Awesome Author Interviews

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
For years I have written children’s books, but I only recently published my first novel.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
The Passion and Perils of the Insatiably Hungry. It was inspired by a good friend who I had watched for years transforming and struggling with the effects of mental illness. There is also some heavy influence from my upbringing in a quirky family who struggled financially as well as my passion for baking. The book is a perfect storm of humor, foodie writing, love complexity, and coming of age.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I write insatiably. My first several drafts are always a bunch of splat, and then I craft and edit dozens of times until I come up with something beautiful. Sometimes I have a line or scene pop into my mind and I write it in my notes so I will be ready to use it when the time is right in the storyline.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
Tolstoy, Wharton, Steinbeck, and Austen have been big influences through the years. Most recently, I have enjoyed Kate Atkinson and Helen Simonson.

What are you working on now?
Prose pieces and short stories. I’m also getting to know the characters in my next novel, which I will begin writing in the autumn.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I don’t do much self promotion. I just share my writing with friends and when they genuinely enjoy it, they spread the word.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Don’t compare yourself to others! Learn from others, work with others, but don’t get caught up comparing yourself. Be thankful for your small triumphs and stay true to what you are passionate about.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Seek ye first the kingdom of God and all else will work out.

What are you reading now?
Fairchild by Jaima Fixsen.

What’s next for you as a writer?
My 2nd novel, another chick lit.

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?
New ones! I rarely re-read books other than the scriptures. So first I would bring my scriptures, then I would bring a Thomas Hardy, a Tolstoy, Fairchild’s sequel (since I’m loving the first one,) and The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down by Ann Fadiman.

Author Websites and Profiles
Kirsten Joy Hobbs Website
Kirsten Joy Hobbs Amazon Profile

Kirsten Joy Hobbs’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile
Facebook Profile

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I’ve been writing since I was in middle school. When I discovered romance novels in junior high, I knew I wanted to write them someday. My writing remained a hobby while I studied biology and forensic DNA science. I worked as a molecular biologist and published cancer research before finally leaving the lab and taking up my laptop full time.

I’ve written six books and have published two of them so far. I’m hoping to publish two more of them this year.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
My latest books is called Magick Charm. It’s a story about twins in New Orleans who cast a magick spell to improve their love lives.

I got the idea for the book in a dream about the twins and their relationship with one another. They are as different as two people can be, yet they’re so close. That doesn’t mean they don’t bicker with each other, which they do quite a bit!

I developed the rest of the story starting the next day. I couldn’t get the twins out of my head! I set the novel in New Orleans, one of my favorite cities and a fun background for characters playing with magickal spells!

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I often write with music or television on in the background. While some people prefer the silence, I find that it’s actually distracting for me when it’s too quiet.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
One of my favorite writers is Stephen King. His book On Writing was a really helpful read for me. He famously had a stack of rejection letters before he finally began to publish his books. I find that knowing even the most popular writers didn’t have immediate success offers new writers hope.

What are you working on now?
I’ve been editing the sequels to Magick Charm. The next story is a novella titled Gypsy Magick. It follows the police officer from the first book in a murder case that seems to involve voodoo, but she knows it’s not as clear-cut as it seems.

Next I will edit Free Spirit, the second book in the New Orleans Magick Series. This book follows the ghost-hunting adventures of the offbeat twin, Rachel.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I’m still trying to figure that one out! Mostly, I’ve been trying to stay busy communicating with my readers on Facebook and through my blogs.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Never give up! Writing is a tough, competitive business. It’s difficult to get published for the first time. At first, rejection letters can make you cry, but just keep going. Keep writing and keep submitting until your books find their homes.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Don’t stop writing. While you’re waiting for a book to get sold or you’re promoting a newly-released book, just keep writing. Don’t stall. Work on your next project. Ultimately, the best way to succeed is through continued publishing and sales of your backlist.

What are you reading now?
I’m reading the Eve Duncan series by Iris Johansen. I’m also reading A Brief History of Time by Stephen Hawking. Admittedly, I’m reading it slowly to make sure I understand everything!

What’s next for you as a writer?
I’ve been considering branching out and trying a new genre after I get the rest of the New Orleans Magick Series published.

If you were going to be stranded on a desert island and allowed to take 3 or 4 books with you what books would you bring?
I’d take as many novels of the Outlander series by Diana Gabaldon as I could!

Author Websites and Profiles
Jennifer Wells Website
Jennifer Wells Amazon Profile

Jennifer Wells’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile
Facebook Profile
Twitter Account

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
My name is Steph Nuss, and as of right now, I write contemporary romance. As a young girl, I fell in love with reading, and I’ve carried that passion with me into adulthood. I have a black labrador retriever son named Gunner, who isn’t a huge fan of my writing career as it sometimes gets in the way of his walks. I’ve only written three book so far, but I have many more planned for the future, with the hope of diving into more than one different genre.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
I released Pleasured By You (Love in the City, #3) on March 20th, 2015. The inspiration for the Love in the City series came from the TV show, Friends. As a huge fan of that show, I wanted to create my own group of friends readers could feel like they were a part of and enjoy reading about. I also try to highlight an awareness in each of my books, and in Pleasured By You, both my heroine and hero are very outgoing individuals, so I incorporated the Big Brothers Big Sisters program into the storyline. The story is all about enjoying the pleasures of life and never letting your fear decide your fate.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I don’t think so. Most of my writing habits seem pretty normal to me because that’s just how I write. I write better in the morning. I do tend to forget to eat or drink when I’m deep into my writing. Listening to music while I write is something I’ve learned I can’t do, but I do make playlists for each of my books and will listen to them while I’m not writing as a way to stay in what I like to call, “writer mode.”

What authors, or books have influenced you?
Jennifer Probst has been a huge influence me. She’s someone I reached out to before I started writing and she immediately encouraged me to pursue my dream. I’m also a big fan of Christina Lauren and their Beautiful series. I’m a huge fan of book series in general, where the books can be read as standalones since they’re each about a different couple. If I had to choose my top five book series that have influenced me to write my own, they would include: Marriage to a Billionaire by Jennifer Probst, The Beautiful Series by Christina Lauren, With Me in Seattle by Kristen Proby, The Bride Quartet by Nora Roberts, Off series by Sawyer Bennett, and because I can’t choose just five, the Caught Up in Love series by Lauren Blakely!

