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Jess Chua

Interview With Author Jess Chua

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
Hello! I'm a content specialist and award-winning essayist/sketch artist. I write poetry and flash fiction in my free time.

My debut poetry chapbook, "let it rip," was recently published by Bottlecap Press.

I've been sitting on a dark fiction chapbook. It's a little messy and disjointed, so it may not see the light of day for some time.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
"let it rip" is the title of my latest book, a poetry chapbook.

It's a collection of micropoetry inspired by the low points of my past relationship experiences. Some took a lot of pensive reflection, while some were written very quickly and intensely in a matter of minutes.

Here's an excerpt from the official blurb:

"Jess Chua’s debut poetry chapbook takes a deep dive into the breakup experience, breaking down years of turmoil and turbulence with clean precision."

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I like quiet surroundings most of the time, but I enjoy energetic music in the background when I need some motivation.

And I can be all over the place when it comes to idea generation, but I like to stay organized through spreadsheets.

Astrologically speaking, I'm a Virgo Sun and Pisces Moon (with a Libra Mercury), so there's always a strong sense of opposing energies within my personality.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
My favorite authors include Edgar Allan Poe and J. G. Ballard.

I'm enjoying reading and learning from a bunch of contemporary chapbooks by poets like SJ Sindu and Stacy Gnall.

What are you working on now?
I'm working on a little bit of marketing/promotion for my chapbook.

I'm trying to be more intentional and focused with my writing projects. I had a half-completed horror short story collection which needs some editing. I'm planning on going through my notes to have a clearer plan of action.

There's also a writing conference that I'm looking forward to joining in November.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I've met lots of cool writers via Twitter/X.

I enjoy maintaining my author website, though I probably should have a slightly more regular blogging schedule.

I self-published several books long ago under a pen name. The social media scene has changed a lot since then. I try to be thoughtful with marketing and promotion in terms of budgeting, genre/category, and what my goals are.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Keep an open mind, be true to yourself, and know what your goals or priorities are.

Always strive to have good time management skills, especially when there are lots of distractions around us on a daily basis.

Be thoughtful before you spend money on something, whether it's related to writing or something else in life. I lacked basic personal finance skills when I was younger—that portion of my life was rather stressful and without much direction as a result.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Set clear goals and create healthy habits.

I learned that from a Brian Tracy book. He has a lot of great life and productivity tips.

What are you reading now?
"The King of Style: Dressing Michael Jackson" by Michael Bush.

I've been reading this book for months, a few pages at a time. It's a gorgeous art/photography book with so many details!

What’s next for you as a writer?
Getting organized with my goals.

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 bring wilderness and survival skills books as I have woefully little outdoor living experience.

Author Websites and Profiles

Jess Chua Website

Jess Chua’s Social Media Links

E.M. Johnson Amazon Profile

Pinterest Account

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E.M. Johnson

Interview With Author E.M. Johnson

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I am a retired teacher and have a special interest in animal welfare. I have written one book.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
I have recently written my first book Imperfect Lives, Perfect Grace the story of Leah and Tamar. I was inspired by Leah and her story, a story that is sometimes misunderstood. She is so much more that many people know about her.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
Nothing really unusual. I do a lot of work late at night and early morning.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
Alice Walker and her book of poems, Once and Earnest Gaines with the autobiography of Ms Jane Pittman.

What are you working on now?
A Christian Education Handbook

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

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Learn as much as you can about book promotion, writing is just the beginning.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Don't say you want to be a writer, say you are a writer.

What are you reading now?
Revival: God’s Explosive Intervention by David Fleming

What’s next for you as a writer?
Writing a devotional book

If you were going to be stranded on a desert island and allowed to take 3 or 4 books with you what books would you bring?
Bible; Bible commentary; A book on American History; Elements of Style

Author Websites and Profiles

E.M. Johnson Website

E.M. Johnson’s Social Media Links

Troy Hollan Amazon Profile

Author Interview Series

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Troy Hollan

Interview With Author Troy Hollan

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I've written a few short stories and articles for online and print magazines. "Clucked" is my first novel. I live in Austin, Texas with my wife and two spoiled rescue dogs and when not writing, I enjoy hiking, camping and being out on the water on anything that floats.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
"Clucked" was inspired in part by my own solo sailing journey on which I embarked several years ago. Like my protagonist in "Clucked", I was going through a very rough patch in my life and decided to sell everything I owned, pull up anchor, and head out across the Gulf of Mexico in a small sailboat that I'd patched up.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I tend to do most of my writing between four in the morning, and when the sun comes up. That's largely due to the fact that Lizzy Lou, our rescue Lab, came with an internal alarm clock, permanently set to four A.M.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
I really enjoy the works of Amor Towles, James Steinbeck, Harper Lee, Carl Hiaasen and Dave Barry, among others. I enjoy everything from non-fiction science works, such as "An Immense World", by Ed Yong, to historical fiction, along the lines of "A Persistent Echo", by Brian Kaufman.

What are you working on now?
I'm working on a few short stories about some of the characters I met during my time living aboard my boat in the Caribbean and Central America. There, I met all sorts of interesting folks – from former mob bosses to retired smugglers and everything in between. Everyone has their own unique story to tell, if you have the patience to listen – and sometimes, the good sense not to ask too many questions!

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
So far, I've received the best response from my Facebook page. I invite my readers to join me there for behind-the-scenes news and updates on the launch of Clucked.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Keep writing! Write often and write about what you know best.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
As a former live-aboard sailor, it was to "check that your anchor is holding fast before turning in for the night."

What are you reading now?
I'm reading "A Gentleman in Moscow", by Amor Towles – and loving it!

What’s next for you as a writer?
I'm considering a sequel to "Clucked". Without giving away the ending, there are some unresolved issues with the book's chief villain.

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?
"100 Years Of The Best American Short Stories," "The Collected Works of William Shakespeare," and a bound copy of all of Steinbeck's novels, and plays.

Author Websites and Profiles

Troy Hollan Website

Troy Hollan’s Social Media Links

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Cary Anne

Interview With Author Cary Anne

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I am a new author and have published my first novel October 3/2023. I write steamy romance. I have always written romantic snippets and now have put them into a novel.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
Seductive Sands; Unveiling Desires Series
After I left the corporate world, I reflected on my career in the financial industry and single woman. I saw the extremely successful woman and what they sacrificed to become so successful.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I like to write on a beach listening to the sound of the waves crashing against the shore. If I can't be there, I use my Alexa and play either a thunderstorm or the waves. A thunderstorm works well too.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
I like to read Helen Hardt books. In particular The Steele Brothers Saga.

