Here Is Your Awesomegang Authors Newsletter
Published: Tue, 08/17/21
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Svara Narasiah
Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
Hey! I’m a young author who’s written ever since age eight. I’ve written a couple poetry books, over 30 short stories, and have just finished my first novel.What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
My latest book is Fearsome Heth. It started with me wanting to write about my social anxiety, and so I created a group of people that represented fear. It shot of from there and soon I’d created a whole fantasy world!Do you have any unusual writing habits?
Lots of them! Sometimes when I have writer’s block I text my characters (texting myself but putting the contact as my character’s name) and ask them what they want to happen next.What authors, or books have influenced you?
Definitely K.E Ormsbee and her series, The Water and the Wild. She’s my favorite author and her books inspired me from a young age to keep on writing,What are you working on now?
I’m working on Fearsome Heth’s sequel, Tangled Heth. About 2/3 done!What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
Inkitt, definitely.Do you have any advice for new authors?
Don’t worry about how young you are, or if you think your writing is “bad.” Keep practicing. Don’t let others discourage you. If you have a passion to write, don’t stop! You’ll get better with each word.What is the best advice you have ever heard?
“Take a snack break.”What are you reading now?
Currently reading Lord of the Rings.What’s next for you as a writer?
Hopefully to write more short stories, get published in magazines, etc.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 Apothecary by Maile Meloy
The Hobbit by J.R.R Tolkien
Eleven Birthdays by Wendy Mass
Keith lawson
Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
Hi,
I am a retired store owner and fishing boatman. I started writing a book called ‘The Mind bender’ in 2012. I found I enjoyed the process and have since written three more books. They are all different genres. The experts say that you should stick to the same genre if you want to sell loads of stories. Well I don’t expect to sell that many anyway so who cares. I write because I enjoy it. My other books are ‘Adam’ and ‘The dark side of my soul’.What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
My latest book is called ‘Made in China’ and was written during lock down. Lock down inspired the story, as did other subjects such as Government cover ups, World population and Global heating.Do you have any unusual writing habits?
Not really.What authors, or books have influenced you?
Dean Koontz, George Orwell.What are you working on now?
Playing golf.What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I do not do any promotions. This is my first.Do you have any advice for new authors?
Write to enjoy.What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Live long and prosper. SpockWhat are you reading now?
Lots.What’s next for you as a writer?
I am 76 years old. Not a lot I guess.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 a desert Island I would probably take some pornography.
SAURAV MITTAL
Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I AM SAURAV MITTAL WHO ALWAYS WISHED TO WRITE BUT NEVER GOT THE TIME. IT WAS LAST YEAR WHEN INDIA WENT INTO COMPLETE LOCKDOWN DUE TO COVID 19, THAT I STARTED WRITING. I THOUGHT, IF I DIDN’T WRITE NOW, I WOULD NEVER WRITE. DURING THIS PERIOD, I WROTE ONE NOVELLA AND 8 SHORT STORIES.What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
THE BOOK IS CALLED LOVE AND THE STORY. I WANTED TO WRITE A LOVE STORY BUT A DIFFERENT ONE. A LOVE STORY THAT HAPPENS IN REAL LIFE. WHEN PEOPLE READ IT, THEY FEEL IT IS SO PRACTICAL. BASED ON THIS APPROACH, I TRIED TO WRITE ONE.Do you have any unusual writing habits?
NONE. I TRY TO WRITE DAILY, EVEN THOUGH HOW INSIGNIFICANT.What authors, or books have influenced you?
MARIO PUZO.
NICHOLAS SPARK.
ROBIN SHARMA.
RUSKIN BOND.What are you working on now?
ANOTHER BOOK. TRYING TO WRITE A CRIME THRILLER.What is the best advice you have ever heard?
KEEP WRITING AND BE DISCIPLINED TOWARDS IT.What are you reading now?
THE IRISHMANWhat’s next for you as a writer?
PERHAPS A CRIME THRILLER.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 GODFATHER.
P.S I LOVE YOU.Author Websites and Profiles
SAURAV MITTAL Amazon ProfileSAURAV MITTAL’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile
Eddie Hondys Sidibe
Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I am a secondary Mathematics teacher. I studied Maths and went to pursue a PhD in aerospace engineering however, due circumstances I had to abandon! I since went into education (independent, comprehensive school, Prisons,…etc) as an educator. During the lockdown, I found myself drown into reading self improvement book/videos,…etc and ended up writing a 4k words on procrastination which leads to this book now expressing my passion and experience.What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
Hide and Seek
I came up with this name because in the middle of writing, I realised that all these problems (or most) emanate from childhood hence the title.Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I guess procrastination.
Very early hoursWhat authors, or books have influenced you?
Les BrownWhat are you working on now?
Preparing my lessons in Mathematics for September start.What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
As a starter with limited finance, I came across awesome gang which was promising.Do you have any advice for new authors?
Enjoy the journey and if you need some time so be it, but dive into because it is fun and there is a light at the end of the tunnel.What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Be prepared and surmount hurdles .What are you reading now?
Focusing more on Maths books now for a while to be September ready.What’s next for you as a writer?
I have already lined up about 10 more topics to write about.
Eddie Hondys Sidibe’s Social Media Links
Facebook Profile
Susie Helme
Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I published with the Conrad Press in December 2020 my first novel, The Lost Wisdom of the Magi, which is a finalist in the Killer Nashville Silver Falchion Awards for ‘Best Historical’. I am an American from Nashville, Tennessee, living in London, after sojourns in Tokyo, Paris and Geneva with a passion for ancient history, politics and magic, mythology and religion. I am a political activist and a socialist. Once editor of Mobile Communications Asia and other mobile communications magazines, I co-authored the Jan 2000 Future Mobile Handsets. I am a founder member of the Bounds Green Book Writers writers’ circle, which published in Autumn 2020 an anthology of coronavirus-inspired fiction, Lockdown Lit—Inspiration in Isolation. I now subedit Dignity magazine, write historical novels and grow organic vegetables. I offer freelance services proofreading or developmental editing for authors needing help with their novels, and I am open to offers of review-swapping and mutual beta-reading.What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
My first novel, The Lost Wisdom of the Magi, was inspired by a ten year stretch being addicted to Biblical exegesis and Judaic Studies. I wanted to write a novel about a Zealot during the 1st Jewish Revolt for whom Jesus was not the Messiah but rather Simon bar Giora (last standing leader of the Zealots).Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I began my writing career on a manual typewriter, and to this day, I bang on the keyboard with great force. I also tense up my shoulders something rotten. I rely on fortnightly deep tissue massage treatment.What authors, or books have influenced you?
Mary Renault, Hilary Mantel, David Rohl, Robert Eisenman, Herschel ShanksWhat are you working on now?
I am looking for beta-readers for my 2nd novel (as yet unpublished), The Genizah Codex. I am writing a 3rd novel, Dreaming of Jerusalem.What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
GoodreadsDo you have any advice for new authors?
Do a lot of work promoting your book before your publication date. Do beta-reading swaps and review swaps with other authors. Not only can they help you promote your book, but you’ll learn about writing from their examples.What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Guilt is sometimes warranted; it’s never useful.What are you reading now?
The Milkman by Anna BurnsWhat’s next for you as a writer?
I am looking for beta-readers for my 2nd novel. I am looking forward to going on a ‘writers’ retreat’ with my writing buddy Rajes. We’re staying in a farmhouse in Sheepwash, Devon. Workshops and one-to-ones with guest writer in the morning, country walks in the afternoon, fireplace chats with fellow writers in the evening. My idea of heaven!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 Iliad
The White Goddess, Robert Graves
The Golden Bough, JamesFraser
The Jewish War, Flavius JosephusAuthor Websites and Profiles
Susie Helme Website
Susie Helme Amazon ProfileSusie Helme’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile
Facebook Profile
Twitter Account
J. S. James
Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
While I’ve written many grants to fund education projects, a few textbooks and several research articles, I now write purely for the fun of it. I chose not to self publish and hold out for a New York publisher. Crooked Lane Books was astute (translation: kind) enough to pick up, help me revamp and publish my first novel.What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
My first work of fiction, River Run: A Delia Chavez Mystery, is published by Crooked Lane Books and won the Pacific Northwest Writers Association award for Mystery/Thrillers. It was first runner up for the international Crime Writers Association’s Debut Dagger contest.Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I write in the coffee shop of a tribal casino. Amazing character studies drift through those doors. Once several of my colleagues were asked how they do a writing restart every day. The various answers boiled down to kickstarting their inspirational drive. At my turn I had to admit my muse was high octane caffeine.What authors, or books have influenced you?
Oh, Erica Ferencik’s THE RIVER AT NIGHT, Dana Stabenow’s Kate Schugak Alaska series, Lee Child, James Lee Burke, Robert Crais, Tricia Fields’ Josie Gray mystery series–on and on.What are you working on now?
I’m currently working on a road mystery set in the 1960’s that was inspired by wild times at Serra Catholic High School. In THE LONG TAIL, four misfit teenagers drive coastward to crash the class of ‘60 high school jocks’ senior skip day party and end up running for their lives down Highway 101.Bearing deep but invisible scars from private school angst and untold secrets, Jim, Zelda, Ropo and Gerry abscond toward a fading sunset, packing church keys and enough beer to buy their way into a legendary surfside blowout. On their way to Oregon beaches, they carelessly cut off a logging truck and kindle an avenger’s compulsion that casts a shadow the length of the Pacific Coast, and turns personal adventures into tests of survival.
What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
Large volume email lists, especially those of accumulated friends can be quite useful. Beyond that, I like rubbing fellow reader’s elbows in the hinterlands and small bookstore atmospheres..Do you have any advice for new authors?
Find a small (max. 5) group of serious writers working in the same genre. They were of immense help.What is the best advice you have ever heard?
When it comes to stories and plots, there is nothing new under the sun. Characters make the plot come alive.What are you reading now?
Pachinko by Min Jin Lee. My spouse, Carole, is the reader in the family. She keeps my reading eclectic with her hand-me-downs.What’s next for you as a writer?
I took the long way around with my first book–writing forwards, backwards and sideways. For my current story, I know exactly where it’s going and can focus on forging characters that draw the reader inside their heads.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?