What are you working on now?
Cherished By You (Love in the City, #4)

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I don’t think there’s just one method or website that works best for promoting my books. I use a mixture of social media sites like Facebook, Twitter and Instagram, as well as my website in general by blogging about my books and helping other authors promote theirs. I also really like Goodreads. I know most authors try to stay away from Goodreads, but I check my author dashboard daily on there to see if there are new ratings and reviews of my books. I think interacting with readers and book bloggers and just being present in the realm of social media is one of the best things an author can do to promote themselves. When a reader messages me, I message them back as soon as I can. I also try to post updates on my website enough so that my subscribers are interested in said updates but not enough to where they’re deleting every email from me instead of checking out the post.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
My advice to new authors is to believe in yourself and never give up. I know it’s said a lot, but that’s because it’s really easy to feel discouraged in the writing industry. I know what it’s like not making money off of my books. I know it’s really easy to feel like nobody wants to read my work. But if you reach out to people and put yourself out there, I promise, someone will take a chance on you and all it takes is one person. You just have to be willing to take a chance on yourself and never ever give up.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Even bad reviews are better than no reviews. I truly believe this now, too. Most authors are so worried about getting bad reviews that they don’t realize that a bad one is way better than none at all.

What are you reading now?
Hard As It Gets by Laura Kaye

What’s next for you as a writer?
I have a few more romance series planned as well as a young adult standalone, a mystery/thriller series, and a dystopian trilogy. Surprisingly, I’m most nervous for the standalone because as a fan of series, I love when secondary characters get their own stories. So, we’ll see if I have it in me to write a standalone!

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 Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger, Boycotts & Barflies by Victoria Michaels, The Marriage Bargain by Jennifer Probst, Dark Places by Gillian Flynn

Author Websites and Profiles
Steph Nuss Website
Steph Nuss Amazon Profile

Steph Nuss’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile
Facebook Profile
Twitter Account
Pinterest Account

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
Reader, writer, and wrangler of cats (domestic not wild) living in central Pennsylvania. Author of three books with two published: Hope Rising, a young adult novel, and Summer Unbroken, an adult fiction.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
Summer Unbroken is coming of age story, but set a little older. I felt like my own, personal coming-of-age story happened in college, during 9/11. It was a lot for me to process as college freshman. I remember staring at the television in complete shock, knowing very deep within me that life was never going to be the same again. Reflecting back on that time gave me the idea to write a girl’s coming-of-age story while she was in college, rather than high school, because I believe we never really stop “coming-of-age”. The story of Claire in Summer Unbroken is fiction, but inspired by the wide range of emotions I felt back then.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I like a hardcore solo dance party at the end of my writing day. Other than that, I’m as mundane as a Monday morning.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
Curtis Sittenfeld, Jerry Spinelli, Sara Dessen, Laura Moriarty. I like a little bit of everything and a good, bittersweet ending. Unless I’m at the beach. Then give me a Julia Quinn romance.

What are you working on now?
I’m editing my third novel The Way We Weren’t, that follows the will they/won’t they friendship of Jenna and Gage, starting in college and spanning fifteen years. I’m also working on my fourth novel, Undefeated, a young adult novel following the story of a high school female football player recruited to a Big Ten university.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
Book Signings tend to generate the most interest for me, personally. KDP Select Free Promotion was great for promoting Hope Rising. I distributed about 7,000 free books with that. My sales tanked after that though, so use with caution.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Rest when you need to. It’s okay to take a breather. Writing is the type of job you can quit on a whim and rehire yourself seventy-two hours later. Just don’t forget to rehire yourself!

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
You’re a writer. Own it. Don’t be afraid to say it.

What are you reading now?
Sisterland by Curtis Sittenfeld, which is awesome, btw.

What’s next for you as a writer?
Finishing up editing The Way We Weren’t, and slowly working through Undefeated.

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?
Prep by Curtis Sittenfeld for when I’m feeling angsty; A Julia Quinn romance – Romancing Mister Bridgerton, I’m thinking (so I can pretend the desert is a beach); a great memoir recommended to me that I didn’t read yet but somehow managed to buy right before being stranded; and I’ll trade the last book for a laptop with a solar battery (please?)

Author Websites and Profiles
Amy Spade Amazon Profile
Amy Spade Author Profile on Smashwords

Amy Spade’s Social Media Links
Facebook Profile

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I have been a reader since I could put words together and a writer since I could do the same with sentences. I grew up in a big family (where a person can tend to get lost) and I created my own world made of books, paper, pen, and a gift for hiding.
I do the same to this day when necessary!
I love to read…I am all about music. You are not likely to find me without headphones on. Music helps me refuel and inspires me to write.
I currently have four books to my name and I have so many more ideas for future writing locked away!
I primarily write contemporary romance, but my latest writings have been paranormal romance. I love the draw of the unknown and the ability to create a world and circumstances that support the unknown.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
“Nolan’s Evolution” is my latest published book. It is actually the sequel to “The Awakening.” There will be three books total in that series.

The series was inspired by an evening out on my back deck. (white wine may have been involved)
I had just watched the sun set through the row of trees in my backyard, and I was studying those trees, I had a random thought. “What if, as I study these shadows, there was someone studying me as well? Someone watching over me?”

I was raised to believe in angels…demons…the supernatural. So, why couldn’t there be a guardian watching over me?

I got so excited, I immediately went inside and began to write Nolan, Raina, and Thanatos’s story. A story of dreams, immortality…love unconditional.

I am very much connected to the characters…Raina…she’s me.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I have a few quirks.
1. I sit with my legs folded beneath me. (I can never sit normally when writing.)
2. I have to have music, but never the kind with words while writing. I get distracted and either start typing those words or singing the song. Classical inspires me as I write…all the other genres when I’m not.
3. I often pause between chapter or paragraph to daydream. Nothing ever makes it to print that I haven’t already imagined vividly in my mind.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
As a girl? Janette Oke. She writes historical romance and hers was one of the first real novels I ever read. “Love Comes Softly” I have read it no less than a hundred times. My Grandma was certain that I got every book Janette ever wrote.

