Awesome Author Interviews

Interview With Author Robert Mazarelli

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
My motto: Don’t be afraid to fail.

There’s a line in a song that goes ‘Winners are losers who just keep on trying’. It may sound corny, but it has a ring of truth to it. Yoda may have improved on the idea with ‘If no mistake you have made, losing you are’. His sentence structure would drive editors crazy, but most everyone understands his advice. Anyway, that’s my approach to life.

It resulted in a few accomplishments along the way, and no real catastrophes. I’m not saying that some things didn’t fall into the range of average. I was an average bike-cyclist, swimmer, hiker, and kayaker. And after many years, I’m still average at those things.

I’m a musician and a songwriter, and was good enough to get the attention of Charlie Bragg, a producer and engineer who worked with Johnny Cash, Bob Dylan, and Johnny Paycheck My career as a songwriter went nowhere … but I made a little money, and still play my piano, guitar, bass, and drums. I’m a member of the New York chapter of the Audio Engineering Society, own a publishing company affiliated with Broadcast Music Inc. (BMI). A few years back, I created and produced a webinar for the Project Management Institute entitled – Project Management in the Studio: Anatomy of a Recording Session.

And then there’s my profession …

I went to college and used my degree. Many people never get that chance. My college roommate received his degree and immediately became a carpenter … and a good one. College isn’t for everyone, nor should it be.

I’m lucky to have had a satisfying career supporting and advocating scientific research. Curiosity combined with a lot of good fortune provided me with the opportunity to pursue several ventures that included the development of acoustic deception software for the US Navy, and the design of software and data systems for the healthcare and pharmaceutical industries.

The research I did to support the Naval Underwater Warfare Center is the inspiration of my novel ‘The Thief of Sea & Sky.’ (No, I don’t give away any secrets). The novel also inspired me to pursue my Remote Aircraft certification from the FAA and attended FEMA training on Incident Command and Emergency Management.

I write every day … and lately, I’m less frustrated with the result. Maybe I’m getting better at writing. That’s all I can ask.

Cheers

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
The Thief of Sea & Sky. Story Inspiration: The world of scientific research. Character Inspiration: The need to deal with life's disappointments.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
My desk sits next to a piano, four guitars, a bass, and drums. I play when I need to get centered.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
A lot

What are you working on now?
Working on a new novel tentatively called 'The View from Rock Bottom'.

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

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Write because you like it. Keep learning.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Never give away the thing you do to make a living. The rest is there for the taking.

What are you reading now?
Long Shadows – David Baldacci

What’s next for you as a writer?
Writing Music

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?
Creepers, and The Fraternity of the Stone – by David Morrell. Any short story by Stephen King. Playing for Pizza – by John Grisham.

Author Websites and Profiles

Robert Mazarelli Website

Robert Mazarelli Amazon Profile

Robert Mazarelli Author Profile on Smashwords

Robert Mazarelli’s Social Media Links

Goodreads Profile

Interview With Author Cyndi Jo Holiday

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I have written the book slut shamed by the Church. Cyndi Jo Holiday is one woman with one voice, hoping to spark a movement where people come forward and tell their stories. Throughout her life, Cyndi Jo has spoken to dozens of people who have been hurt by people within church who have inflicted deep emotional scars when they failed to love as Jesus loved. According to Cyndi Jo, Christians have the power to heal or hurt people more than one else because they claim to represent God. As a result, Many hurting people have turned away from faith in God because of those hurts. Cyndi Jo hopes they will see that while people’s love fails, God’s love never fails.

Slut Shamed By The Church was written to edify the church and share Christ’s love with hurting and broken people. Many people have experienced various forms of hurt within church. It is a painful reality that is rarely acknowledged by the church. Often people within churches don’t realize how their words and actions hurt the people they claim to desire to help the most.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
Slut Shamed by the Church. I began writing this book by accident. I was asked to tell my life story at a Christian 12 step suppoet group. I began to write my story and when doing so I began writing about the many painful experiences that I have had in church. Church is supposed to be a place where people can go to find Christ like love and support. For imperfect people the church labels as “sinners” going to people within the church can be a very damging experience. For me the people who promise to love like Jesus rejected me, gossiped about me slandered me, demonized me and told me I was beyond hope of salvation. All because I was like most women who failed to live up to the church’s standards of purity. Sadly I have talked with others who have had similair experiences. Many people who have had experiences similar to mine have lost faith in God. My book is written to bring awareness to an issue that is rarely adressed. My hope is that others who have had similair experiences will tell there stories. This book is not about bashing churches or Christians this book was written to bring awareness so hopefully those within churches who claim they have a desire to help others will learn to help and not hurt people.

What’s next for you as a writer?
Looking for new ways to promote the book I have written.

 

Interview With Author Judge Santiago Burdon

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I’m just a fellow from the south side of Chicago. I’ve made many bad decisions in my lifetime. Although I realized bad decisions make interesting stories.
5 books containing stories of adventurous mayhem have been published by 3 different publishers. My 6th book is due to be launched in June. I live modestly in Costa Rica and will be 70 years old this July.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
Tequilas Bad Advice Poetry With The Worm
There were a bunch of unfinished poems taunting me. My recent publisher suggested I get my ass in gear and finish them. He was eager to publisher them since my first book of poems, Not Real Poetry was well received.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I seem to be more prolific writing during the night. Darkness and I have been acquaintaned for years. I appreciate the company of night time and the comfort it affords me.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
I studied Victorian Authors and Novels but the influence on my writing is minimal. The Beat Authors took my creative talent hostage. Also I met Mike Royko when I’m high school I admired his writing.

What are you working on now?
A nonfiction novel Imitation of Myself which tells of my experiences will working as a drug smuggler for a Mexican Cartel.
Also a collection of short stories Lords Of The Afterglow Renegades and Noblemen.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
Listing on Facebook and Writing Groups. Indie Reader Goodreads and any other marketing vehicle available

Do you have any advice for new authors?
I don’t give advice. But I will make a suggestion.
If you intend to make writing your vocation make sure you have a mirror available so you can watch yourself starve to death.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
After my divorce near Christmas I missed my children and my dog. I was in the company of a buddy crying about how depressed I was. He spoke like a prophet.” Get over it”

What are you reading now?
Guilty of Everything
Hencke

What’s next for you as a writer?
Disciphering if I want to continue feeding this curse of writing. Its appetite is insatiable.

