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Armand Ruci 

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
Armand Ruci Author Interview

When you are not writing, how do you spend your time?
I enjoy reading about the life stories of others that have come to this country before myself and this is a topic that I am immersed. I do enjoy walking and spending quality time with my lovely wife who is a great cook.
How do you discover the eBooks you read?
I usually go to Amazon and look at the great variety of books that they offer. Smashwords is another great venue where I get to enjoy new authors and their books.
Do you remember the first story you ever wrote?
The first story I ever wrote was back in high school and this is a Police Athletic League contest about the stories that grandparents told me, so I told the story of my grandpa and his struggles with a dictatorship.
What is your writing process?
I am what they call a slow but steady writer and like to take my time and really get into my writing by clearing my head and focusing on what I would want my readers to enjoy.
Do you remember the first story you ever read, and the impact it had on you?
I remember reading Tom Sawyer and that was the best book I have ever read because it took me to a different world, and I will never forget it.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
My latest book is Tales from the Great Recession and it is inspired by the last economic downturn that the United States experienced in 2008 up until 2011.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I write whenever I am inspired to do which for me happens to be while I drive to the city. I have found a nice park by 70th Street and York Ave and it gives me such inspiration that I was able to write a book in a month and publish it on Amazon

What authors, or books have influenced you?
There are many authors that have inspired me such as Hemingway, Steinbeck, Salinger, Orwell, Nabokov

What are you working on now?
I am working on a new book which doesn’t have a title yet so it is a work in progress

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I like to use wordpress to publish all of my excerpts and medium.com is great too

Do you have any advice for new authors?
I think that it is important for new authors to write about subjects that they are truly inspired by and not let anyone tell them that they cannot write because we are all capable of doing so.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Live life to the fullest

What are you reading now?
Lolita by Nabokov

What’s next for you as a writer?
I want to publish a third book and just started an LLC called AAR Publishing and invited all new writers that want to get published to join me and let’s make it happen.

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?
One hundred years of solitude
Lolita
Grapes of Wrath
War and Peace

Author Websites and Profiles
Armand Ruci Website
Armand Ruci Amazon Profile
Armand Ruci Author Profile on Smashwords

 

Tonia Lalousi 

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
My name is Tonia Lalousi and I am a writer from Greece. I was studying biology when I realized my love for the art of writing. This is the way I express myself and it helps me to understand my inner world. In 2017, I started writing romantic stories and I published a romantic book. My gradual transition from the sphere of romantic reading to the mysteries and adventures of crime fiction led me to write a crime book series, starring the criminologist Peter Deligiannis, who is a much-loved book hero in Greek readers. My books are published in Greek and now the last one, entitled ‘’The Last Symphony’’ was translated in English and got published on Amazon.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
The name of my last book is ‘’The Last Symphony’’. The value of perfection, as a reference point for the conquest of the top and the social recognition, was the first idea which inspired me to write this book. The story deals with people who react to glory with different ways.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
When I am writing a dialogue, I close my eyes and I imagine my heroes talking in front of me. I hear them, I see them, and they guide me to the next step according to their wills and desires.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
Agatha Christie is my writing idol. Each of her stories is an enigma that leads the reader to the solution through a masterful plot. Every word counts. In addition, I adore the protagonist of most of her books, Hercules Poirot, for his intelligence and detailed way of dealing with every crime.

What are you working on now?
I have been writing the third book of the crime series for a few months now, which is influenced by Agatha Christie and concerns the murder of a manager of a shipping company. I do not want to say more because it is still too early to betray the plot.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I prefer to run promotions on Amazon and on Instagram.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
In my opinion, the most important thing, is to have constant contact with writing, so that the writer does not leave the realm of imagination. There are always times when we may not have inspiration, but it does not mean we cannot continue practicing.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
A publisher had given me a very helpful advice on the book editing process. He told me that as soon as we finish the first draft it is good to leave it aside and take time until we move on to the second. So we take the “distance” we need and then we face our book from a more objective and prominent ‘’point of view’’.

What are you reading now?
When Nietzsche Wept, by Irvin Yalom.

What’s next for you as a writer?
I always want to set more and higher goals. First I want to finish writing the third book and then, if there is an agreement with my first publisher in Greece, I would like to proceed with the translation of the first book of the series, entitled “The Fall”.

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?
Of course I would bring my books to be able to make all the corrections I didn’t do before they were published!

Author Websites and Profiles
Tonia Lalousi Website
Tonia Lalousi Amazon Profile

Tonia Lalousi’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile
Facebook Profile

J.Y. Sam 

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
Hi, I’m a new author that has just recently published independently my debut, in December 2020.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
The Ingenious and the Colour of Life is YA soft sci-fi about a group of teenagers that have been engineered with a genius gene. Apart from heightened intelligence, they discover other disturbing abilities, and the book tells the story of the discovery, how it affects them, and an event that necessitates them grouping together to unleash those abilities. We all love super-hero movies, where characters have supernatural strength – but I wanted to explore a group of vulnerable, fragile teenagers with different kinds of powers of the mind, rather than physical.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
Not really. Like most writers, I need complete silence, no disturbance, and plenty of snacks and drinks!

What authors, or books have influenced you?
Almost everything I read becomes ‘fodder’ for my creative imagination, so there’s not really just one book in particular. I love reading a wide variety of different styles of writing, genres, subjects, cultures, etc. And that’s reflected in my book – it itself is a blend of genres that I come together in what I hope is a harmonious whole!

What are you working on now?
Book 2 of the Ingenious Trilogy. In book 1 I had to be very meticulous taking my time building the characters, their surroundings, and the settings. But in Book 2 I’m having a bit more fun discovering the characters’ history, as well as using their abilities in different ways.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I’m a newbie at all of this, but so far I’ve found book promotion websites best to get actual sales. I’ve dabbled with Amazon ads, Instagram ads, and Bookbub ads, and have some success on getting readers.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Hone your craft and your manuscript as sharply and as tightly as possible – you need to tell a story that engages your readers so that (hopefully!) they won’t be able to stop reading right to the end. In order to crystallise your voice, you need feedback from others, so don’t be afraid to ask people for their opinions.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Engage with your reader.

