Awesome Author Interviews

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
Born and raised in southwestern Ohio, I’ve lived for the past 25 years on private land inside Daniel Boone National Forest. My household consists of my husband, four dogs, and two cats. All were rescues, even the husband (although he might say he rescued me)!

I’m now retired from the nine to five grind, but over the years I’ve paid the bills by being a dancer, bartender, police officer, registered nurse, and technical writer–plus a few other odd jobs mixed in. I’m a three-time graduate of Miami University of Ohio

I’ve written one mystery, Catch A Falling Star (An Eden Mystery), under the name Laurel Heidtman, and two romances, The Boy Next Door and The Wrong Kind of Man, under the name Lolli Powell.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
My latest book is The Wrong Kind of Man. It’s a romantic intrigue. The intrigue part is inspired by the international news–and that’s all I’ll say about that. I don’t want to give out a spoiler. As for what inspired the romance element, that’s hard to say because I actually wrote the first draft of this book back in the nineties. I dragged it out of the file cabinet a few months back and reworked it.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
Nope! I just sit down and do it whether I feel like it or not. It’s a mistake to wait for inspiration to strike–at least for me. I find that when I make myself start writing, the words start coming. Sometimes it feels like I’m channeling the characters and they’re telling me what to write.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
I’d have to say that all the authors and books I have read have influenced me–even the ones I “read” before I knew how to read. My mother told me that, before I could read, I made up stories based on the pictures in books. I wanted to write fiction since I was about six years old and learned that some people actually did that for a job. Unfortunately I let life get in the way and only did it sporadically over the years–until now.

What are you working on now?
My first book, Catch A Falling Star (An Eden Mystery), is the first in a series set in a small college town in eastern Kentucky. I’m currently working on Bad Girls, the second book in that series.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I’m still working on that, which is one of the reasons I’m doing this author interview. I’m also beginning to do signings and panels. Kentucky libraries are very receptive to supporting Kentucky authors. I didn’t realize that until a woman from our local county library called me last fall to arrange a November signing with three other authors. It was great and I sold some books. Since then, one of those authors and I have started calling other Kentucky libraries. So far I have two panels/signings scheduled for February, one book fair scheduled for May, and two other libraries who will do panels/signings in the spring (no definite dates yet). Kentucky has 120 counties and most of them have libraries, so I think my dance card will be full this year!

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Put your butt in the chair and write. When you’re not writing, read. Read books in your genre and read books about writing. And if you know or suspect your spelling, grammar, punctuation skills leave something to be desired, GET AN EDITOR!!! I can’t emphasize this enough!

Self-publishing is great because it’s given so many people a way to get their work out there, but the downside is that some people don’t learn the skills needed for their craft. If you were going to build a piece of furniture, you’d learn how to use power or hand tools, wouldn’t you? It’s no different with writing. You might have a great story to tell and be good at developing characters and controlling pacing, but if you don’t know how to handle the tools of grammar, spelling, etc., you’ll turn off your readers. I know not everyone starting out has the money to hire an editor, but at the very least find a friend or relative who is skilled at proofing. And use beta-readers (easy enough to find online at places like Goodreads). They can be great at spotting weaknesses in your characters and plot.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Thomas Edison said it best: “Genius is one percent inspiration, ninety-nine percent perspiration.” Although writing doesn’t usually make one sweat, the idea still applies.

What are you reading now?
Everybody Takes the Money by indie writer, Diane Patterson. It’s the third in her Drusilla Thorne series and a great read.

What’s next for you as a writer?
More romances and more mysteries–and one day I might try yet another genre. Not for a while, though.

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?
Green Mansions, The Lovely Bones, and the Dragon Tattoo trilogy. Okay, that’s five, but if I put them on an eReader . . .

Author Websites and Profiles
Laurel Heidtman Website
Laurel Heidtman Amazon Profile
Laurel Heidtman Author Profile on Smashwords

Laurel Heidtman’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile
Facebook Profile

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
My name is Kristy Centeno and I mostly write paranormal, romance, young adult, new adult, horror, and contemporary. I enjoy reading, writing, listening to music, spending time with my family, and watching movies. With a big family, I don’t always get too much time for myself so I try to take advantage of every hour down to the last minute to do what I love, with the people I love.

I currently have eight published books, with two more scheduled to be released later on this year.

The paranormal is usually the main topics of my novels. Romance, YA/NA, and contemporary genres fall on my second best list. Often times I combined any two of them to make the best of my stories. Vampires, werewolves, and witches have been the main subjects of my plots, but lately I have been delving further into the mythological world, looking for other creatures to inspire other tales I’ll be more than happy to create a novel for.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
Bound to the Moon is the POV version of the main male character in my paranormal romance novel, Secrets of the Moon.

My inspiration behind this book was born after some profound brainstorming. It came to my attention that I had to tie many lose ends, which the main female character couldn’t explain herself. There were secrets, major plot points that needed to be carried out by someone stronger, more capable of carrying out events that Marjorie couldn’t under the same circumstances.

Being able to bring him to life in a more realistic, detailed way enticed my creative side even more. I enjoyed having him have his say on what’s going on, what he feels, what he thinks—for him to relate every aspect of his life as opposed to have someone else tell it for him.

He’s so different from the female lead yet, they complement each other fairly well.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I’m not sure if they would qualify as unusual, but I do have a few rituals I have to do before getting down to do what I love to do the most.

First, I have to make my work station is clutter free and organized. I’m a mother of five so having a messy work space-or house for that matter keeps me from concentrating on my work. I can’t focus if there’s a pile of toys on the floor, or dirty dishes in the sink and so on. Cleanliness if my number one priority.

