Awesome Author Interviews

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I’m a writing teacher and a novelist. I work at Boise State University, where I direct the technical writing program. I have written 12 books: eight nonfiction books about writing and literature, and the four novels in the Detectives Seagate and Miner Mystery series.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
My latest book is Three-Ways. It’s about the murder of a sex-addicted graduate student studying English at Central Montana State University, the college in the fictional town where I set the books. The victim had sex with three or four women on his last night on earth. All of them–and their other partners–had motives, means, and opportunity to kill him.

What inspired this topic? I can’t really say. I don’t think it’s that I wish to live through this guy vicariously, because he ends up really dead by page 3 of the book. I guess I thought the topic would give me another way to to get at the kind of ethical fable that I like to write about. This time, it was lust. The previous books were more about public issues.

All of my books are ethical fables in the guise of police procedurals. They’re all about choices we make as we try to figure out who we are and what we want. The title of this book, like that of the others, refers to a number of different characters in the book. Just as Big Sick Heart, the first book in the series, was about three different characters who had big sick hearts (of one kind or another), Three-Ways is about three-way sexual relationships and love affairs. Among the characters in a three-way relationship is the protagonist, Detective Karen Seagate.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I’m afraid I don’t. Paper, pen, then the computer–the usual. The only thing that is borderline unusual is that I don’t believe in writer’s block. Just as a plumber can’t not go to work because he or she lacks inspiration that day, I can’t not write because I’m not inspired. I put words on the screen, then fix them the next day.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
My two favorites, at least as they relate to my own writing, are the books by Le Carre and Elmore Leonard. Carre for how he gets at the layers of motivation in his characters, and Leonard for how he makes the books gallop. Like every other mystery or crime novelist, I’m a big fan of Leonard’s rules for writers. (Google the phrase if you haven’t seen it–it will change the way you write.)

But I try not to read every crime novelist out there. Maybe I’m too impressionable and don’t want to pick up anyone else’s style. Perhaps that’s the reason I write in the first person, in the voice of my detective, Karen Seagate. I know her pretty well by now, and she can’t speak like anyone else or see things they way others do. My books, for better or worse, are mine.

What are you working on now?
I’m preparing the fifth book in the series, Fractures. Now that you know my titles refer to multiple things going on in each book, you should expect fracking–as well as at least one very bad head injury.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I’m hoping that Awesome Gang will turn out to be the best site for promoting my books. I’m a member of eNovel Authors at Work, where the chief whip-cracker, the endlessly energetic and generous romance novelist Jackie Weger, teaches me something about promotion nearly every day.

The trick is to get the book into people’s hands. I feel lucky in that the people who read my books tend to like them and read the others in the series.

But I do wish I knew Oprah and she really liked my writing.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
If you can be happy not writing, don’t write. If you have to write, read the best writers, develop a really thick skin, and try to figure out how to summon the persistence you will need to keep writing when the world appears to say that it will keep turning even if you don’t write.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
I like a line from Elvis Costello: Nothing in this ugly world comes easily.

What are you reading now?
The Last Taxi Ride, by A. X. Ahmad. I like to read books by writers I’ve never heard of, from places I can’t pronounce.

What’s next for you as a writer?
What’s next is always the same: trying to become a better writer.

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?
Books on building boats and planes out of desert island vegetation.

Author Websites and Profiles
Mike Markel Website
Mike Markel Amazon Profile

Mike Markel’s Social Media Links
Facebook Profile
Twitter Account

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I’ve been featured here before for my previous novel Dead Reckoning, the first title in the Bequia Mysteries series. But for those new to Awesomegang and my novels, I write mysteries and science fiction. I’m working on a series called the Bequia Mysteries, set in the Grenadines, in the eastern Caribbean. I’ve already completed the first three novels in the series, a trilogy which introduces the characters and setting. I’m currently working on the fourth title in the series, and a non-Bequia mystery. I’ve also completed a science fiction novel which is close to publication, and working on a second. It’s not a series though, I have my hands full with one series already.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
The book just released is Deadeye, the second tile in the Bequia Mysteries. It was inspired along with the first novel. I wanted something unique and sprawling to introduce the characters, the location, and the series. So I turned the first three titles into a trilogy. But each is capable of standing alone, so readers can enjoy each novel without having to read them in order. The feedback I’ve been receiving from readers so far vindicates the approach I took, and it appears I’ve achieved what I set out to accomplish with the first three titles.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
Can’t say I have, but I guess it’s what you mean by unusual.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
I cut my teeth reading the old ‘hard boiled’ series by the founders of that genre, Dashiel Hammett, Raymond Chandler, Ross Macdonald and Mickey Spillane. I loved their style, their use of language, and the fantastic characters they created, Sam Spade, Lew Archer, Mike Hammer. My all favorite character is Travis McGee, created by John D. MacDonald. Those are the authors who triggered my imagination and the urge to write and tell stories.

What are you working on now?
I’m about halfway through the fourth title in the Bequia Mysteries, and outlining a fifth. I’m also working on a non-Bequia mystery, readying my first science fiction novel for publication, and outlining a second science fiction novel.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I do much more now than the first time I was featured here for Dead Reckoning. At that time my website was still under development, I didn’t yet have a blog, and I was new to social media. Now I spend more time on social media sites than I care to, but it is necessary to promote my novels, and rewarding when I connect with my readers. I’ve discovered and joined many terrific sites for promoting my novels, awesomegang being among them. But in terms of a best method strategy, I use the social sites, online communities and promotional sites to steer readers toward my website. That’s where the real action is, and where I get to engage potential readers.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Know why it is you write. What makes you an author and what do you want to accomplish. Answer those questions first and go from there. Because those answers will determine how you approach your writing as an art, as a hobby, as a business, and as a career.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
The one I pay forward. It is to write, and write, and write, everyday. It doesn’t matter what you write, just write. Practice, practice and keep practicing. And the other tip, perhaps as important, is to learn the craft. How to do more than just use words and language, but how to manipulate them. Often what’s going on in one’s imagination doesn’t get translated to the page. And it doesn’t happen by itself or by accident. Doesn’t mean you need to take writing courses or get a degree in creative writing, although those will teach you the craft. But I think one of the best ways to learn the craft is to read, read and read, especially in the genre you enjoy and you want to create in. And while you’re reading pay attention to the language, how words are strung together to create a scene, or produce an emotion, or make you visualize what the author is imagining.

What are you reading now?
Mostly my own writing and materials I need to read for research. I have projects in various stages going back and forth to my editor, and I’m in the initial stages of three new novels. I try to put aside weekends for pleasure reading, but that has to compete with all the other non-writing activities I relegate to the weekend. I just finished ‘His Kidnapper’s Shoes’ by a terrific indie author Maggie James, and her second novel, ‘Sister, Psychopath’ is waiting for me to dig into.

What’s next for you as a writer?
To continue writing. To develop more stories for the Bequia Mysteries. I want to make it a continuing series, until the characters tell me they’re heading off to do something else with their lives. And I want to develop more Science fiction stories.

If you were going to be stranded on a desert island and allowed to take 3 or 4 books with you what books would you bring?
My answer hasn’t changed since the last time, so I’ll repeat it here. The specific book titles wouldn’t matter, I’d want to have the sort of books I can read over and over again and still enjoy. The type of books where using them to read, or using them as the only available kindling for a fire, is a tough choice. I’d want to have a mystery, an espionage suspense thriller, a science fiction novel, and perhaps something philosophical.