Now? I love Jane Austen. I have been told my book “More than Scars” has an Austen feel. Biggest compliment EVER!

Paranormal wise? J.A. Redmerski’s Darkwoods series is one of the reasons I continued with my “Wake Up” series. She created a world I wanted to live in.

What are you working on now?
I am currently working on the third book in the “Wake Up” series. I also have two other contemporary romances I have been devoting my time to.

In the future I will also be trying my hand at a non-fiction. Still in the creative phase of that one and it will be a challenge, but I am up to the challenge!

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I would have to say Goodreads has been the best way to touch other readers and even writers.

I have met some of the best people there and I found that I wasn’t so crazy! What do I mean by that? I thought I was the only over the top in my obsession over my characters. I thought I was weird for investing so much time into my writing. I was wrong. I have met writers and readers who understand me…who connect with me…and I feel at home. There is no shortage of support there.

The acceptance of Indie authors on that site is amazing. I always call it the FB for readers and writers.

Other than that? Word of mouth and having personal contact with readers.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Don’t think so hard about it. Write what you feel and never compromise your ideas. You can’t make everyone happy and not everyone is going to love your style. Some will hate your story…but you will find those who love it and that is what makes it worth it.

I always say…If we were all the same…how BORING life would be!

Be different…be bold…and grow a thick skin!

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Oh my! I have had so many nuggets of wisdom passed to me!

One thing I heard constantly and have finally grasped is…Do you. Be yourself and don’t worry so much what others think! (again…don’t compromise your ideas)

My good friend (and talented author) Oak Anderson said this to me one day; “Why coast when you can excel?” and it was not related to my writing at that moment, but I started to incorporate it into many aspects of my life. Especially my writing. I say it to myself all the time.

What are you reading now?
I just recently finished “The Lucidites Series” by Sarah Noffke. (beautifully written)

I have not been reading as much as usual. Working a lot on the writing.

I use reading when the writing becomes too much or feel like it is getting stale.

What’s next for you as a writer?
Well, hoping to get book three in the series out in the next six months.

I have no end to the ideas for the next few adventures…it is incorporating them that is the hard part. I can’t wait to share more!

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?
That is the hardest question!! I have so many favorites and have learned I hold respect for certain authors both known and up and coming! So if I could…I will list my four fave picks from each genre I like.

Romance: 1. Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen, 2. Voice In The Wind by Francine Rivers 3. Love Comes Softly by Janette Oke 4. The Fault In Our Stars by John Green

Paranormal/Fantasy: 1. Mayfair Moon by J.A. Redmerski 2. Twilight by Stephenie Meyer 3. Beautiful Creatures by Kami Garcia 4. Evermore by Alyson Noel

Horror: 1. Charlotte by Stuart Keane 2. Pet Cemetery by Stephen King 3. Bad Girls Don’t Die by Katie Alender 4. When Angels Fail by Michael Benavidez

Crime/Thriller: 1. Take One With You by Oak Anderson 2 Girl On The Train by Paula Hawkins 3. Kiss The Girls by James Patterson 4. Whispers by Dean Koontz

There are so many more…so so so many more! If I could cheat…I would take one item…my Kindle, and then I would have them all! (for as long as my battery lasted)

Author Websites and Profiles
Sarah Brocious Amazon Profile

Sarah Brocious’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile
Facebook Profile
Pinterest Account

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I’m a former pre school teacher who has written Romance novels, Sci Fi novels, and Westerns. I’ve written almost seventeen books, but so far only six have been accepted for publication (The Forever Series with Omnific and We The People with Ravenswood.)

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
We The People: Inalienable. I was always a huge fan of “The X files,” and the idea of people with powers ala “Heroes” or “X-Men.” I also wanted to explore the idea of a main protaganist who was effectively immortal. On the surface it might seem incongruous; Ideally, your hero should be one that the reader can sympathize with, and most of us have to fear death. However, just because Thane can’t die doesn’t mean she can’t FAIL.
Additionally, there’s a theme of patriotism in We The People. Not the Nationalistic bluster of certain 24 hour news networks, but a patriotism that accepts America’s warts and flaws and seeks change for the better.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I generate a 65-80K manuscript every thirty days or so.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
Glen Cook, Steve Brust, Rumer Haven, Tolkien, Saberhagen…I could go on all day! A special shout out must go to the late, great Robert Asprin and his Myth Adventures series.

What are you working on now?
I’m working on We The People III, which is going to be out of this world–literally! I also finished the first in a western trilogy that I’m playing around with in edits.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
Goodreads and Amazon, and of course Awesomegang!

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Don’t give up, and try to write at least five times a week for a couple of hours at a time. Also, read everything you can get your hands on!

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Love is all you need.

What are you reading now?
A writer I’ve never read before, Melanie Rawn.

What’s next for you as a writer?
More Romance, more Sci Fi, more westerns…more more more! I hope to get into the comic book business one day, and create iconic characters like you see on the silver screen.

If you were going to be stranded on a desert island and allowed to take 3 or 4 books with you what books would you bring?
The complete Michael Moorcrock, the complete Robert Asprin, and a big dictionary so I’d have toilet paper.

Author Websites and Profiles
Christopher Wagoner Website
Christopher Wagoner Amazon Profile

Christopher Wagoner’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile
Facebook Profile
Twitter Account

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I started drawing before I started writing, but I was drawn to words and books as passionately. At first I wrote and illustrated comics at my work place at the time – The National Museum of Science in Haifa, Israel.
I have written six books for children, one of them is now available in amazon.
I am a Feldenkrais practitioner, a method I studied after being a graphic designer for a couple of years.
Over the last years I got deeply involved with young children’s point of view and that has incorporated into my books. I am usually inspired by everyday experiences and for me it’s all about how children perceive the world – it is as if they are guests on our planet and we are the hosts.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
My latest book, on which I am still working on, is called “Shoko and Luigi in the Playground”. The inspiration came from encountering with a very unusual dog while spending time with one of my grandchildren at a playground. It was a very big dog with long furry hair, with one blue eye and one brown eye. All kids were drawn to it. It had a majestic presence and I thought this calls for a story.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I usually prefer to write in a place where I’m surrounded by people, such as a coffee shop, but basically I can really write anywhere on every piece of paper I have. Also, I have a lot of drafts and sometimes the finished product takes a total shift from the initial idea or story.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
I get inspired by any good book I’m exposed to. I am an obsessive reader; I always need to be surrounded by books. Some of the books which stand out for me are:
Tova Jansson children’s books
Among my favorite books are two graphic novels: one is “Persepolis” by Marjane Satrapi and the other is Rutu Modan’s “The Property”.
I’m also deeply impressed by Virginia Woolf’s book “Mrs Dallaway” – A brilliant book which turned to be part of my thesis in MFA degree.
Also, “One Hundred Years of Solitude” by Gabriel García Márquez is the book I would take with me anywhere.

