbara Taylor Bradford

Author Websites and Profiles
Callie Cole Website
Callie Cole Amazon Profile

Callie Cole’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile
Facebook Profile
Twitter Account
Pinterest Account

Mary Helen Trujillo 

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I have been creating lyrics and poems for as long as I can remember. As a teenager, I would write poetry as a means of escapism. “Life in Old Thoughts,” is my first published works with poems I wrote from my early teenage years to a couple I wrote recently in 2020. Writing was always such an intimate endeavor to me and while I was ecstatic to share my works with close family and friends when I wrote them, I am beyond touched to have the opportunity to share these works with anyone willing to venture inside my world.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
“Life in Old Thoughts” came to me as I was creating the manuscript for my book. Working with so many of these poems I had written nearly two decades ago, truly proved to me that there was still life in the old thoughts I had onced forged on paper so long ago.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
My most unusual writing habit is the spontaneity of it all. I can be focused on a task and have a thought that I just need to write down and it takes on a life of it’s own.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
Going through the publishing process, anyone brave enough to follow their dream and create their own masterpiece is a huge influence to me. It is daunting and beautiful, just like life is. More specifically, I’ve always been drawn to the works of Edgar Allan Poe.

What are you working on now?
Due to my spontaneous writing nature, my work is always ongoing. But I am excited for what the future holds and look forward to add more to world.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
So far, word of mouth has the been the best method. I have been blessed to have a strong support system around me and if even one person can take any solace or hope from my works, then that’s all that matters to me in the end.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Push forward. No matter what life throws your way, there is always something greater to be had. And never be ashamed of your work.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
For this I turn to one of my favorite songs written and performed by Mariah Carey. There is a lyric that goes, “If you believe in yourself enough / And know what you want / You’re gonna make it happen.” It also feeds into my long held belief that energy follows thought. Just believe you can do it and make it happen!

What are you reading now?
Currently I have gone back to “To Selena With Love“ by Chris Perez. I have read it before and just love the casualness of it. Almost as though you are having a conversation with an old friend.

What’s next for you as a writer?
Next is to forge ahead. It’s easy to get caught up in life, being a full time mom, wife and dispatcher. But as long as I can keep writing spontaneously, there will always be life in old thoughts.

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?
“Artemis Fowl” by Eoin Colfer
“The Da Vinci Code” by Dan Brown
“Edgar Allan Poe: Complete Tales and Poems” by Edgar Allan Poe
“The Mists of Avalon” by Marion Zimmer Bradley

Author Websites and Profiles
Mary Helen Trujillo Website

Avelina Wymarc 

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I grew up in Kansas and now live on the east coast with my husband and son. Plus several fur babies. My day job is bank operations. When I’m not writing, I play video games and reading on how to start my own food garden. I have written one book so far but it’s part of a series. That means more to come!

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
The Adventures of Neri: Book One of the Dragon Immortal series is my latest book.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
None that I can think of.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
Tamora Pierce is my favorite and has definitely influenced me. Christopher Paolini. C.S. Lewis. And Diana Wynne Jones.

What are you working on now?
Book two of the Dragon Immortal series.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
Right now I’m just trying to connect with readers and let them get to know me.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Figure out who your ideal reader is and then connect with them before you think about publishing your book.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Write without fear. Edit without mercy.

What are you reading now?
Devastation Erupts by A.E. Faulkner

What’s next for you as a writer?
Continuing the Dragon Immortal series and trying out Nanowrimo this 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?
My book, Wild Magic, The Hobbit, and Howl’s Moving Castle.

