Awesome Author Interviews

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
“Let me tell you a few things about myself. Since moving to France, I have compared my life to that of a ball spinning on a roulette wheel. I have absolutely no idea where I am going to land up next and it still comes as a complete surprise when I find myself there. Debbie and I have been living in France now for nine years and in each of those nine years we have spent Christmas in a different place.”

“My father was a man who found it very difficult to settle in a job, so much so that when he got up in the morning, his mother used to say ‘What are you going to be today, son?’ Perhaps, it is no wonder that my CV is, how shall I say, so chequered.”

“I live in the south of France with my lovely wife, Debbie, where we seem to hop from working for one stupidly rich lunatic to the next.”

“During our time here we have been adopted by a wonderful dog, Guss, who is not only an amazing footballer but is also both adorable and affectionate. I have never seen a dog who understands people so well and can melt hearts within moments of meeting him.”

“My short-term memory is a shocker and although I have no problem recalling people’s faces, mannerisms and moods, extremely vividly, I couldn’t tell you the colour of the walls in this room, as I type. I have never kept a diary but as someone once put it, I don’t bear a grudge, I just remember the facts.”

“In my spare time I like to walk the hound, write, play games and eat nice food. I am useless with technology. I have no idea what an app is and haven’t a clue how to use social media. I don’t own a Smartphone – I have a brick.”

“I began to write my first book, Cookham to Cannes as I was sitting in our living room in La Garde Freinet. It, perhaps, sounds a cliché but I have always thought that I didn’t write the book – it wrote me. Sometimes, I think that things that happen to you in life can be so astonishing and unbelievable that there is no other way but to commit those thoughts to paper. It’s taken me three years to complete but I think it was worth it. Besides, writing the book was so much cheaper than seeing a psychiatrist.”

“I have written two books – Cookham To Cannes and Same Circus Different Clowns”

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
My latest book is called Same Circus Different Clowns and is a continuation of Cookham To Cannes

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
Not that I’m aware of.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
I’d say I’m more influenced by the strange behaviour of people living in this part of the world as opposed to authors or books.

What are you working on now?
I’m working on a novel based in the south of France.

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

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Don’t set out to write a book. Set out to tell a story. Once you have between 80,000 and 100,000 words you have enough to turn those words into a book. Be passionate about what you write. If you’re not, your readers will find you out very quickly. Finally, don’t rush the ending. Far too many times my wife, who reads much more than I do, has said, ‘It was really good until the end and then it just got stupid.’

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Don’t be put off by publishers’ rejection letters. It’s only an opinion – they’re not gods.

What are you reading now?
Not much if I’m honest. When I’m writing I try not to get distracted.

What’s next for you as a writer?
More scribbling…

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?
Any books that would teach me to build a boat

Author Websites and Profiles
Brent Tyler Website
Brent Tyler Amazon Profile

Brent Tyler’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
Dr. Isi Idemudia holds a Ph.D. in Technology Management, she is a dedicated learner and an advocate for girls to learn how to code. She has volunteered with several Organizations including Black Girls Code and Girls Who Code to empower over 1,000 Girls to Code. Dr. Isi is a Mother of two beautiful Girls, Ivana and Shelomi.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
Out of Africa & into the Cloud; Girls can Code too

I started teaching girls to code at my free time and doing that inspired me to write my memoir to encourage more girls to overcome their fears and get into technology.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I prefer to speak my book.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
chimamanda ngozi adichie

What are you working on now?
I Just Published my memoir and I want it to get to the hands of my audience and readers.

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

Do you have any advice for new authors?
just write and don’t look back. Don’t go back to edit until your first draft is completeled.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Give and it shall be given unto you.

What are you reading now?
Published by Chandler Bolt

What’s next for you as a writer?
I want to write a Technology Book to prpepare students for AWS certification.

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?
Hearing Gods Voice
Human + Machines

Author Websites and Profiles
Dr. Isi Idemudia Website
Dr. Isi Idemudia Amazon Profile

Dr. Isi Idemudia’s Social Media Links
Twitter Account

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I am avid about both reading and writing, and to date have written nearly 30 books with one in process. I love history, archaeology, nature, and music. I write in a variety of genres because I have so many interests and love to share my discoveries with others.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
My latest book to be released was Dominion: Joshua the Enforcer Chronicles of Israel Book 2. It is a series that is inspired by the Biblical Old Testament account of the establishment of the Jewish nation. There are a lot of adventures and memorable characters that I feel we can all learn lessons from; recipes for success in reaching goals, and what kind of mistakes we can avoid that would result in failure.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I love to write outdoors while dictating into my phone. I get a lot of inspiration from nature and have incorporated some of the vistas I have enjoyed into a lot of my books. I also like to check out pictures of famous places online and was so captivated by a picture from the Chatsworth Estate in England that I placed a small pond spanned by an arched bridge on the Estate into one of my books. It was a pivotal scene of a marriage proposal with an unexpected result and the setting was used to evoke the emotions of both of the characters, who were each stunned by the proposal and its outcome. Later I discovered that the Chatsworth Estate is the home of the Devonshire family, which Kathleen Kennedy, the sister of JFK, married into and near the cemetery where she is buried, and that Princess Diana was descended from that family. As the character in my book who received the proposal was a “princess” of a sort, it seemed only fitting that she be wooed in a setting with such regal and romantic historical associations.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
I love the books of C. S. Lewis, J. R. R. Tolkien, Edith Wharton, Gail Carson Levine, Louisa May Alcott, Isaac Asimov, and classic mythology to name a few. While they are widely diverse they have some important things in common: they weave spellbinding tales, have unforgettable characters that the reader cares about, and evoke points to ponder and meditate on long after the reader finishes the book.

