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Sophie Martin 

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I am a Polish girl living in the UK. I feel like I’ve always been writing. In primary school it was fairytales I created for my brothers and schoolmates. In secondary it was fantasy. My love for all things fantastical and magical stayed with me and in my twenties I’ve written an alternate universe book. at the same time I became addicted to romance and wrote a historical romance novel. Both of these were written in polish and never published. Then after moving to UK I became interested in mm erotic romance genre. Having encountered a few truly rubbish books in the genre I decided to write my own. Having written it there was no reason not to send it to a publisher, so I did. That was in 2014. Since then I have published 12 books in four series in the genre.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
While I still find mm pairing inspiring to write about (there is so much adversity there that the characters often have to overcome and I also love creating worlds without this kind of prejudice) at a certain point I found the erotic part of the romance genre quite restrictive. Some of the stories in my head have simply very slow developing romance part and I felt like they should focus more on the adventure part of the story. That is what prompted me to try self-publishing one of those stories. This is how “The Mage” came about.
“The Mage” is a story set in a world that will (further into the series) prove itself to be steampunk-y. It’s first in the “Into the Wilds” series which will introduce us into the word filled with dangerous magic, monsters and brave adventurers. It has a character who is slightly damaged and side-characters who add to the flavour of the story and will become even more important as the series progresses.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I tend to jump between many works in progress. I’ll start a story and then leave it for months or even years waiting its turn to be finished.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
I’m not sure if that influence shows in my writing but the authors and books that impacted me greatly in my life were: J.R.R. Tolkien, Ursula K. LeGuin, C.S. Lewis, J.K. Rowling, Lucy Maud Montgomery, Terry Pratchett, Terry Goodkind.
Polish authors: Andrzej Ziemiański, Andrzej Pilipiuk
And there were to many romance authors to mention them all.

What are you working on now?
I’m working on several things at the same time. The second book in the “Into the Wilds” Series and a collection of yound adult short stories about the only human boy in a town full of paranormals are the two most advanced ones of them.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I must admit I have no idea. I’ve been really bad at promoting my books, I haven’t done any o that for the longest time and now I’m simply lost when it comes to advertising, promoting etcetera. I hope to have it figured out sometime in the near future though.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Believe in yourselves! Your writing will never be accepted by everybody but as long as you’ve got the passion and willingness to work on your style etc you’re able to get better and there will be someone to whom your books will matter.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Everybody knows that something can’t be done. Then there comes one who doesn’t know it. He is the one that actually manages to do it.

What are you reading now?
I’m reading “A Wizard’s Guide To Defensive Baking” by T. Kingfisher. And in small increments also “Homo Deus: A History of Tomorrow” by Yual Noah Harari

What’s next for you as a writer?
I’m wanting to drift a bit further away from romance and into fantasy territory, also maybe finish a children’s book I had sitting on the sidelines for a long time. I don’t think I’ll ever give up on mm romance though. I find it to be a very rewarding genre.

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?
Ugh, It’s a tough one. I’m gonna cheat a little. The Lord of the Rings trilogy in one book. The Earthsea Cycle. and a few of Terry Pratchett Discworld Series.

Author Websites and Profiles
Sophie Martin Website
Sophie Martin Amazon Profile

Sophie Martin’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile
Facebook Profile
Twitter Account
Pinterest Account

Marc Cavella 

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I’ve been a professional writer in one capacity or another (international shipping, anyone?) for over twenty years, but I’ve been writing fiction on and off since I was sixteen. I only recently started to focus on writing novels after leaving a Clinical Psychology doctoral program back in 2016, though.

I currently have two books available to the public. Tabernacle tells the story of Edward Jones, a wildly successful salesman who sells a product that none of his clients actually wants. And I just released The Ballad of Ricky Risotto, a novella about an underappreciated and marginalized man working for Ozark Championship Wrestling (OCW), an independent professional wrestling promotion in 1979.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
My latest book is titled The Ballad of Ricky Risotto. The book is inspired by my love for professional wrestling, especially pro wrestling from the 1970s and ’80s, back when the wrestlers were expected to “live their gimmicks” (act in character) twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week. I wanted to do a character study about a wrestling manager who was living an additional gimmick beyond the character he played on TV, which is exacerbated by societal (and OCW’s) expectations back in 1979.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I really don’t! Or at least, I don’t think I do. Maybe some people would look at the habits I have and find them weird. The only habit I really have is to be sure I write 500 words a day, minimum. I don’t outline and I do jump around a lot between scenes in various places in the book, which is something that maybe a lot of other writers might find weird or confusing. But it’s working for me so far.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
I try to read a wide variety of authors, so I’m probably influenced by a broad range of authors working in a number of different styles. William Faulkner is certainly an influence, as is Flannery O’Connor–I always enjoyed reading their works, and those two are probably a big part of why I love that lyrical Southern style of prose so much. O’Connor’s work is especially fun to read, given how sharp and witty she was.

As far as the actual books go, I’d probably list The Sun Also Rises and The Great Gatsby as two huge influences. Hemingway’s ability to be both simultaneously spare and evocative is incredibly impressive, and Fitzgerald’s lyricism and observational skills are always something to aspire to.