What are you reading now?
I’m reading Anthony Doerr’s ‘All the Light We Cannot See’

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

If you were going to be stranded on a desert island and allowed to take 3 or 4 books with you what books would you bring?
The bible (it has some of the most beautiful and wise texts I’ve ever read) – and would it be cheating to take a Kindle with a whole library of books (solar-powered of course!)

Author Websites and Profiles
J.Y. Sam Website
J.Y. Sam Amazon Profile

J.Y. Sam’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile
Facebook Profile
Twitter Account

Joseph Costa 

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I’m an adjunct English professor and freelance writer in Tampa. Like many writers, I began by writing fan fiction. In my late teens and early twenties, I was obsessed with hardboiled detective novels, especially Hammett and Chandler. Out of that obsession came a novel titled EYE OF THE STORM. Years passed before I produced another. After having kids, I wanted to write something they could enjoy. I wrote two middle-grade novels, one called THE GOOD, THE BAD AND THE GOALIE and DISCOVERING DYNAMITE. I had great fortune with THE GOOD, THE BAD AND THE GOALIE, having sold the screen rights and penned the screenplay for the motion picture. I felt I was a pretty good storyteller, but knew I needed to hone my craft. I went back to school and earned by MFA in creative writing. That process taught me a different way to write, a different way to look at the world, and how to draw from my own life. In July of 2020, my linked collection of short fiction, COMETS, was published by Unsolicited Press.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
Inspired by the cabinet shop my father owned for more than 60 years, COMETS, is a linked collection of short fiction that follows the lives of craftsmen and artisans, strivers and strays of all kind struggling to survive, while centering on the life of Roberto, as he grows from a working teenager, influenced by the men in his father’s shop, to a disillusioned 42, unwittingly trying to fill his father’s shoes, while searching for a deeper understanding of himself and his life. Ybor City, Tampa’s historic Latin Quarter, is the backdrop for the stories of immigrants and working-class people living on the margins. COMETS captures a microcosm of blue-collar problems with implications that go beyond racial, economic, and cultural boundaries, illuminating a greater understanding of the human experiences we all share.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I listen to music before I write. Before writing every single story in my linked collection COMETS, I listened to Kind of Blue, by Miles Davis, which might give indication of the book’s tone.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
The list is long and getting longer each day! Here are a few books that inspired my latest collection of short fiction, COMETS:
Rock Springs by Richard Ford
Jesus’ Son by Denis Johnson
Knockemstiff by Donald Ray Pollock
Cathedral by Raymond Carver
The Things They Carried by Tim O’Brien
Interpreter of Maladies by Jhumpa Lahiri
A Visit From The Good Squad by Jennifer Egan
Fever by John Edgar Wideman
Airships by Barry Hannah
Anything by Hemingway (especially his short stores)

What are you working on now?
I’ve started work on a novel about two struggling misfits in Ybor City (Tampa’s Latin Quarter). The book will take place in the summer of 1929, a few months before the start of The Great Depression and before the end of Prohibition.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
Still looking for that. For now, it’s my public facebook page: FB.com/josephallencosta

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Read! Read! Read! Read everything, both in and out of your genre.

What are you reading now?
1. I continue to read old and new short stores. I always re-read the short stories that I’m teaching, and each time I read them, I get more out of them.
2. I wanted to read a Western! So, I picked up the Pulitzer Prize winning book: Lonesome Dove by Larry McMurtry
3. Next to my bed, when I can’t sleep, which is often, I read Hemingway, a biography by Kenneth S. Lynn

What’s next for you as a writer?
The novel I’m working on…and finding more time to spend on it.

If you were going to be stranded on a desert island and allowed to take 3 or 4 books with you what books would you bring?
Oh come on! Only three or four?
I’m still staring at my bookshelves….

Author Websites and Profiles
Joseph Costa Amazon Profile

Joseph Costa’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile
Facebook Profile
Twitter Account

Michelle (M J) Sherlock 

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I am a Change Manager by day working my magic to get project delivered and internal processes changed – and an author by night. I have published book 1 on Amazon and am now half way through book 2 – in the YA Fantasy / Suspense / Thriller genre. I also have some non-fiction works on the go as well as 10,000 words of a book in a completely new series.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
Unwrapped – A Fated Realms Novel. I was wanting to hint at the idea of pandora’s box being opened and the twists of fate unwrapping an unexpected gift had on Ellie-Grace the main character and others that she is close to. I also liked the idea of using the three fates to symbolise the fact that things don’t always go to our plan – sometime with better results, sometimes worse.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I write at any time of day – but generally I am much better writing late into the night. It’s as if that helps switch off my internal critic and my writing becomes freer. Sometimes, I will also write first thing in the morning as my dreams may tell me what to write next or at least lend me some of their creativity.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
CS Lewis – Chronicles of Narnia, J K Rowling – Harry Potter, Sophie McKenzie – Medusa Plot & Girl Missing, Anthony Horowitz – Alex Ryder, Garth Nix – Old Kingdom Series, Veronica Roth – Divergent, Suzanne Collins – The Hunger Games. I read hundreds of children and young adult fantasy each year – they all influence me.

What are you working on now?
I left Book 1 in the series on a bit of a cliffhanger – so rapidly working on Book 2 so that fans know what happens next. Problem is it is at least so we all know what happens at the end of Book 2 – at least a signpost or unfinished thread to continue in Book 3. I’m finding Book 2 much quicker and easier to write now I have developed my main characters and done initial world-building. Now I get to add further layers which all work to make it more real in my mind and hopefully that of the author.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I am still learning how best to market my books. I’m hoping you Awesome Gang members can help me. I have a Facebook and Instagram account and you can find me @MJSherlockAuthor.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Make sure you proofread well and get someone else to help. You are probably going to need a developmental editor or at least a well informed critic to help you fill plot holes. You also need to pay a line editor at some point. While ideally everything would be perfect before you launch – that’s never going to happen – so just have the guts and launch anyway. Don’t over worry about your cover – not because it doesn’t matter – but because as you learn more you will probably want to change it anyway.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Joining the Alliance of Independent Authors and particularly their Facebook page has given me access to a lot of advice. Also check out The Creative Penn on YouTube – and pick up J F Penn’s free publishing blueprint.