Charles Frazier’s COLD MOUNTAIN, Donna Tartt’s THE GOLDFINCH, Fingal O’Reilly’s AN IRISH COUNTRY DOCTOR, Harper Lee’s TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD, B. F. Skinner’s ABOUT BEHAVIORISM (If you’re going to show character emotions/strengths/foibles, you need to observe and learn about human behavior and the consequences that operate on us).Author Websites and Profiles
J. S. James Website
J. S. James Amazon ProfileJ. S. James’s Social Media Links
Facebook Profile
Twitter Account
Tim Ouellette
Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I am a multi-genre author who has written horror, history and philosophy books and essays.What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
Fractured is my first short-story horror collection and was inspired by several dream-sequences.Do you have any unusual writing habits?
No, not unusual. I start writing every day (even weekends) at 5am and work until 7:30 or 8am.What authors, or books have influenced you?
Stephen King, Graham Masterton, Peter Straub, Anthony DoerrWhat are you working on now?
I’m currently working on my first horror novella as well as my first full-length Young Adult novel.What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I’m just starting to market my work after a long hiatus from writing due to personal commitments.Do you have any advice for new authors?
Keep plugging away, avoiding all distractions as much as possible.What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Write truthfully and from the heart.What are you reading now?
Gilchrist by Christian GalacarWhat’s next for you as a writer?
To continue writing and self-publishing my workIf 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?
All the Light we Cannon See by Anthony Doerr, It by Stephen King,Author Websites and Profiles
Tim Ouellette Website
Tim Ouellette Amazon ProfileTim Ouellette’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile
Facebook Profile
Twitter Account
P.F. Roquelaure
Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
P.F. Roquelaure has a Ph.D. in Anatomical Sciences and Neuroscience, and this knowledge informs his writing, a unique blend of scientific knowledge with supernatural storytelling. He is currently an Associate Professor teaching human gross anatomy and neuroscience at a university in the Northeast United States. He has self-published a memoir of his childhood.What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
The Malevolent. My writing is inspired by many things. Sometimes, there are societal issues I want to address. Sometimes, I base the beginning of a novel on real life events and then create a fantastical middle and ending. Sometimes, it is an homage to people in my life that I want to honor. Overall, my writing always belongs to the paranormal/ speculative genre with mostly LGBTQ+ characters as I am gay and feel that there are not enough LGBT protagonists in literature. The Malevolent is a good example of LGBT themes and characters based from real people in my life. Paranormal literature is the genre I enjoy reading and in turn writing about.Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I start writing with an initial idea(s) and then magically the novel takes over and I often wind up with a story in which the ending partially resembles the one I imagined when I started writing. That was the case for The Malevolent. The ending was not the ending I envisioned. My ideas for the story often come to me when I am walking my dog, when it is quiet, and I can be alone with my thoughts.What authors, or books have influenced you?
Anne Rice is by far my favorite writer of all time. I have attended at least eight of her in person book signings/tours. I enjoy her fresh view of the mythical beings in her novels, especially the treatment of “children of the blood” in the “The Vampire Chronicles.” I also enjoy the novels by Joe Hill, Stephen King’s son, especially “Horns.” I think it is brilliant. I also enjoyed Deborah Harkness’ “All Souls Trilogy” with her novel approach to the integration of witches, vampires, and daemons.What are you working on now?
I am revising my third fictional novel entitled “Servant” as per my beta readers. It is the most mainstream book I have ever written, and it is partially based on the strange occurrences (read: ghost!) that have happened to myself and my husband in our home in Northeast Pennsylvania, the setting of this novel.What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
Awesome Gang.com, Book Goodies.com, My Book Place.com, Pretty-Hot.com, Topless Cowboy.com. Soliciting book reviewers.Do you have any advice for new authors?
Go with your gut. Don’t be influenced by wondering it is going to be mainstream enough to sell or interest others. You write what you want to write!What is the best advice you have ever heard?
It may sound corny, but two tropes about life is the best advice I have ever been given. First, “It is not about the destination, it is about the journey,” which I often quote to my students as they encounter obstacles in their pursuit of higher educational goals. Secondly, “Do not judge another until you walk a mile in their shoes.”What are you reading now?
“Strange Weather,” a compilation of paranormal short stories by Joe Hill.What’s next for you as a writer?
Going the rounds with book agents, publishing houses for Servant.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?
First, some sort of survival guide, for pleasure: “Interview with the Vampire”; “War and Peace” (the sheer volume would keep you busy for a long time); and the Bible.
J. S. James
Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
While I’ve written many grants to fund education projects, a few textbooks and several research articles, I now write purely for the fun of it. I chose not to self publish and hold out for a New York publisher. Crooked Lane Books was astute (translation: kind) enough to pick up, help me revamp and publish my first novel.What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
My first work of fiction, River Run: A Delia Chavez Mystery, is published by Crooked Lane Books and won the Pacific Northwest Writers Association award for Mystery/Thrillers. It was first runner up for the international Crime Writers Association’s Debut Dagger contest.Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I write in the coffee shop of a tribal casino. Amazing character studies drift through those doors. Once several of my colleagues were asked how they do a writing restart every day. The various answers boiled down to kickstarting their inspirational drive. At my turn I had to admit my muse was high octane caffeine.What authors, or books have influenced you?
Oh, Erica Ferencik’s THE RIVER AT NIGHT, Dana Stabenow’s Kate Schugak Alaska series, Lee Child, James Lee Burke, Robert Crais, Tricia Fields’ Josie Gray mystery series–on and on.What are you working on now?
I’m currently working on a road mystery set in the 1960’s that was inspired by wild times at Serra Catholic High School. In THE LONG TAIL, four misfit teenagers drive coastward to crash the class of ‘60 high school jocks’ senior skip day party and end up running for their lives down Highway 101.Bearing deep but invisible scars from private school angst and untold secrets, Jim, Zelda, Ropo and Gerry abscond toward a fading sunset, packing church keys and enough beer to buy their way into a legendary surfside blowout. On their way to Oregon beaches, they carelessly cut off a logging truck and kindle an avenger’s compulsion that casts a shadow the length of the Pacific Coast, and turns personal adventures into tests of survival.
What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
Large volume email lists, especially those of accumulated friends can be quite useful. Beyond that, I like rubbing fellow reader’s elbows in the hinterlands and small bookstore atmospheres..Do you have any advice for new authors?
Find a small (max. 5) group of serious writers working in the same genre. They were of immense help.What is the best advice you have ever heard?
When it comes to stories and plots, there is nothing new under the sun. Characters make the plot come alive.What are you reading now?
Pachinko by Min Jin Lee. My spouse, Carole, is the reader in the family. She keeps my reading eclectic with her hand-me-downs.What’s next for you as a writer?
I took the long way around with my first book–writing forwards, backwards and sideways. For my current story, I know exactly where it’s going and can focus on forging characters that draw the reader inside their heads.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?
Charles Frazier’s COLD MOUNTAIN, Donna Tartt’s THE GOLDFINCH, Fingal O’Reilly’s AN IRISH COUNTRY DOCTOR, Harper Lee’s TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD, B. F. Skinner’s ABOUT BEHAVIORISM (If you’re going to show character emotions/strengths/foibles, you need to observe and learn about human behavior and the consequences that operate on us).Author Websites and Profiles
J. S. James Website
J. S. James Amazon ProfileJ. S. James’s Social Media Links
Facebook Profile
Twitter Account
John Bennardo
Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I’m a longtime writer, but my new novel Just A Typo is my first published humor work. I was always writing funny stuff as a child, but that passion for writing migrated into covering sports in high school, and then writing films in college and beyond. I received a Master’s Degree from The American Film Institute as a screenwriter and worked in Hollywood for a while. I recently shifted back to prose and crafted this new satire novel which is very funny and I am extremely proud of.What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
The name of the book is “Just A Typo: The Cancellation of Celebrity Mo Riverlake”. It is my satirical take on cancel culture and the way we as a society can form opinions on people and situations without facts. The protagonist has a typo in a well-meaning tweet that turns it into something offensive, and things go bad from there. It was a topic I wanted to explore, and the germination of the idea came from my near-typo in a tweet a while back.Do you have any unusual writing habits?
Not really. I do like rewriting as I go, as it’s hard to move forward knowing what came before isn’t perfect. That slows me down some but I always get to the end somehow.What authors, or books have influenced you?
As a humorist, I am inspired by Dave Barry, David Sedaris and others like them. I had a childhood influence in Judy Blume, whose early novels were wonderful to read when I was young.What are you working on now?
I am writing more short-form pieces for Slackjaw, the humor offshoot from Medium.com. But I am also working on another novel.What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
Still searching for that magic formula! Hopefully this website drives some traffic to the book, but building up a following with more short-form humor is one approach I am taking that is building a following.Do you have any advice for new authors?
Keep writing. Don’t be discouraged. Follow your gut with the story and don’t tailor your writing to what others want – write what YOU think works.What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Hmmmm… nothing jumps out at me, but I have always heard a variety of great advice. “Be yourself” is a good one. I don’t try to be anyone else when I write; I just be me and write what makes me laugh.What are you reading now?
I hold a full time job and try to write when I’m not working, so finding the time to read has been difficult. When I do sit and read, I usually read some old columns from a Dave Barry collection. It makes me laugh and also puts me in a funny mood so I can start writing.What’s next for you as a writer?
Hopefully continue to build a following so I can put out new work and have it be well-received. Of course, that means continuing to put out new material too, so that’s part of 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?
Can I get magazine subscriptions instead so I’d have fresh material every month??Author Websites and Profiles
John Bennardo Website
John Bennardo Amazon Profile
John Bennardo Author Profile on SmashwordsJohn Bennardo’s Social Media Links
Facebook Profile
Twitter Account
Austin Mitchell
Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I am an accountant by profession. I have a love for writing. I have written nearly a hundred short stories, a few plays and novels.What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
My latest book published in August is called ‘Sleeping Love.’Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I find myself writing a lot of novels at the same time.What authors, or books have influenced you?
Mostly Jamaican authors, but I like reading WEstern novels.What are you working on now?
