Awesome Author Interviews

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
Dulee Paranavitana is the author of several books. Dulee’s first book, My Musings, was published in 2019 and is available on Amazon, while paperback copies are available in stores in Sri Lanka. Dulee has gone on to write and self-publish several works via the Amazon Kindle Direct Publishing platform. Some of her works include Ripples and Echoes, Jungle Jaunts and Laugh-Out- Lyrics. Jungle Jaunts is a work of fiction based on stories told by my grandfather. My Musings, Ripples and Echoes and Laugh-Out-Lyrics are all works of poetry.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
Midwood Magic, I was inspired by Harry potter

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
Nope

What authors, or books have influenced you?
J.K Rowling

What are you working on now?
Editing Midwood Magic

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I am not sure

Do you have any advice for new authors?
keep writing and don’t forget to read!

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Read as much as you can!

What are you reading now?
The Hobbit

What’s next for you as a writer?
I am working on new story ideas

If you were going to be stranded on a desert island and allowed to take 3 or 4 books with you what books would you bring?
Harry Potter
The Hobbit
The Complete Works of Shakespeare

Author Websites and Profiles
Dulee Paranavitana Website
Dulee Paranavitana Amazon Profile

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I am an award-winning British screenwriter, who won the Writers’ Guild Award for Best TV serial for Coronation Street. I was Head of Development at Cloud 9 Screen Entertainment Group, producing seven major television series, including ‘Swiss Family Robinson’ starring Richard ‘John Boy’ Thomas, and ‘Twist in the Tale’, featuring William Shatner. I was co-creator of the UK Channel Five teen-cult drama series ‘The Tribe’, which ran for five series.
I have written two novels, CHICAGO MAY and BIRTH OF THE MALL RATS [an intro to the TV series THE TRIBE].
CHICAGO MAY is the first book of a two-part series.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
I have just finished the first draft of my latest novel called ISLAND OF DREAMS. It is a family saga set against the revolution in Cuba, when Fidel Castro deposed the dictator Batista. We follow the lives of a brother and sister as they go their separate ways in an increasingly violent society.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
Hemingway, Raymond Chandler, Margaret Attwood, Jodi Picoult.

What are you working on now?
The sequel to my first novel Chicago May.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I am just learning that process. The internet is full of useful sites to help promote your work.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Keep writing. It took me twenty years before I became a professional TV writer.

What are you reading now?
The Handmaid’s Tale [again].

 

Author Websites and Profiles
Harry Duffin Website

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
. I started in the banking industry right out of college in 2005. The financial crisis was traumatic for all that were a part of it, and even those who were innocent bystanders. I spent those early few years in the mortgage business where I saw first-hand fraudulent lending practices and “liar loans.” After the traumatic event passed, I always envisioned myself spending time in a small Italian village, sitting on the balcony writing a memoir about the crisis, such as the factors that precipitated it, what transpired, and the outcome. It turns out life has different plans, as I was working from home during the Covid-19 pandemic with way too much free time on my hands, I decided not to write a possibly boring memoir of my life during the financial crisis, but a fictionalized version of events that may or may not have occurred.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
The Good Banker is my first novel. During the pandemic, I started reading more books as we all had more free times on our hands. One of the books I purchased, was less than spectacular, and I believed I could write a better story. So after only a few days of thinking of a plotline (and without the ending decided upon), I started writing. The story took some interesting turns as I wrote, and three months later, the first draft was completed.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
No, but I did write a good portion of this book on a foldable pocket keyboard while traveling through Europe.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
As a natural introvert and coming from a worrier family, the two books that have influenced me the most were Dale Carnegie’s “How to Win Friends and Influence People” and “How to Stop Worrying and Start Living.” I probably read these books 15-20 years ago, but I still sometimes stop and think about the important life lessons these books taught me.

What are you working on now?
Promoting “The Good Banker”

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
Since this is my first novel, it’s a bit of an adventure and a learning curve, but everyone I’ve shared a few chapters of my book with say they love it… So I’m hoping word of mouth, and sites like yours will work together to get this book into the reader’s hands.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Stay determined. It is not easy to write a full-length novel. It’s even harder to market and sell the book. But if you are able to sit down, and write a novel that you, yourself can be proud of, that’s a success, no matter what the critics say.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
“What doesn’t kill you, makes you stronger.” The first few times I heard this during my teenage years, I absolutely despised this aphorism, but now I’ve learned to accept and embrace it.

What are you reading now?
Nothing- too busy.

What’s next for you as a writer?
The sequel to “The Good Banker”

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 usually gravitate to self-help books, but if I’m on a remote island, I’d have to go with a few fictional suspense books, maybe “The Good Banker.”

Author Websites and Profiles
Michael G Website
Michael G Amazon Profile

Michael G’s Social Media Links
Facebook Profile

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I am an eighty-one-year-old grandmother who has written her fifth suspense novel, There Was an Old Woman (paperback is 249 pages). I would sincerely appreciate it if you would review my book. It is scheduled for release by The Wild Rose Press, Inc. on August 30, 2021. I have had four other suspense/thrillers published, all currently available on Amazon—Let Freedom Ring (2016), Before We Fade Away (2018), A Conflict of Time (2018), and Whatever It Takes (2020). I keep busy for a retired, old lady.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
There Was an Old Woman is the name of my latest book to be released on August 30, 2021. The setting of all my other novels was a mythical town in Florida. However, since I have recently moved back to my hometown in northeast Ohio, the locale of this thriller takes place in this area.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
In my stories, I like to write about ordinary people caught in extraordinary situations. I want the readers to put themselves into the place of the characters and feel what they are feeling and see what they are seeing. I want them to be part of situations beyond their imaginations and to experience things vicariously that are too dangerous or absurd to experience in reality. It would be like living your everyday life, then, BAM, something totally out of your control forces you to take action that you never thought you were capable of doing.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
Linwood Barclay, Harlan Coben, Lisa Scottoline, Karen Slaughter

What are you working on now?
I’m working on a manuscript I call 1010 Colleda Avenue. It’s about a super of an eight-flat apartment building above a bar and a barber shop.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I’m planning a book release/signing in the small town where much of the book takes place. Hopefully, the local townspeople will want to read it. I also am trying different online websites to enhance the sales.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Perseverence and determination.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
When trying to get a book published, go directly to the publisher. Avoid the middle man (literary agents).

