Awesome Author Interviews

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
My name is Zane and I’ve been writing for at least a decade now. Before I published Cascade, I had two other completed original manuscripts that I didn’t pursue publishing on (though I might after giving them some TLC) and two full length fanfiction stories that I had written.

I’m a lover of Fantasy and YA/NA books and will often write to emulate authors I admire myself.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
My latest book is named Cascade and was actually picked to work largely within the context of the other names I have planned for my Cadinari Stream Tetralogy.

The idea of Cascade comes from that idea of water flowing and cascading down a large hill and in turn is related to various other magical influences and events that occur within the story.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I am a very strict writer for very strict periods of time. I generally have to be sitting out on my back patio to “write well” in my opinion so I structure my planned writing sprints around that. I’ll set up with my system, light some incense up (generally Vanilla or Linen) and then, most importantly, put on cartoons.

I know, for some the idea of having something going on in the background is a distraction and stops them from writing. But in truth I do some of my best writing when I have the noise of Family Guy or The Simpsons on in the background.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
It’s an evolving list, but I’d say Brandon Sanderson and Drew Hayes are both big influences for me. Neal Shusterman is also high on the list for his themes and when I’m writing stuff that’s more mystery or thriller like I tend to emulate Stephen King.

What are you working on now?
Overflow! It is Book 2 of The Cadinari Stream and I’m currently about 60% done with the first draft. I’m also working on a teleplay with a writing partner that we aren’t giving away too many details on just yet.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I’ve been doing a lot of research in on this myself and honestly sites that talk about books and generally interact with book readers. I spend some time on Twitter, Reddit, and of course Facebook, but for Twitter largely it can feel like an echo chamber for promoting your work, though it is pretty good for networking and connecting with other indie authors!

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Write what you would want to read. I know it’s cliche advice but it really is true. I’ve tried writing stuff that is more contemporary or modern but what I was trying to write wasn’t appealing to me.

I know what I like and what I have read, so I write the stories I want to read because often times when I’m writing I’ll find myself surprised by the direction my story has taken.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Be open to criticism, but don’t let it stop you from writing.

One of the first books I ever wrote and let people read got absolutely torn apart by one of the readers. My writing was cliched and “laborious” to read as she put it and that wording has ALWAYS stuck with me. But, as others put it, that beta reader was just trying to help me out, even if they didn’t provide more information on what I should do.

Just keep practicing, keep writing, and really just try to emulate the writing styles of the books you like and admire, and you’ll find your voice.

What are you reading now?
Renegades by Marissa Meyer!

What’s next for you as a writer?
Continuing to work on Overflow and my teleplay. I’m also working on an idea for a story and trope breakdown based Youtube channel but I want to find my own right voice for 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?
Oof this one is tough because you can’t really bring one book of a series without bringing the others too! But even with that, I’d probably bring (in no particular order):

-11/22/63 by Stephen King
-Super Powereds Year 4 by Drew Hayes
-Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy (deluxe edition so I get all the books, take that rules!) by Douglas Adams

Author Websites and Profiles
Zane Emerson Website
Zane Emerson Amazon Profile

Zane Emerson’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I’ve published two titles so far, one was a short story, the other a webnovel which I’m currently republishing as a series of light novels.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
Last man on earth when there is no earth?
I’ve started working on it for fun, partly as a joke, but then I got too invested in the characters and the world and now I can’t let it go.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I write mostly on my phone. Mainly because it’s the only device I have lol.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
I’ve being influenced by many light novel, such as grimgar of fantasy and ash as well as ascendance of a bookworm. Great series. I recommend them to anyone.

What are you working on now?
My current project is the third volume in my light novel series. Though I have a few others that have yet to take shape.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I usually use memes and share them on social media. Though it isn’t that effective, sadly.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
The struggle is unbearable, but don’t lose hope!

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Don’t look at the sales report!

What are you reading now?
The beginning after the end.

What’s next for you as a writer?
I’m aiming to make my own manga. I need to acquire the tools first tho.

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 latest volumes in the series I’m following: ascendance of a bookworm, danmashi and grimgar of fantasy and ash.

Author Websites and Profiles
Dmanga Lover Author Profile on Smashwords

 

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
To cope with disabling mental illnesses, R. Ramey Guerrero created a world of their own to explore. Their apartment in San Antonio transformed into forests, cliffs, and sea shore. With pen and paper, they filled their world with creatures and people as diverse as a world should be. Now, R. Ramey Guerrero edits fantastic stories written by amazing authors with a kitty on their lap. They live in the medical center in an apartment by the woods with their pets. Two cats: Iktomi and Katara. An Australian shepherd: Tlaloc. A box turtle: Gaia. Two red-eared sliders: Atl and Tera. And a ball python: Artemis.
I’ve written five books, and I am working on my sixth. Five have been in the same series, and I have just published my first book.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
Dust of a Moth’s Wing was inspired by the need to escape an environment that was toxic and sometimes abusive. I also was not allowed to read fantasy because of my guardian’s strict religion. My teenage rebellion was reading Tolkien in my room. I soon grew tired of the European backdrop, and I wanted to create a world that had a North American-like setting. I mixed that with my love of Wonderland.
My creative gods Guillermo del Torro and George R. R. Martin have really inspired me. I loved the way del Torro integrated horror and fantasy, and I sought to recreate that in my first book. Martin taught me how to structure my novel and that I should not be afraid to kill my main characters.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
Haha, I’m nocturnal. As I am writing this it is 4 am. Otherwise, no.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
The Game of Thrones series, Hunger Games, Alice in Wonderland, and Pan’s Labyrinth (movie) have all been great inspirations to me as I write The Age of Fire series.

What are you working on now?
I’m currently working on the fifth novel in my series, The Age of Fire. I’m about a third of the way through my draft. I think I might finish before the end of next year. Then on non-creative days, I’m editing my second book for publication.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
Twitter has been my best friend.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
As a new author myself, I only can pass on advice.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
As a new author myself, I think the best advice I’ve seen was from Starting from Zero, when he suggested setting up a newsletter early. I’m in preorder now for my first book, and I made my newsletter.

What are you reading now?
Kalimpura by Jay Lake. It is the third book in the Green trilogy. It follows a woman named Green who had been taken as a child to please a creepy old man. She ends up toppling that oppressive system, becoming an assassin, creating a god, and now she has to fight a god to save her baby that she’s carrying right now. It’s fantastic. Very diverse, imaginative. I love it.

What’s next for you as a writer?
My first book comes out on March 25, 2022. I’m so excited to finally become a published author. It was a dream I never thought I would realize. Then, of course, I’m off to write my 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?
I have to say, with all the meds I’m on, I would not survive long on a desert island. But I have a survivor’s spirit, and I would bring a survival guide, a foraging guide, and how to build a raft.