If you were going to be stranded on a desert island and allowed to take 3 or 4 books with you what books would you bring?
How escape from a desert island.
Robinson Crusoe
Tale of Two Cities
Electric Kool aid Acid Test

 

Interview With Author Arthur Yavelberg

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I was involved in schools as both teacher and administrator for 40 years. In that time, I have leaned how to make complex ideas accessible to students of all ages. I have written one book, “A Theology for the Rest of Us,” which draws on both western and eastern religious traditions, as well as science and literature, to encourage readers to draw their own conclusions regarding spiritual questions.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
The book is “A Theology for the Rest of Us.” While I was not raised in a religious household, as a child I saw the movie, “King of Kings,” and found the story of Jesus’ life absolutely captivating. Given that the star was Jeffrey Hunter, there was some irony in that he was “Captain Christopher Pike,” the captain of The Enterprise for the pilot for “Star Trek.” Commander Spock, the logician from the planet Vulcan, was on the same series and quite a role model for me. So, too, was Kwai Chang Caine of the series “Kung Fu.” He was a Taoist monk exiled to the US during the days of the Wild West. These fictional characters led me to consider a wide variety of spiritual ideas over the years and provided the emotional starting point for writing the book.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
“Spirituality” these days is usually an assortment of vague memes or charismatic figures pitching a particular belief system. I hope to help readers come up with their own answers when it comes to spiritual questions.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
Alan Watts wrote a number of books that popularized Eastern thought in the West throughout the 20th Century. Huston Smith wrote “The Religions of Man.” While there are lots of “history of religions” books, he does an extraordinary job of presenting each tradition as if it were his own.

What are you working on now?
I have had a number of articles published in different journals and newspapers. I also manage a FaceBook group page dedicated to the kind of spiritual exploration outlined in the book.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I have a website, ArthurYavelberg.com, as well as a FaceBook group page. The book’s publisher, MSI Press, also has a variety of outlets available to promoting the book. Finally, Lamourie Media is a public relations firms that works to promote the book.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
I think the best thing any author can do is to simply write as much as possible for as many venues as possible. Wanting to promote a book is understandable, but continuing to write keeps the creative process alive–and also generates the exposure necessary to promote a book.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Not to worry about creating a “style.” The simple truth is that everyone has their own style, whether they want to or not. The danger in wanting to somehow “create” a style is that it comes across as artificial and contrived. It is better to just write as clearly as possible. Language, after all, is about communicating–and is not about impressing or intimidating or even selling.

What are you reading now?
“A History of God” by Karen Armstrong and the classic “Sons and Lovers” by D.H. Lawrence.

What’s next for you as a writer?
Right now, I plan to continue writing articles and meeting people interested in their spiritual development. That has been the most rewarding consequence of writing the 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?
I already mentioned Huston Smith’s “The Religions of Man.” Will Durant’s “The Story of Philosophy” is another wonderful book to read and reread. I also love to play chess, so Yasser Seirawans’ “Chess Strategies” has material that one can never master, but one can continue to try and put into practice.

Author Websites and Profiles

Arthur Yavelberg Website

Arthur Yavelberg Amazon Profile

Arthur Yavelberg’s Social Media Links

Facebook Profile

 

Interview With Author Nick Snape

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
At the time of writing I have released two books in the Weapons of Choice Series, Hostile Contact and Return Protocol. Another, Zuri’s War is due early May with Finn’s War currently being edited ready for a June release. Today I started Book 5, with a working title of ReBirth. Wow, all that since I put finger to keyboard on the 12th January with no AI (except actually in the stories) in sight.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
The latest release will be Return Protocol, the follow on to Hostile Contact. To be honest I got caught up in the characters and when I finished the first one I knew I wanted to know more about them. Funny that, I refused to write a character arc for each one preferring the story to dictate where they end up. Sometimes, and you’ll see this through the books, it even takes me by surprise.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I suffer with nerve issues in my hands and fingers. This means I need to shake out my hands often, and as the action gets fast and furious so does my handshaking. Strange but true.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
That’s a tricky one. I love Ray Bradbury, Julian May, Frank Herbert, the classics really. But have they influenced my writing? Only in so much as I know Sci-Fi is my genre but perhaps I shy away from the high concept work they wrote because I couldn’t possibly match their level of conceptual development. And I have found the gritty approach suits how I think about writing, seeking a punchy style that has a pace to it.

What are you working on now?
The remainder of the Weapons of Choice Series. Whether it is popular or not, the readers who are already along for the ride deserve a conclusion to the characters they’ve engaged with. Besides, I’d quite like to know myself what happens next!

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I wish I knew. So far my Amazon Ads have drained the budget, with the Book Bub Ads being more successful but leaving the purse empty. At the moment I am using promotion sites as the email promos seem to work well to garner some interest and push a surge in uptake.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Yes, keep writing and listen to others. Take the courses on offer out there and if you struggle with promotion then seek the help of a professional. You can waste a lot of money if you try and go alone.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
“Your intuition knows what to write, so get out of the way.”
― Ray Bradbury

What are you reading now?
Many-Coloured Land by Julian May

What’s next for you as a writer?
Ah, I would love to have the permission to carry on doing what I find I love. But to do that, I must look back on my first series and say, “Can I carry on? Is there someone out there that wants to listen?”

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 first four Malazan Book of the Fallen. Thick enough to wait a while for the next boat along.

Author Websites and Profiles

Nick Snape Website

Nick Snape Amazon Profile

Nick Snape’s Social Media Links

Goodreads Profile

Facebook Profile

 

Interview With Author Lucy Lyons

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I worked in London as an editorial illustrator before concentrating on writing novels, which I now do full-time. I live in leafy Surrey with my illustrator husband, two grown-up boys and a bearded dragon called Pancake. When I’m not at my desk writing, I love to escape into the garden and other worlds.

My debut novel is a 1990s mystery with a sci-fi twist. I also write fantasy, and currently have two novels out on submission to publishers.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
My debut novel is called The Finding Machine. I get a great deal of inspiration from film and TV. The idea for my book started percolating while I was watching ‘Superman’ (for the umpteenth time). I started thinking what superhero power I’d have, if I could have anything. The ability to fly? Healing people? I couldn’t come up with anything that felt right for a novel. Co-incidentally, the next night, I watched the excellent Mackenzie Crook in ‘Dectectorists’ and that’s when it hit me. Finding things. And not necessarily treasure.

