Awesome Author Interviews

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I do many things, but writing is my first love. As a born Psychic Medium, I enjoy doing a weekly radio show along with Ken Kessler, the producer and Music Intuitive, Psychic Tapestry on Blog Talk Radio. Years ago I was authenticated as a reliable psychic by The Edgar Cayce Center and asked by the director, Marco Oliver, to give readings there monthly.

It’s my pleasure and honor to direct The Reiki Circle at Unity of Houston twice monthly, where we help people in need of healing on all levels of body, mind, and spirit from all over the country on Zoom, as well as in person when we can meet again.

I love writing and have been published for over thirty years. I have had poetry and articles published in various literary journals and mainstream publications and newspapers. My first novel was in the YA genre and is no longer in print. I’m the author of Friends in High Places, an Angel/Thriller/Romance that hit bestseller status on Amazon at number nine in Magical Realism. I am currently the author of My Heart Will Find You Book One in The Heart Trilogy, My Heart’s Adventure, Book Two, and My Heart’s Secret Desire, Book Three.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
The Heart Trilogy, which includes My Heart Will Find You, My Heart’s Adventure, and My Heart’s Secret Desire, is inspired by my own life. At three I began dreaming of a wild life lived centuries in the past as an unwilling member of a wagon train traveling from Boston to Marietta Ohio. I was sixteen, and my name was Jessamyn.

As an adult I wrote my dreams into a romance novel and then in research found the characters, (same last name too), had been real people. And it was clear to me the same souls from that past life were back in this one yet playing very different roles in my present life. At the suggestion of an agent, I later rewrote this manuscript as a novel within a novel, telling the nearly unbelievable story of both my present and past lives and how I came to discover this past one in dreams.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I write from character. I feel people’s emotion deeply as an empath, and when I’m writing a novel I’m becoming each character as I write their unfolding story. When I get an idea for a new novel I wait until the characters start talking to me and to each other in my head and then I know I’m ready to go. I learn the story as I write. The characters lead the way.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
I have loved books for all of my life. I love The Giving Tree by Shel Silverstein, The Mary Poppins Series, To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee, Gone With The Wind by Margaret Meade, and The Member of The Wedding by Carson Mc Cullers. And there are so many more. Too many to mention.

What are you working on now?
I’m currently writing an historical novel set in 1875 in Oregon about a young father widowed suddenly when his wife dies while giving birth to a daughter. They already have two young sons and the father must run their farm and ranch. His wife makes him promise to remarry right away as she wants the children to know the love of one woman with a kind heart.

At the same time a young saloon singer who once had aspiration of starring on the New York stage has escaped from her unscrupulous manager who not only seduced her with promises of marriage but has been forcing her to work small venues around the country and has become increasingly abusive as she resists his insistence she help him cheat in card games. Desperate for a place to hide she runs into the young father at The Mercantile where he has come to hang a poster stating. Wanted
A Kind Hearted Woman
For a Marriage of Convenience

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I use a variety of resources. I love Awesome Gang and discovered it on Kindlepreneur. I also use Freebooksy for promotions, as well as other highly recommended sites. I also post on my social media platforms of Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter. Joining FB book lovers groups is a good option too, as well as creating a profile on Goodreads and creating an Amazon Author page. My website is https://tonidemaio.com/

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Do not ever give up. Join a writer’s group and participate in sharing and critiquing each other’s work. Read the genre you wish to publish in, and subscribe to Writer’s Digest. I also have found Writer’s Conferences to be educational and helpful.

Develop a thick skin, reminding yourself that a rejection is just one person’s opinion and actually reflects the needs of that particular editor. Be glad when you get a personally written response, it means you have talent. And remember, writing is a craft you can learn.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
To never give up.

What are you reading now?
I’m writing now so I’m not reading fiction as I tend to get caught up in stories. I’m currently caught up in the one I’m writing.

What’s next for you as a writer?
More novels. Always!

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 Foxfire Books. They tell you how to survive in any instance.

Author Websites and Profiles
Toni DeMaio Website

Toni DeMaio’s Social Media Links
Facebook Profile

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
Three novels (and a fourth with my editor), two non-fiction books on military history, 25 board games (with four more with artists and editors), and thousands – thousands – of articles on everything from “Best BBQ Restaurants in…” to War Crimes tribunals: that is what I have been writing for the last half-century. I am and always have been a full-time freelance writer and game designer. I also paint and play games with miniature soldiers, and was the work-at-home dad when my kids (now all grown up and married) were little – and I loved every day of that!

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
“Princess of Persia.” It is the 2nd in the ” Throne of Darius” series. (The first was A Captain of Thebes and the third, “Sacker of Cities,” is with my editor now. Five more books in the series are planned). I have always loved ancient history, but like so many of us educated in the West, we only hear one side of the story, especially when it comes to Alexander the Great. I wanted to tell the story from the other side’s point-of-view, notably the GREEKS who fought AGAINST Alexander the Great. (The first people Alexander conquered were not the Persians, but the Greeks, beginning with the razing of Thebes).

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I write something every day. Every day. I might spend four to six hours writing almost non-stop, or I might stop after half an hour or so, but I feel it is important to write something, anything, as it makes it all the easier to write the next day. Somedays I do not feel like writing – until I start, then I either get inspired or my sense of discipline kicks in, or I start feeling guilty, because if I don’t write, I don’t get paid – and this is my livelihood.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
After I wrote my first book, Battles of the American Civil War, I was invited by my mentor at the Associated Press (I was doing rewrites and features) to have lunch with the legendary historian Bruce Catton. I loved his Army of the Potomac series as a kid in military school, especially as he demonstrated that history can and should be told with a literary flair. In my schoolboy days, I was inspired by Catton, thrilled by Robert Heinlein, entranced by Tolkien, and excited by C.S. Forester (the Hornblower series especially).