Author Websites and Profiles
Avelina Wymarc Website
Avelina Wymarc Amazon Profile

Avelina Wymarc’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile
Facebook Profile
Twitter Account

Jill Rosensweig 

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I grew up surrounded by books. My mother was an avid reader and taught me to love books from a very young age. I started journal writing when I was around five or six years old and have been writing ever since. Throughout college I loved to write, and I even applied to journalism school but opted for law school instead. While working as a young litigator and writing tons of legal briefs, I missed the creative writing outlet that my college days afforded me. As a means of satisfying that desire, I started a blog back in 2005, back in the early days of blogging. It mostly focused on my dating misadventures and was a really fun outlet for me, but that naturally ended when I met my husband. In 2014, I wrote an article about my struggles with infertility, which was published on a parenting website. Outside of legal briefs and blogging, it was my first time experiencing other peoples’ reactions to something I had written. Since then, I have written several short stories, none of which I have attempted to publish. I am in the midst of writing a novel, and I have now published Bailey Bloom and the Battle of the Bug, which I hope is the first of many children’s books that I will publish.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
In mid-March, my kids’ school suddenly closed due to the pandemic. They were aware at that point that there was a virus, but the sudden closure of the school resulted in a lot of questions. Like most parents, I was trying to navigate explaining to my kids what was going on without saying anything that might scare them or make them feel sad. In late March, I read an article about kids putting up rainbow art in their windows. I decided we should do the same, so we made a huge rainbow poster and put it in our window. I thought my kids would find it fun, but what I didn’t anticipate was how much creating the art would affect my kids, particularly my daughter. I explained to her that while people were out walking, it might make them feel less lonely if they saw rainbow art in peoples’ windows. It was a way for us to say to our neighbors, “We’re here with you.” I then explained that stress could affect one’s immune system and make people more vulnerable to illness. However, when people are happy, they are less stressed and their bodies are stronger. In a nutshell, I helped her understand that by making art and placing it in our window, she was helping to combat Covid-19. Since then, we’ve decorated our window several times, and we’ve done other things to make people feel happy throughout the pandemic: sending gifts to friends, dropping off cookies, delivering groceries to people, donating money to various COVID-related charities, etc. It’s really helped my kids feel okay during the pandemic. I wrote Bailey Bloom and the Battle of the Bug with my kids in mind and initially just read it to them to help them see how powerful their actions had been. After seeing their reaction to it, I decided to put the story out into the world with the hope that other kids might feel the same.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
This mostly applies to my novel because it’s a big project and requires daily attention. However, when I write, I put my phone on airplane mode, I disconnect the Wi-Fi on my computer, I light a candle, and I write. I try to hit 500 words a day, and once I reach that goal, unless I’m mid-paragraph, I blow the candle out and am done for the day. I made the mistake once of going back and editing my novel, and it set me back for months. I am now just writing and moving forward. As soon as I finish the first draft, I will go back and dissect the piece.

What are you working on now?
I am working on a novel.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
For the most part, I’ve been posting on social media and getting the word out to friends about Bailey Bloom and the Battle of the Bug. I’ve also been doing Zoom readings, which has been a great way to engage with kids and give parents a preview of the book. While the book is available on numerous websites, I am very grateful that it’s available on Amazon in many different countries. Since most people shop on Amazon, it’s a very easy way for people to buy my book.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
This might sound cliché, but my best advice is to just do it. If you have always wanted to write a book, sit down, write something you love, and put it out into the world. You won’t regret it.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
This is seemingly obvious, but the best advice I have ever received was to approach large projects by making lists. If you break down anything into small steps, even the most daunting of tasks becomes manageable. And next thing you know, you’re a published author!

What are you reading now?
I just started reading Little Fires Everywhere by Celeste Ng. I wanted to read it before I watch the miniseries and now I can’t put it down.

What’s next for you as a writer?
I am still busy with my novel but I am already thinking about the next Bailey Bloom installment. The idea is starting to form and 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?
The Sun Also Rises by Ernest Hemingway, The Pillars of the Earth by Ken Follett, Something Borrowed by Emily Giffin, and A Long Way Gone by Ishmael Beah.