What are you reading now?
If She Wakes by Michael Koryta

What’s next for you as a writer?
I still have stories in my brain. If I last long enough, I’d like to release them.

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’ve said it before. I’d take one or more of Linwood Barclay’s series so that I know I’d be able to read all of them in order.

Author Websites and Profiles
June Summers Website
June Summers Amazon Profile

June Summers’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile
Facebook Profile

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I have been an author for multiple travel and sports books but just started a new venture with my wife. So far we have one parenting book, with plans for many more.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
It is called The Guilt Parents – Screen Time: A Reassuring Guide to Parenting Screen Time, Preventing Digital Addiction, and the Uses of Technology for Positive Child Development.

It was inspired by the feedback from other books in the screen time realm. Books seem to be very negative and make parents feel bad. Some are really dry and full of statistics. So we decided to try to flip the narrative and offer so reassuring information regarding this controversial issue.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
Not really, we try to write with humor on serious topics to lighten up the tone a bit and help parents feel better about things. In general, all parents are just trying their best and most parents are doing the same things, no need to bring negativity into it. We all want what is best for our kids.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
My wife and I read a lot of different books. I can’t specifically say one author influenced our style more than any other. We both read a variety of styles depending on the time of year or activities we are doing. For example, I personally like to read espionage books while camping and my wife enjoys reading up on parenting books off and on while we travel.

What are you working on now?
We are working on growing our Guilty Parents brand with more books on topics parents want to learn about.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
We like to use our Facebook page and group because we can really get to know our audience and gain insights from them. We love to get feedback and ideas and really bond as we all go on this parenting journey!

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Make sure you do your research and provide solutions to peoples problems. If you help your readers they will support you!

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Don’t worry about things you can’t change.

What are you reading now?
I am reading The Art of Racing in the Rain. I haven’t watched the movie yet and the book has been sitting on my shelf for about a year so I am hoping to read it, then check out the movie!

What’s next for you as a writer?
I do want to grow our parenting books, I really enjoy the thought of helping people and growing with them. My wife and I are just focused on this right now so hopefully we will have a few more books out within the year!

If you were going to be stranded on a desert island and allowed to take 3 or 4 books with you what books would you bring?
Is there a “How to survive on a Desert Island” book!?
I enjoy biographies and espionage books. I don’t really read books more than once so I would likely take reference or textbooks!

Author Websites and Profiles
John Woods Website
John Woods Amazon Profile

John Woods’s Social Media Links
Facebook Profile

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
Long ago, I surprised myself by writing a large screenplay, including all the research, completing it in just 30 days. My first thought on that accomplishment: “If I can do this, I can write novels!!” So I embarked on my first: a light-hearted parallel universe tale. And just as I finished the first draft, I got huge idea for a Young Adult novel about an “enhanced,” genetically improved chimp and the trouble it gets into when it’s enrolled in the same Elementary School as his human brother. That book got me my first agent, but it failed to launch. I’ve since written three crime novels, a Tom-Clancy-ish political-military thriller, another YA novel, a Chapter Book about a wannabe police dog hired to track down a runaway cat, a Rom-Com about an advertising copywriter (like me) who falls for a rising young actress: she rises, he falls. My one published novel, Mindclone, a near-term sci-fi novel about mind uploading, is available on Amazon as a paperback, an eBook and an audiobook. It’s been translated into four languages so far, with a fifth (Portuguese,) almost completed. I’ve also written several short stories, three of which are also available on Amazon.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
One of my most recently-published works is a short story called A Disturbance in the Church, in which an Android seeks to join the congregation, confess its sins and receive communion. The senior priest at the church is outraged at the very idea, and drops F-bombs all over the younger priest who had the temerity to bring it up. This leads to a conference among the two priests, a bishop, a cardinal, a rabbi, the atheistic creator of the android program, the android itself, and even Pope Francis (via Skype.)

What authors, or books have influenced you?
I read widely, in fiction and non-fiction. In fiction, I’m attracted to literary, crime, sci-fi, the classics and the occasional best-seller. In non-fiction, I read biographies, histories, books on many kinds of science and technology–really, almost anything that catches my interest. One author in particular inspired me to write Mindclone: Ray Kurzweil. I’ve read several of his books that talk about “the Singularity,” that moment when computers become smarter than people.

What are you working on now?
Revising two novels at the same time. Hoping to make them good enough to sell. One is a crime novel, the other is another near-term science fiction novel involving Cryo-Preservation.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
There are many Twitter services out there that can be effective, but it’s important to look at their reader/purchaser-facing pages to see if they’re serious about marketing and selling your book. All too often, their main source of revenue seems to be taking money from authors hungry for success.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Yes! Join a critique group and get fresh eyes on your writing. It’s far too easy to fall in love with your own words and be blind to its flaws. It’s been crucial for me throughout my writing. Outside readers can also make you aware of your built-in biases and help you see the world from a more universal and balanced perspective.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Make sure you have a compelling book description! Here’s one that’s posted on my Facebook page for Mindclone:
TALKING TO THE DEAD
The April 5, 2020 60 Minutes included a segment featuring a company that makes it possible to talk to the dead. The technology they use is a special form of Artificial Intelligence. That concept is similar to the idea behind my science fiction novel, Mindclone. If the idea of talking with the dead appeals to you, you just might find my novel of interest! PS: The man behind the creation of his own digital twin also makes an appearance on 60 Minutes (Fictionally, of course.)

What are you reading now?
Greenwood, by Michael Christie, a marvelous book.