What are you working on now?
Just sent my editor the third novel in the Throne of Darius series, and have finished the research and outline for the fourth. Working on a short story for Story Origins, and am working on three game designs: Ancient Civilizations of the Middle East (now with the publisher’s art department), Hannibal’s Revenge (now with my editor), Ancient Civilizations of East Asia (creating the components for the playtest version). Up until last month I was working on putting the finishing touches on the next version of my War and Peace game, which is now at the printers.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
Facebook. I do have a website, blog and newsletter, but Facebook works best for me; it gets and keeps me in touch with people who are interested in, like, or play my games and read my books.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Never give up. Write something, anything, every day, no matter how hard or how awful it is.
Do not try to write (or design games) for what you think the market wants. Write the story you want to tell; write what you are compelled to write. As a freelance journalist, of course, I have written thousands of articles over the last 50 years based on what my clients wanted, but even then, my best work was about things I believed in, was passionate about, found challenging or at least interesting. And if the assignment does not meet any of those criteria – try to make it so.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Never give up. Seriously. As my dad (a WW2 scout-sniper) used to say: “You miss every shot you don’t take.” (Which, it turns out, was originally attributed to Teddy Roosevelt).

What are you reading now?
Bernard Cornwell (one of my all-time long-time favorite authors). The 13th in his Warlord Chronicles (first three books were made into the TV Series “The Last Kingdom.” His 20+ Sharpe novels are terrific).

What’s next for you as a writer?
After I make the changes that my editor recommends in “Sacker of Cities” I will begin writing the fourth of eight books in the Throne of Darius series. It will be called “Son of Zeus,” and will cover Alexander the Great in Egypt.

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 (I love the Old Testament as literature! The New Testament is much nicer, but rather dull).

The Lord of the Rings trilogy (read it four times, never gets old).

The Illiad (and the Odyssey) – I am a total “Trojan War Junkie” and will and do read almost any book or novel on it.

Author Websites and Profiles
Mark McLaughlin Website
Mark McLaughlin Amazon Profile
Mark McLaughlin Author Profile on Smashwords

Mark McLaughlin’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 a international celebrity bodyguard by trade but I have a deep interest in the esoteric. I am initiated in various orders including Masonry and African diasporic religions like Santo and Palo. I write based on experience and deep study, everything is authentic firsthand. So far I’ve written five and published one.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
My latest book is named NOVICE PALERO “El Muerto Vive” a intro to Palo Mayumbe. What inspired me to write this book is my personal journey and faith in this system of belief. Like Saint Thomas, I had to see it to believe it. What I learned inspired me to write about it and share it with others.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I go off on rants because i become deeply inspired because I am so passionate about my writing and the topics that I discuss.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
Edgar Allen Poe, Albert Mackey, Albert Pike, Manly P. Hall, Migene Gonz-Whippler and various more

What are you working on now?
A illustrated religious childrens book series based on the Orishas of the Youruba/Ifa or Santeria Pantheon. There is a lack of religious children books aside from the mainstream secular religions. I believe my books will teach self pride and identity for black and brown children as well as all children.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
Amazon Books

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Write about things that you are passionate about, things that interest or intrigue you.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Just do it. Nike.

What are you reading now?
Dianetics

What’s next for you as a writer?
Publishing paperback illustrated books as well as books on religions, etc.

If you were going to be stranded on a desert island and allowed to take 3 or 4 books with you what books would you bring?
My ritual book, The Alchemist, 48 Laws Of Power, Art Of War,

Author Websites and Profiles
G.G. Nieto Amazon Profile

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I’m Honey! I’m a retired computer hacker, chess addict and mother. I’m an American and a New Yorker. I have written 5 books so far, 4 kids books and 1 book for chess enthusiasts. 2 books are about chess, 1 for grown up chess enthusiasts and one for kids teaching them how to setup a chess board along with a song. 3 kids books are about teaching children counting related to computer and machine learning: binary, hexadecimal, and logic gates called Baby Blackhat book series.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
The Bee Defense is a chess opening I created after playing more than 86,000 games of chess since 2015. It is a defense method to play chess ideal for speed chess and a new chess opening from a woman. I was inspired to write the book after a kid on a chess site asked me to teach them my chess system/opening.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
As a hobby I create art with ascii, unicodes and emojis. None of this appears in any of my books however. I am unsure if my writing uses hacker terminology assuming everyone knows what I am talking about or not. That could be true.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
Another author friend of mine is Elliot Carruthers who has written many many books called “Idioms For Kids”. Elliot was my first chess coach besides my own father! I have followed in the footsteps of my first coach by becoming an author as well too.

What are you working on now?
I just finished writing a song and book called the “Chessboard Song” which teaches kids how to setup a chess board the right way and other chessboard setup tricks.
I also just finished writing the last so far in the book series Baby Blackhat a book called Baby Blackhat Logic Gates which teaches kids digital logic gates like: AND, NOT, OR, XOR, etc.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I don’t know yet! I’m a brand new author! I am still learning.
I’m always a teacher, yet always a student of life.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
I found the publishing experience on Amazon very easy! Something to watch out for is to be sure about the digital rights of any photos you use in your book!

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
The best chess advice I ever heard is a quote from Nelsen Mandela and it goes:
“Never lose, win or learn.”, I find this quote is true for all of life, to never take failure as failure if you can learn from it, it is a tool to success.

What are you reading now?
The Book of the Dead from Ancient Egypt

What’s next for you as a writer?
I might write a book about Egypt after studying hieroglyphs or a book about paredolia, as I am afflicted with that disorder.

