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LaKeisha LaKay 

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I am a social scientist that has studied in the fields of criminal justice, sociology, and law. Having spent a number of years examining human behavior, societal issues, and political policies, I enjoy writing what I know—especially in storytelling.

I am passionate about community, women, and youth, and often spends time volunteering for causes in these realms. My other interests include spending time with family and friends, foreign travel, and a spectrum of arts and crafts.

I recently released my first novel and am currently working on my second.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
The Devil Is In The Details.

I am social scientist who reads an immense amount of non-fiction literature for my discipline. I also possess a love for all entertainment in the realm of thriller/suspense/mystery. Often, I find it difficult to free my mind and relax my brain in a challenging but thrilling read. So, I typically turn to classic literature for my reading entertainment. I started writing, and wrote the current published work, to offer readers like myself an engaging read that was not only thought provoking, but loosely educational. I love learning, I love reading, and I love being entertained. When the three are combined, I am in paradise.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I am an emotional writer. So, how I write, when I write, and where I write is often guided by how I am feeling in the moment. To that end, I have written scenes all over the place (almost like puzzle pieces that fell out of a box—they are scattered everywhere!!!). It’s fun writing this way, but a lot of content ends up deleted in the end because the pieces just “do not fit.”

What authors, or books have influenced you?
I enjoy reading suspense and crime thrillers. Although I do not have a current favorite author, I did enjoy reading R.L. Stine’s “Fear Street” series as a child. His series were the perfect balance of mystery and suspense that I sought as a young reader; they definitely encouraged my reading habit and influenced by writing style.

What are you working on now?
I am currently working on my second novel that is slated for release the end of the year 2022 or the beginning of the year 2023. True to my professional discipline, this manuscript will also be among the law enforcement/judicial system realm; and true to my passion, it will be another crime thriller.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
Word-of-mouth and social media are the best methods for promoting my book. I find that people are most influenced by people in their inner-circle. So, my goal is to target at least one person in each circle and eventually the buzz will spread.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Write what you love or what you have the greatest interest in. To follow the advice to write what is trending will make the writing process less enjoyable. So, stay to true to your craft and your passion–this will not only ensure that your manuscript will be completed, but your readers will ultimately receive the authentic you.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Write your ending first. Though very good advice, I do not follow it, BUT, again, I do believe it is really good advice. So, I try to have an end in mind even if it is not written down. Following this blueprint for writing means that all roads will lead to your end, even if you take a few detours along the way.

What are you reading now?
To stave off boredom, I read at least 2 to 3 books at a time. So, I am currently reading: Jacquelin Jones’s Labor of Love, Labor of Sorrow, Howard Zinn’s A People’s History of the United States, and Tosca Lee’s Demon A Memoir.

What’s next for you as a writer?
Definitely more writing. I am currently working on my second novel that is slated for release the end of the year 2022 or the beginning of the year 2023. I also plan to host a book discussion with as well as a book signing for my readers.

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?
Thinking along the lines of survival until I am rescued, I would bring: The Bible, Book on Herbs, The Complete Guide on Natural Vitamins, Book on Essential Oils,

Author Websites and Profiles
LaKeisha LaKay Amazon Profile

LaKeisha LaKay’s Social Media Links
Facebook Profile

Anjeanette Carter 

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I have been a content creator and entrepreneur for more years than I’d like to admit but Stop Asking For Water! is my first book.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
Stop Asking For Water! is based on the true events of my children never wanting to go to bed. We all know how much kids like to stall…but now it’s personal! I knew I wasn’t the only mom out there who could relate so creating this book felt like a no-brainer.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I need total and complete silence to write. I can’t listen to music, podcasts, or have any noise. I only write alone, at home. You won’t catch me at a coffee house writing. I would get way too distracted!

What authors, or books have influenced you?
All of the books and authors I love helped to shape my perspective as a person but not as much as a writer. I write what rings true in my gut and lean into humor whenever I can.

What are you working on now?
I am working on the next book of my Snarky Mom series. It will be another common parenting problem. Can you guess which topic it will be on?

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
Stop Asking For Water! is my first book so I am learning as I go.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
I wish someone had told me years ago to just write what I want and not stick to algorithms or trends. Actually, many people told me that. I just didn’t listen!

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Don’t be afraid to fail.

What are you reading now?
Peppa Pig Meets the Queen. My daughter has forced me to read it nightly for the past 1600 days. At least that’s how it feels.

What’s next for you as a writer?
I don’t even know what I am having for dinner tonight. But if I had to guess, it’s probably salmon. And as far as writing goes, I look forward to seeing where the next story takes me.

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?
Prozac Nation (because I would need a depression buddy if I was stranded)
The Art of Happiness by the Dalai Llama (to help with the first one)
The Art of Asking by Amanda Palmer (to remind me to have some grit)
And the 4th would have to be something I’ve never read

Author Websites and Profiles
Anjeanette Carter Website
Anjeanette Carter Amazon Profile

Anjeanette Carter’s Social Media Links
Twitter Account

Tonne Odom 

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I published my first book when I was 19-years-old after graduating high school and then I published Sade Evans: She Will Kill to Be Happy at that age as well. I published my last book, Hidden Agendas back in 2017 when I was graduating from college. As of right now, I’ve written three books and is planning on releasing another one pretty soon. Besides writing, I love music, singing, watching movies and having peace in my life.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
I’m not going to reveal the name of my upcoming book right now. It’s still in the developing stages, but it’s going to be one that nobody will forget. To give you a little information, it was inspired by three of my favorite singers.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
No I don’t. I pretty much write normal by typing out my books on my laptop when I’m watching TV or listening to music. My writing process isn’t weird at all.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
Growing up, I used to love reading Caroline King’s Nancy Drew Mysteries. I fell in love with those books when I was in the fifth grade. Then, I got older and began reading young adult books like the Drama High Series by L. Divine. Now, I have read a lot of books over the years, but I just love the Drama High Series, because those books were so entertaining and filled with love, betrayal and even magic. It’s an urban book series that I’ve never forgotten.

What are you working on now?
My new book is currently in production, and for now I’m keeping details about it private. I’ll release them more and more as time goes on.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I really don’t have a “best” method or website where I promote my books. I just use whatever ways I can to get my books out to the world. With my upcoming book, I’m going to make sure that I promote it the best way I can.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
For new authors, I just want y’all to not be afraid of sharing whatever your vision is with the world. Every writer thinks that their book is great, which they suppose to think positive about their work. However, everybody has their own opinion, so y’all can get good reviews or bad reviews on your books. I think highly of my books, but I was met with mixed reviews in the past that caused me to feel a little doubt about my work. The thing that I always reminded myself was that I worked hard on writing my books, and there’s no way that I would let negative opinions take my love away from my work. Every writer should love their books and make sure to not let nobody discourage them from giving the world a new story to read. Just pray to God, believe in your book and yourself, and everything will be alright.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
I’ve never been given any advice on my books.

What are you reading now?
Nothing at the moment.

What’s next for you as a writer?
What’s next for me is to get this new book ready so it can be read by many people around the world. Making money off my books is good, but I really want as many people as possible to read them and know me as a writer who’s not afraid to express himself on paper by showing his creativity through his 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?
I’ll take the Drama High Collection By L. Divine, which is more than 3 or 4 books.

Author Websites and Profiles
Tonne Odom Website
Tonne Odom Amazon Profile

Tonne Odom’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile
Twitter Account

Steven Bruce 

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I’m a poet, writer, and the author of White Knuckle. My poems and short stories have featured in magazines and anthologies around the world. In 2018, I graduated from Teesside University with an MA in Creative Writing. I was born in England, but I now live and write out of an apartment in Barcelona.

Aside from The Black Poems (a limited edition chapbook), which you can find in selected bookshops in London, Manchester, Madrid, Warsaw, Rome, Florence, Pisa, and Paris, White Knuckle is the only book I have available at the moment.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
My latest book is titled White Knuckle. It’s also my debut poetry collection, released last year.

