Awesome Author Interviews

Sue Woods

Interview With Author Sue Woods

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I am a residential realtor that has always wanted to write about things that I am passionate about. I’ve always liked helping people and feel that I have a lot to share. At the age of 61, I wrote my first short book, Fun Things to do in St. Louis. I just published my 2nd book, Strong, Confident, and Sexy at 60 & Beyond!

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
My latest book, Strong, Confident, and Sexy at 60 & Beyond was inspired by all those that tell me I look much younger than my age and wonder how I do it. In addition, many women friends of mine wonder how I became so strong and confident in my life even though I had a troubled life as a youngster. Thus, I thought this book was appropriate.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
No special writing habits. I like to just sit down in total silence and let the words come to me!

What are you working on now?
I will be working on additional self-help books that are inspired by true life experiences.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I promote my books exclusively on Amazon at the current moment.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Just do it!

Author Websites and Profiles

Sue Woods Amazon Profile

Sue Woods’s Social Media Links

Robert W. Norris Amazon Profile

Robert W. Norris

Interview With Author Robert W. Norris

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I was born in 1951 and raised in a small logging town in Humboldt County, California. I became a conscientious objector to the Vietnam War and served time in a military prison for refusing my order to fight. In my twenties, I worked a lot of labor jobs, roamed across the States, went to Europe twice, and made one journey around the world. In 1983, I landed in Japan, where I eventually became a professor at a private university and retired as a professor emeritus. I’ve written three novels, a novella, a memoir, and over 20 research papers on teaching English as a second or foreign language. My wife and I live near Fukuoka, Japan.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
“The Good Lord Willing and the Creek Don’t Rise: Pentimento Memories of Mom and Me.” It’s my life story and a tribute to my mother, who passed away in 2021. She and I always had a strong bond and kept up a lifelong correspondence. After she passed, I wanted to preserve her spirit and my memories of her. I had all these letters, e-mails, audio recordings of her family stories, a couple of videos, and all my earlier writing to use. It seemed natural to put it all together into a story that captured both our lives. The difficulty was in cutting out the excess.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I can’t say whether it’s unusual or not, but I still fill notebooks with handwritten ideas, chapter drafts, snippets of interesting conversation, potential themes, and descriptions of people and scenery. I’ll write most of my rough drafts on my computer, then print the pages out and edit everything with a pencil. I also read the script out loud while editing.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
Jack Kerouac, Ken Kesey, Hermann Hesse, Richard Yates, Howard Zinn, Kurt Vonnegut, Joseph Conrad, David James Duncan, Ernest Hemingway, Henry David Thoreau, Richard Wright, Joyce Carol Oates, Thomas Wolfe, Lillian Hellman, and Malcolm Lowry all had varying degrees of influence on me when I was younger and searching for my place in the world. Since I’ve come to Japan, Dazai Osamu, Sakaguchi Ango, Abe Kobo, and Oe Kenzaburo have also influenced the way I see the world.

What are you working on now?
I’m in the very early stages of making notes for a possible nonfiction book related to the study of Japanese kanji and how it affects my daily life.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
It’s a laborious process, but I’ve had the best success in trying to find people and groups that might be interested in my book, send them a personal message in which I explain what I think we have in common, and ask them to have a look at the book with an eye toward providing a review or endorsement. I’ve also had some success at sending excerpts to journals and websites that have some connection with the themes of my book.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
I would say the best thing you can do is read as much as you can and study how the writers you admire describe people and places, how they set up a scene, and how they develop the arc of their stories. Also, try always to have a notebook and pen with you wherever you go. Some of the best ideas come when you least expect them. If you don’t capture them at the moment they occur, they’re lost forever.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
As far as writing is concerned, I’d like to quote Hemingway from his memoir “A Moveable Feast”: “I had learned already never to empty the well of my writing, but always to stop when there was still something there in the deep part of the well, and let it refill at night from the springs that fed it.”

What are you reading now?
Lately, I’ve been reading mostly memoirs by longtime expatriate residents of Japan. I also just finished rereading Henry Miller’s “The Air-Conditioned Nightmare,” about his traveling around the U.S. in 1940 and 1941 after ten years of expatriate life in Europe.

What’s next for you as a writer?
I’ll keep writing random thoughts in a notebook until the next flash of inspiration hits.

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?
Richard Yates’s “Revolutionary Road,” Jack Kerouac’s “The Dharma Bums,” Hermann Hesse’s “Magister Ludi (The Glass Bead Game),” and David James Duncan’s “The Brothers K.”

Author Websites and Profiles

Robert W. Norris Website

Robert W. Norris’s Social Media Links

Goodreads Profi

Roman Lando

Interview With Author Roman Lando

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I am a composer, musician, web and new media designer, and positively have too many passions, interests, and hobbies in my life.
When I’m not writing books or music, I can be found sailing, playing keys in a prog rock band, flying my drones, building crazy flight simulation rigs, and LARPing. My lifelong love and passion for hard Sci-Fi take a special place in my heart. Reading was never enough. The only way to satisfy this obsession was to write his debut novel. I hope to share my love for true Science Fiction, along with my interest in history, science, philosophy, and technology, with my readers.
After living in three countries on three continents and speaking three languages, Roman has finally settled in Toronto where he lives with his wife and two daughters. No dogs or cats are involved – his drones are his pets. He is now working on his second novel.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
Progress Report – I was trying to fit aliens into our world as it exists now and extrapolate in to near future.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
Writing at night, somtimes until 3 a.m.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
Iain M. Banks, John Scalzi

What are you working on now?
A short story, and a second novel.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
So far no favourites, we’ll see what works…

Do you have any advice for new authors?
I am a new author myself, so not yet 🙂

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Take responsibility for your live and don’t blame others for your failures.