Author Websites and Profiles
R. Ramey Guerrero Website
R. Ramey Guerrero Amazon Profile

R. Ramey Guerrero’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile
Facebook Profile
Twitter Account

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
So you want to know who I am and something about me? OK, you asked for it: buckle up and settle in for the ride. I wonder how many of you will make it all the way through to the end…. Well, here we go:

I am an insanely lucky person. Others would say I have been overly blessed. But for whatever reason, I have been able to do whatever I wished for most of my life, and Fate has consistently smiled on my efforts.
I have been a beekeeper, harvested my own honey, and even made awesome beeswax candles. [Bees are the most amazing, fascinating creatures on earth — for instance, did you know that a bee will travel as far as two miles through country or city searching for a good food source, and then when he finds one, he comes all the way back to the hive and does a little DANCE for the rest of the bees, and that tells them exactly where his bush or tree can be found! ?? WTF??? If that doesn’t blow your mind, nothing will.]
I have been a chef in a five-star French restaurant in a five-star luxury hotel. [I lied through my teeth on the job application and the rest of my job interview consisted of making something for the head chef to eat. My mother was Parisienne, and she taught me how to make crepes suzettes. That was my entire cooking knowledge. So I made a crepe for the chef (who was himself from Paris) and he loved it so much he hired me on the spot — he almost wept with joy when he ate it. It wasn’t long, however, before I made him regret his hasty hiring decision.]
In College I was elected to be Editor of the campus newspaper, and I overturned the applecart by transforming the newspaper into a magazine for the year I ran it. I was lucky to assemble a handpicked team of just four exceptionally-talented students, and we produced the most outrageous, ire-and-admiration-inspiring gonzo journalism that became the prime subject of discussion on campus as soon as each new issue hit the street. No cow was too sacred to be barbecued, no department or institution above our critical assessment. It’s been a looooong time since I was there, and they STILL talk about that year.
I have tutored French, Latin and English to ridiculously rich, spoiled high school students. [I was a destitute college student living hand-to-mouth riding my bicycle to their parents’ mansions to give them their lessons, and they were getting Porsches and Mercedes sports cars for their 16th birthdays. I got even though — I gave them extra homework. Ha!]
I was the only anglophone member of a French-language newspaper [remember newspapers?] in Toronto, and eventually I became its Editor.
When I was fifteen I snuck on a train in Toronto and rode it to Chicago, then snuck on another and rode it to San Diego, where I attended one of the first iterations of the annual San Diego Comic Book Convention, held at the small El Cortez Hotel. In those days it was a small, intimate gathering where anyone could sit down and chat with the creators of the great films, books and comics. Nowadays it’s a huge affair that draws tens of thousands of people who might get lucky and spot a celebrity on a stage 500 meters away in a gigantic convention hall. I count my attendance lo those many decades ago as nothing less than a gift from God.
All through the eighties and nineties I tried repeatedly to get on Jeopardy! but could never score high enough on their initial application test. That’s my fault though — if I’d just kept up my subscription to People Magazine, maybe I could have done better on the pop culture questions. Forget about keeping up with the Kardashians — I can’t even keep up with Simon Cowell.
I once lived in an atelier in Paris on the Ile de la Cite, right in the smack-dab center of Paris in the 1er Arrondissement. By day I was an simultaneous translator working at the Musee Georges Pompideau [known locally as the Beaubourg], by night I was a poser in the local wine bars trying to pretend I actually knew what I was drinking. I don’t think I fooled anyone.
I was once the Editor of a haute-couture and fashion magazine and spent a year eating nothing but foie gras and canapes, going to some kind of fashion event almost every night of the week. To this day I can’t bear to even look at pate.
I have worked for the U.S. Census, and I worked for a year as a full-time unpaid volunteer at a shelter for homeless inner-city youth.
I have taught water skiing, and I myself enjoy barefoot water skiing, snowboarding, and scuba diving.
I have worked in every aspect of newspaper and magazine production. I have been photographer, typesetter, page designer, photo retoucher, writer, editor, publisher.
I was chosen by the American Red Cross to receive their Hero’s Award for the charity work I did assisting victims of Hurricane Katrina. I ran a fundraiser that raised just north of $300,000 to fund recovery efforts for that disaster. That got me commendations from the US Senate and the US Congress. [Not too shabby for a simple Canadian, eh? Wink wink.]
My spouse and I used to own a horse ranch in California and one of our mares, “Princess in Diamonds”, became one of the best-producing mares in reining history. She’s in the NRHA Hall of Fame, now. Her offspring have earned well over one million dollars. [I should be so lucky. Did you hear the one about the horse breeder who wins a million dollars in the lottery and his friends ask him what he’s going to do with his windfall, and he says, “Oh, just keep breeding horses until it’s all used up.” You laugh, but it’s true.]
In California I wrote, designed and produced a weekly newsletter for the Rotary Club that won me an award for excellence. I am still a proud Rotarian to this day.
I love long-distance bicycling. I have bicycled halfway across Canada, up the coast of Australia, and through Europe and the French Riviera. The only place I got hit by a car was in Barbados. They have a nice hospital there.
I love watching baseball. In the eighties in Toronto I attended about 40 baseball games a year, first in a frigid, torturous open-air freezer stadium on the shore of Lake Ontario, and then later in the spacious, luxurious open-or-closed-roof SkyDome. Every single ticket I ever bought, I bought from scalpers. I caught a ball at the World Series in Toronto while watching my long-suffering Blue Jays win the title for the second year in a row.
My spouse and I took a round-the-world trip for our honeymoon. [Word to the wise: a three-month honeymoon will let you know in short order if you’ve made the right marriage decision.] I was arrested by the Red Army in China for videotaping in an ancient emperor’s tomb, and my better half and I rollerbladed on the Great Wall and through the grounds of the Emperor’s Palace in Tokyo. [If you’re going to try that, make sure you can skate faster than the Palace guards can run.]
I have dived the Great Barrier Reef and I weep when I read about what climate change is doing to it. Truly one of the Modern World’s Seven Wonders and it’s disappearing before our eyes.
My spouse and I spent most of our leisure time in the 90’s in Caesar’s Palace in Las Vegas. [You can do that sort of thing before you have children.] As far as I’m concerned, if you’re not staying at Caesar’s Palace, you’re not really in Vegas. We love Caesar’s. And Caesar’s liked us back enough to invite us to see Frank Sinatra in one of his final performances, in a small, intimate theatre, with Don Rickles opening for him. I still have bruises on my arm from all the pinches I kept giving myself to prove I wasn’t dreaming.
Caesar’s is also responsible for the second-greatest concert we saw, which was Sheryl Crow performing in a small invitation-only gig. Say what you will about casinos — they may run people into financial ruin, shatter lives and destroy marriages, but they sure put on some wicked great entertainment, eh?
I have performed as a stand-up comedian and once won a comedy competition in a festival in Toronto. [The first prize was an AC/DC keychain. I still have it somewhere.]
My kids and I are avid Disney Cruise devotees, and have taken enough cruises to have risen to the “Gold Castaways” level. Every one of the Disney ships has a luxurious adults-only section and someday my children will allow me to spend a few moments in it. Maybe.
I have owned and operated several different companies in very different industries. I used to own a Screenprinting and Embroidery company in a little California college town, and I used to teach telemarketers how to sell on the phone. [Before you start cursing at me for that, let me remind you how much nicer it was when you could tell a real live person to drop dead and stop calling you, instead of just settling for angrily hanging-up on an automated robocall.]