What’s next for you as a writer?
I’m in constant search for an agent that can get me noticed as an author and help me get all those novels I’ve written out there!

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 Time of our Singing, by Richard Powers; The Science Fiction Century, edited by David G. Hartwell; The Fourth Protocol, by Frederick Forsyth; The Passage of Power, by Robert A. Caro (It’s very hard to narrow my choices to just four!)

Author Websites and Profiles
DAVID WOLF Website
DAVID WOLF Amazon Profile

DAVID WOLF’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile
Facebook Profile
Twitter Account

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
Hi,

I have traveled a lot in my life and I speak three languages fluently enough to write. I have been a published author since 2014, with novels both self published and with a mainstream publisher. I usually write in French, but with the multiple lockdowns, I had the idea to try my hand at English.

I have written an urban fantasy series (self published) with five books so far. I also wrote a steampunk series (traditionally published) called Witches and Associates which contains three books so far. Experimental Magics is part of this series.

In English, I had a couple of short stories published on american fantasy websites, especially for Sword and Sorcery Magazine (https://www.swordsandsorcerymagazine.com/red-cap.html).

Then, I decided to make a translation of my latest steampunk novel in English and see what happens! That’s how you got Experimental Magics.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
Experimental Magics is inspired by the Industrial Revolution, but also the Cold War. If magic was a technology, countries would compete to get hold of it, right?
Therefore my mages are scientists and researchers, but not the dreamy ones who are usually rescued by some gallant hero. These scientists might be geeky, but they have teeth!

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
Nothing extravagant on that side.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
I have been influenced a lot by history books. In no particular order: Byzantium, Eastern Europe, Central Asia, India, China, Mali, the Ashanti, the Yoruba, the Aztecs.

For fantasy, My tastes veer towards plenty of action, a sense of wonder and dry humor. Again, in no particular order: Robert E. Howard, Djeli Clark, Joe Abercrombie, Chris Gooding.

What are you working on now?
The follow-up to Experimental Magics (working title: The Road to Cazal)

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I am still researching.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Read a lot and don’t follow any advice.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Read a lot!

What are you reading now?
Seven Blades in Black by Sam Sykes.

What’s next for you as a writer?
I have no idea. Too many projects and too little 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 Disturber of Peace by Leonid Solovyev, The name of the Rose by Umberto Eco and Dune by Franck Herbert.

Author Websites and Profiles
Alex Evans Website
Alex Evans Amazon Profile

Alex Evans’s Social Media Links
Facebook Profile
Twitter Account

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I have been a Medical Doctor for over 45 years. I am Board Certified in OB/GYN and Preventive Medicine. I wrote my first book “DON’T LET THE DR. WAKEFIELD’S OF THE WORLD CONVINCE YOU TO ENDANGER YOUR CHILD’S LIFE” that was published 7/1/21 on Amazon KDP as an e-book, paperback, and audio book on Findaway.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
DON’T LET THE DR. WAKEFIELD’S OF THE WORLD CONVINCE YOU TO ENDANGER YOUR CHILD’S LIFE was written because many of my new parents had questions about the risks and benefits of vaccines for their newborn and themselves. Dr Wakefield convinced many parents that the MMR vaccine was not safe and caused autism. It was later discovered that he was being paid by British lawyers to collect cases so they could sue the vaccine companies. His fake research was removed from medical literature and he lost his medical license. Multiple international research papers proved MMR was safe and did not cause autism. Many children got measles and some died because parents believed his fake news and did not get their children vaccinated. My book shows how over 10,000 lives are saved every year in the US with vaccines by preventing “usual childhood diseases”. The book is easy to read and written to help new parents understand that the benefits far outweigh a very small risk. Vaccines have eliminated smallpox and almost eliminated polio. Some people have died from mistakes in the early polio vaccine. This is discussed in my book.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
Based on my 45+ years of medical experience, I am currently writing non-fiction medical books. It is easy because I just pretend I am answering medical questions from my patients. My next book will be about the unnecessary and preventable deaths caused by hip fractures (osteoporosis).

What authors, or books have influenced you?
Medical articles have been most of my “spare time” reading. Dr. Thomas B Clarkson’s research done on monkeys back in the 70’s, should have received the Nobel Prize. When many groups were trying to ban birth control pills (BCPs), he was able to show that not only did BCPs not cause heart attacks, strokes, and cancer, they prevented some of these problems.
When reading for pleasure, I loved John D. McDonald (Travis McGee series). I grew up in Tampa Florida and remember driving on some of the roads in his books. Jack Reacher (by Lee Childs) is my current favorite. As a teen, I loved science fiction (Flowers for Algernon, 2001, 1984, The Time Machine,The Day of the Triffids).

What are you working on now?
Osteoporosis and how to prevent unnecessary deaths by preventing fractures. Twenty percent (20%) of hip fracture patients are dead within 6-12 months. Almost 50% of people living independently prior to the fracture will be in a nursing home the rest of their lives. The main risk is women over 60 and men over 70.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
KDP
Develop your own e-mail list on your website to promote your new books. Offer free “10 best reasons” related to your book to collect e-mails, or a free blog about subject of your book.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Take advantage of all the free YouTube advice. Use Fiver for cheap covers, editing, and website. Buy 10 ISBN from Bowker, or use free KDP if you plan to stay exclusive to KDP for 3-12 mon. You will need your own ISBN to go other routes. Faraway is best for audio books. Start with an e-book, paperback, and audiobook of the same book. Exclusive with KDP for 90 days gets you some free promotion.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
DO IT NOW

What are you reading now?
As I See Sex Through The Bible

What’s next for you as a writer?
Several more non-fiction medical books in easy to understand form, then try fiction.

