Awesome Author Interviews

Here are some of the awesome authors that have submitted books for you to enjoy. Get to know them and discover their awesome books.

Gwyneth Lesley

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I knew I wanted to be a writer from the time I was eight, when I wrote a poem called ‘Seasons’ and a story about a giant named Maisie on the motorway. That was followed by an award-winning story about a doughnut-eating horse when I was twelve, numerous speech competitions and acting gigs … and almost failing my final year of English in high school.

I then went and got my journalism diplomas, and worked in all manner of publishing, writing and editing jobs from the age of seventeen, while writing novels on the side.

The first novels I produced (a young adult, science fiction collection) had a good premise, but were poorly executed in terms of editing and marketing. I was an impatient upstart and self-published author who didn’t yet know the nuances of the industry!

After about five books (one of which was an Amazon bestseller for a week in satire comedy fiction, my first foray away from science fiction) I stepped away from the writing world.

Now I’m back with my first book, under a new pen name and series, Prometheus’ Priestess.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
Prometheus’ Priestess was inspired by a lot of things.

First and foremost, by a meditation in August of 2020, when Prometheus walked fully into my head, sat down and had a conversation with me.

But prior to that, in the time I had stepped away from the writing industry, I’d worked as a waitress, a massage therapist and a trauma support specialist. All jobs I now credit with teaching me a lot more about the human condition. So I’m not surprised in the slightest that it was Prometheus’ story I felt called to tell first. After all, he did create the humans according to the myth.

I wanted to share that knowledge of the human condition, in a love story (because Prometheus loved the humans) and retell his myth in a way that made more sense.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I don’t know about unusual. I tend to draw pretty heavily from my life, and from meditations. I’m often caught talking to myself. Occasionally, if I’m particularly stuck on a section, I go and float in the ocean until the scene reveals itself to me.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
I grew up in the era of Harry Potter, so I can’t say those books didn’t influence me. But I’m also a huge Malorie Blackman fan – particularly her Noughts and Crosses series forthe way it addresses relevant social issues in society. Nalini Singh for supernatural romance told in a contemporary way. Patricia Cornwell for crime and bringing realistic elements to her books. Lee Child, because Jack Reacher was the first book boyfriend I ever had.

What are you working on now?
Book two is called; A lifetime kind of love, and follows the myth of Persephone and Hades when they both roamed the earth (before he took her to the underworld and made her his wife as the myth goes.) It’s a book of poetry that is due out in May 2022.

Book three, which I’m currently working on the first draft of, is called Madonna’s Whore and will follow Medusa’s myth to an extent.

The entire series; Femme Fatale (seven books) will do seven myth retellings with seven different archetypes of women (priestess, lover, whore). By the end it’s my hope that the reader would have experienced every archetype a woman embodies on her journey to find herself here on Earth.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
You can find everything you need on: www.outspokeninkpress.com.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
You can’t f*ck it up even if you tried, it doesn’t matter how quickly or how slowly you write. But share it with others, friends and family who will support you when the going gets tough. Get a professional edit. Just, trust me, you WILL miss things yourself. Trust the process. And, more importantly, enjoy it.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
If you were living your dream life, and it all suddenly crumbled, what would you do? Would you go back to living the life you are now? So why then, are you currently living a plan B life?

What are you reading now?
The Consolations of Philosophy by Alain de Botton.

What’s next for you as a writer?
Getting book two out into the world in May and finishing the first draft of book three, Madonna’s Whore.

If you were going to be stranded on a desert island and allowed to take 3 or 4 books with you what books would you bring?
Oooh that’s a cruel question. Hmmm, let’s see.
1. Is it terribly egotistical to say my own? I love re-reading Prometheus’ Priestess.
2. Angel’s Blood by Nalini Singh (it’s my feel-good book)
3. Homer’s Odyssey (because it would take a lifetime to get through that)
4. Greenlights by Matthew McConaughey (my favourite autobiography to date)

Author Websites and Profiles
Gwyneth Lesley Website
Gwyneth Lesley Amazon Profile

Gwyneth Lesley’s Social Media Links
Facebook Profile

Naomi Brickel

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I recently self-published my first book. It is a creative nonfiction narrative about the loss of my son and associated lessons and insights. And yet, it’s not about death at all, but rather life: transcending these anxious times we live in and the simplicity of happiness. I’m a much happier person today than when I first started writing.

I’m a mom first. I have six kids (including my son in Heaven), and I live in New Rochelle, NY. Professionally, my expertise is in youth and family engagement especially and I’ve presented to thousands in workshops and at state and national conferences. I’ve worked with young adults to promote their self-determination and empowerment, helped families in the practical and emotional aspects of navigating disability service systems across the lifespan, and worked with professionals to build capacity for more inclusive communities.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
Title: “Not to Spoil the Ending… but everything is going to be ok
Subtitle: Insights from teenager in Heaven about happiness here
I think that when I first started writing, I was motivated mostly by a desperate mom’s need to preserve any piece of my son’s life I could cling to. When I started, I was just trying to get as much as I could into one place – memories kids had shared with me of his life, experiences after that emanated his presence, dreams, etc. I did not start with them, but what percolated out as I wrote were very powerful messages about peace and joy, and making this world more hopeful and heavenly. Most amazing was how simple and yet life changing it all was. I’m moved by how much of an impact it’s had on those who’ve read it. I’ve gotten letters and emails, and have literally been stopped on the street on numerous occasions by people I knew barely, or not at all, just to tell me how much reading it changed their life.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
Nothing too odd, though while I was writing over the summer of 2020 I got regular massages to tease out the knots and aches that came with writing. There was a lot of emotion that accompanied the words from my head and heart onto the page. I have a busy life between my work and family, so I literally write snippets between meetings, kids appointments, and the space after the end of my work day and the beginning of dinner prep.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
In my heart and soul I’ve been most influenced by Brene Brown, Eckhart Tolle, and Fr. Richard Rohr. I think my book, even if it’s not fiction, is similar to “The Shack” by Wm. Paul Young.