What are you working on now?
I am presently working on 2 books. One is the third book in my Chronicles of Israel saga. It is placed in the context of the book of Judges and is full of adventure, featuring Biblical characters like Samson and Delilah, Ruth and Naomi, Gideon and his 300 warriors, etc. The other one will be the latest in my Princess Who series and will be released later this year. I won’t give away the plot as it is extremely unusual and I don’t want to divulge any spoilers. But as each of my Princess Who books is placed in another time and place, so it is with this one, which takes place in Scandinavia in the early nineteenth century.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I use Facebook, Amazon, Goodreads, and BookBub to promote a new release. I also do free promotions through a variety of websites and frequently gain new followers and reviews that help other readers discover my books.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Success doesn’t happen overnight. It takes perseverance and constantly perfecting your craft. Write from your heart and your book will find its reader. Don’t try for commercial success if it means compromising what you feel is your true style or genre. If you love romance or history, don’t attempt to write a horror or mystery novel just because it is a popular genre that you think will sell better.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Keep at it and don’t give up. J. K. Rowling had 34 rejections before Scholastic accepted Harry Potter. J. R. R. Tolkien spent 17 years writing The Lord of the Rings, even as his publisher kept reminding him that a sequel to The Hobbit was overdue. The success of these books showed that perseverance and perfecting the story paid off for these writers, and their books were enjoyed by millions of readers.

What are you reading now?
I am presently reading a book on the history of Scotland titled The Highland Clans, which chronicles the evolution of Scotland as a nation through the families that ruled it, and just finished Edith Wharton’s Custom of the Country, a book that I personally feel was an inspiration for Margaret Mitchell’s Gone with the Wind. I won’t give away the plot, but if you want to read about a heroine who was more ruthless than Scarlett O’Hara, this is the book for you. I believe that Undine Spragg, the heroine, is one of the great femme fatales in literature, and about as heartless as it’s possible to be. The ache of pity that is felt for her innocent and unsuspecting victims haunts the reader as she destroys their dreams and shatters their lives.

What’s next for you as a writer?
I hope to start a new fantasy trilogy next year, which will span many centuries and be placed in different cultures and locations. I already have the storyline in my head; it’s just a matter of getting it written down.

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 Bible, The Lord of the Rings, The Chronicles of Narnia, and an anthology of Gail Carson Levine, that wacky and witty twister of tales who gives a whole new insight to the world of faerie.

Author Websites and Profiles
L. M. Roth Amazon Profile

L. M. Roth’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile
Facebook Profile

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I grew up and I am still currently living just outside of Houston, Texas. I have a German Shepherd mix named Yoda (yes, I’m a major Star Wars nerd). I’ve always had a wild imagination (which I tended to get made fun of for by my classmates when I was younger), but I think that’s what helps me when it comes to writing my books. I primarily focus on fantasy and dystopian novels, but I also love to try and dabble in a little bit of everything whenever I can. I currently have five books out (three different series) and I’m working on releasing another.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
My sixth book is coming out in late October. It is a new adult/adult fantasy novel and it’s the first of its series. The book is called “The Light We Lost” and the series is called “The Stardust Circle”. Here’s the synopsis:
“Blood, death, and gore as far as the eye could see… and a High Priestess Serena standing on top of it all.”Nadia, Jade, Spencer, and Priamos have spent the best part of their lives trying to keep a massive part of who they were a secret. They kept themselves as separated from the rest of their coven as possible, not telling anyone about who they were – not even Priamos’ brother, Tempest, until he discovered he was already one of them. The number one rule for the entire group is very simple: absolutely no one can know about what sets them apart from the rest of the town. However, when the reigning High Priestess begins to lose her control over Wolf’s Hollow and the Stardust Circle, they realize that there’s a grave danger in Wolf’s Hollow and that they might just be the only ones that can put a stop to it.
This book all started because I was once in my college U.S. history class and my professor was telling us the story about what happened with Thomas Jefferson and John Adams died and uttered the phrase “Jefferson still lives”. He told us that we couldn’t write a story about it because no one would believe it and my only response was “but can I try?” Then, a few months later, I started toying with the idea of a bunch of characters that had memories from significant historical events, and eventually, The Stardust Circle was born.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
Not that I can think of. I try not to have too many things that I absolutely HAVE to do when I can write. It makes it too hard for me to write otherwise.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
My absolute favorite author is S.E. Hinton. I read “The Outsiders” when I was in eighth grade, extremely depressed, and contemplating suicide and I strongly credit that book for being one of the things that saved my life. I also took in a lot of her writing style as inspiration when I was trying to form my own writing style. So, she’s pretty influential to me I would say.