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 Republic by Plato
The Little Prince by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry
The Book of the Dead by Wallis E. A. Budge
The American Black Chamber by Herbert O. Yardley

Author Websites and Profiles
Honey Beez Amazon Profile

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
Like a lot of folks, I’ve been many things in my life, but one of the most prominent is that I’m a former sergeant with the Army National Guard. I also hold a Bachelor of Science in Professional/Technical Communication and a Master of Fine Arts in Creative Writing. Nowadays, however; I’m a full-time author, which is really my true love, going way back to childhood when my mind was enchanted by the adventures of Tintin and his pals. I have also had experience with editing, journalism, desktop publishing, and videography.

Being an avid explorer, I’ve spent time in all but two states in America and am always on the lookout for someplace new. Internationally speaking, I never thought Iraq and Kuwait would be my first travel destinations, but they did provide plenty of writing material. In my spare time, I love to cook, read, backpack, and mountain bike.

I’ve just self-published my second memoir, titled Playing Soldier. My first, Lines in the Sand: An American Soldier’s Personal Journey in Iraq, won a Readers’ Favorite Five-Star Award and is a transcription of the handwritten journals I kept during my tour of duty.

I live in New England with my cat, Jerome, who is always purring for another snack.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
My new memoir is titled Playing Soldier. The inspiration for it was two-fold. The late author, Da Chen (who published his own memoir about growing up in Communist China titled, Colors of the Mountain), loved my first book and we became close friends. His advice to me was that it’s important for an author to create a niche, a corner, so to speak, in the book world that’s all your own. For me, at that time, writing about the Iraq War seemed to work really well. Lines in the Sand was different from a lot of other memoirs about the Iraq War because it was epistolary and focused on how I evolved emotionally throughout the experience. But with Playing Soldier I wanted to broaden the scope. I wanted to write what could be considered a more conventional memoir. So while the Iraq War is a part of the story, an element of what transpires, it’s not entirely the focus. Essentially, it’s a self-realization story, how I found my way back to a true, original self after struggling with the influence of what society is always telling us we should be doing in order to be happy, to be comfortable, and to find meaning within ourselves.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
For me, it’s hard to say what’s unusual or usual with authors. Everyone has their own path through the creative forest. But I guess I would say that I tend to write in a circular way. I often begin with an idea, a chapter, a scene, whatever it might be, in the beginning of the narrative and come back to it in the end of the narrative.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
There are way too many to even begin to list here and each has provided me with valuable insight, often in ways I never imagined before. Off the top of my head, as far as authors go, I would say William Styron, Maya Angelou, Malcolm Braly, Margaret Laurence, Michael Herr, Flannery O’Connor, and Baron Wormser.

What are you working on now?
I’m currently working on my third memoir… while tinkering with a horror story idea.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
Oh gosh. Every author I know isn’t fond of the marketing end of the business. I’m no exception. It’s often a daily struggle not to get lost at sea with all the other books out there. But I do my best with promotion on places such as Facebook or Goodreads, or any other avenue I can find. I’ve found that word-of-mouth can work well for me. Sometimes. You never know.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Keep writing. And no matter where your book lands, no matter how successful it might be, never lose sight of the fact that you did it. It’s your work. You finished it. You put it out there. Be proud of that, own it, and keep it safe in your heart. Then keep going. Book sales come and go, but the fact that you’re doing what you love can never be taken away.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
I’ve gotten a lot of advice over the years, but one of the best was a friend (and fellow author) lecturing me on what he calls, economy of language. Poetry uses this idea with imagery and feeling. It can be a very potent aspect to make your writing shine.

What are you reading now?
I’m reading All The King’s Men by Robert Penn Warren.

What’s next for you as a writer?
I want to finish my third memoir. Beyond that, I’m not sure. I might branch out and have some fun with horror.

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?
False Starts, Wild, Tom o’Vietnam, and The Magus. Are you sure I can’t bring more?

Author Websites and Profiles
F. Scott Service Website
F. Scott Service Amazon Profile

F. Scott Service’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile
Facebook Profile

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I’ve written a few published stories online, but A Heart Unbound is my first novel. I’ve been writing since I was a child, mostly for myself or a small circle. Nothing ever like this!

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
The name of my latest book is A Heart Unbound. The inspiration came from reading a blurb in a history book about The Lost Colony of Roanoke. I was an elementary school History teacher for a few years. My students were intrigued, but for some reason I couldn’t stop thinking about The Lost Colony. I read and researched all I could about the topic, and a story began to form in my mind.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
None that I can think of.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
I’ve always been drawn to Native culture and belief and also love stories about the west, I own a horse, and love to ride. I wonder if I was born in the wrong era. Some of my favorite authors are Roseanne Bittner, Kathleen Eagle, Catherine Anderson, Colleen French, Constance Bennett.

What are you working on now?
Currently running through story ideas. I’m toying with the idea of a more modern series.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
As a new author, this is the question! I’ve decided to run a free Kindle promotion that will run through 12/2/2020. And will likely run another free offer at a later date. When readers don’t know you, or have a relationship of trust built up, it’s difficult. In the beginning, I think it’s best to just create interest, and get your book into their hands.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Just write. Do it. Write on paper or on your electronic device of choice. You can always go back and re-write or revise. No one can tell a story exactly the way you can.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Have no regrets.

What are you reading now?
I’m re-reading an OLD Roseanne Bitter novel.

What’s next for you as a writer?
Keep writing. Tossing ideas around. Not sure whether I’ll write a series or not.

