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Mark Whiteway 

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
“Writing SciFi has been a long held ambition of mine. As a kid, I read everything – H.G. Wells, Jules Verne, Robert Heinlein, etc., etc. At twelve years old, I wrote a novella. (I still have it, hand-written in a huge ledger). It was about our sun going nova, and the resulting breakdown of society, as told through the eyes of three boys. It had a pretty surreal ending.”

“Following that, life intervened, and it was only in April ’09 that I determined that I wanted to get back to writing. I had had several ideas running around in my head for some time, of which the Lodestone concept was probably the strongest. As I began to develop the story, it rapidly became clear that there was no way I was going to be able to cover it all in a single book, and so the Lodestone Series was born.

“The first trilogy was quite well received, which led to a second trilogy in the Lodestone universe and I then branched out into a new story which became The Arc of the Universe quartet of books. “Lockdown” enabled me to complete the epic Carrie Anne’s World.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
Carrie Anne’s World is the story of a girl lost in space and time, set against the background of an Earth being decimated by climate change.

We meet Carrie Anne alone on a cliff top with no memory of her past. Who is she? Where is she? And how did she get here? Mike O’Keefe. A gap-year student volunteering on a conservation project encounters her in a series of recurring dreams. He dismisses the experience, but when elements from his dreams begin appearing in the waking world, he is propelled on a two billion year journey spanning the evolution of the solar system with the survival of Humanity at stake!

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I can’t type properly. I’m strictly a two-finger typist!

What authors, or books have influenced you?
When I was young, I was the ultimate bookworm. I read everything – R L Stevenson, C S Forrester, Edgar Allan Poe. Then I moved over to Wells, Verne and Heinlein as well as John Wyndham and John Brunner.

Paul Kearney and Roger Zelazny are favourites of mine. Both have moments of brilliance in their writing that simply blow you away!

What are you working on now?
I am about 20 percent along with my next novel entitled, “Whipstitch”. Like Carrie Anne’s World, the central theme is the environment, but the story could not be more different. It takes place in Pennsylvania, and it’s the first book I have ever attempted to write in US English. I am eternally grateful to my American beta reader for correcting my frequent gaffs!

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
http//:www.markwhiteway.weebly.com

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Just keep at it. If you just do 250 words a day, you’ll eventually have a book!

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
To quote Ray Bradbury when he was asked how he writes; he said, “You jump off a cliff and build wings on the way down!”

What are you reading now?
Roadmarks by Roger Zelazny

What’s next for you as a writer?
Rescuing my Whipstitch characters from a town taken over by death-dealing plants!

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?
Mythago Wood (Robert Holdstock); Time Ships (Stephen Baxter); The Hobbit!

Author Websites and Profiles
Mark Whiteway Website
Mark Whiteway Amazon Profile
Mark Whiteway Author Profile on Smashwords

Mark Whiteway’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile
Facebook Profile
Twitter Account

Luna Tibling 

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I am an openly transgender and non-binary author of fiction and poetry. I love representing the LGBT+ community in an accurate and positive way, and exploring the mysteries of existence and emotions.

So far, I have published 3 poetry books, 1 standalone story about animals escaping from a zoo and the first 2 instalments in my ongoing LGBT+ romance series.

My hobbies include acting and singing; I belong to 2 amateur dramatics groups. I also love cats. (Who doesn’t?)

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
The series name is Beyond the Binary, and each book’s title starts with ‘How I Found’. The introductory novella is How I Found Myself, and the first full-length novel is How I Found Ariana. The series tells the story of non-binary poet Skylar; it is inspired by my own experiences of prejudice as a member of the LGBT+ community, as well as my struggles with depression and my time working in a dreadful call centre!

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
When the weather is good, I like to take a notepad to the park and write a poem at a picnic bench.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
Jodi Picoult – unusual descriptions and characters speaking frankly to the reader
Kevin Brooks – long introspections from the mind of someone who has trouble fitting in
Michael Chrichton – Jurassic Park (what more needs to be said?)
Dr Seuss – playful rhymes and illustrations
Edward Lear – use of odd words and inventing new ones when necessary
Lewis Carroll – as above
Ogden Nash – cynical outlook on life, not bound by strict rhythmic structure
Hilaire Belloc – cynicism again and thoughtful reflections
Edgar Allan Poe – haunting exploration of mental demons
Roald Dahl – child heroes and disgusterous stories
Spike Milligan – ingenious wordplay and light-hearted attitude

What are you working on now?
The second full-length novel in the Beyond the Binary series, How I Found Kit. Having arrived at a relatively stable mental state, Skylar sets about repairing their relationship with their younger cousin who has been distant since they came out.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I’m still discovering that!

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Believe in yourself and your abilities. If something isn’t working, ask yourself why and see what you can do to improve it.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Be yourself. Everyone else is already taken. – Oscar Wilde

What are you reading now?
Small Great Things by Jodi Picoult. An intricately-written story about racism, both overt and subtle.

What’s next for you as a writer?
More instalments in Beyond the Binary! After How I Found Kit I will start How I Found Devon, which will be about an unexpected reunion with a childhood friend.

If you were going to be stranded on a desert island and allowed to take 3 or 4 books with you what books would you bring?
That’s difficult. I think I’d split it between two novels, one children’s book and one poetry book. The lineup would probably be something like this:

Sing You Home by Jodi Picoult
Martyn Pig by Kevin Brooks
Green Eggs and Ham by Dr Seuss
The Complete Nonsense of Edward Lear

Author Websites and Profiles
Luna Tibling Amazon Profile

Luna Tibling’s Social Media Links
Facebook Profile

Blue Spruell 

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
Born in Memphis, Tennessee, and raised in Atlanta, Georgia, Blue Spruell lived and worked in Japan for several years before returning to Atlanta. A trial lawyer and certified mediator, he runs his own firm, The Outlaw Firm, specializing in family law and civil litigation. An internationally recognized black belt instructor, he also owns Peachtree Aikikai, a dōjo for Japanese martial arts. TARO: Legendary Boy Hero of Japan is his debut novel.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
Tarō is the quintessential hero of three timeless Japanese folktales: Kintaro (Golden Boy), Urashima Taro (Island Boy), and Momotaro (Peach Boy). Each legend stands alone, bearing no relation to the others except in name. Some years ago, I saw a parallel between the personalities of Japan’s three Great Unifiers and Momotaro’s animal companions, the pheasant, monkey, and dog. I thought it might be amusing to write a short story drawing on this comparison. What began as a little excursion became a grand adventure. While the rest may not be history per se, I hope the reader will enjoy this new yarn as much as I enjoyed spinning it.

