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Anne Sherril 

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I write hot wife erotica with a number of pusblished novels and short stories as well as articles on my website. Writing for me is a pleasure and passion. The idea is to make your reading as real and fun as possible. These fun stories started years ago when my husband and I found it exciting to discuss past experiences and share intimate fantasies. We all know the biggest sex organ is the brain takes us places we find exotic and erotic. Some places we may go in real life. Other destinies found only in our minds to take our sex play to a much larger playing field

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
The Mask Series of four books. Under My Mask (Book 1), Remove My Mask (Book 2), Un-Masked (Book 3), and Bare (Book 4). The stories of the main characters are from both real and imagined experiences.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
Only if you consider writing everyday for hours upon hours unusual.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
John Updike, Elmore Leonard, John Cleland (Fanny Hill), Pauline Reage (Story of O), Alex Comfort (The Joy of Sex) Henry Miller, Erica Jong, D.H. Lawrence, Xavier Hollander, and a long list of self help books on wellness and personal development.

What are you working on now?
New series, Hotwives A to Z. Each short story is based on wives that become hot wives from each letter in the alphabet from Anna to Zoe for 26 complete stories.

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

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Write consistently only because you love writing. Realize publishing is more about selling books.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Be who you are.

What are you reading now?
Kahlil Gibran

What’s next for you as a writer?
Fulfill my purpose to entertain, tantalize, empower, and find readers that lead rich full lives, hopefully inspired by some of my 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?
How To Build a Boat, How To Live On Diet of Fruit And Coconuts, and My Album Of Family Photos

Author Websites and Profiles
Anne Sherril Website
Anne Sherril Amazon Profile

Samantha Wylie 

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I have written one book and intend for it to be a series. I reside in Kansas and have my whole life. I love dogs, which is what my book is about.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
Leroux Goes To Nana’s is my latest book. It was inspired by my dog and my grandma aka nana. I lost both of them last year and it hit me really hard. They were both such beautiful souls and I need to keep their spirits alive so others get to enjoy them still.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
not really

What authors, or books have influenced you?
De de Cox inspired me. We became friends through our dogs actually.My dog Leroux had a huge social media following and when she passed away I was talking to DeDe a few months later and she encouraged me to write my book.

What are you working on now?
I am currently working the next book in my series about Leroux.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I usually just use facebook because everyone who followed Leroux followed her on there, and yes she had more friends than me.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Just follow your dreams and keeping working towards your goals because they are always achievable with determination.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Do something that scares you.

What are you reading now?
all of De de Cox book’s, trying to catch up on those.

What’s next for you as a writer?
Hoping to continue my series of children’s books, get in some interviews to promote it and hopefully get some book signings going.

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 my book” Leroux Goes to Nana’s” only because I would want to be connected with my dog and grandma, they were both my support system and the book makes me feel closer to them every time I read it.

Any of Caroline B Cooney’s books. I loved her series with the face on the milk carton and could read them over and over.

Author Websites and Profiles
Samantha Wylie Amazon Profile

 

John Lander 

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I am a freelance photographer and writer based near Kamakura, Japan where I have lived for many years (if one includes 20 years in Tokyo). My special interests are: Japanese gardens, Japanese festivals and cuisine

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
My newest book, due out late October 2021 is The Shikoku PIlgrimage – Japan’s Sacred Trail, published by River Books. It took more more than 20 years to complete the entire trail of 88 temples in Shikoku even though I live on a completely different island, over the years I have visited Shikoku many times and was finally able to put the book together with a variety of images for each temple.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I tend to write long in the first draft then chop chop chop into more bite-sized text, which is almost always required for photo captions.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
Bill Bryson, Paul Theroux, Pico Iyer and Bruce Chatwin

What are you working on now?
I am working on a new book devoted to Japanese gardens: Hidden Gardens of Tokyo, to be followed by Hidden Gardens of Kyoto – hopefully. Prior to the pandemic, visiting the most famous gardens in Japan had become a trail with busloads of tour groups, noisy visitors that rather spoiled the entire atmosphere, so I set out to find gardens that are either not publicized, off-the-beaten-track or the temple monks were simply not interested in turning their place into a tourist attraction. GREAT!

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
Author events on Zoom, at present I am scheduled to give about 5 more Zoom events, mostly with branches of Japan Society around the world.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Keep on keeping on!