I remember when my cat Wizard went missing back in 1996. I was distraught. Despite putting up posters and searching the neighbourhood, he never came back. I wish I knew what happened to him. I took this a stage further – what I felt at the time was bad enough, but what I’d lost my child or a family member? That’s when the germ of an idea grew into a novel. But I didn’t want my main character Alex to be superpowered. I wanted her to be a regular girl. In fact, I wanted her to be a bit of a loser. The machine is the incentive she needs to get out there and make something of herself.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I set the Focus tool on my PC to 40 minutes, and write solidly without distraction for that amount of time. If I do two of these sessions, I will have written well over 1,000 words. My target each day is 1,000 words minimum. The most I have written is 2,400 in one day. It’s very intense!

What authors, or books have influenced you?
I read anything and everything, so my influences come from every genre imaginable.

What are you working on now?
The Finding Machine is set in 1998, and the sequel which has a working title of The Millennium Affair, is set in 1999. It was a very exciting time, technologically, with Amazon, eBay and Google just around the corner. I love 90s nostalgia and remember 1999 well. Everyone was looking towards the new millennium – but the Millennium Bug was a spanner in the works and troubled computing experts world-wide. In my novel, when 31st December turns to 1st January, many computers will fail, including the finding machine. My main character – Alex Martin – is on a quest to future-proof the machine before time runs out!

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
htttps://lucylyonswrites.com
https://www.instagram.com/lucylyonswrites
I also keep my readers up-to-date with the latest news via my newsletter. Anyone who signs up gets a free book!

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Be true to yourself and your vision.
Accept critiques from fellow-minded writers.
Make time to write, without distraction.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Don’t write what you know, write what really interests you.

What are you reading now?
Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo
The Switch by Beth O’Leary

What’s next for you as a writer?
I’m focused on my work in progress, and will hopefully be releasing it this year.

If you were going to be stranded on a desert island and allowed to take 3 or 4 books with you what books would you bring?
Neither Here nor There by Bill Bryson
The Firm by John Grisham
Pet Semetary by Stephen King
A Song of Ice and Fire by G R R Martin

Author Websites and Profiles

Lucy Lyons Website

Lucy Lyons Amazon Profile

Lucy Lyons Author Profile on Smashwords

Lucy Lyons’s Social Media Links

Goodreads Profile

Facebook Profile

 

Interview With Author Ali Majnoon

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I am very interested in writing programming and IT, especially the Python programming language and Machin learning, Clean energy innovation, Environmental Sustainability, Renewable Energy, and Air pollution. I also learned Agile management, Business analysis, and project management skills. I am very fond of fictional stories.
It sounds like Ali Majnoon is a highly skilled and versatile individual with a passion for both technology and sustainability. His expertise in Python programming, machine learning, clean energy innovation, and renewable energy solutions makes him well-suited for tackling complex projects in these areas. Additionally, his proficiency in Agile management, business analysis, and project management allows him to effectively lead and collaborate with teams in these areas.

One of Ali’s key beliefs is in the Agile philosophy and its ability to streamline the programming process, particularly in data science and machine learning projects. By implementing the Scrum framework, he promotes open communication, seamless collaboration, and efficient problem-solving in his work.

Ali’s dedication to his clients and his willingness to go the extra mile make him a valuable teammate. His passion for writing is also admirable, as he uses it as a platform to share his knowledge and experiences in technology and sustainability with others.

Overall, Ali’s unique blend of technical and managerial skills, combined with his passion for sustainability, make him a valuable resource for anyone interested in learning and understanding the fast-paced world of programming, machine learning, and environmental conservation.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
Animal Farm

What authors, or books have influenced you?
George Orwell, Elif Shafak

What are you working on now?
Freelancer

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

Ali Majnoon’s Social Media Links

Goodreads Profile

 

Interview With Author Anna Maria DiDio

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
Anna Maria DiDio, MSW is an adoptive mother and children’s author whose adoption-themed books are heartwarming, heartbreaking and everything messy and wonderful about adoption. It all started in 2019 with Love at the Border, An Adoption Adventure – a memoir about her international adoption journey. Now, her best selling children’s books continue to encourage family conversations so that all blended families thrive! Many People to Love and How I Wonder Where You Are are the first two books in her L.I.F.E.* Adventures Series and focus on adoption attachment, trauma and grief. Anna Maria holds a BA in Psychology from Villanova University and an MSW in Family Specialization from the University of Pennsylvania. For over twenty years, Anna Maria DiDio has devoted her time and talents to many non-profit organizations focusing on women, girls, and families locally and globally. She is the mother of two young wonderful women and loves to cook, shop and watch movies with them – together or separately. Anna Maria is at her most creative when she is traveling and experiencing new people, places, and things to eat and then writing about it! She lives in Philadelphia with her husband Richard and can be found walking everywhere, swimming laps, reading biographies, or baking chocolate chip cookies. *Love Inspires Families Everywhere

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
Carla the Conqueror will be the third book in the L.I.F.E. Adventures Series of adoption-themed children’s books. In this story, Carla has anxiety and nervousness about reading aloud in school. This book is for those children who may not have English as a first language. My children’s books are all inspired by actual events from our family life with a mission for parents and educators to use my books as a way to begin difficult conversations about adoption attachment, trauma, grief and loss between parent and child.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
The mix of snacks that I use for inspiration follows a certain pattern. First: coffee and chocolate chip cookies, followed by water or tea and salty chips, pretzels, popcorn or crackers. Digestion pause and begin again.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
My support group of other self-published children’s authors inspires me every day. They are creative, imaginative and resilient. It takes dedication to pursue your message when you are doing it independently!

What are you working on now?
Children that are in foster care also need stories. Right now I am researching the best way to tell these stories.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
My website https://www.amdidio.com/ has information about all of my books plus other writing (on Medium.com) and resources for parents and children.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Be clear about your message. Do the work necessary to share it widely and don’t give up.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Let go of those things (people places things) that are no longer serving me – be true to myself.

What are you reading now?
Memoirs are fascinating to me. There is no better story than real life.

What’s next for you as a writer?
I will continue my series of children’s books plus my Medium articles. It’s great to vary content. Writing about adoption had been my passion but I also love to explore other grown-up topics and issues.