What are you working on now?
I am working on book 2 in the Unveiling Desires Series and a Novella with two of the side characters from series.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
This is my first book, so I will have to monitor it and see what happens.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Everyone has a story inside them. Get it down on paper even if you think it is no good. Keep writing until it is finished. The you work on polishing.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Write everyday. Set writing goals. Have a deadline and stick to it.
Embrace the Yuk!

What are you reading now?
Book 22 in the Steele Brothers Saga

What’s next for you as a writer?
Keep writing until I finish this series and then start a new series.

If you were going to be stranded on a desert island and allowed to take 3 or 4 books with you what books would you bring?
The Story of O – I need to read it again
Catcher in the Rye – I want to read it again
Angels' Ashes – I have never read it

Author Websites and Profiles

Cary Anne Website

Cary Anne Amazon Profile

Cary Anne’s Social Media Links

Shirley Goodrum Amazon Profile

Author Interview Series

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Shirley Goodrum

Interview With Author Shirley Goodrum

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I wish I could say a million, but in truth I've published one, and started at least 10. I'm a retired bookkeeper turned book writer and after a working life of accounting deadlines, I've banned them in my writing world.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
I found a newspaper cutting in my late parents' deed box. Yellowed with age, it's a photo of me wining a trip to Rio in a bra competition and it inspired me to sign up for a creative writing course and publish my debut novel, Baggage in a B Cup. The characters drove the process, refused to stick to my detailed outlined plot and introducing me to characters who sprung entirely from my imagination. Magic!

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I like writing in a quiet space, but that's a luxury in a three generation household. My husband says when he sees my head nodding – not as in going to sleep – he knows I'm lining up words and conjuring up fiction. It's his cue to make me a cup of tea or coffee, and prepare himself to be ignored and unfed while I disappear into the story as it works way onto my computer screen.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
All the books I've read have influenced me. Rupert the Bear, Noddy, Grimms Fairytales, Little Women, Heidi, Anne of Green Gables, Rebecca, What Katy Did, Nancy Drew, Angelique, Jeffrey Archer, Maeve Binchy, Marian Keyes, Jodi Picoult, Ken Follett, Alexander McCall Smith, William Smith, my list is endless and encompasses all genres.

What are you working on now?
A Breast of Baggage, the sequel to Baggage in a B Cup, which is proving to be as difficult to keep on course as my first book. Suddenly the hairdresser from the debut has appeared and I can't tell him to go away, I'll have to continue writing and find out why he's here. I'm also having fun writing a monthly short story which is prompt and word specific and hope to turn this into a book.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I'm useless, with a capital U at marketing. I have a FB and Goodreads author page and an email list of readers who I enjoy writing to.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
read, write, read, write, repeat, repeat, repeat.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
After sending sample chapters of Baggage in a B Cup to Curtis Brown and David Higham and being asked for the rest of the manuscript which they didn't take it, a successful indie author friend told me to challenge myself, step into the digital world and become an indie too.

What are you reading now?
Just finished Cleopatra and Frankenstein, by Coco Mellors. Dare not open another book as I'm in the process of packing and moving house, but whatever the next book is I'm sure to enjoy it.

What’s next for you as a writer?
Re doing the cover of my existing book to marry up with my current wip, writing a short story of 1800 words for the prompt "Could it?" before 4th October, compiling a family cookery book and growing my reader 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?
Three or four???? Never, I need a library. However, I would be encouraged to get started with the Kindle that my husband gave me as a birthday present 5 years ago. Now that would surprise him!

Author Websites and Profiles

Shirley Goodrum’s Social Media Links

Mark Ellipsis Amazon Profile

Author Interview Series

If you are looking for a new book to read check out our Featured Books Page.

Mark Ellipsis

Interview With Author Mark Ellipsis

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
Hello, I have written 4 books, one published under a pseudonym, and two currently being improved. They will be published in 2024.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
ATOMIC LOVES.

Within the conscious quantum hologram that is the cosmos, we live an earthly experience governed by fear. How can we change this matrix of suffering? We must change ourselves by living lovingly, in harmony rather than selfishly. It's all about energies.

Just like thinking, breathing, drinking, eating, sleeping, etc., love and sexuality are innate needs essential to vital energy. However, from the male perspective, love is a fairy tale myth, and sexuality is taboo for most women who have not had an orgasm in their life (7/10) or only one alone (2/10), thus associating pain with sexual intercourse. Women are unhappy. Enough is enough!

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I eat a lot of dark chocolate with 85% cocoa and I drink green tea with matcha, mate, ginger and lemon. I write for whole days without stopping.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
Frank Herbert, William Shakespeare, Paulo Coelho, J. R. R. Tolkien, Dan Brown, Lewis Carroll, Vladimir Nabokov, Leo Tolstoy, F. Scott Fitzgerald, Marcel Proust, Virginia Woolf.

What are you working on now?
A book about Freedom.

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

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Write with love. Forget yourself. Read our book 10 times.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
When you hear the applause of triumph, remember the laughter your failures provoked.

What are you reading now?
The Bible. The Torah. The Koran.

What’s next for you as a writer?
Do not know.

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?
Dune. Lolita. The Great Gatsby.

Author Websites and Profiles

Mark Ellipsis Website

Author Interview Series

If you are looking for a new book to read check out our Featured Books Page.

Dahlia Nocturne

Interview With Author Dahlia Nocturne

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
Hello, I'm Dahlia Nocturne, and I'm on an exhilarating journey as an author, driven by an unwavering passion to bring my wildest dreams to life in the form of captivating stories. My world is one where storytelling has the power to transcend imagination's boundaries.

Currently, I'm proud to have published five books on Amazon, spanning the genres of self-help and children's literature. Being a self-published author means I take on every aspect of the book creation process, striving to maintain the highest standards that I envision for my work. As a new author, every day is a chance to learn, grow, and refine my craft.

Navigating the challenges, from the inception of an idea to crafting a story, editing, designing captivating covers, and finally, making my books accessible to a wider audience, has been both demanding and rewarding. I find immense satisfaction in the knowledge that I've not only grown as a writer but also successfully shared my creations with readers who appreciate the journey as much as I do.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
My latest book, 'Tale of a Pumpkin Who Loves Making Pies,' is a Halloween-themed children's story. The idea for this book sprouted as Halloween drew near. I wanted to create something special, not just another ordinary tale. So, I thought, what symbolizes Halloween better than a pumpkin?