Author Websites and Profiles
Blue Spruell Website
Blue Spruell Amazon Profile

Blue Spruell’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile
Facebook Profile
Twitter Account
Pinterest Account

Daniel Schiavello 

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
This is my first book I’m thrilled to be able to have it published and be able to share it.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
Thoughts of Expression, I was writing poetry some about love and life that I was feeling and the title came to me

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
Yes I stay up to the wee hours of the morning writing

What authors, or books have influenced you?
Anything from John Grisham I’ve read Poe, Walt Whitman, Maya Angelou

What are you working on now?
Promoting this book as well as writing for the second book

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

Do you have any advice for new authors?
If your not concerned about money and this is your passion got for it don’t ever give up

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Publish my book

What are you reading now?
Thomas Goodfellow and John Grisham

What’s next for you as a writer?
Contnue writing and promoting maybe try short stories

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?
John Grisham A Time to Kill, The Pelican Brief, The Client

Author Websites and Profiles
Daniel Schiavello Website
Daniel Schiavello Amazon Profile

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

Shawna Reppert 

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I write mostly urban fantasy and steampunk Victorian detective novels, along with a few stand-alone books in the more traditional fantasy genre. With my latest release, I have published 11 novels, not counting short stories and a novella.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
Raven’s Shade is my latest book. It’s the fifth book of the Ravensblood series. By this point, my reformed dark mage is pretty well settled back into the community, is married, even has an infant son.

I needed to find a new way to challenge him, shake him out of his newly-acquired comfort zone. He is supremely confident in his magic and his position as a consultant for Guardian International Investigations (sort of an elite magic police force in my alternate-universe version of the modern world). But has not formal training in detective work, and he’s never had to conduct an investigation on his own.

So I decided it was high time he did so. And to raise his level of discomfort, I took him out of the upper-class urban life he’s used to and sent him to a small, rural town. Then threw him against a type of magic even he has never heard of.

Raven in the past has shown himself willing to risk his life for the needs of the many. With this novel, I found a way to up the stakes even higher.

Since the series takes place mostly in an alternate Pacific Northwest, I like to bring in features of my beloved adopted home region. Few people know that in Washington State there are petroglyphs far older than the pyramids. I have visited them, and they are truly awe-inspiring. They are sacred to the indigenous nations, so I did not want to be disrespectful by involving them directly. But they are referenced in the novel, which revolves around another (fictional) set of petroglyphs newly discovered in a cave in the high desert region of Oregon.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I have an insulated ‘writing mug’ that holds nearly an entire pot of Earl Grey. It’s decorated to look like stonework carved with Celtic knotwork, and has a wolf (for the Werewolves and Gaslight Mysteries) and a raven (for the Ravensblood series). I custom-ordered it with the word ‘Author’ instead of my name. It helps me keep focused on why I love writing when the going gets tough.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
Too many to mention! The Lord of the Rings (the book, not the movie!) was my introduction to fantasy at the tender age of eight years old (I read *way* above my grade level!) I read pretty much anything I could get my hands on. Ann Rice in my teens. Robin McKinley always, both her YA books and especially her books for grown-ups. Nancy Springer, especially her mid-career works. Charles de Lint is my god. He was writing urban fantasy before urban fantasy was a thing, and is still better than most of what’s out there. I read Harry Potter but found myself more interested in the backstory of the previous generation than what the kids were up to, and I consider Severus Snape the true hero of the books.

In more recent times, I have devoured every book in Ben Aaronovitch’s Rivers of London series. I also greatly admire the mystery writers Tana French and Laurie R. King.

What are you working on now?
The third book of the Werewolves and Gaslight Mysteries. My late editor called the series ‘Sherlock Holmes with werewolves’. Torn on the title: it’s either going to be The Rising of the Moon or A Trick of Moonlight. In addition to the regular cast (Inspector Royston Jones, a nobleman’s bastard; Richard Bandon, a clandestine werewolf; and Catherine Fairchild, a woman alchemist with attitude) there will be a stage magician (excuse me, Practitioner of Illusionism), Irish immigrants campaigning for Irish Home Rule, an anarchist bomb plot, and a woman in a recent marriage of convenience found dead under mysterious circumstances.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I’ll let you know when I figure it out.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Get The Writer’s Journey by Christopher Vogler. This is your new bible.

Read every book on writing by Donald Maass, and take any and every seminar and workshop from him you can possibly afford.

Re-read your favorite books in your genre, and by more than one author. Pay attention to how they use the basics: scene, structure, character, foreshadowing, plot twists, all of it.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
You need an editor and a copyeditor/line editor. No writer can edit his/her own work. A professional writer knows this.

What are you reading now?
A Murderous Relation by Deanna Raybourn

What’s next for you as a writer?
Continuing to work on productivity. Health issues prevented me from putting out even one book in 2020. My goal is to release at least 2 books a year going forward.

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 a cruel question and I refuse to answer it. It’s like asking someone which is their favorite child!

Author Websites and Profiles
Shawna Reppert Website
Shawna Reppert Amazon Profile

Shawna Reppert’s Social Media Links
Facebook Profile
Twitter Account

Chuck Augello 

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I’m the author of the novel The Revolving Heart, published by Black Rose Writing in 2020, which was selected by Kirkus Reviews for its Best 100 Books list. I’ve also published a story collection, The Inexplicable Grey Space We Call Love. My second novel, Exit 23, will be published in November 2021.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
For many years I walked my dog every morning through an old Quaker Cemetery. My novel The Revolving Heart was inspired by the gravestone of a four-year-old girl. I began to wonder how she might have died, and soon I had a first sentence: When Sarah Carpenter disappeared in the summer of 1995, I was 17 and waiting for my chance to disappear, too. That sentence is not part of the published novel, but it was the spark that got me started.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I’m a morning writer, and almost never write anything good past the hour of 11:00 AM. A cup of green tea is generally required, and it helps to have a dog sitting at my feet or a cat (or two) on my lap.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
The book that has meant the most to me is The World According to Garp by John Irving. Irving’s novels have been with me for all of my adult life. Other favored writers include Kurt Vonnegut, T.C. Boyle, Haruki Murakami, Tom Perrotta, Richard Russo, Hiromi Kawakami, and the great Russians of the 19th century: Chekhov, Turgenev, Tolstoy, and Dostoyevsky.

What are you working on now?
My next novel, Exit 23, is about a struggling indie filmmaker and his estranged actor father, set against the backdrop of the animal rights movement of the late 1990’s.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
The Revolving Heart was featured on BookBub, LitNuts, and Amazon ads.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Keep writing, and make sure you enjoy the process. There’s likely to be a lot of rejection so don’t rely on external validation. If you like what you’re writing and are having fun doing it, that’s what matters the most.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
To paraphrase Kurt Vonnegut: Treat the reader so that he or she will not feel that his or her time has been wasted. .

What are you reading now?
Nothing to See Here by Kevin Wilson and A Swim in a Pond in the Rain by George Saunders.

What’s next for you as a writer?
I’m finishing my novel Exit 23 for November publication. After that, I plan to write a few short stories while I recharge for the next marathon of writing a novel.