Author Websites and Profiles
Jill Rosensweig Website
Jill Rosensweig Amazon Profile

Jill Rosensweig’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile
Facebook Profile

J.T. Kelly 

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
J. T. Kelly gained a love for the European continent while living in Rome, Italy, for a year and traveling extensively. Prior to developing his first novel, he honed his writing skills as an award-winning communications professional. An avid reader himself, the author has enjoyed numerous works in the mystery, thriller, and suspense category. As a result, those who sample his first book will experience the fast-paced excitement that rival many of the most captivating and addictive on the market today.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
“Fair Ways and Foul Plays” is an explosive, fictional thriller that taps Into pandemic, terrorism, and global warming fears.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I enjoy listening to classical music while I write. It puts me in just the right mood to imagine my characters action and situation.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
Authors who have recently captured my attention include Dan Brown, Mark Dawson, and Jack Arbor.

What are you working on now?
Currently, I am half way through a follow up book titled “Deadly Defiance.”

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I have been using social media, mostly Facebook, and Amazon advertising. I also have a website at https://www.kellyfairways.us.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Stay with it and write.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Edit, edit, edit.

What are you reading now?
The John Milton series by Mark Dawson.

What’s next for you as a writer?
Planning to continue writing as long as 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?
Not sure how long I would be stranded but would need the Bible for sure. I would also have to take several classic adventures such as Robinson Crusoe, Treasure Island, and The Swiss Family Robinson to stay in the moment.

Author Websites and Profiles
J.T. Kelly Website
J.T. Kelly Amazon Profile

Nancy Fraser 

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I’ve been writing since the early 1990s and published my first book in 1996 with Kensington Publishing. I’ve since published thirty-two books, with four more coming out before the end of 2020. I’ve published for five different publishers over the years and, just recently, stepping into the fascinating world of self-publishing.

My author tagline reads: Nancy Fraser–jumping across romance genres with gleeful abandon. I definitely live up to that motto. My muse is fickle and, in order to keep her working, I have to give her variety.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
D*mn Near Perfect is up for pre-order now, with delivery on August 28, 2020. It’s an ultra-steamy romantic comedy with a cougar heroine and an artist cub hero. I was inspired by a previous upstairs neighbor who, like my hero, was in desperate need of some WD40 for his bedsprings.

Right after D*mn Near Perfect, I’m releasing a contemporary romance titled, Return of the Wolfe, the first book in my Love of the Land Series. It’s also up for pre-order and releases on September 11, 2020.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
Probably my most unusual is the fact i create my cover before I write my book. I may see a nice stock photo, or a beautiful background and it inspires me with an idea for a book. I give it a working title, create a beautiful cover, and then outline the book.

Equally unusual, I suppose, is that I write two or three books at a time, jumping from one to the other. When I’m stalled on a plot point or scene, I’ll close down the book, switch to the next. Usually, after twenty minutes or so, the first book is screaming at me to come back.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
My romance influences are earlier on in my writing career, namely Elizabeth Lowell, Jude Devereaux, and — of course — Nora Roberts. I appreciated their crisp style, their sensuous love scenes, and they way I learned something (a fact, not a skill) from every book.

What are you working on now?
I’m currently working on a paranormal romance titled, The Secrets of Gable House. I’m in the galley edit stage, which mean I have to force myself not to make changes. The release date is set on October 2nd, so I have to keep that pesky muse focused. I’m also about halfway through a steamy holiday book, His Sexy Secret Santa, which comes out November 6th.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I use a variety. I do appreciate the newsletter blasts, like that from Awesome Gang. I also do BookBub ads and, occasionally an Amazon ad. I don’t do Facebook ads because my results have never been significant. And, because my books tend to be steamy, my ads often get rejected for going against their standards.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
The most important advice is don’t give your book to your mom, your cousin, your best friend for evaluation. They are going to tell you “it’s great”, even when it needs work. If you’re self-publishing, find yourself a good editor. It costs but, in the long run, it’s worth it.