WOW! I can’t believe you’ve read this far! You REALLY need a hobby.

Well, that sums up a lot of who I am — you can see a lot of water has passed under my personal bridge, and I’ve dipped my toe into just about everything I could.
But what I have always done, wherever I was, or however else I was making money, was write. I have been a writer since my age was only single digits. In college, one of my professors phoned me once and asked if I had actually written my essay myself, because if I had, he wanted to get it published. I think that was when I knew there might be something to this writing business, after all.
My first book was published when I was twenty-one years old, but I stopped writing books for a living when I found other ways of making much more money so I could give my kids a better life.
But now that my kids are grown and my life belongs me again, I’m writing full-time.
My most recent three books have been especially well-received, and two of my characters, Kat and Jerry, are garnering requests from readers for more more more. So I guess Kat and Jerry will be my new constant companions, at least for the foreseeable future.
I hope you’ll join me for the ride — it should be a blast!

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
My most recent published work is “They Left Me For DEAD”, a hardboiled noir crime novel.
I want to say it’s written in the style of the great Masters, like Raymond Chandler, James M. Cain, and Dashiell Hammett, but I think artists who compare themselves or their works to other artists are tedious and pretentious. I mean, do you think Mozart ever said something like, “Well, my music’s a lot like Bach’s or Haydn’s, but punchier, you know?”
I will admit my noir crime novel was inspired by the great noir tomes of the last century, but not by any one of them in particular. I just wanted to write a story that takes place in Texas, and a gritty, dark, murder and crime book seemed perfect for that surrounding. Apparently, the readers agree, if the feedback I’ve received is to be believed.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I have a playlist of about 500 songs that are almost exclusively jazz, such as Johnny Hodges (Duke Ellington’s famous saxophonist), Miles Davis, Stan Getz, Dizzy Gillespie, etc, and I mix in a few dozen great opera arias (I’m a huge Cecilia Bartoli fan). Once I start writing I just leave the playlist going on a continuous cycle, over and over and over, until the book is done. The only ears beside mine that are exposed to this music belong to my seven cats, and so far they haven’t complained. Anyone else would probably lose their mind the fortieth or fiftieth time the songs came around again.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
I grew up reading Graham Greene, P. G. Wodehouse, James Thurber, Somerset Maugham, Raymond Chandler and Dashiell Hammett. I remember one summer I caught a particularly bad case of mononucleosis and the doctor said I had to relax — no work of any kind — for the entire summer. I read every Shadow pulp novel and every Doc Savage book ever published. I watched old movies playing in the middle of the night on TV, and became best friends with Humphrey Bogart, Clark Gable, Myrna Loy and Rita Hayworth. I don’t want to jump to any conclusions, but I think that may have had a wee bit of influence on me.

What are you working on now?
I’m actually working on two books right now.
I’m putting the finishing touches to a new Kat & Jerry science fiction book called “Falling From Space”, and working with my insanely-talented illustrator, Francesco La Cerva.
But I’m also about a quarter of the way through a new hardboiled noir crime novel, called “Beautiful, Naked, Rich… And DEAD”. My last noir crime novel, “They Left Me For DEAD” was so well received I’m enthusiastic about completing this next one.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
This may sound like I’m either stupid or just plain nuts, but I never actually thought about promoting myself or my books. I wanted only to write them. So, as of this writing, I have no personal website, no email list of fans, and I’m completely clueless about sites that are supposed to promote books.
Give me a year or two and I’ll catch up. Right now I’m keeping busy enough as it is with just the writing.
I will say this, though: If anyone reading this wants to be one of the first readers on my nascent fanbase email list, I’d be happy to add their name. They should email me at literatiinternationalmedia@gmail.com
Maybe someday I’ll have prizes or special offers for the first fifty readers who ever reached out to me. You know — when I have thousands of followers all clamouring for any crumbs which might fall from my literary table.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Make sure you don’t need your books’ income to pay the rent. I know that hardship can be a great motivator, but in this day and age, with approximately 1.8 million new books appearing on Amazon every year, the bar for financial success is set pretty high.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Walt Disney: The way to get started is to quit talking and begin doing.

What are you reading now?
I just finished reading a PG Wodehouse novel, “The Code of the Woosters”.
I’ve actually read it before, but Wodehouse is one of those rare writers who bears rereading. I laughed just as hard this time through as I did the first time. Maybe even harder.
I do like to read new science fiction when I can find something that’s really good, but I’m insanely picky. I enjoyed “Ready Player One” and “The Martian”, but books like that are pretty few and far between. Jack Vance is still one of my favourites, though. I can waste a lot of time reading books like “Rhialto the Marvellous”. And don’t even get me started with Roger Zelazny — he sure knew how to meld noir with scifi. I weep to think we’ll never see another new book from those guys. The scifi readers of the 50’s and 60’s never knew how lucky they were.

What’s next for you as a writer?
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?
I would cheat.
I would take the collected works of William Shakespeare because he’s always entertaining to read, mostly because of the way he used the language. His wordplay is so clever. His plots aren’t half-bad, either.
I would take the collected works of Dostoyevsky, because you could spend years reading that stuff. He wrote a lot. Plus, it would probably be hot on a desert island, and I remember that when I first read, “A Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich” it was a screamingly hot summer day and I was COLD. He’s that good a writer. (The story takes place in a Soviet Gulag prison camp in Siberia.)
I would take the collected works of Hunter S. Thompson. His book, “The Great Shark Hunt” might do just by itself — it’s a collection of some of his absolute best writing, from his Golden Age of Gonzo Writing. The best modern American writer, in my opinion.
And finally, I would take a collection of the greatest American noir writing, but only if it included all of Raymond Chandler’s work. That man never wrote a bad line, as far as I’m concerned. In fact, I’ve changed my mind: forget what I said about being a pretentious poser — you can compare me to Raymond Chandler any time you want, and I’ll be just fine with it.

