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Jon Law 

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
Hey! I’m an author based in California; I’ve published two full-length non-fiction books, along with several smaller projects.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
My most recent book is all about technical analysis in cryptocurrency markets; most people know little-to-nothing about cryptocurrency, and few avenues exist that allow inexperienced enthusiasts looking to get into cryptocurrency to develop a profitable skillset through technical analysis.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
For some reason, listening to rap music helps me write. It seems counter-intuitive, but it gets the job done!

What authors, or books have influenced you?
The list goes on; but a few authors who I’ve drawn inspiration from are Robert Greene, Tim Ferriss, Noah Kagan, and Alex Hormozi.

What are you working on now?
I’m currently working on developing a full range of cryptocurrency literature; the market lacks in this area (in both volume and quality) and I intend to fill the gap.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I think the best method is having a product that doesn’t need promotion; one that sells itself through delivering much more value than it costs. This concept took my first full-length book to 10,000 copies sold in its first year without any promotion other than giving copies of the book away in my community.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Know why you write and work backwards from there.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
It’s hard.

What are you reading now?
Know-It-All, The Secret Teachings of All Ages, and the Law of Human Nature.

What’s next for you as a writer?
More, and better!

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?
Mastery, Tribe of Mentors, and an Encyclopedia!

Author Websites and Profiles
Jon Law Website

Pedro Miguel Cuevas 

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I was born in Venezuela during a dictatorship, while my grandparents had to flee Spain due to Franco. I was diagnosed with autism at a young age. When I came to the US I was exposed to sacred plant medicine that helped me become who I am and face my demons.
Treaty psychedelia is my first book.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
Treaty psychedelia.
I am a firm believer that if society wants to progress and better itself, we ought to accept and appropriate the use of plant medicine in our lives. These medicines have been around for hundreds of thousands of years, and we as humans evolved with them.
I am also a belief that it ought to be accessible to everyone and not to the very few.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I have a tendency of grabbing every topic and smashing them all together. From politics all the way to fitness! (I am a personal trainer)

What authors, or books have influenced you?
Terrence Mckenna has been a great influence in my pursuit of knowledge in regards to psychedelics.
In regards to fiction, I have found Lone wolf and cub to be the greatest story of all time.

What are you working on now?
I am looking to write more towards fiction. I am also a personal trainer on the side.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I am starting small with amazon

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Don’t think too much about it

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
You cannot ask the world to stop and get out of it. Life goes on you like it or not

What are you reading now?
The greatest interviews of all time were edited by Christopher silvester.
A gift from my philosopher professor in high school

What’s next for you as a writer?
Write more

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 rather have supplies.

 

Deborah Roe 

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
Deborah Roe is a first-time book author. Though in a former life, she was for a short time a dictionary editor. She is also a program manager for a clean energy non-profit, a podcaster, a veteran librarian, and former Camp Fire Girl. Her greatest joys in life are learning and exploring the outdoors. With a background in environmental science, she tries never to stray too far from these roots. Her website https://PlanetEandMe.com and Planet E and Me Podcast focus on how every day people can make a difference for the planet. When Deb is not reading, writing, or hiking, she can often be found in her local community garden.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
To be honest, finding a name was one of the most difficult parts of writing the book. The working title for a while was “Where Tigers Snore.” I thought people might get confused a bit because most people don’t associate tigers with Nepal even though the Bengal tiger can be found in the Terai region. So I switched to yaks as they are in many ways the iconic animal of the Himalayan region. The final title comes from a warning that I had read in a travel book.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I don’t have any unusual writing habits but I do keep a journal on trips. My husband and I usually turn our travels into a funny Christmas card for friends and relatives, called the “Not-So-Newlywed Chronicles.”

But after the trip to Nepal, I just kept writing. Eventually it became clear that I had the makings for a book and so I continued trying to write 2000 words a day until the story was complete.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
I read mostly non-fiction and have always enjoyed a good travel story. “A Walk in the Woods” by Bill Bryson, “Under the Tuscan Sun” by Frances Mayes, “A Year in Provence” by Peter Mayel are a few that come to mind. I also enjoy the work of writers like Erik Larson, Nathaniel Philbrick, and John McPhee.