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 Diary of Anne Frank, Man’s Search for Meaning, LBJ books by Robert Caro and the Bible.

Author Websites and Profiles

Anna Maria DiDio Website

Anna Maria DiDio Amazon Profile

Anna Maria DiDio’s Social Media Links

Facebook Profile

Twitter Account

Interview With Author Marie Matthew

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
Marie Matthew is a recovering zombie apocalypse author with over thirty published titles. One day, she grew weary of watching characters get eaten alive and decided she wanted to write happily ever afters. Now, she pens contemporary rom-com novels she hopes will make readers laugh, swoon, and shed a few feel-good tears.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
My latest project is a contemporary romance rom-com series called Wine and Romance. What I really love is being able to tap into my 18 years of experience in the California wine industry. I love to weave in stories that cover everything from wine production, to label design, to grape growing. I have a personal interest in organic farming. The first book in the series (The Bad Girl List) features a grape grower who uses biodynamic farming. It was really fun to research this topic and use it in the story.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
Quite a few, actually! When I’m deep in a story, I rarely read other fiction books. I find they interfere with the connection to my own story. I prefer to listen and read non-fiction when I’m writing. I also use a lot of different essential oils in my diffuser when I write, which I find very supportive to my creativity. And no matter where I’m writing, you’ll probably see some sort of rock or crystal nearby.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
I read quite a bit of non-fiction for pleasure. A few favorites are Born to Run, Beneath the Scarlet Sky, and Natural Born Heroes.

What are you working on now?
I’m working on the second novel in the Wine and Romance series, The Good Guy List:

To escape the blues of watching her best friend walk down the aisle, Annika Chen has the perfect remedy: a sexy one-night stand with her friend, Thomas Moretti. When unexpected passion of their fling leaves both wanting more, Thomas agrees to meet the criteria of Annika’s Good Guy List – which includes a no sex rule for the first 8 dates.

A sexy one-night stand with friend Thomas Moretti is just what Annika Chen needs to escape the blues of watching her best friend walk down the aisle. When the passionate fling leaves them both wanting more, Thomas agrees to meet the criteria of Annika’s Good Guy List – which includes a no sex rule for the first 8 dates

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I enjoy using YouTube to promote my books. I give away the audiobooks to find new readers.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Find a consistent writing strategy you can maintain. Don’t pay attention to those people who crank out 10,000 words a day. If 500 words a day allows you to show up consistently, embrace that and ignore what everyone else is doing.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Don’t make your own book cover unless you are a #legit designer with appropriate software.

What are you reading now?
Sea of Storms by Lindsey Pogue, a dystopian historical romance.

What’s next for you as a writer?
I have a few more books planned for the Wine & Romance 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?
Anything by Lindsey Pogue, A.M. Geever, or Suzanne Wright.

Author Websites and Profiles

Marie Matthew Website

Marie Matthew Amazon Profile

 

Interview With Author Natalie Knox

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I’m a South African who has been living in Spain for 13 years now. I live with my husband and three children in Mijas, which is a pretty area down in the south of Spain. I have done several things in my life and two of them have inspired my present writing focus. I have been a senior primary teacher and a divorce recovery counsellor for kids. I found that there weren’t too many resources that I liked for my counselling sessions, so I decided to create my own. They were very effective and fun. A few friends encouraged me to take what I had created and share it with others, and so The Mending Chronicles of Liam and Emily project was birthed. I produced a beautiful, full-colour paperback that contained the story of Liam and Emily and activity pages for kids to process their own divorce story. It was a finalist in the 14th National Indie Excellence Awards, which was very exciting for me.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
I then went on to create a partner book which was the parent guide. I felt parents needed guidance and tips on how to effectively help their kids through their transition. Many parents want to support their kids but either don’t know how or are just too overwhelmed. So, my parent guide is a short eBook that has had some great feedback and seems effective. My most recent project has been the eBook for the Mending Chronicles of Liam and Emily. The cost of the beautiful paperback was becoming more and more expensive with the rise of printing costs and distribution, especially to countries not serviced by the big-player online retailers. So, I decided to make my book digital, and the activity pages downloadable. This was quite exciting because by this time I had several therapists let me know that my activity pages were being used in their sessions with kids. With the digital format, professionals could now print off what they needed. Another problem I solved was that families with several kids were having to share the paperback as single parents weren’t able to purchase numerous copies. But, now with the digital format, it can be shared across family devices and everyone can process their story individually.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I like to have music and tea when I write. Perhaps not that unusual?

What authors, or books have influenced you?
In terms of spirituality, I’d say Richard Rohr. Self-help would be Brene Brown. Children’s fiction is Julia Donaldson, David Walliams and many of my wonderfully practical English textbooks with all their great activities and fun ideas.

What are you working on now?
I’m trying my hand at rhyme and I’m working on a series of picture books about greyhounds.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
My blog has been a good way of drawing attention to my books. I have written about lots of issues and topics around divorce, change and children. I also find social media has been a good tool.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
I recently found a clever tip whereby I can give many options of where to buy my books with one click. There are sites that offer all the links of where your book is sold.
I use:
books2read
boook.link
booklinker

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
You may not be an expert, but you do know something, and that something is of value to someone. So get it out of your head and onto paper and don’t disqualify yourself.

What are you reading now?
A Long Petal of the Sea by Isabel Allende
Immortal Diamond by Richard Rohr

What’s next for you as a writer?
Finding an illustrator.

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 Divine Dance by Richard Rohr
A book of Spike Milligan’s poems
A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Hosseini

Author Websites and Profiles

Natalie Knox Website

Natalie Knox Amazon Profile

 

Interview With Author D.J. Maughan

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I’m an avid reader, event manager, father, public speaker, and author of the series Vanished. The majority of the series takes place in Budapest, Hungary. I lived in Budapest as a younger man and have returned to visit multiple times.

Beyond reading six to eight books a month, I’ve completed several creative writing courses and I’m a member of multiple writing groups. I look for inspiration everywhere especially while studying and visiting diverse places and cultures. Whether jumping from a cliff in Hawaii, or hiking the Plitvice Lakes in Croatia, I’m in heaven as long as my wife and four teenage boys are at my side.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
Pursuit of Demons – Back in 2016 I read a newspaper article about missing children in Hungary. I knew I wanted to write about human trafficking and shine a light on this growing problem.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
The majority of my books are written in 1st person except when Peter, the protagonist, has POV. In his chapters, I write in 3rd person.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
Gillian Flynn, Dune, Amore Towles, Jim Butcher, Karin Slaughter, and Stephen King.