What are you reading now?
I’ve just finished reading book 2 in the Scourwind Legacy by Evan Currie. I was gutted to get to the end and realise he hasn’t published book 3. I will check out his other works.

What’s next for you as a writer?
I am going to experiment with different genres. The Fated Realm series – is a mix of sci-fi, fantasy, thriller and suspense with a dash of romance – I think my next series may be more traditionally magical. I wrote Unwrapped mainly in the first person but my next series is likely to be written in third person as I find it much easier.

If you were going to be stranded on a desert island and allowed to take 3 or 4 books with you what books would you bring?
A How to Survival Guide, the Bible and Lirael.

Author Websites and Profiles
Michelle (M J) Sherlock Amazon Profile

Michelle (M J) Sherlock’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile
Facebook Profile

Jason Graff 

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I have three books in print: In the Service of the Boyar (Strange Fictions Press, 2016) which looks at the story of Dracula from the perspective of the workers who have been hired to excavate the earth from beneath his castle, Stray Our Pieces (Waldorf Publishing, 2019) about a woman struggling against the bonds of motherhood and heckler (Unsolicited Press, 2020), which was nominated for the 2021 Pen Faulkner Award and focuses on lives intersecting at a failing hotel. I live in Richardson, TX with my wife and son.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
heckler was inspired by many things but most profoundly by the desire to explore different kinds of love and how they inspire people to seek out what they think they need from the world.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I don’t think so. Then again, I have no idea if there is a norm for this. I assume all writers have their quirks.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
Too many to list here. I can say heckler was hugely influenced at crucial points by The Thief’s Journal by Jean Genet and The Post-Birthday World by Lionel Shriver. I happened to be at the point of making some choices about heckler while reading these books and they’ve remained dear to me for this reason. I can usually point to a couple of pieces of writing be they novels, short stories or poems as major influences on anything I’ve written. The good stuff gets into So much depends on having the right piece in your hands at the right time.

What are you working on now?
I’ve finished a novel about a romancing con man (love a tooic again….I should get out more), which I’m shopping. I’m also halfway through a draft of a new one about fatherhood and the pamdemic.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I tweet from @JasonGraff1

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Read more.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
See above.

What are you reading now?
Diary of a Bad Year by JM Coetzee

What’s next for you as a writer?
Finishing my pandemic 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?
Paradise by AL Kennedy
The Known World by Edward P. Jones
The Sea by John Banville
Gravity’s Rainbow by Thomas Pynchon

Author Websites and Profiles
Jason Graff Website

Jason Graff’s Social Media Links
Twitter Account

Lisa Marie Thomas 

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
M​y name is Lisa Marie Thomas.

I am a 26-year old mother of 2 children, aspiring business mogul, graphic designer, wife, former model, musician & songwriter.

I have also been in customer service for a few years, working from home to help provide for myself and my family.

I recently wrote and self-published my debut memoir, ​Turned Out ​ .

This book was written as an original memoir of my life as a 23-year-old girl that survived human trafficking in Atlanta, Ga in 2016.

Turned Out is my only finished novel. I also have 2 additional novels in progress.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
Turned Out was a story that was not easy for me to write.

I always thought that I would be in the entertainment industry as an artist or I would follow a more practical approach, with the degree that I am seeking in Information Technology. However, after returning to my hometown, I dealt with so many emotions that started to affect how I functioned as an adult.

After many times of talking with my mom and dad about subjects entirely unrelated, they would always find some way to tell me that I should write down the things that happened. They told me that I should tell my story because it could help other women.

Honestly, I was totally against it at first and then I realized that I was being selfish. My primary concern was everyone knowing things that were so sensitive and private. I didn’t want the world to see all of my scars. I didn’t want to keep reliving the hurt over and over again.

The nights that I couldn’t sleep, every night I cried alone and the nights that I had the same dreams over and over again; inspired me to start writing. The writing became therapy to me. At first, I was still contemplating the idea of a book, so I just started writing down my thoughts. It started with a letter to my children. That’s when I feel like God spoke to me.

One night, every fear that I had left and I thought about every girl that was in the same situation that I was in. I thought about every woman that was being abused and had no idea how to get away or even overcome the emotional trauma. I thought about every child watching their mother hurt and looking for a way out.

That’s when I decided to tell my entire story because I feel that every trial that I went through made me a better person. It made me a stronger person.
My writing became fluid and the closer I came to finishing my manuscript, I started to release many of the things that I had internalized. I started to let go of barriers that kept me from reaching my potential, from loving myself, and caused a depression that affected my parenting.

I had to decide that I was strong enough to keep going and I was going to give my kids a better life regardless.

That motivation alone, turned 800 words into a 277 page, 44,674-word manuscript.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I don’t have any unusual writing habits but I do have the ability to stay locked in on my craft for a very long period of time. We’re taking 12-13 hours at a time, if possible. I have to make myself take breaks from time to time so that I have time to spend with my family, as well.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
I have been very inspired by J.K Rowling and her road to becoming an author.
She went through many obstacles but never gave up. When her husband gave up on her, she kept working on her dreams.

One of the most amazing parts of her story is her tenacity after denials from 12 different publishers. One day, she got the call that changed her life forever.

I am also inspired by the author couple Ashley & Jaquavis. They have an ability to tell stories in a captivating way that many people, especially African-American people, women, and people living in and on the outskirts of poverty could understand.

My husband and I both have very real and tumultuous stories that we are sharing with the world in an effort to create understanding and awareness of certain issues.

It is our personal goal to be able to reach our audience in those ways.

What are you working on now?
At this moment, I have a complete and copyrighted manuscript for ​Turned Out ​ and I am seeking representation to propose consideration of distribution to publishing companies. ​I have completed the first professional draft for a movie trailer, using the adaptation of Turned Out.