It’s inspired by a severe childhood experience. An autobiographical report on the reality of life in a poverty-stricken, drug and violence-fuelled environment. It’s a gut-wrenching composition of grief, loss, and abandonment at an early age.

Overall, it features fifty-one poems and a letter to my younger self. Here’s a short sample poem from the collection:

Failing

Wandering the deserted streets at dawn
with dirty skin, no food for three days.

Feet blistered from wet, worn-out shoes,
knuckles grazed from fighting off two junkies.

Elbow stinging from a weeping knife wound,
I retire under the railway bridge.

School report card tucked inside my pocket,
it says I must try harder.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I wouldn’t say I have any unusual writing habits.

If I’m in a professional mood, I’ll get up early, make coffee, and write or edit until Gosia (my wife) returns home from work.

Having said that, I’m convinced I do my best writing from midnight onwards when the world’s sleeping. I light up a cigar (Macanudo), pour a double whisky (Suntory Toki), and play some music (Max Richter or Chopin). That seems to bring the muse bounding from his cave.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
Stylistically, I would say minimalist authors such as Raymond Carver and Ernest Hemingway. I admire the concise structure of their writing style. And as modern attention spans continue to decline, I think authors must adapt to the times to keep the reader interested.

Bookwise, I suppose every book I’ve ever read has had some kind of influence on me.

What are you working on now?
At the moment, I’m working on a second collection of poetry. However, it’s still in the early stages, so I can’t say much about it.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
Word of mouth and social media seems to work best for me. In particular, Facebook and Goodreads.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Study the craft.

Start by reading books on writing. Here are some recommendations: The Courage to Write by Ralph Keyes, Bird by Bird by Anne Lamott, The Art of Fiction by David Lodge, The Elements of Style by Strunk & White, and Self-Editing for Fiction Writers by Renni Browne & Dave King.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
For writing: “Get in, get out. Don’t linger. Go on.” — Raymond Carver.

For life: “It’s not what happens to you, but how you react to it that matters.” — Epictetus.

What are you reading now?
I’m currently re-reading The Selected Writings of Guillaume Apollinaire. Next, I’ll be reading The Trial by Franz Kafka after enjoying the film adaptation by Orson Welles.

What’s next for you as a writer?
If all goes well, I’ll have a second poetry collection out next year. From there, who knows?

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?
Only four books? Thank heavens this is a hypothetical question.

Here goes, in no particular order: Don Quixote by Miguel de Cervantes, The Divine Comedy by Dante Alighieri (Flame Tree Publishing edition with the Gustave Doré illustrations), Where I’m Calling From by Raymond Carver, and The Collected Stories of Ernest Hemingway.

Author Websites and Profiles
Steven Bruce Website
Steven Bruce Amazon Profile

Steven Bruce’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile

Courtney Lillard 

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I am originally from Wisconsin, but traveled around the Midwest with my husband for school and am currently in Nebraska. I earned both my B.A. and M.A. in Communication Studies and began writing shortly after. The Dark Angel series is my first adventure as an author. The Shadow’s Grasp was published in January 2021, but edited and released as a second edition with a new cover. Its sequel, The Guardian’s Deception, will be releasing on September 14, 2021. I am currently writing the sixth book of this series and plan to publish them all over the next three to four years with two releasing every year.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
The Dark Angel series has been something I created and expanded on over the years since 2012. I don’t remember what inspired it, but a lot of my ideas come from dreams or music.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I prefer to write in the mornings when I wake up since that is usually when I’m more active. Other than that, I can sit down and write for hours straight when the story is figured out. In order to make that happen, I spend time listening to certain music that sets the tone for that point in the story. That’s usually how I come up with specific plot points or action scenes.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
Before I became an author and started doing ARC and BETA reading, I mainly read Mercedes Lackey and the classics, like The Great Gatsby, To Kill a Mockingbird, A Tale of Two Cities, etc. I also enjoyed Eragon and think my writing is most reflective of that series. Now, I’ve expanded my view of fiction and fantasy books and find that reading helps me develop more as an author.

What are you working on now?
Currently, I am at the beginning of the sixth book in The Dark Angel series. There may or may not end up being a seventh, but once this is complete I would like to start on something new that I’ve had in mind to write for a while. I’m also learning how to get online ads and market myself as an author since nowadays that’s what you sort of have to do.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
My secret for finding new ways to promote my books is to sign up for newsletters like Pretty-Hot and AwesomeGang, then go to this question and see what others are doing. I keep a list of online author profiles to complete and update whenever I release a new book and a list of sites for book submission, both for promotion and reviews. In addition to this, I actively post on Facebook and Instagram, keep a blog on Goodreads, and offer to read and review other author’s work in exchange for honest reviews. It’s difficult to get someone to read your work without something in it for them, so I find the most successful method is to make connections with other authors and help support each other first.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Write for yourself, first and foremost. In any art form, there will be people who don’t like or don’t understand your work. That’s okay! If everybody liked everything, there wouldn’t be any variety. Because of this, it’s important for authors to know who they are and what they want to create. You’re not going to please anybody and you only have control over yourself. Write the story that you want to write above all else instead of caving into what’s popular, what gets readers, and what pleases the majority of people.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Motivation is sparked by action. If you want to write, write. Once you get started, you’ll find it easier to continue than if you remain lying down wondering how productive you could be later.

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 favorite book is Jurassic Park, followed by A Tale of Two Cities, then Magic’s Pawn by Mercedes Lackey. It’s a weird trio, but I have fond memories associated with each one.

Author Websites and Profiles
Courtney Lillard Website
Courtney Lillard Amazon Profile

Courtney Lillard’s Social Media Links
Facebook Profile

Judith S Glover 

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I have written and published a collection of short stories – A Little Book of Tall Short Stories and two novels – Butter and Whiskey: The Ballad of Maggie Doyle and the sequel – What Cannot be Cured: The Continuing Ballad of Maggie Doyle.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
What Cannot be Cured: The Continuing Ballad of Maggie Doyle is the sequel to my first novel Butter and Whiskey: The Ballad of Maggie Doyle.
The prologue to the first novel came from a story I wrote over fifteen years ago and a woman who gives birth to an angel. The character stayed with over the years and I often wondered what would befall her after this incident. When I sat down to write, the novel just wrote itself. However, although it is a stand alone novel, I found that, after completing it, Maggie was still not through with me, so wrote the sequel.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I always listen to the same CD in the background when I write a book, though it is different for each one. I find it helps put me back i the zone more easily. I tend to listen to classical music as there are no lyrics to distract me.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
Jane Austen, Charles Dickens, Angela Carter, Jeanette Winterson. I love good sci-fi by anyone and

What are you working on now?
I am currently working on my third novel as sci-fi dystopian fantasy for young adults. I love all things that relate to time travel and the inherent paradoxes involved, so thought I would have a go at one. It is very different from my first two novels and I am very much enjoying the freedom this genre provides.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
This is all still very new to me so I am on the steep learning curve with that one!

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Just stick with it.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
SHOW NOT TELL!

What are you reading now?
I am re-reading bright Rock by Graham Greene. Sheer brilliance!

What’s next for you as a writer?
Trying to crack the marketing business and completing my current novel. I have a third book in the Ballad of Maggie Doyle series fermenting in the back of my mine and a host of other ideas. There is never enough 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?
Persuasion by Jane Austen. The complete works of William Shakespeare ( Cheating I know).
The Last Circus on Earth by BP Marshall.

