Awesome Author Interviews

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I have a background as a voice actor, and a stage actor. After 15 years of working in show business, I started a new life in the UK as an engineer. “That’s Life” is my 8th book, but the fist one written in English.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
My newest book is called “That’s Life” and we can think of it as the 20 most embarrassing chapters from my diary – if I had one. Things, my wife asked me not to share with our friends, as some of them are just way too humiliating, so I decided to share them with the world.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
The most unusual aspect of my writing might be my unfiltered honesty, which some might argue that would require some editing. With non-fiction books however, I do believe honesty should come first.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
As a non-fictional impact, I would say the unfiltered manner of Ricky Gervais, and the openness of Trevor Noah. They definitely had a huge influence on how I tell stories.

What are you working on now?
My next book is going to be a thriller, it’s gonna be quite the opposite of “That’s Life”.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I am an old timer, in terms of book promotion. I usually rely on the good words spread by my readers.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
I always say that to everyone; just write. Make mistakes. And then write again.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
“Don’t ever, for any reason, do anything, to anyone, for any reason, ever, no matter what, no matter where, or who, or who you are with, or where you are going, or where you’ve been, ever, for any reason whatsoever.” – Michael Scott

What are you reading now?
Dan Brown – Origin

What’s next for you as a writer?
My biggest hit is yet to be written, it’s going to be something completely different from what I used to write, but I am already enjoying the preparation.

If you were going to be stranded on a desert island and allowed to take 3 or 4 books with you what books would you bring?
“How to survive on a desert island”
“How build a boat”
“Raw vegan cookbook”
“That’s Life” – something to reminisce about

Author Websites and Profiles
Chris Philippe Hemingway Amazon Profile

Chris Philippe Hemingway’s Social Media Links
Facebook Profile

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I am an ex stock broker who saw the light in the darkest hour of poor health and recognised the call of my soul to walk a different path.

That path has led me to be of service to spirit as I gently bring through words of wisdom from a higher source. Both a healer and a spiritual medium, I hope to inspire people to find the power to heal themselves, so in turn, they too can inspire others to do the same.

I am the author of the channelled book ‘The spirit of Life’ and am also the host of ‘The Spirit of Life in Ibiza’ podcast.

Through writing, singing and inspirational speaking, I channel the higher source of spirit to bring through messages from the divine.

I have only written one book, so far, although I know there are many more books just waiting to be channelled through me.

It has been an interesting journey of self discovery for me since I left my 12 year career as a stockbroker. Once a self-proclaimed party girl and career girl, I hid away from my true self and true identity.

It took 6 years of ill health to finally push me over the edge and force me to walk away from my career. A career that my identity was held in. For who was I if I wasn’t a stockbroker and party girl? Who was I if I were to finally come out from behind the self imposed mask that I had worn for so long?

But that journey of self discovery, brought me to the very place that I now stand. A place from which I can now shine my light of love on the world, having finally found that love in myself. A place from which I can now share natural gifts and talents that I didn’t even know I had back then. A place from which I can now help to guide the way for others to heal, in the way that I have now healed, from all that society has told us we should be.

And that now brings me to my book – for without this book, it would have taken me much longer to heal. It would have taken me much longer to see all that I can be and all that I already was. It would have taken me much longer to step into the power of me!

Through my connection to spirit, I channel words of wisdom from this higher source as he seeks to guide us to reconnect with the true essence of who we are.

‘Every one of us has a gift, a gift that will help to heal the rift’ by reconnecting to our natural gifts and passions and walking the path that our soul carves for us, instead of the one that society deems, we naturally start to heal ourselves and in turn, can then shine that light of love on the world in order to help to heal it too.

The Spirit of Life seeks to empower people to step back into the true essence of who they are. The Revolution of Consciousness is upon us, now is the time to embody that higher level of consciousness by connecting to our own divine wisdom, our own divine knowledge and our own divine truth.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
My book is called ‘The Spirit of Life’ and inspired by the very spirit that I channel in it.

I always knew that I would write a book but I had no idea that I was even writing a book as the first pages started to flow through me. As I sat and wrote and ‘The Spirit of Life’ introduced himself to me (the powerful identity of which will be revealed in the book) I was blown away by the powerful words of wisdom that were becoming manifest through me.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I wouldn’t say that I have any unusual writing habits but my current aim is to move to a place in nature so that I can chill on my sofa, cup of herbal tea in one hand, lap top in the other, whilst being inspired by the beautiful call of nature.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
Neale Donald Walsch, author of ‘The Conversations with God’ books has been hugely inspiring to me.

My book is very much of the same ilk and it continues to blow me away at the similarities that come through in my book to his – although it shouldn’t be that surprising seeing as we are both channelling divine source. Truth is truth – it may be written in a different way but it’s still truth.

What are you working on now?
I am now very much working on getting my book out there. The words of wisdom that come through in this book need to be heard, especially at this time. The Spirit of Life was channelled for this very time in history so now is the time for my book to be recognised.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I am currently spending a lot of time writing for other blogs, websites and magazines, as well as my own website, to get my voice heard. I am also doing a lot of competition writing so that I can become an award winning writer and have my work published in high level publications.

I have found Reedsy to be invaluable in helping me to work out where to focus my efforts and am also super grateful to Awesome Gang for allowing me this space to introduce my work.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Stick at it! It is a slow and arduous process, working your way through the world of publishing and marketing and I am still at the early stages myself, but trust that if you are passionate about something, if you are coming from your heart and expressing the yearnings of your soul through your work, then the universe will move mountains to get you to where you need to be.

The mountains may well move slowly – but till they will move in time…

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
TRUST! Trust in who you were born to be!

It is the most basic and simple advice yet the toughest to follow but when we start to trust in who we were born to be, we start to see new avenues open to us as we come more and more into alignment with the divine.

We are the divine, we are the creator, we hold the power in our hands to be exactly who we wish to be. Trust in this and the rest shall follow…

What are you reading now?
At the moment I am so busy promoting my book and podcast and building my brand that I do not have time to read. It is unfortunate that my free time is so limited right not but I am also incredibly grateful that so many amazing things are coming together at once.

What’s next for you as a writer?
My main aim for now is to build my brand, to be seen and heard and to continue to grow humanity’s consciousness through the work that I am doing.