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?
Basic Survival on an Island
Killing Floor: Jack Reacher
The Green Ripper: A Travis McGee Novel
Flowers for Algernon

Author Websites and Profiles
David Grimes Website

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
My name is Priyadarshini and I am an author from India. I am a person who dervies happiness from the smallest of things. I love to drink coffee every morning and think about absolutely nothing. I also enjoy observing the minute details around me. I believe that true happiness can never be achieved by major successes, but by small things such as a warm smile or a kind word.
I have written one children’s book.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
I wrote “The Postwoman and Other Stories”. It is a children’s book with a collection of eight stories. The book was inspired by my own childhood experiences and memories of living on a hill station.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I don’t think I have any unusual writing habits, but I wish I did!

What authors, or books have influenced you?
I don’t think I can really say who I have been inspired by. I have been inspired by both fiction and non-fiction writers. I think my writing reflects a greater depth because of how many genres I have sought inspiration from.

What are you working on now?
At the moment I am not working on anything in particular.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I really think it’s important to promote your book by yourself. Only you know who you want to reach out to, and what type of readers you are looking for.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
I would tell new authors not to be frustrated. It is hard to get recognition and acknowledgment, but not everyone can become famous. Despite this, be happy that you have a set of people who admire and love your work.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
The best advice I have ever heard is to live in the moment. As much as we love to think about the future or even the next day, we all know life doesn’t work like that.

What are you reading now?
I am reading a book called “Forty Rules of Love”.

What’s next for you as a writer?
I am not sure whether I will continue writing or not. I am also not sure what I would write if I were given an opportunity. I think it depends on what I feel at that 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?
The Chicken Chronicles- Alice Walker
The Harry Potter Series
The White Book- Han Kang
Tuesday’s With Morrie- Mitch Albom

 

Priyadarshini P’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I grew up in New York City and lived in several places across the country before settling in northern California thirty years ago to raise my children and teach elementary school. I married my second husband and started writing screenplays. I turned to novel writing and published my first book in 2015 to be followed by six more. I am presently working on my eighth novel.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
DREAMer is the story of a twelve-year-old girl who escaped over the border from Mexico. I taught in a low economic neighborhood and many of my students were immigrants, both documented and undocumented. I based my book on my students’ stories and to make a statement about the present border situation.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I write in a cafe although I have a lovely studio and office at home where I could work. But I am not a solitary person like many writers and I enjoy the bustle and camaraderie. I also get many ideas from the people I meet and talk to there. Although I have a basic idea of what I want to write, I do not outline or make a structured plan. I just sit and write and everything falls into place.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
Frank McCourt and Carson McCullers are my biggest influencers.

What are you working on now?
I am unsure about the title but I am working with “In Limbo” now. It follows Luther, a character from my book “The Last Resort,” who was in prison for twenty years for a crime he did not commit. I have Luther accused of another crime and running to New York City where he hooks up with another of my old characters, Finn, the protagonist in “Venice Beach.”

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I think it’s a culmination of things. I’ve been using almost every way possible for an independent author to promote their books. My website, social media pages (Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn, Pinterest, and YouTube), pitching book reviewers, and pitching media outlets.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Write often and from your heart – you can edit later.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
You miss 100% of the shots you don’t take.

What are you reading now?
James Patterson “1st Case”

What’s next for you as a writer?
To keep writing novels.

If you were going to be stranded on a desert island and allowed to take 3 or 4 books with you what books would you bring?
Probably mine would be the ones I’d take.

Author Websites and Profiles
Emily Gallo Website
Emily Gallo Amazon Profile

Emily Gallo’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile
Facebook Profile
Twitter Account
Pinterest Account

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Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I am a college business professor, a training and development professional, a researcher, writer, mother of a college student, grandmother of a child in elementary school, and a college student myself. I am the picture of the individual in search and need of education that speaks to me and my needs and goals. This is my seventh book.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
My latest book is Diary of an Online Professor In a World of Fuzzy Logic – At the start of the Pandemic, March 2020, I was involved in three events, (a) Teaching Online, (b) Completing Research on the use of technology in education and (c) Working on a proposal for Dallas Independent School District on Diversity. There was a lot of what I call Fuzzy Logic happening surrounding all three. In order to put some controls in place, I took a page from research and decided to write a daily diary that shares my life, experiences, and outcomes of the magic formula that kept my students engaged and striving for success even through a pandemic, racial unrest, working from home, school from home with limited access to the world as we once knew it. So we were all experiencing moments of fuzzy logic. Writing became my therapy for coping with the daily grind of living in a world of Masks On/Masks Off. With so many competing priorities in our daily life as we witness during the pandemic and the need to acquire relevant knowledge and skills during times of uncertainty continuously, many people were in need of additional education and educators who could meet them me where they were in helping them to achieve their educational and training goals in this new day. A new day and new times call for new models and methods. This book provides the secret sauce for achieving that.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I like writing about different things and in different genres which speak to my experiences and knowledge.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
I am most intrigued by Adam Grant, Malcolm Gladwell, Dr. Tony Evans, John Kotter, and Creativity, Inc by Ed Catmull and Amy Wallace.

What are you working on now?
I am currently working on my book called, “Spiritual Bootcamp and 365 Inspirations.”

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
You can learn more about my book at the link below.

https://leap-seven-publishing.myshopify.com/products/diary-of-an-online-professor-in-a-world-of-fuzzy-logic

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Writing for me has always been about sharing information that will hopefully help others who read its content. That writing helps others to see the possibilities.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
“Never count your chickens before they hatch. “Life is a bed of changes, be prepared for opportunities.”

What are you reading now?
Chatter by Ethan Kross and The Lonely Century by Noreena Hertz.

What’s next for you as a writer?
I am constantly finding ways to improve my art of storytelling. I am probably my worst critic. I work on my writing daily. It has become a habit.

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, My 365 Inspirations by Marilyn Carroll, Spiritual Bootcamp “Life and the Holy Spirit, by Marilyn Carroll, Think Again by Adam Grant, and My Inner Sky by Mari Andrews.