Author Websites and Profiles
Judith S Glover Website

Amenze Osa, MD 

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
Hey y’all! My name is Amenze Osa and I’m a mom, wife, eye surgeon, and author. I’ve written one book. That’s about all I’ve had time and energy for.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
My book is called “Mommy is Effing Tired”. The love I have for my daughter and the exhaustion I felt as a new mom in the middle of a pandemic inspired the book.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I mostly wrote my cheeky, rhyming cartoon mom book on the fly in my phone notes. Months later, after I passed my ophthalmology boards, I decided to publish it so other moms didn’t feel alone. Soooo… does writing for catharsis count?

What authors, or books have influenced you?
Adam Mansbach and Dr. Fatu Forna. I felt more comfortable writing my book because of his book ‘Go the F to Sleep’. Here’s hoping a celeb mom will narrate my book some day! Dr. Forna introduced me to my illustration and publishing team; they did her Amazon books too.

What are you working on now?
Shiiiiiii! Surviving a pandemic, seeing my patients, raising my daughter, maintains my relationship with my husband and promoting this lil book.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
Awesome Gang!!! That’s the answer, right?! Otherwise go to www.CrownVikingPublishing.com or search for “Mommy is Effing Tired” on Amazon and get your entire mom life! But obviously, Awesome Gang too.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Just go for it. And do your research the help is out there. This interview was brought to via a YouTube search on metadata at 2am while my child and hubby slept. Thank God for Saturdays!! But really, go for it.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
“Go with ‘effing’. It will sell.” Thanks Dr. Forna!!!!

What are you reading now?
“Professional Troublemaker” by Luvvie Ajayie Jones. Before that it was “We Should All Be Millionaires” by Rachel Rodgers. Love me some black women making coin.

What’s next for you as a writer?
More books in this niche. Teenage version, etc. Also may consider short stories for feature about life as a black female physician- the 2%. We’ll see. Right now, I’m just enjoying being able to say, “I’m an author!”

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?
“We Should All Be Millionaires” by Rachel Rodgers; “What Happened to You” by Oprah Winfrey and Dr. Bruce Perry; and probably some book on survival on a deserted island.

Author Websites and Profiles
Amenze Osa, MD Website
Amenze Osa, MD Amazon Profile

Amenze Osa, MD’s Social Media Links
Twitter Account

Devansh Kamdar 

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I’m a freelance writer and blogger based in Mumbai, India.

I have self-published two books so far.

The first one, published in July last year, was a PC Hardware guide titled “3 Steps to Building the Ultimate PC Gaming Setup” and I wrote it based on my own experience of creating a gaming setup for myself.

I also recently published a second one, titled “Plus Habits: 25 Proven Daily Habits to Boost your Productivity, Energy, and Happiness”

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
My latest book is, “Plus Habits: 25 Proven Daily Habits to Boost your Productivity, Energy, and Happiness” and was published just a few weeks ago.

It’s a collection of 25 powerful habits that will help you get better results in all parts of your life. It’s based on my own experiences of improving my life by developing better habits.

My main motivation to write it came from meeting people who showed a lot of potential but always failed in developing better habits. Most of the time, the primary reason for their failure was having unrealistic expectations. So, I wanted to write a book that motivated them to start small with their habits instead. Not just say, “Start small.” Instead, give them examples and action points that they can put into effect immediately.

Based on comments from early readers, I think I’ve succeeded with my original goal. Now, I’m planning on marketing it far and wide, and can’t wait to get it into the hands of many more readers who might benefit from it!

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I don’t think this is unusual, but I tend to be more creative when I’m writing in a notebook rather than on a computer or any kind of digital device.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
-Carol Dweck, with Mindset
-Dale Carnegie, with How to Win Friends and Influence People
-Stephen King, with On Writing

What are you working on now?
Currently, I’m working on promoting Plus Habits and present it to readers who might benefit from it. To reach that goal, I’m working on developing a Plus Habits blog, and also creating self-improvement content to post on my Instagram page (@devkam321).

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
So far, sites like Awesome Gang and Discount Book Man have been amazing. I’m very grateful for the platform these sites provide for new authors like me. It’s a great opportunity to create an audience and get recognized.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Don’t take a proper writing course when you’re just starting out. Sometimes it can be useful, but most likely you’ll just be overwhelmed with useless information and different kinds of rules.

Instead, start out with a project that you’re passionate about. Could be anything from a short story or a full-length novel. In the process of writing it, editing it, and publishing it, you will learn 100X more than any writing course can ever teach you.

Yes, it will be tough. But, you’ll actually learn some useful and relevant stuff.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
From Turning Pro by Steven Pressfield, “The difference between an amateur and a professional is in their habits. An amateur has amateur habits. A professional has professional habits. We can never free ourselves from habits. The human being is a creature of habit. But we can replace bad habits with good ones. We can trade in the habits of the amateur and the addict for the practice of the professional and the committed artist or entrepreneur.”

What are you reading now?
The Mouse Charmers by Anuradha Goyal. It’s an entrepreneurship book that has many case studies on successful India-based Internet startups. Very inspiring stuff.

What’s next for you as a writer?
It’s kind of a stretch, but I want to publish a full-length novel someday. Currently, I’m busy with Plus Habits. But, a few months down the line I definitely want to expand my skillset and write a great story as well.

If you were going to be stranded on a desert island and allowed to take 3 or 4 books with you what books would you bring?
-Maximum City by Suketu Mehta
-Total Recall by Arnold Schwarzenegger
-Everyday Greatness by Stephen Covey

Author Websites and Profiles
Devansh Kamdar Website
Devansh Kamdar Amazon Profile

Devansh Kamdar’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile

Ian Mayes 

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
My names Ian I love writing drawing and painting. I currently have one book Mr Thinkalot’s Fantastic Space Journey out now, and my next book Mr Thinkalot’s Spectacular Space Journey out in October. But currently I have 3 books in the works.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
Mr Thinkalot’s Spectacular Space Journey what inspired Mr Thinkalot was teaching climate change gently. I feel it’s important for younger people to understand, a lot worry and we hear of it daily. Also I wanted to make it fun not like a lesson, but a space adventure that will appeal to boys and girls. The second book has many female characters.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
Writing early hours because I struggle with sleeping.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
None have influenced on these books but I’m looking forward to doing horror titles and Stephen King was my favourite.

What are you working on now?
Another book on nutrition, but this is a book with fruit and vegetables that have names and talk and go to school.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
Well it’s on Amazon and deviant art.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Don’t put off writing like I have, I never thought I could do it and here I am with nearly 2 books out and working on another 3. I never thought I could but when the publisher accepted I was like I should of done this years ago.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Chase your dreams.

What are you reading now?
I’m to busy to read right now. I have lots of illustrations and writing to be getting on with.

What’s next for you as a writer?
More books more writing and more illustrating, the next book after the vegetable one, is Mr Thinkalot’s Epic Space Journey book 3. Also I have another book in the works but don’t wish to give anything away on that one.

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?
Stephen Kings I.T
Pet cemetery
The shining
Sorry love horrors.

 

CM Francis 

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
My name is CM Francis. I graduated undergrad bachelor’s in film and animation from Rochester Institute of Technology. I fell in love with writing screenplays and took four years to complete one (with many, many drafts). But I never really had the emotion and everyone’s perspective, so I spent three years changing it into it’s novel form. This the first book I have ever written.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
The name of my first book is “The Day I Died.” My story inspires Cat’s (the main character) story. We both have brain aneurysm occurring at a young age and struggle with everything physically and mentally.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
Not that I know of. I have a writing friend who she create tri-boards, notebooks, stickers, and different colored paper to help her through the outline phases. I only outline every chapter, approximately 500 words as I go.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
They Both Die In The End (I have used the author’s technique of having the perspectives sign characters being in third person while the main characters have one), Before I Fall (it’s has a sad ending, but hopefully in other ways) and Scarlet (from the Cinder series, and with every book in that series, you pick up a new point of view, first person).

What are you working on now?
Currently, I am working on “One Term Left (title is subject to change).” Taking place in Falmouth, Massachusetts, three friends – Sarah Sullivan, Alice White, and Makayla Kissoon – reach the start of their last term of high schooler when something changes in each of their life. I don’t want to spoil it to anyone, but I am on Chapter 9 as we speak!