Author Websites and Profiles
Michael Smart Website
Michael Smart Amazon Profile
Michael Smart Author Profile on Smashwords

Michael Smart’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile
Pinterest Account

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
Hi there! I’m Cynthia St. Aubin, and I write paranormal mystery and paranormal romantic comedy! It’s like While You Were Sleeping…but with zombies! (Would that make it While You Were Creaping? ) I’ve written three full-length novels in a series that is currently stuffed in my desk drawer next to the emergency Junior Mints, and four novellas in the Matilda Schmidt, Paranormal Psychologist series. There will be eight novellas total in the Matilda Schmidt series, so I have releases coming up in September, October, November and December! Because the holidays aren’t crazy enough without releasing a novella a month. 😉

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
The name of my latest book is Unbearable, and it was inspired by wanting to revisit the story of Goldilocks (a porn star, in my rendition), and the three bears (who happen to be werebears, for my purposes). Fairy tales have a way of feeling like archetypes, and like any story that has been passed down from generation to generation, details change in the telling. Being the art history and mythology nerd that I am, it’s fun for me to pick up some of those threads and reimagine them in a modern context, or juxtapose other historical events onto that canvas. Why couldn’t Humpty Dumpty be the Orphic Egg? And maybe Van Gogh was so tortured because he was actually a werewolf. These are the questions that keep me smiling as I sit down to my laptop to play with my imaginary friends.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
When I’m writing a scene, sometimes I physically act it out so I know how to describe it. For example: in Unlovable, Dr. Schmidt gets handcuffed to the bed, but has to roll out of the way when Cupid gets into a fist fight with a half-naked hit man. I wasn’t sure how she would accomplish this, so I stuck my hand to a wall and did a few tests. My cats found this highly entertaining. Also, I sometimes do the voices for my characters when writing dialogue. This gets especially interesting when one of said characters is a suicidal Easter bunny, and the other is a demigod.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
Humor plays a huge role in my motivation for writing, so I often turn back to books that make me laugh/snort/ and or pee a little. Janet Evanovich was my first love in this space. P.G. Wodehouse is a master of comedic timing, and I’ve long hoped his work would season me on some level. On the flip side, I also gobble up poetic prose, so authors like Barbara Kingsolver have had a profound impact on the way I approach descriptions. I like to think that you can still be funny, but balance this with a little depth and poignancy.

What are you working on now?
The name of my latest book is Unassailable (I never met a pun I didn’t like), and it was inspired by the idea that it would be lots of fun to write about a pants-less ghost pirate needing therapy from the good Dr. Schmidt in order to resolve his unfinished business. I’ve been celebrating International Talk Like a Pirate day (September 19th!) since 2007, and have developed a semi-unhealthy fixation on all things piratey. Working that theme into one of the novellas just felt like something that needed to happen.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
Admittedly, I’m nothing like a ninja in the marketing space. I have found Facebook to be a great way to connect with readers and other authors, and create a supportive community.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Putting my work out into the real world has been such a learning experience for me. What follows is just a few of the lessons this process has brought me. Take what’s useful to you and leave the rest. Write the story that you love. Let it be something that you’re passionate about and willing to fight for. Speaking of fights, be ready for one. You’re going to have to be your own biggest fan, your most ardent supporter, and at times, your own cheerleader. You have to be willing to believe in your dream when no one else does, and that can be a real challenge. Do study the craft. Even if that means ordering discount grammar and style books on Amazon. Find a critique group and listen to criticism when it comes. Be willing to find out where there’s room for improvement in your work. Look at authors whose careers you admire and learn from them. Make friends in the writing community and be supportive. That support finds its way back to you when it’s your turn to put yourself out there. Don’t compare your first drafts to anyone else’s finished product. Finally, put your ass in the chair.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Sherrilyn Kenyon has posted the story of her journey to publishing on her website, and to this day, I still read it when I need a boost. The gist is, behind every “overnight” success us a long, twisted, gnarly road of unseen effort, disappointment, and discouragement. The thing that separates those who make it from those who don’t has more to do with how much of the aforementioned difficulty they are willing to take on than it does getting lucky, or hitting the right trends (though those things play a definite part). Fight for what you want. http://www.sherrilynkenyon.com/about/the-road-to-publication/

What are you reading now?
Mostly, the back of the Pop-Tart box. Which is to say, I’m on a deadline. Procrastination is my biggest challenge as a writer, so when I’m under the gun, reading becomes optional…kind of like sleeping and cleaning.

What’s next for you as a writer?
Once I’m finished with Matilda’s series, I’ll be looking at turning them into audiobooks, hopefully. Also, it would be great to dust off those poor, neglected novels sitting in my drawer and do something with those. In any case, I hope to keep bringing a little laughter and light to my readers by doing what I love best.

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?
Hannibal – Thomas Harris, Prodigal Summer – Barbara Kingsolver, and Janet Evanovich’s Hard Eight.

Author Websites and Profiles
Cynthia St. Aubin Website
Cynthia St. Aubin Amazon Profile

Cynthia St. Aubin’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 26-year-old author, secondary educator, and certified reading specialist with a BA from the University of Michigan (Ann Arbor, MI) and an MAT in Literacy Education from Madonna University (Livonia, MI). I’ve been a member of the National Council of Teachers of English since 2011 and have presented at the National Conference for Peer Tutoring in Writing (2009) and the Michigan Reading Association Annual Conference (2014). While teaching reading and writing to middle school and high school students, I strive to create written works that will interest my students and teach them valuable lessons at the same.

I have self-published a collection of short stories titled What a hodgepodge!. This June 2014, Ferne Press (Nelson Publishing & Marketing) recently published by first novel The Visitor’s Choice: A Search to Make Things Right.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
My latest (and first) published novel is titled The Visitor’s Choice: A Search to Make Things Right.

I used to write short stories all the time in high school. In college, I only wrote one for a dorm-wide writing contest (I got second place). After graduating from undergrad, I decided I wanted to write again. I found a picture online of a book with vines coming out of it that started the juices flowing. That summer day I opened my laptop and started typing. I refused to stop until I had finished my first short story in years. Once finished, it felt great! And the ideas kept coming. What if I wrote another? And another? And another? What if I put it all together into a book? And there it was!

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
Being a high school English teacher, I rarely have time that I am not lesson planning or grading essays. Therefore, all of my writing comes in installments during summer vacations and winter breaks. When I am able to write, I find that during the day I usually get distracted with Netflix and other things until bedtime when I want to sleep but my brain becomes alive, and I can’t stop writing.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
The Maze Runner by James Dashner is a great book that starts by throwing readers directly into the action of the novel.

Unwind by Neal Shusterman does a great job of surrounding the reader in the environment of the characters without wasting time on the typical paragraphs or pages of exposition.

My favorite novel, The Sun Also Rises by Ernest Hemingway, shows how powerful words can be, showing writers that you don’t need to use thirty words when ten will do.

What are you working on now?
It’s August, so I’m pretty swamped writing up lesson plans and assessments for next year’s upcoming students to make sure that they all have fun while learning in my classroom. However, I still try to cram in as much reading for fun as I can before my reading is solely essays again.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I love sharing on Facebook and Twitter, but I also enjoy discovering Awesome Gang.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
You are never just going to just start writing. You have to make the decision to take a risk and put pen to paper. And no one is going to tell you to do it either. You need to be the one to light the spark instead of waiting around for the lightning to strike. It’s up to you to take action.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
The best advice I ever heard is to treat my writing and publishing journey as a hobby. If something happens, great. If not, oh well. This advice really helped me get through the year of rejection letters and emails before finally landing a publisher. I wouldn’t have been able to handle all of the negativity if I took it personally, but because I treated it like a hobby, it made the adventure all the more enjoyable.

What are you reading now?
The Magician’s Land by Lev Grossman. I love his Magicians triology, and this one is the last. If you wonder what it would be like if Harry Potter went to college, then this is for you.

What’s next for you as a writer?
My main character David Wilson definitely has more adventures in store. I just need to get them all organized and out of 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?
The Sun Also Rises, Ernest Hemingway

Middlesex, Jeffrey Eugenides

The Night Circus, Erin Morgenstern

The Art of Racing in the Rain, Garth Stein

Author Websites and Profiles
Alexander Davidson Website

Alexander Davidson’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile
Facebook Profile
Twitter Account

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
To begin with, I’m the author of PARADISE ROT (BOOK ONE) and ONCE AGAIN, WITH BLOOD (BOOK TWO). I earned a degree in film from CSULA and was an award-winning art director for 16 years. And then I got the hell out of Dodge (advertising) and decided I was better at fiction for the greater good (entertainment) than fiction to make people buy shit they don’t need (advertising). I’d written two novels and a ton of scripts in my 20’s but I don’t really count them as over 20 years passed since writing Paradise Rot. So really, let’s call Paradise Rot the first novel. I just dropped the second book of the trilogy, Once Again, With Blood.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
Once Again, With Blood is the second of a trilogy, which I’m calling simply, “The Island Trilogy.” The series was inspired by a couple of things. One, in the time-honored tradition of Hitchcock, I wanted to take an innocent and put him through the meat grinder and see how he reacts. I was also inspired by the satire of Hiaasen, Moore and the comedic film duo who brought such greatness to the world as “Shawn of the Dead.”