What are you working on now?
These days I am writing a story about a crow. I believe kids are always curious of all living beings and animals around them and their various habits .The crow stands out as familiar on one hand and very aggressive individual on the other.

Do you have any advice for new authors?

I presume for each one there is a different way and approach to be inspired. I always found that looking at my own life as if I’m visiting them from an outside world helped me to find a story to tell.

What are you reading now?

I always read more than one book at a time. These days I am reading “The Snow Queen” and “The Hours” by Michael Cunningham.

Author Websites and Profiles

Nili Ariely Website
Nili Ariely Amazon Profile

Nili Ariely’s Social Media Links
Facebook Profile

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I’m 35 years old, married to a wonderful woman for the past 15 years. We have two children, 8 and 4, and live in Pennsylvania. I began writing short stories and poetry at a young age, and have always had the writing bug. When I was 12 yrs old, I wrote a short story called “My Life”. I wrote the story at a friend’s house, during a camp out. 20 some years later I found the story in an old box and decided it didn’t need a massive re-write! So 15 months ago I started writing “The Journal of a Lifetime”, which became a fresh re-write of “My Life”. I added 24 custom painted illustrations to the current story, hiring the help of my artist friend, Tony Maulfair. This book is my debut release and I’m really excited about it.

I’m currently working on book #2 which is called: “The Great Green Tree and the Magical Ladders”. This will be a full chapter book geared towards middle-grade readers. I’m currently on Chapter 9 of 15 in this book, slated for a 2016 release!

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
“The Journal of a Lifetime” hard cover book is available now at www.stephenkozan.com

I’m currently working on book #2 which is called: “The Great Green Tree and the Magical Ladders”. This will be a full chapter book geared towards middle-grade readers. I’m currently on Chapter 9 of 15 in this book, slated for a 2016 release! It is loosely based on my daughter and the tree we have in our backyard. It involves talking bugs, life lessons and a magical ascension into this Great Green Tree!

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I tend to write at my best during the nights. I HAVE to be on my computer on my Microsoft Word program. I don’t hand-write anything.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
To be truthful, there aren’t any particular authors that have influenced my writing or writing style. I respect ALL authors, and I love the creativity that every author brings to the table.

What are you working on now?
I just finished up my debut middle-grade children’s book (but suitable for adults) called “The Journal of a Lifetime”. That book is sold exclusively at www.stephenkozan.com

I am currently working on a chapter book for middle-grade readers called “The Great Green Tree and the Magical Ladders.”

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I have found that social media is the best way to get noticed. I have made so many new friends on Twitter and Facebook and I enjoy meeting new people through those avenues of exposure. I have also found that friends and family are good resources for exposure to your book projects.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Yes. Never doubt yourself or your abilities to write and be SEEN. The internet and the publishing world has changed so much in the last 5-6 years. Don’t give up if a publisher dismisses your work. The self-publishing world is exciting and gives you the ability to learn how the industry works from the ground up. It’s a real grassroots effort, but you have all the control on how you will be seen and heard. Do not give up on yourself!

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Never get too big with your career that you start to ignore or miss out on your family.

What are you reading now?
I am currently engrossed in The Tibetan Book of Living and Dying.

What’s next for you as a writer?
I’m currently working on a middle-grade chapter book called “The Great Green Tree and the Magical Ladders” which is loosely based on my 5 year old and the tree we have in our backyard.

I have an additional book on the back burner which is unofficially titled: Bob’s Basement.

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 Dante’s Inferno, Where the Red Fern Grows, The Tibetan Book of Living and Dying, and Stephen King’s “The Langoliers”

Author Websites and Profiles
Stephen Kozan Website

Stephen Kozan’s Social Media Links
Facebook Profile
Twitter Account

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
Hi, my name is Paul and I was born in 1958, way back before colour was invented and the world was in black & white. I grew up in Ilford, Essex in the UK, close to London, and now live in a peaceful little town close to Chelmsford, Essex.
I’ve taken early retirement a couple of years ago, to help my wife with the care of our disabled son, and my primary hobbies are writing and painting oils on canvas.
The Little Sentinel of the Sierra Nevada is my first published novel although, like many of us, I’ve probably written a thousand more in my head.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
My debut novel, The Little Sentinel of the Sierra Nevada, was published in Feb. 2015.
Since early childhood I’ve had a great fascination for the American West, a passion ignited from watching too many John Wayne movies. I’ve written in many genres and styles, but this era in History has always inspired me most, and it was inevitable I should choose it for my first published novel. Having said that, I don’t necessarily consider it a western. My interest is in the characters in my story, and how they interact under given circumstances. The American west is a geographical and historical setting, but the story could as easily be transposed to other eras.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I am a creature of habit, when it comes to writing. From beginning to end with this book, through each draft and edit, I sat in the same chair and listened to the same music through headphones. Once I’ve established a productive flow, then I tend to keep the same music going throughout any piece of work. For this book it was Pink Floyd on an endless loop.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
Almost every book I’ve read has inspired me in some way. Despite my love of the American west I’ve read very few books in this genre, although True Grit is a beautifully written work. I recently reread To Kill A Mocking Bird, among many of the older gems I’ve been revisiting. Joseph Conrad has always been a favourite, and I often pull one of his back out from the bookcase. But if pushed to give an all-time favourite read, then it would have to be Joseph Heller’s Catch 22. To me it’s the perfect blend of heartbreaking tragedy and comedy.