What are you working on now?
Raising kids and keeping my head afloat. I also have a blog called “Finding Adamsworld: connecting to what’s real under the noise.” And I’m working on my second book, and of course still trying to get this one out there!

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
Still trying to find it. Kindlepreneur has been a huge resource.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Nope. I’m too new to offer advice.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Be still and know that I am here.

What are you reading now?
“A New Earth” by Eckhart Tolle

What’s next for you as a writer?
Hopefully the “big 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?
The Bible – no need to explain
The Power of Now by Eckhart Tolle – to keep me grounded
The Brothers Karamazov by Fyodor Dostoevsky – to keep me occupied, it’s long and powerful
Not to Spoil the Ending… by me – to keep a piece of my family close

Author Websites and Profiles
Naomi Brickel Website

Naomi Brickel’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile
Facebook Profile
Twitter Account

Eva Sandor

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I’m Eva Sandor— longtime illustrator… attacker of DIY projects… lover of sensory experiences including, but not limited to: wolfing down delicious food, smelling aromas, basking in music and ever so gently crrrrushing the pets of the world in my loving grip… I enjoy communing with horses, running far on shady trails, visiting new nooks of the globe… oh, and I wrote two novels. You probably want to hear about the novels.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
My latest one is Power’s Play and it’s the sequel to Fool’s Proof. It was inspired by people asking: “So? When’s the next one?”, and me realizing that I did indeed have plenty more in me.
I like to call the world my characters inhabit “mildly magical”. Yes, it’s a fantasy, but not because I wanted it to be full of prithee-thou and Ancient Prophecieees. I just wanted the opportunity to really mix and mash, and to indulge in the kind of luscious, intricate, heavily detailed language I myself so enjoy reading. So I built an alternative version of our own early Renaissance, filled with halfway recognizable pastiches of real-world locations, glimmers of advanced technology powered by an unknown natural force, animal life that’s almost, but not quite, similar to our own and a cast of characters ranging from lovable to repellent.
My main character, Malfred Murd, is somewhere in the middle of that range and continues to paddle clumsily toward the “hero” end of the pool. In Power’s Play he’s achieved a kind of semi-comfortable repose, but of course you know it can’t end there— Fred just has to get tangled up in some new foolishness. This time, it’s going undercover to help take down a criminal empire. Uh-oh. What could possibly go wrong?

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
Well, unusual for me is that, since 2020, I’ve had a complete reset of my inner clock. I became aware of what I like to call “Night 2.0″— the wee morning hours, the time Sky Masterson sang about in Guys And Dolls.
Now that’s my time of day, too. If I wake up and it’s after 4 am… then it’s time to brew up that Cafe Bustelo, flap open the MacBook and get cranking. Plus, if the weather is appropriate I’m probably out on my back deck. The sun comes up, the chapters get written, the rest of the day spreads out ahead, including time to draw. This is my new habit and I feel like it’s a well-kept secret. Shhhh! All the cool people are switching to Night 2.0.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
Everything has, to some extent. I take writing I like as an example, and what I dislike as a warning. But to be specific, in the case of my two novels, my major influence was Patrick O’Brian.
I’m one of those fans who’s “circumnavigated”— read all 20 of his Aubrey-Maturin novels, and more than once. There’s a terrific Facebook group out there for us, and after sharing a few humorous spoof chapters I wrote in imitation of POB’s unmistakable voice, I just… felt like going further. I wanted to offer something brand-new and all-me to those readers who enjoy the POB style of intertwining turns of phrase, studded here and there with gleaming Baroque words, piled neatly into dense stacks that unfold and unfold when you tug on ’em. But I wanted it to be comedy, because dammit, I just like humor.

What are you working on now?
Why, the third book, of course!

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I’ve found that Facebook ads are my best bang for the buck: they let me zero right in on the readers who are pickin’ up what I’m puttin’ down. And the Facebook groups I’ve joined as part of the research for my books are full of wonderful fans who have become online friends. They spread the word.
BookFunnel is another great resource, letting me share sample chapters to get people hooked on that sweet, sweet Evamagination. Samples have gained me readers halfway around the world… literally! I recently made some woodblock prints of a monster from the books, and offered them to readers just for fun. I ended up sending quite a few from Chicago to New Zealand.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
I do indeed. Writing is just like art: you’ve got to make a certain number of things (drawings, poems, stories) before you start getting good at it, and during that time there is no requirement whatever that other people see those things. In fact, don’t even keep them— or at least, not all of them. It’s the making process, and not the finished products, that turns you into a writer or artist. Do like art students everywhere: use cheap paper, stuff ’em all into the Dumpster after class, and make 100 more tomorrow.
I’m constantly turning up stuff I forgot I did. In my basement I have literal shopping bags full of brochures I wrote and laid out, and those are just the ones I thought might be worth keeping for my “portfolio”. Doing the thing teaches the skill, and then at some point you’ll feel completely at ease letting the world see your creative output because… it’s you, as you as your face, and you’re just walking down the street of creativity with everyone else who makes stuff. You have every bit as much right to be there as the others do.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Well, that’s a big question but I’ll try and keep it pithy!
I once read a wonderful quotation that was attributed to Audrey Hepburn— although as with many internet quotations, it’s anyone’s guess whether she really said it. Doesn’t matter. It went: “We are not loved because we are beautiful. We are beautiful because we are loved.”
So many people are out there flailing and struggling to make strangers see them as amazing, thinking that’s what will bring them love. They have it absolutely backwards. If we make ourselves worthy of being loved, even if it’s just to one friend or one reader, then we’ll be beautiful to them— though the delightful irony is, of course, that we won’t care about that anymore. The beauty will be beside the point. The love is the point.