Also, set yourself goals. Short goals, easily attainable, longer goals for six months, and a five year plan. Then, work toward the goals. Write something every day, even if it’s only a page or two that you eventually trash.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Too many to count. The advice on setting goals came from the late Kate Duffy, undoubtably one of the best book editors to have touched a romance author’s life.

BUT…if I’m being honest, the one piece of advice that will stick with me forever came from the goddess herself, Nora Roberts, and it was: Put your butt in the chair and write!

What are you reading now?
At the moment, research books mostly. I start a new book series in January and I want to make sure I have the location and heroine’s job down pat.

I’m also determine to finish the rest of the stories in Last Chance Beach: Summer End box set. I was lucky enough to be one of the 14 featured authors. The rest of the ladies are fabulous, I just need to find time to read their stories.

What’s next for you as a writer?
Writing, doing book tours after each release, learning more efficient ways to promote, and then … more writing. I am planning to take the month of December to sit back and chill with my sons, their wives, and my five grandchildren. However, I don’t see that lasting for long before I’m anxious to get back to my computer.

If you were going to be stranded on a desert island and allowed to take 3 or 4 books with you what books would you bring?
The first two are easy:

Chain Lightning by Elizabeth Lowell — the book that hooked me on romance and probably the most perfect contemporary romance I’ve ever read (including my own).

Knight in Shining Armor by Jude Devereaux — the first romantic time travel I ever read.

Both books I re-read at least once per year.

And, probably, a survival book on how to build a hut from tree fronds and fifty ways to serve coconut.

Author Websites and Profiles
Nancy Fraser Website
Nancy Fraser Amazon Profile

Nancy Fraser’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile
Facebook Profile
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Samuel Hancock 

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
Hi, I’m Sam Hancock and this is my first book.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
My book is called ‘The Dust And The Ice’, and it is heavily inspired by Robert Jordan’s Wheel Of Time series. His name is even hidden (rather obviously) in the book! The entire thing began as a free writing exercise, and I enjoyed the first description of the Lost so much I wanted to see more of them.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
Not really. I tend just to have a few coffees and sit at a computer. This one was slightly different, as I wrote the majority of it travelling across Vietnam, so it was written on this really awful tablet/laptop in various different hostels. Vietnamese coffee is top notch though, so it definitely made up the difference.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
As mentioned before, Robert Jordan definitely played a massive role. Another personal favourite is Brandon Sanderson, and in my upcoming work I feel like there’s a lot that has come from reading Ursula Le Guin.

What are you working on now?
A sci-fi adventure novel focusing on a group of individuals on the run from various governments, set against a political backdrop with civil war threatening the solar system.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
This is my first book, but I’ve found kindlepreneur’s list of free/cheap promotion sites really helpful.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Just sit and write. Don’t make it perfect, if you can’t write the sentence in your head, write the next best thing and move on. You can always edit later, and by the time you reach the end of the book you will be a far better writer anyway.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
You can’t please everyone, so don’t try.

What are you reading now?
I’ve just finished ‘Sapiens’ by Yuval Noah Harris. A great book that really makes you see the history of humans like a story.

What’s next for you as a writer?
I’m aiming towards traditional publishing for my next novel. I think I learned an awful lot from my first book, and I’m hoping to push the next one out as far as possible.

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?
Oathbringer, by Brandon Sanderson.
A Wizard Of Earthsea, by Ursula Le Guin.
Oryx And Crake, by Margaret Atwood.

 

Ben Berwick 

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
Howdy – so, I am in my late thirties and for the first time I’ve published a book – The Awakening. I’ve written fan fiction stuff before to do with Star Trek, and a few other little pieces, but this first published book feels different to me.

Beyond that, I live and work in Essex, in the UK – my wife and daughter keep me grounded, and I am fortunate enough to enjoy my sales role, designing bathrooms. I love most forms of sci-fi, especially Star Trek, but also Star Wars (yes, you can like both), Doctor Who and Babylon 5, among others. Sci-fi also forms the majority of what I read, including the works of David Weber and Peter F Hamilton, among others.