What are you working on now?
Honestly…?
I’m being extremely cautious in my research for my next novel. I know what I want to happen, or at least a good outline of the action and emotional consequences to my characters. I’m still sketching out a timeline, ensuring that my story fits the historical framework. This part took me about six months for my last book, and I can bog myself down in research when I love the topic so much.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
Promotion is all new to me. I have my own FB page and have featured my book on countless FB sites for ebooks, with varying success. I offered my book free for 5 days through KDP, which gave me impressive results, but sales soon slowed afterwards. I’m just now branching out and feeling my feet with regards promotion.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
People write endless books on advice to new writers, all very sound I’m sure, but in the end you have to knuckle down and WRITE. Some days it goes well, others not so well, but get those words down on the page. Commit your story.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
The above.

What are you reading now?
I’m about to start East Jesus, Nevada, by Greg Townsley. Since writing my book I’ve only just realised what a wealth of westerns there are available, and this looked interesting so I thought I’d give it a go.

What’s next for you as a writer?
More of the same, hopefully.

If you were going to be stranded on a desert island and allowed to take 3 or 4 books with you what books would you bring?
Catch 22, definitely. Victory by Joseph Conrad. Voices of Wounded Knee, the one non-fiction I’d allow myself. I’ll have to stop now or I’ll just keep listing forever.

paul williams’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile
Facebook Profile
Pinterest Account

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
Born in the midwest and raised in the south I’m a country girl through and through. I’m most comfortable hiking through the woods or just sitting outdoors. I’ve been creating stories and writing since I can remember; it’s more a part of who I am than it ever was a decision to become a writer.
I gravitate to anything creative and if one word could describe me it would be: eclectic. There’s too much out there to limit myself to just a few areas and my mp3 player is always on “random”.
I’ve written four books so far, one small poetry volume that is free through most retailers including Apple, Smashwords, and Amazon, and the Costly Obsession Trilogy -Animalize, Decay, and Unleashed.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
From Darkness- Aging rocker Bane Bronson never thought his trip through Hell itself would turn out to be the easy part.
Inspired by a single question. ‘What would it take to reach a man like Bronson?’

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I usually get my creative burst between midnight and 2 a.m.; very inconvenient. I start off with writing down the idea whether it’s a sentence or a couple of dozen detailed pages. I have a favorite cheap mechanical pencil that fits my hand and I stock up on 5 cent spiral notebooks in the fall. I write the rough draft on paper the hard way using a few shortcut terms I’ve developed over time. After that I transfer it over to my computer taking the opportunity to give it what I call the Hollywood treatment (I inject collagen here and lipo fat there). Then it gets printed. There’s something about having that hard copy in my hands that helps me focus and I break out my pen or pencil and begin to edit once more. I do this at least two or three times looking for errors, details and to check the over all flow of the story. Wash, rinse, repeat until I can’t look at it anymore and then do it again.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
Everything I read good or bad. Like life I get more help from learning what I don’t like than what I do.

What are you working on now?
From Darkness. It started as a horror novel, one mans experience going through Hell, but like many stories it’s taken on a new life and genre. Now it’s more of an inspirational novel focusing on redemption and how we try to handle too much on our own. Usually we end up wearing ourselves down and the once great change we were sure was the best thing that ever happened to us has turned into our downfall leading to nothing but pain and anguish; until we let go that is.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I’ve been so focused on finishing my Costly Obsession Trilogy that promotion was almost a foreign concept. Needles to say I’m new to the whole thing and still learning.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Don’t try to pattern yourself after someone else, working how they work or mimicking their process. Find out what works for you, experiment. Just because one author gets up at 6 a.m and locks themselves into their room until they have 20,000 words down doesn’t mean that will do for you. Try a little bit of everything, keep what shoes fit and donate the rest.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Writing a book doesn’t stop when you’ve published it (I’m speaking of self publishing), that’s only the first part. Marketing/promotion is just as important as the book itself; at least until you get a major following. Even then it’s always a part of the process.

What are you reading now?
Yikes! On any given week it’s entirely possible for me to have at least a dozen or so books open. I can say that I just recently finished the Iron Fey series by Julie Kagawa and I’m reading some Ted Dekker, Michael Crichton, Austen, Shakespeare, Dickens and other classics.

What’s next for you as a writer?
After I finish From Darkness I have a binder filled with over 120 more story idea so I’ll be very busy (thankfully) for a long long time.

If you were going to be stranded on a desert island and allowed to take 3 or 4 books with you what books would you bring?
The Bible- it’s like every genre rolled into one
Mansfield Park- Jane Austen
The Chronicles of Narnia- C.S. Lewis

Author Websites and Profiles
Sasha Pruett Website
Sasha Pruett Amazon Profile
Sasha Pruett Author Profile on Smashwords

Sasha Pruett’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile
Facebook Profile
Twitter Account

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
Vina Arno is my pen name. I was born in Manila but I’m now an American citizen. I’ve worked as a journalist in the Philippines, Taiwan, and the United States. My short stories have been published in the Snake Nation Review, Copperfield Review, and SN Review. “In His Corner,” published by Lyrical Press/Kensington Publishing (April 2015), is my debut romance book. It’s also my first work published under my pen name. All of my other works were published under my real name, Cindy Fazzi.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
“In His Corner” is about an Olympic gold-medalist boxer known as the Juggernaut who goes to the ER for stitches and gets knocked out at first sight by the beautiful doctor who treats him. The Juggernaut was inspired by Tom Hardy’s cage-fighter character in the movie “Warrior.” My romantic heroine is named Siena because I created her character while I was visiting the Italian city of the same name.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
Nothing unusual.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
As far as romance books are concerned, I love the classics, especially Jane Austen’s “Pride and Prejudice,” E.M. Forster’s “A Room with a View,” and Charlotte Brontë’s Jane Eyre.

What are you working on now?
I’m writing another contemporary romance.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
“In His Corner” is my first published book-length work of fiction, so I don’t have much experience promoting yet. I hope Awesomegang will work wonders for my book.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Read and write a lot. Attend writing workshops and conferences to hone your skills and meet like-minded people.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
You can’t fail if you don’t give up.

What are you reading now?
“Under the Wide and Starry Sky” by Nancy Horan.

What’s next for you as a writer?
I’m hoping my literary agent will sell my manuscript, a historical novel (not romance), soon.