What are you reading now?
Classic spy lit. For example, I just finished re-reading The Eye of the Needle. Why this genre? Oh, no reason… (whistling, looking off into the distance)

What’s next for you as a writer?
Audiobooks! I just finished recording the audio version of Fool’s Proof and I hope to have it for sale in November, in time for Christmas gifting. And then of course, I’ll want to record Power’s Play as well. Ach Mensch, I could do a whole interview just on the incredible experience I had taking on the role of narrator— it was a crash course in voice acting and so much 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?
Blank ones (and something to write with, of course)! The world outside the island is full of completed books— bringing them along to read would entertain me, but it would add nothing new to the world. Whereas if I were writing, my time on the island wouldn’t be wasted… and to be honest, I’d find it more fun. I get way more satisfaction out of creating than consuming.

Author Websites and Profiles
Eva Sandor Website
Eva Sandor Amazon Profile

Eva Sandor’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile
Facebook Profile
Twitter Account

Lotte Jean Elliott

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
My name is Lotte Jean Elliott and I have written two fiction novels aimed at the YA audience and a poetry book.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
My last book is titled THE MONSTERS CLUB and it’s a deep look into youth psychopathy and feeling the need to conform to society.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I tend not to outline. I always feel constrained when doing so and have yet to be able to outline successfully!

What authors, or books have influenced you?
The author that got me into both reading and writing was a paranormal writer called L. J. Smith. Her books truly inspired my as a child to pick up a pen and write up my own universes!

What are you working on now?
I’m working on another YA thriller based on a Shakespeare play called the Taming of the Shrew.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
To always keep writing. As generic as that statement is it truly is the most important thing to grow as a writer!

What are you reading now?
I’m reading Kafka on the Shore by Haruki Murakami.

What’s next for you as a writer?
I want to continue to grow, try out new genres and always expand my abilities by trying different things, scenes and characters.

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?
Night World by L. J. Smith

Author Websites and Profiles
Lotte Jean Elliott Website

Lotte Jean Elliott’s Social Media Links
Twitter Account

Jen Willett

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
My name is Jen Willett. This is my first book, I’m very fortunate, I have always wanted to write children’s book, even as a child. I recently was going through some of my Grandma’s old records and stuck between some of her albums there some papers tucked in between and to my surprise, shock even. These papers had story ideas and drawings of Meatball the mouse. I guess Meatball has always been apart of me. I don’t even remember doing them. It was pretty amazing to see them

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
My book is a children’s book called Meatball’s Snow Day. When my kids were small, I always read to them and then there were times that they would ask me to make up a story, on the fly for them. And I would make up these silly stories about this mouse named Meatball. My daughter one day told that I should write my stories about Meatball and publish them.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I still prefer using a note book and pen to do my writing, I love the feeling of a pen in my hand. My note book, has notes and arrows in all the the margins, it doesn’t look like much, but it’s everything to me, lol, once I have all my thoughts and notes done, that’s when I go to my laptop and type it all out.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
As a kid I loved the Berenstain Bear Books by Jan and Stan Berenstain as well as The Paper Bag Princess by Robert Munsch, all his book are great, it’ was the books, that made me giggle, feel good that I loved and that’s what I want my books to be.

What are you working on now?
I am currently working on another Meatball story, this one is about an imaginary trip to space. And actually I am working on another children’s book about a boy named Zach

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
Since I am still new to this writing books and promoting my books, I am still learning about what’s all involved in the process. I’m always online researching what is the next step, who do I talk to, how do I promote my book. It’s all a learning curve for me, lol, it’s extremely exciting and a little bit scary

Do you have any advice for new authors?
The only advise I can give is to always believe in yourself. Don’t let yourself become overwhelmed. Enjoy every second of it, you worked hard for it.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
My Grandma, was Irish, so there where times I heard some old Irish sayings, some of them even stuck with me like “Life is like a cup of tea, it’s all in how you make it!”

What are you reading now?
I am currently reading Dan Brown’s The Lost Symbol, it’s a great and interesting read

What’s next for you as a writer?
I am just going to keep on writing, writing stories about Meatball and anything else that inspires 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?
There are so many books that I love, to take only 3 or 4, lol, that’s hard. I think Eat, Pray, Love would be one, The Lost Symbol, Wizard of Oz,

Glenna Dawn

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
My name is Glenna I live in Arizona with my two adorable dogs. I’ve written a series of seven children’s books. They are all cute short stories great for bedtime or anytime. Each one rhymes each one has its own original story and it’s a fun read for all !

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
My latest book is “The Grizzly”. The Grizzly bear-oh what a stare!

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
My unusual writing habits are rhyming. I think my verbiage is really fresh and fun to read and I think that’s what makes me uniquely me.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
Dr. Seuss.

What are you working on now?
Publishing my five other books.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I think word of mouth and Amazon.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Just stay original to who you are and try to follow your vision.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Not to sweat the small stuff.

What’s next for you as a writer?
Since I illustrate all of my own books I would like to learn more about it.

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

Glenna Dawn

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
My latest book is “The Grizzly”. The Grizzly bear-oh what a stare!

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
My unusual writing habits are rhyming. I think my verbiage is really fresh and fun to read and I think that’s what makes me uniquely me.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
Dr. Seuss.

What are you working on now?
Publishing my five other books.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I think word of mouth and Amazon.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Just stay original to who you are and try to follow your vision.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Not to sweat the small stuff.

What’s next for you as a writer?
Since I illustrate all of my own books I would like to learn more about it.

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

Rachel Griffin

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
Born and raised in Cleveland, OH, Rachel’s writing journey began at age thirteen. Though She hadn’t realized it at the time, those traumas and writing those first few words were the beginning of a career that was destined to blossom. She had never written any poetry prior and didn’t read as often as she probably should’ve. That pain turned into something positive was one of the best things that could’ve happened to her. She’s remained humble and grateful; especially for those who’ve supported her.