If you were going to be stranded on a desert island and allowed to take 3 or 4 books with you what books would you bring?
The World According to Garp by John Irving.
Deadeye Dick by Kurt Vonnegut
The Breaks of the Game by David Halberstam
Norwegian Wood by Haruki Murakami

Author Websites and Profiles
Chuck Augello Website
Chuck Augello Amazon Profile

Chuck Augello’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile

Jason R Richter 

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
My bio reads: Jason R. Richter is a perennial runner-up in Jason R. Richter look-alike contests. The orphaned love child of Kilgore Trout and Margaret Dumont, he was raised by marauding gypsy accountants. When the bottom fell out of the interplanetary death ray market at the dawn of the new millennium, he turned his hobby (a game he calls “Lies to Strangers”) into a career. He currently lives.

What that all means: When I first got on the internet I didn’t know any better and used my actual name “Jason Richter” for everything. I was immediately bombarded with people telling me how awesome I am from all over the world: The Seychelles, Mexico, Bolivia, England, Australia. Turns out, the main actor in Free Willy is also named Jason Richter. So, people were always disappointed to learn that I’m not the Jason Richter they were looking for.

I’m a big fan of Kurt Vonnegut (Kilgore Trout) and the Marx Brothers (Margaret Dumont).

Marauding gypsy accountants is a Monty Python reference.

I worked in optics (eyeglasses) for 18 years and I once told someone that at a party and they responded, “Death rays?”

Lies to strangers is a game the main character plays in my first book.

The first short stories I got published required a bio. By the time the stories went live the bio was no longer true. In this order, I stated that I was dating someone that I had since broken up with, then stated I lived in Colorado when I had since moved to Oregon, and that I lived with my new girlfriend and our four cats when one of the cats had since crossed the Rainbow Bridge.

So, I stopped tempting fate and made a humorous and, more importantly evergreen, author bio that I use everywhere.

I have published three books. “I am Leonard and other stories” and “L.I.F.E. in the 23rd Century” are available now.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
“L.I.F.E. in the 23rd Century” was inspired by the commemorative merchandise epidemic following 9/11. And also the President or Dick Cheney saying something along the lines of, “You either agree with us or you’re a terrorist.” I took those ideas and moved them several hundred years into the future where you can get a ticket for not having enough commemorative bumper stickers on your car and you had to endure “Patriotism audits” where you have to quote amendments from the Constitution verbatim or it’s off to Patriotism Rehab with you.

When I started writing the novel in 2003, I tried to think of what would happen 300 years after the beginning of the War on Terror. I came up with ridiculous things like a wall around the United States and government-enforced social distancing. It’s 1984 but with social media and flying cars.

When I finished “L.I.F.E.” I wanted to write a futuristic novel that was its opposite. Instead of a “Chosen One” that is trying to overthrow an authoritarian government, there’s one guy that just wants to work in a cubicle instead of making art. And he’s grumpy about it.

That’s the genesis of the novella “I am Leonard.” The novella owes a great deal to the Richard Matheson novella “I am Legend.” (Not the Will Smith movie, the book.) In the original “Legend,” it’s reverse Dracula. Instead of one vampire on a planet of humans, there is one human on a world full of vampires. “Leonard” is very much that idea. There is a world full of artists and this one person that insists on working in a government office instead of being creative.

The three stories after “I am Leonard” are stories that I had previously published, but weren’t available online anymore. So, I fixed some typos and brought them back.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
Everything I’ve written in a different way. “L.I.F.E.” was written over several years as a Word document. I would take a chapter to my writer’s group, get some advice, then go back through each previous chapter and apply that advice. Then I’d scramble to write another chapter the night before the next time I was supposed to read. I do not recommend this method.

“Mating Rituals” I wrote the first draft during NaNoWriMo, then slowly brought chapters to the writer’s group after I had finished. Neither of these books used an outline or any pre-planning, it was all by the seat of my pants.

In my current projects I’m using outlines and beats to see how that improves my writing process. My writing software has evolved from Word to yWriter to Scrivener. Most recently I’ve been writing everything long-hand in a notebook and then dictating it into my computer.

The only consistent thing is that I almost always write with a Morphine album playing.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
This is going to cover the waterfront. Harry Harrison, Fred Saberhagen, Mickey Spillane, Hunter S. Thompson, Anthony Bourdain, Philip K. Dick, Chuck Palahniuk, Kurt Vonnegut, Charles Bukowski, Gregory Mcdonald, Terry Pratchett, Douglas Adams.

I don’t like reading just one genre. I don’t like writing just one genre because of that.

And to be brutally honest, if the question was “Who do you want to be when you grow up?” or “Who do you want your career to most resemble?” my answer would be Harry Harrison.

Harry Who?

The only really famous thing he did was write a short story called “Make Room, Make Room.” That was optioned and turned into a movie called “Soylent Green.” Though the original story didn’t have anything about eating the elderly.

Mr. Harrison wrote on multiple different levels. He wrote “The Stainless Steel Rat” series which is a cross between intergalactic James Bond and Ocean’s Eleven. He wrote “Bill, the Galactic Hero” which is really funny low brow stuff, but also “Deathworld” which is edge of your seat hard science fiction. He wrote “The Hammer and the Cross” trilogy about the Vikings conquering England, then Scandinavia, then the Middle East and also “Stars and Stripes Forever” about what would have happened if the British assisted the South during the American Civil War.

Unfortunately, we are all victims of the Amazon algorithm now. Writing in all those different niches would prevent you from building an audience. So, in the future I will probably put titles out under different pen names.

What are you working on now?
I have two projects in the works. One is a nominal sequel series to my first novel “Mating Rituals of Migratory Humans.” The series follows the nameless protagonist from being a bartender at the end of “Mating Rituals” to a life working in a corporate optical environment. But because of the injuries at the end of “Mating Rituals” and the experimental medication he’s on, the entire book is hallucinatory. So, it’s “The Office” meets “The Twelve Labors of Hercules,” co-directed by William S. Burroughs and Salvador Dali.

The other series is a different type of alien invasion story. One day, giant humanoid creatures fall from the sky all over the earth. They look human, just larger. Are they aliens? Are they angels? Are they something else?

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I’m going to be honest with you, I am still trying to figure that out. I’m decent with the writing and the ideas. I know editors. I know cover designers. The promotion thing is something I’m trying to get right this time around. I’m hoping Awesome Gang is going to help me out with that.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Keep it secret, keep it safe. Don’t write something and immediately show it to your friends or talk to your friends about what you’re planning on writing when you first start out. Our brains are dumb and will confuse talking about writing with writing and you won’t get any writing done.

That said, find a writing critique group. I lucked out and fell into a group in 2002 that I’m still a member of. The group should give you advice on ways to make your story or your grammar or whatever better. You don’t want a mutual appreciation society that just thinks everything is perfect. You also don’t want to surround yourself with people that just tell you your writing is garbage. Or that won’t give you advice because they don’t read in your genre. Story structure is story structure possibly with the exception of romance and erotica. If they aren’t making you better, they’re wasting everyone’s time.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
“You can crap in my hat, but that doesn’t mean I have to wear it.”