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
“If you find something to do in life that you love to do as your life’s work, then it doesn’t feel like you are working at all, but rather a pleasure.”

What are you reading now?
I am addicted to spy novels, especially John Le Carre

What’s next for you as a writer?
More gardens, gardens, gardens

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 Anatomy of Restlessness, Bruce Chatwin
The Enigma of Arrival, V.S. Naipaul
Neither Here nor There, Bill Bryson

Author Websites and Profiles
John Lander Website
John Lander Amazon Profile

John Lander’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile
Twitter Account

Muhammad Ansar Mehmood 

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
Well, I have only published one book. But have 2 fully written books, just need to publish those as well.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
The book is called: Guess the country. And it’s a poetry book for young kids or anyone who likes geography or likes to travel. So it’s a wide age range. But as to what inspired me, well I saw that poetry can help with your mental state. And decided to write, write and write during the whole covid situation. And ended with the idea of a poetry book for travellers and geography lovers.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
Well, I can’t write anything for more than 30 minutes in silence. But I like to hear something during my writing session. I like to hear ted-talks, Netflix or anything that’s funny.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
There are many, but here are some: Patrick ness, dr Seuss.

What are you working on now?
I am working on the next two books which I have on draft. But first I am going to finish my ‘Guess the country’ series. I have 4 more books.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
Well. That’s easy. Awesomegang. com.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Patient. I know it’s boring advice, but it’s true. You have to be patient and be consistent. I wanted to write a book since I was 10 years old. But now I am 16 years old. It took me nearly 6 years to make a book.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Write every day, even if you write 100 words. Just write every day.

What are you reading now?
I am reading a book called: The Unfair Advantage: How You Already Have What It Takes to Succeed by Ash Ali and Hasan Kubba.

What’s next for you as a writer?
I am going to write a whole series, and then I have two 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?
* The Unfair Advantage: How You Already Have What It Takes to Succeed by Ash Ali and Hasan Kubba.

* A Monster Calls by Patrick Ness

* The Martian by Andy Weir

Author Websites and Profiles
Muhammad Ansar Mehmood Website
Muhammad Ansar Mehmood Amazon Profile

Caroline Frank 

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
My name is Caroline Frank, and I have written two books so far! The first was loosely inspired by my time in London and is a coming-of-age story. The second book is the first book in a series titled Seasons of Love! It is an open door romantic comedy, and I’m so excited for everyone to read it!

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
My latest book is called Fall Into You. It is set in Fall between Long Island and New York City. I was inspired by the romance of the Fall season and my family, as my main character is very family-oriented.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I HAVE to have to use the same type of pens and markers, have different notebooks for each task, and am super organized. I am very anal about my writing process.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
Meg Cabot taught me how to love to read and write with The Princess Diaries. It was the first book or series of books that I loved. That and Harry Potter.

What are you working on now?
I’m working on publishing my new book and outlining and plotting the next!

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Everyone has their own writing style, but my advice is to write every idea down and plot plot plot. When I’m writing a book, I’ll have post-its everywhere with phrases or ideas that pop into my head that I don’t want to forget.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
I started publishing under a pen name and tried to keep my writing a secret and I absolutely regret it. The best advice I received was to just own it, which I have. And I’ve never looked back.

What are you reading now?
Not reading anything at the moment because too focused on my book launch!

What’s next for you as a writer?
I’d like to finish writing the Seasons of Love series and eventually write something new and completely different. But that’s a larger project for another 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?
Jane Eyre, Catcher in the Rye, Harry Potter, and anything Pablo Neruda

Author Websites and Profiles
Caroline Frank Website
Caroline Frank Amazon Profile

Liam Labkor 

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I am Liam and I am 36 years old. I am investor and i have learn about economics in Europe. I have already written 1 book but i will write many others.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
My last book is “How to invest to cryptocurrency” and I was inspired from my investing in cryptocurrency

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
No, I dont

What authors, or books have influenced you?
I have influenced from other authors who writes book for business, economics, investing.