What are you reading now?
Critical Mass by Daniel Suarez

What’s next for you as a writer?
A second novel.

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 from Iain M. Banks (Culture Series), “The Master and Margarita” by Bulgakov, “Baudolino” by Umberto Eco.

Author Websites and Profiles

Roman Lando Website

Roman Lando Amazon Profile

Roman Lando’s Social Media Links

Jason McFiggins Amazon Profile

Jason McFiggins

Interview With Author Jason McFiggins

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I wrote about movies and interviewed filmmakers at MorbidlyBeautiful.com for six years starting back in 2016. Writing for the site was a time of personal growth for me as a writer, and taught me a lot about film. The highlight of my time there was a phone interview with Larisa Oleynik, star of Nickelodeon’s The Secret World of Alex Mack and 10 Things I Hate About You. I’ve handled social media for several independent films including Camp Dread, Killer Rack, Garlic and Gunpowder and Death House, and was a producer on Inverted and Guns of Eden.
Back in college I was a theater major. I worked on some plays and musicals at Genesee Community College, both backstage and on, as well as writing for a couple of original productions. Also, I was the best Tom Sawyer this side of the Mississippi. However, when it came to being in the chorus for H.M.S. Pinafore, I merely silently moved my mouth because I can’t sing. I was told I “had what it took to make it in this business.” But after my associate’s degree in Theater, I switched to English.
I received my bachelor’s degree in English at SUNY Brockport, and I’m glad I did. It was there that two of my professors, Steve Fellner and Anne Panning, really taught me not only how to write, but to listen to myself and find my writing style. I wrote several poems and short stories at this time that I’m very proud of. A few of the poems appeared in the literary magazine Jigsaw. Years later I’d have another poem published in the horror poetry anthology It Came From the Darkness.
Now I manage a warehouse for a furniture store and have just completed my first book. I do my writing and movie watching in Holley, NY with my girlfriend Sarah and our three cats, Norman Bates, Elvira and Shipka (named after Kiernan Shipka in The Blackcoat’s Daughter).

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
My book is called Beyond The Film: The Making of VHS Favorites From the Video Store Era. I love movies and the passion behind making them. I also miss the days of going to the video store and I wanted to combine all of that in a meaningful way. I was watching The Last Drive In with Joe Bob Briggs on Shudder a few years back and it occurred to me how much I enjoyed listening to him talk about the making of the movies. I loved learning these stories. Then I thought, “I can do this!” Now, let’s be clear, there’s only one Joe Bob. But at least I can do my homework and research to share these behind the scenes stories as well. So I started to research and write.
Also, with Death House, I was actually invited on set by writer and director B. Harrison Smith and spent a couple days seeing how a film was made. It was an unforgettable experience, not to mention all of the cool horror actors I got to see work, including Kane Hodder, Dee Wallace and Barbara Crampton. That really got me going with exploring the behind the scenes making of films, and when I posted my article about my set visit on my blog it caught the eye of Stephanie Malone, the owner of Morbidly Beautiful. That’s how I joined that site. All of that ultimately led to my first book. So thank you Stephanie, Harrison, and Joe Bob!

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I’m not sure how unusual they are, but when it comes to poetry I usually can’t write until I know the color of the poem. What I mean by that is I will associate the poem with a color, maybe it’s brown or red or blue. Once that settles in I find it much easier to write, it helps me set the tone.
As for a story or article, I will use my laptop at home, but I mainly write on break at work. I like the short time frame, that way I know I have to get something done. I’ll use the draft section in my email and continually email myself back and forth from work to home and back again as I shape an article or story (I’m doing it now with this interview). Not the cleanest way to do it, but it works for me. It’s like completing bite sized chunks at a time. Every time I hit ‘send’ on the email feels like progress.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
This is tough to narrow down. It’s not so much a specific author or book, but rather a genre. Outside of the occasional history book, everything I read is a biography or memoir. I love reading about old Hollywood, like Veronica Lake or Jimmy Stewart, and not so old Hollywood like Andrew McCarthy or Robin Williams. I also like to listen to people read their own memoirs. I just finished listening to Jewel read her memoir Never Broken and it was fantastic.

What are you working on now?
I’m continuing with sharing behind the scenes stories from movies from the 1980s and ’90s. My book, Beyond The Film, goes in depth exploring the entire production of 16 films. But I want my next project to share behind the scenes facts of 500 movies, little 2-3 paragraph write ups. I’m doing this one film at a time on Instagram, posting 2-3 times a week at @beyondthefilmvhs. I started the account about a month ago at the time of this writing and have about 16 posts, so I have a ways to go. But when I get to 500, I’ll have my second book.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I have an author page on Amazon, and that’s where my book can be found. But outside of sharing on Facebook and Instagram, I don’t have much of a marketing budget or a website or anything. Maybe for book number two…

Do you have any advice for new authors?
I am a new author! So this is what worked for me. My advice, as simple as it sounds, is just to write. If you don’t force yourself to write today, you most likely won’t write tomorrow either. Days go fast and pages come slow. So, if you do the math it’s easy for a lot of time to pass if you put it off, and that’s all wasted pages. If you don’t know what to write, find a website that reflects your interests and see if they need a contributor. There are countless small websites of every interest to reach out to, and all of them have more article ideas than writers. You’ll most likely write for free, but you’ll be writing. And you’ll learn.
And read. Read everyday.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Write too much. It’s easier to edit by cutting than to have to go back and add. That’s why every movie has deleted scenes.