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?
Fire and Rain by Kathleen Eagle
Brides of Prairie Gold by Maggie Osborne
Captive by Colleen French
Dancing on Coals by Ellen O’Connell

Author Websites and Profiles
Jen Caruso Website
Jen Caruso Amazon Profile

Jen Caruso’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile
Facebook Profile
Twitter Account

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
Corey Peters is an author and a proud resident of Texas. He enjoys various things about life and one day hopes to have had traveled the entire world. The writer within, initially a poet, has written a variety of works from screen and stageplays to romance murder mysteries. He’s published 10 books in the M/M Erotica genera and over 20 total counting pen names.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
BOY NEXT DOOR: West is a not-so-lonely, young bachelor moving into his first fixer upper home in a semi-exclusive neighborhood. In his unexpected quest to find a decent gardener, luck plants a perfectly willing landscaper in his path. Alex, the cute boy next door comes with piercing eyes and an even sharper attitude. He also comes with a former friend who can’t seem to get enough of West. BOY NEXT DOOR is a novella and part of the NBS (Nothing But Sex) Series. West and Alex are my favorite pair so far because they are confident with who they are and nothing is more sexy than a confident man. They meet during their own crossroads in life and don’t have a problem relating and opening up to each other.

I have a lot of erotic stories brewing in my brain. They’ve been in there for years. The NBS series is my way of emptying my mind and making room for more. So each summer, I’ll write 5 or 6 shorter novellas and then I can move on to something else. Plus it’s not like these are heavy novels. I’ve had thicker IKEA instruction books. Okay, that might be an exaggeration.

I also used this series to experiment with different narrative types. 3 of the 6 are more romantically based while the other 3 are mostly sexual encounters. One fear that I have is everything I write will have the same voice and tone. While readers might find comfort in this, especially with their favorite same-author series, I can’t. Life is too diverse and full of inspiring circumstances to write to a formula. Plus, I want my pennames to read differently than my more literary materials written under my given name.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
My bff is a multiple-best-selling author. Her and I are night owls and often host overnight live writing sprints with the members of our FB writing group that encourages us all to have a 10k word day each month. But I also write during the day. It’s easy because everyone in the house is working from home during the day so I’m not distracted, except when the coffee cup is empty. I’ve written while on planes and even on the banks of the Guadalupe river while the family played in the water. Once I was stuck at Union Station in Denver for a few hours and wrote the first act of a play by hand. Inspiration doesn’t care where I am or what I’m doing. This goes back to adapting to life while keeping productive.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
I have an English degree and spent many years of my life reading and studying British Literature, specifically Victorian Lit. My favorite authors are Oscar Wilde and Lord Byron. I also can’t get enough of George Eliot and Thackery too. While I’m confident in my own talent and storytelling, I am aware that my books are compared to the styles of the reader’s favorite authors. I am not well-read in romance. Most romance doesn’t appeal to me and it took a long time for me to learn a different style of prose writing. I call it “Writing on the surface.” Readers don’t want a book that swims too deep. They don’t want an epic tale of heartache and a journey that would kill the average person’s spirit. They want a happily ever after. They want a familiar trope. Romance can’t be macabre, which is what 90% of my other writings are.

What are you working on now?
I’ve teamed up with an amazing cover artist. Right now, I’m working on book 1 of a 3 book romantic series based on a trio of covers she made. I also have numerous other novels in the pipeline. But I always have more than one project in the mix. I’m writing 2 different musicals, 5 episodes of a sitcom, and 2 long plays all at the same time. This is why scheduling my projects like it’s my day job is the best way for me to succeed. I’m also writing under 3 different names with 3 very different genres and audiences.

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

Contact & Links

is my list of links.
However, all books by Corey Peters are available wide, nearly everywhere ebooks are sold.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Figure out how your brain works in regards to writing. Some writers need structure as in a daily schedule and outlines, others can sit and let it all fall out. But the key is to never stop. You might take a day or two off to deal with life but if you don’t get back on that schedule then you’ll fall behind yourself and that’s not good.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
IF YOU AREN’T WORKING TOWARD YOUR OWN DREAMS THEN YOU’RE WORKING TOWARD SOMEBODY ELSE’S.
-Cody Underwood

What are you reading now?
My brother and I have a indy production company. Here lately, we’ve been trading off pieces of scripts with each other to read and give input. He’s changing a film script to an episodic series that we’re planning to pitch to all the streaming services.

What’s next for you as a writer?
I will continue to write and publish. My end goal in life is to live in NYC. I want to be able to pay my bills and write full time. I have a problem with authority and can’t have a boss so I don’t plan to have a normal job while I’m there unless I am the boss. I have no issue with being in control. However, if I work at the NYPL or any theatre then I’d be happy and fall in line with the rest of the employees.

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 Works of Oscar Wilde
-Crime and Punishment
-A set of Encyclopedias

Author Websites and Profiles
Corey Peters Website
Corey Peters Amazon Profile

Corey Peters’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile
Facebook Profile
Twitter Account

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
Co-author and author of more than 20 books of technical content, author of the fiction novel “Angels drink milk” in 4 parts.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
“Angels drink milk”
After many years of infertility, I was properly examined and surgically cured in Seoul (South Korea), where a little later I was able to conceive a daughter using IVF technology. I was impressed by the level of education of South Korean doctors and the technological support of medicine in General. After all, in this country, only one or two out of hundreds of medical graduates receive admission to international patients.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
Inspiration comes to me at night. I’m an owl)

What authors, or books have influenced you?
Frédéric Beigbeder

What are you working on now?
I’m thinking of writing a novel about loneliness in the modern world

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
awesomegang.com

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Work on your own style, but look back at the classics

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Don’t be afraid to experiment, even if they laugh at you. After a while, the mockers will bow down before your creativity

What are you reading now?
“99 francs” Frédéric Beigbeder

What’s next for you as a writer?
Develop yourself in an artistic genre, write about life and for people.