Second, I have to make sure I have a notebook, pen and pencil, bottle of water, and music player ready-all neatly organized to the right of the computer table.

I like to listen to music while I write. I tend to get thirsty when I’m writing. And I take notes of what I write or what I intend to write in future chapters.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
If I were to name all I would have a never-ending list, but just to name a few…Stephen King, Janelle Taylor, Madeline Baker, Kathleen Eagle, Jasinda Wilder, Amanda Hocking, Danielle Stelle.

What are you working on now?
The Dark side of the Moon is yet another novel in the Secrets of the Moon saga. The continuation of Marjorie and Kyran’s ever-growing young love.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
Promotional websites, interactions with readers, giveaways, forums, twitter or Facebook parties. I try to cover as many avenues as possible.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Never give up.

Read every day.

Do plenty of research.

Find your voice.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Don’t ever let anyone tell you you’re not good enough to do something. Those who tell you otherwise are the ones looking for you to fail.

What are you reading now?
Growl by Ashley Fontainne.

What’s next for you as a writer?
I have a few projects I’ve plotted and hope to finish before the end of the year. Among them is Deliverance-another paranormal romance novel with plenty of action and which pushes me even more off comfort zone.

I love being challenged. I love challenging myself.

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 honestly don’t know. My TBR list changes constantly, but the one book I would take with me for sure is Fire and Rain by Kathleen Eagle.

Author Websites and Profiles
Kristy Centeno Website
Kristy Centeno Amazon Profile

Kristy Centeno’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile
Facebook Profile
Twitter Account
Pinterest Account

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
So far I have only written one book, but my second is underway. I have had poems published and have written short stories since age 10.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
Blood Is Thicker, which is book 2 of The Doubled Gate series. The answer to that is the same as for Locked Within: I have no idea…I just sort of pieced bits of different ideas together.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
Well I find myself looking at photos on Google of actors who resemble my characters. I’m not sure why, but it seems to help write their personalities.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
I’d have to say Stephen King and J.K. Rowling are my biggest influences of all time, and the Harry Potter series really inspired me to take my writing serious at a young age.

What are you working on now?
Blood Is Thicker and a few short stories.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I use The Doubled Gate facebook page to promote mostly everything.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Don’t get too cocky. Don’t assume that right off the bat you’ll get published, because generally that’s not how it works.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Avoid adverbs

What are you reading now?
Nothing other than things for school at the moment…sadly

What’s next for you as a writer?
After Blood Is Thicker I will move on to book 3 Sword of Micheal and hopefully have some short stories 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?
Probably IT by Stephen King, the latest book in the Mortal Instruments Series, and Queen of the Damned by Anne Rice

Author Websites and Profiles
Kristen Lester Website
Kristen Lester Amazon Profile

Kristen Lester’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile
Facebook Profile
Twitter Account

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I am American expatriate living in France. I was born and grew up in Buffalo, New York. I have lived in Paris for fifty years.

I have written at least 100 books. Some are “evergreen” books that we can buy and read forever. But each year I write a huge book of monthly Horoscopes for both Chinese and Western signs. I then divide that book into 24 smaller books, add some information about each sign and publish those. So I guess hundreds of books is the right answer.

I am very famous as an astrology author. But now I am shifting to autobiography.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
My newest book is called “2015 New Astrology Horoscopes”. It’s #1 best seller on Amazon’s New Age Horoscopes Best seller list. It has been #1 since mid December 2014. Still, I want to expand the market. The book exists in both e-book and paperback versions.

I am now writing the first volume of my autobiography. It will come out in April of 2015. The series is called “Unmitigated Gaul”. The first volume will be called “Ladyfingers”.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I write all morning. Then I stop at 1pm, watch the news and make my lunch. Then I watch a stupid woman’s TV show about peoples’ personal stories, dramas and experiences. Then I take a nap. At 4 pm I begin writing again and don’t stop until 8pm when the evening news comes on here in France. Evenings, I watch Netflix re-runs of Downton Abbey and the like. Then I go to bed with a book so I can be up again at 7 to begin work. I never get dressed in the morning. I go from my bed to my computer in my pj’s.,

What authors, or books have influenced you?
Annie Proulx, Donna Tartt, Richard Ford.

What are you working on now?
My autobiography

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

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Stay away from agents and publishers. Publish your own books. Write them. Have them edited and formatted by professionals. Hire a cover designer. Borrow the money if necessary. Promote your books on social media and wherever else you can afford to.

Publishers and agents are expensive middle men. Publishers pay you a 10% royalty, and pay twice a year. Amazon and the other retailers pay a 60 or 70% royalty and they pay you every month.

And most important of all – believe in yourself. If you don’t, nobody else will.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Never ask a question that can be answered by no.

What are you reading now?
“The Signature of All Things” by Elizabeth Gilbert.

What’s next for you as a writer?
A series of memoirs about having lived my whole adult life in France. It’s called “Unmitigated Gaul.”

If you were going to be stranded on a desert island and allowed to take 3 or 4 books with you what books would you bring?
Oh please. Not that question again. War and Peace. Anna Karenina. Madame Bovary and Winnie the Pooh.