When I was working on my book, I studied “A Walk in the Woods” to see how Bryson transitioned from one topic to another and also wrote a list of the adjectives and verbs that he used. More than anything else it was to put myself in the frame of mind of an author.

What are you working on now?
I’m planning a trip to Arizona, Nevada, and Utah. Not sure what the journey will hold given the fires, flash floods, and Covid restrictions going on out there right now. To prepare for the possibility of a book, I’ve been researching various related topics … things like the brine shrimp of the Great Salt Lake. True confessions — most of my brine shrimp info was gathered during a podcast that I was trying to use to put myself to sleep during a bout of insomnia but it turns out they’re pretty interesting little critters and I never really did sleep that night.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
Most of my book promotion knowledge has come from David Gaughran, Reedsy, and Kindlepreneur. I think as many indie authors will tell you, book promotion is every bit as difficult as writing the book. I’m still waiting for my big break.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
New indie authors will probably spend more time and more money to publish their book than they ever planned on. When I started out, I thought I would just have some friends take a look at the book and give suggestions but in the end I hired a developmental editor, a copy editor, a proofreader, and a formatter. I need to sell quite a few books before I make this money back. To make my husband feel better about this financial outlay, I’ve told him to think of it as a PhD in writing without the expense of tuition.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Not just for writing but for any type of goal setting, I think you can’t beat the advice of Jack Canfield. I listened to a series of his programs, back in the days of cassette tapes, and the lessons learned are always lurking in the corners of my memory. Envision the goal that you want to achieve, be very specific about that goal and how you are going to accomplish it. Every day imagine yourself as having achieved that goal and take steps to get there. When you put yourself in this mindset, you’ll see new opportunities present themselves. The times in my life when I’ve followed this advice, it’s worked out well.

What are you reading now?
Right now, I’m reading a book called “Turn Right at Machu Picchu: Rediscovering the Lost City One Step at a Time” by Mark Adams. I’m envisioning myself on this journey and wondering how I would hold up—probably not so well these days. I’d like a redo on my twenties please.

What’s next for you as a writer?
When I started writing my book, I was working two part-time jobs and then with the pandemic, just one job. But soon after publishing, I was offered a full-time job that I tried to refuse but in the end accepted. I’m finding it hard to have enough creative energy for writing. So I’ve concluded that I need some type of 5-year plan. Once I figure it out myself, I’ll let you know.

If you were going to be stranded on a desert island and allowed to take 3 or 4 books with you what books would you bring?
Oh good Lord … what a question. It reminds me of a disastrous college interview that I had at Bowdoin College when they asked me, “If you could call anyone dead or living who would you call?” Honestly, that’s a lot of pressure.

I think I’d bring the “Oxford English Dictionary” for endless entertainment. Then, of course, I need some kind of “How To” book on getting yourself off a desert island and something on edible plants of the world.

Author Websites and Profiles
Deborah Roe Website
Deborah Roe Amazon Profile

Vernon Gravely 

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I was born in a log cabin in rural Illinois . . . No, wait! That was Abe Lincoln. I was born in a hospital in Alaska over five decades ago, moved around a lot, ended up in rural Illinois a few years ago, lost my job due to the pandemic, and now I’m writing books, hoping to (at least) make a living with my craft. My first book, Promise Unfulfilled: The Brief Life and Bizarre Death of Actor Robert Morris, was about an obscure actor who died in 1960 at the age of 25. My current book, Crossing the Color Line: Stanley Ketchel’s Challenge for Jack Johnson’s Heavyweight Crown, is about the fight between the world’s first two-time middleweight champion (Ketchel) and the world’s first black heavyweight champion (Johnson) that took place in October 1909. As you can see, my books, up to this point, have been non-fiction.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
Crossing the Color Line: Stanley Ketchel’s Challenge for Jack Johnson’s Heavyweight Crown is my most recent offering. I began researching this during the fall of 1990. It was originally a screenplay (that didn’t go anywhere). I wrote a rough draft of the book in 1995. Then, after the pandemic hit (and I became unemployed), I decided to dust off the manuscript and rewrite the sucker. After a year of solid work, it is finally finished. This book details the story of the last time a reigning middleweight champion fought for the heavyweight title. I always found this to be a much more fascinating story than the one about Jim Jeffries, the former heavyweight champion, coming out of retirement to fight Johnson and win the title back for the white race; however, this is a part of the Jack Johnson saga that is often glossed over rather quickly if it is mentioned at all.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
Not that I can think of.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
William F. Nolan is an author I have liked for a long time, since I was in my early teens and I read Logan’s Run for the first time. I’ve always admired the fact that Nolan’s work runs the gamut: fiction and non-fiction, biography, sports, etc. He never allowed himself to get pigeon-holed, and he’s had a career that has spanned about seven decades because of it. For boxing tales, A. J. Liebling’s The Sweet Science is a must-read.