Oh, do you mean writing advice?

“You’re allowed to suck.” / “Writing is re-writing.” When I first started trying to write novel length, I kept trying to make everything perfect. I combed over the first three chapters again and again. And then I’d lose interest. I have the first three chapters of a lot of dead projects.

There’s a character in Robert Crais novels named Joe Pike. Pike has giant red arrows tattooed on his deltoids pointing forward. Pike’s philosophy is you only have an advantage and can only stay alive if you’re moving forward. Like a shark. Like a claymore with the warning “This side towards the enemy.”

Your mission as a writer is to get to “The End” of the first draft. It doesn’t have to be pretty. It doesn’t have to make sense. It could fall to pieces like the Bluesmobile. Keep moving forward. If you think of something you need to fix in chapter four, make a note in a document and you can change it when the rough draft is done. Don’t go back, that way lies madness.

What are you reading now?
After Anthony Bourdain’s death his first book “Kitchen Confidential” was re-released with new chapters and Tony’s notes on the margin. I’m just about done with that.

Then, one of my favorite authors, Leod Fitz, just came out with the fourth book in The Corpse-Eater saga called “Delectable Detritus.” I’ve been waiting for that.

What’s next for you as a writer?
I’m going to spend some time figuring out how to promote my books. See what works and doesn’t work. Then apply that to the next series of 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?
Good question. “Journeyer” by Gary Jennings which is the fictional autobiography of Marco Polo. “Night Watch” by Terry Pratchett which I think is his masterpiece. And “The Hammer and the Cross” by Harry Harrison which is fantasy / alternative history about the Vikings learning how to make siege weapons so they can conquer England.

Author Websites and Profiles
Jason R Richter Website
Jason R Richter Amazon Profile

Jason R Richter’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile

J.G. Blodgett 

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I was born and raised in Southern Nevada, and now reside in Prescott, AZ. Prescott is a fantastic place do get inspired, and I have a feeling I will be living here in beautiful Northern Arizona the rest of my days!

I have written one middle-grade fantasy novel, The Gate Key Chronicles: Book 1: Te Dark Light, but it will be just one of nine in the saga. I have also written a children’s book with my daughter, Gwen Blodgett, Tiffany’s Tiff: The Bully and the Bullied, and hope to write many more with her and on my own.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
The Dark Light is the first book in the Gate Key Chronicles, an epic fantasy series by J.G. Blodgett. The story is written for teen readers, but is sure to please children, teens, and young adults alike, or anyone who dares to believe in something beyond themselves!

What inspired me to write this novel was a combination of wanting to see one of my own screenplays (the story itself) get out into the world, as well as influences like The Chronicles of Narnia series by C.S. Lewis. In addition, my inspiration is the hopes that any stories I write will inspire change in the world, no matter how small!

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
Not really. Mainly just kind of a procrastinator. But luckily I write my best stuff when uner a deadline that is fast approaching.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
C.S. Lewis is a huge inspiration. Paul Stewart is another. Robert Paulsen. J.R. Tolkien. Just to name a few.

What are you working on now?
I am currently writing book 2 of the Gate Key Chronicles, with a working title of The Dark Light Falls. I had originally planned to have each of the first three books within my series have the words “The Dark Light” in them, in hopes that the first three books would be dubbed The Dark Light Trilogy. But sadly, I learned that there is already a few series that have done this, so I am considering a name change… we’ll see. But all books in the saga will fall under the Gate Key Chronicles.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I am working on growing my email list, and hope that that will be my main landing page for potential readers, so they can get the latest news before anyone else. Beyond that, I am steadily working on my social media presence, and hope to someday engage on a personal level with readers on Facebook, Twitter, etc.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Write! Seriously, just put down your ideas on paper. The biggest hurdle is getting the first draft, of your first book, down on paper. After that, it opens up your mind to the possibility that “I can really do this!” Then it gets you into the next stage: rewriting. And that is where the real writing begins, at least in my opinion.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Write! Lol. I have heard and read that same advice I just gave from so many blogs, authors, etc.

What are you reading now?
Odd and the Frost Giants by Neil Gainman, illustrated by Chris Riddell. I am also re-reading Hatchet and the subsequent Brian books by Robert Paulsen.

What’s next for you as a writer?
Hopefully an exploding epic middle-grade fantasy series called the Gate Key Chronicles!

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?
Unbroken; Hatchet; The Edge Chronicles: Book 1

Author Websites and Profiles
J.G. Blodgett Website
J.G. Blodgett Amazon Profile

J.G. Blodgett’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile
Facebook Profile
Twitter Account

Whiskey Gray 

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
First of all, I’m a southern girl who is loving life on the Central Cali coast. According to my mother, I “wrote” my first story at age four. Before that, I had been inventing interesting stories about my stuffed animals since I could talk. I would follow my mom around while she tried to clean house or cook, telling her about the adventures “Bunny” and “Toby” had gotten into. One day, my mom realized she needed to capture the moment, pulled out a notepad, and begin writing down my story. Soon I learned to write for myself, and hundreds of short stories followed. As I got older, I went to work in student ministry, and suddenly my knack for storytelling became my tool for getting youth’s attention and communicating life lessons with them. After I left ministry, I started writing web serieses and short film scripts, hoping to one day create my own TV show. In the midst of this adventure, my husband took a job teaching Computer Engineering classes at a college on the Central Cali-Coast, uprooting our lives. Unfortunately, I got sick shortly after arriving in California. I spent about three and a half years in and out of the ER, and when I wasn’t headed to a doctor’s appointment I didn’t go anywhere. It’s hard to make new friends and enjoy life when you’re stuck in your house. I felt like my dreams were over. Thankfully, I started getting better. Doctors were able to figure out some of the issues that had made me so sick. In the process of healing, I decided I couldn’t wait any longer to make my TV show dreams a reality and retooled one of my projects for a novel.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
My first novel is called Crazy Kind of Beautiful. This particular story sprung into my head after three different people in my life learned that they had siblings they had never met. I thought a lot about what we think of as a traditional family and how life so often doesn’t follow a picturesque road. Our journies often take crazy, unexpected turns but can still be rather beautiful, scars and all.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I’m a finicky writer in that everything has to be just right for real progress to take place. I have one lawn chair that my mother in law made for me that sits in my garage. It’s really not the most comfortable chair, but it sits at just the right height. There is nothing to distract me in the garage, and I usually have a soda by my side.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
My ultimate favorite writer is Dan Fogelman, who I don’t think has written any books. He created This Is US (the best show on TV in my opinion) and Neighbors to name a few. (If you missed the sitcom Neighbors, find it and watch it! So funny!) The shows he has put together makes me want to write beautifully woven together pieces about relationships.