Author Websites and Profiles
J.M. Holmes Amazon Profile

 

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
Probably have written about a dozen inspired by the crime genius writing of Elmore Leonard I decided to try it on my own. From 2013 (Call Me Harry), to now as I am working on a novella (The Dead Guy), and also the 3rd in the Harry Parnes Series called “Snares of Hope”. I hope you like this stuff you know where to find me. – RC

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
Still working on thge 3rd book in the Harry Parnes series called “Snares of Hope” a conclusion to the life of a 70+ year old petty criminal, con man and rogue who gets out of prison after serving 14 years for Murder1. He hitchhikes into a town in New Mexico and later becomes major of the town, and builds a criminal enterprises which is forced into a war with a Mexican Cartel. What’s not to like?

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
Yes. I am nocturnal and often have my best ideas while unconscious. I have written entire novels by dreams and taken entire chunks out of my lifetime to serve as nightmares.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
Elmore Leonard, Carl Hiassen, Ernest H., Scott Fitz, Kinky Friedman, Allen Ginsberg, Damon Runyon, The Writers of the Bible, John D. MacDonald, Harlan Ellison, Robert Heinlein, Mark Twain, LeHaye & Jenkins, Raymond Chandler, Ross MacDonald, oh I could go on but you get the idea.

What are you working on now?
Harry Parne #2 “Stages of the Con”.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
You guys.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Yeah, turn around and run. Fast.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Don’t distract men who are working in trees.

What are you reading now?
This application.

What’s next for you as a writer?
I would like to get published by a real publishing company and have hard copy books which sell too fast to keep up with production.

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?
Bible, Catch-22, Autobio of John Huston

Author Websites and Profiles
Randy Cade Website
Randy Cade Amazon Profile

 

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I have written two books. The first was a poetry book and the second is a young adult book about mental health issues and romance.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
I Don’t Belong Here
I was going through a tough time when I was 16. I was the type of girl who feared the consequences of partying instead of being drawn to it. My friends lied to me about their partying habits, and soon abandoned me. So I wanted to write a book about someone like me, and how depressed and hurt I was. It helped me through it.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I tend to write in short bursts, so big projects take awhile.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
Laurie Halse Anderson was a huge influence for this book. Her book Speak was one of my favorite books.

What are you working on now?
The sequel to I Don’t Belong Here. It’ll cover some issues as the main character, Brie, grows up.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I’m still figuring that out! I am a big fan of Facebook and Instagram, though. I know TikTok has become a great way to promote as well.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
If you want to be an author, do it. There’s so much to learn and find out. I started as an indie author, and then found a publishing company later on. I promote at comic cons and it’s a great market

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Believe in yourself. Surround yourself with love and support. Don’t settle for less than what you want and deserve.

What are you reading now?
I just started the Sookie Stackhouse series by Charlaine Harris.

What’s next for you as a writer?
The next two sequels, and eventually exploring other genres. I have some supernatural stories and horror stories in mind.

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?
Eat Pray Love, Speak, IT (Stephen King) and Twilight

Author Websites and Profiles
Jessica Hendrix Amazon Profile

Jessica Hendrix’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile
Facebook Profile
Twitter Account

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I’m an Australian author and music producer from sunny Queensland. I write primarily fast-paced fantasy/sci-fi books, comics and graphic novels all with a weird fiction bent.
To date I’ve written five novels (most to be launched in 2022) with my first novel coming out in Nov 21.
I’ve also written 15 comic books, a graphic novella and I’m in the process of developing a further 10 comic books.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
Whiplash! The book was inspired by my love of fantasy, but also my own impatience with the old school fantasy genre (slow, lumbering plot lines, three or four stories slowly progressing, chapter by chapter etc.). I love fantasy and I’m a huge fan of the classics, but I wanted to write something that was closer in kind to television or film than a traditional novel.
I love the idea of a fast-paced book which still has solid world building and an intriguing history behind it. Also, I love the idea of dreams intersecting with reality and wanted to explore a different magic system than what I’ve exprienced before. I also wrote the book in first person to really make a close connection between the protagonist and the reader.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
Other than writing at 4am in my music studio, not really, no.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
Jack Vance, China Mieville, Joe Aberchrombie, Robert Jordan, Philip K Dick – and so many more!

What are you working on now?
Book 4 in the Whiplash series, a spin of novel “Absinthe Annie” based on one of the main characters in the Rust Chronicles world, 2 x comic scripts for projects with other creators (a vampire/crime book and a gritty post-apocalyptic survival story), 4 of my own comic scripts, …oh, and a new novel/comic entitled We Eat the Young, with an urban fantasy, horror vibe.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
The aim is to get everything going through my main website (https://www.morganquaid.com/), but you know how it is…I’m on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, everywhere really. Wherever people want to get in touch, I’m there! Just excited to have people reading what I’m writing, if I’m honest 🙂

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Learn from others, but don’t be afraid to forge your own path. It’s important to leverage off the experience of those that have gone before, but don’t let that deter you from trying something new and different. There’s always a first!

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Writing is like boxing, if you step into the ring expect to get hit.

What are you reading now?
Low Town by Daniel Polanski,
Promise of Blood by Brian McClellan

What’s next for you as a writer?
PROMOTION!!! I’ve spent so long writing, planning, finding a publisher etc.
Now, with 5 novels and 10 comics landing in the next year, I need to promote and connect with readers (the second bit I love, the first….not so 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?
Probably the largest Fantasy/sci-fi books I could find. Maybe something by George R R Martin, or Robert Jordan. Definitely a copy of Dune. I’d have to include Perdido St Station or Kraken from China Mieville.
Honestly though, a desert island? For how long? Is there wifi? Do I have a laptop and some source of power?
I’m starting to hyperventilate!

Author Websites and Profiles
Morgan Quaid Website
Morgan Quaid Amazon Profile

Morgan Quaid’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile
Facebook Profile
Twitter Account
Pinterest Account

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I am an author, thinker, philosopher, and social critic. My previous books include gold award winner The New Individualism: Personal Change to Transform Society, Leah’s Way, and Reason for Existence. My works are used in hundreds of colleges and universities and have been featured in The Midwest Quarterly, Library Journal, The Review of Metaphysics, and The Journal of Personal Transformation.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
The Full Extent: An Inquiry into Reality and Destiny

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
No.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
Biocentrism by Robert Lanza
The Mind of God by Paul Davies
Reality Is Not What It Seems by Carlo Rovelli
Cosmic Coincidences by John Gribbin
Passport to Magonia by Jacques Vallee
The Idea of the World by Bernardo Kastrup

What are you working on now?
The Sociology of Reality and Destiny

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
Large Reviewers like Library Journal or Booklist

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Self Publishing or Small Press

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
“All battles are won before they are ever fought.”