In the midst of all the ghostly tales, pumpkins, especially pumpkin lanterns and pies, are Halloween staples. But I wanted to add a touch of eerie charm without scaring the little ones away. That's how the story of Jack, a pumpkin lantern with a dream to make pies was born.

Throughout the writing process, I decided to challenge our main character, making his adventure more exciting. As he persevered, he gained charisma, attracting help from unexpected sources. In the end, he achieved his dream, but along the way, he learned a valuable lesson.

You see, he had initially pursued his dream to bring happiness to everyone through his pies. However, amidst the success, he momentarily lost sight of his true purpose. But, in the end, he realized the importance of never overlooking the reasons behind our dreams.

So, join me in this heartwarming Halloween journey where dreams come true, challenges are overcome, and the sweetness of pumpkin pies fills the air. The book is already available on Amazon for purchase.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I might not have a clear idea of what's 'unusual,' but one thing's for sure: my head's filled with all sorts of wild stories. The trouble is, I can't catch them all! See, I'll get excited about a story, but before I know it, it's off playing hide-and-seek in my mind, and I've got a new story to chase.

So, I've got this long list of story ideas I'd love to write, but I can't tell you exactly when they'll see the light of day and land in your hands. Writing is like trying to catch lightning in a bottle—exciting and a bit unpredictable, just the way I like it!

What authors, or books have influenced you?
I can't really point to specific authors or books that have shaped my writing because I'm not tethered to any single literary influence. What truly captivates me is the world of genres.

I have a soft spot for sweet romances that make my heart skip a beat. There's a certain enchantment in witnessing the main characters' journey to understanding, overcoming obstacles, and sealing their love with a knot. Then there's my deep affinity for wild fantasy. It's the boundless creativity that authors pour into crafting unique and otherworldly realms that draws me in. I crave the new, the unbelievable, the swirling blend of swords and sorcery in a world far removed from our own.

But it doesn't stop there. Adventure stories hold a special place in my heart too. I yearn for the thrill of stepping into the main character's shoes and embarking on journeys through uncharted territories, all from the comfort of my imagination. These three genres—sweet romance, wild fantasy, and exhilarating adventures—each weave their distinctive threads into the tapestry of my own storytelling.

What are you working on now?
Like I mentioned earlier, my head's a bustling hub of ideas, and a few of them are itching to be brought to life. Specifically, I'm currently drawn to the idea of crafting a whimsical children's fantasy novella. However, it's a journey that may take some time to fully materialize.

In the meantime, I'm also gearing up to create a Christmas-themed book that'll be ready just in time for the festive season. Oh, and there's this intriguing notion I've been toying with—an 'isekai' guidebook series. It's all about the survival tips and tricks you'd need if, by some miraculous twist of fate, you found yourself transported to a brand-new world. But it's still in the early stages, just an idea that needs a hearty dose of research and material gathering to become as reliable as it can be.

So, to sum it up, I'm diving into children's fantasy, spreading holiday cheer, and exploring the ins and outs of surviving in another world. Keep an eye out for these exciting adventures!

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I can't provide a definitive answer to this question just yet, as I'm currently navigating the ins and outs of book promotion myself. This marks my initial venture into promoting my work, and in my exploration, I've found that Awesomegang is undeniably one of the author-friendly platforms for promoting books.

I'm on a learning journey, and I'm hopeful that in the near future, I'll have a clearer answer for this question.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
How can I offer advice to others when I'm still finding my own way as a new author *lol*? Right now, I'm in the thick of learning, exploring, and trying to carve out my path.

But if there's one piece of advice or reminder I'd like to hold close, it's this: Remember, this is a marathon, not a sprint. Along this journey, you'll encounter new landscapes, face hurdles, and acquire new skills to overcome challenges.

When things get tough, don't be disheartened, and never throw in the towel. Channel the spirit of Jack, my pumpkin main character. If he'd given up, he would've ended up as a pumpkin pie instead of realizing his dream. So, keep that resilience burning, and let's embrace this adventure together!

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
I've always held dear a quote I stumbled upon in one of my favorite manga: "Don't look down! If you have something you must do, then look forward."

What are you reading now?
I'm currently indulging in Korean romance fantasy novels, and the one that has me hooked at the moment is titled: 'Isn't Being A Wicked Woman Much Better?' You could say I'm reading it for some 'research' on my isekai guidebook project (though, don't take my word for it lol).

What’s next for you as a writer?
As a writer, my desire is to transform all my imaginative tales into books. However, as a self-published author, my role extends beyond writing. Currently, I'm taking my first steps into the world of book promotion and diving into the intricacies of marketing and self-promotion. My aim is to gain valuable insights and skills, hoping that this initial effort will pave a smoother path for the books I have in the pipeline.

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 things first, I always reserve one precious book slot for the title I'm currently engrossed in. You see, if I don't reach the end of that novel, my curiosity would haunt me, and focusing on the 'surviving' part would be nearly impossible.

Now, the next one or two books I'd absolutely pack are my trusty isekai guidebook (fingers crossed it's available by the time I'm stranded on a desert island, haha). In that book, my plan is to lay out the simplest and most beginner-friendly survival guides, tips, and tricks. I'm talking about practical advice that even someone without a speck of wilderness experience could attempt.

Lastly, I might sneak in a plant encyclopedia, just so I can be one step ahead of the game. With that knowledge, I'd be able to spot which plants are useful and edible, which ones can be turned into medication, and, most importantly, which ones are a big no-no. My ultimate goal? To survive as long as possible, armed with my trusty books! 😄

Author Websites and Profiles

Dahlia Nocturne Website

Dahlia Nocturne Amazon Profile

Dahlia Nocturne’s Social Media Links

Author Interview Series

If you are looking for a new book to read check out our Featured Books Page.

Trevor Carter

Interview With Author Trevor Carter

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
Greetings!

I'm a Software Test Engineer by day and a writer by night. Truth be told, I actually write mostly in the mornings and on the weekends.

Since June, 2022, I have written seven novels, two novellas, and a collection of science fiction short stories. I prefer to write fantasy, magical realism, and science fiction. All available on Amazon.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
My latest novel, Lost in the Abyss, was just released a couple of months ago.