I am working on about stx novels but the main one which is almost finished is caloled ‘The Hardest Way Out of Love.’What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I use my blog by writing short stories for my reagers.Do you have any advice for new authors?
You have to read a lot and study the master story tellers at their craft.What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Don’t give up continue writing.What are you reading now?
I read mostly the local newspapers.What’s next for you as a writer?
I am now concentrating on writing novels rathers than 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?
A few Western novelsAuthor Websites and Profiles
Austin Mitchell Website
Jerry Le
Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
My name is Jerry Le. I’m a mother of two, an educator, a best-selling author and a lifelong learner.
I’ve written one book, TIME OUT for TIME IN.What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
TIME OUT for TIME IN: How reconnecting with yourself can help you bond with your child-Amazon number 1 best seller.Struggling, burned out young mothers who try every day to balance their work and life and connect with their important relationships.
Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I like to do thorough research before I write. I love to play soft music at the background when writing. Walking to calm my mind usually helps me with ideas.What authors, or books have influenced you?
Oprah, John Gottman, Thich Nhat Hanh, Dalai Lama, Yalom IrvinWhat are you working on now?
I’m working on the program to supportWhat is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
Do you have any advice for new authors?
You need to identify who you’re writing for and what’s the purpose the writing the book
You need a quiet place and space to think.
When you feel stuck, grab a book and get inspired.
Don’t be afraid to make a start.
Keep writing!What is the best advice you have ever heard?
You have to know who you are and always do the right thing.
Don’t take things personally and focus what’s in your control.What are you reading now?
Simple abundanceWhat’s next for you as a writer?
Speaking engagements to inspire .
Write a second book about leadership for 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?
What I know for sure-Oprah
The book of joy-Dalai Lama
The matter of life and death-Yalom IrvinAuthor Websites and Profiles
Jerry Le Website
Jerry Le Amazon Profile
Aaron Joy
Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I have 49 books in an on-going series of crossword puzzle books, mostly focused on music and the only crossword puzzle books that really dig into musical genres. I love music and play bass.
Plus, I’ve done 4 music biographies, a novella, 10 books of poetry (my earliest books, which I no longer write), 3 books of Freemason themed plays (as I’m a freemason), 7 non-fiction books on spiritual and political topics. Some of these are co-author situations.
Except for one, all these have come since I started publishing in 2007. Some bad times caused me to write a lot, and I had a lot of those.Plus I still have time to work full time in a law firm, while having a little cozy life with my girlfriend and our two cats in Portland, Maine. I have actually turned my writing from a hobby to a profit making endeavor. Writing is also not just a side gig, but also intricately tied into who I am. I started writing when I as a 11 and am now 44. If I couldn’t write, or at least read, I’d shrivel up.
What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
“In The Shadow Of The Gods: The Memoir of a Led Zeppelin Tribute Band Singer” published March 2021. This is the story of singer Jean Violet who has spent 20 years fronting the Zeppelin tribute band Kashmir. Its his story, but our words. I took his life, found a voice for him and crafted a story of highs and lows, growing pains, life behind the scenes, and advice for others. Its one of the few biographies of a tribute band out there, and the only one of a person in a Zeppelin tribute band.It came about accidentally. I actually reached out to Jean to interview him for another book I was writing that mentioned a band he was in. I was reaching out to anyone I could find for interviews. We talked on the phone for an hour and then he asked if I might be interested in telling his story. I was hooked. I remember getting off the phone and taking a shower before bed. By the time I got out I had the whole book outlined. It wouldn’t change but a little bit in the writing process. I also knew how I wanted to approach the book. I sent a proposal to Jean and six months later we had a great collaborative book I’d recommend to anyone who likes music. Its my fourth music biography, but the one I always dreamed of writing.
As for the first book, maybe 2022 it might get finished? I actually started it seven years ago, so we’ll see.
Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I write whole chapters when walking, like to work or just for a walk. I literally turned an entire bland coming of age fiction story into an epic sci-fi adventure one morning while walking the mile work. I then rush to write it all down or record into my phone. I do so much writing while walking, like the movement makes my mind buzz. And, honestly, in the shower. The shower is an amazing place for ideas. The key is to write it down fast afterward. I love recording in my phone in the moment that I will transcribe later. I’ve written a couple theater monologues that way … while keeping an eye out for anyone giving me odd looks while walking by.What authors, or books have influenced you?
My current endeavor is detective short stories all focused on a detective I’ve created. I’ve been studying short stories and particularly mystery stories like they are going out of style. I read at least one a night. I ordered 30 old issues of Ellery Queen magazine from ebay even, which get read, torn up, and sorted.For the multiple music biographies I’ve written, my biggest influence is just reading other music biographies. I read tons of those, both musicians I like and others I’m not familiar with. I end up finding what I like and what I hate, and what I don’t want to do with my books. In general, my influences are the writers I like. G.K. Chesterton, Jack Kerouac, F. Scott Fitzgerald, Christopher Isherwood are four writers whose style I love and, for good and bad, influence me.
My last book, “In The Shadow Of The Gods: The Memoir of a Led Zeppelin Tribute Band Singer” was inspired by Ian Fleming. I love his 007 novels. He is famous for having every chapter ending on a sorta cliffhanger, where you can’t predict what will come next. I did that in this memoir, and everyone I talked to said they were sucked right into the story. Also, in that book Leonard Nimoy was a huge influence. Yes, Mr. Spock. As a director of theater and movies his mantra was “always tell a story.” Everyone loves stories and that’s one thing I don’t see in music biographies, which often just wander going nowhere. I find they often end with a let down. I’ve written biographies that don’t do that, but for Jean I turned his life into a story. I don’t think I’ll ever write another music biography any other way again.
What are you working on now?
I’ve been self-publishing since 2007, though my first book was in 1999 when I was in college. At that time I was writing a daily newspaper column and a monthly history column for another paper. Outside of a handful of things in the early days of my self-publishing, my focus and sales have come from non-fiction and history. Yet, I always have dreamed of being a novelist. I just could never find something that clicked. I have chapters and drips and drops, but nothing came until 2020.I was working on the memoir with Jean Violet. I had no idea if we would work together well or if the book would be finished, so I thought of using his ideas to form a novel of a rock band. When I saw our project was flying, I just let my creativity run rampant on the novel when my focus needed a break. Soon the novel had a life of its own. It provided a great place to wander to when I’d hit a wall in Jean’s work. Actually, drafting the novel would inspire me with questions to ask Jean. I currently have it completely outlined and 1/5th written. This will be out 2022.
From there my mind just popped and hasn’t stopped. So, I’m now moving into the fiction world as I long dreamed. Before the novel I’ll be debuting a series of detective short stories that have music as a theme. I’m very excited about those, but the details are under wraps a little while longer. I already have one written, four outlined, and a novel somewhat together.
It took forever, but I found my niche. For years I tried to be a novelist writing about this or that, with no luck, but when I hit music, which is a hobby and passion, well … I haven’t been this creative and this excited about my work in years.
What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
My website www.aaronjoyauthor.weebly.com. I also put stuff up on youtube and have 3 channels, which I believe have helped (not writing related channels, but my books are mentioned as a way to support me), but for a recommendation for others I’d say experiment and do what works for your genre. I’ve started tapping into paid product promotion. Its too early to talk results. My one suggestion is watch your expenses. A lot of us want to make money, but its so easy to spend money and find you’re not breaking even or wasting money or whatever.Do you have any advice for new authors?
Write, write, write, read, read, read. Practice and do your homework. Learn your craft. I know so many writers who honestly don’t know their craft, don’t take it seriously and then wonder why nobody is buying. Would you buy your own book?What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Be patient. It was told me 25 years ago by an old man whose wisdom was amazing. Be patient. Don’t give up, don’t rush, just keep on working and the results will be great.What are you reading now?
‘The Marathon Monks Of Mount Hei’ by John Stevens, about the Japanese Buddhist monks that run 1000 day marathons.
‘The Sea Is My Brother: The Lost Novel’ by Jack Kerouac, his first novel written at age 21 before he wrote ‘The Town And The City’.What’s next for you as a writer?
My detective stories are my immediate project for late 2021. Its very exciting to be exploring a new style of writing, having done poetry, non-fiction and playwrighting, and one novella. Its a very Indiana Jones like moment.I’m also starting a youtube channel called ‘The Existential Crisis’, debut September 2021, with videos sharing my writing advice, experiences, and general writing coaching. I’m prepping that now as its animation and voice-over. I figured it was time to be more active in using my experience to help others. I really like helping other authors and those self-publishing. I hope to do more of that.
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?
Something by Jack Kerouac, who I wanted to be in high school. Likely ‘The Dharma Bums,’ which being older I found far more interesting than ‘On The Road’.The world history book ‘The Everlasting Man’ or the spy novel ‘The Man Who Was Thursday’, both by G.K. Chesterton. For me there’s nothing like either.
‘The Mummery Book’ by Adi Da Samraj, who is a spiritual teacher with this one novel to his name that fuses colors and words and scenes in such a way like no other book out there. Maybe Leonard Cohen’s early book ‘The Beautiful Losers’ might be a close comparison.
I like books that challenge me and get me thinking, so likely these.
Author Websites and Profiles
Aaron Joy Website
Aaron Joy Amazon ProfileAaron Joy’s Social Media Links
Facebook Profile
Jen Finelli, MD
Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I’m a physician and injured adventurer. No, I’m serious: my real life adventures have ranged from the funny and silly (like getting myself locked in a German nunnery by accident) to the beautiful (like scuba diving with sharks) to the severe and tragic (like breaking my spirit as I held the dying and watched sexual assault victims suffer without justice).So I often write fantastical science fiction with a real life military, medical, or combat edge. When I’m not doing that, I play with trauma and pain and hope. The NEODYMIUM CHRONICLES is my five or six book series coming out from Wordfire Press, about young freedom fighters who talk to invisible beings; on the indie side I wrote BECOMING HERO, about the comic book character who shoots his author, and HEARTBEAT IN THE HALLWAYS, about a strange organic world of pulsing, living corridors above a planet destroyed by nuclear war. I’ve got lots of free stuff, both professionally and independently published, that you can get on my website, with more secret stuff you can get here if you’re outcast enough: http://byjenfinelli.com/you-want-heroes-and-fairies/
What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
Latest is kind of a funny word, because I’m always working on multiple things at once. But NEODYMIUM EXODUS is coming out from Wordfire Press Oct 2021, and it was inspired originally by scifi games my little brother and I would play with one of our friends. After fifteen years it’s changed to become something like a manifesto about hope, independence, diversity, and the question of suffering with free will. It’s me on paper–there’s lots of cool biological science fiction from my fascination with human and veterinary biology, lots of beautiful, impossible world-building, and lots of angst because of my experience treating and suffering mental illness. It’s kind of like if StarWars was written by a lonely military doctor with PTSD and a fascination for pretty colors.Do you have any unusual writing habits?