Author Websites and Profiles
Marilyn Carroll Website
Marilyn Carroll Amazon Profile
Marilyn Carroll Author Profile on Smashwords

Marilyn Carroll’s Social Media Links
Twitter Account
Pinterest Account

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If you are an author and want to be interviewed just fill out out Author Interview page. If you are looking for a new book to read check out our Featured Books Page.

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I’ve been an author since I was seven years old. I’ve always wanted to be an author and made that happen in 2009 when I wrote my first book, The Day of First Sun. I currently have the entire five-book Wizard Hall Chronicles series on Amazon.com.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
The Rise of the Black Market is the final book in the Wizard Hall Chronicles series. It was the culmination of Annie Pearce’s journey to discovering the truth about her family and how she chose to save the future of magic throughout the world. I was inspired by my own life journey and used that to create Annie’s journey.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I’m more productive when I work on the sofa in front of the television. When I work in my guest room/office, I tend to procrastinate and work on other things.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
Judy Blume inspired me to create characters we care about. Stephen King inspired me to write outside the box and JK Rowling reminded me what genre I loved.

What are you working on now?
I’m working on a new series called the Nikki Page Mysteries. I’m changing genres and exploring the cozy mystery. With the advice of my daughter, I’m writing a book about a woman in her fifties and the life she has vs. the life she thought she’d have, wrapped around a mystery.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
Bargainbooksy.com has always been a good source for me for selling books. I also do well at comic cons.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Write every day. The practice will help.

What are you reading now?
I just finished the Temperance Brennan series that the Bones Television series was based on.

What’s next for you as a writer?
I’m hoping to use the first book in my Nikki Page Mystery series to find an agent.

If you were going to be stranded on a desert island and allowed to take 3 or 4 books with you what books would you bring?
I’d take one book from the JD Robb In Death series, one book from the Stephanie Plum series, one book from the Women’s Murder Club series and one book from the Temperance Brennan series.

Author Websites and Profiles
Sheryl Steines Website
Sheryl Steines Amazon Profile

Sheryl Steines’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile
Facebook Profile
Twitter Account
Pinterest Account

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Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I am a writer, digital marketeer and transformational leader who recently completed a circle of lessons around artificial intelligence. My first book back in 2004 was entitled “Mathematical Models”. I have been thinking of literature since I existed in the army. I still remember the first script I wrote back then and I would feel delightful to bring it to life at its original dimensions, perhaps it can work as a screenplay! I am passionate with books and my library, reading all sorts of things. I have self-published 2 projects, a romantic drama entitled ‘The Words of Emily Logan’ and a fairytale fantasy entitled ‘When Magic Truly Happens’. The Words of Emily Logan is a screenplay. I have also completed the first draft of a second screenplay entitled ‘Krista’s Instinct’. Though I believe I can have lots of alter egos in art, I also believe in homogenizing all these multiple identities including my education in one, that is the belief in the world of letters.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
As I have said above my second self-published project is a fairytale fantasy, a short story entitled ‘When Magic Truly Happens’ where it mingles Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs. What inspired it. First of all, I wanted to create a title that bangs! Secondly, I was obsessed with another fairytale which has initiated a series of trailers in YouTube, dealing with bears at Christmas. The initial story with bears entitled ‘When Magic Really Happens’ has dominated the web and it has been my motivation, in terms of just altering the title even though the story is original and unique.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
Things that you own end up owning you… As a web creator dealing with time management, I should focus on being less intellectual and more kinesthetic, meaning to deal with the entire, social, organic sense of being a writer, acting or even better predicting and not just trying to understand everything before by studying it…

What authors, or books have influenced you?
Antoine de Saint-Exupery, having written The Little Prince has been a major influence. As a writer, he has proved how can an aviator, not being primarily a writer, managed to write a fairytale that has influenced the entire world. A small story, easily digested, with plenty of messages, proves that life can create the best stories ever… Also, one of my major influences in fiction literature has been Philip Pullman, having written the trilogy ‘His Dark Materials’. It’s amazing in there how scientific and pseudo-scientific elements have been unified with epic fantasy, storytelling and entertainment plus performing acrobatics between religion and philosophy.

What are you working on now?
Although the first draft of Krista’s Instinct has been completed and I will come to that in the future, I decided to quest my cinematic dreams by submitting The Words of Emily Logan for screenplay coverage evaluations at WeScreenplay, Hollywood’s #1 script coverage business. So, evaluations, my thought laboratory and rewriting have been my recent thoughts. I am also looking forward for my next project.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
Being an omni-channel campaign builder has been my creative initiative so far, including using tools and websites targeting digital marketing efforts. Some will say that writing the next project is the best marketing method, even though I’m fond of creating a balance of lots of things.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
I can drill this advice from what I am doing this period. The case, my artistic debut, my first project in other words, has been submitted to the best Hollywood office, to provide script coverage and foresee its movie potential… The advice, if you writers believe that creative success comes without hard work, without torturous advices and plenty of sweat, pressure, notes, tones and lots of transformations, you are completely mistaken, even if we’re talking about the first or your sixth work. Writing is all about rewriting!

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Be yourself! All other roles are taken…

What are you reading now?
I am not actually reading but planning to read the book of a Greek writer, Helen Galinou, ‘On a black background’.

What’s next for you as a writer?
Having dealt with three projects and being entangled with the thoughts of five, I believe reorganization is where I should focus after. Meaning, to think of the future, of how I’d like to proceed and what it means to be a writer is important.

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 Little Prince of Antoine de Saint-Exupery, Beeseason of Myla Goldberg, Grammar of Fantasy by Gianni Rodari and Hobbit by Tolkien.