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
This is my first week of publishing, so I would have to say Awesome Gang :).

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Sometimes, you need release it. You will never truly be done writing, and you can edit it a million times. You might be scared with a lot of “what if,” but there’s a time you need to let it go and publish it into the world.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
“Do what you love, and F the rest,” Little Miss Sunshine.

What are you reading now?
I just finished The one memory of Flora Banks, and I’ve picked up a few books since – Broken Things, Nine Perfect Strangers – but nothing really grasps my attention.

What’s next for you as a writer?
Currently, I am still taking courses to to earn my masters, so hopefully next fall I am hired as a full time teacher instead of a teacher’s aide. I don’t think I’ll ever become just an author; sometimes, it is when you are concentrated on one thing that you find the greatest inspiration for another.

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 rarely read a book more than once, but if I were stranded on a desert island, one of them would be Hatchet. It’s about a boy named Brian who crashes. I would use his survival skills as my own. The second one is Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban. Everyone loves Harry Potter and if I can’t find any wood, I would burn different pages whenever I got desperate. And I would have to say, Love Like the Movies. I love, love, love this book, and it is honestly my favorite of all time.

Author Websites and Profiles
CM Francis Amazon Profile

pat Leo 

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I’ve always been a writer, but never seriously thought of publishing until after I retired. I have two books published on Amazon and have a third one in progress.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
Firefly Magic started with the idea of childhood sweethearts reuniting. Of course, this theme has been done many times and I wanted to add a twist, so I wrote it as romantic suspense.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I usually have characters in mind before I begin writing, then I just let them tell their story. A plot happens later as I get to know my characters better.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
Dean Koontz is my favorite writer. I love his narrative descriptions. I also enjoy reading Nora Roberts and Sandra Brown. But I read a lot of authors and many genres and it’s difficult to say which ones have had the most influence.

What are you working on now?
A novel with the working title, “I’m Waiting For You”. It is a romantic suspense story where the two main characters meet while in a out-of-body experience.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
Right now I’m using Amazon Ads and my personal Facebook page.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
It sounds obvious but write. I found it helpful at the beginning to join a writer’s group. And read, fiction, craft books. But most importantly, enjoy the process. If you love what you do, it will show in your work.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Don’t get caught up in other people’s opinions. Everyone had one, but it’s important to learn to trust your instincts.

What are you reading now?
Several books on marketing. I’m realizing the importance of discoverability if you want to sell books. Just putting it up on Amazon is not enough.

What’s next for you as a writer?
Continue to write new stories. I usually have one or two in the back of my mind as I write. I’ve set up a document in Scrivener to put notes in for any new ideas that come to me.

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?
Anything by Dean Koontz or Sandra Brown and probably a book on how to survive on a desert island.

Author Websites and Profiles
pat Leo Amazon Profile

Claire Norsworthy 

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I’m a born and bred Portlander with three mischievous boys and one amazing husband. Along with being an author, I’m a part-time Spanish and creative writing teacher.
I first found my passion for reading YA back in 2009 when I discovered the Twilight series. (Don’t hate.) In 2018, I discovered my passion for writing them. I’ve written the rough draft for five epic YA fantasies, and have published the first one. My second will be released in February. I’m also working on a children’s book series about three boys who discover that an ordinary cardboard box turns into a miniature house that can fly. The Cardboard Box should be released in 2022.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
The Emerald of Viridian.
The inspiration: a strange concoction of life events and the need for a creative outlet. My children, great authors, painful experiences, escapism, and my bathroom shower all played a large part in producing the story.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
Not unusual. Just cranky. If I don’t write everyday, I tend to become an unpleasant person. (My husband can vouch.) I also need chai when I write. Otherwise… Well. It just doesn’t feel WRITE.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
Oh man. Sooo many. I devour large quantities of fantasy, and I feel like each have had an impact: Brandon Sanderson, Sarah J. Maas, Holly Black, and T. Ellery Hodges. The latter has become a good friend and amazing mentor during my transition from traditional publishing to indie.

What are you working on now?
Currently, I’m working on polishing the second of The Chronicles of Caelestis series, rewriting the third, publishing the first of the Cardboard Box Brothers (a children’s series), and entertaining lots of thoughts on a new YA fantasy series as well as a non-fiction “How to be an Indie publisher” book.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
Right now, I’m in the throes of advertising. I’m launching a Kindle Countdown event at the end of September and advertising across about 20 or more different platforms. I’ll let you know how it goes!

Do you have any advice for new authors?
My advice: Set realistic expectations for yourself. One of those expectations is that you are going to have to work your butt off. There will be a ton of setbacks. Gird your proverbial loans for them.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Advice? I can’t think of any. I only have anecdotes that have kept me from falling apart. Each story a person shares where they faced rejection over and over and over before finally becoming successful helps me plod onward despite so many challenges.

What are you reading now?
Sabaa Tahir “An Ember in the Ashes” series. I’m on book 2, and oh my goodness gracious. Half of me hungers to finish it RIGHT NOW. To discard responsibility and get lost in her world. It’s amazing.

What’s next for you as a writer?
There is no real “next.” I want to write forever. I’ve found something that I’m 100% addicted, passionate, zealous for. If nobody read a word of my writing, I wouldn’t stop. I’m a part-time teacher (This year I get to teach a creative writing class! Woot!) but still hope to crank out as many books as I can afford to edit and get a cover for every year.

If you were going to be stranded on a desert island and allowed to take 3 or 4 books with you what books would you bring?
1. Dawn of Wonder
2. The sequel to Dawn of Wonder that hasn’t been released yet.
3. The sequel to the sequel of Dawn of Wonder that hasn’t been released yet.
4. The sequel to the sequel… you get the idea.

Author Websites and Profiles
Claire Norsworthy Website
Claire Norsworthy Amazon Profile

Claire Norsworthy’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile
Facebook Profile
Twitter Account

Kyle Oleynik 

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I have been a cultural person and have admired many of the Kings and Queens of the United Kingdom for many years and have found my confluence of King Charles and his Attorney General William Hughes to be some business role models that I like each day in which this would further thrust me into the Nicholas II of Russia and all of India. My humble beginnings of the islands and Business Administrative work in Elk Hart, Indiana has been one of my pride and patriotic joys in the United States. My business role is the Pinnacle, because it is that I take my business beyond the highest pinnacles to assist my customers. Certainly their are many role models I like and have high regards for because they appear to share common spheres of interest to me and I myself being a very down to earth person from Oneida, New York feel about the same in which I have a love for nature, a respect for many things I learn and I am constantly learning and trying new things in which I have worked in Computer Technologies, Designing and Generating new ideas and having a great respect for the Orient.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
It is known as The Guide To Computer Services. It is inspired by my experience working with and in computers in school, in business centers and with technicians of upmost respect and kindness to produce this book which educates the reader on everything they ever wanted to know and in the most fastest and concise method all the terms, terminology, software, hardware and all the diagnostical skills needed to work effectively with pc computers.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I have been fascinated by business persons and their management of Government for years. I have been writing about all the fascinating things on how my idea of leadership and Government works for many nations. In which I began to write about minature cities in which all the buildings, trees, bushes and all the forests that go around the city would have minature people, animals and all the things of a city but on a minature scale. I had been writing about this for years and it would become part of my stories of Adventure and The Creative Collection which is about many stories and aero space pilots which would travel by the portals of a magick ring in which many human aliens would have the smarts to speak with persons and share their thoughts on many objects. Why The Creative Collection? The goal is to extend communication to the deities of other realms which know human life exists but to bring about meetings and trust.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
I have read many topics and stories through the past year and prefer to not have an opinion about the things other then they were amusing, sometimes humorous but I would not presume they were influencing. I liked one book by Scott Cunningham and it would be the Solitary Practitioner of Wicca. I have been working in Wicca for many years now and I have been devoted to the teachings.