No, I am extremely normal. I never write naked or crying like you plebes.What authors, or books have influenced you?
I love C.S. Lewis, and dream of meeting him in heaven to chat about storycraft and drink beer. Funny thing, one of my favorite StarWars books was actually written by the publisher who picked up my NEODYMIUM CHRONICLES, Kevin J. Anderson. There are scenes in JEDI SEARCH that stuck with me for a long time. I haven’t read a ton of Alicia McCalla’s work, but I have to say my writing style is similar to hers, if you’ve get a chance to pick up something she’s created, and you’re curious; I felt a deep kinship with what she wrote in the SUPERHERO MEGA ANTHOLOGY we did together.The author who’s had the most direct influence on improving my writing is James Beamon, my mentor, editor for the professional publication ESCAPE POD, and former director of the SFWA. I hold that he is one of the best science fiction short story writers of our time, and I’m deeply honored to have him in my corner.
What are you working on now?
I’m doing a heavy rewrite of NEODYMIUM SACRIFICE, the third book in the NEODYMIUM CHRONICLES! I can’t really tell you what it’s about because that would spoil Book 2 and Book 1, but I can say it heavily features pheromone and neurotransmitter scifi inspired by cordyceps, moths, and other “brain control” insect phenomena!What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
Nothing beats having an author newsletter and forming a real relationship with readers. Having a YouTube channel has made a big difference, too, and I wish I’d started it sooner.Do you have any advice for new authors?
Get on critters.org and get real critique feedback. It makes all the difference. I met my mentor on there, and it changed my life.What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Don’t offer to the Paragon of Truth the sacrifice of a lie–I’m paraphrasing Lewis, but basically don’t try to force your creations or your science to fit your particular worldview, but instead make the best creation you can, study science with the most honesty you can, and the divine will peek in naturally. Not just in fiction, but in your scientific work, don’t make what you think you’re supposed to make, but actually make the best thing you possibly can, and bleed and sweat and work your butt off improving it, taking all the feedback you can, and being as absolutely honest and real as you can in your journey of discovery, with a critical eye for all your sources and biases, and then discover heaven through reason.What are you reading now?
Pendulum Heroes Book 4 by James Beamon. Pendulum Heroes is a guilty pleasure of mine; Beamon knows there are choices in there I REALLY disagree with, vehemently, but then these inventive worlds and characters make me HAVE to know what happens. It’s absolutely fascinating worldbuilding with really funny humor and fast action, and I really want Mel to be okay, after all the strange stuff that’s happened to him/her. You can check out Books 1-3 on Amazon (you can’t read book 4 yet because you don’t have access to the author mwahahaha and it’s not out yet).What’s next for you as a writer?
Many many NEODYMIUM CHRONICLES books. I want to be Piers Anthony-level prolific, although it’s more important to me to have Tolkein-level lasting power, and I have Emily Dickinson level shut-in tendencies. So who knows. You might not even know my work until after I’m dead, and I’m okay with that. I want to last.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 am a tsundoku librocubilarist, but definitely my Aramaic/English Brit Chadashah, my Orthodox Jewish Bible translation, Perelandra by Lewis, and I guess BECOMING HERO because I’d kind of like to rewrite it if I had nothing else to do, and I would need to read it to do that.Author Websites and Profiles
Jen Finelli, MD Website
Jen Finelli, MD Amazon Profile
Jen Finelli, MD Author Profile on SmashwordsJen Finelli, MD’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile
Facebook Profile
Twitter Account
Pinterest Account
Mark Shaiken
Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I was a corporate bankruptcy attorney for over 38 years. I left the law in 2019 to pursue my other interests, one of which is writing. I haven’t looked back. While an attorney, I wrote 2 bankruptcy law books. Since leaving the law, I have written two books – one a memoir “And . . Just Like That” tracing in essays my path into, during, and out of, a life of the law. My latest book just came out – “Fresh Start” a legal thriller starring an African American female bankruptcy attorney – Josephina Jillian Jones – 3J.What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
“Fresh Start” -The book is not based on any clients or cases I had, nor are the characters based on anyone with whom I came into contact during my years. It is totally borne out of the creative side of my mind that for 38 years was waiting to make its appearance. The book is inspired by the what ifs of being an attorney – what if I had a client that committed bankruptcy crimes; what if the client hid assets in Switzerland; and how far would a banker go to catch the client. The book is based on Kansas City where we lived for 28 years. I believe that the great things about Kansas City did inspire me to use it as the backdrop. It is a wonderful and beautifully rich place that doesn’t get its due.Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I book minimum writing appointments on my calendar in two hour windows. If I write 10 words in that time period, then so be it. But, usually, I write for more than the two hour appointment because things are flowing. I use outlines and I use Microsoft OneNote to be organized and record my thoughts when I am away from the computer. I try to write 6 days a week and so far, I very much enjoy the process.What authors, or books have influenced you?
I love Michael Connelly and David Balducci. I am also a great fan of Earnest Hemingway. They hold some traits in common – economy of words; that writing is all about editing and re-writing; and that the story and the characters are supremely important. A good book cannot survive without both.What are you working on now?
I am finishing my research for my next book – “Automatic Stay” once again starring 3J. In the new book, we will delve more into 3J’s background and her years growing up in New Orleans.What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
My website is markshaikenauthor.com. I am employing a number of tools to market the book: getting reviews; ARCs; I have upped my social media presence; book trailers; interviews; podcast interviews; staying in touch with my mailing list; and Amazon adsDo you have any advice for new authors?
Immerse yourself in the writing process, then be prepared to immerse yourself in the marketing process. Do what you feel comfortable doing in the marketing arena but don’t be afraid to put yourself out there. Be prepared to make some marketing mistakes and just view it as a learning experience.What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Mark, you probably thought that writing would be the hard part. It’s not. Marketing is harder.What are you reading now?
On Target by Mark Greaney and Good Rockin’ Tonight by Colin EscottWhat’s next for you as a writer?
Automatic Stay, starring 3J.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?
Old Man and the Sea; Huck Finn; any Harry Bosch book by Michael Connelly; Loose Balls – the history of the ABAAuthor Websites and Profiles
Mark Shaiken Website
Mark Shaiken Amazon Profile
Mark Shaiken Author Profile on SmashwordsMark Shaiken’s Social Media Links
Facebook Profile
Twitter Account
Genevieve Piturro
Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
Hi! I’m Genevieve Piturro and my first book launched during this pandemic. At first that made me nervous, but soon I discovered that my book – my journey – is more relevant now than ever. You see, I jumped off the corporate ladder 20 years ago when a simple question from a little girl in an emergency shelter rattled me to my core. That day my purpose was revealed to me and transformed not only my life and the lives of children like that little girl, but the lives of tens of thousands of people who rallied with me to change things. We found a miracle in the human connection that continues to inspire more people every day.What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
My book is, Purpose, Passion and Pajamas: How to Transform Your Life, Embrace the Human Connection and Lead with Meaning. This book is the story of my 20-year journey finding purpose in my life when there was none before. I have experienced an incredible personal and professional transformation and now do my best to give back and inspire others the way I have been inspired by strangers along my long and challenging path.Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I write best between 4am – 8am. Then I’m useless!
I get lots of great writing ideas and inspiration while swimming laps.What authors, or books have influenced you?
All memoirs. Every person is so different and is motivated by their own experiences. I love delving into their behaviors and how they handle consequences.What are you working on now?
I am considering writing a book with two other very different women on the pandemic’s effect on each of us and our choices on how to move forward now.What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
Amazon promotion and my own social media have been the best outreach platforms for me so far.Do you have any advice for new authors?
I teach a Masterclass called, “So you Want to Write a Great Book!”
My best advice is to write your story like you’re telling it to your best friend: honestly, passionately and 100% from your heart.What is the best advice you have ever heard?
RE: FEAR
Sometimes you just have to do it afraid.What are you reading now?
The Island of Sea Women
HamnetWhat’s next for you as a writer?
Speaking IN PERSON again to tell my book/story and hopefully inspire others to find their purpose – or as I say, Find YOUR Pajamas!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 boy and the Talking Candy Bar (this is the story my mom made up and read me as a child and I still love it)Betty White, If you Ask Me
I Feel Bad About My Neck
The Power of Positive Thinking
Author Websites and Profiles
Genevieve Piturro Website
Genevieve Piturro Amazon ProfileGenevieve Piturro’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile
Facebook Profile
Twitter Account
Akin Isa
Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I’ll be amazed if anyone reads past the first paragraph, so… how many books? Well, 1, so far. I’m 19. Give me a chance! However, some of the ideas I’ve had for books have been around for years, it’s just there’s only so much you can put down on paper with the time we’ve got!
I adore artistic sport and nature.What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
My first and only book so far is called Randouka. This cryptic name in fact sympolizes the name you’re given before birth, before your parents get some input. The essence of your soul, so to speak. It’s a massive novel that somehow, crazily, stemmed from just one passage in a book by Cynthia Voight, Come a Stranger. “‘Your wife is very beautiful.’ Isn’t she? I always thought, what a good job God did when he made Alice.'” It literally made me think, what if God really did shape all creatures before they’re born? (Or at the very least, some helpers) I’m not religious, but basing a story from angels and creation seemed like a great idea. A lot better than the cliched fairy tale theme, in any case.