What are you reading now?
Research for my next book.

What’s next for you as a writer?
Explore metrics and mathematical formulas to prove concepts.

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 Sun Also Rises
The Fifth Discipline
The Structure of Scientific Revolutions
The New Individualism

Author Websites and Profiles
Richard Botelho Website
Richard Botelho Amazon Profile

Richard Botelho’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I am the author of three short story collections, one novella, and two novels. I’ve been writing since I was a child, submitting (without success) my first pieces to Jackie and Just 17 magazines (in the UK) when I was 16.

One of the stories which appears in my collection You. I. Us – Watching the Storm Roll In – won 3rd prize in the 2015 Costa Short Story Award. Recently, my short fiction has appeared online at Fairlight Books, Flash Fiction Magazine, and Fictive Dream.

In my spare time, I am a fitness instructor and – of course – an avid reader.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
My latest book is Small Forgotten Moments, published by Vine Leaves Press in August 2021.

Jo is an artist with amnesia who is compelled to paint the same woman over and over. She assumes the woman is someone from her past so returns to her childhood home in the hope it will stir her memories.

The characters of Jo and the painting originally appeared in a different novel which I abandoned. But I loved the idea of them and started looking for their true story. I was inspired by my own poor memory and a local beach which is the setting for most of the novel.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I think my approach to writing is pretty unusual. I don’t plan, I meander around hitting brick walls and dead ends. I write scenes out of order as they occur to me, which sometimes means I have the same scene written in different ways or at different stages of the story. On the second or third draft, I’ll have figured out what the story is. At that point, I re-type the novel from scratch which is basically like starting all over again. So, I guess the most unusual habit is I write the same novel twice, each and every time!

What authors, or books have influenced you?
I’m a huge fan of Margaret Atwood, Suzannah Dunn’s contemporary novels, Mitch Albom and Chuck Palahniuk – a very mixed bunch! I’m influenced by the way their stories unfold and how the ideas and twists in the story are drip-fed.

What are you working on now?
I’m currently at the very early stages of a new novel. I have a character in my head but she’s not telling me her story yet. I know she’s probably some kind of psychic, but a very pragmatic, reluctant one.

And I’m attempting to write a few more short stories, which have been on the back burner recently.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I probably get the most interaction via my Facebook page. It’s not ideal, with all the controversy surrounding it, but I find it easier to manage than Twitter. I’m attempting to use Instagram more, but with intermittent success.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Know the rules of good grammar, good writing, good story structure – and then know why you’re breaking them if it works for your story. Don’t be confined. Think of how many books would not have been published if they stuck to the rules – Milkman by Anna Burns or Ducks, Newburyport by Lucy Ellmann, for example.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
I’m not good at taking advice. Someone – I can’t remember who – told me to follow my heart, to not follow the trends but write what I want to write. The problem with following trends is by the time you’ve identified it and written it, the publishing world has moved on to something else. Being in the right place at the right time is down to luck and nothing else.

What are you reading now?
I’ve just this moment finished The Other Bennet Sister by Janice Hadlow (if you love Jane Austen, I think you’ll love this too – I did), and I’m eyeing my shelves for the next. Possibly it’ll be On Earth We’re Briefly Gorgeous by Ocean Vuong.

What’s next for you as a writer?
As I mentioned above, I’m gathering ideas for my next novel and a few short stories.

If you were going to be stranded on a desert island and allowed to take 3 or 4 books with you what books would you bring?
Pride & Prejudice – Jane Austen
Diary – Chuck Palahniuk
Life After Life – Kate Atkinson
At the Stroke of Nine O’Clock – Jane Davis

Author Websites and Profiles
Annalisa Crawford Website
Annalisa Crawford Amazon Profile

Annalisa Crawford’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile
Facebook Profile
Twitter Account

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
Hello. I write adult fantasy novels about celestial wonders, dark histories, and the magic of trees. I currently have one published novel, The Chrysillium Tree, and am currently writing the sequel, Star of Shalik, which is will be released in September 2022.

I am also an avid reader. I enjoy connecting with other writers. I alpha, beta, and ARC read for a number of writers and I run a blog about process and craft called The Author Nook, which can be found on my website.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
The Chrysillium Tree was inspired by a dream. The pandemic had just begun and it was a difficult time, a frightening time. I’ve always been a sensitive person, and energetically, the world felt so strange during this time. Early on during all this, I had a dream of a beautiful tree with little crystals on its branches instead of leaves and they glowed a bioluminescent indigo color. They were breathtaking to behold, but what move me more than their beauty was the sound they made as the wind moved through their branches. The soft clinking of the crystals was a sound reminiscent of something cosmic, something ancient, something old and perhaps forgotten and yet so very peaceful.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I drink lots of very black coffee that I sprinkle with just a touch of cinnamon. I do my best creative writing late at night when the house is quiet, but also there is something about the moonlight and the stars… there are owls just outside my window that I often hear as I write. Something about the quiet and the magic of nighttime really ignites my creativity. On other days where I’m struggling with words or an idea, I’ll play some music to help get me into a mood.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
Leigh Bardugo
N.K. Jemisin
Deborah Harkness
Stephen King
Robert Jordan
Toni Adeyemi
Rosalyn Briar
E.P. Stavs

What are you working on now?
I am currently writing the sequel to The Chrysillium Tree. The first draft of Star of Shalik is almost complete. Part I has been given an emphatic thumbs up from my CP. I am about to give him part II for critique. Once the first draft is complete, I will enter into the long phase of critique and multiple revisions. I use alpha readers, beta readers, a developmental editor, a content editor, and a line editor. It’s a process! And I’m enjoying writing these early stages of Star of Shalik as the idea becomes more clear to me and the characters grow more defined.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
Twitter has probably been the best method although I must admit that was not intentional. I joined Twitter about a year and a half ago to connect with other writers. I was looking for friends to talk about the writing process with, share ideas, and read each other’s work. I found all of this as well as some life-long friends and much to my surprise a slew of dedicated readers. Little did I know, as I tweeted snippets, moodboards, quotes, etc of my WIP, readers were paying attention. The result, I had a fantastic book launch! I used other methods of marketing too, of course, but the best by far was Twitter which was an organic process focused on creating relationships.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Love your work. Don’t be too critical. Let your trusted early readers do that. Don’t underestimate the power of imagining. It’s easy to get hung up on prose and structure, but honestly too much focus on those things, especially early on in the process will kill the heart of it. Dream, imagine, believe, love… be present in your story, love it, live it. Then worry about all that other writerly stuff as you edit and refine the story. The other stuff is important too, of course. Your words need to be understood and nobody likes to be distracted by bad grammar or sloppy prose, but my point is it’s a process. And the imagining, the magic of the story, is just as important.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Let your writing breath. Give it space and time. Time to think and to imagine.