I am also in the process of writing my second novel called When God Let Me Speak. It is a further exploration of my life experiences. This novel analyzes the power of perception and how it can lead to life or death.

The ending of Turned Out, is set up for a sequel titled, Turned Out, too. I am in the first stage of writing, as the story follows the pre-trial of the codefendant involved in the sex trafficking ring.

My novels are almost following live events, in my life. This allows the reader to walk the journey with me. Although there are many sad points in Turned Out, such as the contemplation of suicide, many points I would stay light-hearted and even make a few jokes.

I don’t want readers to just see this story as sad but I wanted them to see a story of growth, temperance, self-value, and triumph. I interact with my readers as if I was talking to myself because, in essence, I am.

My novel has taught me many things about myself that I was not able to understand, living in my own head and I just hope that it can help someone else.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I am currently experimenting with new ways to promote my books and I would be open to any advice or feedback from my peers.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
The advice that I would give to any new authors, is CONSTANTLY WORK ON YOUR CRAFT. Whether you have only written a book, whether you’ve self-published or done the marketing yourself.

This advice definitely comes from experience. I have personally handled every aspect of my novel from the writing, to designing the cover, publishing, and everything in-between. I can honestly say that it takes a tremendous amount of time, energy, and effort.

My brain is constantly thinking about the next step or what I can do to increase my sales. Many times, it’s easier to ask someone or just get an agent and that’s always a wonderful first-step but sometimes you have to think bigger and dive deeper.

You would be surprised at how much more equipped you are as an author, business owner, and brand when you understand and have mastered every part of what it takes to be successful.

SO no matter how boring it seems, or no matter how much other stuff you COULD BE doing. Prioritize your dreams, always and prepare for any upcoming opportunities; even if you couldn’t fathom them.

If you are truly serious about your work, take the time out to re-master and perfect it.

From my perspective, there is room for everyone’s art in the world but in order to be successful. You have to put in that extra magic that most people won’t.

That’s what will make your imprint on the world.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
There have been a few different pieces of my life that have had the biggest impact on me and those are:

”Practice Patience”
”Learn how to accept criticism”
”Listen more than you speak” ( I am honestly, still working on that one)

What are you reading now?
I am not currently reading any new novels due to the amount of promotional work needed for my current book.

However, the most recent book that I have read would be The Cartel 5 by Ashley & Jaquavis.

What’s next for you as a writer?
I have been recording over the past few weeks, in anticipation of my self-narrated & audiobook version of Turned Out.

I have just reached a sustainable agreement with Audible, Amazon, and Itunes regarding territory and exclusivity.

I am also happy to announce that The Turned Out Audio Doc will be released on the abovementioned platforms, in all countries as early as next month.

Recording the tracks for this version, was not as simple as I thought. In fact, it was much more difficult than writing the book itself. For me, writing a story is easier than talking through the pain. So, it’s taking a little longer than I thought to record through the chapters.

It’s mostly because I’m working on keeping my emotions slightly intact.

I would describe the e-book and print versions of my novel as honest and raw but not a literary masterpiece. For this book, the story came from my heart. I felt that I had to write it that way.

My goal is to share, encourage and inspire, not overwhelm with a version of this story that may be much more compelling. I want my audience to connect with me, on another level. I am hoping that the Audio Doc relays that.

From this experience, I am hoping to grow as a person and author.

Within the next few years, I plan to release my sequel and 2nd novel. I am hoping to gain speaking arrangements and build my voice to reach the people that may need me.

I am hoping to use my platform to reach other young women that are in domestic violence and/or human trafficking situations. I also plan to use my further experiences, mistakes, failures, and life lessons in future novels and memoirs to further the knowledge and growth of other young people.

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?
Harry Potter – JK Rowling ( series if possible lol)
The Cartel – Ashley & JaQuavis ( series if possible lol)
Zoo – James Patterson

Author Websites and Profiles
Lisa Marie Thomas Website
Lisa Marie Thomas Amazon Profile

Donnally Miller 

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I am preoccupied by questions such as: Is there a higher power that has created and maintains the universe? Do we possess immortal souls? What is the nature of space and time and thought? What are ideas and do they have anything to do with words? Is everything I’ve ever done a nonsensical waste of time? I have written a novel and a novella which explore some of my ideas about these things.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
The Devil’s Workshop: A Metaphysical Extravaganza was inspired by my philosophical interest in the true nature of God. Naturally I disguised it as a ripping pirate yarn. Those looking for an action adventure story with multiple plot strands, morally gray characters and superb prose will not be disappointed.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I don’t have any habits. I just write whenever I feel inspired.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
Lord Dunsany, Jack Vance and James Branch Cabbell are three prominent ones.

What are you working on now?
I’m trying my hand at another novel.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I haven’t found any.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Don’t bother. You’re wasting your time.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Stop. I didn’t follow it.

What are you reading now?
War and Peace, Les Miserables.

What’s next for you as a writer?
No idea.

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?
Boat Building for Beginners, A Guide to Poisonous Plants and How to Avoid Them, Comprehensive First Aid

Author Websites and Profiles
Donnally Miller Website
Donnally Miller Amazon Profile

Donnally Miller’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile

Ben Stern 

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I am the father of four Princesses and a Superhero. Raising these five beautiful, smart, independent children has inspired and challenged me to use creative and original ideas to teach them important life lessons. The Flip and Friends series are stories I originally created to educate my own children in a fun and relatable way. As an early writer of poetry, the transition to children’s books was a natural progression of life as parenthood is its own form of poetry. I have several books written which will be published once the artwork is completed.