What are you reading now?
I just went down a Muppet rabbit hole and read Jim Henson: The Biography by Brian Jay Jones and Muppets in Moscow: The Unexpected Crazy True Story of Making Sesame Street in Russia by Natasha Lance Rogoff. Both were absolutely wonderful!

What’s next for you as a writer?
Besides my 500 movie facts book, I’ve always wanted to write a screenplay. I have no delusions about anything actually being made into a film, but it would be cool to write one. All you can do is try.
I also have this urge to write a Hallmark or Great American Family style Christmas movie. To allow yourself to get all warm and fuzzy and corny sounds fun.

If you were going to be stranded on a desert island and allowed to take 3 or 4 books with you what books would you bring?
My favorite book of all time, Boy’s Life by Robert R. McCammon, Suzanne Finstad’s biography of Natalie Wood, Great Expectations by Charles Dickens, and the complete collection of Emily Dickinson’s poems. If I could somehow sneak five I’d grab Dutch Girl: Audrey Hepburn and World War II by Robert Matzen.

Author Websites and Profiles

Jason McFiggins’s Social Media Links

Pamela McConnell Amazon Profile

Pamela McConnell

Interview With Author Pamela McConnell

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I, Pamela McConnell, MSW, LCSW was raised in a fundamentalist/ evangelical Christian church and family. At age 34 I converted formally to Buddhism. I recently completed a Pilgrimage in India and Nepal. Earlier, I spent two years in Asia: a year teaching English in S. Korea and a year in Pakistan with my 3rd husband.
I worked as a counselor after earning a B.S. in Psychology. I worked as a hospice social worker for the last 20 years of my career after earning an MSW degree and becoming licensed as an LCSW.
I am an avid backpacker and trekker, having done 500 miles on the Appalachian Trail and more than half of the Annapurna Circuit in the Himalayas.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
The Adventures of a Southern (Baptist) Buddhist.
This is my autobiography. Given the current political events of the last few years and a long history of being “othered” by my family, I didn’t feel like I had any other choice.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
Not really. I just plugged away most evenings into the night.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
“Eat, Pray, Love” by Elizabeth Gilbert is a book I relate to. I have had many similar experiences. Also, “Wild” by Cheryl Strayed recounts similar experiences that I have had.

What are you working on now?
I am strongly considering moving to Thailand and becoming an ordained Buddhist nun. That will be my next book!

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
Books2Read related to Draft2Digital- I self-published through them and promote on the companion website.
Pubby- my favorite site for exchanging book reviews.
Goodreads.
Amazon.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Don’t sit on your book too long. It will never be perfect and there’s no time like the present. Write out a good outline of the book and then of each chapter before you begin.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Look inside you. Mind is the creator.

What are you reading now?
I’m combing through my late fathers’ set of Foxfire books. Spiritually, all the books by Geshe Kelsang Gyatso cannot be beaten.

What’s next for you as a writer?
See above: (What are you working on now).

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?
Geshe Kelsang Gyatso’s books: Modern Buddhism, The New Guide to Dakini Land, and The Oral Instructions of Mahamudra.

Author Websites and Profiles

Pamela McConnell Website

Pamela McConnell Author Profile on Smashwords

Pamela McConnell’s Social Media Links

Rey Wicks

Interview With Author Rey Wicks

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
Hi! I’m Rey, good to meet you. I am a Fantasy/Sci-Fi writer and also a ghostwriter. I often travel and have lived in 16 states in the US. Many of my journeys have been the inspiration for the worlds I build in my books.
I studied medieval history, psychology, theology, and veterinary science throughout my college years. I am also a mapmaker that hand draws and digitally creates fantasy world maps for not only my own books but others as well.

I have written three books in total so far with my fourth coming in July of 2023.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
Legion of Fire is book one in The Legend of Chaos saga. It is a story of a prince who was born with a very evil darkness that when fueled by anger, it transforms Sebastian into this villainous god named Chaos. But Sebastian wants to use his power for good, only the people of Erras fear him and plot to destroy him, including his own family.

The inspiration of The Legend of Chaos series is several little pieces of my soul stitched together. I see a lot of myself in Sebastian. I grew up always trying so hard to prove myself to my peers but it was never enough. I was always pushed down and turned away and it created this darkness inside of me that went off in a really bad way one day, and from there I have been on this personal journey to find myself and discover the things that make me the most happy, and hold them sacred.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I write very well when Gordon Ramsay is on the TV in my office. I admire that man so much and he is funny. But I also like learning how to cook new things so I tend to break from writing to make recipe notes. I also come up with all my best ideas while in the shower. Very inconvenient.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
George RR Martin has been the biggest author influence on The Legend of Chaos. I am a huge Game of Thrones fan and it was after binge-watching all these seasons that I started the first draft of Legion of Fire.