Author Websites and Profiles
Menelaos Gkikas Website
Menelaos Gkikas Amazon Profile

Menelaos Gkikas’s Social Media Links
Facebook Profile
Twitter Account

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Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
Merewif, the Mermaid Witch, is book one of the Saelfen Trilogy and is my debut novel! I’m a true adventurer at heart. I’ve lived abroad a few times, lived on a sailboat (my own boat I named Earendel), drove a motorcycle for a time (which I kept a secret from my parents and siblings); and I’m an outdoor and nature enthusiast. I’m never too scared to chase my dreams, as daunting as the task may be. My ultimate dream is to be a published author.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
Merewif, the Mermaid Witch. I wrote the story my heart craved.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
If my hair isn’t pulled back, I will tear at the ends (unknowingly as I’m lost in my writing) and end up with split ends and bits of hair all over my keyboard and shirt. Yuck.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
CS Lewis, JRR Tolkien, JK Rowling, Sarah J Maas, Robin McKinley, to name a few.

What are you working on now?
The sequel to Merewif, and I have a YA dark fantasy/ horror burning.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
Haphazard, get it out there. I don’t have a method. Just lots of research and coffee.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
EDIT. If it’s your debut novel and you are self-publishing, especially. Talent is essential, but editing is indispensable and even the best writers absolutely need it. I am not talking about grammar or proofing – I am talking developmental and commercial viability. And do your homework and find a great editor!

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
We all are bombarded with “advice” and “self-help” these days. But one piece of advice still stands out, because it was relevant at the time and something that still plays in my mind: “if anyone can do it, you can.” So simple, yet so profound. It was a NYT bestselling author telling me to chase my dreams.

What are you reading now?
Sarah J Maas and Cassandra Clare.

What’s next for you as a writer?
The next two books for my trilogy and the dark fantasy / horror I have in mind and can’t wait to write.

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. Throne of Glass. The Hobbit. The Anthology of British Literature (cheating, I know!).

Author Websites and Profiles
Amanda Adam Website
Amanda Adam Amazon Profile

Amanda Adam’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile
Facebook Profile
Twitter Account
Pinterest Account

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Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
Hi!
Thanks for taking the time to get to know me a little better.

I am a primary school teacher, specializing in Social Sciences (History and Geography). During the many lockdowns in 2020, I wrote a book hoping to get my daughters interested in reading. It’s my favorite pastime – I like nothing more than to read a good book – and hoped to introduce them to new and magical worlds.

Unfortunately, it was an epic fail. They are too much like my wife, who also doesn’t like to read.

The story, however, stuck with me and I got serious about writing. I read a lot of books on the craft, found a mentor (Joseph Nassise, who is a brilliant supernatural action adventure author. Monsters, Magic, and Mayhem!), and honed my craft over the last year.

To date, I have co-written 4 full-length novels with dark fantasy author Liam Starker, and two novellas. Another two, full-length books are in the pipeline for release before November.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
Stirring Embers is an urban fantasy action adventure, and is Book One in the forthcoming Light and the Void Series.

My daughters inspired me to write a modern fairytale where they would be the two main characters. The middle-grade manuscript then turned into a three/six-book series when I got together with college buddy, Liam Starker.

It just so happened that we both wanted to write books for a living and were both starting out. He had a great idea for a dark fantasy series from the point of view of the villain/monster. I was looking for a villain, he was looking for some likeable characters to kill off, and we started spit balling. Before we knew it, we had ideas for an entire series…

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
Does locking myself in my study for hours at end count?

What authors, or books have influenced you?
Too many to mention…

The obvious greats – Stephen King, Dean Koontz, Michael Crichton, Clive Cussler, Tom Clancy, Terry Pratchett, J.R.R. Tolkien, Terry Brooks.

Onle recently discovered (during the last year): Joe Abercrombie, Jim Butcher.

Book Series that I love: The Dark Tower (S.K.), The Passage (Justin Cronin), The First Law (Joe Abercrombie), The Dresden Files (Jim Butcher), the Bill Hodges / Mr. Mercedes Trilogy (S.K.).

Please don’t ask me about a favorite book. It’s like asking what’s my favorite song or band – it all depends on the mood I’m in.

What are you working on now?
Final edits for Books One and Two in the Light and the Void Series. I will start writing the third and final book by the end of July. It’s all planned out, I just need to get to the writing part.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I’m terrible with social media and technology. I’m so bad that my friends don’t even bother phoning me during the day. I tend to switch everything off and lose myself in the worlds I create.

If I had to choose, I’d say it’s either my website, or my Facebook author page.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Read, read, read. Focus on the genre you want to write in. Then start honing your craft. There are dozens of books and courses out there to help you.

If you can afford it, get a mentor.

And then write, write, write without the internal critic looking over your shoulder. Just get the story out; worry about the spit and polish later.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
On writing:
Jodi Picoult: “You might not write well every day, but you can always edit a bad page. You can’t edit a blank page.”

On Life: I tend to overthink everything, so I try t follow the KISS principle in everything you do. Keep It Simple, Stupid!

What are you reading now?
The Black Company, by Glen Cook.

What’s next for you as a writer?
Writing more books so that I can do this full 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?
1. How to Survive on a Deserted Island, by Tim O’Shei. That’s an obvious choice – you can’t read when you’re dead…
2. The Stand, Stephen King. Because it’s long and I haven’t read it for years. A re-read is in order.
3. A Little Hatred, Joe Abercrombie. I haven’t read it yet and need to continue the First Law books.

Author Websites and Profiles
Willem Killian Website
Willem Killian Amazon Profile

Willem Killian’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile
Facebook Profile
Twitter Account

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
In 8th grade, I started a myspace-official religion (thank you to our 121 dedicated followers). I picked up trombone after my ska/punk band broke-up in high school. Florida sucked me back in and I became depressed after blowing-out my knee on a 52-day backpacking trip in Colorado because I thought I blew my only chance at realizing my dream by just trying to chase after it. Someone planted the idea in my head to pick-up skydiving as a hobby in college. 8 years later, I jumped out of an airplane solo after watching a man break his leg on landing right before it was my turn to fly. I’m terrible at cooking. After 3 & 1/2 years as a wilderness therapy field guide, my roommate and I woke up one morning and decided to start a high-end catering company. Life is good & I’m satisfied with myself.