I developed an interest in simulation theory over a year ago. Since then, I've read a couple of books and several articles. I've also watched countless YouTube videos of people discussing simulation theory. I also have an interest in human consciousness, something I've studied for a few years now. Also in the mix is parapsychological phenomena, something I've studied for close to thirty years.

I began wondering what might happen if science discovered a way to download human consciousness into a simulated reality, one that is indistinguishable from the "real world." Then I wondered what would happen if a part of a person's psyche (the Shadow) somehow got disconnected when the person entered the simulation. How might that dark part of the human mind react to being in a simulation? Would it have free reign? Would be able to manipulate the elements and become a virtual entity?

Lost in the Abyss explores these ideas. A professor of neuroscience develops a new technology that allows him to download human consciousness into a simulated world. He invites four of his students to be the first to try the new technology. When one of the students enters the simulation, a dark entity attached to their psyche becomes disconnected from their consciousness and turns the simulate world into a hellish realm.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I do have an unusual writing habit. Or, at least I think it's unusual.

During the writing process, I often take breaks to allow the content of my unconscious to find its way to the surface of my conscious mind. I do this using a technique similar to the technique that Thomas Edison used. It involves getting the mind into a type of liminal state. I achieve this state by laying down and allowing myself to get into that state between wakefulness and sleep. At least ninety-percent of the time, new ideas come to the surface.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
William Peter Blatty's books have had a major influence over my work (The Exorcist and Legion).

In my study of parapsychological phenomena and UFOs, the works of Jacques Vallee has had the most influence on me.

What are you working on now?
I'm working on a supernatural thriller that involves balls of colored light known as earthlights. There has been considerable research into these lights. They appear to be a natural phenomena created by geophysical forces. Some researchers think these lights have consciousness, that they have some base-level intelligence. In my novel, these lights appear in a small town and began wreaking havoc on the citizens.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I have used Amazon ads, Facebook ads, and consistently post on Twitter. I've recently started to post on Goodreads.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Don't sweat the technical stuff at first. Just write. Write, write, write, and write some more. Don't make excuses for not writing. Since the first day I started writing, I haven't missed a day.

And don't believe it when someone tells you there's such a thing as "writer's block." It doesn't exist. There are tons of writing prompts that can spark ideas.

Finally, don't wait for inspiration. Inspiration comes with work. The more I write, the more inspired I become.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Write every day. Make it a habit. Never, ever miss a day.

What are you reading now?
Ordinary Monsters by J.M. Miro

What’s next for you as a writer?
I hope to find an agent and get published traditionally. I am currently querying with a novel I finished a couple of months ago.

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 Exorcist, Psychoid, and Messengers of Deception

Author Websites and Profiles

Trevor Carter Website

Trevor Carter’s Social Media Links

Peter Turner Amazon Profile

Peter Turner

Interview With Author Peter Turner

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
After a long career in marketing and sales, I retired in 21012. Since then, I've written 40+ Western Novels. I'm fortunate to have found a great publisher, DSPublishing. DSP is very open to authors' ideas. It feels more like a family than a business.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
My latest Western is about a bounty hunter. The title is "Riff Jackson: Gun for Hire." Jackson is a Civil War veteran who travels West after the war and stumbles into being a bounty hunter. I hope this series is as successful as my current series on mountain men.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
No, because I'm retired, so I have the luxury of being able to write whenever I want to. My goal is 2,000 words a day. If I do anything that's different, I don't use an outline or plot out a storyline. I'm more of a "by-the-seat or saddle writer." I have a general idea of where I want the story to go. Then, each morning, I wake up to see what kind of trouble my hero has gotten into.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
Being a Western author, the authors and books are Westerns. Louis L'amour, Mark Twain, Jack London, and Willian Johnston and their books.

What are you working on now?
I finishing my first draft of "Zach Watkins: The One-Eyed Terror." This is the seventh in my popular Zach Watkins: Mountain Man series.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
My publisher does most of the promoting. DSP uses Amazon, Facebook, and our own mailing list.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Find something you have a passion for and start writing. Develop credible characters, tell a good story, and plan on turning it into a series.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Discipline yourself to write every day. Even if you have "writer's block," sit down and write! You'd be surprised how the words will flow if you start writing!

What are you reading now?
Ride the Devil's Herd" by John Bossenecker. It's about Wyatt Earp and his brothers.

What’s next for you as a writer?
Just keep writing Westerns.

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, Mark Twain's Roughing It, and Lonesome Dove by Larry McMurty.

Author Websites and Profiles

Peter Turner Website

Peter Turner’s Social Media Links

Peter Zander-Howell Amazon Profile

Author Interview Series

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Peter Zander-Howell

Interview With Author Peter Zander-Howell

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I'm retired, living with my wife in Norfolk, England. We have three adult children – one living a mile from us, another in London, and the third in San Diego. We have four grandchildren.
I started writing during the first Covid lockdown, and have just published my seventh book. All are set in the 1940s, and feature the same Scotland Yard detective, Philip Bryce. (My favourite genre is crime, preferably the books written in the "Golden Age of Crime Fiction".)

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
Suspicions Of A Parlourmaid and The Norfolk Railway Murders. Two novellas in one volume. One is set in an affluent suburb of London, the other in Norfolk. I'm not sure what triggered the first story – I don't think I've ever met a parlourmaid, and certainly employed one! The second is set in the west of my county, where numerous railway lines used to connect the little villages. My book goes back to a time before all those lines disappeared.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I don't know any other authors, so I don't know if my writing habits are unusual. I just sit down when the spirit moves me, and write for an hour or so. Morning or afternoon, never in the evening or in the night. Never more than two or three hours in any one day. Sometimes I'm too busy with other matters – gardening, shopping, ferrying grandchildren – and I don't write at all for days. I may be elderly, but I don't use pen and paper to write the books! Sometimes I use an iPad with a Bluetooth keyboard; sometimes a desktop computer.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
Crime genre authors from the 1930s, 1940s, and 1950s. Lorac, Christie, Sayers, Allingham, Marsh, Crofts, James. There are many others, of course. (Only one man among my top seven!)

What are you working on now?
I'm currently finishing off four more books featuring Philip Bryce. When they're published, the series will contain eleven books.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I use Amazon Ads mostly, with the occasional BookBub advert. I'd like to get a BookBub 'featured deal' in the US, but have so far failed to be selected!