I have a great deal of admiration for some fellow indie authors I have recently had the greatest fortune to get to know. They are all so encouraging and have such fun little lives out there that more so inspires my personal life outside of writing.

What are you working on now?
I am currently writing book three of The Legend of Chaos. It is not yet named! I recently submitted City of Thieves, which is book two of the saga, to my publisher, and I am currently drawing the map for book two while slowly writing book three. I am also working on a Sci-Fi novel called Destination Atlas. This one is still young in the making.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I love to make book videos, especially movie trailer types. Finding those perfect faces to bring my characters to life is just magical to me, and I have fun creating them.

Goodreads has been great. I can’t say enough good things there! I use mostly Instagram myself plus my website. It’s all about exposure; when others share my work, it makes a difference.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Don’t get hung up on what mainstream says will sell. Ignore social media for a minute and just do you. If you are only writing for the money then the story is going to fall flat. Write what you love. Write what you want to read and I guarantee that someone somewhere will want to read it too!

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
If you don’t like something, fix it.

It’s simple, yet effective, and I have been fixing things for a long time because of that.

What are you reading now?
Jules Verne’s Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea

Insert heart hands

What’s next for you as a writer?
To get book three written and my sci-fi complete. Once those are complete, I am not really sure. Wherever the wind takes me!

If you were going to be stranded on a desert island and allowed to take 3 or 4 books with you what books would you bring?
Journey to the Center of the Earth by Jules Verne (I’m a big fan)
The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde (Also a big fan)
One of my own!

Author Websites and Profiles

Rey Wicks Website

Rey Wicks Amazon Profile

Rey Wicks’s Social Media Links

W J Long III Amazon Profile

W J Long III

Interview With Author W J Long III

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
Since grade school, I have been writing stories and creating worlds, often when I should have been paying attention in class. In middle school, my teachers took notice and sent me to the local young writer’s conference.

Sadly, I wandered away from prose to pursue screenwriting, but after a long time away, I returned with this first book in the Silver Sights Saga.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
Children of the Black is a story that has lived with me for an embarrassingly long time. I wrote the first version of it while imagining myself as a father and picturing what a relationship with my own child might one day be like. That gave birth to the core character dynamic of the story.

Other pieces were built over time, some from other projects that didn’t quite have what it took to make it. Really, the universe and characters for Children are more than twenty years of ideas grown together into the narrative that exists in this book.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I don’t know about unusual. I am a fairly meticulous plotter, so I like to have at least a path through the story before I begin. I tend to prefer the feel of writing by hand over typing, but that’s not the most practical method for getting stories down. If you were to see my home, there are boxes of notebooks devoted to storylines, character backstories, and location histories for a ton of ideas that I hope to one day share with the world.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
I have always wanted to do my own thing, but I have a particularly soft spot for Invitation to the Game by Monica Hughes. I believe it was the first book I ever loved…that wasn’t a study on dinosaurs. Aside from that, Micheal Crichton was influential in my drive to write. I bet you can guess how that started, but he had a knack for taking concepts that seemed entirely unbelievable and making them real in ways that still fascinate and inspire me to this day.

What are you working on now?
I’m continuing my work on the Silver Sights saga. Book 2 is fairly far along. It’s the most challenging story I’ve ever told, both in terms of how it spins the character relationships and how it explores a universe we only really hinted at in Children of the Black.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
Now bear in mind I’m fairly new to this. Right now, I am promoting via the usual suspects, Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook. Goodreads has been good to me so far, and I am always seeking to expand my reach with sites like Reedsy and BookBub.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
I would just say to have faith in what you’re writing. Nothing is ever a waste. You never know what can come of the ideas you have.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
“A writer writes.” – Regina Brett. It seems like the simplest concept in the world, but anyone who has stared at a blank page for any length of time knows it can be anything but.

What are you reading now?
I am dancing between a few books at the moment. Career of Evil by Robert Galbraith is my primary, but I’m also enjoying Old World War by Melissa F Olson on Audible, and the geek in me draws me back to the Super Sons Omnibus from DC comics.

What’s next for you as a writer?
Once I finish book two, I believe I will take a detour. I have a horror/thriller idea that my wife has always wanted me to finish, so I think I will devote some time to bringing that to life next.

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’s an easy choice for me at the moment. The Rogues of the Republic series by Patrick Weekes. (The Palace Job, The Prophecy Con, and The Paladin Caper) I have read through them more times than I can count, and they always make my days more interesting.

Author Websites and Profiles

W J Long III Author Profile on Smashwords

W J Long III’s Social Media Links

Kristy Dixon Amazon Profile

Kristy Dixon

Interview With Author Kristy Dixon

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I have a degree in English from the University of Utah. I have written many books, but this is the first one that is published. I love reading, writing, and cookies. I have nine kids, six chickens, and a cat so we are always going.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
The Silver Eclipse: Akkron is my first published book. It is the first in a series. I wrote my first book when I was seven and I’ve been writing ever since. I loved to write western romance books, but I had a hard time finishing them. My son told me to try fantasy since we all love YA fantasy at our house. It was so much more fulfilling and it’s been a fun journey.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I wrote a good portion of my first book while my two year old sat on the couch behind me brushing my hair.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
J.K Rowling, Shannon Messenger, Jane Austen

What are you working on now?
I am in the process of writing the third book in my series and editing the second.

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

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Keep editing until it comes together.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Don’t let other people choose how you feel.