Book wise, John Grisham was the first author that really made me believe I could have a future in writing. I think it had a lot to do with us both being from Mississippi at a time when I didn’t know a lot of successful writers/artists from my area. His book, The Client, was the first book to change my life. I was probably in sixth or seventh grade when I read it, and it was one of the first books I couldn’t put down. I remember hiding in my room reading it when I was supposed to be doing homework. Ironically, I like his sports fiction novels (Bleachers, Calico Joe) best, though he’s much more known for his legal thrillers.

What are you working on now?
I’m writing the sequel to Crazy Kind of Beautiful, which I hope to have out later this year (2021). I’ve got a dramedy pilot that I’ve been playing around with for a year now that I give a few hours to each week. I also have a writing partner that I met with a couple of times a week. We’ve been developing a sitcom for about a year now. Hopefully, we’ll get a chance to pitch it before too long.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I am so new at promoting my material. Does anyone have suggestions for ME? Ha. I do most of it on Twitter and Instagram.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Again, I feel like I should be the one taking the advice rather than giving it.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
I think the best advice I have been given is to write what you enjoy and write often.

What are you reading now?
Honestly, I am reading every TV script that I can get my hands on in hopes of improving my two pilot script projects.

What’s next for you as a writer?
Right now, my goal is to focus on becoming the healthiest version of myself that I can be. Hopefully, in the process of doing that, I’ll finish my sequel and entertain more readers with my thoughts. Landing an agent would be great.

If you were going to be stranded on a desert island and allowed to take 3 or 4 books with you what books would you bring?
I’d bring a couple of John Grisham books with one of them being something by him that I haven’t read. I’d also bring my Bible.

Author Websites and Profiles
Whiskey Gray Website
Whiskey Gray Amazon Profile

Whiskey Gray’s Social Media Links
Facebook Profile
Twitter Account

Ebony Edgerson 

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I’m a creative fiction author, I tend to have a talent for writing. As I’ve written several books and published 6

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
My latest book is Titled Friends. I was inspired by the many friends that I’ve met throughout life, well as the hurdles and obstacles of friendship.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
My unusual writing habit is always being on the phone with a random friend or family member casually gossiping about a bunch of nothing.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
I love James Baldwin for what he stood and stands for. Donald Goines was my influence through life, his books boldly allowed my mind to imagine the scenery as described

What are you working on now?
I currently have 5 projects that I’m actively working on. Outside of writing, I’m actively working on an annual community event. Well as in the midst of publishing Friends, Hoes up Pimps Down and writing a few others.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
Word of mouth, and my personal webpage communication well as google search.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
The advice that I’d personally give to a new author, would be to focus on themselves. While educating themselves on everything in the literacy industry. Never trust anyone with your hard work

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
The best advice that I’ve ever heard, was to focus on myself!

What are you reading now?
As of now, I’m on reading the daily news along with the current events. I try not to read anymore seeing that I try not to affect my creativity.

What’s next for you as a writer?
My next step is to get out of Quarantine and to enjoy life while being thankful and blessed

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 Coldest Winter Ever, Whore Son, Daddy Kool, Fredrick Douglas a Slaves Memuare

Author Websites and Profiles
Ebony Edgerson Website
Ebony Edgerson Amazon Profile

Vineet Verma 

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
By day I am a tech worker and have loved writing since I was 10. I picked up the habit again a couple of years ago, and here I am, with my first novel published in January 2021. I also published a short story around the same time.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
It’s a murder mystery, Barefoot in the Parking Lot. I live in Silicon Valley and some of the inspiration came from the huge tech culture here, as well as the problems we have in the area. As a lifelong lover of mysteries, this book just had to be a murder mystery. Too many of those ideas floating in my head

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
Nah. I am pretty sane that way.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
Agatha Christie is my all-time favorite, especially her Hercule Poirot books. Definitely a big influence.

What are you working on now?
I am working on a couple of short stories and trying to get a full-length novel going.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
As a new author I am still learning the ropes and understanding the whole business side of things. Marketing and promotion are a big component of life as an independent author. I am trying a bunch of options but don’t have any favorites yet.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Spend the time daily to write. Also learn the business. Most importantly, write what you love and bring your truest self to your work.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Take the time out to write daily, even if for only 30 minutes.

What are you reading now?
I am midway through the Zoetrope short stories. Just completed a lovely short story, Her Last Winter, by Renee Kira. And before that I finished Big Bad City by the amazing Ed McBain. Looking forward to get started with some books by Harlan Coben and Karin Slaughter.

What’s next for you as a writer?
Write more books :). Polish my craft and become a better writer. There is always room for improvement.

If you were going to be stranded on a desert island and allowed to take 3 or 4 books with you what books would you bring?
I would take a Hercule Poirot collection

Author Websites and Profiles
Vineet Verma Website
Vineet Verma Amazon Profile

Vineet Verma’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile
Facebook Profile
Twitter Account

Alex Young 

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
Biography -Alex Young is the founder The Serah Foundation, non-profit organization dedicated to outreach of abused women and children. She is a loving daughter, sister, and mother. She served has as college professor for over 9 years and has a passion for teaching, mentoring, and helping individuals through the healing process. Though she currently practices as a Clinical Psychologist, she found her passion serendipitously, prior to beginning her practice. It has always been a passion within her from a child to comfort and to heal. I have written 2 books, but published one; the 2nd to be released soon.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
Love Revealed- is the name of the 2nd book, inspired by Love. God is Love.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
Not that I know of. : )

What authors, or books have influenced you?
Sarah Young; Dr. Myles Monroe; Joyce Meyer; CS Lewis; John Maxwell

What are you working on now?
1st book marketing and finalizing the 2nd book.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
Through Amazon or my website- http://www.dralexyoung.com

Do you have any advice for new authors?
No- I’m new and still learning. Proofread several times.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Marketing is the key- it can be great book, but if no reads it, no one will ever know it!!!

What are you reading now?
Dr. Myles Monroe –

What’s next for you as a writer?
Not sure

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?
Bible; Devotional; cook book

Author Websites and Profiles
Alex Young Website
Alex Young Amazon Profile

Amit Vaidya 

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
Heya, I’m Amit, originally from a small town in the middle of England (UK). I’m a very against the grain type of person and growing up had two dreams, both were as far fetched and improbable as the other but one came true. The first like most boys in England was to become a footballer (soccer player) and the other was to travel the world.

In 2010 the other dream came true and my life changed forever when I picked up my bags and left for a backpacking trip to Australia. It changed my life because I never returned home on a permanent basis. To this day I’m roaming around the world. I don’t have a trust fund, but my desire and lust for traveling has helped me turn a dream into my everyday life.

I’m a slow and long term traveler and try as spend as much time as possible in each country to get a true experience of it and have traveled from Australia to Bolivia across 5 continents.

After a decade of traveling, I finally got the urge to sit down and write a book. My debut book, You, Yourself & the World is a help book for anybody looking to live out their dreams of wandering the world solo. It is the first of many to come

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
The name of my book is You, Yourself & the World.