I can’t not mention my lifelong enjoyment of all things Nintendo – I’m a child of the 90s, formed by that decade and all things Mario, Zelda and Star Fox. Formula 1 is my main sporting interest, though for my sins, I support Liverpool football club.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
The Awakening is about seeing a human/alien war from the perspective of the aliens. To them, *we* are the bad guys, and I wanted to explore that concept. Alongside this is the theme of cultural indoctrination and breaking free of it, Hence, ‘The Awakening’.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I don’t think I do anything especially unusual – I simply write to please myself first and foremost, and see how things progress from there.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
Roald Dahl was a big early staple of mine – James and the Giant Peach, Matilda, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, The BFG… all are timeless classics to me. As I have grown older, the works of David Weber, John Scalzi and Peter F Hamilton have shaped how I write.

What are you working on now?
There’s a sequel to The Awakening which is kind of written already, but undergoing major changes. I also have a dystopian future story and a story set in the here and now about revenge in the works.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
So far, I’ve been blasting the Amazon link via Twitter, Facebook and Tumblr, as well as via my personal site, and I’ve put the link out there on some web forums I use.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
I think the most important thing is to make yourself happy with what you write. If you aren’t enjoying your own material, you cannot expect anyone else to. I’d also say that if you are stuck on one story, start or continue a different story, to keep the creative juices flowing and stave off writer’s block.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
I was told to be mindful of exposition. It’s an easy trap to fall into, whereas letting the characters tell the story means the story unfolds with the characters, as they experience events. It makes things feel more real.

What are you reading now?
I’ve recently finished a bunch of stories I found on the Kindle store. Transmission and Negation Force are among the most recent ones.

What’s next for you as a writer?
Honest answer is that I don’t know. The Awakening sequel(s?) is underway, and the other projects will take me in a different direction. I might take a stab at an Ancient Rome story.

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?
Ooooh – I’m not sure I can answer this! The Old Man’s War trilogy is a zippy, snappy series that is always entertaining. The Void trilogy is epic in scope and has some brilliant characters. It might have to be the former, if only because if I were to escape the island the books wouldn’t sink my raft.

Author Websites and Profiles
Ben Berwick Website
Ben Berwick Amazon Profile

Ben Berwick’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile
Facebook Profile
Twitter Account

Zane Martin 

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
This is my first book. Because I was not gifted with artistic talent it was necessary for me to seek out and find a professional artist whose talent I respect and whose work ethic matched mine.
After twenty years as an educator I decided to find a way to express my odd sense of humor in a comic book format.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
On The Verge
There wasn’t any one event responsible for this book. It materialized on its own one image at a time from everyday events and observations of the world around me. As a born observer with an outsider’s point of view, it is easy to look at people and their behavior in a different way.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
What can be frustrating is the habit, totally out of my control, of getting ideas at odd times, most often when I’m trying to sleep, so keeping a notepad and pen next to my bed stand is vital otherwise the images in my head disappear just as quickly as they occur.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
For this book, Gary Larson’s The Far Side is an influence even though I haven’t read any of the series for twenty-five or more years.

What are you working on now?
Depending on the outcome of this 30 page book there is another 80 images waiting to be illustrated.

 

NIKOLAI BIRD 

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I am an author, designer, illustrator and artist. Mostly I do digital design work for software companies based in London. Recently I have also been working for the UN helping them design new digital services. I have written two novels and a few short stories.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
Cybernetic Soul is the first book in a new series of science fiction novels I have been planning for a while now. I wanted to start these books for a couple of years and when I left the UN I took the chance start.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I don;t know about unusual. My rule is that each day I do not have to write anything, but I do have to read the last couple of pages I wrote, and I nearly always end up writing more.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
Many indirectly and probably none directly. Directly I have been inspired by movies and TV. These include original Star Wars and Star Trek pre 2010s. Indirectly I love Terry Pratchett, Bernard Cornwell, Neil Gaiman and many many more.