What are you working on now?
I’m currently working on a pair of sequels. First up is going to be The Man from Coronado: A Lance Sacramento Story, which is the sequel to The Ballad of Ricky Risotto and falls under that Ozark Championship Wrestling banner. It follows a returning Vietnam veteran named Lawrence Santarelli as he struggles to readjust to civilian life in 1972. He ends up hanging out with a biker club that provides security for The Rolling Stones on their Stones Touring Party tour before eventually becoming a wrestler named Lance “The Hot Bod” Sacramento; the character and the story are both very loosely based on Jesse “The Body” Ventura.

I’m also working on Place the Flowers, the sequel to Tabernacle. Edward Jones is now retired and has a family of his own (sort of), but he’s drawn back into the sales game with the promise of an enormous commission. I think it’s going to be a fun little contrast to the first book.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I’ve had a little bit of luck with Facebook and Twitter, but I’m still in the process of figuring out what works best for me. There are so many authors out there and it seems like each of them has had success using a different method. But I think if you have a certain genre and audience that you know you’re focusing on, the best bet is to go to the sites they utilize and promote your work there.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Just keep writing and revising. Find some beta readers or other writers whose opinions you really trust, and listen to their feedback. You’re not under any obligation to use any of it, obviously, but it’s important to listen to what other people say because it’s too easy to fall into the trap of being so attached to your work that you can’t see what’s wrong with it. That’s been my experience, anyway, and I’ve been lucky enough to meet a couple of other writers who really help me keep my work focused and grounded.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
In terms of writing, it’s probably “Take the art very seriously, but don’t take yourself too seriously.”

Other than that, “wear clean underwear” is always good advice.

What are you reading now?
I just started Forrest Gump, by Winston Groom. It’s pretty different from the movie, which cuts out lot of the novel’s darkness and cynicism. As someone who enjoys dark and gritty fiction, I’m digging the book more than the movie. (Although the movie is excellent!)

What’s next for you as a writer?
I’d like to finish up both of the trilogies I’m working on. I’ll probably finish the OCW novellas first by writing a story about Cindy Carmichael, OCW’s most popular female star. The plan is to then release all three of those novellas in one paperback. Once that’s done, I’d like to finish After the Gold Rush, which is the third novel in the Edward Jones trilogy.

After that, I’m hoping to pivot to some other ideas I have for a few different novels and novellas, and maybe even a play or two. We’ll see what happens, but I’m pretty excited to be able to have the opportunity to work on all of these projects.

If you were going to be stranded on a desert island and allowed to take 3 or 4 books with you what books would you bring?
1. The Road, by Cormac McCarthy.
2. The Sun Also Rises, by Ernest Hemingway.
3. The Great Gatsby, by F. Scott Fitzgerald.

These are the only three books I’ve ever finished in a single sitting. They really intrigued me right from the beginning and I didn’t want to stop reading until I’d read the final pages.

Author Websites and Profiles
Marc Cavella Website
Marc Cavella Amazon Profile

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

Nathan Elberg 

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I’m a retired Realtor, anthropologist and recovered ex-radical, living in a peaceful metropolitan suburb. I’ve been tear-gassed, had a bayonet in my face, travelled on a carnival train and hitch-hiked across the continent.
I’ve studied folklore, warfare, Kabbalah, primitive art and communications among other things. My essays and stories have been published in a variety of venues. As a graduate student I studied with the late Dr. Michael Harner, a practicing shaman and recognized expert on cannibalism. My father Yehuda Elberg was a world-renowned Yiddish author and lecturer. My mother was a poet and translator.
A descendent of the biblical King David, I recently put aside his plan to rule the galaxy so I could devote more time to writing. I’m a member of the Canadian Fantasy and Science Fiction Association and am active with the Canadian Institute for Jewish Research, a think tank.
I’ve been married for many decades and have been blessed with children and grandchildren.
I’ve written one novel, and co-edited a book on the relation between Zionism and the Native American relation with their lands.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
Zionism, An Indigenous Struggle is my latest book, but I want to talk here about Quantum Cannibals. The main character is based upon a historic Jewish woman in 16th century Kurdistan. She was head of the religious academy, and had a title higher than “rabbi.” None of these things would be possible today. There are many legends about her wisdom, her power and her beauty. One of those stories became the start-off point of the novel.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
My father was a world-renowned Yiddish novelist. I remember him sitting at the kitchen table banging away on his typewriter. My mother would shush everyone, make sure no one disturbed him as he worked. My kids were grown up and pretty much out of the house when I started seriously writing fiction. I kept on getting interrupted by Facebook, email, or sometimes, my job. I developed the ability to turn my mind on and off from the fiction I was working on.
Now, the question is about “unusual writing habits.” I cannot attest to this being unusual. Maybe everyone else does the same thing.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
Aldous Huxley influenced my thinking before he influenced my writing. “Eyeless in Gaza” was almost like a bible to me, explaining through fiction how to live properly in the world. When I started work on Quantum Cannibals I adopted his writing style as well. I quickly learned that what worked in the 1930’s didn’t work in the 21st century, especially for a work of speculative fiction. I started again.
Terry Goodkind’s “Sword of Truth” series had a tremendous influence on me. He’s a brilliant writer, turning out gripping prose, presenting a story with a purpose.
Douglas Adams makes me jealous. His writing is so original, so funny, so insightful. In his Hitchhikers’ Guide to the Galaxy 5-part trilogy, he presents some phenomenal insights.