All that aside, I like tea. I’m a homebody and a space/tech nerd. I’m becoming increasingly attracted to Daoism. I’m working on letting go of fixed plans and surrendering to the current of life. For the rest and whatnot in between, you’ll have to check out the book.

“Collateral Intentions” is my first-ever publication into official authorhood. I am currently working diligently on another project with plans for a 12-book…series?…not exactly, but something of the like, at some time in the future. Gotta let it percolate.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
“Collateral Intentions” is a comprehensive collection of my writing from 17 to 28 years-old.

Yes, it has teen angst & cringe.
Yes, it has smile-back-at-that-moment coming-of-age.
Yes, it has letters to unrequited love.
Yes, it has knee-cracking, tear-extracting, mind-blasting, stomach-stirring rawness.
No, it does not have the answer to your problems.

T’was inspired by a desire to put together a book of selected works to read to my students in the field while I was a wilderness therapy guide. I made a small booklet with a few originals and many other established works. It was a fun process creating it (stirring a deep satisfaction to organize and agonize over the most minute details night after sleepless night, cursing the dawn as a landmark of time passing beyond what I could accomplish within “reason”). So, I decided to continue (how insatiable was the urge) and create a larger collection by combing through my dozen journals. Some friends caught wind of my side-project (whole-hearted obsession) that I started so I could have all my writing in one place and they began asking after it. I gave away manuscripts for the cost of printing. At some point, someone teased me about publishing. “PFEH!” I would say. “HA!” I would scoff. “HRNGH!” I would grumble. Then, after sifting through many-a-scam-site, I decided I would self-publish with Overlord Bezos.

Now, I’m like…submitting it to book contests & $h!*.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
My journals are open and public. I write in them the same as anyone else would, except I invite and encourage family, friends and strangers to write in them as well. I enjoy capturing life’s raw moments and I see life as a collaboration of relationships, not an individually-informed perspective.

I often write and work on writing projects for days at a time. Eating, drinking, and sleeping very little. It’s somewhat manic, but its a choice and I enjoy it.

For “Collateral Intentions,” I spent a year transcribing 10 journals’-worth of poetry, letters, wrinkled cocktail napkins in a shoebox, milestone journal entries, and phone notes to a google doc (don’t do that), then transferred it over to Mac Pages (don’t do that either), then submitted my eBook to Amazon late (definitely don’t do that), and wrestled with a DOCX for over a year until I finally gave up on the last 5 errors in the printed version.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
Saul Williams. Internationally-renowned slam poet, actor, author, musician. I’d say he’s the black David Bowey.

The Dao De Jing has utterly rocked my world and brought clarity, surrender, and trust to places in my life I struggle not to grapple into a stranglehold.

What are you working on now?
A MAGICIAN NEVER TELLS HIS SECRETS.

“Let your workings remain a mystery. Just show people the results.”

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
Honestly, word of mouth has been my primary mode of ingratiation thus far. I’m currently working on getting sales away from MY mouth. I’ve put up a few copies in local bookstores, submitted to multiple writing contests, run ad campaigns on Amazon, and attended open mics with copies at the ready.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
It took me just as long or longer to self-publish. I didn’t think I’d be good enough and didn’t have the patience to find the publisher that was looking for my book and submit it. Self-publishing does come with this cool DIY badge of honor, but I plan to find a legitimized press I’m excited to partner with for my future projects.

They have all the resources, they know the biz. While you still have to do most (or all) of the work, I imagine it would be a hell of a lot easier to have that publishing team to call when you’re looking for some help. In fact, I’m still hoping to find a legit publisher for “Collateral Intentions”.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
“Do what makes you feel good.”
– Howard
Retired, 3rd-grade Education

What are you reading now?
The Tao of Physics by Fritjof Capra

I thought it would be full-on woo but it is surprisingly, incredibly scientifically informed. I read a little every day and I am left saying, “yes, yes, YES” every time I put it down.

What’s next for you as a writer?
Saying “hello” to Jimmy Fallon on The Tonight Show and watching him explode in laughter.

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 Pocket Dao De Jing (translated by Stephen Mitchell), The Little Book of Changes (translated by Peter Crisp), The Chronicles of Amber by Roger Zelazny, and How to Survive on a Desert Island by literally anyone

Author Websites and Profiles
Constantine Dhonau Website
Constantine Dhonau Amazon Profile
Constantine Dhonau Author Profile on Smashwords

Constantine Dhonau’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile

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Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I have only written one book but it’s a real mind-blower with only the most important revelations I have had in my 62 years on earth.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
“What’s Really Happening on Planet Earth”
I felt it is very important to share what I have learned about life and the nature of reality.
The most fundamental religious teachings were corrupted to encourage fear of God and make people feel unworthy of ascending to Heaven in the Afterlife.
Many people do not believe in an afterlife.
A basic understanding of Quantum Physics proves that we are all part of a Universal Quantum Field that literally IS Everything, Including our bodies and minds.
There is an evil force on this planet that was allowed because they create the suffering that we need to learn compassion.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I tend to write in an outline format to keep things simple, well organized and pack a lot of information in a short and time saving format.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
Mostly informational videos on the internet.

What are you working on now?
Resting and hoping people will be inspired by my book.
I pretty much covered everything important and don’t expect to have any more to add.
At least not now.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
Free ebook sites

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Not really.

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

What are you reading now?
Watching informational videos on the internet.

What’s next for you as a writer?
No Plans at this 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?
Good question.
My interests are quite broad…

Author Websites and Profiles
Stanley Plock Author Profile on Smashwords

Stanley Plock’s Social Media Links
Facebook Profile

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
My name is Lynda Renham, and I have been writing for as long as I can remember. I live in Oxfordshire in a quiet village. I have written nineteen books. Several of those have been romantic comedies and the others psychological thrillers. I’m an avid reader and a compulsive writer.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
My latest crime thriller is titled ‘The Lies She Told’ I don’t really know what inspired it. I had been watching several true-crime series and I think they may have inspired the idea.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I tend to switch how I write my novels, sometimes using pen and paper and then switching to my laptop. I also do a second draft after six chapters. I always have music, and that music has to represent the atmosphere of the novel, and I have to write in the same place.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
Iris Murdoch, Norman Collins and Celia Fremlin. Not such well known authors these days.