What are you working on now?
I’m currently working on a trilogy that takes place in a kingdom that lives like they’re still in the Victorian era. It’s been on the back burner for almost a year, but I’m finally getting back to it.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
I would say to stop worrying if someone will love your story. At the end of the day, always make sure that you’re writing for yourself and what you need (or what you needed when you were part of your target age group), then worry about publication later. If you’re truly passionate about your work, then someone else will be passionate about it, too.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
“A short story must have a single mood and every word must build towards it.” I believe it’s from Edgar Allan Poe. I don’t even write short stories all that often, but I find it helps with my novels quite a bit, too.

What are you reading now?
“Home” by Julie Andrews!

What’s next for you as a writer?
Writing more books. I don’t think I’ll ever stop writing more books.

If you were going to be stranded on a desert island and allowed to take 3 or 4 books with you what books would you bring?
“The Outsiders” by S.E. Hinton, “To Kill a Mockingbird” by Harper Lee, “Go Set a Watchman” by Harper Lee, and “Great Expectations” by Charles Dickens

Author Websites and Profiles
Abbie Payne Website
Abbie Payne Amazon Profile

Abbie Payne’s Social Media Links
Facebook Profile
Twitter Account

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
Thom Young is a writer from Texas. His work has been in PBS Newshour, The Wall Street Journal, The Oxford Review, and over a hundred literary journals. A 2008 Million Writers Award and 2016 Pushcart Prize nominee. His work was recently featured in the Friction Series in over 700 Barnes and Noble locations. You can follow him @tyypoet on IG.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
the Loser in the Static It has several influences from the Catcher in the Rye, On the Road, and The Outsiders. It’s a dark high school outsider romance.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
No except writing comes easy and I generally think first thought is best thought.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
There’s too many to list but Bukowski, John and Dan Fante, Mark Safranko, Hubert Selby, and Hesse are big influences.

What are you working on now?
A collection of short stories called Madness.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
Social media at times and of course Awesome Gang. I think it’s important to connect with readers first before you build a brand and really starting promoting your books.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Just keep writing and find a niche audience that will connect with you and enjoy reading your work.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Maybe Bukowski ‘Don’t try’ because he means go all the way if you want to do something.

What are you reading now?
I am reading Demian by Hesse right now as well as some books about the Apaches.

What’s next for you as a writer?
Keep submitting my work to agents and focusing on writing poetry.

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?
Beneath the Wheel by Hesse, The Bible, and Play the Devil by Scott Laudati

Author Websites and Profiles
Thom Young Website
Thom Young Amazon Profile

Thom Young’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile
Twitter Account

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I have published two books to date.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
Diya Aur Baati Hum – This book was inspired by the unsung heroes of our nation. It is a love saga with a beautiful story plot.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I generally write late night after everyone in the house is asleep. A cup of coffe and something to munch makes the experience better 🙂

What authors, or books have influenced you?
I am an avid reader from a very young age. I started reading Enid Blyton, Nancy Drew, Hardy Boys and later continued with Sidney Sheldon, Mario Puzo, Robin Cook and many more. But I was greatly influenced by our Indian authors especially Sarath Chandra Chatterjee and Sri Rabindranath Tagore.

What are you working on now?
I am working on my next novel which is based on complex relationships. The story is set in the city of Kolkata, India and revolves around three childhood friends.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I have a storytelling Facebook group and over the time I have more than 2K readers. That is my primary promoting area. And various promotion groups on Facebook also helps.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Just write. You will never write if you think it will not be good enough. I am saying this because sometimes when I read my story, I wonder if actually I have written it.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
You might write a story that may feel similar or familiar, but don’t stop, because you haven’t written it in your words.

What are you reading now?
Outlander by Diana Gabaldon.

What’s next for you as a writer?
Not sure, I never plan ahead. I am spontaneous.

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?
Datta by Sarathchandra Chatterjee
Choker Bali by Sri Rabindranath Tagore
If Tomorrow Comes by Sidney Sheldon.
Love Story by Eric Segal.

Author Websites and Profiles
Snehlata Agarwala Amazon Profile

Snehlata Agarwala’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile
Facebook Profile
Twitter Account
Pinterest Account

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I was born in South Africa to British stock. My Grandparents emigrated from Scotland to South Africa after WWII. I have lived in 8 countries in total, and travelled to over 40. I spent almost a decade in the British Army and retired as a Captain. I have always wanted to be an author. My debut, an espionage-revenge thriller called Blood Feud is out now, I have three more in the same series currently in progress.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
Blood Feud. It is the first book in the Stirling Hunt thriller series. While I was a Captain in the British Army, I had this image of a brutal murder on a ranch in Rhodesia, now Zimbabwe. It is an unfortunately all too common occurrence, and something that has even grabbed the attention of the office of the President in the United States. The idea flourished from there. The image of this child running out into the night, while his parents are murdered in the darkness behind him … What would he do if he grew up, and had the skills to investigate the murder; and do something about it?

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I don’ know! I don’t think so.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
I am fortunate that my mother was a very wide reader. We were always fortunate to have books in the house, I grew up reading fiction books about Africa mostly, Alan Paton’s Cry the Beloved Country, Wilbur Smith’s Courtney series, Christopher Sherlock’s Hyena Dawn, Jeffery Archer’s early novels, are the ones I remember from a young age. I started reading more non-fiction, like Andy McNab’s Bravo Two Zero and Immediate Action as a teenager. I also read Hunter S. Thompson as a teenager, The Rum Diary is a very underrated first novel. And I loved, and still love, reading Hemingway. The Sun Also Rises is by far my favourite novel, closely followed by his Nobel Prize winning; The Old Man and the Sea. Elmore Leonard is someone I have a newfound appreciation for as a new author. His novel Out of Sight is very funny. A man’s got to take a lot of punishment to write a really funny book.