Author Websites and Profiles
Suzanne White Amazon Profile
Suzanne White Author Profile on Smashwords

Suzanne White’s Social Media Links
Facebook Profile
Twitter Account
Pinterest Account

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
The Musubi Murder is Book One of the Molly Barda Mysteries. It’s coming out in hardcover on August 5, 2015, from Five Star, a division of Gale. The audiobook is available now on Audible.com , Amazon.com, and iTunes

Already written and waiting for release:

Book 2:Molly Barda and the Cursed Canoe (2016)

Book 3:Molly Barda and the Black Thumb

Book 4:Molly Barda and the Invasive Species

Book 0:The Defunct Adjunct (prequel)

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
I’m working on The Defunct Adjunct, a prequel that can be read either before or after the other books. In it, you’ll see the protagonist, Molly Barda, encountering some of the characters for the first time.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I wouldn’t tell anyone to imitate my writing habits. It’s feast or famine for me. I’m at my computer, writing until I give myself a headache, and then I have to take a break for a few days–or weeks–before I go back to edit and revise.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
I love the writing of Sarah Caudwell, Dorothy Parker, P.G. Wodehouse, and E.F. Benson. Among living authors, I read everything I can find by Sue Grafton, Charles Todd, Gail Carriger, and Charlaine Harris.

What are you working on now?
I’m revising The Defunct Adjunct right now, and The Invasive Species is with beta readers now.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I’m learning all I can about book promotion, and what makes it fascinating is that the industry is changing so fast. ACX, Amazon’s audiobook creation website, has only been around since 2011.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
The advice about “killing your darlings” (getting rid of those wonderful passages that are slowing down your story) is great–but keep them in a separate folder. They may come in handy later!

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
If you want to be a writer, be a reader. If you don’t love books and reading, why are you even doing this?

Also, don’t take anything personally.

What are you reading now?
I’m reading A Bitter Truth, a Bess Crawford mystery by Charles Todd. Next on my list is the first Maisie Dobbs book, which came highly recommended.

What’s next for you as a writer?
I’m not done with the Molly Barda Mysteries. I’m thinking of some way to have the Mahina Police Department finally calling on her for help–but the reason turns out to be something she never expected.

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 Mapp and Lucia series

Jeeves and Wooster- The Complete Series

The Screwtape Letters, by C.S. Lewis.

Author Websites and Profiles
Frankie Bow Website
Frankie Bow Amazon Profile

Frankie Bow’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile
Facebook Profile
Twitter Account
Pinterest Account

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
Willakaville is my first published book. I have started a science fiction novel and a thriller. The novels will have to wait. They take too much effort and I am very busy with my daytime job and a family.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
Willakaville – Amazing Adventures of Astronomical Awesomeness. I think my children inspired it. I love to thing of weird and crazy things and come up with bizarre scenarios. We laugh and joke a lot. I also love anything science fiction. I like to create artwork too and I figured that a children’s book is the best way to combine my passion for being creative in art and writing.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I like to think of a bunch of silly and unrelated things. Then I think of how they can be mixed and matched to make a story. For example, I might think of a shoe and an airplane and a marshmallow. Then a story about a marshmallow who gets separated by his family builds an airplane out of a shoe in order to go look for them.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
The Hobbit, Harry Potter, Stephen King, Star Wars, Star Trek, Scooby Doo

What are you working on now?
I am working on the second volume of the Willakaville series ‘Baffling Ballads of Boisterous Bravery’. I will be able to put everything I have learned so far into this next book. I am going to add lots more illustrations too!

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I have been contacting bloggers to get reviews, doing author interviews, contacted the newspapers, radio and tv stations. I have also been promoting it at work, facebook, twitter, pinterest, blogger. I even have a book reading at my son’s school lined up.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Be prepared to promote your book. It takes some effort and is necessary (otherwise, nobody will know about it). There are tons of websites that give advice and have lists of reviewers, interviewers, and blogs etc.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Don’t Worry, ‘Bout a Thing – Bob Marley

What are you reading now?
I have been reading some kid’s books for reference. Encyclopedia Brown, The Magic Treehouse, Captain Underpants

What’s next for you as a writer?
I want to get to the point where I can quit my day job and do this full time. I love it! I think I have enough ideas to last me for a while.

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 Survival Book, A Book on Sailboat Building, Anything by Stephen King.

Author Websites and Profiles
Mathew Heinecke Website
Mathew Heinecke Amazon Profile
Mathew Heinecke Author Profile on Smashwords

Mathew Heinecke’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile
Facebook Profile
Twitter Account
Pinterest Account

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I’m Ginnie, a 21 years old author. I’m currently traveling the world, writing romance books when I get the time. I only have two books written yet, but I am working on the third one. It should be out soon, hopefully!

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
My latest book is Fall In Love. It’s the second part of my Four Seasons serial. What inspired the serial is actually something I did when I was younger. I used to be on those forums where you could “be” a character and interact with other people’s characters. Basically, it’s a role playing game. One of my characters was actually Elsie, the woman I decided to use for my first books. She inspired me a lot when I was writing with her on those forums, so I decided to keep the character, but change the context a little bit.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I write from everywhere in the world? I don’t have an office, just a computer that I carry around with me. I’m currently in Costa Rica, but my boyfriend and I are moving to Mexico tomorrow. We’ll spend two months there and I’ll get to see a new place, get inspired and work even harder!

What authors, or books have influenced you?
Elizabeth Gilbert, the author of Eat, Pray, Love inspires me every day to keep writing. Or just in general, to keep doing what I love to do. It’s also a lot because of her that I’m traveling right now. I have this passion inside of me and she helped me to keep it alive.

What are you working on now?
I’m working on my third book, Secrets of Winter, which comes after Summer Spark and Fall In Love.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
Awesomegang is great *wink wink*, but I also use Twitter and Facebook a lot. With good hashtags, you can get far with Twitter. I also post in a lot of Facebook groups.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
My only advice is to keep writing. My first language is not English, it’s French. I have to work harder than everybody (I think?) to take my written English to the next level. The only way to do that is by writing and not giving up. Every new sentence I write is better than the one before, so I have to keep going!