What are you working on now?
The next in the series of Starship Starstrel novels. Check out the first in the series called Cybernetic Soul on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08FXR6G4H/ref=cm_sw_em_r_mt_dp_dWeoFbJRTWBCB

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I do not know for sure. My work has always been praised but I have never been very good at selling.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Do a first draft before you start worrying about the detail. Just do a bit every day and don;t worry too much about the quality until the second draft. Use a good editor!

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
I met Neil Gaiman at his home many years ago. He told me what his father told him: Just write.

If you are a writer, then write. Sometimes it is hard work, but you have to push through.

What are you reading now?
I am in between books, but I have an odd hankering for Judge Dredd, so I will probably check out the latest from that stable.

What’s next for you as a writer?
I need to work on my style and simply keep writing. As mentioned earlier, I will be continuing the Starship Starstrel novels.

If you were going to be stranded on a desert island and allowed to take 3 or 4 books with you what books would you bring?
Hm… Hm… The Lord of the Rings. Hm… The Winter King trilogy by Bernard Cornwell (I count this as one), Good Omens and maybe… Pillars of the Earth.

Author Websites and Profiles
NIKOLAI BIRD Website
NIKOLAI BIRD Amazon Profile

NIKOLAI BIRD’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile
Facebook Profile
Twitter Account

Pamela Cartlidge 

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
My home town is Wrexham, North Wales, though my partner and I have moved around a lot in the UK before settling in Cardiff twenty years ago. I have written four novels all of them influenced by either my own experiences or those of friends.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
Text me from your Grave was inspired by a visit to an old Abbey in a place called Holywell not far from the North Wales coast. A legend surrounding an ancient eighth century well and Saint Winefride made me think about how I could weave the ghost of Saint Winefride into a modern murder mystery/detective story. I thought the best way to do this was to first connect the ancient ghost with a modern one and see how far I could develope the story.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I don’t have a set pattern for writing, but I make sure I write a few hours every day. When I write depends on what is happening that particular day. If a friend invites me out for coffee and cake or lunch or some other such thing, I rarely refuse! I just grab a few hours every day when I can. Sometimes I write all day (about 6 hours) with plenty of tea or coffee breaks!

What authors, or books have influenced you?
Donna Tartts ‘Secret History’ had a long lasting affect on me as indeed Carlos Ruiz Zafron’s ‘Shadow of the Wind’. More recently I have admired ‘Eleanor Oliphant is completely Fine’ by Gail Honeyman and ‘The Muse’ by Jessie Burton. Reading these books made me realise that it isn’t so much about how you write but what you write. That said, I like the writing to flow so that there are no awkward ‘bumps’ in the story. I’ve read a lot of crime novels lately and I am experimenting with some ideas to write one of my own.

What are you working on now?
I am in the process of editing my latest novel “The Keeper”. It is probably best put in the category of ‘Crime’ though it would easily fit into the genre of ‘Commercial Fiction’. It might just fit into a psychological thriller. I seem to have a knack of writing novels that appear to have a genre of their own! It is about a young widow wanting to start a new life in a different town with her small daughter. Unfortunately, her helping hand leads her to abducting three young children. From then on it becomes a cat and mouse game with the police.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I am still trying to find the best way to promote my books. Before the lockdown I had planned on organising a tour of various towns with some fellow writers. Local bookshops organise ‘Book signing events’ which so far I haven’t managed to do, but hopefully when the pandemic is over, I can do that. Websites such as this one is a big step for me, so hopefully it well help. The website A – Z of Welsh Writers is a good stepping stone. I advertised it on FB and sold a few books on the strength of that. But you have to keep plugging away.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
I joined a writer’s circle a year ago and have learned a lot from fellow writers. It helps to give you confidence in what you do. It is nice to talk to fellow writers and to bounce ideas off them. Similarly a group of friends decided to start a book club and we have read a huge cross section of books over the last two years. It is interesting to learn what readers like and don’t like. We don’t always agree! Yes we have wine and cheese too, but we are serious about the books!