If you were going to be stranded on a desert island and allowed to take 3 or 4 books with you what books would you bring?
“Eleven minutes” Paulo Coelho, “Robinson Crusoe” Defoe Daniel, “The old man and the sea” Ernest Miller Hemingway

Author Websites and Profiles
Diana Candy Website
Diana Candy Amazon Profile

Diana Candy’s Social Media Links
Facebook Profile
Twitter Account

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
Hi all from the Smiling Turtle Publishing Team! We’re a group of young designers and editors.
Our mission is to deliver high-quality content for little boys & girls.
We’re happy and pleased to spread joy and help every parent raising smart and creative kids. Our expertise are activity books and coloring books on various topics.
For suggestions or questions please feel free to reach us at: smilingturtlepublishing@outlook.co

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
Train Your Brain Logic Games and Puzzles Activity Book for Teens is our last book and we’ve got inspired by the free time we’re having during this pandemic. We thought that a well done activity book may be a smart way to entertain youngsters and help them improve their mental and logic skills as well.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
We produce better in the evenings.

What are you working on now?
We’re working on our next project which is a beautiful animals coloring book for kids. Stay tuned!

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
We love to use our fan base to launch our book but also promotional sites such as Awesome Gang, Booksprout, etc.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Believe in yourself and go for it!

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
“Nothing is so fatiguing as the eternal hanging on of an uncompleted task.”
We believe in action, and we believe that action is best remedy for the fear of failure!

What are you reading now?
The Seven Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle by Stuart Turton

What’s next for you as a writer?
Keep producing high quality content to help as more parents as possible to entertain their childs in the best way possible.

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 Dark Tower saga by Stephen King.

Author Websites and Profiles
Smiling Turtle Publishing Amazon Profile

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
My name is Yvette Carol. I’m a full-time mum who has always written on the kitchen table, fitting in the stories around raising my three sons. I’m based in New Zealand and I write middle grade epic fantasy. I’ve just finished The Or’in of Tane, and The Sasori Empire, and The Last Tree in the trilogy, The Chronicles of Aden Weaver. I have also had an article published in the book, The Insecure Writer’s Support Group Guide to Publishing and Beyond for 2014, and a short story released in the 2015 children’s anthology, Kissed by an Angel.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
The Last Tree. It’s the third book in a trilogy which began when I took a “Writing for Children” course with Kate De Goldi in 2005. Kate taught us to do ten minutes “free writing” every day. She was big on character development and taught us to get to know our characters like old friends. We had to interview our cast of characters, keeping a notebook on everything about them from their appearance to their family history, questioning them about what they like, what they hate, their strengths, their flaws, and so on. When I started the discipline of daily free writing, armed with my character development, the characters told me the story, a little at a time over the course of five years.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I’m a pantser. I write the rough draft then take literally years to craft the plot for each story and figure out all the intricate details like character arcs and story lines long after the fact. I end up like a mad scientist or inventor cooped away in my tower, hammering and welding pieces together from here, there and everywhere, then messing with my creation endlessly until somehow out of the chaos arises a phoenix.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
As a child, I loved The Chronicles of Narnia by C. S. Lewis because of his fabulous imagination. New worlds and concepts always drew me to fantasy fiction. My mother and sisters were fans of the Moomintroll series of books by Tove Jansson, and I would take out one of the Moomin books from the school library at a time and savour them. Tove was inspirational with her masterful world building and nonhuman cast. She deeply influenced my thinking about creative fiction. Tove offered glimpses, sneak peeks beyond the fetters of this life, and that is the secret message that is so beautiful and empowering to pass onto children. There is more. Open your hearts and minds and expand the possibilities.
I love the empowerment that forms the core of children’s literature.

What are you working on now?
I’m about to start work on the next book for the next series, which will be linked to the world of Chiron already created in my first series.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
www.kiwikidsreadkiwibooks.nz
https://www.amazon.com/author/yvettecarol

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Write every day in the same place at the same time. Set aside time when you can’t be interrupted. Turn your phone off. Read read read. Write write write.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Don’t look back, you’re not going that way.

What are you reading now?
I am partway through reading The Phantom Tollbooth.

What’s next for you as a writer?
I have a number of interviews lined up to promote my trilogy. I have more marketing to do. Then I must brainstorm and make a “mind map” of the next book!

If you were going to be stranded on a desert island and allowed to take 3 or 4 books with you what books would you bring?
Stuck on a stranded island I’d need to take my big illustrated books of mythology as they would be endlessly interesting. And I would sneak in my set of all Jansson’s Moonintroll books because I can read those again and again.

Author Websites and Profiles
Yvette Carol Website
Yvette Carol Amazon Profile

Yvette Carol’s Social Media Links
Facebook Profile
Pinterest Account

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I have ten published novels, mostly in the mystery/crime field, beginning with PERFECTLY HEALTHY MAN DROPS DEAD in 2008. My most popular book (and I think my most original) is THE PHILOSOPHICAL DETECTIVE, published in 2014, which imagines the iconic Argentine writer Jorge Luis Borges (1899-1886) in the role of detective. Borges was a writer of great originality and influence who read detective stories and wrote several of them. He was also functionally blind, which might be an insurmountable challenge to a detective of lesser intellect and erudition. I had a lot of fun writing this book and many people have found it enjoyable. No knowledge of or interest in philosophy is required!