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I’m a catch as catch can writer. I leave my laptop on all day and steal an hour here or there to write. I work from a color-coded chapter analysis to help me keep track of where my characters are. I usually have a soundtrack for each book. For this one, Ravi Shankar, Satyajit Ray and The Talking Heads are on constant rotation.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
Hunter S. Thompson for his velocity and bite, Carl Hiaasen for his humor and plot, Christopher Moore for his absurdity. There are many books that have inspired me, ranging from non-fiction to pulp fiction. I’m also heavily influenced by cinema. My books are dialogue driven and take my cues from the movies and the way people converse. I’m also a big fan of the 3 act structure.

What are you working on now?
I’m working on Book Three of the trilogy. Since I’m winding things up with the characters, I feel as if I’m writing two books – one for the story continuation and one to bring the characters to conclusion.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
Facebook, Twitter, Google+, YouTube book trailer (http://youtu.be/dETwMucaKoo)free ebook listings (my first novel, Paradise Rot, is perma-free), blogging, reposting blogs, retweeting, spamming good friends and family.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Get something down every day, even if it’s a couple hundred words. Some days it’s gonna be a slog and others 2k words in an hour. It’s like that.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Most anything Hugh Howie says, various folks on KindleBoards, my wife.

Buy the ticket. Take the ride – Hunter S. Thompson

What are you reading now?
Eric Schlosser’s “Command and Control: Nuclear Weapons, the Damascus Accident, and the Illusion of Safety”

Stephen King’s “Mr. Mercedes”

Craig Lancaster’s “600 hours of Edward.”

What’s next for you as a writer?
Book three in the trilogy and then I’m giving myself a couple of weeks to think about nothing, which seldom is the case.

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 never reread anything. That being said:

The Wool series

LOTR

Principles of Internal Medicine

First aid for dummies

Author Websites and Profiles
Larry Weiner Website
Larry Weiner Amazon Profile

Larry Weiner’s Social Media Links
Facebook Profile
Twitter Account

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
My name is Suanne Laqueur and I live outside New York City with my husband and two children. I’ve been a writer all my life but have only just published my first novel, “The Man I Love.”

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
“The Man I Love” is my first novel, hopefully not my last. I had the cast of characters in my head since I was in college and I treated them rather like literary paper dolls. Just writing little scenes for them. My own personalized fan-fiction universe. It was only recently that an idea for a storyline emerged. Someone from my past came back to put things right. We had left each other to the point of total disconnection. Things had gone unsaid, business unfinished, amends unmade for 20 years. I had no idea the emotional impact it was going to make. I had no idea I had been waiting for this to happen. I needed to channel the onslaught of feeling and that was how “The Man I Love” was born. It’s a novel about reconciling with the past so that your un-grieved grief doesn’t forever shape you as an adult.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I don’t just start from the beginning and write. I start in the middle and work out, or at the ends and work in. I write what comes to mind first—I quickly capture the snippet of dialogue or bit of physical description before it leaves me. I’m constantly throwing moments onto the paper. And as these moments pile up into pages, I start to see an arc, or a means to thread them together.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
When I read Rumor Godden’s “In This House of Brede,” I was amazed at how she was able to create well over two dozen characters and make each one unique and vibrant and alive. And I loved her attention to detail when it came to settings and surroundings.

Laurie Colwin’s “Family Happiness” blew me away with its thoughtfulness and depth of emotion regarding a sort of taboo subject—this very ordinary woman found herself having a love affair and struggling with emotions she didn’t have names for. I found myself thinking, “I want to write this way. Make ordinary people extraordinary. Take extraordinary circumstances and show how ordinary and universal they really are.”

What are you working on now?
I’m working on a short story called “My Funny Valentine” about a young widow giving herself permission to have a lover. And I’m working on a sequel to “The Man I Love” which will combine Erik Fiskare’s ancestry with his future narrative. It’s going in some interesting directions and to some fascinating places, from the St. Lawrence seaway to a Finnish utopian colony in Brazil. I’m excited to follow the threads and see where they lead.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I found creating a Pinterest board for “The Man I Love” was an incredible marketing tool. People are highly visual and having pictures of key locations and objects and the like, gave them a unique experience to dive deeper into the book and its imagery.

Linking all your social media accounts together is critical. As is remembering to be a PERSON as you network, and not just “read my book, read my book.” You must connect with people before they will become interested in your story.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Once published, network with other indie authors and help each other out. Tweet and share for each other. Swap reviews. Every mention counts. Every time you step outside your door is an opportunity to talk about your book.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Get an editor. You owe it to yourself and your future readers to make your story the best it can be. Invest the time and money in honing your manuscript to perfection.

What are you reading now?
I’m reading “Middlemarch” by George Eliot for a book club. I wish it were going better but (sigh) it’s not.

What’s next for you as a writer?
I want to continue connecting with the following I’ve established with “The Man I Love” by blogging and sharing my writing and artwork. And I want to add another title to my author page sometime in 2015.

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?
“In This House of Brede,” by Rumor Godden

“Family Happiness,” by Laurie Colwin

“His Dark Materials” trilogy by Philip Pullman

Author Websites and Profiles
Suanne Laqueur Website
Suanne Laqueur Amazon Profile

Suanne Laqueur’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile
Facebook Profile
Twitter Account
Pinterest Account

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
My mother tells me I was born in Texas a very long time ago, but I’m not so sure—my mother can’t be trusted. These things I do know: I was raised in Texas on barbecue, Mexican food and beer. I’ve lived in every time zone in the U.S.; the most memorable stint being the time spent in Las Vegas, where I currently reside and where my friends assure me I cannot get into too much trouble. Silly people.

The only constant in my life (besides my family, who deserves hazardous duty pay for sticking with me) has been change (my mother is still waiting for me to grow up). Silly woman.

I’ve been an accountant, a business owner, a tax lawyer, a pilot a flight instructor, and always a mom. But all of this career ADD made me incredibly unemployable. Hence the whole writing thing.

Actually, from a young age I’ve know stories would be a big part of my life. To date I’ve written five humorous romantic mysteries, WANNA GET LUCKY? ( double RITA(tm )finalist and a NYT Notable Crime Novel for 2010–but don’t let that throw you, yes there’s mystery but each book, at its heart is a romance), LUCKY STIFF. SO DAMN LUCKY, LUCKY BASTARD, and LUCKY CATCH, releasing August 26th, 2014) and several between-the-books-novellas, LUCKY IN LOVE, LUCKY BANG AND LUCKY NOW AND THEN.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
LUCKY CATCH is the next in the series, releasing August 26th, 2014.

And this whole story started with a smoking gun.

You see, I’m not much of a foodie. And, I’m not much of a cook either. In fact, I have a love/hate relationship with food—I love it, but I hate it when my jeans don’t fit. And it doesn’t help that I’m more of a Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives kind of gal rather than one who favors an exorbitantly-priced, twenty-item tasting menu that stills leaves you lusting after a Whataburger. So, when it comes to fancy food prep, I’m a bit clueless.

Which leads me back to the smoking gun thing.

I was eating dinner at one of my favorite local restaurants in Vegas, Due Forni, with two of my best buds, one of them a chef. As a first course, we ordered some of the homemade mozzarella and their famous bread (totally to die for). I ordered the smoked cheese and, through mouthfuls I expressed my pleasure and my wonder at how they imparted the smoky flavor. I’m originally from Texas and the whole smoked thing is a religion there—but it requires a huge smoker and tons of hickory and I didn’t see that sort of set up at Due Forni. So, I wondered out loud how someone might give fresh mozzarella a smoked flavor.

My bud, the chef, looked at me as if I’d been living under a rock and announced, “With a smoking gun, of course.”

But, of course! A smoking gun. Who knew?