What are you working on now?
I am working on a prequel to the events in Blood Feud called Dangerous Cargo, from when Stirling Hunt was still a still an ambitious Regimental Intelligence Officer in the Special Boat Service (SBS). The SBS are a bit like the US Navy SEALs. It is based on the true story about a nighttime raid on a suspected terrorist cargo ship in the English Channel.

I am also working on the second in the Stirling Hunt thriller series called Black Beach, about a rescue mission in a west African country. It is full of intrigue and danger, with lots of twists and turns.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I don’t really know yet! I am still learning all about trying to market myself and my stories. I am just enjoying writing book that people seem to enjoy right now. The feedback from people who have read Blood Feud has been very, very positive and it gives me encouragement to keep going. One man from America thanked me ‘for a great weekend’, and the thought of bringing someone that much joy makes me very happy.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Find your favourite author, and try to beat the best thing they have written.
Every writer has learned their craft the hard way, by chipping away at it, like a block of marble. So, chip away at it, but you must love what you are doing, because the process never ends, we are all just at different stages of the journey.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Be yourself, everyone else is taken.

What are you reading now?
I keep getting halfway through and then re-reading Thomas Harris’ Silence of the Lambs. A remarkably well written piece of genre fiction which transcends the boundary between ‘literary fiction’ and ‘thriller’ writing.

What’s next for you as a writer?
Onwards and upwards I hope. I aim to have four Stirling Hunt espionage thrillers published by Christmas time.

If you were going to be stranded on a desert island and allowed to take 3 or 4 books with you what books would you bring?
I would bring The Sun Also Rises.

I would bring The Rum Diary.

I would bring Blood Feud (my own novel, to remember the ‘good times’).

And a wad of notebooks to capture my adventures on the island.

Author Websites and Profiles
Stewart Clyde Website
Stewart Clyde Amazon Profile

Stewart Clyde’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile
Facebook Profile
Twitter Account

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
Many people have unfulfilled dreams. I am very fortunate. After many false starts, Books We Love accepted my novels for publication. For as long as I can remember I have enjoyed writing stories and reading historical fiction and non-fiction. I think it was inevitable that I should combine these interests and write romantic historical fiction in which I recreate times past and keep the hero and heroine’s bedroom door shut. My novels are set in the early 14th, 18th and 19th centuries. The first three chapters of my eleven published novels are on my website, where you can learn more about me.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
Saturday’s Child will be published in July, 2020. It is the last of my series of stand alone novels, Heroines Born on Different Days of the Week. When I wrote the first one, Sunday’s Child, I did not plan the series, but I liked the idea of using the nursery rhyme to create characters and their circumstances. Annie, Saturday’s Child, ‘who works hard for a living’. Her story is inspired by the desperate financial situation of soldiers not eligible for a pension for war wounds, when they became unemployed after the Battle of Waterloo.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
If I don’t stick to a routine I find it very difficult to motivate myself to continue my work in progress.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
Oh, I have read so many books that this is almost impossible to answer. The famous Indian classics, The Bhagavadgita As It Is by A.C.Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, The Mahabharata and The Ramayana have given me food for thought. I enjoy contemporary authors Bernard Cornwall, Elizabeth Chadwick and Barbara Erskine’s novels. I also enjoy the works of Elizabeth Goudge, Georgette Heyer and Mary Stuart. I also read Historical non-fiction.

What are you working on now?
I am researching and writing character profiles for Grace, Damsel of Cassio, the sequel to Yvonne, Lady of Cassio, set in the early years of Edward III’s reign, which I hope will be published in 2021.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I upload posts on facebook, my facebook page and facebook groups to publicise myself as an author and my novels. I also depend on reviews to help potential readers decide whether they would like to read my books.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
If your goal is to find a publisher, persevere. No matter how interesting your plot and theme are write to the best of your ability. A writer’s group and an online critique group which offer constructive comments helps and so do books on how to write.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Don’t say you could write a book. Write it.

What are you reading now?
Edward III by Ian Mortimer and Lancelot by Giles Christian

What’s next for you as a writer?
At the moment, I have more ideas for novels than I have time to write, but I would like hope give a twist in the tale in a novel about Vikings.

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 Bhagavad Gita, The single volume of The Srimad Bhagavatam, and, maybe, Gone With The Wind and The Far Pavilions.

Author Websites and Profiles
Rosemary Morris Website
Rosemary Morris Amazon Profile
Rosemary Morris Author Profile on Smashwords

Rosemary Morris’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile
Facebook Profile
Twitter Account

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
My name is Shelly Lawson. I was born with a condition called hydrocephalus.

I have two books published, and 4 more that are coming out this year.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
Like I said, I have 4 books coming out. The last one that was actually published to date, Mother of the Groom, is the second one in my Copake Lake Mysteries series.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I go back and forth between typing and writing with pen and paper. It helps with my writer’s block.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
A Ring of Endless Light by Madeleine L’Engle. Also, Where The Heart Is by Billie Letts. The Encounters of Short Arisings series by Denice Enoch Craton.