What are you working on now?
An article about elderly Americans whose pensions run out at a certain point because they didn’t realize they would live as long as they did.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
Truthfully, at this point, I haven’t had a great deal of luck with the promoting aspect, which is why I’m working on it now.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Adam West was always fond of telling his Bat-fans, “Keep punching.” I’d have to say, “Keep writing.” Whether writing fiction or non-fiction, take your time and do a good job. If you need help with proofreading or other parts of the writing process, seek it out.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Always wash and dry between your toes so you won’t have stinky feet.

What are you reading now?
A variety of articles about the hardships of aging in America — in particular, I’ve been searching for information about pensions that expire after a certain period of time, like when a recipient reaches the age of 90 or thereabouts. So far, I haven’t had much luck tracking down specific information that pertains to my topic.

What’s next for you as a writer?
I’m working on brief biographies (chapters) about several different actors who died rather young (20s-50s age-wise). I intend to compile them all into a book.

If you were going to be stranded on a desert island and allowed to take 3 or 4 books with you what books would you bring?
Something about how to build a boat, how to survive on a secluded island, tips on fishing and/or foraging for food, and maybe one about gardening on a desert isle. I guess, for fiction, I could go for a copy of Robinson Crusoe.

Author Websites and Profiles
Vernon Gravely Website
Vernon Gravely Amazon Profile

Vernon Gravely’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile

Jeremy Paul 

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I am a comedian, respected by people who have worked with me, but largely unknown to the masses. I was born in Peoria, Illinois and I currently live in southern California. I graduated from Southern Illinois University Carbondale in 2001 with a B.A. in Mass Communications. I’ve had work as a radio show talking head, a writer and song-writer. I released a book of poetry that I had in a drawer for 17 years back in June and I just released my debut novel as well.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
My debut novel is titled “Memoir of an Immortal”. I have had the idea since around college and decided to start researching things and writing it in 2008. It was inspired by most of my friends being women and the stories they would tell me about their personal issues, family problems and hopes for the future. I wanted a way to represent them, while also telling the story of a fictional woman, living through time that has gone largely unnoticed on purpose.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
My writing habits are sporadic. I usually have a random thought, write it down, then have to determine if that thought was related to my stand-up comedy, a screenplay, a song idea, or the novel. If it relates to book writing, then I sit down with whatever sentence I wrote down and expand on it as much as I can for whatever chapter I think it belongs in. I also write in uncomfortable positions and usually into a notebook before transferring everything to computer.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
I’m largely influenced by comic book authors like Peter David. But I try not to read many other books outside of comic books because I don’t want much outside influence in my book writing unless it is to correct something that is historically or scientifically inaccurate. I am a huge reader of comic books like The Incredible Hulk or anything involving the character Blink. I love the books Firestarter and Where the Red Fern Grows. I read a ton of books as a youth due to the summer reading contests. Science. Philosophy. History. Peer Reviews. I’ve read anything that I deemed interesting and in need of knowing.