If you were going to be stranded on a desert island and allowed to take 3 or 4 books with you what books would you bring?
“A Room with a View” by E.M. Forster because it’s so delightful, anything by Virginia Woolf, and anything by Edith Wharton.

Author Websites and Profiles
Vina Arno Website
Vina Arno Amazon Profile

Vina Arno’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile
Facebook Profile

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I’m a Physician of Natural Medicine in Canada who works internationally by Skype and phone. I’ve written 13 books in a variety of genres by mostly in the the natural health field. Our bestsellers include “The Path To Cure; The Whole Art of Healing” and our “Natural Home Pharmacy” series for humans and animals. (http://www.amazon.com/Allyson-McQuinn/e/B00A2WY9EO)

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
Actually, it is a FREE gifting of my book “The Path To Cure” in celebration of it’s 10 year anniversary; a re-launch as an audio book/podcast (http://www.thepathtocure.com/)

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
Yes, I also have 3 poetry books few folks know about; where romantic science meets art at my core. It is where I exercise my keen desire to know the essence of my self.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
Dr. Hahnemann, Goethe, Rudolf Steiner, Wilhelm Reich, Henri Bortoft, Jane Austen, The Bible, The Nag Hammadi Scriptures, Shakespeare are a few.

What are you working on now?
A second memoir, a third book of poetry, and Natural Home Pharmacy For Horses

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
https://www.facebook.com/ArcanumWholisticClinic, twitter, our Newsletter, etc.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Shelve your intellect

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Aude Sapere (Dare to Know)

What are you reading now?
Jesus And The Lost Goddess, Rudolf Steiner on Meditation, Prayers From the Cosmos and All The Light We Can Not See.

What’s next for you as a writer?
You mean, I can’t just stay here in the moment? No clue!

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 Nag Hammadi Scripture, Steiner’s full library, and everything Hahnemann and Reich wrote. I can’t limit it to 3 or 4 books!

Author Websites and Profiles
Allyson McQuinn Website
Allyson McQuinn Amazon Profile

Allyson McQuinn’s Social Media Links
Twitter Account

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I’m an author with many skills under my belt, however at this stage in life I’m enjoying pursuing writing as a career. I love reading books, I’ve had this passion since I was a small child. I have written two books.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
Coco’s In The Wind: Short Love Poems is the name of my latest book. I was inspired to write the poems by love and life.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
Yes, sometimes I write in a old notebook, when I write this way for some reason my handwriting is very sloppy, so sloppy until no one else can read it. It’s funny to see people’s reaction when they see me reading the writing.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
I would have to say Maya Angelou’s book I know Why The Caged Bird Sings.

What are you working on now?
I’m currently working on two books, one is a recipe book that includes smoothies to help toddlers consume more fruits and veggies. The book also focuses on toddler constipation. The second book is a children’s book titled Karmena The Pretty Dinosaur.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I have to be honest and admit I’m new to the marketing process, right now I use Facebook and Google Plus.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Write from your heart, be passionate about your writing.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
My foster mother always told me I could do anything I put my mind to do.

What are you reading now?
I have a kindle that’s full of books, so I will state the last book I read, which is titled Instagram Love.

What’s next for you as a writer?
Honestly just writing more books.

If you were going to be stranded on a desert island and allowed to take 3 or 4 books with you what books would you bring?
I would take the bible, I know Why The Caged Bird Sings and A Day Late A Dollar Short.

Author Websites and Profiles
Shameeca Funderburk Website
Shameeca Funderburk Amazon Profile

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I was born and raised in South Wales more years ago than I care to remember. I lived in England for nearly two decades but returned to my roots when I felt the mountains of my youth calling to me, and hiking in my beloved Brecon Beacons is now one of the joys in my life. When I’m not working as a full time secretary, I love spending time with my family, hate doing necessary chores, and try to fit in writing whenever I can. I have published several books: the Resurrection trilogy, beginning with “State of Grace”, continuing with “Amazing Grace”, and ending with “Sanctifying Grace”, “The Spirit Guide and most recently – The Medium Path. I’m currently working on another paranormal romance set in Wales.
I am also seriously addicted to chocolate

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
The Medium Path – the death of my father a couple of years back. Some people said he was watching over me, and that got me to thinking about ghosts and spirits.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I only write when the house is empty, and that only happens between 6am and 8am – not nearly enough!

What authors, or books have influenced you?
There are so many to count, by my favourite author is Stephen King – I’m simply in awe of his skill.

What are you working on now?
Another paranormal romance, set in medieval Wales, around the time of Joan, Lady of Wales – wife of Llewelyn Fawr, and sister and daughter to kings of England.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
Just get the word out there by any means you can. I’ve found that it’s probably the best plan to concentrate on the launch of a new book, then return to writing the next, and try not to get sucked into an endless round of marketing.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Write, and keep writing. It’s all very well spending time promoting your ‘author platform’ but don’t spend time on the net that you could use to write. Oh, and join a writing site, like Scribophile – it will help you hone your craft.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
I can’t remember the exact quote, but Stephen King once said that in order to be a good writer you need to read – a lot!

What are you reading now?
My Life in a Nutshell by Tanya J. Peterson

What’s next for you as a writer?
Keep writing. I can’t stop now, even if I knew no one would ever read my work.

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?
Stephen King – The Stand
Jean M. Auel – Clan of the Cavebear

Author Websites and Profiles
Elizabeth Davies Website
Elizabeth Davies Amazon Profile

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

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I’ve written several ebooks covering different sides of online business – from online security to effective methods of web traffic generation.
However, previously the purpose of my books was mostly lead generation.

With my latest book I decided to join the fleet of self-published authors, so it’s now available on Kindle. I am planning to write many books related to social media marketing.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
“Twitter Influence – How to Manifest Power, Skyrocket Authority and Supercharge Your Business”

The inspiration came from my social followers/ friends. Many of them are asking the same questions about Twitter and don’t know how to use it effectively.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
Not sure if they are unusual… Sometimes I can’t write a single line (writer’s block), sometimes I write non-stop for 17- 20 hours…

What authors, or books have influenced you?
Many authors from self-improvement/ inspiration genre…

What are you working on now?
New book – this one about serious mistakes people make on Twitter that can jeopardize their business and online reputation…

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I just began looking into promotion methods for my book. This market has its own specific and flavor.