So far, I’ve written seven books. I’m currently working on my eighth. I plan to publish and release as many novels and newsletters as possible this year. I’ve decided to make this the year of growth and healing. Not only for my continued healing and growth, but for others as well.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
My latest book is “Who Iz You?” It’s an autobiography of my life from birth until the beginnings of my career with Pen & Camera and everything in between. I talk about all of the traumas and struggles I’ve faced. This time, I will go into detail. No characters. No stories. Just me. I’ll mention how I’ve begun to heal. I mention how my husband never gave up on me despite my continuous backtracking, inconsistencies and not caring. My story, and wishing for other women to heal and change, are the inspiration for this and my other books. I chose to fully show myself instead of using characters. I become an open book inside of a book waiting to be opened by many hands.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
There are days where I would write a bunch of chapters in one day. Then there’s days where I’ll only write one chapter or take a bunch of notes. Then there’s days where I’ll do a combination of both. There’s a few things that remain the same: proofreading, editing and publishing myself along with the help of my partner.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
He’s not a published author, but my partner has influenced me a great deal. He’s been the most positive influence in my life the last 3 years. If it weren’t for him, I would’ve never continued with my career choice.

What are you working on now?
I’m currently working on monthly newsletters and I’ve begun writing my eighth book. I plan to publish and release the book before the end of Spring 2022.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I have all of my books published on Amazon. I have some eBooks available on Kobo as well. I have them all listed on my website which can be seen here: linktr.ee/penandcamera

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Don’t be afraid to write what’s in your head. I had to let go of that fear in order to put out my first book. After getting over that hurdle, I was running full on to my brighter future.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Replace those negative voices in your head with positive, logical thoughts. Mental health doesn’t just affect your brain.

What are you reading now?
I’m currently reading Golden Girl by Elin Hilderbrand.

What’s next for you as a writer?
After I finish the novel I’m currently working on, I plan to write more song lyrics and compiling them into a book as well. Similar to how I did my Traumas Left Behind trilogy, but 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?
Survival guides and book on how to escape and find civilization.

Author Websites and Profiles
Rachel Griffin Website

Rachel Griffin’s Social Media Links
Facebook Profile
Twitter Account

Zariya Grant

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I’ve published one book called “I See You,” I started it in high school and revamped it in 2021. I have started other books and ghostwritten a book for a friend. I usually write screenplays, but overall, I just enjoy making a world where I, and others like me, can escape to. So, if you read any of my other writings, they’ll have nods to other works I’ve done.

I want my characters to be people everyone can relate to, so I draw from my own experiences as a woman, a Pagan in a family of Christians, a member of the LGBT community, a person of color, and I listen to others and how they want to be seen by the media. Some of my characters will have anxiety, but that doesn’t make them weak, and some of my male characters will be in touch with their nurturing side, which doesn’t make them girly. I can’t wait to share my writing with others.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
“I See You” is my latest book. It started off as a fun concept about witches, in the original draft, there were a lot more comedic moments that maybe I’ll share with the world one day. I ended up revamping it once I saw that witchcraft was becoming popular, but not only was it becoming popular, but a lot of misinformation was being thrown about. I realized: I have a book about witches, I’m a Pagan who dabbles… why not use my book to create the magic I loved from reading books like it when I was a kid, but with a more accurate representation of what magic really is? I also wanted a book where the protagonist was a person of color.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I’ll start writing my story, then go to the last chapter and write how I want it to end. Sometimes I imagine myself as each character to see exactly how they’d respond or act in a chapter. I might look crazy acting everything out, but I feel it’s the best way to keep my characters consistent throughout the story.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
There was a book I read called “Beautiful Demons” that heavily inspired the sisterhood you see between the female characters in my book. I read the story a long time ago, but I vaguely remember the chapter with the sleepover where the girls went outside and did magic. That inspired the chapter in “I See You” where Marlowe and Fiona are using magic to spice up their sleepover and Fiona gives Marlowe a tarot reading.

What are you working on now?
I have two ideas related to “I See You” but I don’t know which to start first. I’ll decide when I get more feedback on the first book. For now, I’ll brainstorm and work on my screenplays.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
Right now, social media in general. My target audience is there, and it’s the best way to circulate information right now.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Just write, don’t worry about what other people think. If you worry about any feedback you ‘might’ get, you’ll hold yourself back from writing what you want to. Everyone will have something to say about your work, it just matters if you’re happy with your work.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Just write now and edit later. Don’t focus on typos and errors yet. Worry about those when you reread your work to edit it. It helps me keep focus and write all of my ideas out without getting sidetracked.

What are you reading now?
Right now, I’m too busy to read anything.

What’s next for you as a writer?
After promoting my book, I’m focusing on more books and screenplays.

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 See You, and the Beautiful Demons series.

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Scott and Ashley Roepel

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
We have published three books in our fantasy series, Thread of Souls. We absolutely love the fantasy genre, and these books are based off a TTRPG game we play at home. We fell in love with these stories and characters we created, so it only felt right to turn them into a book series! It’s definitely been a passion project.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
The most recent installment in the Thread of Souls series is Path of the Spiders. It was about three years ago that we played this plotline out at the table. We really loved the darker turn the plot took, and the heavier decisions character had to make.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
Turning a TTPRG game into a book series is definitely unusual! We keep very detailed notes at the end of every game we play. And then, years later, we go through those notes to transform them into what is appropriate for a book format. This ends up giving us a highly detailed outline.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
We’ve always loved the Bartimaeus books by Jonathan Stroud. The style of writing, the rich world, and dynamic characters have stuck with us as some of the best work we’ve ever read.

What are you working on now?
We are currently working on the fourth book in the series! Asunder will be out in December of this year. We are so excited to tease it throughout the year!

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
As indie authors, we are still learning that, haha. But it seems people can’t easily resist free ebooks!

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Write what you want to write. At the end this project, if you don’t like it or feel moved by it, then the promotional part won’t be any fun at all. But if you pour your heart and soul into it, then it won’t matter if it gets a million sales or none at all, you still will love it.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
We can’t remember where it came from now, but it was about not worrying about what is trendy in the moment. The truest and best stories transcend trends.

What are you reading now?
Recently finished Six of Crows and currently are working out way through the older Dragonlance books.