What are you working on now?
The third book in the series, Revealing the Devils.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
Bookbub Featured Deals.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Keep writing. There will be a million reasons for you to stop and doubt yourself. Just keep going.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Too many books out there now to hope someone finds yours. Hope isn’t a strategy.

What are you reading now?
The Godfather.

What’s next for you as a writer?
I hope to publish book three and book four in 2023.

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?
Gone Girl, Dune, and The Lincoln Highway.

Author Websites and Profiles

D.J. Maughan Website

D.J. Maughan Amazon Profile

D.J. Maughan’s Social Media Links

Goodreads Profile

Facebook Profile

 

Interview With Author A. N. Horton

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
My name is Alisha Horton, though I go by A. N. Horton as my pen name. When I’m not writing, I spend my time with my husband and toddler, my corgi, and the non-profit organization I co-founded. As a lifelong writer, I have won two Watty awards and have a series of four published mystery/historical fiction novels to my credit as well as the first book in a YA Fantasy series and now I have published the first book in an adult Dark Fantasy series as well. I run a freelance writing and editing business and am active on social media with thousands of interactive followers.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
My latest book is called All That Falls and it was inspired by my desire to craft a dark romance in a fantasy world. I wanted a flawed character to face moral dilemmas and an anti-hero that my readers could fall in love with. Hence, Seren and Lark.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
Most people think it’s unusual that I have time to write at all given that I have a toddler. But while most people seem to need silence to focus while they write, I thrive in chaos and noise. Usually, I have plenty of that from my son playing with his toys or watching his cartoons but even when he’s not around I find myself playing music or putting on the news just so there is some sound in my writing environment.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
Too many to count. I would credit Victoria Aveyard and her Red Queen series for getting me interested in the fantasy genre in the first place. Then I would credit Leigh Bardugo for showing me that flawed characters and morally gray plots sometimes hold more sway than light hearted heroism. Finally, I would credit Sarah J. Maas for teaching me that, even in those dark places, love can find a way and that story is even more beautiful because of it.

What are you working on now?
It is the curse of the overly prolific writer to always be balancing far too many projects at once. For now, I’m hard at work on book 2 of the Immortal Plane series, the one that will follow All That Falls. I am also busy working with my editor on the second book in my published YA Fantasy series, Broken But Unburnt, as well as querying a third book in the science fiction realm to agents in the industry.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I do most of my promotion via Instagram and Wattpad where I seem to have the most active following. I do a lot of giveaways and a lot of Q&A sessions as well.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Always be open to constructive criticism. I see too many authors who never improve upon their writing or are able to properly advertise their work because they wouldn’t take anyone’s friendly advice. No matter how great you become, you can always grow from the perspectives of your peers.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
From a literary agent once, I heard “Wherever you think your book starts, you’re probably three chapters too early.” That helps me in my writing and as I prepare for publication because it reminds me not to start with too much exposition or world building. Jump right into the action and let it all be explained organically throughout the telling of the story.

What are you reading now?
I am currently reading Sarah J. Maas’ A Court of Thorns and Roses series and absolutely loving it.

What’s next for you as a writer?
More writing! It’s hard to believe I’ll ever stop with all of the ideas swimming around in my head. But I’m hoping to find some success with the self-published All That Falls and I’m looking forward to completing both of my fantasy 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?
Six of Crows, The Cruel Prince, A Court of Mist and Fury, and the Bible

Author Websites and Profiles

A. N. Horton Website

A. N. Horton’s Social Media Links

Goodreads Profile

Facebook Profile

Twitter Account

Pinterest Account

Interview With Author Jacqueline Williams

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I was born raised in Mississippi I am a minister of the gospel for Christ I love to sing read shop and travel I’m a loveable person that laughs and enjoy music I have only written one book

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
The name of my book is Overcomer By Jacqueline Williams now available on Amazon Description
This book is focused on the life and strength of Jacqueline Williams. She was born with a severe illness due to a drug called Thalidomide. And in the overview, we shall see the physical, mental, and spiritual obstacles that came before her and how she overcame and perservered to a place of peace and strength in Christ.

Product Details

What inspired my book was my typing teacher from high school said you should put your life story in a book

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
Yes I do have unusual writing habits when I get into the mood of writing

What authors, or books have influenced you?
The authors that has influenced my life are Maya Angelou and Charles Dickinson

What are you working on now?
Right now I’m working on promoting my book that’s the hard part of the process the author’s Journey

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
The best method when it comes to promoting my book is podcasting

Do you have any advice for new authors?
The advice I would give to new authors pray for guidance instructions on how to the story together to become a book and be patient

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
The best advice I have ever heard don’t get in a hurry when it comes to writing your book

What are you reading now?
I’m not reading anything right now

What’s next for you as a writer?
I really have not thought that far ahead whatsoever is next for me I just have to wait for the next chapter of my life to unfold to the next scene

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 was going to be stranded on an island the book I would take would be Island of the Blue Dolphins

Author Websites and Profiles

Jacqueline Williams Website

Jacqueline Williams Amazon Profile

Jacqueline Williams’s Social Media Links

Facebook Profile

Twitter Account

 

Interview With Author Francis DiClemente

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I live in Syracuse, New York, and I work as a video producer. I write in my spare time, and I have written a number of poetry collections. Some of my earlier work includes Outward Arrangements (independently published, 2021), Dreaming of Lemon Trees: Selected Poems (Finishing Line Press, 2019), and Sidewalk Stories (Kelsay Books, 2017).

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
My latest poetry book is entitled The Truth I Must Invent (Poets’ Choice, 2023). It’s a collection of narrative and philosophical poems, written in free-verse style. Some themes include self, identity, loneliness, memory, existence, family, parenthood, disability, gratitude, and compassion.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I get up every weekday morning at 4 a.m. and write before I need to catch the bus for work. I also carry a small notebook with me, just in case someone or something captures my attention. I want to be able to jot down notes before the image or sound fades away.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
So many writers and books have influenced me. And influence me every day. Some of my favorite authors are Thomas Wolfe, John Steinbeck, Ernest Hemingway, Jack Kerouac, Langston Hughes, Albert Camus, Joyce Carol Oates, Charles Bukowski, Mary Karr, and many others.