I am very excited to finally take these stories that had such a huge impact on my own children’s lives and share them with the world.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
“Do You Have Any Patience?” is the first book in the Flip and Friends books series. My late brother, Philip (Flip) Stern was always the life of the party and doing everything possible to make people smile. The entire Flip and Friends series is named in his honor and memory. He also had a long struggle with Epilepsy and there is a link included in the book for our readers to donate to the Epilepsy Foundation in his name.
This first book was inspired by my 5 amazing children. As you can imagine, raising 5 kids takes patience from both the children and their parents. One long car ride and a little too many, “Are we there yets” spurred a moment of inspiration which is now “Do You Have Any Patience?” to teach them the importance of a little patience.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
Interesting question. I don’t know if this is unusual, but I can write an entire book in my head on a long drive. As soon as I get to my destination, I grab my phone or a paper and pen and write it down. I am always thinking and it seems those long drives let my mind focus on all of those ideas rolling around in my mind until inspiration hits.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
I didn’t realize it until recently that Shel Silverstein’s Where The Sidewalk Ends was a huge influence on my early writing which was mainly poetry. Dr. Seuss’ unapologetic style of not caring for the norms and rules of writing has always been an inspiration.

What are you working on now?
Book number 2 is already written and being illustrated as we speak. The story is focused on the importance of being able to get out of your comfort zone. This lesson is even more important nowadays when schools are closed and children are stuck at home.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I am still trying to figure out the book marketing landscape. We have created a free downloadable coloring book based on the “Do You Have Any Patience?” coloring book available at http://FlipandFriendsBooks.com/#signup which has helped us grow a reader base we can keep in constant contact with about new books, promotions, and more. We have also been testing Facebook, Amazon, and Google Ads and keywords. Lastly, there are several Facebook Groups catered toward children’s books which we have become very involved in.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Don’t give up. Don’t be discouraged. Publishing your first book is just the beginning of the journey. Once you publish your first book and learn the process, let your writing machine take control. Books that you publish will be your legacy, and not many people are able to successfully join the author club. If you feel the desire to write and share your words, just do it.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Wow. I would say it came from my mother. My mother always said to me, “There is no such thing as trying, only doing”.

What are you reading now?
I’ve actually just started reading David Baldacci Will Robbie and Jessica Steel series.

What’s next for you as a writer?
I am of course constantly working on the rest of the Flip and Friends series which also includes translating the books into multiple languages. English, Spanish, and Portuguese are already available with Dutch, German, French, Chinese, Russian, and more on the way. I would also like to publish a poetry book inspired by Shel Silverstein.

If you were going to be stranded on a desert island and allowed to take 3 or 4 books with you what books would you bring?
I would have to say my unpublished book of poetry because of all the memories, How to Survive on a Deserted Island, and a diary so I could catalog my life.

Author Websites and Profiles
Ben Stern Website
Ben Stern Amazon Profile

Ben Stern’s Social Media Links
Facebook Profile
Twitter Account

douglas cole 

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
Douglas Cole has published six collections of poetry, a novella called Ghost, and The White Field, a novel. His work has appeared in several anthologies as well as many journals, such as The Chicago Quarterly Review, Poetry International, The Galway Review, Bitter Oleander, Louisiana Literature and Slipstream. He has been nominated twice for a Pushcart and Best of the Net and received the Leslie Hunt Memorial Prize in Poetry. He lives and teaches in Seattle, Washington. His website is https://douglastcole.com/.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
The White Field

I was inspired by a vision of escaping the world by driving, just driving and where that would take me…ultimately, to a field of snow high in the mountains with nothing bordering it but empty sky.

That and the story of an ex con out of jail trying to remake his life in a society that offers very little for the reformed criminal.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
Not unusual, I suppose, but I do like pen and paper!

What authors, or books have influenced you?
Franz Kafka, Virginia Woolf, Joy Harjo, Ernest Hemingway,
Jorge L Borges, Kate Braverman, Don Delillo, Joan Didion, James Joyce, Jack Kerouac, Leslie Marmon Silko.

What are you working on now?
Two collections of poetry and a novel about a derelict detective investigating the death of a poet and slowly getting sucked into the poets life-pattern dream like a swimmer in the wake of a sinking tanker, all based on the Ten Oxherding Pictures.

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

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Write what you’d love to read.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Keep your crap detector on.

What are you reading now?
A biography on David Lynch.

What’s next for you as a writer?
I’m working with an illustrator on a children’s book called The Snail King, which ‘teaches’ children to follow their artistic hearts and which is loosely based on the life of Jim Morrison.

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?
Making Certain It Goes On, by Richard Hugo.
The Odyssey, by Homer
Manual of Zen Buddhism by D.T. Suzuki

Author Websites and Profiles
douglas cole Website
douglas cole Amazon Profile

douglas cole’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile
Facebook Profile

Thomas Hollyday 

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
Thomas Hollyday (1942-present) grew up in the southern atmosphere of the Eastern Shore with its maritime and military heritage. He studied writing with Elliott Coleman at the prestigious Johns Hopkins Writing Seminars and with Michael Curtis of the Atlantic Monthly. He served with distinction in Vietnam and became a successful international businessman, beginning his own business in animal water productsts.. He also drew illustrations for national magazines and published Chesapeake maritime and Civil War history. He currently edits you tube videos and WordPress blogs for animal water rights and for book reviews. Two of his books have featured his humorous Animal Viewpoint Cartoons. In his River Sunday Romance Mysteries on Amazon and Audible, the underlying theme suggests human settlers since prehistoric times in the Chesapeake region have left a mist of legend and history that permeates its modern stories. At the same time his characters face the power of modern technology for good and evil. Each novel, located in the small town of River Sunday, Maryland, records the continuing beautiful nature of the area. His writing portrays today’s problems, conflicts, and memorable local characters with their loves and their combat with evil.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
ENEMY: Email tomah@solarsippers.com for free Audible audio. C02 climate crisis causes oxygen starved hungry ants to eat humans worldwide Kindle 5.0 Goodreads 5.0 https://www.amazon.com/Enemy-River-Sunday-Romance-Mysteries-ebook/dp/B08958J577/

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
Work with three act stories with scenes. Each book takes about a year.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
John Sandford

What are you working on now?
New book on religion

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

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Spend time on research. Experience and imagination count for sales.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Get experience of the area and people you write about, then research, research, research.

What are you reading now?
John Sandford, other regional writers.