What’s next for you as a writer?
We have an eight-book series planned for Thread of Souls, which we call the Spider Octology. Beyond that, we have many more prequels, supplements, and other stories to tell within this world!

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?
Wow, what a good question! Probably all four of the Bartimaeus books, haha. We can never grow tired of reading those.

Author Websites and Profiles
Scott and Ashley Roepel Website
Scott and Ashley Roepel Amazon Profile

Scott and Ashley Roepel’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile
Facebook Profile
Twitter Account

Anna Pulley

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I was born and raised in the spiny desert arms of Tucson, Arizona, spent four years in Chicago, and then headed back west to the Bay Area, because as much as a piece of my heart will always be in the midwest, I cannot winter.

I’ve been a hot dog slinger, a shoe salesman, a PE teacher, and a waitress at a retirement home (among other things) before I figured out the best way to degrade myself was as a writer.

(I kid. I love writing. If I couldn’t write, I would perish.)

I’m also queer, multiracial (white/Native American/Latinx), and deaf/hard of hearing. You would never know these things just looking at me, as I pass mightily and my hair covers my hearing aids. I’m trying to be better and more vocal about the parts of myself that aren’t so readily viewable, but it remains a challenge.

I’m the author of The Lesbian Sex Haiku Book (with Cats!), (Flatiron, 2016), which Tegan and Sara said was “an adorable and hilarious way to start the day,” Cheryl Strayed called a “must-read,” and Bound actress Jennifer Tilly said was “thoroughly charming.”

In 2021, I released an erotic short story collection, called Transgressions under the pen name Anastasia Fleur. The name is an homage to my mom’s side, the Flores clan.

(There’s way more info about me in my bio, if you’re curious about my bonafides.)

Love Where You Work is my first (published) novel. I’ve written two others. One is a romance/mystery/paranormal tale about a young Native girl whose deafness enables her to hear spirits in other realms that help her solve a mystery. I still think it’s a good story but genre-wise, it’s a mess, so it may not ever see the light of day.

The other novel is an erotic romance and is with an agent currently. Fingers crossed!

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
Love Where You Work is the title and I wrote it to impress a girl.

I’d like to tell you that I have loftier ambitions––and I do! I want people (especially queer people) to feel seen and less alone. I want to make people laugh and feel warm and excited and turned on and loved. I want to write books where queer people have happy, exciting, interesting stories instead of tragic ones.

But mostly I wrote this book to impress Vika. It was conceived originally as a sexy birthday present, a short story called “HRotica.” (It bookends Transgressions.) We had been dating for two months at the time, and she works in HR, hence the title and subject.

Vika loved the story, and we brainstormed a plot together to make part 2, which we cheekily called “HRotica: The Age of Cumpliance.” After that, I was genuinely curious how the story of Julia and Clare would end, so I kept writing.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
What’s “unusual”?

I only know how I write, which is in bed, trapped under a cat, usually. Is that common?

I’m a night owl who lives a 9-5 schedule, so I try to write in the morning now, which is … interesting.

I wrote my first novel exclusively from midnight to 4am, but that was mostly because a family member was sick and I was on the east coast taking care of them. My body refused to adapt to the time change, so I figured why not write?

What are you working on now?
The relentless, tireless slog that a savvy sadist rebranded as “marketing.”

I’m also plotting the second book in the Love Where You Work series, which is going to focus on Julia’s best friend, Paula. Expect geekiness, cos play, and lots of sex.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I can’t say that I’m super great at promoting my books, but I rely on my newsletter A LOT, (annapulley.substack.com) and frankly I love to connect with readers that way, so it’s been invaluable.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Keep going.

That sounds like a brush off, but it’s not.

Keep going.

As a writer, you’re going to fail. You’re going to be rejected so many times you’ll lose track, by agents and publishers and reviewers and fans and possibly yourself most of all. It’s going to hurt, and no one will reward you for your suffering. Keep going anyway.

Give yourself every opportunity to fail big and often––this is how you succeed.

As Sam Altman put it, “The people who say ‘I am going to keep going until this works, and no matter what the challenges are I’m going to figure them out,’ and mean it, go on to succeed. They are persistent long enough to give themselves a chance for luck to go their way.”

As Denzel Washington put it in his great commencement speech at UPenn, “If you’re not failing, you’re not even trying.”

And as my talented friend Sarah Hepola wrote, at the end of the day, “this career is for those who claim it.”

Claim it unapologetically. And keep going.

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

What are you reading now?
The Proposal by Jasmin Guillory

The Queen’s Gambit by Walter Tevis

A Year to Live by Stephen Levine

A Thief of Time by Tony Hillerman

Whatever Love Means by Christine No

and American Indian Myths and Legends edited by Richard Erdoes

What’s next for you as a writer?
Imperial glory. Obviously.

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?
Sarah Manguso’s Ongoingness

Lorrie Moore’s Birds of America

Ocean Vuong’s Night Sky with Exit Wounds

And Maggie Nelson’s Bluets

Author Websites and Profiles

Anna Pulley Website
Anna Pulley Amazon Profile

Anna Pulley’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile
Facebook Profile
Twitter Account

Author Interview Series

If you are looking for a new book to read check out our Featured Books Page.

Jasmine Luck

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I’m Jasmine, I live in Wales in the UK. I’ve written 5 novels and 5 novellas, mostly romantic comedies and one space opera. I am obsessed with cats, especially cat memes. I am married and I have one son, who just turned 5. That’s a lot of 5s in my introduction….

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
My latest novella is called One Minute to Midnight and inspired my new year’s eve – the whole drama of it all. What if you experienced the drama to end all drama on NYE and got dumped? What then?

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I drink a ocean’s worth of tea.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
Nora Roberts was my first huge love and I buy all her books still. Other influences include Tessa Dare, Laura Griffin, Julie James and Milly Johnson.

What are you working on now?
A romantic comedy set in a small town in Kentucky, USA, about a heartbroken baker of Asian fusion goods, and an ex-army carpenter. He wears a henley, as all romantic heroes do 🙂

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
www.twitter.com/jazzyluckwrites

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Write, write, write. Write it badly. Edit it later.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Your first draft doesn’t have to be good. All it has to do is exist.