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Don’t give up on your dreams. Believe in yourself and work hard.

What are you reading now?
I’ve just bought Mick Herron’s ‘Down Cemetery Road’. I haven’t read any of his books before, so tonight I will make a start.

What’s next for you as a writer?
I still have ideas in my head for at least three more books. If one of my ideas for a detective series takes off then maybe I will write more. Meanwhile my local library have got to know me and bought my first three books. When the city library opens properly to the public again, I have been promised a slot for an “author sign in”.

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 month in the Country’ by J. Carr, a gentle story of an artist’s encounters in post war North Yorkshire; Headhunters by Jo Nesbo, a very involved crime novel to bury myself in and ‘Life of Pi’ by Yann Martel. I’ve seen the film but never read the book. It might uplift me if I’m on a desert island.

Author Websites and Profiles
Pamela Cartlidge Amazon Profile

Czarina Matthews 

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
Hello,
I am a new author, a breast cancer survivor, and a mental health advocate.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
My debut memoir, Finding Czarinaty: The Journey To Peace Through Cancer, was inspired by my personal breast cancer journey and the yearning to find myself and live in peace.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I typically like to describe in three’s.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
Eric Jerome Dickey
Mary B Morrison
Maya Angelou
Anthony Joiner

What are you working on now?
I am working on a journal/workbook as a supplemental guide to the book.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
Https://www.peaceandczarinaty.com

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Be sure to write everything that comes to mind first. Then go back and refine the storytelling.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
write from the heart then write with your mind

What are you reading now?
Being Number One by Candice Lenoir

What’s next for you as a writer?
We will see in the days to come.

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 for sure!

 

VIRGINIA BARLOW 

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I love to read and write. I crochet, knit, quilt and sew. Mostly, I read and write. My first book is a re-telling of the classic fairy tale Cinderella. I added plot twists and family drama. My intention was to show the dynamics of a family with three sisters. This story my interpretation of what happened without a magic wand. I hope you enjoy the story as much as I did writing it!
My second book is a completely different flavor than my first book. I have since, finished two other books that are waiting in the wings for their turn to shine!
Right now, I am in the process of writing for a series. I can’t wait to see how it turns out!

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
My second book is a historical romance set in Wyoming Territory in the 1800’s. I had a good time with the banter between the hero and heroine in the story. There are a lot of misconceptions in the story. My husband came up with the word “fallacious”. He was reading a list of unusual words. So, I looked up the definition and began to plot the story.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I like to eat Twizzler bites. I call them my thinking vitamins. I find if I munch on them while I write, my scenes turn out better!

What authors, or books have influenced you?
I have so many favorite romance authors it is hard to say which ones influenced me the most. I have been an avid reader for years. In thinking back, I would have to say Barbra Cartland was most influential in my life. My older sister and I used to sneak her books out of my mom’s bottom drawer where she kept them hidden from Dad. We would read them and sneak them back as if nothing ever happened. Those books were my first romance books. I have been an avid reader ever since.

What are you working on now?
I am working on another historical romance set in Wyoming Territory in the 1800’s. I cannot give too many details away, but it should be a fun read.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I like Awesome Gang! Newsletters, blog tours, Twitter, Facebook are all good promotional ideas.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Keep at it! Just like everything else writing is a matter of practice. Practice makes perfect.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Perseverance is a virtue!

What are you reading now?
I am reading books by my fellow authors of The Wild Rose Press. I have to say, we have some talented and intriguing authors!

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

If you were going to be stranded on a desert island and allowed to take 3 or 4 books with you what books would you bring?
Gone With the Wind, The Notebook, The Thorn Birds, and A Knight in Shining Armor

Author Websites and Profiles
VIRGINIA BARLOW Website
VIRGINIA BARLOW Amazon Profile

VIRGINIA BARLOW’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile
Facebook Profile
Twitter Account