There is no doubt that many more books are on the horizon for me, but first this one must be discovered in order for the next one to come into creation.

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?
Conversations with God part 1, 2 and 3 plus one of the Abraham Hicks Law of Attraction books. Books to keep you inspired for sure!

Author Websites and Profiles
Niaby Codd Website
Niaby Codd Amazon Profile

Niaby Codd’s Social Media Links
Facebook Profile
Twitter Account
Pinterest Account

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I have published five novels, all available as ebooks, Eileen McHugh, One On One, A Search For Donald Cottee, Mission and A Fool’s Knot, and a set of travel stories, Voyagers. Mission and A Fool’s Knot are set in Kenya and look at cultural difference and similarity. A Search For Donald Cottee is a parody of Don Quixote set in a Benidorm caravan park and One On One describes an encounter between old friends whose life paths diverged, one into the media and one to become a billionaire recluse. I have also ghost-written a sports book based on rugby league, a sport known in the north of England, Australia, New Zealand and just a few other places. There are details on my website http://www.philipspires.co.uk

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
Eileen McHugh – a life remade – is a novel about a sculptor whose creative life ended in the 1970s. She left no work, but now an archive of her notes and sketches has come into the possession of Mary Reynolds, who is determined to resurrect the artist’s life and reconstruct her work. She contacts people who knew Eileen as a child and as a student in London. Via these partial memories, she recreates the artist and her work and follows her on a hippie trip to Thailand that proved significant.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I need a pen or pencil in my hand. Even when I am writing directly onto my PC, I have a pencil through my fingers as I type. Everything is written longhand on scrappy paper and then typed. A lot gets changed in this process, so it’s really a first edit as well. It feels like doing things twice, but I think things are refined in the process.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
Usually the strongest influence I the last book I read. Ngugi wa Thiong’o is always there. As is Lawrence Durrell, for some reason. But there are so many… Atwood, McEwan, Rushdie, Tremain, Evaristo, Grass. I am always looking for something that is much more far reaching than mere plot. Bill Warren’s Imperialism: Pioneer of Capitalism changed the way I think.

What are you working on now?
Currently, my time is being spent on promotion. I have just finished Eileen McHugh, a life remade, and because of the book’s theme, it has to be free. I have another idea bubbling away, as it has been for some years. I would like to imagine the composer Leos Janacek awaiting his death and confronted by all the females, real and fictitious in his life. I also have a Spanish edition of Eileen McHugh almost ready to go. Until one tries to translate, one simply does not realise how much of what we say or write is idiomatic.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
If I could answer that one, I would not be spending most of my time on promotion. I would already have it taped. I think we all are condemned to dribble away at whatever we can find. My own website at http://www.philipspires.co.uk is the most convenient, but how to break out on one’s own contact base… I keep trying. Eileen McHugh was published a month ago and it’s free. It’s been downloaded about 1000 times thus far.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Write because you want to write, to communicate and, crucially, to express yourself. Fame, money, market, genre and popularity will all take care of themselves by passing you by. Just get on with it. Build another shelf.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Communicate. And reject anything formulaic. What’s the point of repeating the already mass produced?

What are you reading now?
Susan Sontag’s essays on criticism from the 1960s, Against Interpretation. I have just finished Mary Beard’s history of Rome, SPQR, which was magnificent. I wish I could write like that.

What’s next for you as a writer?
In theory, it’s the Janacek described above. I cannot wait to pitch the composer’s wife against Elena Makropoulos, who is bored after 337 years of life, Olga Janacek, the composer’s daughter, who died of pneumonia in her early 20s, Katya Kabanova, with her guilt-ridden religion and Bystroushka Sharp Ears, who is a vixen, shot by a gamekeeper but for ever proud of her brood, though she delighted in killing chickens for fun.

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?
Several large encyclopaedias. If it really is a desert island, I can rip them up to build shelter and find a way of burning the rest.

Author Websites and Profiles
Philip Spires Website
Philip Spires Amazon Profile
Philip Spires Author Profile on Smashwords

Philip Spires’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile
Facebook Profile
Twitter Account

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I have two books under my belt now; SOMETIME AFTER MIDNIGHT: A COLLECTION OF POETRY & SHORT STORIES, and my debut novel—the first installment of THE OUTCROSSED SERIES—INTO THE FORGOTTEN FOREST. I’m a giant sci=fi and fantasy nerd, especially if there’s a dash of horror involved. I’m a gamer, a reader, an artist, a musician, and a whole lot of other things. A Jill of All Trades, I suppose. I became disabled about six years ago, so that’s been an interesting and oftentimes difficult journey.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
I just released INTO THE FORGOTTEN FOREST recently. I kept seeing all these stories where young women fall in love with vampires, and there are werewolves lurking somewhere in the background. I wanted to change the trope around a bit. So my main character is a young woman, yes, but her struggle is with turning into a monster, herself. And instead of being mainly a romance, the themes are more about family, friendship, and the duality Oli’s own nature. There are hints of romances to come…but readers will have to wait a book or two for that!

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I always have to listen to music when I’m writing. It fuels my fire! Also, lately, I’ve needed to use a stopwatch to make sure I don’t work for too long. I often get so focused, I don’t realize how much pain I’m in. It can be frustrating figuring out how to do things with a disability, but you eventually find a flow that works.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
So so many! To name a few authors, though; Susan Cooper, Ray Bradbury, Clive Barker, Melissa Marr, Holly Black, Anne Rice, Stephen King, C.S. Lewis, L. Frank Baum, J.R.R. Tolkien, T.H. White, Terry Brooks, and Orson Scott Card.

What are you working on now?
I’m about eleven chapters into outlining the second book in THE OUTCROSSED SERIES—UNDER THE WOLF MOON. On the side, I’m about half that far into outlining the first book in a series that goes more in depth into the magic—or Arcane—part of the universe I’m building. The first book in that series will be called WYLDE & STRANGE.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I’m on Twitter quite often, so that’s the best place to find me! Other than that, Instagram and my website are good places to watch.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Damn the naysayers! Follow your dreams, and never give up. And don’t let anyone tell you whether you should go indie or traditional; that choice is yours and yours alone.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Never to mistake kindness for weakness.