What are you working on now?
My work is in electromagnetic aero space technologies in which crafts, buildings, space stations, communities, vehicles, devices and all sorts of objects operate on electromagnetism in which this force is used in many ways to open faster travel paths through magnetic forces which provide an indefinite amount of energy which flows and powers all the things needed in the commerce. My second project is based on my belief on how Kings and Queens ruled nations from earlier periods of time to the present. This is like an embodiment of an angel of the light and known as the empirical dominion. This order defies the obstacles of mass and weight distribution of any planet in all the solar system to provide an iconery chair person known as an empirical order. My goal in this would be in religious texts and to be able to take mathematical adventures based in PHI Mathematics and PI numbers to create letters which would be be used to generate images for each letter in an alphabet and place the text in order using the english language and heretics to produce a picture on what each of the letters and numbers would mean. This would be incorporated into barcodes which could be updated and scanned all around, and the purpose would be to store infinite amounts of text, numbers and be able to convert them into pictures which could be stored in a barcode thus eliminating the amount of space needed to store publications such as books, magazines and texts. It was originally being done in QR barcode format but it is being changed to a different format to increase capabilities for many technologies and image flows for advertising.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I typically create an author website which shares with my readers about the item and all the benefits it can improve their life and how it is different from other similar publications on the web.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Try to be yourself and be a person that can improve the environment and the qualities of life of all your customers.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
A person should try to take it easy, not work to hard but find persons that can also assist them in fulfilling or accomplishing their goals, dreams or object of perfection.

What are you reading now?
I am not reading anything in particular but I am studying electrical engineering courses and history books on New York and businesses which have risen and have had bankruptcies.

What’s next for you as a writer?
I would like to be a leader of a big organization and have a large castle to sky. I would like to be supreme ruler of all of Russia and India. Some of my research goals are to create an under the ocean community known as Marcovia which would allow all the persons that travel to the city to be able to just jump right in with the Marcovia App. My second project is to perfect the electro magnetic vehicles, space crafts and work with all sorts of future cities and alien civilizations in space to create an electromagnetic powered, new universally known engineering.

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 presume I would bring books on Government Law and Organization. How to survive a plague, A book that would assist with the survival of persons or a nation. I would probably slip a copy of the Diary of Anne Frank because I liked her as a dream to be sister when I was in Elementary School.

Author Websites and Profiles
Kyle Oleynik Website
Kyle Oleynik Amazon Profile

Kimberly Bell 

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I’m Kimberly Anne Bell, a native of Salisbury, Maryland. My pride and joy are my four daughters and son. I love nature, animals, and mostly anything that exemplifies life. I seek to have an everlasting relationship with the Almighty Father, to confidently soar like an Eagle through this earthly life. The Lord is my strength. I only reach my full capacity when I rely on Christ who is the head of my life and the source of my resilience. I believe that God will get all the glory, now and forever. Today I am a minister, public speaker and author of one book which is my life memoir: The Epitome of Kimmy.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
The Epitome of Kimmy: Accept & Embrace It All is my latest book. It is my testimony of finding hope from a painful past. Through this short read, I share my journey from being abandoned by my biological parents at a tender young age to the emotional, physical and sexual abuse that I had to overcome on the path to adulthood. I was inspired to write the book because I believe that without me sharing my journey, it was meant for no reason. I believe that I made it through to let other people know they can be free as well. When you survive, it’s meant to be shared to help someone else. The truth in any form should be exposed. I am inspired to give back to others in any way I can which will always be to share my journey whenever possible.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I have different word documents labeled with notes, memories, and inspirational stories. I highlight keywords or even add a picture or image to help me complete the chapter or stay on track with that particular chapter.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
Joyce Meyer, T. D. Jakes, Denise Linn and Joel Osteem

What are you working on now?
Working for on a 30 days at a time self-care book

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
Collaborating with other authors and content creators. doing podcasts

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Connect with a person that is just as passionate and has the same vision that you have in what you are writing about and the audience you are reaching.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
What you start you finish, always stand for something.

What are you reading now?
Becoming by Michelle Obama

What’s next for you as a writer?
Complete 30 days at a time – self care book. Publish a religious book and have my memoir audio and shared in various ways to reach millions of 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?
“The Battlefield of the Mind” by Joyce Meyer
“Peaceful on Purpose: The Power to Remain Calm, Strong, and Confident in Every Season” by Joel Osteen
“Why? Because your anointed!” by T. D. Jakes

Author Websites and Profiles
Kimberly Bell Website
Kimberly Bell Amazon Profile

Kimberly Bell’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile
Facebook Profile

Ellie Renae 

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I cannot get enough of storytelling in all its shapes and sizes. I hoard poetic forms and formatting tips. I write everything from screenplays to in-character diaries. Immersion and meta are the yin and yang of my soul.

I have published a chapbook, a poem, and a short story.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
My latest book is Violence Without Plot.

It began as the fantasy to live vicariously through a rich white man. Then, it somehow (and quickly) evolved into a story not about the rich white man, but about the women in the background with more personality, agency, and moral complexity than he could ever dream of. They drive the story, and he is simply along for the ride.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I have an ability (…but it is also a crux.)

Thinking and typing coexist, in my mind. As I think, the words magically appear on the screen. If there is a buffer between my thoughts and my typing, I don’t notice it. This makes writing much faster and easier.

My Achilles’ heel is that without a keyboard, it’s difficult for me to think of stories at all. If I’m going to write, I’m going to need QWERTY on my side.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
It is a strange mix, but I draw from Chuck Palahniuk’s transgressive fiction, Douglas Adam’s cheerfully cynical tone, and the creeping madness of The Yellow Wallpaper by Charlotte Perkins Gilman.

What are you working on now?
I am working on a collection of short stories, all of which share a background character in common. She somehow slips into the white noise of every story. Naming the collection after her and thereby drawing attention to the ridiculous things she does in the background of stories that would still be interesting without her really does something for the artistic part of my brain.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
The best way I’ve found to promote my books is through my pre-existing social medias.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
To new authors: you will have to decide if you are in this for money or for passion. You might think the two paths require the same type of work, but they do not.

You can focus on algorithms, demand, and niches to flood. This will change the way you write that first manuscript entirely.

You can focus on writing the story you want to read, because you will read it a hundred more times as you strive to perfect it. This will be artistically fulfilling, even if sales and publishing will depend more on luck than they otherwise would.

Lastly, you can strike a balance. Read everything in the genre you love to write most, see what works, and let that inspire you.

Just know what you want, so you can attain it.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Imagine what you want to pick up at a bookstore, then write it for yourself.

What are you reading now?
I am reading three books: Gerald’s Game (by Stephen King), Rita Hayworth and Shawshank Redemption (also by Stephen King), and Fahrenheit 451 (by Ray Bradbury).

What’s next for you as a writer?
What’s next for me as a writer is self-actualization, if I’m lucky.

If you were going to be stranded on a desert island and allowed to take 3 or 4 books with you what books would you bring?
I would bring Fight Club (by Chuck Palahniuk), Woman World (by Aminder Dhaliwal), Candide (by Voltaire), and a sentimental book that I wrote in collaboration with my best friend, for no one to see but the two of us.

Author Websites and Profiles
Ellie Renae Website
Ellie Renae Amazon Profile

 

Deepak Karamungikar 

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I’m Deepak Karamungikar and I’ve written 7 books so far. Three of are short story collections and four are novels. I’ve written across multiple genre including sci-fi, drama, crime and thriller.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
My latest book is ‘Rogue’ and it’s inspired from some stories I heard from people about a fourteen year old boy who got accused of murder and went on to become a dreaded gangster in the 1980s. I just took that one single line concept and built the story around it.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I write only in the mornings! Evenings are very distracting. I need the calm!