What are you reading now?
Life’s Too Short by Abby Jimenez.

What’s next for you as a writer?
Finishing this book. I can only hope.

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 first adult book I loved – Born in Shame by Nora Roberts. Also The Picture of Dorian Grey by Oscar Wilde, The Far Pavillions by M.M Kaye, and War and Peace by Leo Tolstoy because I’d have a chance at finishing it with no disruptions.

Author Websites and Profiles

Jasmine Luck Website
Jasmine Luck Amazon Profile

Jasmine Luck’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile

Author Interview Series

If you are looking for a new book to read check out our Featured Books Page.

A. Nation

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
Retired and writing. I have published 20 novels and several novellas in the science fiction, urban fantasy, and travel mystery genres. I have 9 books in the Domino Sagas, Soon 3 in the Quest Series, 5 in urban fantasy, and 3 in travel mysteries. A lot of little parts are taken from what I know and my life experiences.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
The last book I finished was Annie’s Journey about my grandmother’s voyage across the ocean and her meeting my grandfather. I was inspired to write this after my cousin sent me details about her life.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I have to stand at my computer due to a back injury. Not to worry, it’s getting better. If you want a copy of my FREE monthly newsletter find me on my webpage or on FB at Current A. Nation Book Sales.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
Isaac Asimov, Agatha Christie, Heinlein, Diane Mott Davidson, and many others

What are you working on now?
I’m currently writing the third book to the Quest series, Eye of the Kingdom and working on a Kindle Vella mystery.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
Awesomegang
Justkindlebooks
acebook groups

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Read, read, read as much as you can. Remember the first thing you write is a draft. You can always go back and self-edit later.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Do it yourself

What are you reading now?
Kindle vella stories

What’s next for you as a writer?
Think of the next book in one of my series

If you were going to be stranded on a desert island and allowed to take 3 or 4 books with you what books would you bring?
Isaac Asimov’s books and maybe one of mine

Author Websites and Profiles

A. Nation Website
A. Nation Amazon Profile
A. Nation Author Profile on Smashwords

A. Nation’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile
Facebook Profile

Author Interview Series

If you are looking for a new book to read check out our Featured Books Page.

Jori Aguilar

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
Hello! I’m Jori. Over the past fifteen years, I’ve lived in five countries. This has expanded my palette and offered me plenty of material to write about. I studied medicine in university, which left me feeling empty-handed, so instead of reading medical books, I began to concentrate on writing. Since then, I’ve written over twenty books but I’m only just now breaking into the industry and giving it my full attention.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
I’ve set out to write a new series called Making Waves with the first book Making Waves on the Aegean. This story came about when I told some friends over dinner one night about my adventures living on a sailboat in the Greek Isles. I was supposed to be teaching people how to sail, but instead…I was just making waves!

My friends loved the story and told me I needed to write a book about it.

So I did!

I have other books too, with new releases coming out every few months. In 2021, I released four books and I have another one dropping in a couple of months, so if you love books, come explore my mind!

Create. Inspire. Repeat.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
No. But I get easily distracted. So I do my best creating in solitude where I have nothing but time.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
I was so inspired by Tolstoy’s War and Peace and what he left behind that I wanted to write a book of my own. I’m also influenced by Dickens and his connection with the working class and what Austen did for women authors.

What are you working on now?
I’ve just finished my next novel called The Poet. It’s literary fiction based on a true story about an immigrant janitor that stalked me and wrote me poetry years ago. Soon I’ll be starting a fantasy trilogy, testing the market.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I’m just learning the art of advertising and how to swim above water in this industry. It’s a numbers game. Trial and error.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Keep writing and finding your voice. Write about what you know.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Keep writing and finding your voice. Write about what you know.

What are you reading now?
I’m not reading anything because I’m writing a book and I don’t want my writing style to be influenced and to change mid-book! I really enjoyed the last book I read, The Thread by Victoria Hislop.

What’s next for you as a writer?
I have plans to make an audiobook for Making Waves on the Aegean while I search for agents for The Poet and begin writing my fantasy novel. After that, I have two more series in the works. Both literary fiction, one historical fiction work, and a sci-fi. Besides writing books, I write songs.

If you were going to be stranded on a desert island and allowed to take 3 or 4 books with you what books would you bring?
The Bible
The Doorway Papers by Arthur Custance
The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas
Deep Thoughts by Jack Handy

Author Websites and Profiles

Jori Aguilar Website
Jori Aguilar Amazon Profile

Jori Aguilar’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile
Facebook Profile
Twitter Account

Author Interview Series

If you are looking for a new book to read check out our Featured Books Page.

adam s barnett

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I’ve always wanted to try different things creatively. I’ve recorded music, written books, and even taught myself how to edit videos. I’ve always loved indie creators. I have currently written two books:

The Judas Goat, and
What Happened and Why It Wasn’t My Fault

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
What Happened and Why It Wasn’t my fault was inspired when states started changing marijuana laws. I got to thinking about how awkward it would be to have a lot of money into something you bought illegally that suddenly became legal and, ergo, worth a lot less than you paid for it.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I know all the rules for effective writing. I follow none of them.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
I love autobiographies and memoirs.

What are you working on now?
I am working on a piece of historical fiction that takes a completely new approach. I strive to be the Frank Zappa of literature.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
Beats me. I am fifty shades of terrible when it comes to self-promotion.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
If you aren’t enjoying it, don’t do it.
If you’re writing for the sole purpose of making money, stop now.
Relax and have fun with it. Writing is like cooking: If you “cook with love,” it shows.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
I learned most of my lessons the hard way in the world of music publishing. There’s not a lot of difference. At the end of the day, if someone “established” wants to work with you, make sure you understand exactly what you’re getting and what you’re giving up in the relationship. The same advice works for dating, by the way.