What are you working on now?
I’m working on the follow-up to my debut novel, Memoir of an Immortal. Which is the first in a series. It’ll take place over a much shorter amount of time but have dueling points of view, with a twist. I’m also trying to get more shows to perform comedy across this country while also promoting my debut novel in various ways.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I’ve found that buying ads on peoples blogs, combined with posting on tiktok and other social media sites has not worked terribly well. I’m always looking for ways to sell this book that took me 13 years to finish. I’ve been watching all of the indie authors and their youtube pages and their suggestions led me here.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Write the book you want to write and if you can’t find a literary agent that will give you the time of day because you aren’t famous, then self publish the work you completed. But also, keep a list of every literary agent that turned you down or flat out didn’t respond and publish their names as “thank you’s” in your next book if your first book is popular.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Never stop writing and keep your pants up.

What are you reading now?
I’m beta reading a friends new mystery book. Can’t give the title away, but it is really good.

What’s next for you as a writer?
What’s next for me is to finish the second book so I can get started on the third in the series. I’ve finished 2 chapters thus far and it is a lot of work to get the continuity correct. Besides that, I am also trying to rewrite and update my jokes for stand-up. Need more shows. Gotta make a living.

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?
Planet Hulk, in hardback. Wolverine Origins in hardback. Meriam Websters Dictionary edition 7.

Author Websites and Profiles
Jeremy Paul Website
Jeremy Paul Amazon Profile

Jeremy Paul’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile
Facebook Profile
Twitter Account

Heather Hausenblas 

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
Heather Hausenblas, PhD, believes we can all have healthy and happy lives – and we can get there through our behaviors. She is a health psychology expert, award winning researcher, and author. When Heather’s not walking the family dog, cooking with natural ingredients, watching her sons play sports, and exercising outdoors with friends she’s researching wellness. She’s a health and science nut – it’s her career, hobby, and passion. She resides in Jacksonville, FL with her husband and three boys.

I have written several nonfiction textbooks in the areas of health and exercise psychology.

I have also co-authored a book on Exercise Addiction titled: The Truth About Exercise Addiction: Understanding the Dark Side of Thinspiration

More recently I have written several science-based prompted journals to guide people on their health wellness journeys. Visit www.healthymovesjournaling.com

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
Her most recent book Invisible Illness is the inspiring account of her journey with an autoimmune disease. Overwhelmed and all-consumed with grief at the thought of her son suffering with a chronic “incurable” disease this began her journey into understanding Crohn’s disease, healing her son, and ultimately discovering what true health means. Integrating personal experiences and struggles with hundreds of research studies, Hausenblas reveals that we have the power to regain and maintain a vibrate, healthy, and happy life. She offers hard-earned wisdom, science-backed health solutions, and simple tips and recipes for health and happiness.

What are you working on now?
I’m working on a nonfiction book titled: Fidget: How Small Things Can Make a Big Difference. This book focuses on how fidgeting is a health behaviors.

What are you reading now?
I’m reading Eat Dirt by Josh Axe

What’s next for you as a writer?
Continue to develop health-wellness journals. Good health is hard and I’m trying to make it easier for 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 Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck

Author Websites and Profiles
Heather Hausenblas Website
Heather Hausenblas Amazon Profile

Timothy Peak 

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
My name is Timothy Peak. I am a 7 year old male that lives in western Pennsylvania. I had an amazing journey to Heaven during brain surgery and spoke with Angels there and here. It is a story that everyone should read.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
The priests at my church thought that a book would be a great way to get my story out to the people that are interested how God uses his Angels to work very hard for him in todays times.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I wrote this book very quickly because I actually think these Angels helped me the entire time

What authors, or books have influenced you?
The Bible.

What are you working on now?
Marketing my book so many people will read this amazing true story.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
Amazon, Goodreads, Barnes&Noble and many book stores.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
I would tell them to write from their heart.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Never to be influenced by other peoples negativity or judgments.

What are you reading now?
I am actually to busy right now to read a book but as soon as my book gets off the ground, I will be reading many others.

What’s next for you as a writer?
I am speaking with movie producers that are interested in making a movie from my book.

If you were going to be stranded on a desert island and allowed to take 3 or 4 books with you what books would you bring?
Well, I did enjoy the book titled Heaven is real. and I would bring a couple survival books. Ha Ha!