What are you working on now?
I am working on a coming-of-age memoir and a couple of other poetry projects.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I think Goodreads is great because that’s where readers go for information about books.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Oh, I’m terrible at giving advice, but my suggestion is to get that first draft down. You can always revise … again and again.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
When I worked as a feature reporter/editor at a small newspaper in Florida, I made a glaring mistake — the its/it’s error. Our managing editor was very kind. He said, “It’s OK. Everyone makes mistakes. Just don’t make the same mistake again.”

What are you reading now?
Dirtbag, Massachusetts: A Confessional by Isaac Fitzgerald

What’s next for you as a writer?
Just to keep plugging away, working on projects, hoping some will come to fruition.

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
The Stranger by Albert Camus
Selected Poems by Langston Hughes
Look Homeward Angel by Thomas Wolfe

Author Websites and Profiles

Francis DiClemente Website

Francis DiClemente Amazon Profile

Francis DiClemente’s Social Media Links

Goodreads Profile

Facebook Profile

Twitter Account

 

Interview With Author Marieke Lexmond

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
My name is Marieke Lexmond, and I’m originally from the Netherlands. I read tarot cards, am a foodie, do photography, and travel. I have three sassy little dogs that I like to take everywhere, and they even have their own Instagram account @urbandogsquad. I have a background in filmmaking which enables me to travel and live around the globe. Storytelling is in my blood, from saving my allowance from a very young age to buy books to my master’s degree from the Dutch Film Academy. Fantasy and science fiction are my favorite genres. I prefer to write fun and mystical stories for adults. My attraction to nature and places with a magical history brought me to New Orleans and the West Coast of Ireland. As a pagan, the instant connection to the land feeds my imagination and has become the inspiration for the Madigan Chronicles.
The Madigan Chronicles will be a six books series; “The Dagger” #1, “The Magical Tarot Deck” #2, “The Wand” #3, and “The Cup” #4 are published.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
The latest installment in The Madigan Chronicles is “The Cup.” As it’s one continuous story there are many things that inspire me to write this. It’s a story about three generations and family is something that always fascinated me. If you come from a loving, or from a dysfunctional one, each family has unique family dynamics. A blood bond is a curious thing.
In book 4 I dive into the animosity between the sisters Freya and Luna. Forced to travel together, they grudgingly help each other out. Each have their own magical problems, but they find out what it means to be sisters.
One of the main locations in this book is Greenland. In 2019 I traveled to Greenland to make a documentary. It made such an impression on me. The kind people, the strange harsh landscape, I never encountered anything like it. So it was easy to chose the location of the residence of the family who guards the Cup of Plenty. As it’s a story about the element of water it fitted perfectly!

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I don’t know… I think everyone’s writing process is unique. I talk a lot to my characters, but I’m sure I’m not the only one. I thought I always did that in my mind, but during Covid I found out I talk out loud. My husband asked if I could mention his name as the conversation was meant for him!
I’m the most productive if I have some routine and write almost daily. The story becomes alive in my mind and becomes part of every waking hour. So when I sit down, I write, and if I need to think, I do things. Preferable things that inspire my creativity. Like taking photographs, walks in nature, make spells.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
I love many genres and like to immerse myself in reading. If something grips me, I have a hard time putting it down; I need to finish it. When I was a young adult, I read mainly Fantasy and Science Fiction which obviously stuck with me. I went through all the classics like Asimov and Heinlein. I loved “Ender’s Game” by Orson Scott Card, and “The Birthgrave” trilogy by Tanith Lee resonated with me.
On the other hand, I enjoy English literature and the use of language. Authors like Jeanette Winterson or Ian McEwan.
Let’s not forget the comics! The ones that inspired me were Storm by Don Lawrence and Thorgal by Jean van Hamme. The worlds they created left a lasting impression.

What are you working on now?
At the moment, I’m working on “The Queen of Fairy,” book 5 in the Madigan Chronicles. It’s always exciting and scary at the same time.
Tarot cards are interwoven throughout this story. Each chapter embodies a minor arcana from the tarot. My friend and gifted artist Nicole Ruijgrok designed the cards for me. We work on that at the same time. It’s wonderful to work with another creative; it pushes you to do better.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
Of course, I maintain my own website www.underthewitcheshat.com where you can experience the world of the Madigans. It’s a place full of spells, recipes, cocktails, and info about the books.
As an author, it’s not your natural state to promote and put yourself out there, but in the time of social media, you will have to. So try to have fun with it. I love Instagram, so I use that a lot. Making content for @underthewitcheshat is also a creative process that can help with writing.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Make sure you have a good support team! I couldn’t do this without the help of some amazing people. It will take time to find people whom you love working with and who can inspire you. Start looking for them!

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Be yourself, and don’t try to fit in.

What are you reading now?
As I’m one of these people who get lost in a book and can’t stop reading, I don’t read when writing my first draft. I can’t afford to be taken out of the Madigan world.

What’s next for you as a writer?
I will not have to think about that as I still have to finish books 5 and 6 before the complete series is done. But I do already have ideas for another series :). It’s hard not to jump ahead, as the development of ideas is fun. Talking about fun, I am researching for book 6, which involves some traveling!

If you were going to be stranded on a desert island and allowed to take 3 or 4 books with you what books would you bring?
The Lord of the Rings–Tolkiens
The Old Souls trilogy–Deborah Harkness
Pride and Prejudice–Jane Austen

Author Websites and Profiles

Marieke Lexmond Website

Marieke Lexmond Amazon Profile

Marieke Lexmond’s Social Media Links

Goodreads Profile

Facebook Profile

 

Interview With Author SHALOM PAUL

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
SHALOM-PAUL is an Internationally renowned New York Times and Africa Today’s Best Seller we with over 20 books this year
alone know for gathering first-hand informations and experiences about every niche of events happening around our world today ranging from Health, Education, Sports, Travellings,Foods, Political,Love Stories et all.
He is a deep-thinker and an Aurator who derives joy saying things the exact way they are.
A modern-day writer and storyteller with a creative instinct in romance and reality who is always on the move.{seyicrown45@gmail.com}

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
PRAGUE TRAVEL GUIDE 2023 and I was inspired by my quest of seeking knowledge in other Countries,Nations and Settlements. Also inspired by my Determination to tour as much as possible Countries before the year ends so as to gain first-hand experience, knowledge and other needed informations about them{seyicrown45@gmail.com}.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
Yes,loves writing in a cool serene and calm environment especially at night.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
HAWAII ISLAND TRAVEL GUIDE 2023. 30-DAY PRINCIPLE OF EARNING MONEY WRITING SMALL REPORTS.