What are you reading now?
Graphic novels. I love ’em.

What’s next for you as a writer?
I think I’ve got one or two books left in me. After that, I’ll wait for Mark Wahlberg to call and let me know he wants to play Kyle a movie based on “The Judas Goat.”

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?
E-Mails from an A**Hole
Shut Up and Give Me the Mic by Dee Snider
You Can’t Win by Jack Black

Author Websites and Profiles
adam s barnett Amazon Profile

adam s barnett’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile
Facebook Profile

Tony Brassington

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I have written around tweny books, and I have many more planned.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
There are some things YOU need to known… That is the first title in my new YOU Series, I was inspired to write this book series because I know that there are a great number of important things we were never taught eariler on in life. This series tries to correct that.
Second book in this series will be out soon.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
Don’t think so?

What authors, or books have influenced you?
Tom Butler-Bowdon’s 50 classic series… check it out http://www.butler-bowdon.com/

What are you working on now?
My YOU series, more title out soon.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
For me, it is too early to tell yet.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Write, and then write some more.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
David Gaughran… everthing he says.

What are you reading now?
The midnight library.

What’s next for you as a writer?
Keep writing more books, both fiction and nonfiction, and sell more books.

If you were going to be stranded on a desert island and allowed to take 3 or 4 books with you what books would you bring?
In that suituation, I would have to chose 3 or 4 good survival books.

Author Websites and Profiles
Tony Brassington Website
Tony Brassington Amazon Profile
Tony Brassington Author Profile on Smashwords

Tony Brassington’s Social Media Links
Facebook Profile

Therese-Åsa Karl Namo

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I’m a non-binary, autistic writer and storyteller. Together with my partner, I write queer fiction for the LGBTQA and neuro-divergent family and allies.

We have a special way of working, where we’ll first record the story as it comes to us (sometimes over several months), then write it down into fiction format. By now, we have 18 (eighteen) finished stories recorded and we’re working on publishing our first novel. We have published two short stories already.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
Our latest book is a short story, a queer fantasy for all ages. I believe it came to us to cheer us up because it’s a really funny little story with a lot of heart. It always gets me into a better mood listening to it or reading it.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
It would be the process of writing the stories, from beginning to end. They always come to me and my partner first as something that wants to be told. So we sit down and record them, telling them to each other. This process can be really quick, or it can be spread out over several months and with breaks in between the “chapters”. Then comes the process of writing it, and filling in the gaps that make it more coherent in written format.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
Priscilla Cogan’s Wiona series. It’s so full of heart and I feel so good reading them (I’ve read them several times). Those books taught me what an impact an author can have just from the way they write.

What are you working on now?
Our first novel, a queer sci-fi story about Bianca, a lost space traveler who encounters a forgotten ship. Once in, she meets Alicia and together they start to form a bond that goes beyond what they thought was possible.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
Still working on that one, there are so many ways and I guess it’s about finding the way that works best for you.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Do it. It can be scary to write and publish your books, but if you have something to say it’s worth the whole journey.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
“The mind cannot understand everything.” That there are things beyond what the intellect can grasp and those are the things worth striving for in life.

What are you reading now?
Priscilla Cogan, Double Time. The only book left of hers that I haven’t read yet 🙂

What’s next for you as a writer?
Start spreading our short stories and finish writing our first novel. That’s the next exciting step in our author journey and one that I’m looking forward to very much.

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 guess the ones I keep coming back to, which are Pricilla Cogan’s Wiona series and Sarah Luddington’s all books (gay romance in different genres). They are all so lovely and I’ve lost count of the number of times I’ve re-read them.

Author Websites and Profiles
Therese-Åsa Karl Namo Website
Therese-Åsa Karl Namo Amazon Profile

Therese-Åsa Karl Namo’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile
Facebook Profile

Dee Dauphinee

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I seem to be building a following with readers interested in the out-of-doors, history, travel, human interest, fly fishing, and the construction of essays.
I have been a photographer, a farmer, a fishing & mountaineering guide, and a semi-pro wide receiver.

Back in the early days of the adventure travel industry, I was a guide in places like El Salvador, Peru, the Arctic, Honduras, Europe, Nicaragua, Venezuela, Iraq, Israel, Egypt, Ecuador, Jordan, the UK, Panama, and many places in between. Now I write about those places.

I’ve had four other books published; “Stoneflies & Turtleheads,” a collection of fly fishing essays from Maine and around the world, “The River Home,” a novel, and “Highlanders Without Kilts,” a “poignant telling of a storied Canadian battalion’s odyssey during the Great War.” –Alan Cameron, Founding CEO & Producer, Veterans Voices of Canada. “When You Find My Body: The Disappearance of Geraldine Largay on the Appalachian trail,” was released by Rowman & Littlefield on June 1st, 2019.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
My newest book, “All the Creatures that Breathe: A Novel Based on Real Events” was a story that had been sticking with me for thirty-five years. At a dinner for writers at Maine’s capital a year ago, another writer whom ALL of you know suggested I write it and “get the think off my chest.” So, I did.

As I mentioned, it is based on real events. They were things that I either I or my expedition buddies witnessed or experienced. The love, trauma, and memories from those heady days inspired the book.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
Yes. I type with only three fingers.

Also, I only take handwritten notes on (at home) “Ampad Gold Fibre” tablets, or (in the field) “Rite-in-the-Rain Universal No. OR73-LG” notebooks.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
Steinbeck, Dostoyevsky, Quammen, and E. B. White.
Interestingly, I got to meet and have a chat with EB White the year before he died, which is quite rare because he was notoriously shy. But I knew someone who knew him well. We sat in his kitchen and talked about writing. He asked me to call him “Andy.”
A cherished memory.