That little tidbit stopped me mid-bite and totally derailed his dinner as I peppered him with questions.

I mean, there’s just something so prosaic about killing someone with a smoking gun, don’t you think?

So, off the story ran, as stories are wont to do. Before long I found myself mired hip-deep in the world of gourmet cookery. And I became interested in the conundrum of serving incredibly fresh food in a place that is as hospitable to the nurture of delicate plants and exotic fish as the surface of the moon. And that led to research into the pipeline for gourmet foodstuffs, the need for temperature control, for impeccable and consistent quality and lightning fast shipments. All of this is incredibly competitive, with the top-tier chefs locked in a fierce battle for the freshest, most unique items on the planet.

The perfect recipe for murder.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I love to write with music playing…loudly. And I sing along….poorly…while I write.

Apparently I have at least a two-track mind:)

And, for the sake of those around me, I write at home, alone.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
Probably Evanovich the most. her books showed me that breaking the rules and writing funny are indeed okay.

What are you working on now?
I am working on the next Lucky novella. this one will be set in the entertainment world in Vegas and will be dual first-person, Lucky and her friend, Flash, n investigative reporter, will both tell the story. I’m having fun with it, which is what the novellas are for, to try new things.

I’m also working on a totally new series, women’s fiction with romance (there always has to be romance) set in Napa. The first book is CRUSHED and I’ll tell you more about it later….

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
Still word of mouth–whether in person or digital. I love doing blog tours and engaging with readers.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Write the stories your feel in your heart. Work tirelessly topeprfect your craft. And never quit.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Join a good critique group.

What are you reading now?
The third and last installment in Deborah Harkness’ trilogy that began with Discovery of Witches.

What’s next for you as a writer?
The new series mentioned above. More Lucky books. Hopefully improving my craft as I go.

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?
One For the Money, to make me laugh. Atlas Shrugged to make me think. And anything by Nora Roberts, because we all need romance.

Author Websites and Profiles
DEBORAH COONTS Website
DEBORAH COONTS Amazon Profile

DEBORAH COONTS’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile
Facebook Profile
Twitter Account
Pinterest Account

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
This is my first book.

I’ve always wanted to be a writer–but was definitely afraid of failure! I graduated from Texas A&M University with a degree in Journalism and did spent some time writing feature articles and doing technical publication editing. From there, I just kind of slid into the technology space. I was fortunate in that I seemed to be in the right place at the right time to learn a wide variety of things.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
This book is titled #hashtagged. As for what inspired it, the short answer is my entire life. The longer answer is that it really started as a joke–me mouthing at my husband that robots would someday take over the world and they would do it through the use of social media.

My husband really pushed me to write the book. I would never have done it without his encouragement. He also encouraged (aka “pushed”) me to talk to my kids and other family members about it. This really helped me formulate the outlines of the story.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I wrote this book in four months. I knew the rough word count for a typical Science Fiction book and I wanted to get it done before Christmas break. So, I had to write about 1,000 words per night. I did this while working at a client site, living in a hotel Monday through Thursday. So I developed this habit where I picked up dinner, went to the hotel, then sat in bed writing until the 1,000 words were done. I made myself accountable by texting the word count each night to my husband.

On a more unusual scale, I seemed to write better with some dreary tv show running in the background. You know, one of those teenage angst vampire kind of shows with dreary music. I never really watched, but had to have them running.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
The list is so long! I read a ton. I learned in a graduate linguistics class (Texas A&M) not to judge local dialects, etc. What might appear “wrong” for me is actually “right” for another culture. This really opened me up to other writing styles, genres, etc. Sounds corny, I agree. However, it really did make me a more open reader.

That said, I like what I can “smart” books. By that, I mean stories that are intricate and tightly woven. I prefer language that is beautifully crafted, even when sparse. I don’t want to be told that the sky is a beautiful thing. I want to see it for myself based on the description. Let me make the inference. Touch my heart with words, not with a manipulative story line.

What are you working on now?
I’m pushing to get the book read. That sounds so simple. HA! Beginning in September, I plan to start the next book in the #hashtagged series. My goal is to have a trilogy–we’ll see. I wrote #hashtagged September through December and that seemed to work out for me, so I’m sticking with it. I need all the good juju I can get.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I”m a newbie. As such, I’m doing a bit of skattershooting and tying everything I can. I have a website (www.kimberlyhixtrant.com), Facebook (www.facebook.com/KHixtrant), Twitter (@KHixTrant), and Pinterest. In addition, I’m reaching out to anyone who will listen to request a book review. I would welcome any lessons learned or advice on what really works.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Write. Don’t stop. Seriously. Just write.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
“There is more to life than increasing it’s speed.” Ghandi

What are you reading now?
Freakanomics by Steven D. Levitt, Stephen J. Dubner–reading off and on.
The Heist by Daniel Silva–just finished last night.
The Great Santini by Pat Conroy–listening in the car.
The Goldfinch by Donna Huber–up next. Yeah, I know I’m behind. I don’t know why it took me so long to get to this one.
Wink by Eric Trant–up after The Goldfinch.

What’s next for you as a writer?
Fantasy Island = I’m on Jimmy Fallon for a #hashtagged segment.
Reality Zone = I continue to focus on marketing for #hashtagged.

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. The largest poetry anthology ever published. I have no idea what that would be, but I would definitely figure it out.
2. Sam’s Lamp by Barbro Lindgren, Illustrated by Eva Eriksson. This is THE book that brings back that feeling of the moments I loved most as a mother. I can close my eyes and still feel them in my arms.
3. SAS Survival Handbook–I’m basically an idiot when it comes to some practical skills. I watched Tom Hanks in Castaway and watched the Lost series, but I’m not sure I can replicate anything they did!

Author Websites and Profiles
Kimberly Hix Trant Website
Kimberly Hix Trant Amazon Profile

Kimberly Hix Trant’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile
Facebook Profile
Twitter Account
Pinterest Account

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
My name is Delali Norvor. I’m 18 years old and I have published 3 poetry books that are in stores worldwide. One of my books is called “Baptized in GXLD” which is about a 16 year old son of a preacher dad and a first lady mom going through a period where he question the realness of his once loved religion. It became a short film and premiered a few days ago. I hope you check it out
http://vimeo.com/101207975
http://youtu.be/qfdg5ehSTI0

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
The name of my latest book is called “Mother Nature, My Kinship, and the Dolphins.” I think my childhood and going through puberty inspired this because it explores the vivid awkwardness I faced with growing up with a disability and my emotional struggle to fit in.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
(Chuckles) I write in the dark and play loud music as I write.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
I think Langston Hughes, Maya Angelou, and Lana Del Rey have influenced me the most.

What are you working on now?
I’m working on “The Nostalgic Nostalgia of Natalia.” It’s about a girl named Natalia who got into a coma after a text and drive accident; throughout her time in a coma, she is narrating her interesting but sadistic life she has lived. What makes it interesting is that I have woven the social issues of America into her own personal problems she is facing.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I really don’t have a best method when it comes to promoting my books because I’m still learning the publishing game which I think it’s outdated and new ways to innovate the industry and not be only tailor made for celebrities.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
I just want them to know they shouldn’t be discouraged and know that it’s not always profitable.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
The best advice I ever heard was “hone your craft and honor it with your heart.”

What are you reading now?
I’m reading “A Song Flung Up to Heaven” by Maya Angelou.

What’s next for you as a writer?
I think I will be taking a break as I focus on college this fall.

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 will bring any books written by John Grisham. It’s entertaining and I will never get bored.

Delali Norvor’s Social Media Links

Twitter Account

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I have written five books, and I am currently writing the sixth one.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
Drachenburg School for the Supernaturals was inspired alot by Harry Potter, as well as a desire to write about more diversified characters than typically found in YA/teen bestsellers.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
Yes.
When I want to write, I write. It does not matter if I am on a train, plane, lunch break, or 3:00am in the morning. When the urge to write kicks in, there is nothing I can do to stop it. Absolutely nothing.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
I have many different writers I look up to.
My books were inspired by J.K. Rowlings ability to write in detail on her fantasy world, Elizabeth Gaskell’s ability to spin society and politics to a good storyline, Enid Blytons simplicity in creating engrossing but light story lines, and most recently- Susan Ees ability to web a story that fully arrests all your attention.