What are you reading now?
I just started Holly Black’s THE CRUEL PRINCE. It’s been on my TBR list for forever, and I’m finally getting on it!

What’s next for you as a writer?
I hope to have UNDER THE WOLF MOON ready to publish by January, and WYLDE & STRANGE not long after. Other than that, I have several other series’ planned in the same universe. Without spoilers, these will include a space opera, an Arthurian retelling, a dystopian society, some fairytale retellings, and a prequel to THE OUTCROSSED SERIES that takes place in the 1990s.

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 cheat and take an omnibus of THE DARK IS RISING SEQUENCE by Susan Cooper, THE THIEF OF ALWAYS by Clive Barker, and THE HALLOWEEN TREE by Ray Bradbury.

Author Websites and Profiles
River J. Hopkins Website
River J. Hopkins Amazon Profile

River J. Hopkins’s Social Media Links
Twitter Account

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I have been an NCAA Division I college basketball player, a Citadel cadet, and undercover narcotics investigator, a SWAT Team Hostage Negotiator, a high school basketball coach, a business owner, and most recently, a cancer warrior. Our family currently resides in Colorado with their daughter and Wheaten Terrier, Maggie. In 2019, I started the website, Motivational Check to help others find and lead their uncommon and extraordinary lives.
I’ve written four other books, but none of them have been published.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
Sustainable Excellence, Ten Principles to Leading Your Uncommon and Extraordinary Life. I was inspired to write the book based on a LinkedIn connection I had from a recent college graduate. He wanted to know what I thought were the most important things he should spend his time on in order to live his best life. After giving it some thought, I started to list the things I felt were important. Eventually, I had a list of ten principles and I was able to use my diverse background to give examples of how those principles played out in my life. I believe this book would be beneficial for any young person trying to determine their purpose in the world or anyone who is at a crossroads where to head next with their life.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I like to write at night. It is a time when the world (and the house) is quiet. The peace of those calm quiet nights really inspires my creative juices.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
I love reading non-fiction, mostly biographies. I enjoy trying to understand what makes famous people tick. I have enjoyed David McCullough’s biographies of Harry Truman and John Adams. I also enjoyed Walter Isaacson’s biography of Henry Kissinger. Probably the book that has most influenced my life was a book I read in eighth grade titled, They Call Me Coach by John Wooden.

What are you working on now?
I’m working on a sequel to Sustainable Excellence. Right now it is titled Sustainable Excellence II.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
https://kindlepreneur.com/list-sites-promote-free-amazon-books/

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Lead with your heart. Listen more than you talk and try to listen from a position of understanding instead of responding. Be curious. I love trying to understand and get to know people of differing backgrounds. People fascinate me. Take the time to get out of your way and learn about others. It is the only way you can grow as a person.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
There is a reason God gave you two ears and one mouth.

What are you reading now?
Doris Kearns Goodwin’s Team of Rivals.

What’s next for you as a writer?
To market Sustainable Excellence as it nears its launch date in late October 2020 and to continue writing Sustainable Excellence II.

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, as many biographies as I could carry and a book on how to use native island vegetation to make a seaworthy raft.

Author Websites and Profiles
Terry Tucker Website
Terry Tucker Amazon Profile

Terry Tucker’s Social Media Links
Facebook Profile
Twitter Account

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I have written over 40 crime thriller short stories to date, primarily because I started a short story workshop (11 years ago) and pretty much had to make sure I had one to workshop if no one bought anything. I started releasing them as single ebooks on Amazon, and then I thought I’d make them into a collection, hence Behaving Badly.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
Behaving Badly is the first short story collection I have released so far. It’s a collection of edgy crime thrillers that are inspired by a ripe imagination.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
My friend calls me nocturnal. I can feel sluggish throughout the day, but at night time I am alive and can write well into the early hours!

What authors, or books have influenced you?
I grew up in a house with books. Furthermore, at school, we had a regular subscription to books, and my parents allowed me to have as many as I wanted.
In those days, libraries were respected fixtures, unlike today. I would do anything to hold onto libraries as I can’t imagine a childhood without them.
As a child, I gravitated to Rosa Guy, Stephen King, Toni Morrison, David Herbert, Terri Macmillan, etc.
My library is stacked with books!

What are you working on now?
Well, I’ve experimented with a five-story collection, so I think I’m going to create another one. It’ll be interesting to see how the next one is received.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
The best method so far for promoting is Amazon, Facebook, and my website.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Write whatever you want, as long as it makes sense. Be sure to pour everything into your writing, as they say to dancers, leave nothing on the floor.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Write like your life depends on it!

What are you reading now?
I am not reading anything at the moment because I’m engrossed in my next collection. I’m working out the order of stories, if there are links, etc.

What’s next for you as a writer?
I shall carry on writing short stories and see what else my imagination can deliver!

If you were going to be stranded on a desert island and allowed to take 3 or 4 books with you what books would you bring?
I would definitely take Toni Morrison, Stephen King, Terri MacMillan, and James Herbert, and Charles Bukowski.

Author Websites and Profiles
M Henningham Website
M Henningham Amazon Profile
M Henningham Author Profile on Smashwords

M Henningham’s Social Media Links
Facebook Profile

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I live in the Atlanta suburbs with my husband and our pets. When I am not writing, I am writing in my head… which often leads to strange looks from my spouse.

I have written three books total… SECRET (Tales of the Circle Book 2) is my second m/m romance novel (TRUE was first). I have also written a horror novel (THE DEAD NEXT DOOR) featuring a gay protagonist under the pen name T.W. Smith.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
SECRET (Tales of the Circle Book 2) was inspired by the popularity of a side character from the first novel. Demarco Alford is a witty man who also happens to be a high-profile escort in Washington, DC–a city filled with closeted politicians that would require his services.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I suspect many do this, but when re-writing and polishing, I read the novel aloud so I can hear the cadence and flow.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
A lot. Armistead Maupin immediately comes to mind. His TALES OF THE CITY books sing to me. Stephen King is an immense talent. I am jealous of Anne Rice’s prose. Also David Sedaris, Stephen McCauley, Jay Quinn, Edmund White, Michael Cunningham, Flanner O’ Connor, James Baldwin, Truman Capote, and Tennessee Williams. Really, it’s countless… this is just the top layer.