What are you working on now?
A Romantic Comedy

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
Facebook and Twitter.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Never give up. It may seem like success will never come your way, but one day it may. I guarantee it certainly won’t if you give it.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
“You become a writer by writing. There is no other way. So do it. Do it more. Do it again. Do it better. Fail. Fail better. I think it’s a good idea, especially when you’re younger, you keep your hand in by writing something every day. Margaret Attwood

What are you reading now?
London Belongs To Me by Norman Collins.

What’s next for you as a writer?
I continually hope for more readership and new ideas.

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 Hours after Darkness by Celia Fremlin. I love this book and would like the time to read it again.

The Heart Listens by Helen Van Slyke. An oldie from my teenage years.

A Gentleman In Moscow I still haven’t read it yet.

Author Websites and Profiles
lynda Renham Website
lynda Renham Amazon Profile

lynda Renham’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile
Facebook Profile
Twitter Account
Pinterest Account

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Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I grew up in rural Pennsylvania near Gettysburg. After a long career in the paper industry and writing a bestselling nonfiction book, Safety WALK Safety TALK, I decided to follow a once-dormant dream of writing a novel. I enjoy reading about adventurers and explorers, traveling internationally, riding a recumbent tandem bike, and spending time with my grandsons.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
Burning Ground was inspired by two memorable summers of my youth.

As a teenager, I worked on a fruit farm in Pennsylvania. It is here I met Redfield, a Crow Indian who lived a simple life but had a profound effect on the way I saw the world and people around me.

As a young man, I spent a summer in Yellowstone National Park in the late 1970’s giving guided tours on Yellowstone Lake. When I was not working, my days were spent exploring all corners of that magnificent land, often in the backcountry. My love for our nation’s first national park is rooted in that wonderful experience.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
The Killer Angels by Michael Shaara
Empire Falls by Richard Russo
Into Thin Air by Jon Krakauer

What are you working on now?
I am currently working on the sequel to Burning Ground, tentatively titled Fatal Ground.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Outline your story in rough terms, but don’t be afraid to stray from your original ideas as the story evolves. Just remember the main theme of the story and weave everything around that theme.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
“Never LEAVE something. Always go TO something.”

What are you reading now?
A Terrible Glory by James Donovan

What’s next for you as a writer?
I want to complete a trilogy of the Frontier Time Traveler series, which follows the protagonist Graham in the 1870’s through the Montana and Wyoming wilderness as historical events unfold.

 

Author Websites and Profiles
D.A. Galloway Website
D.A. Galloway Amazon Profile

D.A. Galloway’s Social Media Links
Facebook Profile
Twitter Account

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If you are an author and want to be interviewed just fill out out Author Interview page. If you are looking for a new book to read check out our Featured Books Page.

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I am a twenty-something year old avid reader, born and raised in Nigeria. I studied Law at undergraduate and postgraduate level at the University of Sheffield, UK. But… I have always had a passion for creative writing.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
The first and only book I have published (so far) is ‘A Prophecy of Dawn’. Which is part of a 6 book series (tentatively, the number of books in the series may change), the Dawn Saga. The names of the sequels are on my blog website.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
Certainly! I tend to write some chapters of my book in a free manner of narration that explores multiple points of view in the same chapter. This is apparent in the first chapter where I narrated the scene from the perspective of the Emperor, the Emperor’s brother Prince Zeirick, and the Emperor’s natural son Trevelyn. I used this unconventional style in the that particular chapter because I felt it was necessary to give the reader an insight into their complex familial relationship and their inner feelings toward each other.
The overall book is narrated in the third-person, strictly from the point of view of one individual character at a time. But I realised that some scenes require further clarity by exposing the perspectives of other characters in the scene.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
Derek Landy’s Skulduggery Pleasant Series was my first obsession with fantasy. It created this love for the world of magic and magical creatures that will never leave me for the rest of my life.
Robert Jordan’s Wheel of Time Series changed my life! This series was my first introduction into the realm of Fantasy Epic that completely transported to a new and exciting world! That was when I knew I wanted to create a world of my own.
Robin Hobb’s Farseer Trilogy however sparked the idea of complex family relationships where I had previously envisioned everything to be ideal and simple. Hobb’s story opened my mind to complex emotions about a character that stayed with me years after I had put the books down.

What are you working on now?
Book 2 of the Dawn Saga ‘A Whisper of Dawn’.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
Goodreads has certainly been the most accessible means of promoting my book. But… I’m exploring other options.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Just write! Don’t allow doubts to hinder your progress at the initial stages. As long as you have written with love and care, there will always be an audience that will appreciate your hard work and creativity.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
“You cannot call yourself a writer until you actually write.” This is the best advice I have received because I am a major procrastinator. I had been putting off writing for such a long time, giving myself the excuse that I needed to plan so more and build the stories just a little more. But when my friend said this (the quote) to me, I realised that I could not continue to micro-plan every scenario of the story without actually writing. And so, that is the reason the best advice I have ever received was ‘to write’.

What are you reading now?
Elantris by Brandon Sanderson.

What’s next for you as a writer?
Promoting and more writing.

If you were going to be stranded on a desert island and allowed to take 3 or 4 books with you what books would you bring?
Eye of the World by Robert Jordan
Assassin’s Apprentice by Robin Hobb
Poison Study by Marie V. Snyder
Lord of the Fading Lands by C. L. Wilson

Author Websites and Profiles
Rabiatu Abba Ruma Website
Rabiatu Abba Ruma Amazon Profile

Rabiatu Abba Ruma’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile
Facebook Profile

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