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Same thing as the advice I would give: don’t give up. Keep writing. Write as much as you can about things that you are passionate about. Do that every day and don’t stop.

What are you reading now?
I’m reading The Power of Habits by Charles Duhigg. Absolutely not related to romance books, but I love to understand the human brain. I’m also a bit of a business woman now, so I have to understand how to manipulate people into buying my books! (Nah, I’m kidding! Only way to do that is to have a good enough book. I don’t think you can bullshit your way to celebrity!)

What’s next for you as a writer?
I’ve been writing novellas that I plan to publish as a novel when all the parts are out. For my next book, I plan to write something longer and instead of splitting it into novellas, just publish the novel as a whole. I still have no idea what it’s going to be about. Maybe there’s going to be a billionaire in it?

If you were going to be stranded on a desert island and allowed to take 3 or 4 books with you what books would you bring?
SURVIVAL BOOKS ALL THE WAY!
1) How to catch food
2) How to find drinking water
3) How to build a shelter
4) How to build a raft.

Seriously, if you’re on a desert island, I don’t want a romance book. I want to get the hell out of there!

Author Websites and Profiles
Ginnie Carmichael Website
Ginnie Carmichael Amazon Profile
Ginnie Carmichael Author Profile on Smashwords

Ginnie Carmichael’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile
Facebook Profile
Twitter Account
Pinterest Account

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I am a writer of short stories and there is no twelve step program for that.

I live in Tucson, AZ with my lovely wife, a neurotic dog, and a demanding cat. In my spare time I build and fly model airplanes, ride motorcycles, do some writing, play with photography and read. In order to pay for all this, I teach GED classes for the county court.

I currently have ten short stories, two collections, and one essay available to the world. Topics range from education reform to big questions such as why are we here (the answer may surprise you) to the somewhat nonsensical. Basically, I write where the wind takes me.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
I released two shorts at the end of last year, Aware and Visitor.

Aware tells the story of a robot that is struggling with becoming self aware during an emergency in space. I can’t really point to any one thing that inspired it. I do watch a lot of Star Trek.

Visitor was inspired by The Tale of the Three Brothers in Harry Potter. I can’t say much about it without spoiling it. Disclaimer – the story has nothing to do with Harry Potter, it was just the spark that started a thought.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I have the attention span of a screaming flea on acid when it comes to writing. I have at least a half dozen stories banging around in my head. As a result I’m usually writing at least three stories at a time.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
I don’t really know. I read so much from so many different arenas that it is hard to point to any one influence. It all kind of mashes together into big pile. I like reading epic, many book long stories, short stories, mindless fluff… I’m even happy sitting down and reading car repair manuals. I’m sure it all gets into my writing somehow, I just can’t trace it.

What are you working on now?
I currently have in the neighborhood of eleven ideas that have been committed to word files with an actual name. Of those I have done serious work on about five. There are countless other ideas hopping through my sub-conscious at any given time.

I am putting together a new collection that will be out mid 2015 that will include some previously unpublished work and some photography as well.

The best way to keep up is to have a look at my website where I have samples of work in progress.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I’ll let you know when I’ve found it! I’m somewhat active on twitter and facebook, but I do have the extra obstacle of having a job that locks me out of social media so I’m not as active as I probably should be.

One web service I have used a couple of times that I like is The Book Nymph, they have some good publicity packages for reasonable prices.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Write what you like and don’t be afraid to set it loose on the world. You could be the best writer in the world but nobody knows it because you are afraid of what might happen.

That and get help with proofreading.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Don’t quit your day job.

Actually, the best advice I ever heard was your writing is doing nothing sitting on your hard drive. It’s what made me look into self publishing.

What are you reading now?
This is actually a hard one for me to pin down as I get through books rather fast. Floating around my house with bookmarks is a book on the development of the lunar lander training module, a collection of Edward Abby, a repair manual for my Dodge Durango (I fixed the problem last week but I’m still reading parts of it) a few airplane magazines and some motorcycle magazines. On my Kindle I’m currently reading a dystopian future novel and have a few sci-fi books in the que.

What’s next for you as a writer?
As I write this, lunch.

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 my Kindle along with a solar charger. Just because I’m stranded on a desert island does not mean I have to live like an animal.

Author Websites and Profiles
David S Reynolds Website
David S Reynolds Amazon Profile
David S Reynolds Author Profile on Smashwords

David S Reynolds’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile
Facebook Profile
Twitter Account

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I was born at a very early age, and I’ve been writing ever since. I grew up in not-so-rural New Hampshire, and I love the place to death. I love mixed martial arts (either watching or participating) and all things comic book related.

My first novel, The Jump Journal, is available now on Amazon, and the first book of my upcoming series, The Nexus Trilogy, will be coming out soon!

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
My latest book, Lynchpin, is the first of the Nexus Trilogy, and I was inspired by Julius Caesar’s rise to power. I’ve always loved the history of the Roman Empire, and when a friend of mine told me about the theory comparing the United States to the Roman Republic, I thought it’d be interesting to follow that thought down the rabbit hole and imagine what the world would look like 80 to 100 years from now if that were the case. The story follows a soldier in this crumbling world as he takes his first steps toward power.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
Does crying count? No? That’s ok. I’d say my methods are pretty standard, although I have a habit of watching TV while I write anything, be it a novel or a thank you note. Ironically, it helps me concentrate.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
Brent Weeks, for sure. His epic fantasy is genius. Love the Night Angel Trilogy. Chuck Wendig and his authorial self-help advice make my go-to list, too. To go old school literature, Alexandre Dumas for The Three Musketeers and The Count of Monte Cristo, or Jules Verne’s Journey to the Centre of the Earth.