What are you working on now?
I am a businessman and Investment Advisor

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I think my best method to promote my books is Kidlepreneur and Facebook.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Yes, I have. Be patient and try to be true.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
The most important investment you can make is in yourself. That phrase was said from Warren Buffet

What are you reading now?
I am reading books for economics and for business

What’s next for you as a writer?
I will try to write many books to help others for investing

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?
Its difficult choice. I have so many books and i cant choose one

Author Websites and Profiles
Liam Labkor Amazon Profile

Liam Labkor’s Social Media Links
Facebook Profile

Steve Janson 

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I am a Businessman and Author. For most of my life i dealt with my personal development by attending specialized seminars and certificates on self-improvement and psychology. In recent years i have been writing books on self-improvement, personal development and love so that i can spread my knowledge around the world,help people to change their life and urge them to see their life for another angle. I have written a self book and i prepare new self book.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
The name is : How To Improve Your Self-Love

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
No, i have not. I always have inspiration to write.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
Tolle Eckhart , ¨” For a new life ”

What are you working on now?
I prepare new non-fiction book.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I prefer the kindlepreneur and facebook.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
To write in order to help other people

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Love yourself first, so you know what you deserve.

What are you reading now?
Self improvments and psychology books.

What’s next for you as a writer?
To write many improvments 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?
Books that they will make me have positive thoughts.

Author Websites and Profiles
Steve Janson Amazon Profile

Steve Janson’s Social Media Links
Facebook Profile

Brenda Ridgley 

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I’m a Colorado gal who spent a decade in corporate America and decades more as an entrepreneur. Once driven to hit the top of any organization I deemed worthy, motherhood shifted my priorities to focus on the family. I just published my first book in 2021.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
It’s called Lady and the Tribe, How to Create Empowering Friendship Circles. Over a period of 15 years, I “let myself go”. I’m not talking about the typical weight gain and yoga pants seven days a week, although that happened too. Over those years I let go of my own preferences, activities and friendships and found myself with a very busy life, yet something was missing. As my kids were about to launch into their adult lives, I no longer knew who I was outside of my role as MOM. I discovered what was lost was deep, meaningful friendships. My journey back to wholeness and resilience is documented in my book Lady and the Tribe.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I don’t think so other than it took me just over two months to write the entire book. My goal was 500 words per day. I didn’t get 500 in every day, but on a weekly basis I averaged more than that.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
For the most part, I read for personal and professional growth and not for entertainment. I have read many books on success and the law of attraction.

What are you working on now?
I am working on a “Tribal Record” scrapbook. A place to document memories, retreats and adventures. A guidebook of sorts with group activities and bonding moments.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I am pretty new to this. I am still figuring that out.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Write about something you are passionate about and universal energies will line up to assist you! Don’t wait for everything to be perfect, start today!

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
“Don’t take anything personally.” Don Miguel Ruiz & the Four Agreements

What are you reading now?
The Goddess in Every Woman

What’s next for you as a writer?
Visit as many womens’ groups as possible to spread the message of connection.

If you were going to be stranded on a desert island and allowed to take 3 or 4 books with you what books would you bring?
A Course in Miracles, The Stand, Tuesdays with Morrie

Author Websites and Profiles
Brenda Ridgley Website
Brenda Ridgley Amazon Profile

Brenda Ridgley’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile
Facebook Profile
Twitter Account

Kelsey Josund 

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I’m an author and machine learning researcher in Silicon Valley. My two novels are both speculative fiction centered on young women, but beyond that they have little in common! My debut novel is climate fiction, about near-future California ravaged by wildfires and a rising sea, and it’s really a character study of a female software engineer displaced by climate change. My second novel, coming out in a few weeks, is a dark retelling of Cinderella.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
Pretty Deadly is my (very) dark retelling of Cinderella. I came up with the idea after reading a number of books pitched as dark fairytale retellings and not finding them dark enough! I wanted something brutal, with a true antihero (or even villain) in the role of the fairytale’s princess. I wanted to put the agency firmly in the hands of the protagonist, but make the reader wonder whether that’s a good idea. Pretty Deadly answers the question, “What if Cinderella were a psychopath?”

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I edit while walking around! In order to type quickly enough for drafting I have to sit and type with both hands, but while editing I think much more clearly holding my laptop and pacing in my kitchen, correcting typos and flagging sentences as I spot them.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
I have too many influences to possibly name them all, but honestly I grew up deep in mid-aughts YA, and that shaped me. Those books often wouldn’t fly now–full of saviors flying in from outside, instalove, and other things that I see as problematic today–but I loved them. They made me believe in the fantastical and made me want to be a writer myself.