What are you working on now?
Drachenburg School for the Supernaturals Book 3

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

Though I wish there was a more effective website.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
How much do you love it?
That much? Then it is worth it.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
“Start writing, no matter what. The water does not flow until the faucet is turned on.” ― Louis L’Amour

What are you reading now?
The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini

What’s next for you as a writer?
Write the Fallen, Book 3 in the Divine Brotherhood Series

If you were going to be stranded on a desert island and allowed to take 3 or 4 books with you what books would you bring?
North and South by Elizabeth Gaskell
Peter Pan by J. M. Barrie
Poems by Emily Dickinson
The River and The Source by Margaret A. Ogola

Author Websites and Profiles
Carol Robi Website

Carol Robi’s Social Media Links

Goodreads Profile
Facebook Profile
Twitter Account

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
To properly answer this question, I’d need to personally interview forty authors and make a compilation for you, but since I can’t do that, I’ll answer these questions to the best of my ability with my own information. The names listed below are all the authors who’ve contributed to making the Love is… anthology.

Kate Pearce, Marie Hall, Zoe York, Sidney Bristol, S.M. Butler, Kat Cantrell, Cassandra Curtis, Keri Ford, Sadie Haller, Faye Hunter, Crystal Jordan, Jennifer Lewis, Molly McLain, Mima, Natasha Moore, Catherine A. Noon, Elle Rush, Jessica Stone, Holley Trent, A.J. Vale, Elle Wylder, Clarice Wynter, Sabrina Darby, Bonnie Dee, Jennifer Haymore, Vivienne Westlake, Elianne Adams, Melissa Aires, Mahlee Ashwynne, Sophie Avett, Jennifer Blackstream, Sela Carsen, Cate Dean, Grace Draven, Hailey Edwards, Dayna Hart, Elise Logan, Lyra Marlowe, Yelena Casale, Cate Rowan, Tina Moss

As for me, I’m coming to you all the way from North Eastern Ontario, Canada, I’m a wife and mother of three (plus three fur babies). I dreamed of writing at a young age, but like so many, that dream went by the wayside when I joined the work force and started building my family. Now that my children need less of my time, I’ve rediscovered my love of writing and am following my dreams.

Other than the short story included in the Love is anthology, I’ve written two full length paranormal romance novels. The first is Call of the Dragon, and the second Rise of the Phoenix. Both are part of my Return to Avalore series. I’m in the process of writing books three and four. The big launch for the series is coming in December of this year, so keep your eyes peeled for it.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
Love is… is an anthology put together by forty-one Divas from www.romancedivas.com who just wanted to give back a little. All proceeds of the Love is… anthology are going to Reach Out and Read, an organisation that helps put books in the hands of children, promoting literacy from a young age.

My contribution to the Love is… anthology is called Flickering Light. It’s the story of Barbara and Clayton in the time before the Queen of Avalore is found and brought back to their homeland. The story is set in a time when hope is all but gone and the Avalorian people are hovering on the brink of extinction.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I don’t know if I’d consider this unusual or not, but my writing space is always set up in a particular way. When I sit down to write, I like to have a red candle burning to my right to help get my creative juices flowing. Also to my right are pictures of my kids on a cork board as well as a few drawings. Music and noise is kept to a minimum, and that’s about it.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
That’s such a tough question. So many amazing authors have influenced me. Here are just a few that are one click buys for me.

I loved Kristen Painter’s Blood Rights series. I haven’t had the opportunity to read her newest release, House of the Rising Sun in her Crescent City series yet, but I’m looking forward to it.

The Araneae Nation series by Hailey Edwards is awesome as well. The world building in the series draws me in every time.

I’m a great fan of Annie Nicholas as well. She’s not only been a great mentor to me, but she’s an amazing author. My current favorite of hers is her Chronicles of Eorthe Series, though I have to admit to having read most of her other books as well and loved them just as much. The next book in the Eorthe series is Scent of Valor due out in November. I’m patiently waiting to get my greedy palms on that one.

Marie Hall weaves tales that you just can’t help getting sucked into. From fairy tales to contemporary, there isn’t anything this woman can’t write.

What are you working on now?
I’m working on my Return to Avalore Series. The series takes place in Avalore, a parallel world where dragons, phoenix and gryphons not only exist, but are at the very core of the Avalorian people.

Flickering Light is just the beginning. Following this short story, book one, Call of the Dragon is the story of Rhiannon and Drake, and kicks off the series. Tired of being on the run, Rhia agrees to go to Avalore with Drake. What she doesn’t know is that the enemy lies in wait, and that she’s a whole lot more than just another woman back in Avalore.

Book two, Rise of the Phoenix, is the story of Evan and Brienne. Both characters are introduced in book one and begged me to have their story told.

Which brings me to where I’m at now.. books three and four. Both are in the process of being written. I’ve not come up with suitable titles for either of them, but as soon as I do, I’ll have them posted with cover art on my website.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I’ve not had much opportunity to explore this aspect of writing yet, but I’ve heard many good things about the people here at Awesomegang, which is why I came here. I’ve also heard about the usual, bookbub, freebooksy, bargainbooksy.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Even though I’ve written two full length novels and a short story, I still see myself as a new author. lol I’ll give the advice that was given to me…

Keep writing. It doesn’t matter who else is doing what, if you don’t have anything written, you’ve got nothing, so keep writing. The promoting, website, web presence, it’ll all come, but not if you don’t have a book to sell.

Learn your craft. There are tons of places to go to learn to write and how to tell a story, so don’t be afraid of taking a class or seminar.

Surround yourself with like minded people who can help push you when you get in a funk, because believe me, there are plenty of funks to get into and sometimes they’re hard to get out of. You’ll need people you can trust and who will have your back and not be afraid to tell it like it is, good or bad. Good critique partners and beta readers are a must. When you find one you mesh well with, grab hold and don’t let go.

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

Life happens. It’s easy to say to heck with it all and just throw in the towel, but don’t give up. You’ll get there.

Keep writing. You don’t have anything if you don’t have the story written.

Stop reading. Sounds funny, I know, but there was a time when I was reading too much and a lot of what I was reading wasn’t of high quality, so it was coming through in my writing. Putting the books down really helped me to focus and bring my own voice through in my words.

What are you reading now?
The Bastard by Inez Kelley.

If you haven’t read it.. do! She’s amazing. I’m not done with this one yet, but it’s been great so far.

Also… Cora Seton. She’s drawn me into her Chance Creek series and I’m hooked. I just got done with her The Cowgirl Ropes a Billionaire book and loved it. I’m just trying to decide which one to read next.

What’s next for you as a writer?
I’m still working on the Return to Avalore Series. There are three full length novels still waiting in queue for this series as well as a couple of novellas.

After that, I’m wide open. Not to say I don’t have a million plot bunnies running wild in my head, but I’ve not committed to any one project in particular. There is one potential story coming down the pipe for a superstition themed boxed set, but nothing is confirmed there yet. If it does come to be, it’ll be released in 2015.

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?
Okay, that’s just not fair. That’s like asking a mother which child she’d bring.

Hmmm.. if I had to choose, I’d have to say Scent of Valor (Annie Nicholas), House of the Rising Sun (Kristen Painter), One Gold Knot (Sadie Haller.. did I mention her in my favorites??).

Is it normal that I feel like I’m cheating on all the others by not naming them all?

Author Websites and Profiles
Elianne Adams Website

Elianne Adams’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 mom, a wife, a daughter and a business person who balances making a living with caring for my family. My son has Crohn’s disease, my husband has a pre-existing condition and my mom is 85 years old and lives with us. One thing I’ve discovered is the hospital. I’ve written one book that is winning awards, I believe, because it shares my story and helps others cope with navigating the healthcare system and balancing life.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
Questioning Protocol. When my son was screaming in pain in ER and no one came, I could not believe it. I am an engineer by training and when I worked in aerospace I used to lose sleep worrying about the least little design change. Now, I was in a crisis and no one came. I started taking notes so I could improve the patient experience. I thought I’d write a letter to the CEO of the hospital. Well, my son ended up with complications and I wrote a book to empower others to navigate the system with confidence. I share my tips, tools and tricks from my GE executive experience so everyone can learn how to build a high performing healthcare team focused on the patient’s needs.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
Discipline. I worked everyday on my book and had an editor review my work weekly.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
Jeannette Walls – The Glass Castle. I loved how her story helped me understand my life. My goal was every page or so, give the reader an “aha” moment.