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
Earlier this year Swallow Tail Press published a sequel to THE PHILOSOPHICAL DETECTIVE entitled (surprisingly enough) THE PHILOSOPHICAL DETECTIVE RETURNS. It chronicles the further adventures of Borges and his Sancho Panza, Nick Martin, who also narrated the first book. The sequel takes place in New York in 1971 and features a curse, Nazi plunder, and the raven that inspired Edgar Allan Poe. Again, all in good fun, and hopefully readers unfamiliar with Borges will be inspired to read some of his amazing stories.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I write almost every day whenever I get a chance. Writing always takes precedence over everything else I’m supposed to be doing, not always with happy results.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
My favorite authors are Homer, Borges, Mark Twain, William Faulkner, Raymond Chandler, Lawrence Block, H. Rider Haggard, Guy de Maupassant, Kafka, and Ken Bruen. Many others have given me pleasure and influenced me I’m sure.

What are you working on now?
I am currently working on a serious novel set on the Great Plains at the end of the Old West.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I have tried all sorts of advertising tactics and have found that the expense usually exceeds the benefit. Thus I try to use free sites like Awesome Gang, for which I am very grateful, and Amazon itself.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Andre Gide said, “Write the book only you can write.” I can’t think of any advice for any writer better than that.

What are you reading now?
Currently reading historical works as research for my western novel.

What’s next for you as a writer?
After finishing the western and another projected book of that kind, I intend to write a third and final volume of the Borges series, entitled THE PHILOSOPHICAL DETECTIVE’S LAST CASE.

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?
Encyclopedia Britannica, 11th edition.
Homer, The Odyssey
Borges, Collected Fictions
The Arabian Nights.
The Bible.

Author Websites and Profiles
Bruce Hartman Website
Bruce Hartman Amazon Profile

Bruce Hartman’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
This is my 6th novel, and my first divulge into Fantasy. As an avid reader and gamer of fantasy I wanted to combine all the elements of Classic fantasy and mix in the darker shades of what makes a Fantasy world real. In the past I have four books in an series about a young man and his family during the American Revolution. I have also written a modern day thriller about an ex-Navy Seal, ex-NYPD police detective now Private eye in the New York City area who gets involved with a very seductive and interesting client.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
An Adventurous Undertaking is the title of the first book in the Eternal Realm series. My inspiration comes from many years enjoying fantasy writings such as The Lord of the Rings, A Song of Ice and Fire and The Witcher Series to name a few. I am also an avid Fantasy gamer and have played just about every Fantasy game ever produced.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
Not really. Writing fantasy is special. You become the creator and puppet master of all the characters, both main character and all those who become part of the story narrative. I do not use a formula, something a lot of writers do to immolate or copy other successes.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
Andrzej Sapkowski perhaps is the one who has influence me the most. I love his style, and how he can make you smell the air, feel the breeze and certainly the fear and horror the characters experience in his writing.

What are you working on now?
The Portal of Mirarora, which is the second book of the Eternal Realm Trilogy.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
A good question, there are many.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Be creative and don’t follow the pack. Also perhaps the most important: Do not try to follow another successful authors blueprint. The best writing comes from within you and your imagination to allow the story to unfold naturally.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Continue working to the final end of a book. Do not listen to those who are negative and believe in you own talent and skill.

What are you reading now?
The last book I read was Season of Storms by Andrzej Sapkowski. I also enjoy listening to audiobooks in the Fantasy genre.

What’s next for you as a writer?
I have planned and mapped out the skeletal framework of the Eternal Realm trilogy. I am also considering another trilogy in the same universe and those who are the next generation of the main and sub-sequential characters in the original series.

If you were going to be stranded on a desert island and allowed to take 3 or 4 books with you what books would you bring?
Absolutely no doubt The Witcher Saga. One may ask why? The readability to go back and read what you already have, and enjoy it just as much as the first time.

 

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
When I was young, I knew I either wanted to be an astronaut, an action movie star or a writer. It turns out writing is the most realistic of the three, which probably isn’t saying much. At 29, I’m still trying to find my way into the world. But whenever I find myself writing a new story, I’m in my happy place.

I’ve written somewhere around a hundred short stories, many of which can be found in my three collections on Amazon. I also have fifteen novels under my belt and a thriller novella, which can also be found on Amazon.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
ONE STEP FROM EXTINCTION is a collection of the best stories I’ve written over the past three years. Sort of. There are other stories which I think are equally good but did not fit the overall feel I wanted for the book.

My stories are inspired mostly by the random journeys I take in my mind. Anything can trigger them. A sentence in a book, a line in a song, an image. I get to thinking “what if?” and, if I’m lucky, a story lands in my brain almost fully formed. I’m always surprised by it.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I don’t let anyone else even look at my writing until it’s completed. If someone is hanging out in the room behind me and I think they might be peeking, I simply can’t write. But this only applies to people I know. If I’m writing at a coffee shop or something, I don’t care.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
As far as authors go, I can give you short a list: Clive Barker, Harlan Ellison, James Tiptree Jr. (AKA Alice Sheldon; she had an interesting life)

As for books: Hyperion and The Fall of Hyperion by Dan Simmons. I’m influenced by everything I read, but those two books are incredible. I haven’t read the other two in the series yet.

What are you working on now?
There are always new stories percolating in my head. But I have a novel I should probably be editing right now. It takes place in a wacky post-apocalyptic mega city and that’s all I’ll say about that for the time being.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I like to use Reddit for a bit of promotion. I’m new to this whole thing, so I don’t have a great answer. The idea is to get the work to as many eyeballs as possible, which often involves running free book promotions.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Keep writing. Don’t bow to what you think the market wants or what readers are clamoring for. They might think they want the next cookie cutter hit from the same old authors, but what they really want, subconsciously, is the next big thing. That can be anything at all. No one can predict it. So, keep writing and stay genuine to yourself. If you enjoy what you’re writing, if you have fun, that will come across. If you try and sell out, you will no longer enjoy the process and whatever success you might find will feel empty and dull.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Basically what I’ve said above. Keep writing. Don’t give up. Failure only comes when you quit. You can make an argument that creativity and talent are the most important things for a writer to have, but I’m pretty sure stubbornness is more important.