What are you working on now?
My next projects are both more fairytale retellings. First, there’s Snow White, but gay and violent (I guess violence is a thing I want to see added to fairytales in general!). I submitted it to PitchWars; we’ll see where that goes. And my writing group is currently reading my asexual/aromantic take on Beauty and the Beast. I love this one a lot, but I’m a bit worried that people won’t take to a classic love story without the romance.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I’ve found success with Amazon ads for sales on Amazon, and for in-person sales the thing that has worked best is communicating very directly with local bookstores. There’s not tons of volume that way, but it’s so satisfying to see my book on a shelf and then to hear from the store that it sold and they need to order more!

Do you have any advice for new authors?
My best advice is nothing new: keep writing. Remember that your first draft (and even best draft, probably) isn’t done, and that your publisher will assign an editor who will make it even better. I’m always astounded by how much my work keeps improving right up until publication day!

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Write what you want to read. This doesn’t mean you’ll be published or successful–your markets may not match the market–but it does mean you’ll have lots of fun.

What are you reading now?
I’m currently reading Beloved by Toni Morrison, which is very heavy. When I needed something lighter, I picked up Ministry for the Future by Kim Stanley Robinson, but that’s not really any less intense! Usually I try to read two or three books at a time.

What’s next for you as a writer?
Hopefully I’ll have some exciting news soon about one of my completed manuscripts! I’m also hard at work drafting the sequel to Pretty Deadly, which I’ll submit to my publisher sometime next year, assuming all goes well. And I’m going to be writing the foreword to a rerelease of a classic novel that I can’t yet reveal, which I’m very much looking forward to.

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, this is so hard! I’d want one of my comfort books from childhood, maybe The Goose Girl by Shannon Hale, a more recent favorite like Red, White, and Royal Blue by Casey McQuiston, and then something really long and detailed. Honestly, maybe Ministry for the Future would be a great way to round it out! Or perhaps The Overstory, which is similarly involved.

Author Websites and Profiles
Kelsey Josund Website
Kelsey Josund Amazon Profile

Kelsey Josund’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile
Facebook Profile
Twitter Account

Richard Becker 

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I am an award-winning American writer who has worked as a copywriter, journalist, and strategic communicator for more than 30 years. Before retiring from teaching, I taught classes at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas for 20 years.

Before writing fiction, I contributed to five nonfiction books, including “Beyond Generation X: A Practical Guide for Managers,” the American Ambulance Association’s “Public Relations Handbook,” and “Forget Us Not: Armenian Genocide Commemorative.” I’ve also scripted a documentary produced with PBS.

I’m also the president of Copywrite, Ink., a 30-year-old writing services and strategic communication firm. He is married and has two children. My son is currently pursuing a degree in college and my daughter is a student-athlete in high school.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
“50 States: A collection of short short stories” grew out of an effort to transition from commercial writing exclusively to commercial writing and fiction. It started a project to write one story a week for 50 weeks, which gave me a self-imposed deadline to write and share my work every week.

The idea to place each story in a different state evolved naturally. When I had finished the first five stories or so, I noticed each was in a different state and each touched on a different state of mind. Since I wasn’t interested in confining myself to any specific genre, it made sense to stick with the inspiration.

I’m glad I did. Some of the stories would have never materialized without following what amounted to creative intuition. It was fun and challenging, especially reading how people reacted to each new story as I shared it online every week.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
When it comes to fiction, I’m mostly a morning writer who likes to sit down at my computer in my home office with a cup of coffee and quiet. It’s the same place I’ve developed advertising campaigns and written articles for decades.

What was a little different about writing 50 States was that my self-imposed deadline would force me outside my comfort zone. Sometimes, to finish a story, I would thumb draft copy on my phone between my daughter’s softball games, type pages on a Bluetooth keyboard after propping up my tablet on another sports chair, or even write bits of prose on napkins and Moleskine notepads.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
This is always such a difficult question for me because so many authors and books have touched me. I just know I answer differently every time someone asks!

In terms of the work, I think Earnest Hemingway and John Updike have been especially influential to me in their quest to write straight, honest prose about people. As teachers, Joyce Carol Oates and Walter Mosley had a profound impact on my writing.