What are you working on now?
Marketing Questioning Protocol and improving the healthcare system.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
Not sure, yet.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Get an editor and build your fan base.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
You can’t walk a mile until you take one step. I thought that getting my book published was as hard as asking me to climb Mt. Everest without oxygen. Now, I did it and I’ve experienced that success is about each small step. If you slip, just try again with a different approach.

What are you reading now?
Overtreated by Shannon Brownlee

What’s next for you as a writer?
I’ve been writing articles in JAMA and other leading industry journals. I will continue to educate consumers about navigating the healthcare system.

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 blank journal, Walden, and a survival guide.

Author Websites and Profiles
Randi Oster Website
Randi Oster Amazon Profile

Randi Oster’s Social Media Links
Facebook Profile
Twitter Account

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I was born and raised in Trenton, New Jersey, before heading off to Duke University to study mechanical engineering. After spending some time working as an engineer in Maryland, I changed course and enrolled in the University of Michigan Law School. For the past fourteen years, I’ve represented banks and hedge funds as a transactional attorney in private practice in New York. I live in Manhattan with his wife, Erinn, and my two daughters, Maureen and Madeleine. So far, Peripheral Involvement is the only book I’ve written, but I’m working hard to change that.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
The book is called Peripheral Involvement, and it’s meant to have sort of a double meaning. The main character gets entangled in a crime, but he’s only indirectly involved, at the very edge of the plot. The title is primarily a description of his relationship to those events, but it also refers to his feelings about his level of engagement in his career and his everyday life, which he’s spurred to examine when questions about the crime re-surface fifteen years later.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I’m not sure that it’s all that unusual, but I tend to do all my writing late at night, after everyone else in my house goes to bed. Between work and family, it’s usually the only time that I’m able to find. Because of that limited schedule, I tend to work very slowly, and my novels are very long-term projects. It’s frustrating. sometimes, but it does have the benefit of giving me quite a bit of time for reflection. I tend to come up with ideas throughout the day and then work them out on paper in the wee hours.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
Joseph Heller’s Catch-22, for sure – I love his sense of humor and the way he deals with absurdity. Hunter S. Thompson, for similar reasons (although his work is obviously very different). Dostoevsky, Sartre, Joseph Conrad… many, many more.

What are you working on now?
I’ve been working on a second novel for almost a year, a noir-ish mystery, and I’m very excited about it. It’s not a sequel to Peripheral Involvement – it’s a completely different story with a new cast of characters. It takes place in the Florida Keys, and it involves a disgraced ex-televangelist, his daughter, and a wealthy, old-money New York family. I’ve been working much faster than I did on the last one, but I still have to fit my writing in around my day job, so there are limits on how much I can do at a time. The first draft is probably about three-quarters of the way there, and I’m hoping to get through the rest of it by the end of the summer.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
That’s the challenge I’ve been grappling with since I released the book in February. I’ve done a lot on Facebook and by directly contacting people, but that only gets me as far as friends and some friends of friends. I’ve encouraged (begged) all of them to spread the word as much as they can. I’ve also started a website where readers can learn more about me, follow my blog and (hopefully) have their interest piqued, and I just did two giveaways on Goodreads to try to get some attention there. I’ve reached out to book bloggers and reviewers, and gotten a little traction there, but my biggest hope is that people who enjoy Peripheral Involvement will tell a few friends about it and it’ll continue to gather steam by word of mouth.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Nothing earth-shattering, really, but I would urge any new author to resist the feeling that you have to have an entire story plotted out before you begin writing. Just come up with an idea for a character, and an interesting scene or two, and start running with it. Maybe it won’t go anywhere, but maybe it will. If you wait until you’ve got the entire plot outlined in your head, you might never get started.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
It has to be Elmore Leonard’s line: “Try to leave out the parts that readers tend to skip.” I try to follow that advice as best I can.

What are you reading now?
I’m embarrassed to admit how little time I make for reading these days. I just finished (and very much enjoyed) a non-fiction book written by a friend, Phil Johnston, called True South, which contrasts the leadership styles employed by Robert Scott and Roald Amundsen in their competing 1912 polar expeditions. On the fiction side, I’m reading John LeCarre’s Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy (yes, I understand that I’m about forty years late to that party). I’m also planning on reaidng the Game of Thrones series, at some point.

What’s next for you as a writer?
My immediate goal is to finish my second novel. Beyond that, I’ve always wanted to try to write something more humorous, so maybe I’ll turn to that next. I’ve given it some thought in the past, but haven’t quite been able to settle on an idea. I figure that the world is full of things that are begging to made fun of, so I’m hoping it’ll come to me eventually.

Also, I never really envisioned a sequel to Peripheral Involvement, but enough people have brought it up that I’ve started to think about it. I’m not sure yet that it’s something I’ll pursue, but it’s definitely on my radar.

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 collection of Plato’s dialogues, Joseph Heller’s Catch-22, Hunter S. Thompson’s Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas and Robert L. Stevenson’s Treasure Island (to get into the spirit of things).

Author Websites and Profiles
Bob Waldner Website
Bob Waldner Amazon Profile
Bob Waldner Author Profile on Smashwords

Bob Waldner’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
Literature has been forefront in my life. My college years and career have centered on literature. I have also worked as an executive recruiter and assistant editor. Currently, I enjoy sports and travelling as much as possible. At this point in my writing career, I have written two novels and a collection of poetry–The Last Seminarian, Three Things I Have to Tell You My Friend, and Random Musings of a Baby Boomer, a poetry collection.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
Three Things I have to Tell You My Friend is my latest novel. My experiences in the field of education and interactions with other educators, along with the support teams at secondary and college institutions, inspired the story and the characters in the novel. Also, the field of education is rapidly changing with the new influx of technology and assessments. No one in the field can predict the outcome for education is in a confused state. The professionals and politicians are initiating changes through trail and error.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I enjoy writing crossover fiction, mixing the science fiction and dystopian genres. I naturally embrace crossing genres, enjoying the complexity and challenge. I believe future fiction will reflect the crossing of genres and the eventual evolution of new genres, as it has done so in the past. Isn’t science fiction a crossover, too?

What authors, or books have influenced you?
The class epic stories, like the Odyssey, have influenced me. I enjoy heroic adventures. Also, Gilgamesh is a great influence which is the first great work of literature and, in my opinion, the first science fiction tale. From a modern perspective, as a teenager, I became enamored with Harry Harrison’s Death World Series and Stainless Steel Rat Series. I relished his anti-hero protagonists.

What are you working on now?
I am now working on a fantasy story about a retired veteran who has one last chance to have a meaningful relationship with a woman before it is too late. He has avoided commitments through out his life and hopes to find the right mate before it’s to late.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I find Authors Den and Bookbuzzr great sites for posting announcements and events. Also, I have had good luck with Goodreads (book giveaways), Book Gorilla, Fuzzy Librarian, and Book Bub for promoting my books. Twitter had been a good extra along with KDP Select.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Write–always write. Then, market! Then write again. Don’t forget to fill the well–read often.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
There is no great writing, only great rewriting.
– Justice Brandeis

What are you reading now?
Girl with Pearl Earrings by Tracy Chevalier

What’s next for you as a writer?
Too continue writing–I have no idea beyond what I’m working on at the moment. Several outlines wait on the shelf for me to give them life.

If you were going to be stranded on a desert island and allowed to take 3 or 4 books with you what books would you bring?
Robinson Crusoe (no surprise?)

The Odyssey

Any book by George Carlin.