What are you working on now?
2023 TRAVEL GUIDES TO OTHER COUNTRIES, NATIONS e.t.c

HEALTH RELATED MAGAZINES

LOVE AND ROMANTIC STORIES

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

https://www.amazon.com

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Yes. They must be hard working and resilient even if they are not makin money initially. They should NOT back-off but continue producing quality books.Because,Sales will surely Come.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
To be strong and stedfast in my job no matter the condition

What are you reading now?
All Stories, Magazines,News, Newsletters and Newspapers carrying topical and trending issues.

What’s next for you as a writer?
I will continue to produce quality books needed to make our Society better

If you were going to be stranded on a desert island and allowed to take 3 or 4 books with you what books would you bring?
The best of the books I have written already depending on my mood.

Author Websites and Profiles

SHALOM PAUL Website

SHALOM PAUL Amazon Profile

SHALOM PAUL Author Profile on Smashwords

SHALOM PAUL’s Social Media Links

Facebook Profile

 

Interview With Author Faith Abraham

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I am Faith Abraham. I am an award-winning author, entrepreneur, philanthropist and animal activist. I believe every child has a right to education and healthy life. My mission is to empower children around the world through my books.

I have two books, Superhero Faith and Doctor Faith. My third book Astronaut Faith will be available in 2024.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
Doctor Faith is my latest book. It’s part two in my series. This book is based from my experience when my grandmother had cancer. When my grandmother was going through her treatments Sparkle (my dog) and I, helped her get better. We made sure she exercised (go for little walks when she felt good), eat healthy (made smoothies, ate vegetables and drank water), made sure she took her vitamins (what the doctors gave her) and showered her with lots of love and affection.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I like to share my experience with others to help them improve and enjoy their lives.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
I love the Curious George books because I’m curious and like to help others.

What are you working on now?
Astronaut Faith is currently being illustrated. I’m focused on Detective Faith and Environmental Faith.

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

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Stay brave, listen to your heart and mind, and write your book. It will help others.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
The best advice I heard is to listen and think before responding or before you take action.

What are you reading now?
Curious George and empowerment affirmations (I listen to them during the day)

What’s next for you as a writer?
To start my Empowerment Academy to support and help other children and families learn to stand in their power and live their best life.

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 books are Superhero Faith, Doctor Faith, Astronaut Faith, and any Curious George books.

Author Websites and Profiles

Faith Abraham Website

Faith Abraham’s Social Media Links

Facebook Profile

Twitter Account

Pinterest Account

Interview With Author Dushica Labovich

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I am a novelist from Montenegro and my books have been translated into several languages. I hold the masters’ degrees in philosophy and psychotherapy. I am a lover of metaphysics, art and philosophy of ancient cultures.

“The Salvador Dali Formula” is my debut thriller but not my debut book. I previously published allegorical esoteric novellas, period drama, romance, historical fiction, poetry, as well as articles for Science in the Contemporary Information Society in various languages. Secret of a Bridge, Enso The Enduring Power of Love, Pride and Intentions, Lucia della Butua…

Even though I travel a lot and you can meet me on any continent of the world, I live with my husband and two children on the coast of the beautiful Adriatic Sea in an apartment with a view of the beach, rains, storms, and red sunsets.

If you enjoy my books or want to say hi, I’d love to hear from you: I’m @DushicaLabovich on Twitter and @dushica_labovich on Instagram, author page www.facebook.com/dlabovic, or other social networks:

https://linktr.ee/dushica_labovich

Hope to see you there!

If you follow me on my Amazon Author page, Amazon will send you an email whenever I have a new book release or pre-order. Just click the “follow” button at the top of the page!

And if you subscribe on my website www.dusicalabovic.com I will send you an email when I have a new release, or if there’s a promotion you might be interested in. It’s the best way to make sure you never miss a book!

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
I’m the author of well-known in the U.S. thriller “The Salvador Dali Formula”. After peeking into the mystery of Dali’s Persistence of Memory, Charles Clark receives the life of his dreams, but he also acquires a target on his back, as his parents’ killer sets their sights on him. As the two investigate the strange formula that turned Charles’ life around, a killer starts eliminating members of the society hunting them, forcing them to run not just from their hunter but from the police as well.

The inspiration was an exhibition of paintings and sculptures by Salvador Dali. After that, I read his books and realized that everything that interested Dali, such as Nikola Tesla, Einstein and many historical researches, was actually the topic I had been working on all my life.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I am a professor of philosophy. I also have a license as a psychotherapist and a psychologist (I graduated from this faculty more out of curiosity than to get a job). What I like to do the most is to write books. What I like to read more are romantic novels and historical, action or psychological thrillers.

What is unusual about my writing is that I always write a book in two languages. In order to write a book, I have to write it in my native language and translate it into English. I do this in order to immediately publish each new book in two languages. It is also a very interesting fact that I write about things and places that I have seen and personally visited. The events in my book are set in cities all over the world, and that’s what excites me the most about writing.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
Many, many, many authors… Beginning with Oscar Wilde, Lao Tzu, Jane Austen, Dostoyevsky, Bukovsky, Ivo Andrich, Dan Brown, Agatha Christie, Hoover Colleen, Dennis Lehane, Haruki Murakami…

What are you working on now?
I’m editing a romantic novel, a drama, Everything You Need to Know About Love, and I’m also writing a psychological, romantic thriller, The Sleepy Pianist.

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

Do you have any advice for new authors?
You need to understand that being a writer is a job as well as a hobby. If you don’t treat writing as a job you love, you won’t succeed. Write at least 1000 words every day and always read what you wrote the day before.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Write as if no one is watching you, because no one is really watching you. Dan Brown.