What are you working on now?
I am working on the third book to the Tales of the Circle series mentioned above.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I have been overwhelmed with the positive support of several folks I have met via Facebook in m/m romance groups. So, I will probably promote on Facebook for sure.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Write what YOU like… what YOU want to read. You will find that there are many others out there who will want to read it too. Fall in love with your characters and others will too. The story will evolve from your characters, you can plot a little… but once your characters come to life, they’re going to tell you where to go.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Write with the door closed. Rewrite with the door open. –Stephen King

What are you reading now?
I just finished “Rule Breaker” by Lily Morton. I plan to read the Elton John bio next.

What’s next for you as a writer?
I write under 2 pen names, Timothy Warren (m/m romance) and T.W. Smith (horror). I have published the second novel in a romance series, and the first in horror series. I am currently working on continuations for both.

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 STAND by Stephen King. I AM LEGEND by Richard Matheson. TALES OF THE CITY by Armistead Maupin. INTERVIEW WITH THE VAMPIRE by Anne Rice. GIOVANNI’S ROOM by James Baldwin. If I could take a series of books, I would take TALES OF THE CITY (Maupin) and THE DARK TOWER (King). Wait! What about OTHER VOICES, OTHER ROOMS (Capote) and A GOOD MAN IS HARD TO FIND (O’Connor)? This is impossible!

Author Websites and Profiles
Timothy Warren Website
Timothy Warren Amazon Profile

Timothy Warren’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile
Facebook Profile
Twitter Account

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
poet, playwright, and a storyteller, my love for writing began in 3rd grade when I won a district writing contest. My love for fantastical forces motivates me to create stories of heroes, villains, gods and monsters that often have a foundation in Old World mythology and legends.
While I have written many books and stories, Sanctum: Sands of Setesh is the first to ever cross the publication finish line.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
I’ve always enjoyed stories involving modern mythos, but… not. Sands of Setesh was born (honestly) out of a need to find a creative outlet during a time of seclusion. Tony and I just began writing a little short story back and forth to keep ourselves busy, and soon a book was born.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
Define unusual? Gotta have music pumping through my headcans to generate words.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
Joel Rosenberg’s “Guardian’s of the Flame” series, The Belgariad, Sword of Shanara…

What are you working on now?
Working on the next installment of the World of Sanctum Series. The working title is “Sanctum: Forests of Avalon”

Do you have any advice for new authors?
WRITE!
It doesn’t matter what it is. If you decide at 3am in the morning that you have an idea chewing on your brain, get up and write it down. Seriously.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Stephen King wrote : First write for yourself, and then worry about the audience. “When you write a story, you’re telling yourself the story. When you rewrite, your main job is taking out all the things that are not the story. Your stuff starts out being just for you, but then it goes out.”

I think this is the best thing I have ever read where writing is concerned. We are here to tell stories, and while I would LOVE for others to find them engaging…if *I* don’t enjoy them, how on earth will you?

What are you reading now?
I am just now picking up the “Harrow The Ninth” series. I have always been fascinated with underworld mythos and I am curious to see what this is all about.

What’s next for you as a writer?
I hope to continue to bring a little magic back to the world with the stories I create.

If you were going to be stranded on a desert island and allowed to take 3 or 4 books with you what books would you bring?
Oh gosh… such a hard question. Gotta have Mary Shelley’s “Frankenstein”. The Mother of Science Fiction was a true inspiration. Margaret Atwood’s “Handmaid’s Tale” is something that touched a nerve in me when it was originally released. I have read it multiple times and never tire of it. I think maybe “Phantom” by Susan Kay. There was something about how she took Gaston Leroux’s original story and fleshed out the character based on the snippets of information that Leroux gave us that I have always loved.

Author Websites and Profiles
C.S. Kading Website
C.S. Kading Amazon Profile

C.S. Kading’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile
Facebook Profile

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I’m a 52 year old writer from Melbourne, Australia. I have written my first novel. I work in and around criminals, cops and lawyers so I write under a pseudonym.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
Miss Pretty’s Little Secret was inspired by a couple of author’s I have read. One being Robert G. Barrett and the other being Carl Hiaasen. I was inspired by the dark humor aspect of their characters in the crime genre.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I wrote the first 17,000 words on my phone before I got around to using a desk top!

What authors, or books have influenced you?
Robert G. Barrett & Carl Hiassen.

What are you working on now?
I have another book coming out in January 2021. A number of the characters including the hero Len Dunning will be involved in that one as well.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
This one of course. I’m new to the caper so I cannot comment on others until I see how it all works.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Keep at it and edit hard!!

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Get to work early!

What are you reading now?
Skinny Dip by Carl Hiassen.

What’s next for you as a writer?
I think I will write a third book and sit back and assess from 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?
1. How to build rudimentary shelter and furniture.
2. How to build fire and find food.
3. Anything in the crime/humor genre.

Author Websites and Profiles
Colin Dobson Website
Colin Dobson Amazon Profile

Colin Dobson’s Social Media Links
Facebook Profile

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I write stories, some long, some short. Regardless of genre, each story contains a bit of adventure, romance, survival and humour. I love writing stories with a fantastical theme, but my current release “Northern Survival” is all about surviving in the wilderness after a plane crash. The novel gave me the chance to share my love of nature, camping, fishing and hiking. It also allowed me to implant my sarcasm on the two main characters as they emotionally battle each other and fight to survive.

I’ve been writing a long time, and the journey has taught me to not squander words. Each new story is more concise with less clutter than the previous. To date, I have 5 fantasy, 1 humorous and 2 romance novels released, along with numerous short stories.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
My latest book is “Northern Survival”. It was inspired by a video created by the pilot who recorded the crash of his small plane in Northern Quebec. The only reason he survived was because the plane had a parachute.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
Not really. I sit and write. When I’m completely absorbed in the story, my genius takes over the writing. I’m just a bystander watching the words appear on the screen and drinking tea.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
It’s not so much that authors have influenced me as much as particular books have, though I do appreciate Jack London’s writing. “M for Mischief” by Richard Parker, “The Places You Will Go” by Dr. Seuss, “The Call of the Wild” by Jack London, “Da Vinci Code” by Dan Brown and “Mage Winds Trilogy” by Mercedes Lackey have inspired and influenced me.