What’s next for you as a writer?
Publish three more books

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

 

Gloria Panzera 

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I spent most of college thinking that I was going to be a doctor. I kept failing chemistry classes, then on a whim with my roommate, I took a creative writing class, and I realized that this was it for me. I had to be a writer. After college, I taught high school English for a year and left teaching to get my Master of Fine Arts in Creative Writing at Florida Atlantic University. Getting my MFA helped me find my voice. I was writing about food and family and being an immigrant, and that’s how my novel was born.

WITH ALL MY LOVE, I WAIT is the first book I’ve ever written. I’ve written and had several short stories and personal essays published. I am currently working on a memoir.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
My novel is titled WITH ALL MY LOVE, I WAIT. The novel was inspired by something that really happened to a distant relative. I was at the end of my MFA studies and needed an idea for my thesis. I was with my family for a weekly Sunday lunch and my aunt was telling me about one of my aunts in Italy, who I’d met and just adored, and her tragic love story.

She looked at me and said, “Wouldn’t that make a great movie?”
I remember leaning forward in my chair, and said, “Sure, but first it would make a great book!” And the next day I started writing it.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I don’t know if I’d say this is unusual, but I do a lot of writing by hand. In this day and age, when everything is digital, it is a bit strange and foolish to write so much by hand. I like how writing by hand forces me to slow down.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
I was really heavily influenced by Ann-Marie MacDonald’s novel FALL ON YOUR KNEES at a young age. That novel came out when I was about 12 or 13 years old. My mother and I read it at the same time, and I remember being so deeply moved by it. She writes so beautifully. I also love anything by Margaret Atwood.

I grew up reading the classics and majored in English for my undergraduate degree so novels like Wuthering Heights, Jane Eyre, Pride and Prejudice, and Frankenstein are major influences on what I enjoy reading and writing. I do also love reading memoirs, especially those written by comedians. Tina Fey, Amy Poehler, and Mindy Kaling are funny and thoughtful, and intelligent, and that’s really appealing when reading memoir.

What are you working on now?
I’m currently working on a memoir, which may actually be more of a collection of essays. It’s really in its infancy right now. It’s about my experience as a first-generation Canadian and immigrant to the United States being raised by Italian-Catholic parents, and the role food and family impacted my identity, and how it influences my parenting.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I think that promoting books is the hardest part of being a writer. I don’t know if one method is better than another, but I think having social media accounts where you interact with other writers and your reads is important, and having an internet home for yourself is important. Keeping your website up-to-date with contact information is really important as well.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
The one thing I wished I had learned earlier in my writing career was how important establishing boundaries with family and friends was to my craft. Instead of constantly explaining why I needed an hour a day or 5 hours a week to get my writing done, I just established a “no-interruption” policy in my house. I make it very clear that from the time a to b is when I’m writing, and unless the house is on fire or the Pope-mobile is parked out front, I am not to be disturbed. At the end of the day, if you treat your writing like a hobby people around you will think that’s what it is, but if you make it sacred, the rest will follow.

At the end of the day, new authors need to figure out what works for them and try out different strategies until they find one that works. For a long time, I thought I had to write every single day to be considered a writer, but between balancing my teaching career, my family, and everything else, I realized that writing every day wasn’t sustainable. I now write consistently and have very deliberate stopping points, which works for me.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
The best advice I’ve heard was to “run toward what scares you.” This idea of embracing fear has changed how I approach my writing, especially my nonfiction. With fiction, it’s easier to play around and experiment, but with nonfiction, there is that fear of “what will people think?” If you let the fear of what people might think invade your writing, you won’t be at your writing-best. Run toward it.

What are you reading now?
I’m currently read a few books, isn’t that always the way? I’m reading HOW THE ONE-ARMED SISTER SWEEPS by Cherie Jones, THE HARP AND THE RAVENVINE by Ted Sanders (part of The Keepers series), and THE FOUR WINDS by Kristen Hannah.

What’s next for you as a writer?
As I mentioned, I’m working on a memoir, but I do miss writing fiction, so I’m hoping to get a novel started as soon as I finish drafting this memoir so I can be writing something new while revising the memoir. I like having a few writing projects going at once.

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 Wuthering Heights, Frankenstein, The Catcher in the Rye, and Yes, Please.

Author Websites and Profiles
Gloria Panzera Website
Gloria Panzera Amazon Profile

Gloria Panzera’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile
Twitter Account

Jenette Litton 

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I have lived all over the U.S. but have settled in beautiful Kentucky. With two of my three grown children, and five grandchildren in KY, I think I’m here to stay. I enjoy painting, hiking, bike riding and volunteer work including missions to other countries.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
His Star is my first book published. I am a retired first grade teacher. I never thought of writing, but the truth is, I have views on the beliefs of Christianity which I have suppressed most of my life. Now is the time to share them with others who have also questioned. I am working on a second book now.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
I am a mystery reader who doesn’t always pay attention to the authors’ names. If someone isn’t murdered, I wonder why the book was written. My favorite is John Grissom. But I also read non-fiction on a regular basis, health, archeology and the bible.

What are you working on now?
Jesus’ teaching of the Sower and the Word. How the principles of sowing and reaping have influenced my life and helped me heal physically and emotionally.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
Only Amazon, so far.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Set aside time each day, or week to work on it, whether you are inspired or not. When you are inspired, scribble it down any way you can.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Don’t get your panties in a wad. (It’s uncomfortable.)

What are you reading now?
Two books. A biography of the pillow guy, and the memoir of an archeologist.

What’s next for you as a writer?
Just keep growing as a person and writing what I think.

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 bible,
2.) “Living Off Grid, Off the Land”
3.) “Anatomy of a Miracle” by Dr. Jim Richards

Author Websites and Profiles
Jenette Litton Amazon Profile

Ron Yates 

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I’m a Southern guy, independent and hardheaded. Been around a good while and seen some crazy stuff. I currently split time between Lake Wedowee in Alabama and Rome, GA.