What are you working on now?
I’ve published a few highly-rated romance short stories under a pseudonym, and have decided to expand them into full fledged contemporary romance novels. It’s hard putting myself into the mind of an amorous female.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I really don’t have a preferred approach. Facebook is okay, book deal sites are important

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Put down what you wrote, leave it alone for a little while, then read it as if it was something you’ve never read before.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
“Experience is not what happens to a man; it is what a man does with what happens to him.”
― Aldous Huxley

What are you reading now?
Just finished re-reading “Dirk Gently’s Holistic Detective Agency” by Douglas Adams.

What’s next for you as a writer?
Get my romance novels published, then write the next book in the series that follows Quantum Cannibals.

If you were going to be stranded on a desert island and allowed to take 3 or 4 books with you what books would you bring?
War and Peace, the complete box set of Game of Thrones, and the Bible (as defined by Judaism)

Author Websites and Profiles
Nathan Elberg Website

Nathan Elberg’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile
Facebook Profile
Twitter Account

Shelley Dieterichs 

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I am a children’s illustrator and this is the first book I have written (co-authored) and published.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
When Michelle Met the Queen is a charming story of how Michelle Obama’s and Queen Elizabeth II’s families linked with one another across time. After the first Queen Elizabeth of England’s death, Britain became involved in the slave trade from Africa to the colonies. First Lady Michelle Obama’s great, great grandfather was a slave, and it was after many years of struggle and hardship that her family finally saw blacks gain freedom in the U.S.
Shelley and Pauline believe it is the responsibility of whites to expose the injustices perpetrated against people of color over the centuries, and to stand up for the resulting injustice and inequity we see today. They know you will want copies of this interesting and timely story.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
Jon Klassen and Kass Reich – illustrators

What are you working on now?
I have just produced 2021 A Dog of a Year and A Catty Year Calendars – this is the third year I have produced these calendars

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
Facebook, my own website http://www.goodbuddynotes.com and https://www.michelleobamachildrensbook.com

Do you have any advice for new authors?
I don’t – but primarily because this year, with the Covid 19 pandemic, has meant that a lot of resources have evaporated for selling new products –

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Most of the childrens books I have illustrated have required the approval of the author – and so if an author is really demanding and picky – I advise that you muster on – since you must meet the author’s demands and expectations.

What are you reading now?
I love mysteries and detective stories – and favorite authors are Martin Walker, Louise Penney, and I loved Sue Grafton’s books

What’s next for you as a writer?
I have a couple of children’s books I would like to publish – one is a flip book for children to learn alphabet letters and short words using the dozen illustrated alphabets I have created.

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?
Thrillers – there are so many titles it is hard to narrow down the choices!

Author Websites and Profiles
Shelley Dieterichs Website

Shelley Dieterichs’s Social Media Links
Facebook Profile
Twitter Account
Pinterest Account

Ashley Hebenton 

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
By day, I am Senior Development Officer with the Canadian Federal Government, working in collaboration with Indigenous groups and organizations to help deliver an Indigenous led Early Learning and Child Care program/policy for all Indigenous children in British Columbia. By night, weekend and holidays, I am an artist and author. I have published only one book, and have another one on the way! I have two charming little girls, and I absolutely adore children… they are simply just the best.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
My book is called Colorful Feelings, and may first daughter inspired it. I was looking for a book about feelings that had very happy and calm illustrations and explored nice feelings. Thus, Colorful Feelings explores the intensely sweet feelings and emotions of young children. The use of adorable animals, symmetrical designs and vibrant colors make this picture book visually stunning. I combined beautiful illustrations and sweet text to elicit warm and gentle, yet fun and exciting feelings for babies, toddlers and preschoolers.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
Does drinking a glass of wine whilst writing count?

What authors, or books have influenced you?
I am influenced by anything that brings joy to my heart, and I love bright colors or just black and white sketching.

What are you working on now?
My next book -I would tell you more but then you wouldn’t be able to contain your excitement!

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I am an Instagram lover all the way

Do you have any advice for new authors?
NEVER give up… It took me 3 years to publish my book!

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Do not argue… ask thought provoking questions instead.

What are you reading now?
Step 1 -step into reading books!

What’s next for you as a writer?
I am working on a book about my father’s life as a child growing up on the Hudson’s Bay of Manitoba, Canada. It will be an educational novel about Canadian History, life in the North and Indigenous culture.

If you were going to be stranded on a desert island and allowed to take 3 or 4 books with you what books would you bring?
oooh, this is a tough one. I would bring an art book so I could enjoy amazing art (a picture paints 1000 words after all). I would also bring a great romance and something hilarious to keep me laughing.

Author Websites and Profiles
Ashley Hebenton Website