What are you reading now?
Soul-Strung by Rachel Hobbs
Heart of the Rose by K.L. Bone
Gideon the Ninth by Tamsyn Muir

What’s next for you as a writer?
Keep writing… finish Star of Shalik. Then write the third and final novel which is currently drafted. After that, I have another fantasy WIP that is completely written and set in another universe. It needs a massive amount of revising. It is also a trilogy.

So those two projects will probably take the next six years, at least.

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?
Frank Herbert Dune
Isaac Asimov Foundation
Robert Jordon Eye of the World
Deborah Harkness A Discovery of Witches

Author Websites and Profiles
Laken Honeycutt Website
Laken Honeycutt Amazon Profile

Laken Honeycutt’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile
Facebook Profile
Twitter Account
Pinterest Account

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
The Lake Templeton Murders is my first book. But I’ve always longed to be an author. I did a Creative Writing degree at Lafayette College fifteen years ago and then promptly stopped writing once I entered the corporate world. I’ve had a lot of success in my banking career but my heart still wants to tell stories that entertain people and keep them guessing. A couple of years ago, I rekindled my creative spark when I started blogging on Medium.com. Once the spark was lit, I couldn’t stop writing, and it culminated into my debut book. It will not be the last!

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
The Lake Templeton Murders. It’s a murder mystery set in an idyllic fictional town on Vancouver Island. It’s inspired by the detective stories I have always loved to read and the TV shows I cannot stop watching. It brings the analytical, problem-solving side of my brain together with the creative side of my brain.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
Because I have a busy day job, I write first thing in the morning at 5:30 a.m. This is when I am at my sharpest. And in the home stretch of finishing my book, I often took afternoons off from work to write.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
Growing up, I used to read the epics of Sidney Sheldon. I was riveted by the quick-moving tales and how once I cracked a book, I had to stay up the whole night to finish it. I also loved how Sidney Sheldon was ahead of his time in building strong, central female characters that were powerful, determined, and flawed. Most of his books were written in the 1980s and 1990s.
More recently, Harlan Coben is one of my favorite authors. I will pick up any new book he releases. I am also discovering more indie crime thriller authors such as LJ Ross. Ever since I started reading on Kindle, it’s made it much easier for me to incorporate reading into my daily routine.

What are you working on now?
My next book. It’s a new tangled case Private Detective Fati Rizvi has become embroiled in. The case of the missing twins who disappeared on their nineteenth birthday.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I will admit that marketing and promotion is something I am still learning! But I am putting most of my focus on my email list. You can join my email list here:
https://mailchi.mp/d6b48197e368/hsburneyemaillist

Do you have any advice for new authors?
A book seems like a gigantic undertaking when you sit down to start writing it. But as you keep chipping away at it over weeks and months, you’d be shocked when you wake up one day and have 100,000 words. So my advice is to not be overwhelmed by the scale of the project. Just keep writing!

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
When it comes to becoming a writer, consistency is everything. When I first decided to write a book, I started and abandoned many projects. I would start with a rush of excitement and then get to the messy middle where things get hard, and then I would give up and chase after the next shiny object. When I started The Lake Templeton Murders, I determined that I will see it through. I gave myself permission to write badly, taking comfort in the fact that I can simply fix what I don’t like in the editing process.

What are you reading now?
The West London Murders by Biba Pearce, a new mystery author I have just discovered.

What’s next for you as a writer?
Keep writing! I’ve found my passion in the murder mystery genre and I have enough ideas to last me 20 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?
The latest Harlan Coben novel, my favorite epic from Sidney Sheldon (maybe Master of the Game) and Stephen King (maybe The Shining), and one inspirational non-fiction book (e.g. Victor Frankl’s Man’s Search for Meaning)

Author Websites and Profiles
HS Burney Amazon Profile

 

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I used to work as a licensed medical doctor in Hong Kong. In 2020, I came to the United States to pursue a new career as an engineer.

I wrote my first book titled “Career Switched: Break Into Your Dream Job by Executing a Plan That Finally Works”.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
My new book is titled “Career Switched: Break Into Your Dream Job by Executing a Plan That Finally Works”.

I switched careers from medicine to engineering to fulfill my teenage wish to be an engineer. I know many friends and colleagues that are unhappy in their careers but did not see a way out. I therefore decided to write a book to tell others it is not difficult to transition into new careers they are passionate about.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I use a mind map to plan my writing. I set my timer for fifteen minutes as I write my ideas in the mind map. When fifteen minutes run out, I set the timer for another fifteen minutes as I continue working. This motivates me to quickly write down unfiltered ideas.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
I heeded advice from the book “Published: The Proven Path From Blank Page To Published Author” by Chandler Bolt on how to launch my first book.

What are you working on now?
Right now I am focusing on building up my engineering knowledge and experience.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I strive to write high-quality content and then invite my friends to help with the book launch by downloading it for free and writing reviews.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Writing my first book is not as difficult as I initially thought. In my opinion, speed is king. It is important to set a deadline and then consistently work on your book to make sure it is finished on time.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Make the most of the resources you have on hand to finish the task.

What are you reading now?
Elon Musk: Tesla, SpaceX, and the Quest for a Fantastic Future

What’s next for you as a writer?
I am thinking of writing another book specifically on how to transition from a non-technical field to a technical field.

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?
Marks’ Standard Handbook for Mechanical Engineers
Introduction to Linear Algebra by Gilbert Strang
C++ Primer

Author Websites and Profiles
Gladys Lau Website
Gladys Lau Amazon Profile

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I’m a Boston native and a software engineer by trade. On nights and weekends, I run “Get Out of Your Head,” a brand, blog, and book series that seeks to help folks overcome mental illness.

I’ve been mostly vegan for close to ten years now. You’ll see that pop up in various places in my work. I also love football, Harry Potter, Disney World, and heavy metal. You might notice that last one in my company’s branding. That was intentional; we were going for some serious metal vibes there. It’s just such a powerful remedy for me and my audience.

As of 2021, I’ve written two books, both in the “Get Out of Your Head” series. The first is about living with and overcoming anxiety, and the second is on coping with and managing depression. Both books are decently heavy reads, emotionally, but they’re also brutally honest. I write with candor because I want folks to be able to understand what they’re dealing with and make strides as quickly as possible.