What are you reading now?
I’m not reading anything right now but I’m about to try a new author. I believe her book is called A Dowry of Snails and Mud.

What’s next for you as a writer?
I’m planning on another series in the same 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?
Jane Eyre, Harry Potter, A Crimson Frost

Author Websites and Profiles

Kristy Dixon’s Social Media Links

Rachel Richards Amazon Profile

Rachel Richards

Interview With Author Rachel Richards

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I am an author, licensed massage therapist, YouTube influencer, and mom. (Not necessarily in that order.) I have just released my second book and debut novel, Glass Half Broken. My first book is my memoir of anorexia, Hungry for Life.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
I began Glass Half Broken a couple of weeks into lockdown—stuck in a tiny NYC apartment, trying to calm my young daughter who had taken to tantrumming about 20 times a day, while my husband struggled to work. I needed an outlet, and my writing began organically and furiously. I had my rough draft in 30 days. My daughter, who I love like crazy but who was driving me crazy, was the inspiration for Glass Half Broken. The story grew out of her vivid fantasy world and imaginary friends.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I don’t know if this is unusual, but I began both books as streams of consciousness—just a mess of words strung together for a couple hundred pages. The real work was in looking at the mess I spewed out and giving it shape, structure, and, oh, a theme would be good.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
For my first book, I read many memoirs of anorexia, and also memoirs in general. The ones that come to mind are Marya Hornbacher’s Wasted, Portia de Rossi’s Unbearable Lightness, and Michael J. Fox’s Lucky Man. My favorite fiction books are suspense/thriller/mystery. I’m not sure which books most influenced Glass Half Broken, but some favorites are The Maid by Nita Prose, Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn, The Silent Patient by Alex Michaelides, and The Girl on the Train by Paula Hawkins.

What are you working on now?
Promoting my new book, scribbling down ideas for another thriller, shooting and preparing videos for my YouTube channel (which teaches self-massage and wellness), treating my massage therapy clients, and taking care of my daughter. I need a nap.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I’m learning as I go, but I’ve had the most success with the Kindle freebie promos Amazon offers when enrolled in KDP select. I research promotion sites to see which represent my genre, get a lot of traffic, and have a large mailing list.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
I still consider myself a new author, but my advice would be to allow yourself to write freely. I think sometimes we censor ourselves because we’re worried about what other people (readers, agents, editors, etc.) will think. If you’re in the early stages of a book, be brave and write whatever you want. You can always edit later.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
I think the best advice I received is to make sure the protagonist is active—struggling to make choices and taking action—rather than having the action happen to the protagonist. It certainly makes for more exciting read.

What are you reading now?
I’m almost at the end of The Maid (it’s so good, I don’t it to end!) and I’m about to read the next Space Boy graphic novel. If you love an excellent story and beautiful art, check out Stephen McCranie’s series.

What’s next for you as a writer?
I’ve got a lot on my plate right now, but I’m brainstorming ideas for a new thriller. Hopefully I’ll be working on my next book soon!

On a different note, I write a monthly newsletter on health, wellness, and self-care. You can sign up at www.Rachel-Richards.com.

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 a couple of books about how to survive being stranded on a desert island. Maybe a classic I’ve never had time to read (Anna Karenina?). And a fun one—like one of the Harry Potter books. Maybe Prisoner of Azkaban because I’m a sucker for time travel.

Author Websites and Profiles

Rachel Richards Website

Rachel Richards’s Social Media Links

Lea Cherry Amazon Profile

Lea Cherry

Interview With Author Lea Cherry

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I have two horror stories out so far, along with a young adult urban fantasy series of three books and soon-to-be-released High Fantasy book 1 in the series of four.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
The latest release was the last book in the young adult urban fantasy series, Exposed – Descendant Series #3 and the first book of the Elesseand Saga – Starlight is due to release in April.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
Personally, just being a writer and creating stories and entire worlds out of thin air is already an unusual writing habit.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
So many authors and books have played a part in my writing, more in the inspirational side of things than anything else.

What are you working on now?
Currently, I’m working on book two in the Elesseand Saga – Shadow Diamond which I’m hoping to release between June and July.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
Don’t really have a best method but I do enjoy making videos on Tiktok to showcase some inspiration and share snippets of the story.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Never give up and write with your heart.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
If you don’t do it for the right reasons, you will end up hating every moment of it.

What are you reading now?
Currently listening to “Murder on the Sugarland Express” and reading “The Hanging Girl” by Eileen Cook

What’s next for you as a writer?
Bringing out more stories for everyone to enjoy.

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 no, this is hard. One of them would definitely have to be Vampire Academy as it’s one of my favorites. The other books will probably depend on the mood, but it would have to be fantasy like the ACOTAR series.

Author Websites and Profiles

Lea Cherry Website

Lea Cherry’s Social Media Links

Silly Turtle

Interview With Author Silly Turtle

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I have written 4 books total. “Don’t Be Stupid: 5 Steps Any Idiot Can do – Yes, Even You” is the first under a pen name.

Outside of writing, I have a professional job, which I love because it allows me to help other people, but also gave me a dark sense of humor.

I am happily married for 15 years and look forward to the next 15. I have 6 children, all grown with 6 grandchildren.

My pet is a silly little turtle.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
“Don’t Be Stupid: 5 Steps Any Idiot Can Do – Yes, Even You was inspired by a family member who asked, “Don’t you wish someone could just help stupid people stop being such idiots?”