It starts with an unrealistic love between an angel and mortal girl (who isn’t even born yet) but the further I wrote, the deeper things got. It really wasn’t about love after all.Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I don’t know, but maybe it might surprize you to learn I always write the first draft by hand. No matter how long it takes, I’ll write the whole thing (and obviously, later, go through the mistakes and changes when typing). Throughout school and college, the notebooks would travel with me everywhere. Everywhere. Until three years and a bit later, it was finally done. But I got into the habit of filling my waiting time with writing so much, that I’ve started doing it with the next story. And then the next, then the next.What authors, or books have influenced you?
Ooh… that’s tricky. I aim to take something away with me from most books (otherwise they’re not worth reading. At least, in my opinion.) A lesson or insight into my own life, or inspo for the book. It took me a long time to get through Sarah J Maas’ Throne of Glass series, but then I was savouring every moment and growing up alongside the heroine. The School for Good and Evil by Soman Chainani was also an epic read and learning curve, with some great ideas for fantasy and questioning stereotypes.What are you working on now?
Actually selling the damn book. Also a website, building social media and the next book, which will be for slightly younger readers. Let’s just say there might be a children’s takeover…What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
So far, I can’t name any that have worked particularly well. But that should change soon.Do you have any advice for new authors?
In retrospect, probably to say get people excited about your book *before* it comes out. Look up on tips to get together a launch team. That way you’ve automatically got a queue of people willing to buy, review or recommend your book from the start, and it can only grow afterwards.What is the best advice you have ever heard?
I guess it was early on. I was sitting with a girl at school and showing her all the grand plans, titles and plots of books I wanted to write one day, when she said “Well, what’s the point in planning all this? Just start writing.” And I’ll always remember that. Why didn’t it occur to me before? Since then, I’d written some childish books which I didn’t always finish, or I looked back on them later and thought ‘this is so unprofessional.’ Or in other cases, the idea is really good, but just needs a lot of polishing. No harm coming back to them in a few years time.
Also there was a wonderful quote which unfortunately I can’t remember who said. “Your audience is the person you were before you learnt the lessons your now writing about.”What are you reading now?
Nothing, actually.What’s next for you as a writer?
No idea! My journey as a writer/person is just as wild and unexpected as any quest you could ever write about. That’s the beauty of life though, if you choose to live fully.
Admittedly, it would be nice to write full time.If you were going to be stranded on a desert island and allowed to take 3 or 4 books with you what books would you bring?
Would need a bit more than books. Preferably something I’ve never read before. But Oleg Roy has some killer plots (if you can understand Russian) and The Fandom, by Anna Day, was simply mindblowing. It could easily be the only story I’d be tempted to write an (excuse the pun) fanfic for.Author Websites and Profiles
Akin Isa Website
Akin Isa Amazon ProfileAkin Isa’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile
Sohini SD
Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I am Sohini Dutt, a graduate in the field of history and a literature buff since time immemorial. I belong to the beauteous state of Assam, India and I completed my graduation from New Delhi, India. I am a published WordPress blogger writing on a plethora of topics including poetry, research and travel. I have podcasts on a diverse range of topics that are currently streaming across six major social platforms including Spotify and Apple podcasting platforms.I am a self-published author of a horror-thriller titled “The Cryptic Night of December” and the author of the e-book titled “The Ghastly Secret”, which is now available as an e-book and a paperback on Amazon. I also have two publications on the anthologies titled “Delusions” and “Ecstasy” which are scheduled to be launched on Amazon this month.
My love for writing and storytelling has always been immensely overwhelming and owing much to it, I have fortunately earned myself an international reading audience on my website as well as on social media.
I currently have published three books, that are mostly thrillers and fiction works. Over the last few months, I took out time to research and understand how can I make effective use of my short stories and poetry. I have always been a literature buff and though my field of specialization might seem contrasting, I have always loved indulging in creative pursuits, story-telling being one! After the unexpected success of my first book, “The Cryptic Night of December”, there was literally no stopping anymore. I’ve come a long way from writing countless stories sitting at a corner to getting my work out amidst readers.What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
The name of my latest book is ‘The Ghastly Secret’. I had been receiving several requests from my readers to work on a novel, but given the fact that I am a student myself, I couldn’t really devote that much time to pen down a 56,000 word story. That is exactly why I settled for a novella instead and decided to work on something exciting. That’s when an idea struck my mind and I wanted to work on urban legends, local histories, crime and horror. One of my teachers wanted me to read on local histories and I believe that was a stimulant in helping me write this book.Do you have any unusual writing habits?
Well, I wont call them “unusual” but I’d definitely say writing has been my happy escape since time immemorial. I have never restricted my work to genres and I love to explore. Perhaps this is why I’ve written on science, authored travelogues, worked on mythology, penned down numerous poetry and even published articles. So yeah, if its about habits, then I’d rather say I have this “more like a usual” habit of penning down life experiences and imagination.What authors, or books have influenced you?
There have been so many! I don’t intend to offend any genre or judge any writer, for every field of work requires hard work and dedication. However, I genuinely admire those writers who work on thrillers, horror and crime. These works require you to do an exhaustive research, look for ways to make your story as engrossing as possible, and make the description so realistic that your audience connects with the characters. In in this line, I’d name authors like Vikram Seth, Satyajit Ray, Agatha Christie, Paulo Coelho, Dan Brown, Lee Child and Stieg Larsson.What are you working on now?
I’m currently working on a science fiction and a psychological thriller. I’ve been on the go for several articles, exhaustive research and comparing materials.What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
Honestly, I’m still on the lookout for websites but Some of the best ways would be to ask for review on Amazon and Goodreads, contact influencers, make a video trailer, create an author website and most importantly, offer giveaways!Do you have any advice for new authors?
My advice to new authors would be that one should always stay dedicated and consistent with their efforts and not cease to put in the extra hard work. If you research, every minute brings to you a new idea. Research and study is the key to writing quality. Consistency makes it better.What is the best advice you have ever heard?
That recognition is the most important when it comes to selling your books and to work for that recognition, one needs to be dedicated and sincere all throughout and be willing to give it the time that it needs.What are you reading now?
I’m currently reading “The Girl on the Train” by Paula Hawkins.What’s next for you as a writer?
That would be a vague answer at the moment because I’m still on the go for newer avenues, new content, and most importantly, learning. I’ve believe there’s no end to learning and the more experience you gather, the best. And that is exactly what I’m doing right now; gathering experience!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?
Well, that’s an interesting question! I’d opt for The Alchemist, The Zahir and Before I go to Sleep!Author Websites and Profiles
Sohini SD Website
Sohini SD Amazon ProfileSohini SD’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile
Facebook Profile
Twitter Account
Sohini SD
Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I am Sohini Dutt, a graduate in the field of history and a literature buff since time immemorial. I belong to the beauteous state of Assam, India and I completed my graduation from New Delhi, India. I am a published WordPress blogger writing on a plethora of topics including poetry, research and travel. I have podcasts on a diverse range of topics that are currently streaming across six major social platforms including Spotify and Apple podcasting platforms.I am a self-published author of a horror-thriller titled “The Cryptic Night of December” and the author of the e-book titled “The Ghastly Secret”, which is now available as an e-book and a paperback on Amazon. I also have two publications on the anthologies titled “Delusions” and “Ecstasy” which are scheduled to be launched on Amazon this month.
My love for writing and storytelling has always been immensely overwhelming and owing much to it, I have fortunately earned myself an international reading audience on my website as well as on social media.
I currently have published three books, that are mostly thrillers and fiction works. Over the last few months, I took out time to research and understand how can I make effective use of my short stories and poetry. I have always been a literature buff and though my field of specialization might seem contrasting, I have always loved indulging in creative pursuits, story-telling being one! After the unexpected success of my first book, “The Cryptic Night of December”, there was literally no stopping anymore. I’ve come a long way from writing countless stories sitting at a corner to getting my work out amidst readers.What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
The name of my latest book is ‘The Ghastly Secret’. I had been receiving several requests from my readers to work on a novel, but given the fact that I am a student myself, I couldn’t really devote that much time to pen down a 56,000 word story. That is exactly why I settled for a novella instead and decided to work on something exciting. That’s when an idea struck my mind and I wanted to work on urban legends, local histories, crime and horror. One of my teachers wanted me to read on local histories and I believe that was a stimulant in helping me write this book.Do you have any unusual writing habits?
Well, I wont call them “unusual” but I’d definitely say writing has been my happy escape since time immemorial. I have never restricted my work to genres and I love to explore. Perhaps this is why I’ve written on science, authored travelogues, worked on mythology, penned down numerous poetry and even published articles. So yeah, if its about habits, then I’d rather say I have this “more like a usual” habit of penning down life experiences and imagination.What authors, or books have influenced you?
There have been so many! I don’t intend to offend any genre or judge any writer, for every field of work requires hard work and dedication. However, I genuinely admire those writers who work on thrillers, horror and crime. These works require you to do an exhaustive research, look for ways to make your story as engrossing as possible, and make the description so realistic that your audience connects with the characters. In in this line, I’d name authors like Vikram Seth, Satyajit Ray, Agatha Christie, Paulo Coelho, Dan Brown, Lee Child and Stieg Larsson.What are you working on now?
I’m currently working on a science fiction and a psychological thriller. I’ve been on the go for several articles, exhaustive research and comparing materials.What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
Honestly, I’m still on the lookout for websites but Some of the best ways would be to ask for review on Amazon and Goodreads, contact influencers, make a video trailer, create an author website and most importantly, offer giveaways!Do you have any advice for new authors?
My advice to new authors would be that one should always stay dedicated and consistent with their efforts and not cease to put in the extra hard work. If you research, every minute brings to you a new idea. Research and study is the key to writing quality. Consistency makes it better.What is the best advice you have ever heard?
That recognition is the most important when it comes to selling your books and to work for that recognition, one needs to be dedicated and sincere all throughout and be willing to give it the time that it needs.What are you reading now?
I’m currently reading “The Girl on the Train” by Paula Hawkins.What’s next for you as a writer?
That would be a vague answer at the moment because I’m still on the go for newer avenues, new content, and most importantly, learning. I’ve believe there’s no end to learning and the more experience you gather, the best. And that is exactly what I’m doing right now; gathering experience!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?