I hate to see folks suffer, especially psychologically, and that’s really what motivated me to start writing. I saw myself in those dealing with anxiety and depression and thought to myself, “What can I do to mitigate the difficulty these people are experiencing?” My writing seemed to be the clear answer to me.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
As I write this, my latest book is called, “Get Out of Your Head Vol. 2: Navigating the Abyss of Depression.” It was inspired by a personal bout of depression I experienced in 2018 and the insights that came out of that battle. Like the book that came before it, I said to myself, “When I figure out how to manage what I’m dealing with here, I’ll share my insights with the world. And that’s how Volume 2 came about.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
Nothing crazy, no. Coffee helps, but I wouldn’t say that’s unusual in any sense. I do, however, try to make sure I don’t drink caffeine within eight hours of going to bed. Otherwise, I’m tossing and turning all night.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
Some of these you’ll see in my work, some of them you won’t, but: Tony Robbins, JK Rowling, Jordan Peterson, and Mark Manson.

What are you working on now?
As I write this, I just finished “Get Out of Your Head Vol. 2.” Combined with my day job, it was a slog. That means I’m ready to take a short break. But, when I come back, it will be more blog posts for “Get Out of Your Head,” more podcasts appearances, and possibly a podcast of my own. I do also plan to write a third GOOYH book in time, but I’m waiting for proper inspiration to strike first.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
As an indie author, promotion is the hardest part of the process. In other words, I’m still learning the ropes. I did get featured on BookBub in 2020, however, and that was awesome.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Your book will not write itself. In fact, it will wrestle with you even after you’ve fully committed to finishing it. That means you need to be disciplined. Clear your schedule when possible and fill it with big blocks for writing. Let the wheels get rolling and remove as much distraction as possible (phone on do-not-disturb is a must).

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
It’s super cheesy, but: Follow your heart. You know what you want for yourself and your life; go make it happen. If you mess up, you will learn and autocorrect.

What are you reading now?
I’ve got a few books going at once right now, but since we’re talking about writing, I’ll say “Bird by Bird” by Anne Lamott.

What’s next for you as a writer?
That’s a good question, and I’m not sure. I’m curious to see how “Get Out of Your Head Vol. 2” performs. Not that I’d ever let commercial viability prevent me from writing another book, but I do want to see where that one goes first. I’ve got plenty of other ideas and ways to help folks with mental illness, so I’m really just trying to find the path that best helps me do that at the moment.

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?
Easy. Harry Potter 4, 5, 6, and 7. Though I’d be missing the rest of the series, I’d be getting the most bang for my buck since those are the longest ones, anyway. I could re-read them plenty of times and never get sick of them. In fact, I already have 🙂

Author Websites and Profiles
Brian Sachetta Website
Brian Sachetta Amazon Profile

Brian Sachetta’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I was born and raised in the Lower Ninth Ward of New Orleans, Louisiana. There is where i fell in love with the history and culture that filled the Holy Cross neighborhood on Dauphine street. With my grandfather part of the Yellow Pocahontas, Mardi Gras Indian tribe. As their Wild Man, it add to the love and passion that i have for history and culture.
I have written one book so far, with another on the way at the end of this year. I really enjoy writing dark fantasy, though i started writing poetry when i was in the 7th grade.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
Moonlight; Chronicles of the Four Arrows.
Learned about my family background, coming from Haiti after the revolution, and my Grandmother’s parents who were Louisiana natives from French Acadia. Taking both of my cultures and turning folktales into an epic high fantasy thrill ride.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I write with pen and paper before typing it up on a Word document.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
James Patterson, Darren Shan, J. K. Rowling, and my dear friend L. D. Goodman

What are you working on now?
A Christmas story that takes place in New Orleans, and I’m using my Louisiana Creole traditions that I grew up with to show readers that there is more to the Big Easy other than Mardi Gras. This city has so much rich history and diverse culture that is overflowing with amazing stories.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
Facebook and Instagram ads, using their adverting to promote your page to pull more people to your website. Local book stores, and using websites that best work with the type of audience you are trying to build.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Don’t second guess yourself, you become your own biggest enemy that way. Get out of your head!

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
School is important, and important to do well.

What are you reading now?
Blue, By Lisa Glass

What’s next for you as a writer?
Use my passion for history and culture as a way to reach those who are eager to discover, and learn about new cultures. A voice for those who don’t yet have a voice of their own or are not heard. literature is the most powerful knowledge that everyone should have access 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?
The complete 4-book set of the Red Queen by Victoria Aveyard.

Author Websites and Profiles
Justin Marcell Russell Website
Justin Marcell Russell Amazon Profile

Justin Marcell Russell’s Social Media Links
Facebook Profile

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
This is my first book, but there are already 14 ideas.
I’m inspired.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
Polar Bear, Mandarin Duck discover the secrets to becoming a superhero.

Most of our thoughts are formed from our memory. A child has a clear memory from birth, and it is vital to read practical, positive information often. This practice helps maintain a good psyche, both for children and adults.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
A lot a lot to wish for good, when you meet. Instead of the usual hello.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
Lots of spiritual literature.

What are you working on now?
Promotion of my first book. The next book will be about the power of words and the positive outlook on the world.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Create yourself, your life.
Know that thoughts come – for a reason.
Be like the creator of all that exists!

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
There is no fear, everything is just an illusion.

What are you reading now?
Conversations with God – Neale Donald Walsch

What’s next for you as a writer?
Implementation of ideas that come to me, implementation!
I just do it! I create! And creating the one who was supposed to be created.

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?
Those that are thicker!

Author Websites and Profiles
Sol Win Website
Sol Win Amazon Profile

 

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
For more than a decade, I chased cops, robbers and some killers, too, as a newspaper reporter in Central New York. Now, I chase kids in real life and criminals in my imagination. My debut novel, A DEAD MAN’S EYES, which released from Level Best Books in April 13, draws from my experience with the darker side of human nature. The first in a series, A DEAD MAN’S EYES will have readers wondering: How far might you go to protect the ones you love?