I’ve always been a do-it-yourselfer, finding ways to fix or repair most of the things I need. I guess I’ve approached writing in the same way. I’ve been learning how to do it for a long time, having whipped out good essays in high school and earning a couple of English degrees. I didn’t make much progress, though, with my creative writing until I enrolled in the MFA program at Queens University of Charlotte. I needed other aspiring writers to workshop with and instructors who were smart, accomplished, and honest. Persistence and hard work do pay off. I’ve had two books of fiction published so far and a dozen or so short stories in various journals.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
Ben Stempton’s Boy is a coming-of-age novel set in the rural south of the early 70s that fits loosely in the Southern Gothic genre. I wanted to chronicle the South that I grew up in during a transitional period in American history, and I wanted to share some of the experiences that shaped me as a young man. The initial draft took about ten years to complete while I was earning a living as a high school English teacher and raising a daughter and a son.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I try to capture images and scenes from my dreams during the magical moments between sleep and waking, before the concerns of the day erase them.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
Richard Yates, particularly Revolutionary Road; Hemingway; Raymond Carver; Elizabeth Strout, especially Amy and Isabelle; Edith Wharton’s Ethan Frome; Joyce Carol Oates; John Updike; and Jame Smiley, to name a few.

What are you working on now?
I’m revising and organizing a baker’s dozen of my stories into a collection tentatively titled Ourselves Again. I’m also playing with turning the titular novella in my published collection, Make It Right: a Novella and Eight Stories into a screenplay.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I’ve mostly promoted on Facebook and Goodreads. Still exploring other options.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Revising is writing and vice versa. A writer (who succeeds) is someone who manages to find enough time at the writing desk to produce enough writing so that some of it is good.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Get feedback from folks who aren’t friends or family members.

What are you reading now?
A newly released novella titled The Distance of Mercy by Shelly Drancik.

What’s next for you as a writer?
I hope to follow my own advice about spending time at the writing desk. I’d also love to see my books find a wider audience, perhaps leading to a contract with a major house in the future.

If you were going to be stranded on a desert island and allowed to take 3 or 4 books with you what books would you bring?
The Bible, The Sun Also Rises, Updike’s Rabbit at Rest, and maybe a story collection or two (Andre Dubus II and Raymond Carver come to mind).

Author Websites and Profiles
Ron Yates Website
Ron Yates Amazon Profile

Ron Yates’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile
Facebook Profile
Twitter Account
Pinterest Account

Daniel Endicott 

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I’ve enjoyed telling stories since I could talk, and began putting them to paper soon after I learned to write. However, I never really put much thought to it until my daughter encouraged me to write a novel. I feel like that original, longer-form story turned out pretty well, and I enjoyed the experience so much I thought I’d write another. That second one brought me to recognize my extreme shortcomings as a writer, and the long saga that turned into seven books became my testing grounds for how I wrote, and trying different things. I have about a dozen stories outside of those, with a couple of sequels tossed in.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
Incident on 95 came about as stories sometimes do – just thinking about things: A discussion of camping led to reminisce about prior trips, about long days driving, which triggered recollection of conversations held, over the years, with an acquaintance. As those ideas were stirring, I recalled thinking the words that start the story, just last summer, and I thought them in sort of a mocking manner. From that, I began to imagine a character thinking the words, and just started writing the story.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
One time, I was reading a story about a rapper that billed himself as, “Underground.” As in, part of the underground scene. It was one of those moments where interest was interrupted by the preposterousness of it, since the guy was on the radio and mainstream. After that, I started billing myself as an underground writer, which is far more accurate because few have seen my writing, but more importantly, I write in my basement.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
As always, I’ll say there are too many to list, which is exactly accurate. I love the big names, I love many genres, and I love finding unknown, unheard of authors. I’m inspired by great writing, by great stories – both fact and fiction alike.

What are you working on now?
Catching up on reading. There are a couple projects sketched, a final (maybe) installment to a series that needs editing, and several thoughts that are intriguing that remain three sentences in a file.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
Obviously Awesomegang.com

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Write if you like to write: Expect nothing and never quit trying.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Don’t quit your day job.

What are you reading now?
From Daylight to Madness, by Jennifer Anne Gordon.

What’s next for you as a writer?
I never know until it’s what I’m doing.

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?
With time to spend, one would be Infinite Jest. Another as inspiration to persevere, Sidonia’s Thread. And because it was the antidote to a period of wallowing, How to become a Henchman, by J Bennett.

Author Websites and Profiles
Daniel Endicott Website
Daniel Endicott Amazon Profile

Daniel Endicott’s Social Media Link
Twitter Account

Hamza Matar 

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
Hamza Matar, is a Poet who aspires to write in multiple genres, who has published three poetry collections, his first book was published during college years in 2013, to raise awareness of complications of drug addiction and its consequences of mental health problems titled (shaded dreams and hazy days). in 2019 he published his second book (Actualizing devotion) a poetry collection about love, loss, spiritual healing, and devotion. recently in 2021 he published his third book which will be discussed in more details in the next question! Finally Hamza felt the argue to republish his first book after he eventually recovered from his mental problem (Psychosis) as he’s off drugs for over a decade and he stopped taking medications for a year now. So he decided to make major changes to the first book both in language refining and addition of few more poems summarizes his experience with drug addiction, consequent Psychosis, and recovery under a new title (EYE TO EYE: I MYSTIFY). the journey continues…

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
His latest book titled (Manuscript of Micropoetry) which was independently published in 25/Jan/2021 both in Kindle edition and paperback. It’s 157 pages collection of short poetry! The thing that inspired him to put this collection into one book was -in fact- the feeling that this art of freestyle Micropoetry is widely known in platforms like Twitter and Facebook, it’s like a normal poem, only the limitation in characters length in twitter forced the poet here to be more focused into delivering the feeling plus the imagery under 280 letters in a few lines! which make it sounds like a daily inspirational short read the audience can sample one page at their own pace. then they may add their own footnotes unto each Micropoem! even as another Micropem. The book itself is another milestone in the poet’s career, as he’s working on a secret project that should be available by the end of the year 2021.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
Hamza likes to write late at nights, where the emotions get intense as tranquility and calmness covers the nigh sky. Where his four cats who keep him company purring by his side. Coffee helps him stays focused, as his drug addiction and alcoholism days are gone for good.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
Every book he has ever read left traces in the way he thinks, added or changed his views of the world. Specially when a writer has a passion or tragedy to motivate them to write from the heart, recently Hamza admired the writing style of the famous author Milan Kundera, his writings are a great inspiration that gets you thinking about life from different angles. Facts not taking seriously, and sarcasm taken seriously. in a fragile mold of disastrous distraction.