There are also dozens of other writers who were indirectly encouraging. Beyond writing some amazing books, I found their work made me want to write fiction. A few of them include Peter Heller, James Lee Burke, Nora Neale Hurston, Aric Davis, and S.A. Cosby.

What are you working on now?
I currently have several fiction projects in the works. Most notably, I’m writing more short stories that either intersect with or build on those found in 50 States. Initially, I intended to publish a second book called 50 Threads, which would carry on the idea of 50 States.

However, I also want to give myself room to let things evolve. I’m also writing longer fiction, with stories that exceed my 3,000 word limit on short-short stories, along with a novel. Since I tend to treat these projects like a gardening project, I’m not sure which project will come to fruition first.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
Having worked in advertising and marketing all my life, I knew taking a grassroots approach to 50 States would be a special kind of challenge. As an indie publisher and author, you have to be willing to work at it every day because each small success has the potential to become a big success.

Every day, I look for opportunities to increase the exposure for 50 States: book reviews, book promoters, advertising ideas, bookstore outreach, etc. I’ve found Amazon and Goodreads to be especially supportive, and I’ve had a fair amount of success reaching out to select indie bookstores before traveling to a new area with my daughter’s softball team.

Every small success leads to something new. In fact, I was referred to Awesome Gang while pursuing a different opportunity. Wow. I was happily surprised what an excellent service this site is doing for authors.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Be prepared to roll up your sleeves and work after your book is published, maybe even harder than you did writing it. Book marketing is different from other campaigns because it’s more akin to a political grassroots campaign than a commercial campaign. It requires a hands-on, personal approach and a resolve not to take anything personally.

Reviewers will pass on your book. Bookstores will ask you to jump through hoops and then decline to stock it. Readers will praise you in person but never leave a review on Amazon. Some promotional opportunities will seem like a dream come true but amount to nothing.

You can’t focus on any of those challenges. Instead, stick to what you know — you wrote a book worth reading — and every small success that comes your way. If you can keep with it, then success will start to happen. I’ve had some fantastic reviews from respected editors, including Kirkus. Sometimes it takes several calls, but I’ve placed signed copies in at least one bookstore in every city I visit. Sales are steady as more people are introduced to it. I feel very blessed that these small victories are turning into something big.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
50 States would have never happened had I not taken my friend Geoff Livingston’s advice to work for myself first for a change.

So many writers out there want to finish something but never find the time to do it because they are too busy working on other people’s projects or have taken on other people’s obligations. Don’t get me wrong; I’m as active with my business and community as ever. But I finally learned after all these years that one of my dreams had to become the priority.

If you want to finish your book, put yourself first for a change. For me, that meant locking out every Monday morning for fiction first. My ability to become immersed in this work has become an inspiration to keep going and growing as an author.

What are you reading now?
I have four books going at any given time: one on my phone, one audiobook, one that I read with my daughter, and one nonfiction I read at lunch. These books generally toggle back and forth between classics, literary fiction, thrillers, mysteries, history, science fiction, romance, fantasy, young adult, and speculative fiction.

Keeping that in mind, my list looks like this at the moment: “The Guide” by Peter Heller, “Coyote Blue” by Christopher Moore, Willa of Dark Hollow by Robert Betty, and A Swim In A Pond In The Rain by George Saunders. About that last title. Wow. If you are a writer, you have to read it. Saunders is a fantastic teacher.

What’s next for you as a writer?
I’ve scaled back how many commercial clients I will work with at any given time so I can continue to pursue writing fiction. So this is it. I’m working, writing fiction, and learning (sometimes the hard way) how to best market books. Aside from all that, I’m having a great time meeting some wonderful people who share a passion for reading and writing great work. What’s better than 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?
This question makes me chuckle because it’s going to reveal a different side of me. Being completely transparent, I would choose Red Rising by Pierce Brown, Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien, The Stand by Steven King, and Dune by Frank Herbert.

I chose these books because they are among a dozen or so that transformed a kid who couldn’t read in the third grade into a life-long reader, writer, writing instructor, and author. Pierce Brown’s book is the exception. Red Rising is included because it would have been among those other titles had he written it when I was younger.