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Assuming you are like me, and can't afford to hire a professional editor, get several literate friends/relations to proof read and edit your book BEFORE you hit 'publish'. My wife is my editor. Incidentally, we always print off hard copies for proof-reading – we both find it is FAR more effective to to do that from a printed page rather than on-screen.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Take no notice of an occasional poor review. The odd one- or two-star rating among a clutch of four- or five star ones will not harm your sales. Of course, if all the ratings/reviews are bad, then you have a problem!

What are you reading now?
I'm reading the latest Mick Herron book. Not my favourite genre, but I really enjoy his Slough House novels.

What’s next for you as a writer?
I don't really know. I think 11 Bryce books is sufficient, at least for now. The advice generally given to a would-be author seems to be "write in a genre that you yourself enjoy – and preferably one in which you have some knowledge".
Fair enough, although nobody starting out to write today could have personal knowledge of, for example, the 16th century, the period about which C J Sansom writes so well. Indeed, I was living in the 1940s (just), but have no memory of that decade.
However, I have no interest in romantic fiction, or science fiction (with the odd exception like John Wyndham's books), or 'young adult' fiction. So I really can't think about writing in another genre.
I've started a book which may develop into another series, the protagonist this time being Inspector Tommy Rees – a more humble detective than Bryce. This will be set in the 1930s.

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?
Not the Bible, and not the works of Shakespeare! I'd probably choose lengthy tomes which I've always meant to read but never got around to. War and Peace; Don Quixote; In Search of Lost Time; Shogun.

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Andrew Crawford

Interview With Author Andrew Crawford

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I have only written one book but it is an inspiring true story of my survival of a horrible car crash and the 5years that followed. The book is full of my past experiences with life saving surgeries, Dr's, Rehabilitation Specialists and stories from the very interesting journey it was.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
A Second Chance at Life. The 9year anniversary of my survival had passed and my work with some local NotForProfit organizations were coming to an end. I met an incredible individual named David Carruthers who heard my story and wanted to get it into a book. I never thought I would be a writer but when an opportunity like this arrises you have to take it!

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I prefer to write in nature. I will venture into the depths of the woods or somewhere out in the middle of nowhere so I can be surrounded by nature and silence. I find it helps ease my very busy mind

What authors, or books have influenced you?
I grew up reading R.L Stines "Goosebumps" and ended up reading the first 3 Harry Potter books. Unfortunately I fell off from reading into my teens as I started working more but happy to be back reading books!

What are you working on now?
I'm actually working on 2 things right now. Since the release of my first I thought about all the things I had left out, the journey from surgical table to graduating college had so many cool stories I love telling I thought let's put it into another book! I'm also currently working on a script for a movie I think will change the world. It is a fresh new idea noone has done yet and it has potential to be incredibly funny! My goals are high and I will climb the ladder!

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I primarily sell my books through in person sales and if I can't get a physical copy to someone I have a complimentary E-Book I offer to send!

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Give it a chance! I honestly never thought I would ever write a book and when an opportunity arose I said you know what let's do it! You never know what you could be good at by never trying. Im definitely no professional author but I think that gives my story an authentic touch. Real words from a real guy just writing what's on his mind.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Never give up because you failed. It's simple but it really can help push people past points they thought they couldn't do. You might not be able to right now but that doesn't mean you can't someday!

What are you reading now?
I'm currently reading Matthew Perry's recently released book. I only prefer to read real stories from real people.

What’s next for you as a writer?
Finishing up the 2nd book and working towards getting the movie from script to film!

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?

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Sarah Hummell

Interview With Author Sarah Hummell

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
The majority of my professional background is in the Hospitality industry. I have several advanced degrees and 25 years of experience. I’m a Manhattan-based consultant helping business owners with strategy and showing them how to increase service quality and profitability.

My writing experience started in 2009. While owning my first of many businesses, a coffee shop named Cafe Roche, located in Winston-Salem, NC, I decided to start blogging. Blogging became a way to educate my customers about the high-quality single-origin coffee beans we sold and served. My blog caught the attention of an international trade publication called Fresh Cup Magazine. They asked me to write in their 9 Bars Column, featuring coffee shop owners. My first article, “Have Coffee, Will Travel,” was published. When the magazine hit the shelves, I posted in my blog detailing my struggle with undiagnosed Dyslexia while growing up and how amazed I was that I achieved what I thought was impossible for me to do: getting published. This article caught the attention of Chicken Soup for the Soul, and “Living our Dreams” was published in Chicken Soup for the Soul, Power of Positive. Another blog post, “A Macchiato is not a Drink,” explaining the Macchiato technique and the difference between a caramel macchiato and the traditional espresso macchiato, caught the attention of a specialty coffee industry professional. With my permission, she translated it into Spanish and published it in a coffee textbook for Milk Bar, a coffee school in Venezuela.

My first book, “Perfect Coffee At Home,” was published in 2020. During Covid quarantine, I had former customers texting me asking for coffee-making tips now that they needed to make their coffee at home. I figured there was a demand for homebound coffee drinkers, so I wrote the book.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
“Entangled In Blue” takes you through the aftermath of my appearance on Food Network’s Restaurant: Impossible, which inadvertently unveiled the years of abuse I had silently endured. In 2017, I found myself in a highly lethal, violent situation where my husband shot a gun in front of my two children, narrowly missing my head. I couldn’t figure out how I got myself into this situation and how I would get out of the marriage I was trapped in. Writing was a way for me to process my trauma. While thinking back from the start of my relationship with my husband and writing it all out, I recognized a pattern of abuse that slowly escalated in frequency and severity over the course of 16 years, leading to the incident mentioned above. I had no idea at the time, but seeing it all on paper, it was so clear! I started writing the book for my healing, but the book evolved into sharing my story with others so they can detect the signs of an abusive personality and have the courage to leave before it's too late.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
Writing has been the best way for me to process my thoughts, especially if they overwhelm me.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
I have always been an Ernest Hemingway fan. I even created a restaurant concept, Feast, based on “A Moveable Feast” and planned to serve all of the dishes Hemingway wrote about, along with a literary-inspired prohibition-era craft cocktail list. I became obsessed with the 1920s Paris Literary scene and got into F. Scott Fitzgerald.