Author Websites and Profiles
Robert DAmato Website
Robert DAmato Amazon Profile

Robert DAmato’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile
Facebook Profile
Twitter Account
Pinterest Account

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I was born in South Baltimore, Maryland, about a mile from Fort McHenry and a few blocks from Federal Hill. I’m the youngest of eleven children–yes, eleven. Growing up, art, music and writing were my passions and I although I played girls softball and tennis, I was adequate at best. I’ve been married for twenty years and together, we have three children (yours, mine and ours) and three granddaughters.
My first novel “Fireflies,” was published in March of 2013 with GMTA Publishing and my second novel, “Hope From the Ocean,” which is the prequel to “Fireflies,” was published in March of 2014. My third book, “The Blue Diamond – An Ivory Razor Adventure,” is with my editor and we’re hoping for a late September 2014 release.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
My latest book isn’t published yet but it will be in the very near future. The book is named “The Blue Diamond – An Ivory Razor Adventure.”This book was inspired by my love of adventure, romance and good old fashion swashbuckling fun! Think “Pirates of the Caribbean” meets “Charlie’s Angels.” That should give you an idea of the premise of this book and that is all I’m going to tell you. You’ll just have to wait for the big launch. 😉

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I’m afraid I am really boring when it comes to answering this question. I really don’t. I can write pretty much anywhere at any time and I’m a master of blocking out my surroundings. I can’t be rude though so of course if someone needs my attention, I remind them I’m writing and tell them to get lost. 😉 Just kidding, I ask them to move along. Still kidding, sort of.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
The answer to this question is constantly changing. Since I’m currently reading “Outlander” by Diana Gabaldon and I’m trying to make time to read “A Game of Thrones,” these are two very good examples. However, J.K. Rowling, Stephen King, Louisa May Alcott, Harper Lee…

What are you working on now?
I’m working on preparing “The Blue Diamond” for publishing and also jumping back into the novel I was writing before I wrote “Hope From the Ocean” and “The Blue Diamond.” I really liked the concept of this story and the characters were really starting to come to life (50K words in). So last weekend ,I started from the beginning and wow did I see so much that needed to be revised and reworked. I was thrilled! It proved to me how much I’ve learned in the past two years and showed me I’m improving. I don’t ever want to stop learning and growing.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
Definitely book blogs.I can’t say enough about how book bloggers have spread the word about my novels. Whether they host you as a guest, interview you or go all the way and review your books for you, you simply cannot beat the exposure to readers these generous people give. Blog tours are the ultimate way to get the word out about your books.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
I’d tell them to just keep reading and writing. Learn as much as you can about publishing so you can make the right decision for yourself. There are so many avenues you can take to have your book published and do not neglect your editing. Hire an editor. There are plenty of people who won’t cost you an arm or a leg but do an excellent job.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Anne Rice, “There are no rules in writing.” I may have paraphrased but you get the point. There are rules of grammar, punctuation etc. but when it comes to telling your story, let the rules go and just write.

What are you reading now?
As I said above, I’m almost finished the first book in the “Outlander” series. I am in love with the characters and the story.

What’s next for you as a writer?
To keep doing my best writing and continuing to write the kinds of books I like to read. I can’t write something because it’s what’s “HOT” at the moment or because I know that is what has the largest market share. I write from my head and my heart. I believe if I stay true to myself, success is going to come.

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?
Empty notebook as long as I can bring a pen too!

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P.S. Bartlett Website
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Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
The first thing I would like to share about myself is my mom status. I have four awesome kids who keep me fairly busy, but are always excited for me to work on my writing. Their ulterior motive for this is the hope that one day their father, the fun parent, will be able to quit his job. I must admit I would be happy with that also.
I’m an author of YA paranormal romance, but in all honesty I’m interested in being a multi-genre author. The Healer is the first book in my Healer series, and also happens to be the first full length novel I have ever written, but once I have completed the series I would love to finish a YA romance that I’m halfway through, and a religious comedy that is also about halfway written. I guess I tend to bounce around a bit when it comes to genres, but my first love is paranormal romance.
I’m also a singer and a songwriter. I’m most comfortable on a stage with a microphone in my hand and a huge Jazz band backing me up. I sang with a college jazz band in junior college and then I was accepted to the vocal jazz program at Sacramento State University. Singing jazz, and writing my own original music is something I’ve done for more than a decade now. Something I love about lyrics to a song is the ability to take one loaded theme and find the best way to express the feelings and emotions of that theme in a creative and original way. There are some books out there that are just begging to have a theme song written for them. I can hear the songs in my head when I read books like that. In the case of The Healer, I was able to write a love song that encompassed the whole love theme in The Healer Series between my two main characters. That’s been a fun project to work on.
I had the opportunity to live in Brazil for a little under two years and learned about an amazing culture, not to mention an amazing language. I was finally able to say that I was a world traveler after that, but I would love to end up in Italy or Greece someday. When I’m not writing, I’m reading, and when I’m not reading I’m chasing after children, kissing on my husband and having huge TV marathons of The Amazing Race, Vampire Diaries and Grimm.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
Th Healer was inspired by one crazed nightmare. I had this wacky dream about spirits being trapped in Japanese Statues and when I woke up I was left feeling anxious and a bit distraught. I wanted to know how the spirit had been trapped and how to free it. The story was a mystery and I love a good mystery. I knew if I wanted some answers I would have to develop the story myself. It’s been an interesting journey of discovery with my characters calling the shots.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I always outline everything, and then when I’m in the moment writing a specific scene, I will take the storyline somewhere completely different just because it feels right, and then other options open up for me. So while I’m a planner, I’m also a pantser. It’s the best of both worlds, I guess.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
I read Nancy Drew mysteries for years. They were the only books I would read when I was in elementary school. I loved a good mystery, and I was convinced Nancy Drew was the only way to go. However, I was getting awfully tired of her relationship never quite developing fully with any Hardy Boys or her boyfriend for that matter. I realized I was a fan of romance as well and started reading YA romances with a little mystery and suspense thrown in. I think what influenced me the most was the diversity I found in the different genres, and that I loved all of them. I enjoyed the way so many authors could take one basic theme and create interesting and original stories out of them. I studied how they did it, and always knew what was going to captivate me and what wasn’t. Those are the types of writing techniques I hope I have employed in my own writing.

What are you working on now?
I was recently invited to collaborate with nine other author for a YA, paranormal anthology entitled, Strange and Lovely: Ten Paranormal Tales of Thrills and Romance. We are all writing short stories with varying paranormal themes. My short story involves assassins of the Fae variety, but to find out what happens you’ll have to wait with baited breath until Oct. 4th when we release it. You can also meet the authors of the anthology, myself included, and converse with several other guest authors during our release party on Facebook. Just look up Strange and Lovely: Ten Paranormal Tales of Thrills and Romance Release Party. It’s open to everyone so come join the fun. Here is the link if you’re as lazy with your mouse and clicker finger as I am. LOL https://www.facebook.com/events/750157858383808/

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I have found that Facebook and Goodreads work best for me simply because I know the most about them, and what I have been implementing so far in terms of marketing and networking has given me great results. That doesn’t mean there isn’t anything else out there. It simply means that’s all I’ve become familiar with so far. I’m slowly building my knowledge base when it comes to marketing my books.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Write what you love, and write because you love to. If your only interest in writing is to make money then you’re in it for the wrong reasons and you’ll become frustrated. It’s not the easiest journey when you’re trying to create a storyline and characters who readers can connect and commit to, and your stories become like family sometimes. You have to develop a thick skin in terms of query rejections or critiques. All of this will give you experience that will better you in the end so long as you love what you do, work on what you can and accept suggestions that are helpful.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Don’t edit as you go. Finish your entire rough draft and then go back and start your edits and rewrites, otherwise you’ll be stuck on chapter one editing forever and never moving on until you feel the first chapter is perfect. Too many things can change in the course of writing a full novel, including your first chapter so just push through the whole story, and work with what you have after that. Your rough draft becomes your skeletal outline and reference for what the final masterpiece will be.

What are you reading now?
I am reading Vampire Princess Rising, Book Two of The Winters Series, written by my dear friend Jami Brumfield.

What’s next for you as a writer?
Once the anthology is released I will be finishing up the second book in The Healer Series and moving on to the third, but I still have that YA romance and religious comedy to get to. I’ll have plenty to keep me busy once The Healer Series is finished.