What are you working on now?
I’m working on a book called The Solomon Conundrum. It’s about a teenage girl who leaves her foster home to find her birth mother.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I haven’t found too good of one yet. I’m hoping that this one is good.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Keep at it, no matter what. If you get stuck, I’ve also published a short report on 5 Foolproof Methods to Squashing Writer’s Block.

What are you reading now?
Julie and Julia.

What’s next for you as a writer?
I have a project I’m calling The Solomon Conundrum that I’m hoping to release in August.

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?
A Ring of Endless Light by Madeleine L’Engle
A guide on how to live on a desert island
The Bible
Pride and Prejudice

Author Websites and Profiles
Shelly Lawson Website

Shelly Lawson’s Social Media Links
Facebook Profile
Twitter Account

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I am a lifelong writer and have worked in film and sports. After exploring those and several other outlets for meh craft, I decided to focus on what I’ve always wanted to do, which is write books. I released by first novel, Syndrome, on January 14, 2020.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
My aforementioned novel, Syndrome, spawned from stories I heard while visiting family where the story takes place. People in Nevada do see strange things, particularly the lights you may have heard about. After hearing several of these tales in person, I immediately began an outline that turned into my first novel.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
Because of my training in film, I have a tendency to get caught up in what’s going on in my stories to where they have a screenplay feel. In fact, one reviewer pointed that out and said that Syndrome read like a movie, a very good movie. I’m working on spicing things up with more of a novel feel in my next book. However, I think my experience in screenwriting does to a lot to keep the action flowing, as well as add depth to my characters. One thing my film experience does provide is my ability to keep close track of plot threads.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
Michael Crichton has always been my main go-to for inspiration. I read Jurassic Park when I was 16, and decided that one day if I ever do write books that I will tell that kind of a story.

What are you working on now?
I’m in the middle of my second book, Cabin Number 4. I originally intended it to be a horror novella, but now the story is expanding enough to where it could become a novel. After writing Syndrome, I took a good look at my process, tackled it, and now I’m breezing through this one.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I have tested the waters online, particularly in social media. I’ve found that Instagram has been the best platform because of how easy it is to reach the average person. In places like Twitter and Facebook, promotion often leads to other authors. That’s still good for getting one’s name out there and gaining a following. However, Instagram is where I’ve been able to find readers.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Watch our writing process. Keep track of it, and go over it every time you finish your work. The more you do that, the smoother each project will become.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
“The first draft go anything is shit.” — Ernest Hemingway

What are you reading now?
I’m reading 1984, and also juggle that with recent books from indie authors.

What’s next for you as a writer?
I’m rebuilding my book collection, and have quickly added a lot of great works. In addition to that, I’m already getting close to finishing my next book and releasing it, possibly earlier than originally planned.

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?
Jurassic Park by Michael Crichton
The Shining by Stephen King
Frankenstein by Mary Shelley
The Heart of Darkness by Joseph Conrad
The Martian by Andy Weir

Author Websites and Profiles
Ryan Krol Website
Ryan Krol Amazon Profile

Ryan Krol’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile
Facebook Profile
Twitter Account

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
LOST HELIX is my debut novel but I have had some success as a short story writer. My first published story, “Firewall,” appeared in Nth Degree Magazine in 2006. “Enduring Winter” was a finalist in the Writers of the Future Awards, won Second Place in the New England SciFi Writers Assn Contest 2016, and was published in Bewildering Stories, Issue 849, March 2020.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
LOST HELIX is inspired by my work as an Army Intelligence Analyst and as a programmer for a major bank.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I write for long blocks of time. To give my brain a break, I often stop and play an arcade game. I have Ms. Pac Man, Galaga, a fifty-eight more in a cocktail cabinet.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
My ideas often come from asking the question, “Yeah, but what next?” Terraforming is a recurring concept in science fiction, like in James S. A. Corey’s Leviathan Wakes, but what happens when the planet is done? How does humanity go about populating it? The world of Lost Helix is my answer to that question. Another source of inspiration was the video game Sid Meier’s Civilization. Every time I built the domed spaceship bound for Alpha Centauri, I wondered what would become of it after the colonists stripped it for parts and left its remains in orbit. In Lost Helix, I give my science victory colony ships a second life as a farm, feeding the miners of Stone River.

What are you working on now?
I have other novels in the works and more short stories too. Once people have had a chance to read and enjoy Lost Helix, I will be ready to give them more. I also have promotional events being planned for Lost Helix. To find out where to read more of my work and where I will be appearing, visit www.ScottCoonSciFi.com and sigh up for my mailing list.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
That is somethign I am still learning. I’m guided by my publisher, Dancing Lemur Press, for which I am very grateful. To learn more about marketing, I turn to YouTube stars like iWriterly and Jenna Morice.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Learn. Learn the art. Learn the business. Then assume that everything changed while you weren’t looking and learn it all again. Modern readers are different from just twenty years ago. Learn what publishers and readers want now, both in content and presentation. But not in trend.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Before you can write a good novel, you have to write three or more bad ones. I read that in a forward written by Piers Anthony in his forward. Always read the author’s forward. They sometimes tell you something useful about being a writer.

What are you reading now?
I am currently reading and loving Dark Eden by Chris Beckett. Set on a planet that has escaped its star and the galaxy, the stranded humans survive thanks to the biochemical heat of the indigenous fauna.