I was even more intrigued when I learned Zelda Fitzgerald was actually the talented writer responsible for most of her famous husband’s books! Most of “The Beautiful and the Damned” was stolen from Zelda’s diary. She wrote at least three more books that were published under her husband’s name because the publisher thought it would get more sales. She later wrote “Save Me The Waltz” under her own name while hospitalized after her husband had her committed for refusing to give up her dream after she was invited to tour with a Spanish ballet company. She would not be released until she agreed to go back to being a housewife. It took her three years of hospitalization before she would agree. Once she was released, she outshined him again as a talented painter, so he committed to her again. Sadly, she died in a facility in Ashville, NC, due to a fellow inmate starting a fire, and all patients were locked in, unable to escape.

Then I discovered the book “The Paris Wife” written by Hadley, Hemingway’s first wife. After reading her story, it was clear these women were the true talent behind these famous yet deeply flawed men.

The stories about these women inspired me to tell my own story, express my talent, and never dull my light for anyone who felt I was outshining them.

What are you working on now?
In addition to getting the word out about the warning signs of abusive personalities, I am advocating for my children who need academic accommodations due to being victims of complex trauma. I’m sure a book will come out of these struggles as well.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
https://www.entangledinblue.com/

Do you have any advice for new authors?
We all have a story worth sharing, and it is amazing how much healing can happen when you take the time to write it all out. You may feel it’s too personal to share or publish, but sharing your story shows others who may be going through similar circumstances that they are not alone.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Surround yourself with like-minded people – It sounds so simple, but after realizing I have lived my entire life surrounded by abusive personalities, it took a lot of Soul searching to learn that “I don’t have to be around mean people anymore!”

What are you reading now?
“Out of Africa” by Isak Dinesen and Karen Blixen – My boyfriend has a house upstate with a huge library full of the classics. I grabbed from the library to read on the ride home, and I like what I’ve read so far.

What’s next for you as a writer?
I started by writing about my childhood while struggling with undiagnosed and untreated Dyslexia, which could be the start of a book. I am currently navigating the complex process of the Department of Education while advocating for support and accommodations for my children after being victims of complex trauma. That can be a whole other story.

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 Various Flavours of Coffee” by Anthony Capella – One of my regular customers from my first coffee shop surprised me with this book as a Christmas gift. It has been over 16 years since I first read it, and I can read it repeatedly. You don’t need to like coffee to love the book. Coffee lovers will, of course, love coffee even more after reading it. It isn’t easy to put this book into one classification. It’s officially considered Historical Fiction, yet it has a unique blend of romance, travel, and harsh reality. It is set in London in the late 1900’s. I usually don’t read books from this period, but there is enough to keep you interested. The various flavors of the book (Pun intended) include coming of age, imperialism, prohibition, the suffragette movement, female hysteria, and its treatment, falling in love, betrayal, African tribal life, and slavery. I hadn’t cried from a book until I read The Various Flavors of Coffee. Not only did I cry at the end, I sobbed.

A Wrinkle In Time by L’Engle Madeleine – I loved reading this with my kids. I especially loved the message about finding the power in yourself to fight against negativity.

The Wizard of Oz – I made several references to this book in my book “Entangled In Blue” explaining how it inspired me to escape the abusive situation. It continues to inspire me to this day.

Author Websites and Profiles

Sarah Hummell Website

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Sasha Gray

Interview With Author Sasha Gray

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I was born and raised in Vladivostok, Russia but recently moved to the United States and currently live in lovely Ohio with my two Rottweilers, Sammy and Smokey, who are about to have puppies. I also have some chickens for the free eggs, and ducks that live around my backyard pond.
I've loved to read since I can remember, because we had no television growing up, and I always carry a paperback book with me wherever I go even though I have over a hundred of digital ones on my cell phone, but I didn't start writing until a few years ago because ballet was my life's passion for longest time. I fell in love with the Little House on the Prairie Books which is probably the biggest reason why I eventually moved to the States: to live like Laura Ingalls!
I've published over 18 stepmom-stepson affairs stories already, and have a collection of the first ten in paperback, and am planning to release more soon along with other erotica fetishes as their themes.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
'Indulging with Ingrid', another stepmom-stepson affair story I'm finishing up that will be published very soon. I was writing some erotica stories about a teen girl detective who always gets captured and has to 'trick' her way out and escape before turning the bad guys into the police, kind of like a Scooby Doo thing but for adults, but then I saw another writer already has a successful series similar to this so I'll probably scrap them (maybe) and start something new and different. So disappointed because I was having much fun writing them!

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I only sleep for about 3 or 4 hours at a time then wake up and write and after that I sleep again for another 3 or 4 hours, and I drink a lot of tea while writing (coffee gives me jitters). I also read my stories aloud to my dogs (they just had puppies!!!) before I publish them, to see how they react. My best ideas usually strike me when I'm playing with my rotties and not actually writing. I also have OCD when it comes to saving my stories, so when I'm finished writing I have to save on my laptop as well as three memory sticks or else I worry sick about something happening and I might lose the file forever.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
I love so many writers that it's hard to name them all. Tolstoy, and Chekov. Louisa May Alcott. I also really love anything Stephen King. My latest favorite genre is fantasy: Andre Norton (she's fast becoming my favorite author!). Piers Anthony (he's such a dirty/silly man and I love his Xanth stories, lol). Adron Smitley (I love his fantasy-romance Soothsayer series). I read some erotica here and there but not much even though I mainly write it.

What are you working on now?
I'm currently working on several projects, my current important one is writing stepdad-stepdaughter affair erotica stories for a new series, though also more stepmom-stepson affair stories of course as my readers love those and I love writing them. I do have several other erotica series planned, too.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
So many to name. AwesomeGang, of course. I have used Freebooksy too. And Choosybookworm. Pretty-hot, and Discount Book Man. It's hard though because a lot of places won't promote erotica, so the best is really word of mouth by satisfied readers.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Read and write every single day. Also, love your pets like they're your children.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
You never fail until you stop trying.

What are you reading now?
I'm actually reading a lot of manga and watching a lot of anime at the moment, my favorite being 'Don't Toy With Me, Miss Nagatoro!', though I also love Toradora and Golden Time and tons of other anime too many to name. There's one I forget the name of but super love that has a girl with an eye patch and she thinks she can do magic but really can't, which drives the guy protagonist crazy because she keeps embarrassing him in public–it's so funny!

What’s next for you as a writer?
I'm dabbling in fantasy and science fiction, though also with at least some erotica sprinkled in. I'm also thinking of writing a series where the protagonist is taken to another world where the male population has become sterile and feral and all of the female aliens and monsters lust after him so he can get them pregnant. That excites me!