Funny enough it wasn’t the book I originally started to write.
While traveling through Borneo in 2019, the energy and atmosphere just captured me so much it inspired me to start writing my travel memoir. However as I planned the book out, so many old memories came flooding back. Along with the memories came old questions, fears and concerns. I realised they were the same things people had been asking me over the years from family members, to those who couldn’t fathom my life to first time solo travelers.

I switched gears, put down the memoir and started to write You, Yourself & the World to help people gain a deeper knowledge and understanding of what long term solo travel life is really like behind the fluffy facade.

The book was born in Borneo, nourished in Portugal and came to fruition in England.

The inspiration for the book came from the people around me.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
Apart from needing an IV drip of coffee I don’t think there is any unusual writing habits – Not that I’m aware of anyway.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
The biggest influence has to be my hero, the late great Anthony Bourdain. A traveler and author himself. His shows were what inspired me to travel in the first place and his writing style is something that just resonated with me.

What are you working on now?
At the moment I’m concentrating on re-writing some old blog posts having just published You, Yourself & the World. That and of course marketing the book.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I have to be honest, I am still in the learning stages of marketing my book. I’m playing around with different strategies, social media, my own website, doing Author interviews like this one. It can get frustrating at times but It’s also quite fun trying to get the formula right. So far for me, what has worked it networking, with people in the travel world but others authors too.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
My advice is that a lot of people are going to deter you from writing. You should write for the right reasons, and see it through, don’t let the noise distract you, believe in yourself and in what you have to offer as an Author. My other advice is to start your marketing as early as possible. This was a mistake I made, and I do wish I started marketing it from before I even started to write my first word.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Is to believe in my work, to make it as authentic as I can and with passion. Writing and making a book work is hard work – there is no point in going into it without full commitment and without passion.

What are you reading now?
At the moment I am reading a book called ‘when in roam’ from a fellow first time author. It is her comedy travel memoir from when she travelled the world in the late 90’s

What’s next for you as a writer?
My next move is to start marketing my next book, a collection of personal travel fails from all over the world; traveling doesn’t always go smoothly.

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?
Fear and loathing in Las Vegas (one of my faves)
The lost city of Z
Any Dan brown book

Author Websites and Profiles
Amit Vaidya Website
Amit Vaidya Amazon Profile

Amit Vaidya’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile
Facebook Profile
Twitter Account
Pinterest Account

Ananta Govinda 

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
My name is Ananta Govinda and so far I have written 3 books.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
My latest book is calle Mirror of Desire. It is an elegant weave of fantasy, philosophy, romance, and adventure, chronicling a voyage through a world of earthly duality into the realms beyond time. In the allegorical storyline of the Mirror of Desire trilogy, white and black wizards compete for access to the mysterious land of the Pyramid. I wanted to show those two colors are the range of the spectrum, indeed they cannot exist without each other

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
My favorite writing time is at dawn, I feel the most inspired then. My friend has a beautiful vacation house that he lets me use sometimes in Oregon. It is located on a hilltop overlooking the valley, and the view is magical, especially in the early morning when the fog rolls over the hills down to the valley.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
I was very much influenced by Eastern wisdom and practical philosophy. As I dove into the ancient Sanskrit texts things started opening up in a different light, The Bhagavad-Gita As It Is really influenced me deeply and made me reevaluate everything. The Bhagavad Gita and Vedic wisdom were putting everything back together, there were no loopholes, everything was solid and consistent.

What are you working on now?
I recently published my debue fantasy novel Mirror of Desire, and along with I produced an album consisting of 8 songs. I am now really focused on promoting my book and my music.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
Since I don’t have a large budget I have to make do with what is available. Besides my own website, I try to create a strong social media presence, gather book reviews on Amazon which turned out to be quite a success since the book trending number 1 in fantasy & science fiction and has a lot of good reviews on Amazon. I also try to promote as much as possible on forums and websites like Goodreads, which have a strong book reading community.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Goo deep inside your self and write from the heart.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Just the good, old, plain, and simple – be yourself.

What are you reading now?
Lost Prince of Nevaharday by Elizabeth Carlton

What’s next for you as a writer?
Probably starting on the second book of this trilogy – “Self-Writing 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?
Bhagavad Gita by Dvaipayana Vyasa
The Book of Joy by Dalai Lama
The Mahabharata

Author Websites and Profiles
Ananta Govinda Website
Ananta Govinda Amazon Profile

Ananta Govinda’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile
Facebook Profile
Twitter Account

DENNIS MELLEN 

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
Takes More Than Heart is my first book. I am an author, Jon Gordon Power of Positive Leadership trainer, certified athletic mental performance master, and high school baseball coach. I bring years of experience as a twenty-eight-year retired major airline captain, and Fleet Captain, twenty-year-retired Air Force LtCol, and command pilot who had a career ending health problem

My goal with this book is to provide motivation, education and humor to inspire those who face serious challenges in their lives.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
Takes More Than Heart was inspired by my aviation career ending health problem and the loss of my dream job. It details my 10 year search to find a new dream job where you never feel like you’re really working. My goal was to write an inspiring, educating, and entertaining book relating experiences and using wry humor. It is a story of “falling down seven times and getting up eight” of keeping a positive attitude and understanding success is not a destination and living is a process.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I would not call it unusual, but over the last ten years I kept a journal and when I finally sat down to writing my book, the journal entries neatly dovetailed into the story.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
Jon Gordon, Tony Dungy, Simon Sinek, Brene Brown, Jocko Willink, Jack Canfield, Stephen Covey

What are you working on now?
A athletic coaching book about high school and college team leadership. The unusual thing about high school and college teams is they lose their senior leadership every year. Can you imagine Ford, Microsoft, General Electric losing their leadership much less every year? How do you maintain the team culture and cohesion and develop the incoming coming leadership?

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

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Keep a journal, it’s your story and can be used any genre.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Gratitude is the attitude that gets you altitude.

What are you reading now?
Legacy by James Kerr

What’s next for you as a writer?
Continuing to write and promote Takes More Than Heart using it as a springboard to entice attendance to my Power of Positive Leadership Training Events.

If you were going to be stranded on a desert island and allowed to take 3 or 4 books with you what books would you bring?
The Power of Positive Leadership by Jon Gordon, The Hunt for Red October by Tom Clancy, The History of the Second World War by Winston Churchill, and if I’m strand on an island definitely a knot tying guide of some sort.

Author Websites and Profiles
DENNIS MELLEN Website
DENNIS MELLEN Amazon Profile

DENNIS MELLEN’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile
Facebook Profile
Twitter Account

Claire O’Sullivan 

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
Hi – I am working on and near completion of several books, and one published.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
Romance Under Wraps – it is a romantic suspense that also deals with the growth of the two main characters and the obstacles they have to overcome – physically and emotionally. I want to convey a message wrapped in something exciting to help others think about what their obstacles are (without being preachy/overly dramatic etc).