What’s next for you as a writer?
Keep writing. I have other novels in the works and more short stories too. Once people have had a chance to read and enjoy Lost Helix, I will be ready to give them more. I also have promotional events being planned for Lost Helix. To find out where to read more of my work and where I will be appearing, visit www.ScottCoonSciFi.com and sigh up for my mailing list.

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, the one book I’ve read more than any other. Ready Player One, it’s all the pop culture I’ve ever loved taking on a corrupt corporation–what’s not to love. Hocus Pocus, the best of Kurt Vonnegut.

Author Websites and Profiles
Scott Coon Website
Scott Coon Amazon Profile
Scott Coon Author Profile on Smashwords

Scott Coon’s Social Media Links
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Facebook Profile
Twitter Account

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
Hello, I live in the UK (East Sussex) I have been married for eight years to my wonderful husband Luke (even though he annoys me daily) we have a three year old Son together, he will be four in August then starting school (which is so scary.) as of right now I have one Book out but hoping to have another out soon and so on (fingers crossed.)

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
My book is called Guarding My Heart, which is a romance/erotica Novel.
I started writing it around five years ago and it all started with a dream I kept having that wouldn’t go away, so I started to write it down. I never done well in school so I didn’t think I could write a book but it kept playing on me so I gave it ago. Now believe me, no one wants to read my first ever draft of it, it was bad but yet I manage to find the story out of it. So I gave it another go then put it to the side not thinking anyone would ever want to read it. But on a family bbq my husband told my nanny Sue what I had been up too and she wanted to read it. I was scared to hand it over as I was the only one who had read it and knew all the naughty bits that were in there and I was letting my Nan read it (shocked face) but I really own it to her as she read it and gave me so much feedback that really helped me out then she paid for it to get edited. After that I felt more confident to keep writing so I have been. My book is out now all thanks to my supporting family.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
Eating chocolate (which I don’t think is unusual, just bad!) sometimes when I’m stuck on a scene I pop my earphones in and play lots of music as I try to figure it out.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
Well the first book I ever read from start to finish and fell in love with, was the twilight sage by Stephenie Meyer. That will always be my favourite then on from there of course fifty shades of grey that’s when I decided to add sex into my books. I also love Anna Todd (after) Jodi Ellen Malpas (this man) I love Giovanna Fletchers books (Billy and Me) and everything else that catches my eye. I’m a sucker for love and sex (wink face)

What are you working on now?
Right now I have just sent my second book off to be edited which is the next one on from my first book and I am just going over the third (possibly finial) of these books.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
Well I’m still figuring that out for myself. Facebook, Twitter, goodreads. I think you have to just keep it going but always talk to your readers, be friends with them because when it comes down to it they are the ones that keep your story’s alive.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Enjoy what you do, don’t write for anyone else. You need to fall in love with your own story otherwise no on else will!

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Write for yourself! I know you need people to buy your book but they want your heart and soul into it otherwise it’s a lost cause.

What are you reading now?
Right now I have just finished , ‘then you happened’ by K Bromberg which is great I have also read all her other books and her film on Passionflix! (Which is a great place to watch books become films) also Jodi new releases are fantastic.
Also I have just finished the second book to Eve of Man by Giovanna and Tom Fletcher (fantastic)

What’s next for you as a writer?
To keep writing! If I could do it full time I would!

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?
First of all my own book! (if you don’t like your own story’s you shouldn’t be writing)
twilight!
Billy and Me (Giovanna Fletcher)
Fifty shades darker!

Author Websites and Profiles
Nadine Hall Website
Nadine Hall Amazon Profile

Nadine Hall’s Social Media Links
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Facebook Profile
Twitter Account

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I live in Manchester, UK, with my partner Christiane. My first published book was in 2013, an account of a strange journey through Mongolia. I started writing short stories after that, and have recently published my first novel.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
My latest book is called The Liberty Arms. It started life as a couple of paragraphs describing a character, Benson. It graduated into a short story. That should have been that, but I found I couldn’t let it go, and it became a novel. My aim was to imagine a world in which the type of conflict situations most of us only see on the news, happen here, now, and to us.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
It depends on what you call unusual, I guess. I always write on paper first. I edit a lot. I find my most creative time to be first thing in the morning, although I am very bad at sticking to that.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
That’s a difficult one. Every book I’ve ever read, good or bad, has probably influenced me to some extent. I’m very bad at remembering the books I’ve loved, unfortunately. I was obsessed with Crime and Punishment when I was younger – I couldn’t believe how urgent it felt to read. I also loved Gilead by Marilynne Robinson, which was completely different.

What are you working on now?
I’ve started on a sequel to The Liberty Arms, exploring what happens to the characters in the future, and delving a little deeper into their pasts.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
This is my first time promoting a book so I can’t answer, sorry!

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Hmmm. There is A LOT of advice out there, and I’m not sure if I should add to it. Just try to write for the enjoyment of writing, and not for any other reasons – fame, fortune, etc.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Writing is rewriting.

What are you reading now?
An American Marriage by Tayari Jones

What’s next for you as a writer?
Just keeping on writing, hopefully.

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?
Too difficult to answer, sorry!