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?
Honestly? I'd rather take something to write with than something to read. But if I had to choose then it would be any Little House on the Prairie books because I love them so much!

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Sasha Gray Website

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Dan Chamandy Author Profile on Smashwords

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Dan Chamandy

Interview With Author Dan Chamandy

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
2 books written. Both coming out this year.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
My latest and first book is called What Are You Waiting For? and is a treasure of of fail-proof ideas to help dreamers overcome fear, kick procrastination in the rear, and help turn their dreams into tangible realities. With chapters inspired by timeless wisdom from historical figures, WAYWF invites the reader to explore life’s most challenging roadblocks that hinder us every time we think about getting in touch with our goals. It is more than just a book – it is a conversation, a meditation, and a toolbox brimming with pragmatic solutions to real-life problems – one that will appeal to readers seeking can’t-miss strategies and mind-blowing techniques to help gently nudge readers to leap off life’s sidelines, like the everyday heroes featured who dared to step out of their comfort zones and achieve jaw-dropping success.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I still use pen (sometimes pencil) and paper. Only when I am satisfied with the draft, then do I input it into the computer.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
Too many to list.
Perhaps Dean Koontz and Piers Anthony as two that I can always reread.

What are you working on now?
The second book of a three part detective series.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
Still learning where to do that.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Write, then write, and then write some more.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Learn to let go.

What are you reading now?
Drafts of my own detective novels.

What’s next for you as a writer?
Enjoy the launch of my very first book.

If you were going to be stranded on a desert island and allowed to take 3 or 4 books with you what books would you bring?
Asy many Piers Anthony that would be allowed.

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Dan Chamandy Website

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Victoria Wilchcombe

Interview With Author Victoria Wilchcombe

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I come from a large family and I live in the Caribbean. A love of the written word and a vast imagination inspired me to start writing fantasy. I tested the waters with Neob, my first release in 2015. I followed up with Island Seas in 2020 and now Rickshaw Rhythm in 2023.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
Rickshaw Rhythm came from the power of sound to trigger emotions and memories of things past. Add a wild imagination to this concept and you get something high fantasy like Rickshaw Rhythm.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I still like to write with pen and paper then transfer over to my laptop when completed.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
I read every genre but I grew up on the classics and Dean Koontz, Danielle Steele, Jackie Collins, Stephen King, Jane Austen, Brent Weeks and a host of fantasy authors. I would say the love of old folktales is my main influence.

What are you working on now?
I am working on book 2 of the Tall tales of the Galaxy series. I have planned for 3 books in this series of novellas. If I find an audience who likes it I am willing to push for 4 books. I am also working on a epic fantasy full length novel.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I tend to be really busy most days so I tend to suck on the social media side of things, but I do try to spend some time promoting on twitter @starbeam88 and I am always checking out promotion sites for my next push.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
My mom likes to say “Nothing beats a failure but a try” so keep trying and above all aim to keep improving so you can find your audience.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Just write! Something has to be on the paper/screen to edit and improve on. Find your writing voice and put in the work.

What are you reading now?
I am about to start a book called Starship Waking by C.Gockel.

What’s next for you as a writer?
I am always aiming to improve and I value all reviews, positive and negative. I will push on in finding an audience who likes my writing. I have stories to tell and I appreciate the time readers take to try my work. Above all I aim to entertain and try not to bore!

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 night angel trilogy by Brent Weeks would be my top choice. I guess I just love this series and I am not a big fan of series.

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Alex Book

Interview With Author Alex Book

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I am a fiction writer. I write short love stories and romance novels. Till now I have written only one book, but my next book will be published soon.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
“My School-Day Crush” is my latest book. This book focuses on the school-life fun. I was thinking of writing a love story centered on a school crush and finally came up with this book.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I always try to write better. So I practice this on my personal blog.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
I love reading and writing love stories. That’s why every writer who writes love stories inspires me to write my own stories.

What are you working on now?
I’m working on my next short love fiction.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I promote my books on my social media accounts.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Never give up on your passion. Writing is our passion. Make it an integral part of your daily life.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
A good reader can become a good writer.

What are you reading now?
I am not reading any book at the moment because I am busy writing my own book.

What’s next for you as a writer?
I want to see my books at the bookstalls.

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?
Really, a very difficult question! I can’t make a choice here.

Author Websites and Profiles

Alex Book Website

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Zac Lindsey

Interview With Author Zac Lindsey

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I’m an anthropologist by training and a fiction writer for fun. I’ve written lots of manuscripts and one non-fiction book on reading Maya glyphs, but this is the first fiction book I’ve published. When I wrote as a kid, my worlds were often incomprehensible (and usually rip-offs of Neil Gaiman). But thanks to my study of anthropology, I think I’ve developed a compelling, rich setting that makes logical sense. That said, I like fun, entertaining books, so don’t expect to read thirty pages of complex details about how people make stucco in-world or anything. But I know, so if you’re curious, you’re welcome to email me.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
The River Against the Sea is my first fiction book. When we had our kid, she seemed to hate sleep with a passion. I told my wife stories so we didn’t need to watch TV. They were stories set in a Caribbean/Mesoamerican fantasy world. All of them featured a young devil bureaucrat who needs to learn to be less uptight to handle the motley crew onboard her ship and the various world-ending monsters she inevitably confronts.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I don’t know if this is all that unusual, but I prefer to stand to write. That way I can pace around and do the character expressions and postures, that sort of thing. A bit of acting seems to help me.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
Ursula Le Guin’s fantasy world building was a huge inspiration since her father was an anthropologist. I also love Terry Pratchett, Terry Brooks, and Neil Gaiman. I’m a fan of fantasy with strong characters and a sense of hope. I’m less a fan of newer works. While there are certainly contemporary fantasy writers I like, like N.K. Jemisin or Nnedi Okorafor, I don’t click well with the darkness in a lot of contemporary fantasy.