If you were going to be stranded on a desert island and allowed to take 3 or 4 books with you what books would you bring?
I would bring any books from The Bloodlines Series by Richelle Mead that I hadn’t read yet. Brilliant, that woman. I love her. I would also need to bring a copy of Shackles of Honor by Marcia Lynn McClure. I’m telling you, if you love sweet romances this is the best one I have ever read thus far.

Author Websites and Profiles
C. J. Anaya Website
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C. J. Anaya Author Profile on Smashwords

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Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I have worked as an IT Consultant for more years than I care to remember and in particular have a passion for Agile / Lean. So far I have only have my debut book out, Thrive: Surviving in a Corporate Jungle, but I do have at least 2 or 3 more books I would love to write at some point.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
My latest (and first) book is Thrive: Surviving in a Corporate Jungle, and the inspiration came from a desire to write about the insanity I have witnessed in various corporations, but which I needed to anonymise to protect the innocent, or not so innocent as the case me be.

In particular, I also wanted to tap into human emotions. I’ve read too many business / agile / reference books and I know the subject is typically very dry, formulaic and extremely theoretical. There is nothing worse than a book of ‘quick tips’ if it takes 3 months to implement each tip. At that rate the top 10 tips would take 2.5 years to implement, which is a long time.

I think we often forget that humans have feelings, opinions and their own motivations. Corporations live in a disconnected reality whereby a mandate from above that they shall be agile tomorrow, means they are magically agile tomorrow. This disconnect from the messaging and the reality is where the most frustration and tension typically arises within the average corporation.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
My editor told me I was too self-deprecating and lacked confidence in my writing style. She removed so many ‘hopefully’ I think the word count was halved.

I probably have a ‘Billy Connolly’ element to my writing. I don’t have a structure, or a plan, but find myself running off at tangents and typing furiously for a few days. I then spend a couple of weeks cleaning up the mess. I also don’t write as often as I think. I will play out key passages over and over in my head before I commit them to paper.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
I listed the key books in my book. The biggest influence for the structure of this book has to be Rework from 37 Signals. I prefer not to insult the reader by spelling out absolutely everything in painstaking, and unnecessary detail. I want to spark the imagination of the reader. I want them to think for themselves.

Other big influences are everything by Tom DeMarco, Malcolm Gladwell and Douglas Adams.

What are you working on now?
I am deep into the promotion and marketing phase of my first book. I would love to say I am actively working on my second book, but finances dictate I will probably return to consulting for a while. I’m not one of these people who can write a book in my spare time, so it may be a while before I can find the time to dedicate to writing again 🙁

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I’ll tell you when I find out. So far, I’m not enjoying the experience of promoting my book. I think the best engagement (not necessarily sales) has been from a giveaway promotion I’ve been running on Goodreads.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Write for yourself first and foremost. Do it to the point you are happy and then decide on the next step. Don’t set out to write a best-seller. My book was never really intended for a wide audience, but at each stage of the project I made a judgement call whether to invest more energy or not.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Challenge everything, particularly yourself.

What are you reading now?
Mainly books on mindfulness and spirituality.

What’s next for you as a writer?
This may just be my only book. I have a personal story I would love to tell, but that is a long way off.

I need to see how my first goes is received to determine whether or not I’ll ‘publicly’ write a second book.

If you were going to be stranded on a desert island and allowed to take 3 or 4 books with you what books would you bring?
I’d have to take a large book on astronomy so I could study the stars.
I would then take an encyclopaedia.
Douglas Adams Hitchhiker would be on the list.

What I wouldn’t take would be any ‘business’ books.

Author Websites and Profiles
Mark Barnes Website
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Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
Marty Young (martyyoung.com) is a Bram Stoker-nominated and Australian Shadows Award-winning writer and editor, and sometimes ghost hunter. He was the founding President of the Australian Horror Writers Association from 2005-2010, and one of the creative minds behind the internationally acclaimed Midnight Echo magazine, for which he also served as Executive Editor until mid-2013.

Marty’s first novel, 809 Jacob Street, was published in 2013 by Black Beacon Books. That novel went on to win the Australian Shadows Award for Best Horror Novel, and was a Notable Indie Book of 2013.

His short horror fiction has been nominated for both the Australian Shadows and Ditmar awards, reprinted in Australian Dark Fantasy and Horror (‘the best of 2008’), and repeatedly included in year’s best recommended reading lists. Marty’s essays on horror literature have been published in journals and university textbooks in Australia and India, and he was also co-editor of the award winning Macabre; A Journey through Australia’s Darkest Fears, a landmark anthology showcasing the best Australian horror stories from 1836 to the present.

When not writing, he spends his time in the deep dark jungles of Papua New Guinea as a palynologist, whatever the heck that is.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
The first – and only – book I’ve had published so far is called 809 Jacob Street. It’s a psychological horror that looks at what makes a monster, because not all monsters have glowing red eyes and fangs and scaly skin. Some look like the person next to you.

It was inspired by my childhood; I used to walk past a big old house on my way home from school. The house wasn’t haunted and it wasn’t spooky – until other kids in my neighborhood began telling stories about it being haunted. Then it became spooky, too. And over the years, I often thought about this, and how we’d corrupted a perfectly fine house and turned it into something terrible. I begin wondering what would happen if a house was a receptor for such tales and whispers, becoming whatever each person believed it to be, and that became the house at number 809 Jacob Street.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I write best late at night, once my wife has gone to bed, and the house is silent – not that the silence matters, as I put on headphones and listen to wild, loud, cranky music. The louder, faster, meaner, and heavier, the better. Plus I also pour myself a good glass of scotch, and then get stuck in.

When things are going well, I can disappear into a story for hours. I used to run out of steam and look at the time, only to discover that it was almost 4am!! That was never good, because come 7am, my house was awake, which means so was I…

What authors, or books have influenced you?
The two biggest influences on me are Stephen King, for his sheer storytelling ability and his amazing characters, and Clive Barker, for his majestic, poetic prose and his wild, surreal imagination. There are a lot of other authors I greatly admire and will ensure I always buy their latest books the moment they come out, but King and Barker are my true literary heroes.

What are you working on now?
I’ve just finished a trilogy of books set in the same wonky town of Parkton; these are with an editor at the moment, who is no doubt tearing them apart and scribbling all over the pages with a bright red pen. That trilogy is an action-filled, hellish ride, complete with monsters, military, and global destruction. It’s a little different to the psychological horror of 809 Jacob Street, but boy, was it fun to write!

I’ve also just started another novel called Motel Bladefeeders, although that’s just a working title and I suspect it will change. The book is a loose sequel to 809 Jacob Street, featuring one of the boys from that book, all grown up and twisted, delving into the secrets behind the numerous alleyways of Parkton, and the shadowy people he finds there. He teams up with a Detective along the way, but she has a lot of problems of her own. They make quite a good pair; they’re both kind of crazy.

It is going to be a dark and disturbing ride, that’s for sure.

What inspired it? Well, when I wrote 809 Jacob Street, I knew I was touching on a lot of mysterious happenings; things that filled in the background, and I knew I needed to delve deeper into these places. Fortunately, I had the perfect character in mind to roll up his sleeves and get stuck in.

Do you have any advice for new authors?

Write lots, and write often, as often as you can. Read lots, too. Read all of the time, in all different genres. Devour books. Be pedantic with your writing, make it shine. Read guidelines and follow them when submitting. And always be polite.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Be the writer you want to be.

What are you reading now?
I am reading Island of Nightmares by Gertrude Barrows Bennett (writing as Francis Stevens). A bit of pulp pleasure!

What’s next for you as a writer?
Hopefully I can get my trilogy published in the near-future, either through a publisher or self-published. Plus I want to complete the sequel to 809 Jacob Street, and there’s also a novella burning a hole in my brain, so I’d best write that one out as soon as possible.

I am also editing an anthology called Blurring the Line, which will be published by Cohesion Press next year. I have some great authors lined up to take part in that, so I’m looking forward to 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?
Clive Barker’s Books of Blood, Stephen King’s The Stand, and The SAS Survival Handbook: The ultimate guide to surviving anywhere by John ‘Lofty’ Wiseman

Author Websites and Profiles
Marty Young Website
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