What are you working on now?
That’s a loaded question. I’m working on three projects: “Gathered Stones” book 5 in the Castle Keepers fantasy series, “Within the Myst” book 2 in the Mystical fantasy series and “The Salvation of Mary Lola Barnes” a stand-alone romance (of sorts).

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I really haven’t found one yet outside my own website (https://dianelynnmcgyver.com). I’m still finding my way around promoting my books.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Write the books you want to read. You’ll enjoy the process more, and you will always find readers who will want to read them.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Write every day. Turn it into a habit.

What are you reading now?
“Impact to Contact” – The Shag Harbour Incident by Chris Styles & Graham Simms

What’s next for you as a writer?
I’m working on completing the 10-book Castle Keepers series. I plan to have it done within the next seven years. I have six books to complete.

If you were going to be stranded on a desert island and allowed to take 3 or 4 books with you what books would you bring?
Survival Books: one with information on the plants growing on that island, one on first aid, one with star charts and forecasting the weather, and one book with blank pages so I can write my own book while I’m there.

Author Websites and Profiles
Diane McGyver Website
Diane McGyver Amazon Profile
Diane McGyver Author Profile on Smashwords

Diane McGyver’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I’m an independent writer from Kolkata, India. I started writing very early at the age of twelve and though initially I only wrote poems and songs, I later expanded my repertoire as I got older and now I write in several forms. I have written five books so far and they include two novels, one novella, a collection of poems and a collection of short stories.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
My new book is a collection of short stories called Beyond The Grey Line: The Illusions Of Time. As one can probably guess from the title, the book plays around with the concept of time as well as elements of the supernatural and psychology. I have always been fascinated with these topics and the subjective nature of each of them and as a storyteller I always strive to write stories that are fresh and which engage the reader on a very intellectual level. Writing this book with the central theme of time and the supernatural gave me the chance to do just that and I’m hoping that my readers will not be disappointed with the effort I’ve made to bring them stories that are not only experimental but also a little challenging.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I don’t know if it’s unusual or not but I can’t write too much in one sitting. Although, I tend to finish a substantial word count everyday when I’m writing but that’s always achieved in sort of small laps throughout the day.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
Sidney Sheldon has had a huge influence on me. I love his work and I’m a huge fan of his storytelling abilities. My favourite book of all time is a Sheldon book called If Tomorrow Comes. Then there are others also from both classic and contemporary literature who have greatly influenced me like Charles Dickens, Conan Doyle, Agatha Christie, John Grisham, Rabindranath Tagore, etc. I’ve learned a lot by reading each of their works.

What are you working on now?
When it comes to my writing, I’m not a multitasker at all. I take it one project at a time. I’ve just released my book and I’m pretty sure my next will be a novel. I have the outline of it in my head and will most probably start work on it from next month.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
Twitter has been immensely helpful when it comes to marketing and promotions. I’m fortunate enough to have a decent following and I try to interact with people as much as possible and as honestly as possible, so that has definitely helped me get a few readers. I’ve also become quite active on Instagram since last year and that’s helpful too. Other than that I’m also collaborating with a couple of book bloggers as well and I want to take this opportunity to get the word out that if you’re a book blogger then do get in touch with me and hopefully we can collaborate too.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Write what comes naturally to you. Don’t look at what’s selling in the market or what kind of genres are trending because if you go against your own instincts and write only for the market then chances are that you’ll end up with a product that’ll come across as disconnected because you’re heart was never in it. Also, don’t run after deadlines. It’s good to set goals for yourself but don’t despair if you can’t meet them. Writing is an internal process and sometimes it just doesn’t click. Be patient and trust your ability.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
To keep the language simple so that it connects with everybody. It’s really a myth that using fancy words is a sign of good writing and I did commit the mistake of believing it once but then someone told me to ease up on my language and I can safely say that my writing has become much better and fluid after that.

What are you reading now?
The Girl Before by JP Delaney.

What’s next for you as a writer?
I’m trying my best to get published traditionally because that’s a dream of mine. If all goes well then my next book will a traditionally published one. I’m also venturing into editing and proofreading. So let’s see how that goes.

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?
If Tomorrow Comes.
The entire Sherlock Holmes collection.
Piccadilly Jim.
A Tale Of Two Cities.

Author Websites and Profiles
Niladri Mitra Website
Niladri Mitra Amazon Profile

Niladri Mitra’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile
Twitter Account

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
Around a decade ago, a friend shared a book with me that changed my life. Before that, I had never read anything other than what was required to get through school. That book looked like a thick school textbook, but the information in it opened my eyes to what a massive impact a book could have on a persons mind.

Before that, I just thought books were used to bore kids and teach them about irrelevant things that hold no value in real day-to-day life. Also, I thought they were used to help prop up furniture that had become rickety over time. No way did I think books could hold the life’s work of geniuses that came before me. That they could capture their ways of thinking, and that I could read them and become inspired out of it.

When I realised this was possible, I read. And I mean I read a tonne. I read books I paid for, books I found for free, eBooks, audiobooks, heck, if I saw a pamphlet and it looked like I could gain some knowledge from reading it, we’ll I’d go ahead and read that too!

For purely selfish reasons I made notes on everything I read so I could be better, be sharper, be knowledgeable, and to understand more about myself and others. I captured these notes on journals and on my phone. To date I have 5,000+ individual notes on my iPhone. Plus many more on journals I’ve bought over the years.

Unknowingly I was building a database of incredible thoughts, ideas, and concepts that have the power to create revelations in the mind and transform lives. I find it incredible that one great idea can completely change the direction of a persons life.

So, after much collating of ideas for selfish reasons, I figured it would be good to share these ideas and any others I collect in the future with others. Hence, my author career. So far I have released the one book: How To Become Fearless: A Practical Guide for Destroying Fear and Living With Freedom.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
How To Become Fearless: A Practical Guide for Destroying Fear and Living With Freedom.

We all suffer from fear every now and then. I certainly did for 2 decades. Then like a rubber band that had been pulled past breaking point, I snapped!

I looked into fear, I researched and applied, I tested everything. I figured out what works for me and realised I was gathering important life skills that has helped me to go into new ventures fearlessly.