What are you working on now?
Oh yes, that’s my secret project, which is going to be an Epic poem. The stage, the time, the characters, the events, the timeline, the plot, the beginning and the ending were already put on paper, Hamza’s main job now is to connect all these elements in an artistic fashion, planning to finish it into a complete Epic poem.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
Of course paid promotions might be #1 strategy to reach a targeted audience. Your choice of book titles would make it easy to be out there by word of mouth!

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Research the market! it should affect your choices. a successful book is a combination of the author’s vision, and of course what the readers are looking for!

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
“Over, under, around, or through, whatever it takes I’ll do.”

What are you reading now?
HumanAlien by Vika. l. Coppens
a must read that I highly recommend!

What’s next for you as a writer?
I like to learn something A-Z before I apply it in my life, I also like to read ten times more than I write!

If you were going to be stranded on a desert island and allowed to take 3 or 4 books with you what books would you bring?
“how to” books would be great in a situation like that! however, how to produce electricity to charge my kindle device would grant me access to hundreds of books, not only three!

Author Websites and Profiles
Hamza Matar Website
Hamza Matar Amazon Profile

Hamza Matar’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile
Twitter Account

J.D. Wilson 

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I have always wanted to be a writer. But instead, I have been an engineer in the mining/construction industry, an artist, having worked for two music publications in the early to mid-1990s, and a lifelong fan of the Grateful Dead, with ticket stubs and a massive live show collection to prove it. After all those, I published my first book, The Foxfire Terror, a few years ago at age sixty. Since then, I have written two more books, Remember A Day, and Deviation. I am currently working on a fourth book, a dark, futuristic novel, Terminus Flux. When it comes to writing, more than anything, I enjoy the ride that I take along with the characters in the story. I love a good, dark story, or an ending that is maybe not what you would have wanted to happen. But there it is. Yeah… so there.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
Deviation. Inspired by the meaning of the word–a departure from the accepted norm.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
One thing about having a day job–most of my writing is performed from about ten at night to two in the morning. Thank you, coffee.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
Off the top of my head (in no particular order)… George Orwell (1984, Animal Farm), Stephen King (The Shining, On Writing), Jack Kerouac (On The Road), Kurt Vonnegut (Slaughterhouse-Five, Cat’s Cradle), Aldous Huxley (Brave New World), Ray Bradbury (Fahrenheit 451), John Steinbeck (Cannery Row), J.D. Salinger (Catcher In The Rye), Ernest Hemingway (The Old Man And The Sea).

What are you working on now?
A dark story of an unraveled America. A futuristic, highly technological society that has outlived its usefulness and spiraled into chaos and destruction. The few survivors are left to a hardscrabble existence, struggling to even determine what is left of the whole of society.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
That is indeed the crux of the biscuit (per Frank Zappa). I have found no “best method,” and therefore, my books flounder in a sea of thousands of the same, among an army of unknown writers just like myself.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Don’t do it for the money.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Don’t do it for the money.

What are you reading now?
Ayn Rand, Atlas Shrugged.

What’s next for you as a writer?
Finish the book I’m writing, and take some time to pursue some short story writing competitions as well.

If you were going to be stranded on a desert island and allowed to take 3 or 4 books with you what books would you bring?
The Bible
Tom Sawyer
Lord Of The Flies (just to read it in that setting… I mean, how appropriate)
The Boy Scout Handbook

Author Websites and Profiles
J.D. Wilson Website
J.D. Wilson Amazon Profile

J.D. Wilson’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile

Suzanne Letourneau 

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I have co-authored three books “Adventures in Manifesting – Health & Happiness”, “The Unstoppable Woman’s Guide to Emotional Well-Being” and “Empowered Women of Social Media”. But it is in my own SOAR book series that I find complete fulfillment. The second of the series is “SOAR with Heart-Fullness – Keys to a Meaningful Life”.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
SOAR with Heart-Fullness – Keys to a Meaningful Life.
Why is it that resolutions don’t work and business plans do? One of the reasons is that in business, we do quarterly reviews to make sure the business is on track with planning, financial forecasts, and anticipated results. When it’s not, we make adjustments. We don’t do quarterly reports with our resolutions. Therefore, we have no idea if we are on track or not. We don’t even know if our daily actions are in harmony with our purpose, or if they are really meaningful to anyone, including ourselves.
The purpose of this journal-type book is to help you make a true connection with your heart, your vulnerable authenticity, and your real essence so that you can fulfill your resolutions – and more. It is about sharing your truth through daily acts of meaningfulness and gratitude.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
Not really. Whenever I feel inspired…I do need to be alone though and in silence.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
There are too many to name them all, but I will share the name of a few authors: Byron Katie, Marianne Williamson, Terry-Cole Whittaker, Brandon Burchard, Jay Shetty, Eckhart Tolle, and I could go on and on.

What are you working on now?
Helping other aspiring authors put their story on paper, publish it and dare step behind their story. Writing your own story is great therapy and healing exercise.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
Be honest, and actively present on your social media.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Dare step out of your comfort zone and share your message. Your story can change someone else’s life.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
To question each of my thoughts.

What are you reading now?
Paul Selig series.

What’s next for you as a writer?
As an author, I intend to do a lot more speaking engagement, webinars, courses and to continue helping others, live their lives in authentic vulnerability.

If you were going to be stranded on a desert island and allowed to take 3 or 4 books with you what books would you bring?
A course in Miracles, Loving what is, A new Earth.

Author Websites and Profiles
Suzanne Letourneau Website
Suzanne Letourneau Amazon Profile

Suzanne Letourneau’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile
Facebook Profile