What authors, or books have influenced you?
Khushwant Singh, Fredrick Forsyth and Sir Arthur Conan Doyle are my favorites. I believe Mr Singh to be my guru and I take my inspiration from him.

What are you working on now?
Im working on two books, one is a dystopian novel that is set in the year 2133. Another is a period fantasy drama set in WW2 era. So I’m all over the timeline right now, so to speak!

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Keep writing!

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Do not force anything. Wait for it to come out. Forcing yourself to write will only bring out mediocrity. And never relax!

What are you reading now?
I’m reading a collection of short stories from the 18th century.

 

D. B. Borton 

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I’ve written eleven mysteries in two series, the Cat Caliban mysteries and the Gilda Liberty mysteries, two standalong mysteries, SMOKE and BAYOU CITY BURNING, and a humorous sci-fi, SECOND COMING.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
On September 1st, I’m reissuing the second four books in the Cat Caliban series, featuring Cincinnati’s newest, oldest, and crankiest detective. FIVE-ALARM FIRE, in which Cat takes a beginners’ pottery class at a local art center, was inspired by my own experiences in pottery classes at an art center just like the one in the book — an old Victorian mansion. Specifically, it was inspired by late nights when I drove there late at night and entered the quiet house alone to check the kiln.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I doubt that my habits are unusual for a writer of my age. I spend a lot of time doing yoga, self-massage, and stretches that allow me to sit in front of a computer for 5-6 hours a day. I take weekends off. When I was younger, I could work all day and into the night, but no more.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
Too many to mention. I will say that two writers whom I admire in my branch of the mystery genre are Robert B. Parker and Lisa Scotteline.

What are you working on now?
NINE LIVES, the ninth book in the Cat Caliban series.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
If I can get a book selected for a BookBub Featured Deal, that brings me the best results. Otherwise, Amazon ads have proved the most successful for me of the advertising venues.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Read.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Read.

What are you reading now?
Having just finished listening to two wonderful mysteries by Faye Kellerman and Louise Penny, I’m listening to an Agatha Christie and reading Francine Prose’s THE VIXEN and a true crime book by Karen Abbott.

What’s next for you as a writer?
Finishing Book 9.

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 don’t like to answer questions about favorites because I have too many. If I took them all, I could probably use them to build a bridge to the nearest mainland.

Author Websites and Profiles
D. B. Borton Website
D. B. Borton Amazon Profile

D. B. Borton’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile
Facebook Profile

Emma Barry 

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
Hi, I’m Emma Barry and I’m delighted to have the opportunity to write my first novel supported by funding from the Arts Council England for storytelling with a twist of personal development. Also, I’m learning how to narrate and produce the Audiobook version. I have written and published two anthologies of poetry under a pseudonym, Emily Halfpenny, with personal development themes throughout too.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
My latest book is The Flat on the 7th Floor. It was inspired by the personal development books I have been reading and wishing I had learnt some things earlier. I read a lot of fiction as a young and new adult which inspired me to be adventurous in life as well as be entertained. I hope this book will be an enjoyable read for any age.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
Oooh good question. I can write anywhere and at any time but one of my favourite ways to write is on a Sunday afternoon with an episode of Columbo on in the background. I say episode but they are actually more like films as they are 90 minutes long! I have watched all the episodes in the 10 series (and some of the episodes multiple times) I can switch between concentrating and watching my favourite parts!

What authors, or books have influenced you?
I remember being obsessed by fiction authors as a teenager and read as many as I could get my hands on like Agatha Christie, J.T. Edson, Charles Dickens, Jeffrey Archer, Point Crime, Point Romance, The Saddle Club etc. Since mid twenties to now, the personal development books such as Stephen Covey, Rob Parsons, James Clear, David Bach etc.

What are you working on now?
I’m working on recording the Audiobook for The Flat on the 7th Floor, continue to promote all formats of the book and then I start writing the next book in the series.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I’m learning more and more every day! So far I find that having an open mind to opportunities and a personal approach to keep going, promote regularly and to focus on one reader at a time is rewarding and fun.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
One of my quotes is “It’s never too late to give it a go.” E.L. Barry. There are lots of authors and readers AND there is room for you too. Give yourself permission to learn. Find a mentor and/or accountability partner to enjoy the journey with. Hire a professional Editor/Proof Reader/Cover designer. Give yourself contingency time. Read aloud your writing. Publish in all three formats. (Kindle, Paperback and Audiobook) Have fun!

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
There are sooooo many choices but I will go with… “The best time to plant a tree is 20 years ago. The second best time to plant a tree is now.”

What are you reading now?
For pleasure I am reading – Q is for Quarry – Sue Grafton
For work I am reading/listening to – Voiceover Narration – Dian Perry
For personal development I am reading – The Heart of Communication – Rob Parsons

What’s next for you as a writer?
I’m going all-in with writing the series – eek! I’m branching out to pursue collaboration and freelance work to reach young adults with personal development and life skills.

If you were going to be stranded on a desert island and allowed to take 3 or 4 books with you what books would you bring?
Oooh so many choices but I will go with:
– The Power of Now – Eckhart Tolle (as I’ll probably need it to stay sane)
– Bear Grylls Ultimate Survival Handbook (I haven’t read it but I bet it would be useful)
– One Million Tiny Plays about Britain – Craig Taylor (It was a good laugh)
– Murder on the Orient Express – Agatha Christie (great book!)

Author Websites and Profiles
Emma Barry Website
Emma Barry Amazon Profile

Emma Barry’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile
Facebook Profile
Twitter Account
Pinterest Account

Beate Sigriddaughter 

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I grew up in Nuremberg, Germany, and came to the United States first as an exchange student, then attended Georgetown University. To date I have published twelve books, both poetry and prose, and two more are scheduled for publication by February 2022.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
My latest book is Kaleidoscope, a book of prose poems, and it was inspired by the intensity and the fragmentation with which the world comes at me as poet and therefore at the third person persona in the poems.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I write a lot, especially notes about the world and my perception of it. Currently I am going through a series of old notebooks and am surprised to discover how much I edit out in memory as either insignificant or alternatively as something I don’t care to remember.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
Poet Roland Flint was my first poetry teacher at Georgetown University and therefore tops the list.
Other influential writers: Doris Lessing (especially The Marriages Between Zones Three, Four, and Five; Sally Beauman (especially Destiny); Sylvia Plath; Anne Sexton; Mary Oliver; Elizabeth George

What are you working on now?
I’m working on a short story collection called They Didn’t Know What to Say. It is about the general bafflements in the human condition, especially as concerns relationships and related yearnings.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I always promote my books and events on Facebook. I also have a link to my latest book on my email return addresses which comes in particularly helpful when I correspond with authors who submit to my blog “Writing In A Woman’s Voice.”

Do you have any advice for new authors?
I often heard the advice to write for a specific someone as audience. In this day and age, with so many voices competently competing for being heard, I would say pick yourself as number one audience and write about what intrigues you. Spend your life and time on what inspires you.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Paraphrasing George Saunders: It’s not about what you can do, literary acrobatics and such, but how you can make your audience feel.

What are you reading now?
Penelope Lively’s Moon Tiger

What’s next for you as a writer?
I have pretty much dedicated the next year to short stories for my collection in progress, They Didn’t Know What to Say.” I am also looking for creating some more Kaleidoscope prose poems, perhaps for a future collection. I will keep sifting through my own fascinating notebooks from the past for potential discoveries.

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?
Doris Lessing’s The Marriages Between Zones Three, Four, and Five; my own Parcival; and two very large blank notebooks.

Author Websites and Profiles
Beate Sigriddaughter Website
Beate Sigriddaughter Amazon Profile

Beate Sigriddaughter’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile
Facebook Profile

Jane Mosley 

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
Hi, my name is Jane – welcome to my page, and thanks for stopping by!