Author Websites and Profiles
Jack Fisher Website
Jack Fisher Amazon Profile

Jack Fisher’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile
Facebook Profile
Twitter Account

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
My memoir called Life in the Shadows chronicles my journey overcoming PTSD, addiction and childhood sexual abuse. IT’S A STORY OF LOVE, RESILIENCE, RECOVERY, STRENGTH AND ABOVE ALL A TESTAMENT THAT THERE IS LIFE AFTER TRAUMA. My book offers a rare and courageous glimpse into the devastating and complex nature of traumatic injury from childhood sexual abuse and all of its associated symptoms. You will witness first-hand how our survival instincts can help us live through the unlivable and then cope with the aftermath and are reminded of the power of meaningful connection in bringing healing, purpose and possibility into our lives. And perhaps, most importantly, we are shown by vivid example that it is possible to heal from trauma.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
Life in the Shadows, A Journey Overcoming PTSD, Addiction and Childhood Sexual Abuse

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
no unusual writing habits

What authors, or books have influenced you?
I’m not a reader

What are you working on now?
thinking of a sequel

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
https://lifeintheshadows18073102.wordpress.com
https://www.facebook.com/50nancylegere/

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Marketing takes a lot of work and dedication for self published authors

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Bring your best self everyday no matter where you are in life

What are you reading now?
not currently reading

What’s next for you as a writer?
a possible sequel to my memoir

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 be more inclined to sit and ponder while looking at the skies or water than read

Author Websites and Profiles
Nancy Legere Website

Nancy Legere’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile
Facebook Profile

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
Louise is a #1 international best-selling author, Psychotherapist, Clinical Hypnotherapist, BWRT Specialist, councilor and NLP Master Coach. She helps women globally heal their past wounds so that they stop living in the past and become the very best versions of themselves.

She specilaises in helping women heal the relationship with themselves so they see themselves with a new perspective, showing up in the world in a new light, seeing others for who they truly are whilst creating a future they once felt was impossible. This transformation allows them to create incredible deep connections with those people who are important to them.

Louise runs an extremely busy psychotherapy practice online, offering private sessions, group coaching and online courses as well as managing a very interactive Face book Group.

She has been happily married to Ian for over 31 years, enjoys the company of her three gorgeous grown up children and adores walking her dog Bella, cycling, skiing, sailing and yoga.

Louise has suffered very destructive relationships throughout her life but has learnt how to heal the past and now enjoys a life where she can at last be herself. It’s this transformation that drives her to help others; she aims to spread her message across the world to anyone who is ready and open for change.

Louise has written 2 books.

For more information, visit
www.louise-armstrong.com

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
Change How You See Yourself Today – A Journey of Healing to Stop Feeling Angry, Accept Your Past and Live Your Best Life.
I was inspired by my phenomenal transformation in my personal life and those I have helped over many years.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
Brene Browne and Joe Dispenza

What are you working on now?
A book on financial abundance

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

 

Author Websites and Profiles
Louise Armstrong Website
Louise Armstrong Amazon Profile

Louise Armstrong’s Social Media Links
Facebook Profile
Twitter Account

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I am just an everyday guy who has had a lot of challenges in life, mainly due to illness and the lack of physical ability my body offers me. I have a disease called sarcoidosis that causes me to suffer a lot. Sarcoidosis is a very rare disease that essentially makes my body destroy itself. My immune system overreacts to even the slightest foreign body it comes across, instead of killing the foreign body and stopping it attacks my healthy tissue and effectively tries to kill me. After battling this for over the last ten years I have had to give up almost all of my physical activity. I have gone from a bike-riding rock climbing outdoors type person to a guy stuck at home behind a computer. But I remain positive! I will never give up, This is what made me start writing, I want to learn how to express myself in a new way, I also grew up dyslexic and as you can probably imagine this is not the best thing for a budding writer. So at the moment, I am focusing on short quirky stories that are a bit of fun in hopes of overcoming the challenges I face and in an endeavor to support my family the way I used to when I was physically able. my grammar might be terrible and my spelling might be rubbish but I will try my best to make this work! you might be wondering why I want to do this and I bet my answer will surprise you. I was once told that saying yes more often leads to more fun and enjoyment in life. One day my head said ” what if I wrote a book” I said yes! So I am doing this just for the sheer hell of it. or in other words, I am doing this for fun. so yeah! A combination of needing a new way to express myself and the never-ending search for fun and enjoyment is the reason why you are reading this now, even though I hate my illness I am also quite thankful for it. It challenges me and forces me to do things I would never have done without it. trying these new things makes me happy even if they fail, the journey along the way is an experience I am glad I am still here to have.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
My latest book is called It’s not a turtle, I was inspired to write this book after seeing my children shouting random rhyming words back and forth at each other at the top of their voices, I had just decided that I was going to write a book to try a new way of expressing myself and being creative in a way I had never tried before. The minute I heard my kids shouting rhyming words at each other something just clicked and I said to myself ”I’m going to write a quirky rhyming picture book”. At first, it was just going to be a book for kids but then I thought nahh let’s make this a book for all ages to enjoy.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I don’t think I have any unusual writing habits, but I do like to think out of the box now and then and a lot of my family and friends think I am strange, so maybe I do but I just don’t see it in myself.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
Kevin Smith. I have always liked how Kevin smith writes, his quirky style and outlandish ideas. I am more of a film buff that a book buff. I like to listen to what people have written and admired the writing styles of many film scriptwriters such as David and Jerry Zucker and Jim Abrahams who wrote Naked Gun. who doesn’t like a bit of Frank Drebin police squad!