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
Procrastination is the bane of my existence and usually I write at night. Late. With headphones and music on. I often find that baking, doing laundry, gardening all help the process <coughs in sarcasm>

What authors, or books have influenced you?
Edgar Allen Poe, Agatha Christie, Dorothy L. Sayers, Chandler, J.R.R. Tolkien, CS Lewis, Christy Barrett, Melissa Ferguson, Linda Rodante, Robert Whitlow, Ted Dekker, the original Tom Clancy, Lolo Simenson, Terri Blackstock, H. L. Wegley. And a lot I haven’t named.

What are you working on now?
Rules of Engagement (a military thriller)

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
Twitter, hands down.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Read a lot
Take advice from seasoned readers
Not every seasoned reader is right
Get onto social media
If you have a WordPress or can do podcasts, until you have your book written, do interviews. If you’re on social media – edit your work!
Get into groups with writers locally and online
Learn. The. Craft. Which means rewriting, rewriting and rewriting
Hire an editor (not a friend, not a critique, not your beta group, not a program), I can’t say this enough. And you get what you pay for.
Even if you decide to self-publish, it is a great idea to pitch your work to an unknown agent, submit a proposal, and how you plan to market it. Finally, write that three page synopsis – submit it to yourself.
Take time to clear your head.
Learn how to market. Here again: Learn how to market!

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Not everyone can find every mistake in your book and it’s up to you to comb through it to make sure your editor and publisher are correct.

What are you reading now?
“Murder in the Family by Ramona Richards

What’s next for you as a writer?
Get out of Dodge for a few days to clear my head, see something new, and get that rewrite finished.

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?
Crime and Punishment (because it takes a punishing amount of time to read it)
LOTR
A Bible
CS Lewis

Author Websites and Profiles
Claire O’Sullivan Website
Claire O’Sullivan Amazon Profile

Claire O’Sullivan’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile
Facebook Profile
Twitter Account
Pinterest Account

Apple Sophia Lim 

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I am a mother of 2 beautiful daughters and self published a self help book, <Getting Along> and also a children book, <Make A Wish For a Unicorn>.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
<Make A Wish For A Dinosaur> will be publish in Nov 2021 and the book was inspired by my nephew. He loves dinosaur!

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I am using Canva or powerpoint to write my children’s book. I

What authors, or books have influenced you?
Mo Williams, Bill Cotter and Tom Fletcher. Their books are funny!

What are you working on now?
Fine tuning <Make A Wish For A Dinosaur> and preparing <Make A Wish For An Elephant> which is about an angry elephant and also ones that throw a remote controller! <Make A Wish For A Rabbit> is the 4th book in the series about bringing the reader into a magic show but lost the rabbit during the performance.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I am currently using KDP advertising but it is too costly. The best method is to be out there promoting in person and read out the book.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Read, Read, Read. Never stop learning.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Plan marketing in advance before launching your book.

What are you reading now?
Mo williams, Piggie and Elephant series in Chinese.

What’s next for you as a writer?
Leaving a legacy

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?
Books by Sophie Kinsella and any books on Human Trafficking.

Author Websites and Profiles
Apple Sophia Lim Website
Apple Sophia Lim Amazon Profile

Apple Sophia Lim’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile
Facebook Profile

David Haldane 

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I’ve published two books; a memoir called “Nazis & Nudists” in 2015 and then this latest one earlier this year.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
The newest book is a collection of short stories called “Jenny on the Street” that were actually written decades ago, then spent many years languishing forgotten in a desk drawer. Recently my publisher sent me an email asking if I had anything new and I thought, what the heck, and submitted them. This is my first published fiction representing a particular period of my life, namely the countercultural era of the late 1960s and early 1970s. Which is why I felt compelled to add the subtitle, “And Other Tales of Reverence and Revolution By A Very Young Man.” I think the book represents an era which, in many ways, is much like our own.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I don’t know how unusual it is, but I tend to write in bits and pieces. In other words, I take lots of breaks between short bouts of writing and, in this way, eventually finish a project. I find that this keeps me focused and fresh.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
Henry Miller’s books were a powerful early influence. He wrote wonderful first-person books about his life in Paris of the 1930s, which I found romantic and fascinating. They are sort of a hybrid of memoir and fiction which, I guess, could also be said of some of the stories in “Jenny on the Street.”

What are you working on now?
About six years ago, my family and I began building our dream house overlooking the sea in the Philippines near the town where my wife was born. For the last two years or so, we’ve been living there more-or-less full time. I write a weekly column called “Expat Eye” that runs in a Philippine newspaper, then on my website and on Facebook. Much of it has chronicled the process of leaving one culture and adjusting to a new one. I am now working on putting together a collection of those columns in a book that tells that story.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I have a website, author’s page on Facebook and another Facebook page devoted to my column. I a lot of Facebook advertising to promote all of them. I also have an emailing list and, of course, utilize services such as Awesome Gang.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Pretty much the usual, I guess. Write write write. Get lots of feedback. Involve editors you trust. Work as often as you can. Don’t be afraid to fail, because you most likely will fail before you succeed. Learn from you failures.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Pretty much the same as above.

What are you reading now?
At the moment I’m reading something very political; John Bolton’s critique of the Donald Trump presidency called “The Room Where it Happened.” I’ve always been very attracted to nonfiction.

What’s next for you as a writer?
I hope to publish that book of essays about moving to the Philippines, which is tentatively entitled “A Tooth in My Popsicle” (you’ll have to wait for the book to find out why.) After that, who knows? Because of the pandemic, I’ve been stuck in California for a few months so my immediate goal is to get back to the Philippines asap where I find I am far more relaxed and can think much more clearly.

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?
Hmm, interesting question. Probably very long ones that are escapist; either fantastical fiction, or nonfiction set in a time and place where I’ve never been. You can fill in the blanks…

Author Websites and Profiles
David Haldane Website
David Haldane Amazon Profile

David Haldane’s Social Media Links
Facebook Profile

Chiara Talluto 

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
Hello, my name is Chiara Talluto. I’m a wife, busy mom, author, and a woman after God’s heart. As I ponder this declaration, I find it more appropriate to claim that I am a woman after God’s heart first. He has given me a gift of writing, and I honor Him through my written works.

People often ask what kind of writing I do. I tell them… I write Inspirational/Christian drama empowering women to discover their faith, use perseverance to overcome adversity, and become heroes of their own destinies. I also write middle-grade fantasy-fairy tales to encourage girls in developing strong morals and values, and to always stand up for what is right.

My family often tells me that I am the Master Storyteller in our household because I have a passion for writing about people who struggle with decisions and conflicts that arise in their lives.