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I don’t usually have an outline, or not much of one. I almost always come up with a title, then write the book. I have a list of possible titles waiting to be written.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
I love Stephen King, but I don’t write like him.

What are you working on now?
I’m thinking of a line of “Don’t Be Stupid” books, with more specific types of stupid people.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I sell on Amazon.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Just write and have fun!

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
“What other people think about you is non of your business.”

What are you reading now?
My spouse’s manuscript for his upcoming book

What’s next for you as a writer?
I hope to write and sell enough to keep my two publishing companies in business, and someday retire from my job.

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 live on a desert island”

“The Help”
“The Green Mile”
Anything by Stephen King will do.

Gregory Ronczewski

Interview With Author Gregory Ronczewski

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
Although I spent a lot of time writing—in the last seven years, it was all business-related—”Health by Design Project” is my first book.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
In the spring of 2020, I was diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis – an autoimmune disease when the immune system attacks joints. The cause is unknown, with no cure. After several tests and X-rays, the doctors offered me a standard treatment – immune suppressants. However, I refused to subject myself to what, according to doctors, would accompany me for the rest of my life. Instead, I decided to heal myself by applying what I knew best – a design process. Through several feedback loops focusing on changes to my lifestyle and diet, I liberated myself from rheumatoid arthritis and many other problems I had suffered all my life. It was a profoundly changing experience, and I realized I should share my story, knowing how many people suffer from the same disorder.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
Usually, I walk around with initial thoughts before I sit to write them down. Then, once I begin writing, I often lose track of time – later, I have no idea how I managed to put all those words on paper. But I don’t think it is unusual.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
I love books, so it will be hard to list authors that influenced me. However, my Health by Design Project was based on several books, so this may be a good list. “Fibre Fueled” by Will Bulsiewicz, “Breath” by James Nestor, “The Invisible Rainbow” by Arthur Fistenberg, “Superlife” by Darin Olien, “Food is Your Best Medicine” by Henry Beiler, “The Hidden Messages” in Water by Masaru Emoto, “What Doesn’t Kill Us” by Scott Carney, “Oxygen Advantage” by Partick McKeown, “Earthing” by Clint Ober, “Becoming Supernatural” by Joe Dispenza, “Reality Is Not What It Seems” by Carlo Rovelli and “Future of Nutrition” by T. Colin Campbell.

What are you working on now?
It is too early to say what will be my next writing project. I have a few ideas, but I am not ready to share them yet.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
Promoting my book is a new experience for me, so I do not have any suggestions. However, a trusted design process may help – keeping an open mind and trying different strategies usually will result in a few approaches that work.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Trust yourself, turn off “the thinking,” and start writing. Trust your intuition.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Never underestimate the power of thought. Everything starts with a thought. Every invention, work of art, or piece of writing begins with a thought—the magic of imagination. Every thought carries energy, and there is nothing that opposes the energy because there is nothing that is not energy.

What are you reading now?
I am reading Rick Rubin’s “The Creative Act: A Way of Being.”

What’s next for you as a writer?
I hope life will surprise me with something, a new experience.

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?
Well, I would hope to have an iPad with many books and a couple of solar panels to charge it. If not, Rick Rubin’s book would be a good choice.

Author Websites and Profiles

Gregory Ronczewski Website

Gregory Ronczewski Amazon Profile

Murray Moffatt

Interview With Author Murray Moffatt

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I am a retired broadcast journalist and public relations consultant. I have written five novels and started my writing hobby by publishing my autobiography through StoryWorth.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
My lastest novel, “Murder And No Play”, is actually a standalone follow-up to my first novel, “Play”. It had a twist at the end and many readers I talked to speculated about the future of the main character. I decided to explore that.

What are you working on now?
I am doing the preliminary research for the next novel in my Shane Daniels murder mystery series.

Author Websites and Profiles

Murray Moffatt Website

Murray Moffatt Amazon Profile

Angus Curran

Interview With Author Angus Curran

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
Well first off, Angus Curran is my pen name as my real last name is twelve letters and most of those are consonants. So I wanted to spare readers that trauma. I’ve just completed my second book of a trilogy, and let me assure everyone that no plans existed to write any stories. That changed rather late in life for me and I now enjoy the writing process. I’m very lucky to have support for my writing by family and friends.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
My latest book is, “Demon Treasure on Gold Mountain”. This is the second book in a trilogy called – The Forgotten Crimes Trilogy. These stories are based on my heroine and investigator Anh Santos finding artifacts from a past crime. What inspires me is writing stories happening in our COVID-19 impacted world and rolling in some history. In this story I focus on the early Chinese immigrants in the Old West and their treatment. Most all of these Chinese immigrants were searching for their own gold mountain, only a few ever found it.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I tend to write in spurts sometimes going days or weeks of little writing if something is hard or ideas are still forming. I tend to try and write very visually but also being compact in my descriptions and action scenes. I also believe in getting the story out of my head and into the machine. That’s what important, not spending time quibbling mentally over grammar.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
I’ve been an avid reader all my life, The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, many of the works of Edgar Rice Burroughs, Catch-22, Breakfast of Champions, Slaughterhouse Five, Issac Asimov, I Robot, Station Breaker, John Connolly’s Harry Bosch series, The Nature of the Beast and many sci-fi books. Janet Evanovich is someone who I enjoy for her funny characters.