What are you reading now?
Some more short stories by Harlan Ellison. Some of his stories are brilliant and breathtaking. Others are strangely weak and dull. That’s probably just a result of how prolific he was.

What’s next for you as a writer?
Ideally, a new chapter in which people actually read my stuff. I’ll never lose the love of writing, but it can be dispiriting to always work alone in the dark.

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. The first two Hyperion books, and the two mammoth volumes of autobiography by Isaac Asimov.

Author Websites and Profiles
Jon Sauve Amazon Profile

Jon Sauve’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile
Twitter Account

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
Co-author and author of more than 20 books of technical content, author of the fiction novel “Angels drink milk” in 4 parts.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
“Angels drink milk”
After many years of infertility, I was properly examined and surgically cured in Seoul (South Korea), where a little later I was able to conceive a daughter using IVF technology. I was impressed by the level of education of South Korean doctors and the technological support of medicine in General. After all, in this country, only one or two out of hundreds of medical graduates receive admission to international patients.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
Inspiration comes to me at night. I’m an owl)

What authors, or books have influenced you?
Frédéric Beigbeder

What are you working on now?
I’m thinking of writing a novel about loneliness in the modern world

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
awesomegang.com

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Work on your own style, but look back at the classics

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Don’t be afraid to experiment, even if they laugh at you. After a while, the mockers will bow down before your creativity

What are you reading now?
“99 francs” Frédéric Beigbeder

What’s next for you as a writer?
Develop yourself in an artistic genre, write about life and for people.

If you were going to be stranded on a desert island and allowed to take 3 or 4 books with you what books would you bring?
“Eleven minutes” Paulo Coelho, “Robinson Crusoe” Defoe Daniel, “The old man and the sea” Ernest Miller Hemingway

Author Websites and Profiles
Diana Candy Website
Diana Candy Amazon Profile

Diana Candy’s Social Media Links
Facebook Profile
Twitter Account

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I’ve worn many hats, still do, but writing is a lot of painful fun for me. I’ve been a crisis intervention worker, therapist for kids and families, run a small company or two, and write in my free time.

I have a white German shepherd who doubles as my editor. She is not much at correcting me, seems to love every word, but a great listener. Have created my first audio book with The Promise and that was fun. Plan to do more of that in my makeshift studio box.

I write under two pen names: T.J. Roberts for MG/YA Fantasy and Maxx Powr for Adult Sci-Fi. (I didn’t want my MG/YA readers thinking The Promise was a sequel to Fairalon and be shocked by the language. I’m also a huge Simpsons fan.)

Working on sequels to both books and pretty jazzed about them.
I’ve written 2 published books thus far, one an MG/YA fantasy called Fairalon, and the other an Adult Sci-Fi called The Promise.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
The Promise. I wanted to make a Sci-Fi that I would like to see as a movie. I almost would like to make an animated movie myself in 3d art, but don’t have the budget, time, or skill to take on such an enormous project, and I’m not crazy. I guess the other thing that “inspired” the movie is that I’m sick of political correctness. The men of the Piecer Corp are NOT politically correct; they tried that, it didn’t work out to well for the planet.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
Yes. I make scenes/chapters in 3d art first, then I create them in text. Sometimes it works the other way around, text first, but usually not.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
I met Harlan Ellison many moons ago at the University of AZ, at a showing of A Boy and His Dog. He was amazing on stage and off. He signed a copy of I have No Mouth and I Must Scream for me and was really friendly. I didn’t expect that he would even talk to a fan. Who knew!

I grew up on Sci-Fi staples: Forbidden Planet, War of the Worlds, The Day the Earth Stood Still, Star Trek, Star Wars, Starship Troopers, Lost in Space, Firefly, and so many more. I also was an avid comic book reader when comics were considered evil. Luckily my parents were just glad I was reading anything.

What are you working on now?
Currently working on sequels to both books: Fairalon: “Return to Fairalon; because High School is a Creep Show.” The Promise 2 (working title).

I find my abby normal brain works in mysterious ways. When working on one book, I get ideas for the other. I think my subconscious is messing with me. So I have both stories open and jot down notes if something hits me.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I have two for obvious reasons: Fairalon.com and PiecerChronicles.com
I also have 2 Facebook pages named after them:
https://www.facebook.com/FairalonBooks
https://www.facebook.com/PiecerChronicles

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Make it fun for you or you will hate it. It’s not easy, but it is worthwhile when you hold your first box of books in your hand. It is something that you created completely from your mind, into a finished block of wood, that other people can enjoy long after you’re gone.

Don’t listen to all the advice out there and do listen to some; pick and choose what applies to you. Don’t do this to be the next JK Rowling or to be rich. The odds are against you. Do it for you, for fun.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Keep your day job. You will “probably” spend more than you earn promoting your books. Eating is a nice luxury. Many make it as an Indie author, many do not.

What are you reading now?
Writing Military Science Fiction: Infantry by William Frisbee Jr. a great reference.

What’s next for you as a writer?
Basically, the sequels should keep me busy. I see them as trilogies. I love the characters and want to see what they will do next.

I’m also toying with a Christmas book idea.