For now I mostly use my established social media networks, but also looking into other venues (such as awesomegang, Kboards, etc)

Do you have any advice for new authors?
try to create a habit of writing at least several pages each day. And then – publish your first book. You will never learn all the ropes while you just reading all these helpful advises. You will learn quicker by doing it.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Stop looking for excuses, and get it done

What are you reading now?
not much time to read at the moment

What’s next for you as a writer?
hopefully will write several books 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?
The Old Man and The Sea by Ernest Hemingway

Jonathan Livingston Seagull by Richard Bach

The Luzhin Defense by Vladimir Nabokov

Three Comrades by Erich Maria Remarque

Author Websites and Profiles
Oleg Ilin Website
Oleg Ilin Amazon Profile

Oleg Ilin’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile
Facebook Profile
Twitter Account
Pinterest Account

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
T.K. CHAPIN is a clean entertainment author. He writes Contemporary Christian Romance, Sci-Fi, and Fantasy. He is actively engaged with fans on all social media sites and through email. When not reading or writing, T.K. enjoys playing video games and spending time with friends and family in Idaho Falls, Idaho.

My name is Benjamin Chapin, and T.K. Chapin is my pen name for fiction. I’m a Clean entertainment writer, I write fantasy, romance and sci-fi. I’ve written and published 15 total titles, but my latest release, “The Perfect Cast” is the first full length novel I’ve written. The other books were novellas primarily.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
“The Perfect Cast” and I was inspired by life? I don’t know, I write because I’m a writer.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I don’t know about unusual, but I usually binge write.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
The Bible

What are you working on now?
I just released, “The Perfect Cast” and now I’ve started on the next story, which is about a young girl that is going through some difficulties and discovers God’s unyielding love.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I haven’t gotten into a whole lot of promoting, but from my own experience BKnights on Fiverr does some pretty amazing work if a book is free. I’m working with Awesomegang right now for the first time, I’m excited to see how that goes.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Just publish that first one and stop freaking out, nobody cares as much as we think they do.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Just get it done.

What are you reading now?
I’m not currently

What’s next for you as a writer?
Write more.

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, The Last Song, The Shack

Author Websites and Profiles
T.K. Chapin Website
T.K. Chapin Amazon Profile

T.K. Chapin’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile
Facebook Profile
Twitter Account

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I currently have one completed novel, ELDORADO, and one completed novella, CHOPPER MUSIC. Both are currently available on Amazon. A second novel is scheduled to be released at the end of May, and I have two more in the works. I’m hoping to release at least one of those sometime this year.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
My latest book is called ‘The Arx’. It’s about an ex-homicide detective on medical leave after a mental breakdown, who stumbles on a bizarre conspiracy and can’t convince his former colleagues that it’s real.

Without giving away too much, it features an ‘underground’ group who have lived among the rest of humanity undetected for years. I’ve always been fascinated by the idea of secret societies living in our midst.

The book also has a medical component, which was inspired by thinking about the side-effects of drugs people take believing that they’re harmless.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I take the ferry from Vancouver, where I live, to Victoria, on Vancouver Island, quite often (one and a half hours each way), and I do a lot of my writing on the ferry.

I prefer to write outside my home, typically in coffee shops, I think because going somewhere specifically for the purpose of writing gives me an added incentive.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
I love the old classic adventure stories, especially ones taking place in exotic locales. I recently read James Hilton’s ‘Lost Horizon’, and loved it. Those are the kinds of books I want to write as well.

What are you working on now?
I’m working on two books at the same time. Both are Science Fiction, and both are Young Adult. I’m really excited about both of them. One takes place in the relatively near future, where a single medical treatment changes the lives of all who receive it, but in ways they can’t predict. The second takes place far in the future, on an Earth that is unrecognizable from the one we know now.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I don’t have enough data to really say which sites have helped me the most. Would it help to say ‘Awesomegang’?

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Write because you love doing it, not for the money. The money may come, it may not, but the joy of creating something is guaranteed. I may be naive, but I believe that if you write a great book, people WILL read it.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Godda Wanna – translation: if you want to achieve anything you’ve got to work for it.

What are you reading now?
I’m just finishing off a great non-fiction book on travel and surfing called ‘Island Explorer’ about a group of people sailing around Indonesia on a quest for the best surf spots. Love it.

What’s next for you as a writer?
I plan to keep writing things I love to write, and I hope (and believe) that people will love to read them. My immediate goal is to finish the two novels I’m working on. I don’t generally go in for series, but one of them will probably end up being two or three books before it’s finished.

I’ve got several other ideas on the back burner, which I may or may not ever get time to complete.

If you were going to be stranded on a desert island and allowed to take 3 or 4 books with you what books would you bring?
Something long, with lots of characters, like Tolstoy, or Proust.

Author Websites and Profiles
Jay Allan Storey Website
Jay Allan Storey Amazon Profile

Jay Allan Storey’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile
Facebook Profile
Twitter Account

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I’m a physicist and science writer from Philadelphia. I’ve written 14 popular science books exploring the mysteries of the universe such as exoplanets, higher dimensions, time travel, quantum physics and other topics.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
My latest book, Einstein’s Dice and Schrödinger’s Cat: How Two Great Minds Battled Quantum Randomness to Create a Unified Theory of Physics, was inspired by a trip to the Princeton University library in which I found folders of letters between the two great scientists documenting how their friendship turned into a media fiasco. Many people know about the Schrödinger’s Cat thought experiment, in which a feline is enclosed in a box with a radioactive material and is in a mixed state of life and death until the box is open. But relatively few are familiar with the crazy, contradictory life of the man behind the cat.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I don’t like writing in solitude and I get distracted if I’m in a place with people I know. So I often like to write in coffee shops where there are people but few distractions.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
I’m a great fan of speculative fiction, including the works of HG Wells, Ray Bradbury, Isaac Asimov, Jorge Luis Borges and Ursula K LeGuin. Sometimes I try to put myself in the mindset of Carl Sagan, who was a brilliant writer. In terms of non-fiction, I grew up reading George Gamow and Martin Gardner.