Author Websites and Profiles
Timothy Peak Amazon Profile

Timothy Peak’s Social Media Links
Facebook Profile

Whit McClendon 

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
Hello! I’m a martial arts instructor and author. I run my own school, Jade Mountain Martial Arts, in Katy, TX. I’ve written eleven books so far, and I’m working on others. Five of them are epic fantasy, three are urban fantasy, and I also have three exercise books.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
My latest book is called Grim Obligations: Book 3 in the GrimFaerie Chronicles. It’s an Urban Fantasy story set in Katy and West Houston, Tx. It’s the third book with these characters, a Fae assassin who’s a surly good guy, a tough Texas witch who loves firearms, and a mysterious detective who has far more magick in her than she should. I’m having a ton of fun seeing what kind of trouble they get into and how they kick the necessary asses to handle that trouble.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
As a small business owner, I have to squeeze my writing in between all my other duties, so I don’t have consistent writing times. I’ve written chapters on my phone during physical therapy (riding the stationary bike) as well as dictating notes while I run errands.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
Dennis L McKiernan’s an amazing fantasy author. I’d love to be like him when I grow up, but I’ll settle for being myself, lol. I love Raymond E Feist and Robert E Howard’s fantasy and swords and sorcery tales, respectively. Jim Butcher’s my favorite urban fantasy author, and I love Dean Koontz and Stephen King as well.

What are you working on now?
I’ve been pleasantly surprised by my fans’ enthusiastic response to my GrimFaerie Chronicles, so I’ve got book 4 in the works at the moment along with a standalone story from that same universe as well. In addition, I have a prequel to my Epic Fantasy trilogy on the back burner.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I’m still trying to figure out the best way to promote my books! I try to stay active on Social Media, I’ve got a newsletter that I occasionally send out, and I have ads at most of the usual places. I’m always learning and trying new ways to let people know about my books. And I admit, I LOVE having a booth at fantasy conventions!

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Shut up and write. Don’t edit anything, just write. Write a ton. Write badly, write well, whatever, just write. You can’t edit an empty page, so allow yourself to sit down and write whatever comes into your mind without censoring yourself. You can always go back and change it later.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
When you think you’re finished editing, go back and read every single word out loud. You’ll catch mistakes, I guarantee it.

What are you reading now?
At the moment, I’m reading ‘Breaker’ by Amy Campbell. It’s a western fantasy, and I’m enjoying it immensely!

What’s next for you as a writer?
I want to keep writing stories in the two worlds I have right now. There are so many characters to explore in both the modern stories and the epic fantasy tales, I really want to see how things progress. I have enough material for quite a few books, so I just need to keep moving forward. Alternatively, I’d like to see my books reach a wider audience, but I think any writer wants 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?
Let’s see, stranded on a desert island…how about a book on Desert Island Survival as the first choice, followed by Attracting Attention That Will Get You Rescued…? Kidding, sorry. I’d need at least one of those books to be blank so I could get some writing done, but I’d have a hard time picking so few others to take with me. Probably DragondDoom by Dennis L McKiernan, Lightning by Dean Koontz, and maybe Pet Sematary by Stephen King. All favorites.

Author Websites and Profiles
Whit McClendon Website
Whit McClendon Amazon Profile

Whit McClendon’s Social Media Links
Facebook Profile

Linda Chism 

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
My warm-up to writing was to produce five non-fiction books, as well as co-write and edit a book of Christmas stories. All of these contained short, true stories of people who 1) had triumphed over a major crisis in their lives, 2) had used their talents to benefit others, and 3) had experienced adventures most of us will never have the opportunity to have. This past year, I plunged into fiction to write my first novella.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
My first fictional book is That Gentile Girl. The story idea had been circulating in my head for years. But writing it stretched me in ways I didn’t expect. I found I loved the creativity of fiction, even when I was stuck on how to write the next chapter.