What are you working on now?
I am half finished with a Middle-grade novel (inspired by White, incidentally) about a boy–an only child–growing up on a farm whose father had died in a tractor accident when he was only six. Some people come into his life who guide him through the rights of manhood, teaching him about compassion, acceptance, self reliance, and give him confidence. Oh…and he is taught to fly fish.
The theme of the story is the value of mentorship and legacy.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I use three promo sites– the first being Awesome gang.
I also to Facebook ads (though I haven’t seen that help very much), my email newsletter, and website blog page… https://www.ddauphinee.com/blog

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Yes. If you’re serious about a writing career, don’t play games. Allow for a certain amount of time to read, and then read, read, read. Read Dickens. Read Steinbeck and White. In my twenties, I taught myself to write by studying EB White’s and James Thurber’s essays in the New Yorker. I bought second-hand copies of “The Essays of EB White,” and his collection “One Man’s Meat.”

Then, write SOMETHING every day…every single day.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
I’ll quote Mr. White’s advice while sitting next to a woodstove in Brooklyn, Maine in 1984: “Learn the tools of grammar and rhetoric first, then write stories ‘by ear’ as if you are sitting at a campfire telling them to your mates.”

What are you reading now?
Guess! I’m re-reading One Man’s Meat.
I’m also half-way through Isaacson’s “Benjamin Franklin.”

What’s next for you as a writer?
I’ve finished the preliminary work on a history of orthopaedics, from the time of the Egyptian pharaohs to present day. I also hope to retrace to trip Steinbeck took in “Travels With Charley: In Search of America.”

If you were going to be stranded on a desert island and allowed to take 3 or 4 books with you what books would you bring?
The Bible, the Quran, and the Torah. Might as well cover my bases in case I don’t get rescued.

I’ll change that to The Grapes of Wrath, Dicken’s Collected Works, and (also in case no one rescues me) Lady Chatterley’s Lover.

Author Websites and Profiles
Dee Dauphinee Website
Dee Dauphinee Amazon Profile
Dee Dauphinee Author Profile on Smashwords

Dee Dauphinee’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile
Facebook Profile
Twitter Account

Brandon van Hees

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I am 45 and live in Buffalo, MN with my wife Jodi. I am the shipping lead for Stein Industries that supplies produce displays for numerous grocery chains around the country and Canada. I have an 18 year old daughter. I’ve been a drummer for 30 years or so playing in various rock and punk bands over the years.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
“Madness Reigns” is my first book. I never thought in a million years I would ever write a book but I was inspired by my daughter who loves writing. I started reading more books over the past couple of years and the idea of writing my own was always in the back of my head. My daughter showed me a bunch of her stories and it got me brain storming ideas for something to write. And Madness Reigns was what came into my head.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I dont think so, but doesn’t every writer have some kind of quirk?

What authors, or books have influenced you?
James Patterson for one, I read “The President is missing” and it showed me that chapters dont need to be a certain length, if a chapter is one page thats fine as long as you got your point across in it. So writing my book I wasn’t concerned about chapter length. I’ve read books by Vince Flynn, Marc Cameron, Brian Haig and Brad Metzler. All great authors that I think I’ve taken a little from each, but I’m still learning as I go.

What are you working on now?
I’m in the beginning stages of my next fiction novel, I don’t have a title for it yet and I can’t really give a description of it without giving away the ending. I’m working on that as well LOL

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
Madness Reigns is currently available on Amazon

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Have patience!!!! Before I starting writing I got into painting and I learned with that you need patience with that, extreme patience! The same is true with writing, you cannot rush it, and you need to love the process. Go on YouTube and search other writers and listen to their advice and tips, Steven King was amazing to listen to, and most of what he says applies to every writer from beginner to experienced.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Love the process. Steven King. I’ve watched several videos from him, James Patterson, and others and they’ve all said the same thing. You have to love the process of writing and it will help guide you through it.

What are you reading now?
“Last Second in Dallas” by Josiah Thompson about the JFK assassination. It’s something I’ve been studying since I was in junior high.

What’s next for you as a writer?
to continue reading and working on my second book. The good thing is I don’t have a deadline, I can work on it when I have the time. I hope I can finish it and get it on Amazon by the end of the year but we’ll see what time allows.

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 Inner Circle” by Brad Metzler is good!
“The President’s Assassin” Brian Haig
Anything by Vince Flynn

it’s hard to say there are so many I’ve read over the past couple years

Author Websites and Profiles
Brandon van Hees Amazon Profile

Brandon van Hees’s Social Media Links
Facebook Profile

Michael Solomowitz

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
Michael Solomowitz hails from Coney Island, Brooklyn, and has cherished his roller-coaster ride as a writer. He began writing scripts for Manhattan Cable-TV and wrote for Warner Bros. in Hollywood. As a freelance sports journalist, he has published dozens of articles in national and trade publications and contributed to two non-fiction sports books. As a playwright and director, his plays have appeared on stages from Los Angeles to Long Island to Boston. BEHIND THE FOURTH WALL is his debut novel.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
Behind The Fourth Wall is my new book. It was inspired by my love for live theater and my new home on Cape Cod.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
Not particularly unless you consider starting my writing day early, around 5:30 a.m. Earlier if I couldn’t sleep that night.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
For classics — Hemingway, Mitchell, Steinbeck, Salinger, and Malamud. More recently, Donna Tartt, Dan Brown, and Michael Crichton.

What are you working on now?
I’m working on a new novel that centers on post-war Coney Island, Brooklyn, where I grew up.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
Facebook seems to have my biggest supporters but, as I said, I’m new to this so it could change.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Keep writing. The first novel I wrote took six years and I couldn’t get an agent interested in it. Failing is part of the process. Don’t give up.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Lewis Carroll — “In the end we only regret the chances we didn’t take.”

What are you reading now?
Donna Tartt’s The Goldfinch

What’s next for you as a writer?
I’ve written the first draft of a new play that needs some work once I can get back to it.

If you were going to be stranded on a desert island and allowed to take 3 or 4 books with you what books would you bring?
Gone With The Wind, The Old Man and the Sea, Angels and Demons, The Goldfinch

Author Websites and Profiles
Michael Solomowitz Website
Michael Solomowitz Amazon Profile

Michael Solomowitz’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile
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