What are you working on now?
The second book in the Nexus Trilogy, Crux Point. It’s set in the America/Roman Republic hybrid I was talking about earlier.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
Honestly, I’m still figuring that out. Word of mouth is far and away the most lasting, at least I think so. Amazon’s KDP free promotion is HUGE for an indie author, so I count on that. Twitter is also a great way to reach out to an audience.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
WORD COUNT. Seriously, set one. Set one yesterday. If you don’t at least try to hit a certain number of words every day, it becomes incredibly easy to procrastinate and delay your first draft. It also helps clear the cobwebs and blast something out on paper. The first draft is supposed to be bad. That’s what second, third, eighth drafts are for.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
I refer you to the above. It’s not my wisdom, but that of many an author whose advice has helped me focus and become a more productive writer.

What are you reading now?
I just finished Brandon Sanderson’s Firefight (I have a weakness for superhero-esque fiction, even if it’s young adult) and I’m working through Brent Week’s The Lightbringer Series (anxiously awaiting book the fourth.)

What’s next for you as a writer?
I’m hoping to make the transition to traditional publishing, and once I graduate, I’d like to write full 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?
-Count of Monte Cristo
-Frankenstein
-Beyond the Shadows by Brent Weeks
-Skin by Ted Dekker

Author Websites and Profiles
Douglas Corriveau Amazon Profile

Douglas Corriveau’s Social Media Links
Twitter Account

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I have been writing for a number of years and presently have three books available on Amazon. The theme of books is varied, but center around science fiction which is my favorite genre. I have also written a number of screenplays again in the sci-fi genre. In fact, Nanovision, the book I have listed on this site was originally a screenplay. I decided to covert it over to a short novel so I could flesh out more of the story. I will be doing that with several more of my screenplays as I feel they will make great novels.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
My latest book is Nanovision, the story of a blind kid who gets x-ray vision. It’s a great novel as it depicts what happens to someone when they obtain a superpower. I came up with the idea standing behind a blackjack table and realizing how many people would like to know what the next card is. The fact of being able to see through objects would change the entire game and, of course, for Daniel it does. He has a vested interest in taking down a certain Las Vegas casino as the owner was responsible for the death of his father. It was a really fun novel to write and I was able to bring my years of Las Vegas gaming experience into the novel.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
No, not really. I write when I can. It is my creative outlet.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
There are several. Most notably Edgar Rice Burroughs. He wrote the Tarzan and John Carter of Mars series. He was a very prolific writer and he was the first writer to lead me across the solar system to the planet, Mars. The adventures of John Carter were inspiring and would later lead me to becoming an author myself. My first novel, The 5 Moons of Tiiana, was written in his honor. The novel is a first person epic science fiction story about Rez Cantor and his exploits to save the Princess of Melela from death. His journey takes him across the galaxy to the 5 moons of Tiiana where he must solve the riddle of the moon wars in order to secure the release of the Princess. It’s a wild ride with 5 moons, a variety of alien beings, robots, and a metal eating cloud know as Giragoc.

Other writers who inspired me were Isaac Asimov, Jack L. Chalker, Michael Crichton, Arthur C Clark to name a few.

What are you working on now?
Marketing, marketing and more marketing. It’s tiresome and boring. I’d rather be writing.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I am using just about every method I can. I’m still searching for the magic bullet. Here are some of the sites I am using: www.5moons.com,

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Be prepared for rewriting and the tedium of marketing.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
It came from my father. “Learn to type.” He figured if I got drafted I would get a desk job. Though that never happened it does make writing a lot easier.

What are you reading now?
I am starting to re-read “Midnight at the Well of Souls” by Jack Chalker. It was awesome the first time. Now well see how it holds up years later.

What’s next for you as a writer?
I’m debating on two things. Either, “Have Gun / Time Travel or “Out of the Blue”. One is a screenplay I want to convert. The other is an original novel and of all things a romantic love story–go figure?

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?
After doing some thinking. I think I’d like to have something like the Boy Scout handbook, The 5 Moons of Tiiana, (it’s a great survival story), Journey of Souls by Michael Newton (in case I don’t make it), a blank journal with a pen (to write down my story) and an adult magazine (hmmm?).

Author Websites and Profiles
Paul Harry Website

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I love to cook, love to create new recipes. I love transform “classic” recipe to the healthier version. So I start to write cookbooks. I have 4 books now available on Amazon.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
My lastest book is Rainbow Smoothies and I create it because I love smoothies. It’s such an amazing powerful drink…

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I don’t think so. I’m just another borring writter :-)))

What authors, or books have influenced you?
I’m influenced by every book I read. Seriously. So many amazing books out there..!

What are you working on now?
Right now I have two projects open. First is guide how to start life healthier life and second is my mini series about Paleo recipes for every day.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I feel that Twitter is great tool, and FREE promo books as well.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Sure, keep writting. It’s the most important. It’s your dream… so don’t give up.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Don’t give up. From Zuzka Light.

What are you reading now?
I’m chatting with my friend on Good Reads 🙂

What’s next for you as a writer?
I would like to publish prints.

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 from Isac Assimov, Holy Bible, Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy, Artamène ou le Grand Cyrus (longes book ever) :-))

Author Websites and Profiles
Jitka Egressy Website
Jitka Egressy Amazon Profile

Jitka Egressy’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile
Twitter Account

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
My second novel, Letters to Kezia, was just released. It’s the sequel to Puritan Witch; The Redemption of Rebecca Eames, which told a fictionalized account of my own ninth great grandmother who was accused of witchcraft in 1692 Massachusetts. Letters to Kezia opens just after the events of Puritan Witch, and is a fictionalized account of what might have happened to her son Daniel after the witch trials.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
I was inspired to write Letters to Kezia after readers of Puritan Witch asked me, “What happened to Daniel?” I had very little information to work on, so his story lent itself well to my imagination.