The book is an historical fiction set in the early 1850’s, and the basic premise revolves around young Emma Peterson, who leaves frontier Missouri after witnessing the murder of her parents. She hitches a ride aboard a wagon train bound for California, but her circuitous route leads her directly into the paths of the three brutal killers, as well as a young English widower determined to reach the Salt Lake Basin. Emma must decide if her revenge is more important than romance, and survive long enough to make that choice.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
My best plot ideas seem to come just as I am lying down to sleep and my mind relaxes. If I don’t get up and jot them down, they will keep me awake for hours.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
I love almost anything with an historical background. My favorite authors are James Herriot and Richard Paul Evans. I have just finished my first book by Paulette Jiles, and definitely want to read more of her books.

What are you working on now?
I am editing the sequel to That Gentile Girl, another novella that I call A Test of Faith. I have also begun writing a book about one of my husband’s ancestors, who was expelled from Scotland after finding himself on the wrong side of a royal battle. He was subsequently sent to America as an indentured servant, where the possibilities for plot are endless.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I have a website, a Facebook page, and an Amazon author page. But I am constantly looking for new ways to market my books. As someone who would rather write than market, that’s a huge challenge for me.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Write for your own enjoyment first. I call writing my sanity keeper. Then write for the people who enjoy what you write – whether that is ten or ten thousand.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
I love this quote by Junot Diaz: A writer is a writer not because she writes well or easily, because she has amazing talent, or because everything she does is golden. A writer is a writer because, even when there is no hope, even when nothing you do shows any sign of promise, you keep writing anyway.

What are you reading now?
I like to read a few magazines between books, and right now I am reading an edition of the Smithsonian Magazine. This one has some amazing historical facts about Yellowstone National Park and the Reconstruction Period after the Civil War.

What’s next for you as a writer?
I hope to have A Test of Faith ready to publish by October, and at least the first draft of my next book finished shortly thereafter. Since that will be the first in a series of books, my next goal will be to do a storyline board of each of sequels.

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 scriptures to bring me comfort and my collection of Herriott books to remind me that life, however hard, is also worthwhile.

Author Websites and Profiles
Linda Chism Website
Linda Chism Amazon Profile

Linda Chism’s Social Media Links
Facebook Profile

Debra Leigh 

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
My name is Debra Leigh. I was born in Columbus, Ohio and spent most of my childhood travelling with my family, playing sports, getting very nice dresses quite dirty, and impulse buying every crayon, marker, and paintbrush I could find.

In addition to writing, I am passionate about coaching volleyball, painting, and of course, reading. I have always been an animal lover and currently live with my two dogs, Kaiser (German Shepard) and Chance ( Papillion).

In 2021, I published my first romance novel, Nauti by Nature to Amazon and Kindle.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
My latest book is “Nauti by Nature”. My family loves going on cruises and traveling in general. On our last vacation, I noted how awesome of a setting it would be for a book, so I wrote one.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I’m not sure if it’s unusual, but I drink a lot of coffee and get a lot of my best work done at night. Many nights, I have found myself deep into a chapter at two or three in the morning.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
I am a huge Meghan March fan. Her Mount and Savage trilogies have been a big influence on my writing style and character development.

What are you working on now?
I have a few manuscripts in the works. I recently completed my YA novel “Falling”, which I am hoping to release sometime in December. I am also working on the second “Nauti by Nature” novel of course, which I plan to release in 2022. And my most recent project is a Crime Fiction novel titled “Victim of Opportunity”.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I mostly promote on Instagram, but I also have a Facebook page I have recently started building.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Take your time. If you need a day off, take it. Be proud of the act, even if it doesn’t accumulate the praise you’d hoped for.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Meghan March made a post about her first novel she ever wrote. It was a posy-apocalyptic ménage à trois that almost no one read. She even did a giveaway for three books and only two people signed up. She has now sold millions of books. Her advice, which pushed me forward on my journey, was to just keep writing, because it only matters that you’ve started. And we all start somewhere.

What are you reading now?
I am currently re-reading David Baldacci’s The Finisher, the first novel in his Vega Jane series. I first read the series in 2015 before the sequels were published and wanted to start from the beginning.