I grew up on a Mediterranean diet and knew firsthand about it.

I am a nutritionist, writer, consultant, recipe maker, and a Master of Science in Nutrition.

Plus, I’ve always been a passionate fan of nutrition and a healthy lifestyle.

I am a beginner author and have written 1 book so far, but of course, I am not going to dwell on this

Best Regards,
Jane.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
The Complete Mediterranean Diet Cookbook: The Best Collection of 50+ Easy Mediterranean Recipes and 14-Day Diet Meal Plan for Weight Loss

What are you working on now?
Above a new book

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
Amazon Kindle PPC

 

Author Websites and Profiles
Jane Mosley Amazon Profile

Michael Smith 

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
Based in Melbourne, Australia, I write dark tragedies focused on broken characters as they make their way in a deeply cinematic world.

My debut novel, The Devil in the red dirt has just released. I’m track to release my second, The Man From The Black Valley at the beginning of ’22

In everything I, and everything I writes, I try to give a voice to the voiceless and hope to the hopeless.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
The Devil in the red dirt. It’s a gritty criticism of how society treats the vulnerable and basically an epic case study into how cruelty creates cruelty.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
This book took me eight years to complete. I hope that isn’t usual for me going forwards.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
I’m an odd one. Much of my favourite writing in pre-20th century. I think I was a pretentious teen and unfortunately it just stuck. Joris Karl Huysman and Thomas De Quincey are my favourites.

What are you working on now?
The Man From The Black Valley. An Australian Neo-Western with magical realism peppered throughout.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I’m still figuring that out to be honest.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Just keep writing. Never stop. Take years off if you need to. But keep on hitting those keys.

What are you reading now?
I’m writing so I’m afraid I don’t have a lot of time for reading right now. Mainly new born baby advice forums given my little girl is usually at home making a lot of noises I don’t quite understand, and some I wish I didn’t.

What’s next for you as a writer?
Get a second book out, and a third, and a fourth. And hopefully paythe rent.

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?
Confessions of an English Opium Eater
A’ Rebours
The Brothers Grimm collection
Edgar Allan Poe’s poetry

Author Websites and Profiles
Michael Smith Website
Michael Smith Amazon Profile

Michael Smith’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile

Jonathan Sobe 

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
Hello! I’m Jonathan Sobe and I feel most at home on the north shore of Minnesota, USA or the pubs of Oxford, UK. I’ve written one full-length novel and one novella.

I attended college for writing, have a BFA in Creative and Professional Writing, and worked at several literary organizations after graduating. For the past decade, I’ve made my living in IT, but have recently felt the pull to return to my true passion (even if just in my free time).

Outside of the literary world, I live and breath all things film and travel.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
I recently published two books, As Vaan Made Us, a novel, and August in September, a novella.

As Vaan Made Us has existed in some form since I was a teenager and is very much influenced by the science fiction and action books, films and comics of my youth. The oppressive theocracy that is the book’s main antagonist and the struggles of the characters to fit in are also influenced by my youth in Catholic school. It’s current form also takes inspiration from the political issues of today.

August in September takes inspiration from actual events from my college days to explore the anxieties of the mid 2000s and issues that continue to this day.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I complete the first draft of each chapter entirely in my head, pacing the room or going for a walk until I’ve got the entire thing ready to go. Sometimes this takes hours! Only then do I sit down to write.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
I take inspiration from the worlds of Kurt Vonnegut, Philip K. Dick, George R.R. Martin, Frank Herbert and more. I’m also a massive, diehard, lifelong Star Wars fan. In fact, the lull in Star Wars movies between the mid-80s and late 90s that produced so many great Star Wars books, comics and video games was a major reason for my passion for science fiction worlds.

What are you working on now?
I’m currently working on a science fiction novel featuring a psychic detective which explores mental health issues in a society obsessed with long life.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
The subreddit r/selfpublish has taught me everything I know about promoting my books, which isn’t a lot since I’m just starting out, but is a lot more than I would have known without it. It’s a great community of authors at all stages of their journey, from those thinking about their first novel to users who can truly call themselves bestselling authors.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Don’t get discouraged by the unbelievable amount of work you have to do to even let readers know your book exists. While we’d all love to simply click “publish” on Amazon and let the money roll in, the truth is you need a lot of passion, time and patience to even get started.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
“Why not?” The best and most interested things I have even done were preceded by asking myself “why not?”. Not every idea is great, and not every risk will pay off, but as corny as it sounds, you won’t know unless you try.

What are you reading now?
I’m currently re-reading Michael Crichton’s Jurassic Park, which I read as a kid around the time the movie came out. While I loved the dinosaur action in my youth, I couldn’t really appreciate the warnings Crichton had about capitalism and runaway scientific advancement. I also didn’t appreciate Ian Malcolm’s ramblings the way I do now. As a compliance auditor in my adult life, I’m loving this sci-fi trip through the mother of all risk assessments.

What’s next for you as a writer?
I’m newly reentering the literary world after a long hiatus, this time as a self-published author. My next step is figuring out how to best promote my existing books before embarking on the all-important task of writing my next novel.

If you were going to be stranded on a desert island and allowed to take 3 or 4 books with you what books would you bring?
My number one pick would be my favorite book, Philip K. Dick’s A Scanner Darkly, followed by Frank Herbert’s Dune, Mark Z. Danielewski’s House of Leaves, George R.R. Martin’s A Storm of Swords, and finally, Mark Russel’s God Is Disappointed in You. Just for fun, I would also include anything by David Sedaris.

Author Websites and Profiles
Jonathan Sobe Amazon Profile

Jonathan Sobe’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile

Aneika Turnbull 

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
Hello! My name is Aneika Turnbull. I was born and raised in Jamaica. I migrated to the United States when I was 15 years old. I recently graduated with my Bachelor’s of Science degree in Health and Exercise Science. My aspiration is to become a Physician Associate and collaborate with other medical professionals to boost access to healthcare in underserved communities. I started writing when I was around 10 years old and have participated in many essay/writing competitions. I wrote and published my first children’s book, A Little Girl’s Dream, in April 2020. I hope that others will find inspiration through my works of literature.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
The name of my book is A Little Girl’s Dream. The purpose of my book is to highlight to all children with and without disabilities that they have the power to dream and they can be anything they want to be. Their circumstances do not define them and it’s their differences that makes them special.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I still write on paper before I type…does that count?

What authors, or books have influenced you?
So many… but my favorite is Ben Carson’s life story in Gifted Hands. He is one of my role models.

What are you working on now?
I am a Co-Author on an Anthology book releasing this year. Therefore, I am currently writing my chapter for that book.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I don’t really have much experiencing on promoting my book on social media since I am a new Author. However, I have used instagram and facebook. I have gotten some great results, but I would like to promote my book more!

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Be creative and make your work YOURS! Believe in yourself and in your story.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
I have gotten so many advices but my favorite is “take things one day at a time”. It is important to slow down and deal with the current problem instead of overwhelming yourself with problems that don’t exist. I have had to learn that in a hard way and now I live by it daily.

What are you reading now?
I’m currently reading Becoming by Michelle Obama

What’s next for you as a writer?
I would love to write more children’s books and eventually publish a memoir. I’m trying to make it to the best-selling list! As for now, I am focused on promoting my current books.

If you were going to be stranded on a desert island and allowed to take 3 or 4 books with you what books would you bring?
Steve Harvey- Act Like a Success- Think Like a Success
Suzanne Collins-The Hunger Games
Genevieve Behrend- Your Invisible Power

 

Aneika Turnbull’s Social Media Links
Facebook Profile

Jasper W.C. 

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
Born and raised in the mean streets of Mumbai, I turned to books and music for sanctuary at a very young age. With an out-of-control and overwhelmingly imaginative mind, the world of fantasy was pretty much my natural habitat since the age of five. With music and writing as the two major contenders among my endless list of “passions”, I would not have guessed that my first ever publicly distributed work would be in the literary world.