Author Websites and Profiles
Richard Becker Website
Richard Becker Amazon Profile

Richard Becker’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile
Facebook Profile
Twitter Account
Pinterest Account

Cathy M. Donnelly 

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I was born, and lived most of my life, in Scotland. Although I now live in Australia, I try to get home every couple of years to spend time with my family and enjoy my beautiful homeland. I also get a chance to do research which I enjoy immensely.

I have written three novels, two of which are set mainly in Scotland. I have always been fascinated by ancient and medieval history, and the legends and myths of the past. In my storytelling, I enjoy entwining real historical characters and events with supernatural elements such as reincarnation and magic.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
My latest book, Memories of the Night Sky, is set in Scotland in three different timelines – the 8th century on Orkney around the time of the arrival of the Vikings, the 14th century at the Knights Templar headquarters at Balantrodoch (now known as just Temple), and the present day.

I am fascinated by the history of the Templars and Druids in Scotland, and I wanted to incorporate them into a story set in the present. I enjoyed every minute of researching this novel.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I enjoy writing by hand. In fact, I wrote the whole of my first novel by hand on the two hours a day I spent on trains going to the office. I find I get more inspiration from sitting up in bed in complete silence, thinking or writing on a notepad, than I do sitting in front of a computer screen. I always have a notepad beside my bed as I often get a good idea when I am asleep.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
I am drawn to the way a story is written and the ‘voice’ of the storyteller. I remember reading Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier decades ago and I loved everything about it – the story, the sense of place, and the writing. Another of my favourites is Interview with the Vampire by Anne Rice, and more recently My Name is Memory by Ann Brashares. Again, it was the writing that drew me to the books and made me want to tell my stories that way.

What are you working on now?
I am presently working on not procrastinating. I am currently reviewing my collection of short stories with a view to publishing them, I have written a few chapters of a sequel to my first novel, Distant Whispers but would really like to do a sequel to my second novel, There is a Place, and I have an idea for a new story. As my last novel Memories of the Night Sky has only recently been published, I am also cleaning out files and in preparation for the next project. I intend to end my procrastination period very shortly because I do love writing.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I have a website, a Facebook page, an Amazon Author Page and a Twitter account, but I have to admit, writing books comes a lot easier than promoting them. I am working on finding other outlets to do this.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
If you want to write, just do it and enjoy every minute of it. No matter what the outcome, you will have fulfilled a passion.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
I displayed this quote on the wall next to my desk when I was working on my first novel and wondering if I had it in me to be a writer. It is still there today, and I still need the reminder.

“The only person you are destined to become is the person you decide to be.” Ralph Waldo Emerson.

What are you reading now?
I am reading Wolf of the Plains by Conn Iggulden – the story of the Khan Dynasty, Beyond the Law by Tom Benson – set in Glasgow with lots of action, and The Northern Throne (Warrior Druid of Britain Book 3) by Steven A McKay.

What’s next for you as a writer?
I plan to begin a new novel within the few weeks so I will be putting my thoughts on paper and mind-mapping the research required. It is hard work but I do love this part of the process.

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 Manual of the Warrior of Light by Paulo Coelho, The Prophet by Kahlil Gibran, Cloud Atlas by David Mitchell, and Gone with the Wind by Margaret Mitchell. That would give a rescuer plenty of time to find me. If I was allowed to be stranded with a cat, then that would be a whole different story.

Author Websites and Profiles
Cathy M. Donnelly Website
Cathy M. Donnelly Amazon Profile

Cathy M. Donnelly’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile
Facebook Profile

Frances Evelyn 

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I started off as a reader and consumed books voraciously until work pressures got in the way. After leaving work three years ago, I suddenly had time to read again, and rediscovered the joys of getting lost in a really great book. It was also an opportunity to explore my long-held ambition to be an author, so I began by improving a series of books I’d begun work on 15 years before. These combine Faerie games with time travel and family saga. The first four, of five, in the series are available on Amazon: The Changeling Tree, The Time Before, The Traitor Within and The Bargain Made. The final instalment — The Last Time — is eagerly awaited.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
My latest book is called Bibliomancer. It’s a book about books, among other things, and was inspired by my own love of reading. For that reason, it’s scattered with bookish Easter eggs, particularly for lovers of Jane Austen.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I always read my books aloud before I finalize them because I want the dialogue to be convincing and for the characters to have distinctive voices. This is very confusing for our dog.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
So many! You’ll see the influence of Pride and Prejudice in Bibliomancer, but I was also influenced by Longbourn by Jo Baker, which is a re-telling of P&P from the servants’ perspective.
I love books with just a touch of magic — not set in an entirely separate fantasy world with goblins and dragons, but with some aspect of magic intruding into reality. Graham Joyce’s Some Kind of Fairy Tale is a lovely example of this, and his influence is felt more in The Changeling Tree series.