I write from the hills of Northern Pennsylvania, where I live with my husband and four children (teens and college students). I was born and raised in the Adirondack Mountains of New York State, where a part of my heart remains. My short fiction has appeared in the journal Aethlon, and in the anthologies Short Story America and Childhood Regained. My nonfiction has appeared in Healthy Living, Running Times, Literary Mama, Crimespree and Mountain Home magazines. A DEAD MAN’S EYES is the first in the Lisa Jamison mystery/suspense series. Look for book two in the series, NEVER BROKEN in April of 2022 and my first standalone thriller, NEVER LET GO, in December of 2022. I am also author of Raising Identical Twins: The Unique Challenges and Joys of the Early Years. I am a member of Mystery Writers of America, Sisters in Crime, The Historical Novel Society, International Thriller Writers and Pennwriters I also sits on the board of the Knoxville (PA) Public Library.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
My latest book is A DEAD MAN’S EYES, which was released in April of 2021. The inspiration had been within me for years, going back to my journalism days. I was covering a house fire one night on a city street in Syracuse when an obviously pregnant 15-year-old began talking with me. She was in foster care, but she was determined to keep the baby and make something of herself. She struck me as extraordinary—smart and capable—and her name seemed familiar. I looker her up in my old notes when I returned to the newsroom. She shared a name and age with a girl who had witnessed a fatal game of Russian roulette. I forgot her name over time, but I never forgot her. She is the main inspiration for the novel along with a couple of colleagues who were single moms and successful, one with a toddler-in-tow and no father in the picture. That is not easy in journalism.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
Many authors will tell aspiring writers that they absolutely must write every day. I don’t do that and I don’t believe that. I also think it can be destructive advice. I had so much going on when I left journalism that there was no way I could write every day. During those years, I always worked part time and I gave birth to four kids, including twins, with no family around to help. My husband traveled frequently and my parents were aging and often needed help. I would have given up if I believed I had to write every day and there were many times when I almost did. Instead, I hired sitters now and then so I could write in a cafe or library. I wrote at night and during naps. I wrote 800 words of one novel on napkins in a McDonald’s play area. By the time I signed my first contract, I have completed five novels and one nonfiction book. You do have to prioritize if you want to make it in this business, but what works for one person might not work for you. Writers are always writing in their heads. When I sit to write I am very productive because I know where I am going with the story.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
There are so many! Like many mystery writers, I grew up on Nancy Drew and the Hardy Boys, but I have always been pulled toward great novels, regardless of genre. I have an historical courtroom drama, SPRING MELT, releasing in December of 2023. It is the first novel I wrote and my favorite (though I know I shouldn’t have one. 🙂 ). The greatest influences on that novel (besides my former-prosecutor father) were David Guterson and Anita Shreve. In general though, I have been most influenced by John Irving, Margaret Atwood, Michael Ondaatje (Have you read COMING THROUGH SLAUGHTER?), Toni Morrison, Shirley Jackson, Flannery O’Connor … I could go on and on. In the mystery/thriller world, Lisa Unger, Hank Phillippi Ryan, Chevy Stevens, William Landay, Mark Pryor, Steve Hamilton, Patricia Cornwell, Laura Lippman, Attica Locke and Joshilyn Jackson are among my greatest influences.

What are you working on now?
I am finishing book three in the series, NO TIME TO BREATHE, while also working on edits of NEVER BROKEN.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I love this site, of course! I do a lot of promotion on Facebook and Instagram because it is more personal and doesn’t really feel like promotion. I enjoy getting to know readers and other writers and I feel like I can do that there. I also promote on Book Bub. But my favorite method of promotion is in-person events. I attend book festivals, but I also hold book discussions at libraries and attend all kinds of festivals as a vendor. I have met so many great people this way. Even if I sell just a book or two, it is worth it.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Be open to criticism. Timing, luck and the quality of your query letter have a lot to do with rejection, but the inability to see what needs fixing can also be a big part of that. If you keep getting rejections, don’t get mad. Get creative. Defensiveness is your enemy. Criticism is your friend. Look for common themes among the rejections and consider whether those are issues you might need to address. You might even want to shelve that novel for a while and start another. You will see things in that novel years later that you missed before, I promise.

What are you reading now?
I usually have three books going at once — one physical book, one Audible book and one Kindle book. I am almost done reading the physical novel John Woman by Walter Mosely (Awesome!); I am listening to The Bounty by Janet Evanovich and Steve Hamilton (Sometimes, I don’t want to leave the car!); and I am reading Murder in the Master by fellow Level Best author Judy Murray on my Kindle (Loving it!). I have a HUGE to-be-read pile. I wish I had even more time to read.

What’s next for you as a writer?
I would like to write at least three more books in the Lisa Jamison mystery/suspense series, but I also want to write more historical crime novels set in the Adirondacks. I grew up on Adirondack Lore and of my own relatives and their involvement in rum-running across the Canadian border during Prohibition.

If you were going to be stranded on a desert island and allowed to take 3 or 4 books with you what books would you bring?
On the Corner of Bitter and Sweet by Jamie Ford; Galapagos by Kurt Vonnegut (That makes perfect sense if I am stranded on a desert island!); and any Margaret Atwood novel. I know. None of them are crime novels, but I can always develop stories in my head using the characters and settings from those book. By the time I am rescued, I’ll have tons of fodder for some awesome mysteries and thrillers!

Author Websites and Profiles
Lori Duffy Foster Website
Lori Duffy Foster Amazon Profile

Lori Duffy Foster’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile
Facebook Profile
Twitter Account

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I am a mom of four and I live on an Arizona homestead with my husband. I am currently working on my third novel. I have a pair of time travel novels out right now called The Luxury of Time Travel and its prequel The Origins of Time Travel.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
My most recent book is called The Origins of Time Travel. It is the prequel to my first novel. Both books explore the relationship between psychic ability and the power to time travel using consciousness as the “vehicle.” My stories are chock full of complicated relationships, the power of choice and the infinite, boundless capabilities of the mind.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I can’t write at a desk. I do better working on the couch with my kids screaming all around me than I do in peace and quiet.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
I have actually been working in publishing for nearly ten years so I have watched authors of all kinds go from “aspiring” to published and in some cases, mega successes. Some of my favorite authors that I haven’t worked with though include Blake Crouch, Charlie Jane Anders, Margaret Atwood and V.E. Schwab.

What are you working on now?
I am pivoting away from time travel (for the moment) and currently writing dystopian novel set in the relatively near future. The cast of characters centers around a set of siblings. Though this is a very different kind of story than my last two, elements of consciousness and controlling the human mind are still there… because I can’t help myself.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I use Instagram for a good amount of my promotions. I’m still trying to find a good rhythm for “getting my books out there.” I do quite a bit of blogging and have freebies on my website for both writers and readers at christellelujan.com so my own platform is my main hub.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
No one else’s process is going to look like yours. There are an infinite number of ways to write a book. Do what feels good for you.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
“Don’t expect it all to work on book one.” While most of us grind to make our first book “perfect” it’s easy to overlook the fact that if you plan to make a career, book one is only the beginning. So do your best, but don’t stress. You have many more books to write.

What are you reading now?
Dune by Frank Herbert… I’m loving it so much more than I expected to.

What’s next for you as a writer?
While I continue to work on producing fiction, I actually just finished out mapping out a course to help writers hit their word count goals (without a daily, rigid writing routine). I explore how breaking free from the traditional advice was my ticket to publication and how others can harness their own magic to do the same.

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?
All Our Wrong Todays by Elan Mastai because it makes me laugh.
Dark Matter by Blake Crouch because I just love it.
The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue because it makes me cry.

Author Websites and Profiles
Christelle Lujan Website
Christelle Lujan Amazon Profile

Christelle Lujan’s Social Media Links
Facebook Profile