Well, that’s an interesting question! I’d opt for The Alchemist, The Zahir and Before I go to Sleep!Author Websites and Profiles
Sohini SD Website
Sohini SD Amazon ProfileSohini SD’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile
Facebook Profile
Twitter Account
Laura Hatchell
Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I’m an Irish girl born and bred. A full-time accountant, books are my escape to a magical world. So far I’ve written two full-length novels, with two accompanying short stories, and book three of the trilogy is well underway.What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
My latest book is 2 Minutes to Midnight and it’s the second book in the Midnight Trilogy. The idea for the trilogy came about when my uncle mentioned the phrase 3 minutes to midnight in relation to the idea of the doomsday clock. The phrase stuck in my head begging me to write a book.Do you have any unusual writing habits?
As mammy to a toddler I’ve had to learn to write whenever and however I can so I don’t get too precious about habits or rituals. I do have a particular quirk with my second drafts however where I will rewrite literally every word from scratch. This makes the rewrite take a lot longer than copying and pasting paragraphs I’m happy with, but it makes a huge difference for catching small problems in the flow of the writing.What authors, or books have influenced you?
I’ve read my whole life, and often I can’t even remember the name of the authors or books I’ve read because I just don’t have that much brain capacity :). I was hugely influenced by Stephen King and James Herbert growing up, but the author that really got me hooked on the paranormal was Kresley Cole and her Immortals After Dark series. While I eventually moved away from the paranormal romance side of things (I tend more towards high suspense), I loved the plot thread that wove through the series.What are you working on now?
I’m working hard on book three of the Midnight Trilogy. It’s been the hardest to write so far because I really want to make sure the trilogy goes out with a bang, but I can’t wait to get it into reader’s hands.What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
This is still very much a work in progress for me, but the best I’ve found so far is a very engaged reader group on Facebook for urban fantasy. Engaging there as a reader, and as a person asking genuine questions has given me the best results in relation to marketing (often inadvertently).Do you have any advice for new authors?
Keep writing. It is HARD to finish a book, and it is HARD not to doubt yourself, but you will only ever improve by getting the head down and writing. It really is easier to work with words on a page, so even if they’re bad words, get the down.What is the best advice you have ever heard?
You have to push through that muddy middle or you’ll never finish. It gave me the kick I needed to get my first book done as I realised that was exactly where I was at the time.What are you reading now?
I’m currently reading Ilona Andrews’s Kate Daniels series (I know, I’m late to the table on that one), and I’m listening to Lyndsey Buroker’s Death Before Dragon series for my audiobook.What’s next for you as a writer?
Once I have the final book in the Midnight Trilogy done, I want to get stuck into a new series that explores the release of magic in Ireland. It will play around with a lot of mythology and I’m dying to get started 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?
Can I just cheat and bring my Kindle??? No? Okay, I think I would bring a blank notebook for one so that I can write. I would probably bring a non-fiction book that I can use to work on my craft, probably Sacha Black’s Anatomy of Prose. Then I think I would bring one of Kresley Cole’s books and reread them to try understand what it was about them that caught my imagination so much.Author Websites and Profiles
Laura Hatchell Website
Laura Hatchell Amazon ProfileLaura Hatchell’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile
Facebook Profile
Brian Paley
Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I am a retired computer scientist and communications system designer. I have written two books: non-fiction reverse engineering of the human mind, and science fiction reverse engineering our DNA. I am currently writing my first historical fiction novel.What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
“The Cosmic Evolution Game: A Programmer’s Guide to Life in the Galaxy” is a hard science fiction view of how DNA originated and drove human evolution, and how humans are struggling to break from the bonds of DNA to evolve into a spacefaring species. My first book, “Inner Voices: Making Mindful Decisions”, speculated on how computers will enhance the human mind. The science fiction novel explores the human evolution path in more detail.Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I wake up 2 to 3 hours before anyone else, and use this most productive time of my day for writing.What authors, or books have influenced you?
Asimov, Stephen Hawking (he has a part in my book), Perry Marshall, Ken Follett.What are you working on now?
My current book is entitled “The Antebellum Wife: A Historical Novel”. It is set in the American South in the 1800s. The main character was forced to marry at the age of 12 and struggles throughout her life to counter the effects of discrimination, both racial and sexual.What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
Amazon/Kindle Direct
Still new to the business of promotion.Do you have any advice for new authors?
Know why you are writing.
If you are writing to make money, ensure that you write what a large number of people want to read. Hint: they like strong characters (both good and bad, preferably both), and lots of conflict among them.What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Stick to what you know (and who you are).What are you reading now?
Arachnid by Kishore TipirneniWhat’s next for you as a writer?
More research. Learn how to write period dialog.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?
Any books by Ken FollettAuthor Websites and Profiles
Brian Paley Website
Brian Paley Amazon ProfileBrian Paley’s Social Media Links
Twitter Account
Gary Grewal
Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
My name is Gary, I was born and raised in Northern California. I was fortunate in a way to enter the workforce during the Great Recession, as it caused me to rethink taking out student loans to go to Dental School! Thankfully, I opted to follow my interest of finance, and obtained a job where I learned about everything related to personal finance and eventually the FIRE movement. I love to check out new towns, be in the mountains in the summer and fall mountain biking and camping, and refine my smoothie recipes (one day hopefully I’ll run a juice bar in retirement).This is my first and only book so far!
What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
My book is Financial Fives: The Top 325 Ways to Save, Earn, and Thrive to Retire Before 65.What inspired it was the lack of options I found in the library and bookstores for personal finance books that were full of tips, tricks, and advice, rather than fluffed up with the author’s personal stores and digressions. We are all busier than ever, and I truly feel giving readers authentic, candid, and useful advice right off the bat will help them take action rather than forget what they wrote.
Do you have any unusual writing habits?
Hmm… I would say just “brain dumping” and then editing later? But I guess that’s not really unusual based on my conversations with other authors!What authors, or books have influenced you?
So many! The top 3 I would say are Vicki Robin, David Bach, and David BrooksWhat are you working on now?
Promoting and getting feedback on my book of course! Also, tending to my day job as a financial planner ( I can’t get enough of personal finance if you couldn’t tell). I also run a zero-waste moving box rental company, California Box Rental. Sustainability is a huge interest of mine.What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I would have to say reaching out to other bloggers and writers in this space. Some of them have written books, but moreover many are interested in what their peers have to say. We are all working towards similar goals and have similar interests, so getting feedback from them is crucial. If they like it enough, they may even promote it to their audience!Do you have any advice for new authors?
Make sure there is a market for the subject you are writing about, and get validation from others on your book idea. Everyone has their own opinion and style of writing, that’s the beauty of books. You want to make sure there is a market for it, that you can put your own unique spin/theme on it, and that you have the time it takes to promote it (Writing and publishing are only part of it!)What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Everything amazing in the world we live in was created by people no smarter than you.What are you reading now?
So Good They Can’t Ignore You by Cal NewportWhat’s next for you as a writer?
I’m not sure I want to write another personal finance book, however, I would like to write another book that intertwines the relationship between minimalism, zero-waste, and financial freedom. I write about this on my blog, but I also think a mindset shift can really help many in my community live a better life.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 love these questions! Really prompts some introspection.1) Your Money or Your Life by Vicki Robin and Joe Dominguez
2) Zero Waste Home by Bea Johnson
3) QBQ! The Question Behind The Question by John MillerAuthor Websites and Profiles
Gary Grewal Website
Gary Grewal Amazon ProfileGary Grewal’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile
Paul Zunckel
Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I started to write in August 2014 by accident. I had been laid off and was getting under foot at hope when my wife suggested that I sit down and write a short story I kept on repeating at home. I decided that it was a good move with the possibility of selling it too one of the local magazines. She then turned around and said, “I know you will start it but not finish it”.
A light went off in my head and did not dim until I had completed my first work, a Trilogy titled The Blood Trilogy which took me four months to write. The titles of the three books that make up the trilogy are, Blood Moon over Africa, Blood Spoor and Blood Demon-Revenge. All my books are African Adventures and feature Piet van Zyl.
To-date I have written 15 novels.What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
My Latest book is titled Cry of the Fish Eagle and has been published by a publisher in South Africa and is not available on Amazon but only on their site in hard copy or e-book. The name of the publisher is KREST PUBLISHERS and the book is written under P.Zuncks as believe it or not I have a name sake with the same publisher.
Africa and its myths, legends and superstitions inspire all my work.Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I also talk to my self and my dog Pooch who makes his debut in my novel, Into the Darkness.What authors, or books have influenced you?
Stephen King, John Grisham, Edgar Rice Burroughs,What are you working on now?
A novel set in the Congo titled Savage Moon. Another Piet van Zyl African Adenture.What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I use Twitter, Word Press and Facebook.Do you have any advice for new authors?
Follow your dream, and try write each and every day and read as much as you can. Don’t get discouraged when you are rejected but keep on. Watch out for Vanity Publishers.What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Believe in your self and never under value yourselfWhat are you reading now?
My manuscript for Shadow of the Leopard.What’s next for you as a writer?
Carry on regardless. I love writing and my head is full of stories waiting to be put on paper.If you were going to be stranded on a desert island and allowed to take 3 or 4 books with you what books would you bring?
My Trilogy and from there I would have a go at doing a screen play.Author Websites and Profiles
Paul Zunckel Amazon ProfilePaul Zunckel’s Social Media Links
Twitter Account
Emily Rooke
Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
Hi, I’m Emily Rooke, the author of ‘The Dying Light’ and ‘A Silent Night’. I’m a Special Educational Needs teacher. I’ve lived in a number of different cities, including Osaka and Berlin. I was born in the south-east of England and graduated from the University of York and King’s College London. I currently live and write in Tokyo, Japan. I am often anxious and check things far more often than is necessary. I love anime and finding new OTPs to fall in love with! Nothing makes me happier than when I spot a dog coming towards me.What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
My most recently published book is The Dying Light, the first book in the Dark Fantasy Bloodwitch series. I was inspired by living in Berlin and imagining an alternate history of the Cold War. As soon as I did, my main character, Charlie, appeared in front of my eyes. He was sitting on a windowsill in a rundown basement, telling a bedtime story to a group of small children. I knew I had to write his story.Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I can’t start writing without my peppermint tea!What authors, or books have influenced you?