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Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I wouldn’t say unusual. I do wish I were more disciplined though.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
Historical fiction is obviously my favorite genre, and I would love to write like Ken Follett!

What are you working on now?
I am currently researching for the third book in the Puritan Chronicles series, about another branch of my ancestry in colonial New Hampshire.

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

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Even if you are prone to being easily discouraged, don’t give up!

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

What are you reading now?
The Prodigal Son by Anna Belfrage.

What’s next for you as a writer?
Research, research, and MORE research on 1689 Cocheco/Dover, NH!

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 With The Wind, Dr. Wayne Dyer’s “Change Your Thoughts, Change Your Life,” for sure.

Author Websites and Profiles
Peni Jo Renner Website
Peni Jo Renner Amazon Profile

Peni Jo Renner’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile
Facebook Profile
Twitter Account

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I’m a 20 year IT technology executive turned thrilling fiction author. I love to write! Who knew? I’ve written 5 novels so far and published 3 of them. I just wrote my first fiction how-to writing guide.

I write novels very quickly using story structure and work ethic to write fast.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
Nine Day Novel: Writing Faster.

In it, I chronicle how I wrote my latest fiction novel, FAITH, a 350 page Religious Suspense Thriller in less than 9 days.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I sit in a chair in a coffee shop from when it opens until when it closes and on a hardcore day I can get 15,000 plus words!

What authors, or books have influenced you?
Andrew Vachss

George RR Martin

What are you working on now?
The entire series of THE FALLEN Futuristic Religious Suspense Thrillers. 3/10 done. The prologue Novella almost done.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
Submitting to all the FREE promotional sites I can find. Building my author platform email list.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Write, write, and write some more. When you feel like you want to quit, put your big-boy/girl panties on and keep writing.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Write more books. the new ballgame for indie authors is one of numbers. Sooner or later the big publishing houses are going to realize that the tools that indies are using to publish are tools that they want to control. Don’t let them.

What are you reading now?
The Hexed – Heather Graham

What’s next for you as a writer?
More writing. And I want to finish THE FALLEN series and then branch into a Sci-fi space Western like Firefly series was. I got it all written in my head…

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?
U.S. Army Survival Manual: FM 21-76

George RR Martin – Game of Thrones

And probably the 50 shades stuff to see what the hell everyone was so worked up about! I mean desert island, right? You gotta have something.

Author Websites and Profiles
Steve Windsor Website
Steve Windsor Amazon Profile

Steve Windsor’s Social Media Links
Facebook Profile

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I started developing websites and online communities when I was just 12 years old. Many years later, I decided to make a business around what I learned about digital marketing from those early days to today.

My book comes in because it is a major accomplishment for my professional life. I consult with businesses in an area that is crowded by people of various types. My book is what sets me apart from the general crowd into someone unique.

But it isn’t just about the image. The writing and book launch process taught me a lot about the writing discipline and myself. It’s hard work! But ultimately, I think through resulting personal and professional triumphs, it pays off. Despite the tough times, being a writer can be thrilling as well. I’ve really learned to respect authors at a new level now that I released my own book.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
The purpose of my book is to help business owners, entrepreneurs, and marketers understand the complex medium that is digital marketing. There are hundreds to tactics, techniques, and tools available to us today, but so few of us know how to properly use them all. Or, more importantly, what we should and should not use.

In my book, I give readers a basic framework to understand how tactics and techniques may fit in their business: a digital sales funnel. The six stages are clearly outlined and examples of how to optimize each are given.

The bulk of the book, however, is about developing a strategy. Strategy is what ensures your digital marketing efforts are aligned to your vision and goals, and will be a success. With the digital sales funnel framework and the 5-steps to developing a strategy, you can ensure that you are maximizing the potential of your efforts to grow your business and reach your goals.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I started writing my book in September of last year. I spent many weeks before then trying to get started, but I found it difficult until I found a rhythm to my writing routine. Each morning I would spend a minimum of just 20-minutes writing. Many mornings, I would sit for 30-60 minutes. On some occasions, I spent many hours. This minimum, easy requirement I set made it simple for me to get started.

I released the book to Amazon on Sunday, January 25th. By Monday evening, I was #1 Best Seller in Marketing & Sales. It took many hours of marketing the book, but I was fortunate to rise through the ranks in this time. Without setting such a low standard, I’d never have gotten here!

What authors, or books have influenced you?
I find Tim Ferriss to be an author that can engage, entertain, and educate while also making seemingly complex subject simple. I think the most powerful thing a Non-Fiction author can do is simplify a subject their readers want to learn about. Anyone that does that gets my attention, and keeps it.

What are you working on now?
I’m in the middle of my book launch, so I’m aggressively promoting my book to people that I believe would benefit most from it. That includes using social media, message boards, and my personal network to spread the word. The book launch is far more exhausting than any day of writing I’ve had!

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
Word of mouth is powerful, but can be slow. To accelerate it, align influencers to your message. Influencers are those that can build traction for your book by acting as an agent on your behalf. When their following sees they believe in what you are doing, it becomes much easier to sell books.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Plan ahead and don’t rush it! Stay focused on what’s best for your ideal readers and make sure you align all your writing and promotion to them. They are the ones that control your fate as a writer, so be sure to please them.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
“Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication.” It’s actually a quote by Leonardo da Vinci, but I find it extremely helpful for my personal and professional life. Entrepreneurs and writers tend to take on project after project, and we often end up in over our heads. I believe if we focus on simplicity, narrowing down what we do to a more impactful, focused effort, we will be improved in everything we do.