What are you working on now?
I tend to have several books on the go at once, because I like to have a break so I can re-read them more objectively. At the moment, my works in progress are the fifth and final book in The Changeling Tree series, the first book in a new series of cosy paranormal mysteries, the first book in a non-fantasy family saga series and a possible sequel to Bibliomancer. It’s possible that I’m juggling too many things here!

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I’ve just started using Bookfunnel, which has connected me with lots of readers. Whether those connections convert into sales isn’t clear yet.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Getting down to writing a scrappy first draft is easier than sitting down to write your novel.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Know who you’re writing for.
You can’t please all readers, so the challenge is to find the readers who’ll love your books and make sure you’re reaching them.

What are you reading now?
I’m up to my neck in book promo at the moment, but I’m promising myself the third book in The Game of Thrones series, which proves that I do read epic fantasy too.

What’s next for you as a writer?
It’s all about reaching more 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?
It would be so hard to choose. I’d probably cheat and ask for the Oxford English Dictionary, because it’s full of quotations which would remind me of other books I’d already read. If I could get away with counting all 20 volumes as one, I’d go for a guide to literature with lots of plot summaries, because the OED would drive me mad if I couldn’t remember. And I’m going to have to have a blank notebook so I can carry on writing.

Author Websites and Profiles
Frances Evelyn Website
Frances Evelyn Amazon Profile

Frances Evelyn’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile
Facebook Profile
Twitter Account

Catherine Peace 

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
Hi there! I am a speculative and contemporary romance author who loves the more broken and strange characters. My 5th book, Ember’s Secret, releases November 23! During the day, I am a receptionist at a local university and IT student. At night, I am…usually asleep….

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
The Solstice Quartet is inspired by the swan maiden myths that permeate nearly every culture on Earth. Ember’s Secret (book 1) is also brought to you by Food Network, namely Diners, Drive-ins, and Dives. The hero does not look like Guy Fieri, just for the record.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I write any- and everywhere. I currently live with my sister and her husband, so my writing space is a corner of the sectional couch.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
I have been huge fan of Anne Rice since high school. I’ve always loved how lyrical her prose is. Tiffany Reisz is in the same vein for me. Landra Graf and Katherine McIntyre are fantastic authors as well, and I’m lucky that they’re part of my writing squad.

What are you working on now?
Book 3 of the Solstice Quartet! Book 2 comes out in April, and I CANNOT WAIT for you to meet the middle sister, Amy. She’s amazing.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
Hah. BookBub is a great resource. I put ARCs on Booksprout (Amy’s will be up there soon!), and basically just throw spaghetti at the wall. I’m bad at marketing….

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Learn to market. If I’d realized how crucial it’d be, I would have majored in marketing in college, instead of English. Most publishers don’t have the budget to help.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Tell yourself the story first, then flesh out the details.

What are you reading now?
Wisdom Check by Katherine McIntyre!

What’s next for you as a writer?
Keep working, keep writing.

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 Angel by Tiffany Reisz, A Game of Thrones, whatever omnibus I can find to cheat the system….

Author Websites and Profiles
Catherine Peace Website
Catherine Peace Amazon Profile

Catherine Peace’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile
Facebook Profile
Twitter Account

Sven Nilsson 

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
This is my first book written on my personal experience moving once to beautiful Barcelona to live and work. This is my only book for now but I hope it’s not the last one.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
The name of the book is Downfall. My personal experience living in turbulent times in Catalonia insprired me to write it down.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I believe my easy and engaging way to describe things, events and tastes is my advantage)

What authors, or books have influenced you?
I believe the book of John Perkins influenced me to write about my experience.

What are you working on now?
Thinking about the add on to the book.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I did not have time yet to do it properly.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Me myself, I would like to have some good advices.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Never say never. Even one year ago I did not plan to wtite a book and now I have it in 3 languages already worldwide.