I’ve been influenced by Pierce Brown’s Red Rising series, and the Grisha trilogy by Leigh Bardugo. Beyond books, I’ve been influenced by films such as Mad Max: Fury Road, and anime such as Seraph of the End and Attack on Titan.What are you working on now?
I am currently editing We Become Shadows, the second book in the Bloodwitch series.What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
Check out The Writer Community on Instagram for a welcoming community of supportive writers and authors.Do you have any advice for new authors?
Never give up!What is the best advice you have ever heard?
You need to be part of a community if you want to be a successful author.What are you reading now?
I’m really looking forward to starting Iron Widow by Xiran Jay Zhao.What’s next for you as a writer?
My main focus is getting the Bloodwitch series completed and published. I have an idea for my next novel, but I want to wait until the series is finished and I’ve said goodbye to Charlie and Vasco before starting something new.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?
Red Rising, Golden Son, and Morning Star by Pierce BrownAuthor Websites and Profiles
Emily Rooke Website
Emily Rooke Amazon ProfileEmily Rooke’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile
Twitter Account
Douglas Bass
Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
After having been writing for my entire life, I have now written and published my debut novel!I am currently living in the Finger Lakes Region of New York State with my beautiful wife, Sheila, and my three wonderful children. Having these people in my life is more good luck than I could ever deserve and more good fortune than I could ever earn. They are my reason for being.
I spent the first 20 years of my working life doing something that was a terrible fit for me and that I truly hated for 19 of those years. I was an attorney and learned early that the endless toxicity, conflict, and ill-will that was inherent in that daily life was not what I was built to endure. However, with the love and support of my amazing family and friends, I recently made the leap to change careers at this stage of my life and I am now only four months away from achieving my Masters in Education so that in December 2021, just before Christmas and my next birthday (Christmas Eve!), I will be Certified with my Masters in Secondary Education, concentrating in Social Studies, and I will also be Dual Certified in Special Education.
Life can truly be a wild ride. Just hold on with both hands because you can never anticipate when the sharp turns and steep lifts and drops will be upon you!
What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
My book is entitled “Ebenezer: The True Life Story of Ebenezer Scrooge”.Like many people, I have always loved “A Christmas Carol”. I have seen numerous versions of it in movies (my favorite being the Alastair Sim 1951 interpretation), I have read the novella several times, and I have seen it performed on stage. One year, as I was watching the 1951 film, something started to bother me about what I was watching and at first I couldn’t put my finger on just what it was.
Then it came to me. Something was wrong with how Ebenezer Scrooge was being portrayed as a character. The man we were introduced to in the beginning shouldn’t have been moved to such a monumental change based on what he was shown by the Spirits. It just didn’t make sense… if we were told the complete and accurate tale.
In the past, he was reminded of being abandoned at school, being happy as an apprentice, and then losing both his beloved sister and his fiancé. Those scenes would have more likely hardened his heart. Why should a greedy, grasping miser with no love for humanity want to embrace humanity by being reminded of having lost all that was dear to him, having been neglected, and witnessing happy times he only experienced because he was, in his view, young and naïve?
Then in the present his is shown how poorly his employee (that he intentionally abuses and woefully underpays) is living and he is shown that the man’s son is ill and going to die. After he just a few hours earlier told men seeking charity for poor people and children just like this to die and decrease the surplus population! So why would seeing people whom he held in contempt living poorly affect his heart?
Finally, in the future he sees that his own employees who work in his home scavenged and looted his belongings as he lay dead and that no one cares that he died. He only seems fearful and moved to change upon seeing his own grave, as though he had no idea that if ANY person – saint and sinner alike – traveled far enough into their own future it would have to end with their death. The idea that he was unaware of his mortality or that he would care that people he loathed didn’t care that he had died – and so much so that he had a complete change of heart and personality! – just made no sense to me.
That’s when it struck me. If Ebenezer was so moved by these scenes of his life, THERE WAS A LOT MORE DICKENS DIDN’T TELL US ABOUT HIM. After all, we only got a few very small glimpses into his life and we were given no understanding of how he got that way.
This suggested to me that what we were shown during his visits by the Spirits was not quite accurate. There was a lot more going on and his eyes were opened to quite a bit more.
We also were never told how he lived his redemption after that one fateful Christmas Eve/Christmas Day night in 1843. We were just told, essentially, that he became a good man. But what did that look like?
It occurred to me that Charles Dickens may not have been trying to tell us the true account of this man’s life, but instead he was using source material to which he applied poetic license to fictionalize in order to serve his own intentions in crafting his cautionary Christmas tale. But if that was so, my imagination asked, what was the source material Dickens used? What was the true story of this clearly fascinating man?
All of these questions and ideas began nagging at me, demanding to be let out. So, I started taking notes right then, that day. I couldn’t yet see the story clearly or how to relate it, but from time to time, new ideas would strike me out of the blue so I wrote those down too. It was almost like Ebenezer himself was urging me to tell his true story so that people would finally understand who he really was, what the miracle that occurred to him actually consisted of, and how his story could inspire others in ways that transcended the current limited message offered only as a Christmas tale.
His was a life. A real life. One for all seasons, all people, and all times.
I did my research to learn what events affected him and what he affected in this world, as he was a product of his experiences, just like the rest of us always are. And with all of the above in mind, I began to write his whole story from the day he was born until just after he was gone.
Everything that made him the complex man that he was is now here for us to read. Everyone whom he encountered, whom he touched, and who touched his life is here. The true account of his travels with the Spirits is now available for all to see. The details of his redemptive journey back to his communion with the human race are all laid out.
And, as amazing as it may sound, as I peered into this man’s life, I often did not feel like I was writing something purely out of my imagination. More often than not, I felt like I was simply lucky enough to be the first to witness it and I was transcribing what I saw, heard, and was told for the world to see.
I truly hope everyone who has a chance to read this book feels as much joy from reading it as I felt in writing it.
Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I don’t know if anything I do would be considered unusual. Depending on when the inspiration hits me and how it moves me, I will not always write using the same medium. Sometimes I will type chapters and sometimes I will write them out longhand, in both cases trying desperately to allow my fingers to keep up with my thoughts (which is usually a challenge).Also, what may be considered “unusual”, is that I often find that when typing, I need to find the right font that allows me to be the most creative that day. It changes and I can’t explain how I know one is right and the others are wrong. I just feel it and I know.
What authors, or books have influenced you?
I’ve been an avid reader for my entire life and so there are likely many books and authors who have influenced me subconsciously that I am not even aware of. As for those I do think of, in this case I was very influenced by the writing style, meticulous detail, and remarkably personal account offered by non-fiction author, Erik Larson. He somehow is able to place you right on the ground in the history he is describing. It’s the closest thing to time travel I have ever experienced.I was also very influenced by Stephen King. I think his true genius is not in writing to scare, as I rarely find his books “scary”. His true genius is being able to write such complete, round characters. And not just the primary characters, but all of his characters, no matter how minor they may seem. He conjures entire cities and civilizations full of volumes of people and they are all full, actualized characters. I tried very hard to make sure that all of my characters were given the same respect and that they weren’t there to serve the story. They were just passing through while experiencing their own full, rich story that we just haven’t been privy to yet.
Stephen King’s book, “On Writing” is one of the greatest books I have ever read. It was the first one that I had to re-read the moment I finished because in reading it, he made me feel like I was his personal friend to whom he was speaking. I actually felt the loss of this friend when I finished so I had to reach out to renew our friendship with a second read because I wasn’t ready to let him go yet. I dream of having a reader think that way about me someday.
I also thought of Michael Crichton and how he was able to make me believe that what he was writing was real and possible. It wasn’t fiction – not really – just a hidden truth.
Dan Brown was another who influenced me in how he is able to pace his books so that you are engrossed and flying through the pages along with his protagonist, devouring it without realizing how much time is passing. I would love to think that I could get a reader to find themselves shocked by how much time had passed when they finally set my book down and look at the clock. And to still be thirsty for more, having to force themselves to take care of their responsibilities while itching to get back to the world I created.
What are you working on now?
Right now, I have been asked to convert my book into a stage play for a project in development that I cannot actually talk about yet because once I agreed to be pitched the idea to participate, I had to sign a Non-Disclosure Agreement. I look forward to the day I can announce that fully realized project to the world. It will be exciting!Aside from that, I am actually working on my Masters in Education. As I mentioned earlier, I have gone back to school to change careers from one that was a terrible fit (attorney) to one that I am loving (teacher). And just before Christmas 2021, I will be both certified as a teacher and will have earned my Masters as well. I am very excited to begin this new chapter in my life.
What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I have promoted my books in three primary ways.First, and I always think is best for anything, is word of mouth. I trust that my book is a worthy read and my goal is to get as many people as I can to just give it a try so they can see that for themselves. Then, if they do, they can authentically tell others what they may be missing out on if they don’t try it too.
Second, I share news about it on Facebook. I recently joined Twitter and Instagram so I have started sharing it on those forums as well. And then, through them, I have found other means — like this site — to share information about the book.
Third, I have been fortunate enough that several brick-and-mortar artisan shops in different areas of New York have decided that they want to carry my book. Right now, for instance, one of the places it is featured is in Skaneateles Artisans (https://www.skaneatelesartisans.com/) in Skaneateles, New York. That town is a wonderful place that hosts a “Dickens Victorian Christmas Festival” every year during every weekend between Thanksgiving and Christmas and I hope anyone reading this who is able to visit takes my advice and allows yourself to go and enjoy what they have to offer. You will be thanking me. They turn the entire town into a Christmas experience just out of the pages of “A Christmas Carol” with literally dozens of actors portraying the various characters from the time, including Ebenezer Scrooge himself, walking the streets, singing Christmas Carols in the shops, and hosting games and performances throughout town! It’s such a great time and the festival’s theme made my book a natural fit for that area. I go several times to the shop during the festival and spend about 4 hours each time mingling with the customers and signing books. It’s enormous fun as I get to pretend to be a mini-celebrity for a few hours of my life.