Five years after acquiring my Bachelor’s Degree in Management Studies, I managed to publish my very first novel at the age of 27 while working a day-job as a Content Writer. I hope to write many more fantasy stories that will open people’s minds to regain access to a higher realm which every human freely entered into as a child, but became incapable of accessing as we grew older and became bound by the dark magic of the adult world’s perceived limitations of “reality”. And I hope to do this through stories that will also speak to readers at a vulnerably human level and deliver a message of inner-healing and restoration to our broken world.

I have released one book so far: ‘Sovereign Servants – The Sending’, the first instalment in the ‘VIRGIN EARTH’ fantasy series. And am currently in the process of writing my second book.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
‘Sovereign Servants – The Sending’, the first instalment in the ‘VIRGIN EARTH’ fantasy series is mainly inspired by the idea that humans and our planet must have once been far more glorious than how they are today. So, one could say that the inspiration was humanity and our world itself. VIRGIN EARTH explores the idea of an Earth which was yet undefiled by the baneful touch of man. And looking at how humanity is forever plagued by wickedness such as greed and lust, it questions whether mankind in this glorious, unblemished earth can preserve the its maiden glory.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I like to insert shout-outs to manga and anime characters in my books.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
I do not really consider myself to be someone whose writing is influenced by any authors or books.

What are you working on now?
I am currently working on the second book in the VIRGIN EARTH series.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
None.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
I would advice new authors to be bold enough to take risks and execute brand new concepts and styles, and be willing to challenge the status quo.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
‘You’re only given a little spark of madness. You mustn’t lose it.’ – Robin Williams.

What are you reading now?
Nothing.

What’s next for you as a writer?
I am currently focusing on finishing the VIRGIN EARTH series and putting out a piece of work that I can be unapologetically proud of.

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 Holy Bible, The Bad Beginning by Lemony Snicket, Fear is the Key by Alistair Maclean, and The Complete Works of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle.

Author Websites and Profiles
Jasper W.C. Website
Jasper W.C. Amazon Profile

Jasper W.C.’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile
Facebook Profile

Mishana Khot 

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I’ve published four books so far, but I’ve been writing since I was 9, so I’ve written quite a few stories. My books are light, cozy reads with happy endings and are suitable for young readers as well as adults who are feeling tired, jaded, or overstimulated by the real world.

I’ve hidden behind books all my life and dreamt of being a writer for as long as I can remember. But I do other stuff too, since writing doesn’t pay all the bills (yet!). I run an adventure travel company called The Great Next, have written for National Geographic Traveller, Forbes, Travel+Leisure and a few other publications, and am a freelance content and copy writer.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
I just published The Travelling Zoo, which is a sequel to Welcome to the Zoo. I wrote Welcome to the Zoo in 2020, during the first lockdown. I wanted to write something that helped me and my readers escape to a happy place, so I dug up all my memories of growing up in an old bungalow in India in the 90s. I’m one of four animal-loving siblings, and we grew up surrounded by cats, dogs, rabbits, birds, turtles, guinea pigs, and the occasional peacock.

The book did pretty well, and I received pictures of young readers cackling over the pranks, and reviews from adult readers who loved the nostalgia of it. All that positive feedback encouraged me to start on The Travelling Zoo, and I’ve just published that too.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
Not really. I like to write in silence but I often play rainforest or ocean sounds to keep me grounded in the story. I like to write stretched out on the sofa or propped up by a dozen pillows on my bed, but one day I’ll have a big, soft armchair next to a window and I’ll do all my writing there.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
Jane Austen, Roald Dahl, Lionel Shriver, James Herriot, Gerald Durrell, Georgette Heyer, the Bronte sisters, D.E Stevenson, and so many more. This is always the hardest question to answer.

What are you working on now?
I’m working on a funny, yucky book for younger readers who find pooping and tooting hilarious. But I’m also in the process of outlining a couple of books – a YA mermaid story and a darker one for adults. I haven’t yet decided which of the two I’m going to work on next.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I’m terrible at promoting my books, but I find that Twitter works, as irregular as I am on it. What I’m really trying to do is understand the Amazon algorithm and tweak my SEO and content so that my books show up to people who are actually searching for their next read.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Yes, write a lot, and read a lot. Don’t just read the bestsellers – they’re usually selling so well because of marketing or social media, but it doesn’t always make them good literature. Read in your genre, read books about writing and work on your craft, read the classics (there’s an author for everyone), and make copious notes (mental or otherwise) about how you can improve or embellish your writing.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Write the book you want to read.

What are you reading now?
I’m reading D.E Stevenson’s works. She lived in turn-of-the-century Scotland and her books are marvellous. I read her Miss Buncle series a few years ago, but am diving headlong into the rest of her books now.

What’s next for you as a writer?
Learning more about the art of selling my books, so that I can turn this into a full-time gig.

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?
Jane Austen’s Northanger Abbey, Roald Dahl’s Danny the Champion of the World, D.E Stevenson’s Miss Buncle’s Book, James Herriot’s All Creatures Great and Small, and Steven King’s On Writing.

Author Websites and Profiles
Mishana Khot Website
Mishana Khot Amazon Profile

Mishana Khot’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile
Twitter Account

Reed Westgate 

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I have always loved story telling and aspired to be an author in high school. Unfortunately I listened to the naysayers around me that convinced me it was a far fetched ambition and I chose to study accounting instead leaving my creative outlet solely resting on running table top games for my friends. My teen daughter, Emma, called me out after I gave her a speech one night about following her dreams and doing what made her happy. After that I self-published my first book in 2020. I just published my second full length novel and true to my word I am now chasing what makes me happy.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
Dirge of the Dead is my latest book and it is the second in the Baku series. I wrote the bulk of it during COVID lockdowns feeling the weight of the isolation. My main character, while coping with her actions in the first book, finds herself alone and isolated from her friends and allies as she attempts to pull off a resurrection.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
Not sure if it’s unusual, but I like to write to music. It has to be instrumental and I tend to choose the genre based on the scene I am working on. This leaves me jumping from Celtic to dark gothic instrumental pieces. Lyrics seem to distract my train of thought. I share what I am listening to while writing on my facebook page regularly.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
My first favorite author was Dennis Mckiernan. I found his Eye of the Hunter book in my local library and it was my first foray into fantasy books. I was hooked instantly by the cover and the book did not disappoint me. I love R.A. Salvatore and I think he writes some of the best combat scenes of all the books I have read. I aspire for my combat scenes to be as fluid and vivid as his one day.

What are you working on now?
I am working on the next book in the Baku series with the working title Beyond the Mist. It will bring the first trilogy to a close. I have a few irons in the fire for when I finish the first trilogy, but am leaning heavily due to request from my readers of doing a prequel series based on the cannibal necromancer Oxivius Soulforge.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
The best method I have found so far is word of mouth. Facebook and Amazon ads get clicks but nothing beats when some one truly enjoys what you have written and shares it with friends.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Keep at it. Don’t let anyone tell you otherwise. I have been following along many fan groups and even best selling authors have people that can’t stand their work. There is a whole world out there and you have an audience. You just need to find them.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
End each day by telling someone you love them.

What are you reading now?
I am reading the new R.A. Salvatore novel Starlight Enclave

What’s next for you as a writer?
Next? I would love to keep exploring more of the world I have created with the Baku Series.

If you were going to be stranded on a desert island and allowed to take 3 or 4 books with you what books would you bring?
I would take The Companions by R.A. Salvatore to remind me of the good times with my friends, I would take Dirge of the Dead to remind my of what I can accomplish, and I would take a survival book of some kind because without some help I wouldn’t make it on my own for more than a couple days.

Author Websites and Profiles
Reed Westgate Website
Reed Westgate Amazon Profile

Reed Westgate’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile
Facebook Profile