What are you reading now?
THe book Sensemaking

What’s next for you as a writer?
The next 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 of Friedrich Nietzsche, Tolstoy and Dostoevsky

Author Websites and Profiles
Sven Nilsson Amazon Profile

Susan Miller 

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I’ve been writing since I was very young (I’m not young any more!) but I needed another career so I became a clinical psychologist, an occupation I enjoy that’s let me make a living and learn a great deal for many years. I am publishing my seventh book very soon (10/08/21). It is my second published novel; the first was Indigo Rose. I have a number more in the drawer. I have published five psychology books. The most recent is Emotions of Menace and Enchantment: disgust, horror, awe, and fascination.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
The book that comes out on 10/08/21 is A Beautiful Land, a novel that was inspired by my wish to understand more deeply some of the human dimensions of ethnic violence. It also explores guilt, including guilt in the context of motherhood and the appropriation of another’s child. The book has multiple settings, but one is a threatening but also protective forest.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I don’t have any habits (I’m aware of) that are particularly unusual other than taking advantages of even the smallest block of time (think ten minutes) to continue with a manuscript I’m working on. I’ve learned to dive in–no pencil sharpening or desk organizing. Perhaps one unusual habit is my preference for a messy environment when I write. I think of it as creative chaos.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
Many…from William Faulkner to Dostoevsky to Ann Patchett (Bel Canto), Kazuo Ishiguro, Claire Messud, and probably most profoundly, Toni Morrison. There are many others, including poets.

What are you working on now?
I am working on a new novel.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I’m trying to figure that out. Using social media to promote books is new to me and I can’t say I enjoy it that much.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Try to turn off the internal critic and editor completely while you are writing. There will be abundant opportunity to make good use of those voices later in the writing process. But first, just let yourself write. Immerse yourself in the process and enjoy it. I quit writing for a long time as a young woman because my perfectionism paralyzed me. It was wonderful to get past that.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
hmm….that question requires more thought

What are you reading now?
Commonwealth by Ann Patchett. Next up is Kindred by Octavia Butler.

What’s next for you as a writer?
I’d like to write a novel with a more experimental or exploratory form.

If you were going to be stranded on a desert island and allowed to take 3 or 4 books with you what books would you bring?
I’d probably take books exploring the nature around me in great detail.

Author Websites and Profiles
Susan Miller Website
Susan Miller Amazon Profile

Susan Miller’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile
Facebook Profile
Twitter Account

Jennifer Harris 

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I am originally from a super small town in PA. We only had one stoplight as I was growing up! I went to college at West Chester University before getting my MBA and having a successful career in the banking industry. I left that career to become a business coach and after finding myself going through the trauma of divorce, I shifted to become a highly trained and certified confidence and transformation divorce coach. I am so passionate about helping others through the trauma of divorce so that they don’t just survive, they trhive! I’ve written one book and also published a journal!

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
Divorce Bucket List. After going through my own traumatic divorce experience, where I nearly ended my own life before diving into self-development to truly heal, rebuild and thrive, I decided to use my experience to help others get through divorce as well.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I like to write the way I speak, so my writing style often seems like I add extra details in!

What authors, or books have influenced you?
GRANT CARDONE – 10X!!!!!!! Also, Mel Robbins, Amanda Frances, Rachel Hollis, John C. Maxwell, Gary Vee, and way way way too many others to name!

What are you working on now?
I am working on releasing an online course to help others forgive, rediscover themselves and rebuild through and after divorce.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
Word of mouth with genuine desire to help others!

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Get ready to learn a LOT about the publishing world! I had no clue how much went into writing but it’s worth it, just go do it!

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
That failure doesn’t exist, you can always get up and try again!

What are you reading now?
I love reading thrillers and nonfiction self-help books. Currently, I am reading Ready Player Two!

What’s next for you as a writer?
I have a few ideas in mind! All around helping people through divorce in different areas. I am considering a tell-all about my experiences in my previous coaching career too – it was very interesting!

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?
10X by Grant Cardone, Probably a thriller of some sort, and a journal to write in!

Author Websites and Profiles
Jennifer Harris Website
Jennifer Harris Amazon Profile

Jennifer Harris’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile
Facebook Profile