What are you reading now?
Psychology

What’s next for you as a writer?
Finding a good Literary Agent 🙂

If you were going to be stranded on a desert island and allowed to take 3 or 4 books with you what books would you bring?
The Bible,
Love, Freedom, and Aloneness by Osho
Outlander by Diana Gabaldon

Author Websites and Profiles

Dushica Labovich Website

Dushica Labovich Amazon Profile

Dushica Labovich’s Social Media Links

Goodreads Profile

Facebook Profile

Twitter Account

Pinterest Account

Interview With Author Zarinah Hameen

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I’m the Chief Visionary Officer for Au’loni Media Group, LLC and we were most recently selected as a Marquis Who’s Who in America, received the 2022 Philadelphia Award in the areas of Business and Coaching, and inducted into The Philadelphia Media Founder’s Exchange with The Lenfest Institute of Journalism. In addition, our podcast #BlackWealthIsBack was rated #13 of the Top 90 Podcasts for “Black Wealth and Finance” by FeedSpot.

We focus on merging traditional media with modern technology. Through Broadcast, Digital, and Print. We minimize the gatekeeper’s influence over the voice of the underrepresented and disenfranchised, to better strengthen our global community. To date, we’ve written 3 books. The Melanoid Chronicles: Encyclopedia Series which is the first encyclopedia series in the new millennium for the African Diaspora. We’ve also published two titles under our “mini-eBook series” called, Seafood for the Startup Soul and The “Strategy” in Struggle.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
Our latest books are, The Melanoid Chronicles (Collector’s Edition): Encyclopedia Series and The “Strategy” in Struggle which is Part II of our Mini-Ebook Series.

The Melanoid Chronicles: The inspiration behind it was to change the trajectory of how black history is told and documented for all members of the African Diaspora, in hopes that our future generations will NEVER experience what every generation before them had to endure by not being told or knowing their history and having the ideas that only slavery defines them in the U.S. In 100 years, our stories of today will help shape the ideas of our children and how they value themselves. This is a “historical piece of art” to lay the groundwork for future generations.

The “Strategy” in Struggle: The inspiration behind this was to revive the “Chicken Soup” books into a new age and new technology with a focus on inspiring entrepreneurs and innovators since this is the industry that is fueling a new economy.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
Yes, oddly enough I’m at my most creative height while watching horror films. I think it’s because I grew up reading Stephen King books and watching his movies so his work, tends to get the creative juices flowing. Also, I have to give myself interludes of celebration for small victories. I set a goal when I start writing (For example, finish a chapter in X amount of time…) and when I complete it I celebrate with 30 minutes of listening to music or a good meal. It keeps my energy and mood in tact for long-term writing projects such as books and essays.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
Stephen King, Maya Angelou, Nikki Giovanni, J.K. Rowling, Augustus Burroughs, and celebrity authors such as Tina Fey and Issa Rae. When I was a child, my biggest influencers were R.L. Stine and Judy Blume.

Books: The 7 habits of highly effective people, Tiger Eyes, Bossy Pants, and The Misadventures of an Awkward Black Girl.

What are you working on now?
I’m currently focused on gathering research for the next edition of The Melanoid Chronicles and securing co-authors for the 3rd book in our mini-ebook series. Coming Soon!

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
My own website for most promotional material but also BookBub, Barnes & Noble, and Online Book Club. I do general social media marketing but those are the sites that I prefer for target marketing.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Like anything else that’s worth it, stay in it for the long-haul. Most likely, your book won’t become a best-seller overnight. It could take months and even years to see that kind of success. Approach your book sales and notoriety as you did your writing. Focus, slow pace, creation, management, and long-term story telling as long-term story “selling” for your work. Be patient.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
All money isn’t good money.

The worst that anyone can ever do is tell you No. Fear is an illusion

What are you reading now?
Right now, I’m concentrating more on writing than reading but I’m excited to finish reading, The Subtle Art of Not Giving a Fu*k.

What’s next for you as a writer?
We will continue with our series and hopefully in the next few years or so, I’ll move on to some passion projects that are fiction based. I like to tell different and unique stories.

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 first 4 books I can find about life lessons and of course, how to survive on a desert island!

Author Websites and Profiles

Zarinah Hameen Website

Zarinah Hameen Author Profile on Smashwords

Zarinah Hameen’s Social Media Links

Goodreads Profile

Facebook Profile

 

Interview With Author Sarah Jillian

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I have been an artist all my life.
I started out early doing radio and then selling my art.
I have sold different creative art forms,including handmade chips and pins, and paintings.
I have studied both art at college and acting at private schools such as Josephine Barrington acting academy.
I started writing as an author at an early age,and wrote and illustrated my first book at 12.
I have a series of 3 out of 6 books published on Amazon that have been listed in the top 3 in bedtime and dreams for children.
The series is called
“Did I Really Dream Last Night?”
written under my pen name
Sarah Palleschi.
Available on Amazon and Kindle and many different sites,Barnes and Noble etc.
Currently I am working on another series of childrensbooks called
“The Prince From The Beach”

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
My latest book is called
“The Prince from the Beach and I was inspired by my puppy.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
While I am working on my illustrations
I enjoy listening to rock and roll.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
I have always enjoyed Dr.Seuss ,
his amazing sense of humour.
I was greatly influenced by the beautiful morals in the amazing children’s book,”The Little Prince “

What are you working on now?
Now I am working on my acting career.
I am cast in a comedy/slasher film starring Eric Roberts and Tom Arnold.
And I am also working on a children’s book,illustrating the pages as the story I have already completed.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I love that my publisher put out a video of my first book.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Don’t ever give up being creative.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Stay focused and stay healthy n body and mind.

What are you reading now?
I am reading a book about my family history,my father published recently about our family being in the first vaudeville /club owners bringing entertainment to Canada in the early 30’s.

What’s next for you as a writer?
I am working on my illustrations and working towards publishing my next series.
Hoping to find a good publisher and agent for representation.

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 with me, Ulysses because I know it’s a long book and my parents always told me to read it.
I am adding my social media accounts here because I don’t know the https.
My Facebook is Sarah Jillian,6154 followers
Instagram,thatsarah1234 1667 followers
Twitter sarahjillian71 2143 followers
TikTok sarahjillian71 3526 followers
LinkedIn Sarah Jillian 2700 followers
IMDb is
Https://pro.IMDb.com/name/nm13513943?
My YouTube is Sarah Jillian
Pinterest Sarah Jillian