What’s next for you as a writer?
My next published book will be my YA novel, “Falling”. It holds a special place in my heart and I am very excited for its release.

If you were going to be stranded on a desert island and allowed to take 3 or 4 books with you what books would you bring?
Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone, Ruthless King, The Hunger Games, and any of Patricia Cornwell’s Kay Scarpetta series.

Author Websites and Profiles
Debra Leigh Website
Debra Leigh Amazon Profile

Debra Leigh’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile
Facebook Profile

Erin Thorp 

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I’m Erin Thorp, an Author, Speaker, and Coach for leaders who struggle with conflict, communication, and performance during high-stress times. I support leaders in navigating difficult conversations, building powerful teams, and communicating with empathy so that they can lead confidently.

I have written and published one book – Inside Out Empathy and have three others in various stages of completeness right now. I found that once I had the first one done, SO many other ideas came flooding in, it’s sometimes overwhelming.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
Inside Out Empathy was inspired by my career and parent journey over the past 2 decades. I found that my superpower as a leader and parent are my empathy skills and then I began to see and recognize them in others.

I used to be called ‘emotional’ and I’ve come to learn that it was my inability to deal with my own emotions and triggers that lead to my seemingly volatile outward expression of emotion … hence the “inside” part of the book title. Once I had my inner self tended too, I could then better tend to the emotions of those I was leading and working with … hence the “outside” part of the book title.

Empathy is a family and workplace value yet very few of us know how to practice empathy in everyday behavior. It is the precursor to engagement, compassion and inspiration.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I do most of my ‘writing’ when I’m walking and use voice to text apps on my phone. It makes for some pretty unusual editing and also makes my writing read as more conversational.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
SO MANY! I’m an avid reader. On average I listen to or read at least a book at week, sometimes I’ll have even more on the go. Some people binge Netflix, I binge on books. I can take them anywhere and they never bother anyone else. In the professional space I would say that I’ve been most influenced by Simon Sinek, Brene Brown, Tara Mohr, Ken Blanchard and most recently Adam Grant. Honestly though, I do like to read a lot and there are so many great thought leaders out there, it’s so difficult for me to narrow down the list!

What are you working on now?
Right now I’m working on a non-fiction leadership book about navigating new circumstances and a fiction novel which is still taking shape. I enjoy bouncing back and forth between the two as it’s stretching my skills as a writer.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I haven’t cracked this nut yet and am continuously trying new website, apps and social media campaigns. The pandemic has turned the book marketing world upside down and the way people are finding and consuming books is so rapidly changing that we as authors need to remain agile and adaptable.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Just keep going! I thought that writing the book was a hard part when I first started out and after 4 years can tell you that it’s the easier part of being an author. The hardest part is the marketing marathon no one tells you about that is never-ending. Take it slow and steady. Focus on consistency over anything else when it comes to promoting and marketing your books.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
I grew up with parents in Alcoholics Anonymous so I think the serenity prayer has had the biggest influence on my life. Wisdom is knowing the difference between what you can change and what you can’t.

Also from the program is “one day at a time”. As a working mom it is very easy to get overwhelmed by all the things there are to do. Being able to bring myself back to the moment and focus on what’s here and now, helps keep me grounded and able to keep moving forward.

What are you reading now?
Think Again by Adam Grant (for the 2nd time), Burnout by Emily and Amelia Nagoski and Anxious People by Fredrick Backman.

What’s next for you as a writer?
Oh I wish I knew! I’m going to focus on writing as that’s the only thing I can control and see where this lifetime 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?
I would take Rock Chicks by Kristen Ashley, The Sovereignty Knot by Marisa Goudy and the Alchemist by Paulo Coelho.

Author Websites and Profiles
Erin Thorp Website
Erin Thorp Amazon Profile

Erin Thorp’s Social Media Links
Facebook Profile
Twitter Account

Austin Mitchell 

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I have written eight novels and eight collection of short stories. I have also wrtten two plays and several poems.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
My latest book is called ‘The Hardest Way Out of Love’. I normally write a novel or short based on sme incident but can’t honestly tell what inspired me to write that novel.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
Right now I’m writing about five novels sumultaneously. I always do an outline of the story before I write it.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
I enjoyed reading Western stories by Zane Grey and Louis Lamour. I also enjoy stories written by African and Caribbean writers.