What are you working on now?
I’m working on a young adult novel that is set in the same world as my other works but more directly addresses some of the challenges of growing up in a colonized society. Like my other works, it’s mostly silly, and while it has some tense moments, it’s a hopeful story at its heart.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
That, I’m just learning. Hopefully this website! I’ve been using Instagram a lot, and informally promoting it on a Discord group I’ve been in for a while drove a nice little burst of pre-orders. But this is my first time doing this, and my book is still on pre-order, so I won’t know for sure until I’m done.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Read your stuff out loud and tell summarized versions of your stories to people you meet. Not elevator pitches, but the story, just as you’d tell a person a story at a party. The first stories were oral, and writers always talk about “voice,” but we forget what that means.
Also, learn to love editing. It’s probably as important as drafting, and it can be just as fun, but many folks dread it. I personally love it. You’ve already done the hard part–now you get to play with your characters.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
I used to read books after my mom did. (She said she was making sure they weren’t too violent or sexual, but the truth is she just liked reading fantasy a lot.) I used to come to her when I couldn’t read a character name. “How do you pronounce . . . uh . . . Drizzt?” She’d say, “I don’t know, it’s fantasy, pronounce it however you want.” She didn’t mean this as advice, but it accidentally was. As a reader, my voice had a role. I could take some ownership of stories by reading them. In my books, there are a few characters and places with strange names, and you know what? You can pronounce them however you’d like. I don’t mind. They’re yours to play with.

What are you reading now?
I’m reading a book in Spanish about a Maya radio show host who used to live a few kilometers from where I live now. For a very specific kind of geek, it’s a wonderful book, though I wouldn’t recommend it to anyone who’s not interested in recent history of the Yucatan Peninsula. But he’s a radio show host, so his narrative voice is very compelling.

What’s next for you as a writer?
Just write more! I’ve tried, in the past, to plan far ahead. “I’ve written half a chapter–let me plan out the entire twelve-book saga.” But I find that usually leads to failures. If I feel compelled to write more in my current world with my current characters, I will. I’ve got an idea for a story three hundred years in the future of my current books, where the main character is a little old lady, but who knows if I’ll ever get to it. I’m not too concerned if I don’t. I have no doubt I’ll write something.

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 Once and Future King for sure. I don’t typically read books more than once or twice, but I’ve read that one a dozen times and it makes me cry every time. Nothing better for a desert island than solo crying.
I don’t think the other ones would be novels. I can burn through a novel too fast. The others would be dense and painful academic works. Something that takes at least a month to read. I want to still be working through it on the rescue ship.

Zac Lindsey’s Social Media Links

Scott ferguson, Sr. Website

Scott ferguson, Sr.

Interview With Author Scott ferguson, Sr.

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I’m 65 and live in Southern Maryland. So far, I’ve written 16 books. I’ve been married to the same woman for over 40 years. I’m retired from the US Secret Service Uniformed Division where I worked for 40 years.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
My latest book is called, “Kindness of a Stranger.” To be honest, it wasn’t really inspired by anything, it just, sort of came to me.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I guess I do because I listen to music and play games on my computer while I wait for the story to tell me where it wants to go. You see, when I begin a book, I only have a beginning and an ending. Almost everything that happens in between is written by the story itself.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
I love the Harry Potter series and I love Lore of the Rings.

What are you working on now?
I just finished a book about a young man who falls in love with a dead girl. Believe it or not, it’s a love story with a happy ending.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I list my books on as many websites as I can, but, especially Awsome Gang. I have a website and a Facebook page too. I also have a blog on Goodreads.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Re-read you story as much as you can and try to get a couple of people you can trust to read them too. The more mistakes and plot holes you and you “Beta-Readers” find, the less potential publishers will find. Every publishers website I’ve been to said the road to rejection starts with spelling, punctuation, and grammar…three of the things I really suck at.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Keep writing and don’t let rejection defeat you. Even Harry Potter was rejected.

What are you reading now?
I Just finished reading my newest book that I call “Happily Ever After-Life.” I’m also reading the Sherlock Holms collection.

What’s next for you as a writer?
I would like to tell you that I’m expecting a big fat contract with a major publisher but… Who knows, it could happen.

If you were going to be stranded on a desert island and allowed to take 3 or 4 books with you what books would you bring?
The Bible
My books
Harry Potter

Author Websites and Profiles

Scott ferguson, Sr. Amazon Profile

Scott ferguson, Sr.’s Social Media Links

Dakota Jackson

Interview With Author Dakota Jackson

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I’m an author native to Connecticut. I grew up in the small town of Ashford before moving throughout the state (around eight times now) to land in Windham. Someday I would really love to get a quiet house in Vermont and write there full time. I work as a Book Production Rep for selfpublishing, so I basically eat, sleep and breathe books one way or another.

I write fiction stories that strongly reflect the nonfiction reality — with many inspirations coming from my own experiences. My mission is to shine light upon queer and complicated identities like my own, giving the scary stuff in life a place to find hope.

I published a short story titled “The Office of Eternal Collections” in the Penmen Review in March 2023. “The Other Side of the Looking-Glass” is my first novel, and it will be published November 16, 2023. I look forward to adding more books to the list super soon!

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
The Other Side of the Looking-Glass is a cautionary upper young adult fiction novel, toeing the line between contemporary and literary. It follows fifteen-year-old Naomi, who gets wrapped up in a relationship with a much older man. The complexities of her family and home life are both what lead her to this relationship and what help her crawl back out of it.

Though I have never been in a relationship quite like Naomi’s in this novel, I’ve been a fifteen-year-old girl. As terrible as it may sound, that alone in this world is enough to know what it’s like to be viewed as malleable objects by older men. I was inspired to write this book because of that common thread for young girls, and by how the media industry has historically portrayed relationships like this as ‘cute’ or ‘desirable.’ I want to be a voice working against that so that young girls (and boys, both, or neither!!) know that this is not the case. I want this to be a warning.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I like to write the first and last lines of my books first because I always read the first and last lines of other books before choosing whether or not to buy and read them.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
So, so many. Here’s a short, incomplete list of authors and books:
– Rick Riordan (all of his work, to be honest)
– Suzanne Collins (The Hunger Games is quite honestly one of my favorite pieces of literature ever created. It never gets old.)
– Donna Tartt (The Goldfinch. I have a soft spot for it.)
– Khaled Hosseini (The Kite Runner… Life changing.)
– Oscar Wilde (The Picture of Dorian Gray.)
– Franz Kafka (I just like the way he writes… especially casually like in his collected letters)
– James Baldwin (Giovanni’s Room)

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Not everyone is going to like your book (or you, even), but someone definitely will. Even if it’s only one person; that’s enough.

What’s next for you as a writer?
I’m currently working on a new adult literary fiction novel as my thesis project through my MFA program, and I really hope to have that out in the world someday soon. Aside from that, I’m having tons of fun writing a young adult fantasy series — which is way out of my norm.

Author Websites and Profiles

Dakota Jackson Website

Dakota Jackson’s Social Media Links