Do you have any advice for new authors?
I have two pieces of advice.First, when it comes to writing, never second-guess yourself. Never worry that your work is not “good enough”. If it is something that came from your heart and your soul, then it is your art that is worthy to be in this world. Remember that there is no such thing as an objectively “good” or “bad” piece of writing. There is only what “I think is good for me” and what “I think is not good for me”. That’s it!
In fact, it doesn’t even matter if you don’t particularly love what you wrote. Most writers, myself included, are their own harshest critics. But just because you don’t love it, or even like it, doesn’t mean that there isn’t someone else out there who will think that this is the greatest piece of work that has ever been produced and that will change their whole lives for the better.
And that’s the mindset you must have. Your work is worthy, it is special, and it has the potential to change someone’s world. You should never apologize for your writing, nor should you shortchange yourself. Writing is creation. Before you put those ideas in those words into the world, they didn’t even exist! You brought something into being! It’s an amazing, incredible, and truly intimate gift that you are sharing because when offering any piece of writing to the world, you are really exposing yourself and sharing a piece of your very own soul. How could you ever apologize for something as special as that? Don’t! Ever!
As far as marketing your book, it’s simple. It comes down to this: Just let people know about it. Be generous by sharing.
That’s really the key. You cannot force people or trick people into buying something and why would you want to anyway? When people read your work, they are not just connecting with the writing; they are making a personal connection with you. Don’t you want that to be a positive interaction?
You have to take the mindset that you are there to fill a need or a want that they have. Every reader wants to find their next great read. I trust that I have it for them. So, I just let them know where and how they can have what they already want. Then it’s up to them to choose whether or not they are ready to satisfy their own desire.
What is the best advice you have ever heard?
The best advice I have ever heard as it relates to my writing and my dreams associated with them is that things happen when they happen, and you cannot force anything, nor should you try. Do your best, work your hardest, don’t accept from yourself anything but the maximum of what you know you are capable of producing. After that, it’s out of your hands.What are you reading now?
I wish I could say that I was reading anything even mildly interesting or for enjoyment. Instead, since the Master’s program in which I am enrolled is an accelerated one in which I complete the degree in half the usual time (so every week’s worth of work is two weeks worth of content), what I am reading now are Education texts and associated material.I look forward to getting back to picking up a book from my shelf and losing myself in my next great read.
What’s next for you as a writer?
As I mentioned, what’s next for me as a writer is completing the conversion of my book into a stage play. I have never written a script for the stage before, nor have I ever tried to adapt a full-length novel into a 90-minute performance, so it is quite the challenge. I am still working through how to decide what to cut, what to consolidate, and how to accomplish it all. I just have to trust that in the end, I will find the right solutions that these challenges require to bring the essence of my novel to life for live audiences.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?
Interesting question. I would bring my book, “Ebenezer”, just to remind me that I can accomplish difficult tasks as long as I keep believing in myself and working to find a way. I would bring a full and complete photo album of my family and friends to remind me of why I need to survive and why life is worth living. I would bring an enormous book full of blank, lined paper so that I could use my time waiting for rescue writing what my heart and soul needs for me to put on paper next. And I would bring a book that offers the full and complete instructions for how to survive stranded on a desert island because hopes and dreams and motivation and desire are all wonderful things to keep your spirits up, but unless you have practical solutions and a realistic path to travel to get you to your goals, you will not meet them. You must set a plan that can get you where you want to go, and then let nothing stand in your way.That’s what will make the difference between actually living your dreams or being stuck only dreaming about how you wish you could live.
Author Websites and Profiles
Douglas Bass Amazon ProfileDouglas Bass’s Social Media Links
Matthew Dunn
Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I’m a former MI6 covert operative who spent many years travelling the world and dealing with matters pertaining to the national security of Great Britain and its allies. My work as a spy was extremely complex and hazardous. I retired from MI6 a decade ago and became a writer. Since then I’ve written 14 published thriller novels, including the “Spycatcher” series and “Ben Sign” series.What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
My latest novel is The Spy Thief.It’s the 5th standalone novel in my “Ben Sign” series and has just been published, exclusive to Amazon in e-book and paperback format.
The front cover of the book uses a photograph my father took in London in 1965. I’ve had the photo for years and always thought it would make a great cover for one of my books. But I needed the right story to match the shot. The photo inspired me to consider what that story would be.
The Spy Thief is about a senior British official who is stealing British secrets and selling them to hostile foreign agencies. The individual’s identity and motivation for treachery are unknown. What is known is that the traitor – code name The Thief – is devastating global security. Former MI6 spy turned investigator Ben Sign is discretely tasked to identify and neutralise The Thief. The brilliant tactician constructs a masterful plan. But, he soon realises that his adversary is his intellectual equal. And, The Thief is utterly ruthless. What follows is a figurative game of high-stakes chess, played by two grandmasters, where one wrong move will have deadly consequences.
Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I live and breathe writing and as a result don’t really have any writing habits or routines. Sometimes, I can be writing while the sun comes up and I’m eating “dinner” for “breakfast”. I love having a fluid, unstructured, approach to my work. There are days when I will stop writing and realise I’ve been hard at work for twenty four hours. Other days I may take one look at my computer screen and think, “Nah. Not feeling it right now”. I’m experienced enough to know when I’m firing on all cylinders and when I’ve got a bit of grit in the workings. If I’m not “in the zone” I don’t write. That approach spares me from the psychological sucker-punch of deleting swathes of sub-standard work. I apply extremely high standards.to myself. I only write when I’m at peak mental fitness.What authors, or books have influenced you?
When I was a boy I was a voracious reader and spent hours in second-hand bookstores, scouring the shelves. Many of the books I bought were out-of-print obscure works about nineteenth century explorers and the like. I was curious and wanted to know about the world from the perspective of intrigue and adventure.In terms of well-known authors, I enjoyed books by Conrad, Conan Doyle, Forsyth, le Carre, Alan Furst, Jeffrey Deaver, and so many others. As a lad, I had fire in my belly and was always looking at the horizon while wondering what was out there. I gravitate to authors who I strongly suspect share the same mindset.
What are you working on now?
Having just published The Spy Thief, in theory I should be taking a break. I won’t; never do. So, now I’m starting to collect my thoughts on the next Ben Sign novel. And I’m thinking about one or two other writing projects. The priority will be the 6th Ben Sign novel, due for publication in 2022.What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I’m very active on social media and can easily be found on Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, Goodreads, Amazon, LinkedIn, and my subscriber YouTube channel.I’ve also done a lot of work as an author and commentator in the media. Some of my media appearances are on the Net.
Do you have any advice for new authors?
Write a two or three page plot-outline before writing your book. The plot/synopsis must have a beginning, middle, and an end. Sweat over those 2 or 3 pages. Stress-test them; look for chinks and flaws in logic; if something is nagging you listen to your “nag” and do something about it. The plot-outline is your story. It’s the most important thing to get right.Storytelling is king. After all, writers are two a penny. But true story-tellers are a rare breed. Try out the first half of your story on friends. Tell it to them verbally, while you’re sitting in a cafe or pub. You’ll know if they’re bored by your story. But if they’re motionless while listening to you, their mouths slightly open, eyes unblinking, drinks held still mid-air, then you know you’ve captivated them. And if that’s the case, by golly you’ve got a story to tell. So, then, and only then, get writing.
What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Always put one foot in front of the other.The French Foreign Legion’s informal motto has a similar if somewhat more absolute observation – “March or Die”.
Either way, you get the gist.
What are you reading now?
I own a handwritten diary from 1789 that was written by a young Royal Navy officer while onboard his first voyage to various locations around the world. His account of the crew’s exploits are fascinating and evocative, not least because their expeditions and engagements took place during a fascinating time in history. The diary is very fragile and important, so I have to be extremely delicate when I read the book.What’s next for you as a writer?
More Ben Sign novels.If you were going to be stranded on a desert island and allowed to take 3 or 4 books with you what books would you bring?
(1) The Complete Works of Sherlock Holmes by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle;
(2) Dark Star by Alan Furst;
(3) Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy by John le Carre.
(4) The Day of the Jackal by Frederick Forsyth.Author Websites and Profiles
Matthew Dunn Amazon ProfileMatthew Dunn’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile
Facebook Profile
Pinterest Account
David Donaghe
Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I live on the high desert of southern California. I enjoy reading, writing, riding my motorcycle and practicing martial arts. I have eleven novels plus some short stories that have been published in anthologies. I have two series. One is Biker Fiction and the other is science fiction.What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
My latest book is titled Door Number Two. The title came to me in a dream. I came up with the story to fit the title. It is the forth book in my Mike McDonald Action Adventure Saga.Do you have any unusual writing habits?
The only unusual habit I have is that when I finish the rough draft of a novel I go outside on my back porch and smoke a cigar to celebrate.What authors, or books have influenced you?
Stephen King, Dean Koonts, Louis Lamour and William Johnstone.What are you working on now?
The Galactic War. It is the forth book in my science fiction series titled, the Space Corps Chronicles.What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I promote my books on face book, twitter and site like Awesome Gang.Do you have any advice for new authors?
Just write. Don’t worry about what people tell you. Write until your story is told then edit. Your first draft is always crap. Edit, have people read it and give it feed back and only publish it after you think it is the best it can be. Read books on writing and formatting.What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Just write. Don’t let people tell you that you can’t write a book or you can’t get one published. If your passion is writing, the write.What are you reading now?
Fire Fury Freedom by Amanda roseWhat’s next for you as a writer?
After I publish the Galactic War I will probably write the next book in my Mike McDonald action Adventure Saga. The working title is Mendoza’s Revenge. The story is in my head, I just have to get it out.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?
Most likely whatever I could grab that I haven’t read, but if I couldn’t find any that I haven’t read, I would take the Stand by Stephen King, the Education of a Wandering Man by Louis Lamour and the Adventures of Huckleberry Finn my Mark Twain.Author Websites and Profiles
David Donaghe Website
David Donaghe Amazon Profile
David Donaghe Author Profile on SmashwordsDavid Donaghe’s Social Media Links
Facebook Profile
Twitter Account