What are you working on now?
As an indie author I’m working on the last formatting steps for the paperback version of my new story. It’s very tedious work but must happen. And having vague ideas about the final story in the trilogy.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
Currently this is not really clear as to what or where is best. Getting likes on a Facebook Ad doesn’t always generate book traffic nor does an ad on Amazon.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Think about your idea or story from many angles, try story boarding or blocking it out on paper. As mentioned earlier – get the story out of your head then start working on it. Finally, take a Zen approach to your writing / story – you should care and not care. Care because it is important, not care because it’s just words and ideas.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
The most important thing is to get the story / ideas rough drafted. Be open to new ideas or directions in your story. Listen to your editor and test readers, but also know when not to listen to your editor or test readers.

What are you reading now?
I’m reading my current story for at least the 20th time as I complete the paperback. Going to read some Kurt Vonnegut novels and look for some historical fiction stories.

What’s next for you as a writer?
Going to take a break from writing for 3 months and work on trying to take one of my books and create an audio version. Start the final book of the trilogy in July. Consider a short story.

If you were going to be stranded on a desert island and allowed to take 3 or 4 books with you what books would you bring?
How to Survive on a Deserted Island, The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, Station Breaker, A Bridge of Birds.

Author Websites and Profiles

Angus Curran Website

Angus Curran Amazon Profile

Angus Curran’s Social Media Links

Ben Winter Amazon Profile

Ben Winter

Interview With Author Ben Winter

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
Ben Winter is an actor, improviser, father, and author. Ben has written both professional development and sci-fi novels. He has written seven professional development books and two science fiction novels. He is currently working on the third sci-fi novel and as well as additional projects in the making.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
“The Wrong Choice” is a sequel to “The Wrong Turn.” The inspiration came to create the sequel after enjoying the process of writing the first one.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I use the tools of improv to write my stories. I am working on a professional development book outlining that process. It is currently titled, “Author by Improv”

What authors, or books have influenced you?
Hugh Howey, John Scalzi, Martha Wells

What are you working on now?
“The Wrong Time” is the third in the story chain.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
Unsure. Seems to be in person relationships. Definitely trying to find better avenues.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Just start. Find a group to help keep you accountable.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Your book is for you. If other people enjoy it as well, that’s just extra.

What are you reading now?
Currently, nothing more than my own work and that of my writers’ group.

What’s next for you as a writer?
Follow my joy. See which project inspires me to take action first.

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?
Hugh Howey’s Silo Trilogy. I love those books.

Author Websites and Profiles

Ben Winter Website

Ben Winter Author Profile on Smashwords

Ben Winter’s Social Media Links

Alexa Kastro Amazon Profile

Alexa Kastro

Interview With Author Alexa Kastro

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
My name is Alexa Kastro, and I am a passionate writer and storyteller. I recently wrote an exciting children’s book about dinosaurs, where I bring these prehistoric creatures to life with engaging language and accurate descriptions. As an author, my goal is to inspire young readers to explore their curiosity and learn more about the world around them. I hope to spark children’s imagination and help them unleash their full potential through my writing. This book is my first, and I am excited to continue creating stories that inspire and captivate young minds.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
The name of my latest book is “Dino Rhymes – The Jurassic Adventure.” My inspiration for this book came from my child’s passion for dinosaurs and my own love for movies like Jurassic Park. I wanted to create a fun and educational book that would ignite a child’s imagination and take them on an exciting adventure through the world of dinosaurs. With engaging rhymes and colorful illustrations, I hope to inspire a new generation of young readers to learn more about these incredible creatures that once roamed the earth.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
One of my unusual writing habits is that I have a specific set of items that I always use when writing and sketching illustrations. I have a favorite shirt that I wear when I’m working on a project, and I always use a particular pen that I feel helps me get into the right headspace. I also like to write in complete silence, which allows me to focus completely on the task at hand. These habits may seem small, but they help me get in the zone and stay focused on my writing goals.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
I draw inspiration from authors like J.K. Rowling, Roald Dahl, and Dr. Seuss. Michael Crichton’s Jurassic Park and Peter Lerangis’ books about dinosaurs also influence my writing. I aim to make science accessible and capture young readers’ imaginations like these authors do.

What are you working on now?
Currently, I am working on my second book, which is a children’s book about the jungle and its inhabitants. Building on my previous experience with Dino Rhymes, I am excited to take readers on a new adventure and explore the wonders of the jungle. With engaging language and vivid illustrations, I hope to inspire young readers to appreciate the natural world around them and encourage them to become curious explorers.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I’m still relatively new to book promotion, but I’m eager to learn and explore different methods to reach my audience. So far, I planning to focus on building up my social media presence, as well as considering the use of Google Ads, Facebook Ads, and blogging to help spread the word about my books. I believe that it’s important to keep an open mind and be willing to try new things in order to reach as many readers as possible and make a meaningful impact with my writing

Do you have any advice for new authors?
My advice to new authors would be to write from the heart and be true to yourself. Write about what inspires you and what you’re passionate about, as that passion will shine through in your writing. Don’t be afraid to take risks and try new things. Also, don’t be discouraged by rejection or negative feedback. Use it as an opportunity to learn and grow as a writer. Remember, the most important thing is to keep writing and never give up on your dreams.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
One of the best pieces of advice I have ever heard is “Be the change you wish to see in the world” by Mahatma Gandhi. This quote encourages people to take personal responsibility for creating positive change instead of waiting for others to do it. It reminds us that even small actions can make a difference and that we should strive to live our values and beliefs in our daily lives.