What are you working on now?
I am working on about five novels

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I would like to promote my books, but so far I don’t know which website to use.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
It is really tough to make a living as a fiction writer.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Do not give up your regular job to become a fiction writer

What are you reading now?
I read mostly newspapers on current news.

What’s next for you as a writer?
I will continue writing, but only 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?
The Godfather by Mario Puzo, and any book w`ritten by Louis Lamour.

 

Austin Mitchell’s Social Media Links
Facebook Profile
Twitter Account

Nash Knight 

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I come from the suburbs of a communist country. I grew up playing marbles on a dirt road and playing Bad Dudes vs DragonNinja in the local arcade. I used to be a metalhead, a b0gger, a pothead, a gamer, a nerd… I still am some of those things, but also a father, a teacher and a writer. This is my first book as Nash Knight, but I wrote and published plenty before.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
The name of my latest book is, as you can see, Salvation on Peril Island. It was inspired by many things, novels like Robinson Crusoe, Ready Player One, 1Q84, Mogworld, TV-shows like Lost and Black Mirror, comic-books like Love and Rockets, and of course, my own life.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I don’ know how unusual it is, but I only write Friday nights while drinking four craft beers, different ones every time.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
J. R. R. Tolkien, Ursula Le Guin, Howard Lovecraft, Terry Pratchett, Douglas Adams, Stephen R. Donaldson, Michael Moorcock, Michel Houellebecq, David Foster Wallace…

What are you working on now?
I am working on a fantasy novel with adult themes. I won’t reveal anything more.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
If I knew I wouldn’t be here.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Write for the love and joy of writing, not to get rich and famous. Chances are you won’t, but that doesn’t mean you can’t have mad fun.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Prepare for every eventuality.

What are you reading now?
Xenocide by Orson Scott Card. It’s pretty great, even though it could’ve used some trimming.

What’s next for you as a writer?
Getting someone to actually read my book

If you were going to be stranded on a desert island and allowed to take 3 or 4 books with you what books would you bring?
Infinite Jest by D. F. Wallace, The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams, and Robinson Crusoe by Daniel Defoe

 

Nash Knight’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile

Sara Kate 

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I am a mystery and thriller fiction writer. I have written two books that are published. They are titled – Zoey’s Memory and Everything Led Me to You,
While I am not writing, I enjoy being at the beach, reading, rollerblading, and modeling professionally.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
Everything Led Me to You is my latest published novel. My inspiration came from wanting to write another mystery but with more thrill to it.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I don’t know if this is unusual or not, but I like to highlight the sentences that I have written and am not so sure about in bold during my writing process. That way, while I am going through my manuscript the next time, it is easier for me to fix or re-write those sentences to fit into the story better.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
Sandra Brown, Jodi Picoult, R.L Stine, and Ned Vizzini.

What are you working on now?
I am currently working on a stalker-themed thriller. It is not titled as I just started the writing process so I cannot give out much detail about it just yet!

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
So far, my best method for promoting my books has consisted of Instagram and word of mouth.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
I’ve published two books, so I am relatively new myself. The only advice I can give is to just do your research before going straight into the publishing process. There is tons of content out on the internet that helps with learning how to write and publish. Utilize as many resources as you want and can.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
The best advice that I have been given is life is short. If you have something that you want to accomplish and you have the means to accomplish it, then why wait?

What are you reading now?
I am about to dive into One of Us is Lying by Karen M.Mcanus

What’s next for you as a writer?
While I keep writing standalone novels in the mystery/thriller categories, I intend to write a young adult mystery three-book series 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?
I would bring – Mean streak by Sandra brown, Defending Jacob by William Landy, Eye Candy by R.L Stine, and a Jodi Picoult book!

Author Websites and Profiles
Sara Kate Website
Sara Kate Amazon Profile

Sara Kate’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile
Facebook Profile