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?
Survive, Essential Skills and Tactics, by Les Stroud. (I’m practical)
Anything by Shakespeare
The current year’s Almanac (again, practical)
The Promise and Fairalon 🙂

Author Websites and Profiles
Maxx Powr Website
Maxx Powr Amazon Profile
Maxx Powr Author Profile on Smashwords

Maxx Powr’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile
Facebook Profile
Twitter Account

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
This is the bio from my website and social media platforms.
Lisa is a 46-year-old fun-loving, caring individual with, like many other people, a range of life experiences. She cares passionately about others and is a Self-Published Author, Natural Healer, Psychic Medium, Public Speaker. Also, qualified as a Wellbeing Coach & Crystal Therapist.
Being diagnosed with stress, anxiety and depression in 2011 and struggling to find a way back from this without the use of prescription medication, not knowing where to turn for help or support is where her journey began. Quickly followed by the necessity for a hysterectomy, then redundancy.
Her journey has opened her eyes to things, people, ways of life and love she never thought were possible but also to the realisation that almost everyone has something in their life they want to change. She believes her soul purpose is to be of service to others.
She enjoys reading, writing, swimming. Loves dolphins, is teetotal and a naturist. She is also learning Spanish.
I have just published my first novel

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
Katie, A New Chapter.
The inspiration behind it is my life experiences and the need to help others who find themselves in similar situations to the ones I have faced.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I like to write in a notebook first, then type onto a word document.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
Rhonda Byrne, Simon Sinek, Lee Child, Mark Billingham

What are you working on now?
The 2nd in my series of books and a collaboration with a friend on a thriller

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I am on several social media sites and have been doing interviews too. The best so far has been my personal Facebook profile and my Linkedin profile

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Keep writing. Don’t edit until the book is finished and start marketing as soon as you have the idea for a book.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Start marketing as soon as you have the idea for a book. Oh and never eat yellow snow..

What are you reading now?
Jane Corey, The Dead Ex

What’s next for you as a writer?
To sell enough copies of my book to enable me to earn while writing my others. To write my novel as a screenplay.

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 Magic, Rhonda Byrne
Sherlock Holmes Short & long stories
The latest Mark Billingham novel

Author Websites and Profiles
Lisa M Billingham Website
Lisa M Billingham Amazon Profile

Lisa M Billingham’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile
Facebook Profile
Twitter Account
Pinterest Account

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I’ve been writing semi-professionally or professionally for over two decades now. My work has appeared in the peer-reviewed art journal Afterimage, CUNY’s graduate paper The Advocate, UK newspaper The Daily Star, UK literary journal White Chimney, Australian magazine New Dawn and Ghettoblaster magazine as well as several online publications. So far I only have one book available for sale, Pedogate Primer: the politics of pedophilia but a second book is currently being edited and will hopefully be released by 2021. I also have a draft of a book on the plant medicine kratom and start on a draft about nootropics and biohacking that will hopefully also be available in 2021.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
Pedogate Primer: the politics of pedophilia is based on two decades of research into institutional pedophilia and cases like Jeffrey Epstein, Jimmy Savile, Prince Andrew, the Finders Cult and religious organizations, NGOs and charities and Hollywood being implicated in the abuse of children. I’ve been following this subject for over 20 years now and was inspired by learning about the inhumane and devastating experiments of the CIA’s MK-Ultra program on unsuspecting military personnel, civilians, even children.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I tend to take notes on the computer but when it comes to organizing ideas and outlining, everything has to be done on paper or notecards.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
Dave McGowan, Nick Bryant, Stephen Singular, Alex Constantine and William Ramsey were all influential on this book in particular. I am also a big fan of Daniel Estulin, Antony C. Sutton, Frances Stonor Saunders, David Livingstone, Douglas Valentine, Yasha Levine and many more who inspired me to cover topics that don’t receive enough mainstream media attention.

What are you working on now?
My second book, about the two party system illusion, the hidden corporatist bureacracy funding our electoral government and many of the ills and excess of those oligarchs is currently being edited. It covers the media monopolists, robber barons, security state meddling with Hollywood, art and literature and much more. Like Pedogate Primer, I stick to verifiable facts, trusted sources and often FOIA and other government documents.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
Probably YouTube. I have done some interviews with podcasters and radio hosts and have some more in the works. That always helps to get some buzz about a new book.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Read, read, read. Read constantly about your subject, but also be constantly learning about your craft and how to improve it. Unfortunately for a 21st century author part of that craft includes mastering digital marketing and things like that. Don’t be afraid to outsource what you don’t know and can’t do so you can focus on your strengths. Same token, it’s good to continue to learn at least the fundamentals of social media and online marketing and the platforms to get your book some publicity.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
“Fill up notebooks.” Just fill up notebooks and then fill up more notebooks. Don’t worry about the quality for now, figure that out later. Cull the good from the bad, combine them and use what’s left to start filling up new notebooks. Heard this about 11/12 years ago, still stand by its practicality.

What are you reading now?
The Templars by Piers Paul Reid, Incal by Alejandro Jodorowsky and Virtual Light by William Gibson.

What’s next for you as a writer?
I have two drafts that are in serious need of cleaning up. One on a plant medicine and another about nootropics (cognitive enhancing drugs) and the practice of biohacking using diet and other natural methods. I’ve also got a series of correspondence from an artist friend and mentor who died recently that a publisher is interested in publishing once I find the time and emotional energy to collect and organize it.

If you were going to be stranded on a desert island and allowed to take 3 or 4 books with you what books would you bring?
J.K. O’Toole’s Confederacy of Dunces, the complete works of Lovecraft and the Brittanica (does that count?)

Author Websites and Profiles
Philip Fairbanks Website

Philip Fairbanks’s Social Media Links
Twitter Account