What are you reading now?
The Business Model Innovation Factory by Saul Kaplan. It’s an intriguing approach to, of course, business models. The author happens to be from the same city as I am, yet we never met. As I read further, I’m more enthralled with the method he outlines in developing businesses. It’s something I’ll highly recommend.

What’s next for you as a writer?
I am uncertain at this point, but I am interested in writing about personal branding. I believe it is a topic that will greatly benefit my fellow writers. If I can simplify it so my peers can make a huge impact with limited efforts that distract them from what they love, writing, I’d be doing a great thing.

In the meantime, I plan to continue promoting my book and enter more speaking engagements to help spread word of what’s possible with digital marketing, whether you run a solo operation or a 5,000-person enterprise.

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?
Easy, three I always love to review: The 4-Hour Workweek, How to Win Friends & Influence People, and The Alchemist.

Author Websites and Profiles
David Bradley Website
David Bradley Amazon Profile

David Bradley’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile
Facebook Profile
Twitter Account

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I am pretty new to the writing game having recently completed my first novel, ‘Diary of a Teenage Murderer’ (released 13th Feb 2015)

I am currently writing a second ‘Trying to Run In Prison’ which i am thoroughly enjoying!!

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
Trying to Run In Prison

It is a group of 3 seemingly unrelated stories which interweave and eventually link in the devastating ending

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
i can only write when the kids are asleep, meaning i am always ti…..zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

What authors, or books have influenced you?
Roald Dahl
David Baddiel
Dannie Abse
Any Red Dwarf book!
Anything that makes me chuckle

What are you working on now?
Trying to Run In Prison

A teacher driven to the brink after an altercation with a student.

A car used car salesman takes a stand against local gangsters. A 29 year old man reminisces about a childhood Ouija board ‘game’ with a sinister message.

3 dead bodies in a lounge.

One link.

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

Do you have any advice for new authors?
stop reading this and write something!

go on, get on with it!

What are you reading now?

Joseph Boyden – The Orenda

What’s next for you as a writer?
Novel 3 will be a kids book, something a little on the magic side. then comedy, then literature, then kids, then comedy and so on…..

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?
Red Dwarf – infinity welcomes careful drivers
To kill a mocking bird
Fat – Rob Grant

Author Websites and Profiles
Emlyn Hall Amazon Profile

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I live in Eugene, Oregon where I teach music at Northwest Christian University. My love for children’s literature began when I was about five years old and sat on my mom’s lap as she read me the story of Heidi. I wrote tons of stories when I was in school, but stopped writing as an adult until my son was born. Totally bored during his naptimes, I decided on a whim to join NaNoWriMo (National Novel Writing Month) and my first book, The Purple Elephant, was born out of that experience. I had so much fun that I just kept on writing. I’ve now published five books for children and five music books and textbooks.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
My latest book is a MG novel set in Mars of the future. The title is Sam and the Dragon: A Medieval Mars Story. It’s been 1000 years since Mars was terraformed and colonized and the civilization has collapsed, leaving people to live in much the same way they lived in medieval days. My story is about a 14-year-old boy named Sam and his 12-year-old cousin Ahni. Sam and Ahni journey through the wilderness of Mars in search of a dragon who has been eating their goats. My book was inspired by the Medieval Mars world created by author Travis Perry. Travis created the world and then invited other authors to write stories for it, which he will be publishing in an anthology in Spring, 2015.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
My Duck and Friends early readers are based on characters which my now 10-year-old son made up when he was a toddler. When I brainstorm for a new Duck story, I bounce my ideas off of my son, who invariably has lots of ideas on how I can make it better.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
I love the Laura Ingalls Wilder books and so I’ve read as much as possible about Laura Ingalls Wilder’s career, which has been my inspiration. Charlotte’s Web is my ideal of what a good children’s chapter book should be and I often read it when I get to the editing process of each manuscript. Recently, I’ve enjoyed Cidney Swanson’s Saving Mars series and have been inspired by her character development and how she keeps the action moving at a whirlwind pace.

What are you working on now?
My next project is to write several more Duck and Friends manuscripts and then begin searching for an agent to represent them.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
Using KDP promotions (kindle) on Amazon has been my all-time best tool for getting the word out about my books.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Write! Read! And if your first book doesn’t succeed, write another, and another, and another as you keep learning and improving your skills.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Get an editor. 🙂

What are you reading now?
I’m reading John Grisham’s MG series: Theodore Boone.

What’s next for you as a writer?
Hollywood picks up Sam and the Dragon and wants to make a movie out of it? Probably not. 🙂 I’m hoping to find an agent and break into the traditional publishing world.

If you were going to be stranded on a desert island and allowed to take 3 or 4 books with you what books would you bring?
I’d bring the Bible. Also, the sequel to The Hobbit (also known as The Lord of the Rings Trilogy) and Charlotte’s Web.

Author Websites and Profiles
Donna McFarland Website
Donna McFarland Amazon Profile

Donna McFarland’s Social Media Links
Facebook Profile

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I’m a writer and teacher. I was born in Arizona, grew up in the sticks of Oklahoma, and I’ve been to Japan twice. At 24-years-old, I have been writing for half my life. I have always loved books and fantasy in general, but I dabbled in writing a few other genres.