What are you working on now?
Now that would be telling. let me surprise you 🙂

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
So far it’s Amazon and of course the Awesome gang! The Awesome Gang are winning so far in my book. They are the first to ever interview me!

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Just do it! Don’t worry, have fun! saying yes to more and more things in life really does make you happier. of course, you have to use common sense, but writing a book is all good.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
The best advice I ever heard was… don’t run behind a car, you will get exhausted! haha Nah…
It was actually to not worry so much about the consequences when you want to say yes, then say it, when you want to do something, just do it, ignore people saying things like that’s a bad idea and I wouldn’t try that because of (add excuse here), No matter what you try in life their will always be people telling you not to try it, but if you don’t try it you will never know what you might have achieved!

What are you reading now?
I am about to read. The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*Ck: A Counterintuitive Approach to Living a Good Life, It sounds like something we should all be doing and if it’s written well, I can see it being a best seller!

What’s next for you as a writer?
I am not sure yet, the future is uncertain.. just the way I like it. One thing is for sure though, if I am still here tomorrow you can bet I will be trying something new, even if it is just a new painkiller.

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’m not sure, there are millions to choose from, I suppose with what is happening in our world right now, any book that is made of good quality paper. that way if I don’t like them.. at least I’ve got toilet paper.

Author Websites and Profiles
John Cartwright Amazon Profile

 

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I’m an author from Derry, a small town in Northern Ireland. Currently, I only wrote one book, ‘The Boy Who Saw In Colours, ‘ and it’s set to be released on May 8th for pre-order. I’m a journalism student, so facts are pivotal. I spent over five years researching and writing my novel, even going as far as learning German.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
The Boy Who Saw In Colours follows the story of a young boy, Josef, growing up amid Nazi uprising. When his family is torn apart, and he and his brother are sent to an elite public school, Josef learns to express himself in the only way he knows how- painting.

The inspiration stemmed from a photo I saw of a young boy crying. When I looked into it further, I realised that he was German and in the SS at sixteen. I wondered what had he seen? What did he go through?
A lot of these children can be villainised, but I don’t think they deserved to be taken in by hatred. They were victims.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
Not particularly. I enjoy writing in the library, as it’s the only place I can let my thoughts wander.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
The two authors that come to mind are Louisa May Alcott and Harper Lee. When I think of these women, I think about power. Both wrote about topics that a lot of people say women shouldn’t write about. They challenged societal norms and went against the grain. They had a story to tell and weren’t going to let anyone stop them.

What are you working on now?
My heart is still very much with The Boy Who Saw In Characters, but I am working on a novel set in my own hometown.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I find Twitter to be the most useful site for promoting. You can connect with people who are interested in the topics you write.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Just write. Don’t write for your friends, the critics or even a particular audience. Write for yourself. The right novel will find people when they need it the most.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Write simple stories about complex characters.

I think about that often.

What are you reading now?
I’m currently reading All The Light We Cannot See, which is a historical fiction novel I somehow missed!

What’s next for you as a writer?
I’m working on a new novel set amid ‘the troubles’ in Northern Ireland. It will be very interesting to write about the history of my hometown.

 

Author Websites and Profiles
Lauren Robinson Website

Lauren Robinson’s Social Media Links
Facebook Profile
Twitter Account

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I have been involved in the field of writing from past ten years. I used to develop content for website mainly in the field of lifestyle, relationship, health and self-help. I started writing eBooks about a year ago and since then I have written 3 eBooks.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
My latest book is called, ‘And There I Lived’, which is a collection of seven short stories. I like reading slice of life kind of short stories, and that gave me an idea to try my hand at it. My friends and family believed I had a flair for writing fiction. That inspired me the most to start writing a book.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I wouldn’t call it a particularly unusual habit, but while writing I like to sit in a room whose door and windows are closed and there is absolute pin drop silence with no one else in that room.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
My favourite authors are Dan Brown, Agatha Christie and Jeffrey Archer. I would say that I was particularly inspire by Jeffrey Archer’s short stories.

What are you working on now?
I am working on my next book, which will also be a compilation of short stories. Most of the stories in the book will cater to the genre of mystery, yet it will be a contemporary fiction.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
The best method to promote books is by spreading word through social media. Collaboration with bloggers that cater to your niche also helps. Promotional websites too can be of great help.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
My advice to the new authors would be to not follow a fad or try to imitate another author. If you wish to create original and unique content, you’ve got to be true to your own writing style. Believe in yourself.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
The best advice I received was from a friend, who said this quote to me which helped me pursue my goals relentlessly. The quote was: “Quitters never win and winners never quit.”

What are you reading now?
I’m currently reading Ruskin Bond’s My favourite Nature Stories.

What’s next for you as a writer?
I would like to write a full-length novel, instead of a collection of short stories. That requires great patience and commitment, and I would like to explore my abilities in that area.

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 to be stranded on an island, I would carry Jeffrey Archer’s The Fourth Estate, and Paths of Glory, along with Dan Brown’s Point of Deception and Agatha Christie’s The Murder of Roger Ackroyd

Author Websites and Profiles
Richa Kumar Amazon Profile