I know millions of people struggle with fear. It limits them, it cripples them. It’s a debilitating emotion. So my hope is that this book will help those people and give them a path to eradicate their fears.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I must have a cat and a coffee nearby. Both help to put me in the writing mood.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
Robert Greene – The 48 Laws of Power, Mastery, The 50th Law.
Mark Manson.
Eckhart Tolle – The Power of Now

What are you working on now?
Freshly released the How To Become Fearless: A Practical Guide for Destroying Fear and Living With Freedom book, so promoting this and will soon be working on another book project. I’m currently in the process of combining ideas, but I have a general topic which I’ll disclose as time goes on.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
Still figuring this one out myself.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Just start typing. It could be absolute rubbish to begin with. Talk about what you ate for breakfast, what you plan to do today. The simple act of typing about anything will get you in the zone. Well it does for me. Once the hands are in action, the words will come.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
People overcomplicate things too much. If you want to do something, do it. If you don’t, don’t.

What are you reading now?
Robert Greene’s work is always on my list.

What’s next for you as a writer?
Will disclose this later, but just know it’ll be an excellent read. It’s something I’m really excited about!

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 think it would have to be my science textbooks from high school. 4 of them. Simply so I could hollow them out and stuff them with food and knives. And possible one that could teach me how to get off a desert island and get back to my family and friends.

Author Websites and Profiles
Jay Mistry Website

Jay Mistry’s Social Media Links
Facebook Profile
Twitter Account

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I am a Christian author with over fifty books published. I started writing in 2015 after the loss of my oldest sister to cancer. Her life and death made me wonder what I was waiting for and so I wrote that first book.
I write sweet, clean, Christian romance, both historical and contemporary. My books are full of faith, fun, heritage, and heart.
I currently live and work in a thirty-six foot RV with my every-day-hero, my husband of nearly thirty years. We determined in 2018 that it was time to see our country after years of working overseas as teachers. Our son, an only child, is attending college and it seemed like the perfect time to hit the road.
We love nature, hiking, and exploring the national parks of this great nation. We lovingly refer to our life as rollingandwriting.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
My latest book, a contemporary Christian western romance, is Remembering Rainy. This book was inspired by my belief that we can all change, grow, and meet the challenges that life throws at us with faith and love. In this book, one young man must face the mistakes of the past to learn how to have his best future.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
Every author has their own style and writing habits some are odder than others. I don’t think my writing habits are unusual but I do have my own process. I usually start by sketching out the basics of my story, sometimes on paper. This usually only consists of character names, settling, and a couple of plot points. It keeps me focused moving forward without limiting my freedom to create. I then write the story straight through. Once the initial draft is finished I go back and do a complete read-through and re-write, tweaking details and points until I am happy. After that, it is off to the editor for their input and polish.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
There are several authors who have influenced me. My dear friend Kirsten Osbourne was a huge encouragement to me when I first started writing. Since then I have developed wonderful relationships with the authors in various series we have written together. I think as an author you are always learning and growing so many things can influence you and help you develop your writing.

What are you working on now?
I am working on a fun, fantasy, romance story with Kirsten Osbourne and some of our friends. These light hearted, multi-author and multi-genre books will bring a smile to readers of all sorts. Sometimes it is fun to just step out and do something different, lighthearted, and not too serious.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I have used a number of ad sites to help promote my books, including Awesome Gang which delivers steady and predictable results. Along with these sites Facebook and social media sites that cater to specific reading tastes are also a great way to connect with readers.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Write! You won’t learn anything until you start. I always say that you need to be prepared to fail because you’ll learn more about who you are as an author that way than any other. It doesn’t matter if you think you are great or terrible, write and learn as you go.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
“You can’t edit a blank page.” I think we have all heard that one before and it is true. Maybe your first, second, or even third draft isn’t very good but you’ll grow as you write. We all have to start somewhere.

What are you reading now?
I am reading the newest Georgia Peaches series story, A New Heart by Lisa Prysock. I also write in this series and have loved every single book. It was nice to mix up my writing with a bit of mystery in this series and I’m looking forward to the next book when I finish this special treat.

What’s next for you as a writer?
I hope that as a writer, I will always be learning and honing my skills as a storyteller. I love a good story and want to be even better at sharing my vision with my readers. I want to continue to develop my writing and get better and better.

If you were going to be stranded on a desert island and allowed to take 3 or 4 books with you what books would you bring?
If I were going to be stranded on a desert island with only a few books I would want my Bible and books by Louis L’Amore. I read all of those books as a teen and would love a chance to revisit them. I’m a huge western fan and love a good story.

Author Websites and Profiles
Danni Roan Website
Danni Roan Amazon Profile

Danni Roan’s Social Media Links
Facebook Profile
Twitter Account

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
Hi everyone! I am from the US. I have been writing books since 2012. I have written a horror fiction and nonfiction at first, then moved onto fantasy fiction which is my current work in progress. I got my interest in writing when I was a teen and wrote music. I have lived in 16 states in the US and traveled through much of the rest. I enjoy hiking, singing, playing music, and spending time with my friends and family.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
My current book is called, The Heathen King. It is book 1 in a trilogy called, The Chronicles of Chaos. This story was inspired from my love for medieval fantasy books and film/tv. The Heathen King is a dark fantasy story about a gay prince who fights against his brother for rule over the kingdom while struggling to find himself and learn about his extraordinary gifts.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
Not really. I cannot write in a quiet secluded area. I like to sit on the couch with a movie playing in the background or music. I also tend to spend a lot of time browsing Twitter while I write. I am distracted very easily!

What authors, or books have influenced you?
Mostly Game of Thrones and The Hobbit/LOTR. They are some of my all time favorite tales. After binging all seasons of GOT, I started writing my stories.

What are you working on now?
I am working on book 2 in the trilogy called, The Witch King which takes place where The Heathen King left off, then forwards to 5 years ahead.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I have done my best marketing on Instagram and Twitter. I have found some of the best connections here, but also I have built my own website, and I do a lot of book promo deals on Amazon. I also use Pubby quite a bit which helps get reviews and makes connections to other authors and readers.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Don’t rush! Be patient. Rejections happen, A LOT!
Research the heck out of whatever you are writing. Get some great editing software, there are some wonderful free ones out there that can help clean up your story. Believe me, everytime I use a different one, I find more mistakes. There are also a great deal of helpful people in the writing community on Twitter who are always there to give advise and have your back when it comes to promoting YOU!