I have six books waiting to be finalized and published and many more on the way. My third published book, ‘The Dragon’s Eyes,’ has just hit the market.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
‘The Dragon’s Eyes’ is the name of my last book. I guess what inspired it was the fact that there were no dragons in my everyday life. I really want a dragon.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
Unusual? Me? I live in a cabin in the woods with a four-pound Maltese, a collection of clocks, and two stone gargoyles. No, I’m completely normal.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
Harry Potter was the spark of my love for books. However, as for what influenced my writing, I would have to say the “Myth Adventures” series by Robert Asprin had the largest impact on my writing.

What are you working on now?
Right now, I am working on the fifth book of the “Guardian Series.”

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
So far, I think Facebook is the best way to promote my book for free.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Write. Don’t let anyone stop you from writing, not even yourself. Research, edit, review, scrutinize, throw it away a few times, but never stop writing.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Well, it wasn’t advice given to me, but a quote I heard from Toni Morrison. “If there’s a book you really want to read, but it hasn’t been written yet, then you must write it.”

What are you reading now?
I am rereading the “Myth Adventures” by Robert Asprin.

What’s next for you as a writer?
I will just keep writing. After the “Guardian Series,” I will probably work on some individual novels until another series comes to my mind.

If you were going to be stranded on a desert island and allowed to take 3 or 4 books with you what books would you bring?
1) ‘Surviving Being Stranded on a Desert Island for Dummies’

2) ‘How to Build a Friend Out of Cactus or Coconuts’

3) ‘Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone’

4) ‘Storm Front’ by Jim Butcher

Author Websites and Profiles
Rain Oxford Website
Rain Oxford Amazon Profile

Rain Oxford’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile
Facebook Profile
Twitter Account

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
Well, let me see… I started writing when I was 12 years old. That lasted a few weeks – it was SF, and ignored the realities of physics, and had very little in the way of character adventure although was full of adventure. My writing urges were then sublimated into other urges – so to speak.

I’m Australian, and when I determined my career direction, writing did not figure, unfortunately. In later years I worked as an independent contractor in IT – that role has resulted in my living in ten countries or so, with additional short-term consulting assignments in another five to ten. Some of my technology background seeps into my stories.

I started serious writing two years ago and I’m now two-thirds through my sixth book [second book in the Glass Complex trilogy]. My Mark Midway series is proving to be popular and I plan to write another two books in the series for 2015.

I self publish. I try to get very professional cover design and formatting expertise, and my books are always edited. Occasionally typos do sneak in – I’m sure they breed while I’m not looking.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
My latest book, released in 2014, is Mark Three. It is the third book of the Mark Midway series. I was very creative with the individual book names – Mark One, Mark Two and Mark Three. I suspect the fourth book in the series will be titled Mark Four.

Nanotechnology is intriguing and I’m sure will cause some misadventures in the future. Genetic engineering – altering DNA – is feasible now – for example, there’s a new treatment where a harmless virus [what more can I say?] is engineered to insert corrective genes; the therapy costs over one million dollars – search for ‘alipogene tiparvovec’. Extrapolate from this starting point and begin engineering people, enhancing their intelligence, strength, reflexes, etc., and you end up with laboratory specimens who – in the Midway world – just want to live normal lives.

This is my theme for the protagonist – Mark Midway – in the Midway series. The guy is shot at, kidnapped, drugged, attacked, and subjected to other adverse events, while all he wants is to be normal. His attackers are rogue CIA agents, Russians, Chinese, Christian fundamentalist militia, British anti-terrorist police [when he travels to UK from US] and more will be added. His adventures continue!

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
Um – I sit at my desk with two large monitors in front of me and look sideways out at the snow and wish I was skiing? I’m a bad plotter, although I typically don’t start writing a story unless I know the ending. I use data flow diagrams [an IT modeling technique] to help progress the scenes in my books.

I have so many stories running around in my brain demanding attention it drives me c-r-a-z-y…

What authors, or books have influenced you?
Far too many… From H. G. Wells [War of the Worlds], Conan Doyle, Tolkien, Doc Smith, Agatha Christie, Lee Child, Jim Butcher, Shakespeare, Heinlein, Modesitt, Cherryh, Wyndham, Mitchener, Zelazny, to Charteris [Saint], Drummond… the list goes on.

What are you working on now?
I’ve been trying to work out the structure of the second book of my Glass Complex trilogy [the first book is Broken Glass]. I’m about two-thirds through the book, trying to complete in for release as soon as I can. I failed to plot out the trilogy at the beginning – a major error. I’ve since thought through the second and third books. So fingers crossed – Fracture Lines will be a suitable successor to Broken Glass.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
Now that is definitely the $64 question. I’ve only recently – about a week ago – commenced to promote my books in a broad sense, so I’m on an interesting journey. Awesome Gang is one of my promotional test sites. Kobo ran some promotions late last year and that boosted my sales on their site, far above the Amazon sales. Now I’m trying to boost all sales.

I want newsletter subscribers! And reviews. And lots of sales. And ice cream.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Produce a quality product. With the Mark Midway series, I’m trying to achieve a brand – quality covers, consistent font, etc. Reader response is totally unpredictable and writers need to ensure they do their best to present a readable story to their audience. Keep writing.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Ignore all the rules!!

What are you reading now?
I’m sampling some different genres [I usually read thrillers and SF]. I’ll probably read Saint Odd [the latest in the ‘Odd Thomas’ series] and re-read Dracula and Frankenstein…

What’s next for you as a writer?
More of the same. Write and write.

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?
Lord of the Rings – because by the time you finish reading 1,000 pages of small print, you’ve forgotten how it started. I’d then add three books from SF and thriller genres. They’d have to be books I hadn’t read, and therefore cannot name!

Author Websites and Profiles
John Hindmarsh Website
John Hindmarsh Amazon Profile