What are you working on now?
I’m writing a lot of pieces for two blogs: The Nature of Reality (NOVA) and Starts with a Bang! It has been fun blogging and seeing the great comments from readers.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
Right now, my latest book is being promoted on the Basic Books website.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
I would advice new authors to try to market their shorter pieces to blogs and magazines before venturing into books. That said, when I first started writing popular science I began with a book, not popular articles. So it is different for everyone.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
In college I had the pleasure of interacting with the poet Henry Braun who advised people to try to maintain short periods of creative focus, rather than expecting constant creativity. Around that time, my English professor Stephen Zelnick suggested that a diverse life is better than only doing one thing. So I often like to “switch gears” and put all of my energy into whatever I am doing at the time.

What are you reading now?
I’ve been reading Doctor Syntax by Michael Petracca which I found in a Vermont bookstore.

What’s next for you as a writer?
I hope to continue to pursue creative ideas at the intersection of science, history and culture.

If you were going to be stranded on a desert island and allowed to take 3 or 4 books with you what books would you bring?
How to build a raft, how to desalinize ocean water, and how to catch fish? Seriously, there are many long novels that are considered classics such as Thomas Mann’s Magic Mountain, Dostoyevsky’s Crime and Punishment, and Joyce’s Ulysses, that I haven’t yet a chance to read because they require a time commitment (and, with Dostoyevsky, keeping track of all of the characters’ names.)

Author Websites and Profiles
Paul Halpern Website
Paul Halpern Amazon Profile

Paul Halpern’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile
Facebook Profile
Twitter Account

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I was born and raised in Ohio and presently live in an old house in a small central Ohio town, famous for its giant gourds. I come from a family of avid gardeners. Now retired, I had the privilege to work with people with disabilities for over thirty years.
My tiny city garden is crammed with an assortment or a collection of plants. During the long cold Ohio winters I continue gardening in the house and in my small backyard greenhouse. I am passionate about plants and writing.
In my youth I traveled the world. The diversity of plants around the world is amazing! I especially enjoyed my time teaching in a bush school in Africa and spending a summer with the legendary Masai Tribe on the Serengeti Plain.
For years I have enjoyed the study of the ancient uses for plants and herbs. Many cultures today still believe in the magical qualities of plants. Grow a tomato, a tree, or plant some tulip bulbs, or grow some herbs in your kitchen window. It will make you feel good and you will be making our world a better place!

I have written a three book series called The 415 Raspberry Picket Trilogy. The first book, The Seven Sacred Seeds was published in 2005. Since I retired in 2012 I finished the series and they were published by another company.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
415 Raspberry Picket-The Seven Sacred Seeds-Book One
415 Raspberry Picket-The Cursed Seed-Book Two
415 Raspberry Picket-The Seed of The Wormwood-Book Three

I am an avid gardener and have a passion for plants. I am concerned about climate change and the loss of habitat for plants and the effect on the planet. By using fantasy and local Indian myths I combined these ideas with tales of traditional witchcraft and mythical creatures. The heroes of the novels use magical herbs to battle a host of monsters, ghosts, witches and try to defeat the Dark Master and stop him from destroying earth’s plant life.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I try to make my characters to be as human as possible with human flaws. The characters battle with anxiety, doubt, fear and uncertainty. I wanted the story to take place in real time and even though they are witches they don’t live in castles in Scotland but on a small town street in Ohio, in middle America. I tried to add as many plants and work in the folklore and myths of magical plants. While most of the plants discussed in the novels are real , I imagined a few mythical magical plants!

What authors, or books have influenced you?
I am a big fan of Edgar Rice Burroughs who wrote several Tarzan novels. Many people don’t realize he also wrote three Science Fiction series, the most well known was the John Carter of Mars series. A man is transported to Mars where he fights plant creatures. I love the swashbuckling sword fights in the stories.

I am also a Harry Potter fan, but I don’t want people to compare my novels with Harry Potter. Both are stories about witchcraft, magic and battles with evil, but I wanted my focus to be on ecology and plant conservation and the issues the devastating results of plant extinctions.

What are you working on now?
For over thirty years I had the privilege of working with people with physical and intellectual disabilities. I met many wonder people who taught me a lot about life. I am working on a book about the people I served who had a huge influence on me.

I am also working on a science fiction novel with religious and spiritual undertones.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
Promotion is difficult and expensive. Three newspapers have ran stories on my books. The local paper printed all three book covers in color. I have sent out thousands of colored postcards with the book covers to a targeted audience of middle school age children. I hand out the full colored post cards and business cards everywhere I go. I have been speaking at garden clubs and schools. I have been trying to use Facebook, and Pinterest. A local PBS station ran a story on their website. I have also e-mailed many groups, clubs and organizations.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Writing is the fun and easy part of being an author. I had terrible luck with a trio of editors. They were expensive and some did not do a very good job. In the end I asked my website designer and he did a good job editing. There were many times I felt discouraged and wanted to give up. I contacted various companies to publish the book. One large company representative would quote me different prices every time I talked to him. I compared him to a used car salesman and he became highly offended. I did not apologize and used another company!

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
I am close to 60 years old and this might make me sound like a momma’s boy, but my mother continued to encourage me and continues to give a lot of support. You have to believe in yourself! You can’t give up! Promoting these books almost seems like too big of a task. Most people don’t have thousands of dollars to promote and publicize their books. I am grateful for sites such as this one. Every little bit helps!

What are you reading now?
I just purchased the Grave Yard Story about a boy who is raised by ghosts in a graveyard! An older guy who volunteers at the hospital told me about the books when I had an appointment last week. I am looking forward to reading them!
I like about any kind of plant/gardening book too!
I just bought a cook book called Irish Pub cooking. Can’t wait to try some of the sea food recipes! If nothing else it is full of pretty pictures of the Irish landscape.

What’s next for you as a writer?
I guess we all have dreams… maybe they are not realistic, but I think its important to chase the dreams anyway. It is better to chase dreams than to regret later that you didn’t try.

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?
Some sort of herbal medical book, a cookbook, and a garden book. Maybe I could learn to grow coconuts and use the cookbook for some nice coconut meals!

Author Websites and Profiles
R. L. Patterson Website
R. L. Patterson Amazon Profile

R. L. Patterson’s Social Media Links
Facebook Profile