What are you reading now?
I am currently reading a book called “The Rise and Fall of the Dinosaurs” by Steve Brusatte, which has been providing me with valuable insights and information for my writing. Another book I`m planning to read – “The Jungle Book” by Rudyard Kipling.

What’s next for you as a writer?
As a writer, I am constantly looking for new opportunities to challenge myself and grow. Right now, I am working on my second book about jungle creatures and their habitats, which I’m really excited about. In addition, I’m exploring new ways to connect with my readers and expand my reach. Ultimately, my goal is to continue writing engaging and inspiring books that capture the imagination of children and encourage them to explore the world around them. I am also open to exploring new genres and styles of writing in the future.

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?
Robinson Crusoe by Daniel Defoe
Lord of The Rings
Harry Potter
The Complete Works of William Shakespeare

Author Websites and Profiles

Alexa Kastro’s Social Media Links

John Neely Amazon Profile

John Neely

Interview With Author John Neely

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I am an independent author from Sheffield, England. I have written two books so far in the Lavender and Brown series. Book 1: Lavender and Brown – The York Mysteries and Lavender and Brown – York Shorts, which takes place before the first and features three short stories. I also have book 2 coming out shortly – Lavender and Brown – The Castle Howard Christmas Mysteries.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
Lavender and Brown – The Castle Howard Christmas Mysteries, takes place (you guessed it) at the beautiful Castle Howard just outside of York. This is where Brideshead Revisited was filmed as well as the new Netflix series, Bridgerton. Book 1, The York Mysteries includes two scenes at Castle Howard which were an absolute riot, so I knew that I wanted more scenes there, absolutely. I’ve made the Earl George Howard quite an enjoyable character. I wanted more scenes with him involved and also Mr Landley (his estate manager) whose always scratching himself in public and picking dirt out of his ear etc, while banging on about his wife, Margaret. He is very fun to write.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I don’t think so. I carry bits of paper around so I can jot down any idea that springs to mind if that counts? This means I have scattered notes everywhere. I suppose I could invest in a notebook.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
Loads. I think every book you read shapes you in some form. However, if you are writing in the murder mystery format then you can’t help be influenced by Arthur Conan Doyle and Agatha Christie who basically invented the genre.

What are you working on now?
Trying to promote the books! It’s harder than writing them I can tell you. It seems to me that you need sales to get reviews, but reviews to get sales. Oh, it’s hard!

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I’m still finding my feet on that front. Hopefully Awesome Gang!

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Write every day. Draft and re-draft. Come back to work you wrote yesterday, and then leave it a week and come back to it again.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Stephen King’s book On Writing is excellent. Lots of great advice in there. I like his general advice on scene setting – three details on the scene to give readers a general picture but don’t overdo it – allow them to finish the rest.

What are you reading now?
Daughters of Night by Laura Shepherd-Robinson. It’s excellent.

What’s next for you as a writer?
Book 3 in the Lavender and Brown series I intend to take down a darker path. Lavender and Brown – The York Street Ripper is my penciled title.

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?
Ouch! Can’t I take more? Oh, that’s horrible. Maybe a Sherlock Holmes collection. Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier and All Creatures Great and Small by James Herriot. Wow, I did it!

Author Websites and Profiles

John Neely Website

John Neely’s Social Media Links

Drema Drudge Amazon Profile

Drema Drudge

Interview With Author Drema Drudge

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I’m Drēma Drudge, author. From reading cereal boxes on the breakfast table when I was a wee thing to reading my first chapter book in a mimosa tree which birthed my love for novels and twinned it with my affection for trees, the written word and I have been fast friends forever. I’ve also been writing in one capacity or another since I was about nine, starting with terrible poems and graduating to melodramatic stories in junior high. (No one explained to me then that my beloved books came from the destruction of my (almost) equally beloved trees!)

Mercifully, I eventually discovered that there are books, classes, and programs on writing and I learned how to write! Now I have an MFA in Creative Writing.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
My latest novel is called Southern-Fried Woolf, and it was inspired by Virginia Woolf’s To the Lighthouse. I pair an analysis of Woolf’s book within a novel about a country music star’s wife.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I love writing outdoors! It’s my favorite place to write. Too bad I don’t live in a place where I can always do that, but whenever I can, I do.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
Obviously Virginia Woolf, but also Toni Morrison’s novels in particular. I’m a big fan of all of the classics.

What are you working on now?
I’m working on a literary mystery, but I’m not very far into it, so I can’t say much about it at this point.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I enjoy writing blog posts and sending news to my newsletter subscribers. I feel I have a personal connection with them.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Keep writing. Read, write, revise. Repeat. These three things will help you develop as a writer.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
If you want to be a writer, write. That’s what makes you a writer.

What are you reading now?
I just finished reading the excellent novel Trust by Hernan Diaz. Its experimental nature and its mysterious plot drew me in.

What’s next for you as a writer?
I’ll continue writing novels, though I like the idea of writing a few short stories in between.

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 Beloved by Toni Morrison, To the Lighthouse by Virginia Woolf, Lust for Life by Irving Stone, and A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens.

Author Websites and Profiles

Drema Drudge Website

Drema Drudge’s Social Media Links