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Don’t expect everyone to appreciate your work. There will be a lot of criticism and a lot of people that think you are wasting your time. However, if you love it, and you feel good doing it, then that is all that matters. Believe in yourself, no matter what!

What are you reading now?
I have been very slowly reading Shadow and Bone. I am so far behind due to my own writing, but I love the stories and am super excited for the Netflix show.

What’s next for you as a writer?
Hopefully, getting a traditional publisher for my trilogy, however, in the meantime, I will keep writing and self publishing, and promoting. I can only hope for the best!

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 Hobbit, Harry Potter (let’s just say the whole series is one book!), and probably mine. (sounds conceited, but I just love the story so much!)

Author Websites and Profiles
Relynn Wicks Website
Relynn Wicks Amazon Profile

Relynn Wicks’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile
Twitter Account

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I am an aspiring writer and a happy Doggie Daddie. I have written six novels so far and working on another right now called Tats.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
My latest book is called Almost-A-Ghost and what inspired me was the paranormal and the world out there we cannot expericence with our five senses but maybe sometimes we can.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I love writing at night and with lots of activity and noise around me.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
Burroughs, Grey, and the like.

What are you working on now?
I am working on a Chinese fantasy book called Tats and man is it a doosey!

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I am pretty new in the game so, it would be your website primarily.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Just keep writing no matter what life throws your way.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
NEVER GIVE UP ON YOUR DREAMS. Just write your way out of your problems, no matter what they are.

What are you reading now?
I am a tales of Narnia guy and I am back to square one with the first novel in the series.

What’s next for you as a writer?
A website!

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?
Robinson Caruso, Survivalist guide, how to cook and make stuff in the woods, especailly how to make coffee. And my Bible of course!

 

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I have written four books, but this is the first I have published on Amazon. It’s been an interesting journey trying to do internet research on how to indie publish this book. Its title is WHEN HEAVEN SIGHS, and it has taken me about 18 years to finish it! I was working and raising a daughter then came up with so many health problems. I’ve just retired and finally got it finished. I hope everyone enjoys reading it.

The other three books are a murder mystery set in Middle Tennessee, a science fiction book and a sequel to WHEN HEAVEN SIGHS.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
My debut novel’s name is WHEN HEAVEN SIGHS and is a murder mystery set with the eclectic spiritual atmosphere of Nashville, Tennessee, Music City USA. I was searching for a closer relationship for myself to God, and during that process, I got to experience and get to see a wider segment of my Christian community. I love Nashville and grew up there. In this book, I have tried to give a feel for what it is like to live there in a city with such a creative atmosphere.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
Yes, inspiration always seems to hit me early, like 3:30 or 4:00 am in the morning. It seems like that is when my mind is clearest, but it can get a little tiring. Afternoon naps can help!

What authors, or books have influenced you?
Lee Strobel’s book The Case for a Creator is fantastic. Eric Metaxis’ book on Bonhoeffer was good. I enjoyed Dee Henderson’s murder mystery titled When I Sleep.

What are you working on now?
The sequel to WHEN HEAVEN SIGHS which ties up some loose ends from that novel and presents another major plot development. I also am working on hopefully publishing right before Christmas a children’s book called The Christmas Tree Angel. Plus I have a blog site where I love to leave some of the poems I write.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I’m so new at this I don’t have an answer to this question yet.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Work at your craft diligently, and see if you can find some helpful books on novel writing which is what I did. Use research on the internet for any problems you have.

What’s next for you as a writer?
Keep on developing the books I have already started until I can get them published.

If you were going to be stranded on a desert island and allowed to take 3 or 4 books with you what books would you bring?
Bible, Lee Strobel’s book The Case for A Creator

Author Websites and Profiles
Susan Guinn Website

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
After attending Art college I worked in advertising then set up a small business producing art cards for various retailers. I became interested in local folklore and began compiling tales from around the country, adding illustrations as I went. This was published as ‘Faeries and Folklore of the British Isles, a follow up to this was ‘Faerie Flora.’ I then expanded the legends of the country and turned them in to works of fiction; this started the Psychic Sisters series. I have also written a small collection of children’s illustrated books.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
My latest book is called ‘The Doll’ it is the latest installment of The Psychic sisters series; it was inspired by a visit to an antique shop where I found an old creepy doll.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I write in longhand first before transferring it to my laptop.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
First book that I ever read that scared me to death was The Devil Rides Out by Dennis Wheatley so I try to achieve that feeling when I am writing myself.

What are you working on now?
The fifth in the Psychic Sisters series, From The Ashes.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I use Facebook mostly to promote my books.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Keep going, have faith in yourself and proof read a lot.

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

What are you reading now?
The White Raven by Diana L Paxson

What’s next for you as a writer?
I fancied writing a romance novel

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 Lord of The Rings by Tolkein, Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen and the SAS Survival Handbook!

Author Websites and Profiles
Elizabeth Andrews Website
Elizabeth Andrews Amazon Profile

Elizabeth Andrews’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile
Facebook Profile
Twitter Account

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I am a South African author. Although I have always loved reading, I did not always envision myself as an author. I obtained my honors degree in biochemistry and pursued several years in teaching science to high school learners, before allowing myself to dream about being an author.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
My book’s name is : She’s as good as dead. I had the idea for my first book form over several years before I realized that it is a story that should be told. Before that, I mostly just wished that someone would write a story like the one in my head, because I wanted to read it!

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I write best when I am in my pajamas.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
My ultimate favorite author is Mary Higgins Clark. I have devoured every one of her books.

What are you working on now?
I am busy with the next book in the Lara Jones series (the sequel to She’s as good as dead).

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
Finding helpful websites such as AWESOME GANG.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
There will be many moments that you doubt that your novel is worth reading. Just make sure that it is something that you wish you could have read!

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
The line between impossible and the possible is never drawn for you.

What are you reading now?
I dug up some of Mary Higgins Clark’s books from before I was born, and I am currently reading them.