In the last six years, I’ve been blessed to have published four books: A Christian Romance, Love’s Perfect Surrender, two middle-grade fantasy-fairy tales: Petrella, the Gillian Princess and A Tribute to Tulipia, and an Inspirational fiction, She Made It Matter.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
The name of my latest book is She Made It Matter. It is a compelling tale of one woman’s fight to regain sobriety, find salvation, and earn forgiveness after years of guilt from being abandoned by her mother and then losing her brother to cancer, a struggle to vanquish the demons of her past and make her life right again.

This story tackles the difficult subjects of family abandonment, alcohol abuse, and food dependencies; compulsions and addictions caused by the trauma of one’s past.

Amanda Reynolds is vulnerable. Like most humans we err and make mistakes, and harbor grudges and secrets that can create huge reservoirs of pain if not addressed. Amanda is stuck in the past, and stuck in the pain, and the only way to cope with it is alcohol.

While writing the story, I thought about my own idols and addiction and how I could break them. I thought about how a person with a perfect life is able to throw it all away over something that constantly consumes their mind and body. I thought about a person who cannot move forward because of horrible past experiences. I thought about abuse that is prevalent in homes and the amount of abuse and abandonment of children. Most importantly, I thought about the human condition and how everyone makes mistakes. The ebb and flow that when we don’t know the alternatives we continually fall trap to our addictions.

This story took over nine years in the making and I merged all of those ideas in my mind. It was completed in Fall of 2014, after publication of my first book. That winter, I had it professionally edited to be published in 2015. About to publish it, I scrapped it. It wasn’t ready. It was my sophomore “grown up” book and I think I rushed through it. You see, there’s this stigma out there that as soon as you’re done with your first book, as your finishing your first book, you should be already be writing your second book or almost finished with it.

Not me! I put it away for two years until Summer of 2017 when I had a friend of mine read it. She cut it to shreds and challenged me to enhance the storyline.

And so, after about 27 revisions, 25 title changes, I have finally completed it, professionally edited it again, and am NOW ready share this story to the world. And because I love music so much, especially Christian music, I find my inspiration from songs.

The theme song for the She Made It Matter novel is from For King & Country, titled: “Burn the Ships”. The main idea of…Step into a new day. We can rise up from the dust and walk away. Leave the past. And don’t look back.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I often tell people: “I have two addictions: reading and writing. I feel restless and empty when I can’t read fiction, write my deepest thoughts in my journal, or even write down story ideas. Writing calms me, centers me, and provides a healthy outlet for my communication with imaginary friends.”

What authors, or books have influenced you?
I enjoy stories about human complexities. I like real-life stories, and have been drawn to writings that have a biblical theme, are motivational, and encouraging. I admire writers like…

Eric Wilson – October Baby and Fireproof
Judy Blume
Karen Kingsbury
Richard Paul Evans
Mitch Albom
Billy Coffey
Rachel Hauck
C.S. Lewis – Chronicles of Narnia
Hans Christian Andersen
Tim Lahaye – Left Behind
Adriana Trigiani – Big Stone Gap
David Baldacci – The Christmas Train
Travis Thrasher – Marvelous and American Omen
Ernest Hemingway
Jack Keroerac
Charles Bukowski

Each of these remarkable authors are able to write believable characters, digging deep into their sub-conscience, and exploring and unraveling their tragedies and triumphs.

What are you working on now?
I have a short story I wrote in 2007. A thriller/apocalyptic story that I’d like to resurrect and publish.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
Writing blogs. Posting on social media. Sending quarterly communication and growing your subscriber list via website. My website is https://www.chiaratalluto.com.

Every opportunity to talk to someone is an opportunity to discuss your books. Seize the moments!

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Park your butt and write. Write what you know and write what you don’t know. But, just write.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Sit and write.

What are you reading now?
Rachel Hauck’s The Writing Desk.

NKJ – The Bible

What’s next for you as a writer?
Keep promoting my books.

If you were going to be stranded on a desert island and allowed to take 3 or 4 books with you what books would you bring?
On Writing by Stephen King
Eat, shoots and leaves by Lynne Truss
The Elements of Style by Strunk and White

Author Websites and Profiles
Chiara Talluto Website
Chiara Talluto Amazon Profile
Chiara Talluto Author Profile on Smashwords

Chiara Talluto’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile
Facebook Profile
Twitter Account

Hiral Patel 

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I am a first-time author, who is a patient advocate and kidney transplant recipient.
I am an avid learner who enjoys having in-depth conversations with people about understanding the world around us. I enjoy the outdoors, camping, hiking, snowboarding, but most of all EXPLORING. My personality can be considered that of a nomad having traveled and backpacked in different countries, my spirit is connected to experiencing new cultures and learning the ways of people. In my pass time you will find me at a local coffee shop sipping on any type of caffeine fix based on my mood for the day. Or I will be on the tennis courts or archery field, which are two of my favorite hobbies.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
My book, Antidote: My Commitment to Thrive with Kidney Disease is a memoir/self-help about my journey living with kidney disease and how I have learned to thrive in my new circumstance.

I was inspired to share my story because I wanted to connect with my WHY- my purpose on this earth. I am deeply connected to supporting others in my community to have others they can relate to, share a similar experience with and belong. Writing this book is to start a conversation and create a dialog around people living with chronic illness, so we can remove the stigma and truly support people facing challenges.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I usually write my thoughts out onto random pieces of paper or different notebooks then eventually go back to them to reflect on what I have written. This then helps guide me as to what I want to explain further or what I can forgo. I have scatter brain so my thoughts are everywhere and that is what gets jotted down then I will start writing sections of content based on what comes to mind first.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
I am influenced by books of personal growth, discovery, and adversity. I enjoy reading Joe Dispenza, Malcolm Gladwell, Eckhart Tolle, Brain Tracy, Henry Cloud, Mark Manson, Simon, Sinek, and more!

What are you working on now?
I am working on building out my platform Antidote, which a vibrant community of people living with kidney disease whose sole purpose is to empower each other. This online sanctuary offers a comprehensive approach to well-being, teaching people to truly thrive—in all areas of their lives.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
The best method is to stay genuine in your approach by staying intentional with your goal. I find myself to be better with grass root efforts, so having the support of my inner circle and my network to spread the word.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Yes! Stay true to yourself and not get caught up or influenced by what others around you are doing. Also, know that timelines can change. We are humans, life happens, and things do not always go according to plan, so be flexible with timelines. Lastly, be your biggest advocate! We are so hard on ourselves, so avoid judging yourselves.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Be authentic to yourself.

What are you reading now?
I am reading atomic habits by James Clear.

What’s next for you as a writer?
I hope to expand my writing into Children’s books. I will also continue to write on my website to share information and resources to people living with chronic illness.

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 Breathe by James Nestor, The Power of Positive Thinking my Norman Vincent Peale, The Joy of Being and Stillness Speaks by Eckhart Tolle.

Author Websites and Profiles
Hiral Patel Website
Hiral Patel Amazon Profile

Hiral Patel’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile
Facebook Profile
Twitter Account