What’s next for you as a writer?
I hope to add several books to the Lara Jones series before figuring out which stories also needs to be told.

Author Websites and Profiles
Danielle Martinette Briers Amazon Profile

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I am originally from Bedford in England but I grew up in Middlesbrough.
In the mid-1950s, when I was four years old, my parents took me to Jamaica to live which must have planted the seed to travel in me, as I have been travelling ever since. I have lived in ten different countries and worked in five-star hotels and restaurants around the world as a chef. I have also worked on cruise ships, Antarctic supply ships, a gold mine in Papua New Guinea and the Falkland Islands after the war with Argentina. I have now retired to Thailand where I live on the beautiful island of Koh Samui and travel extensively throughout South East Asia researching my travel books.
I have written eight books in total, five of them in my Retirees Travel Guide Series. The first book I wrote in the series was the”The Retire in Thailand Handbook (The First Six Months)” and was published by Austin Macauley in November 2019,
My other three books are a novel; “Thai Died…Murder in Paradise” my biography, “You will never amount to anything” and “The Deptford Mask Murders” which tells the story of how in 1905 during a bungled robbery Alfred and Albert Stratton murdered two people and were later tried, convicted and hung when fingerprint evidence was allowed to be entered as evidence for the first time in the UK in a capital murder trial.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
The book is called Thai Died…(Coronavirus has came to Koh Samui but so has another killer). I started to write this book in April 2020 when I was in self-isolation after I contracted the coronavirus. For me, the virus was just like a normal dose of the flu, but for millions of people around the world they were not so lucky. While I was in lockdown and seeing the effect the virus was having on the world I decided to write a suspense novel that was centred on Covid-19 that would highlight the difficulties and frustrations that any police force would face when trying to solve a major crime during the worse pandemic in over 100 years, when most of the population, except for essential services were told by their governments to stay home to stop the virus from spreading. The book is about a murder in Koh Samui here in Thailand with links back to the notorious Ronald and Reggie Kray the foremost perpetrators of organised crime in the East End of London during the 1950s and 1960s.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
Being of a certain age I didn’t grow up with computers but I have certainly had to adapt to them since I started writing books. I do most of my writing thanks to a laptop and the wonders of Wifi sitting on a beach or around a swimming pool in Thailand or some other Southeast Asian country. Quite often when the sun is going down my inspiration is helped along with a cocktail or two.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
The first books I remember reading were the Just William series of books by Richmal Crompton. As I matured I read everything Charles Dickens wrote and all of The Hobbit series of books by J. R. R. Tolkien, I also loved Catch 22 by Joseph Heller. My daughter was born in 1974, and as she grew older I would read Watership Down by Richard Adams to her at bedtime. Looking back now it was probably a little scary for a little girl, but she loved the book as much as I did. Being at sea for much of my life, books were an important source of entertainment in the few leisure hours that you get working on a ship. I would read everything that I could get my hands on, from Agatha Christie to Ernest Hemingway, from Nevil Shute to Leslie Thomas. My favorite authors of today are James Lee Burke, Elmore Leonard, Dennis Lehane, Kate Atkinson, and Khaled Hosseini. I also like to read any travel-related books especially anything by Michael Palin and Bill Bryson. I don’t think any author actually influenced me; I just loved losing myself in a good book.

What are you working on now?
Now that the coronavirus travel restrictions have been lifted in Thailand, I am driving around the country doing research for my next book that will be about Thai women who work in the lady-bars and massage shops in Thailand, Its a tough job but someone has to do it.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I have recently published a website as it seems a necessity in this day and age. Apart from that, being a retiree and of that certain age I am not very knowledgeable about computers and social media, so I rely on word of mouth and hopefully my publisher getting my name out there. I know I must be missing out on many selling opportunities but I find the whole social media thing rather boring and time-consuming.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
As I am a new author myself there is not much advice that I can offer. Just keep doing what you’re doing; even if you don’t get published you’re still improving your mind, enjoying what you’re doing and fulfilling an ambition. My brother John, who was a much better writer than I will ever be, tried most of his life to get his books published and never succeeded. I wrote my second book in 2017 (the first book I wrote was never meant for publication) and I was offered a publishing contract for it within a few months of releasing it on Amazon. What I discovered since becoming an author is that getting a book published is quite often down to luck, being in the right place at the right time and of course writing a great book.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
“Travel whenever you can. The greatest experiences are seeing other cultures and getting a real perspective on life and the lives that other people lead”. Which is the way I have always tried to live my life. Many people live in a bubble and are not aware of what is happening in the world around them.
When I was in Cambodia recently researching my book, I spoke with a lady who was just forty-two years old the same age as my daughter. Her father was arrested, imprisoned and later killed by Pol Pot’s henchmen for the crime of being a teacher. When she was one year old, with her mother, older brother, and sister, they were forced marched 330 kilometres from their home in Phnom Penh to Sihanoukville to work on a communal farm. Her mother died along the way of sickness and malnutrition and she was separated from her brother and sister, and she would never to see them again. She was taken in and raised in impoverished conditions by another family who had befriended her mother on the long march south. Being born in Cambodia during those murderous days she had not had the opportunities in her life that my children or grandchildren have had. She had no education, no real family, and had been working as a prostitute since she was fourteen years old to survive. It certainly put everything in perspective for me. You don’t see the real world by watching it on the television.

What are you reading now?
I am going back to some of the books that I read when in my teens. I have just finished To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee and I have just started Catch 22 by Joseph Heller.

What’s next for you as a writer?
I normally write my books in the wet season here in Koh Samui (October until December) but because of the travel restrictions laid down by the Thai government and having to stay home over the last six months due to Covid-19 I have been unable to travel to do research. I am going to take a few months off to do some travelling and hopefully get inspiration for my next book about Thai working ladies.

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 Blah Story by Nigel Tomm. It’s reputed to be the longest book ever written. I am not sure if I would enjoy it but it has 7312 pages so it would last a while whilst waiting to be rescued. It’s probably cheating but I would take the boxed set of The Hobbit and Lord of the Rings. How to Survive on a Deserted Island by Tim O’Sheid would be invaluable and for a little light entertainment Adolf Hitler; My Part in His Downfall by Spike Milligan.

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