Awesome Author Interviews

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
Bob Kat is the husband and wife writing team of the award-winning young adult time travel mystery series, CUL8R (See You Later). Kathy had been writing best selling mystery novels for several years, and Bob joined her with this series. OMG (Oh My God) debuted in 2012 and was named the Best Young Adult Indie Book of 2013. In it the four teens travel back to 1966 to keep a cheerleader from committing suicide. BRB (Be Right Back), the second book in the series just won the top prize in the Readers’ Favorite Young Adult awards. BION (Believe It Or Not) takes the teens back to a 1927 circus where they save the life of a young man and go through the pangs of a first love. Kathy also writes an adult romantic suspense series called Denver After Dark under her own name, Kathy Clark. And they are launching a New Adult romantic suspense series called Scandals: Baby Daddy in later November, 2013.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
The latest in the CUL8R series is BION which was probably our favorite book yet to write. In it, the four teens run off and join a traveling circus . . . in 1927. We visited the Ringling Museum for research and were lucky enough to meet a wonderful elderly man who had been a third generation clown with Ringling Brothers circus many years ago. His stories were fascinating, and we were able to incorporate many of them into our story.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
Bob and I plot out the books, making all the major decisions on plot, pacing and character arcs. Then he writes the first draft while I work on the polish of one of our other series. When I get the book, I flesh it out, adding color and romance until it is ready to go out to our beta readers.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
I love the Twilight and the Hunger Games series. And I’m very impressed with Amanda Hocking’s ability to write wonderful books as well as create a brand.

What are you working on now?
We are almost ready to release the first book in our New Adult series in late November, 2013. The series is called Scandals, and the first book, Baby Daddy, is about five people who suddenly find out they are related and have inherited a legacy . . . should they decide to accept the changes in their lives. Their decision is complicated when they realize someone is trying to kill them and steal their destiny.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
Our website is www.NightWriter93.com. We are active on the Kindle boards and other on-line groups, and we belong to Mystery Writers of America, Sisters in Crime and Romance Writers of America. We often speak at writers’ groups and give writing classes to adults and young adults.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Find a good critique group. Learn your craft. You can’t break the rules until you know the rules. And keep writing. Get it on paper.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Get to work! I’m a bit of a procrastinator, so I let my ideas stew in my brain for a long time before I actually sit down and do the hard work. My husband and my fans keep me motivated. And I love writing series because I get to spend some time in a new adventure with characters who are old friends.

What are you reading now?
I’m looking forward to reading a couple books I have downloaded on my Kindle as soon as I finish Baby Daddy.

What’s next for you as a writer?
More books for the series. They are so much fun to write, and they have all received incredibly positive reviews and awards. Baby Daddy will be out in November. RIP (Rest in Peace), another CUL8R book (a ghost story set at the very haunted Stanley Hotel) will be out in January, 2014. Graveyard Shift, the third book in the Denver After Dark series will be out in the summer, 2014, and we have plans for our second Scandals book next year, too.

What is your favorite book of all time?
Wow, hard to say. I have so many favorites, but I guess the book that really launched my career was The Flame and the Flower. It had such wonderful characters, a charming romance and lots of adventure.

Author Websites and Profiles
Bob Kat Website
Bob Kat Amazon Profile

Bob Kat’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile
Twitter Account

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
Adventurous, expressive, assertive, fun-loving, and caring. These are some of the words used to describe me. It’s true. I have zip-lined through the Mexican jungle. Fun loving? For sure. I have at least 15 close girlfriends whom I cherish. I have a heart for people, especially children.

Twenty years ago, I married the love of my life. We have three beautiful, smart, and vivacious children. I’m originally from the small town of Waterbury, Connecticut. It looks like Maybery except there is a seedy side of town that good girls like me were supposed to stay away from.

I have a degree in Computer Science but later went on to become certified in children’s literature. I have three novels and one short story under my belt so far. My target audience is men and woman from ages 26 – 70, who are looking for a story that takes them on a heart-pounding ride. My writing style is real-life Christian fiction.(No perfect Christians allowed) I write page turning, suspenseful novels, the kind that keep you up way past your bedtime.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
“My Next Breath” is the sequel to my first novel, “Breathe for Me”. I have seen firsthand how alcoholism ruins a family. There are long term ramifications that can affect future generations.

“Breathe for Me” tells the story of young Tara Fowler, desperate to escape life with her alcoholic mother. The story is fast paced and exhilarating. The sequel “My Next Breath”, gives the back story of why her mother became who she is. These stories mirror the unhealed, fractured parent/child relationships that exist today. But with God, there’s always hope.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I wouldn’t call this habit unusual Per Se. I listen to music while I write. Not just any music, I listen to chamber music, movie scores, Bach, and love song (especially when I write a romantic scene).

What authors, or books have influenced you?
My absolute favorite fictional book is “The Poison Wood Bible” by Barbara Kingsolver. It is an exhilarating novel that sends an American missionary family to the African Congo. Fantastic! She may not know this but, Terri Blackstock is my mentor. She’s a wonderful story teller able to weave together suspense, inspiration, and a message of hope. I continue to work hard in perfecting my writing, in order to one day reach her level.

What are you working on now?
Believe it or not, I’m taking a break. I have written three novel in three years. I also teach writing as an after-school enrichment program to 4th and 5th graders. In addition, I hold workshops to assist college-bound students in writing their college entrance essay or scholarship essay.

I have had two offers (from small companies) to turn my book into a film or a play. I’m looking to accomplish this on a large scale with an established company. Therefore, I am weighing my options.

My East coast book tour kicked off in Atlanta, Ga on October 12th. Coming up next, Greensboro, North Carolina then on to Connecticut, and Washington, D.C.

Wish me luck!

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
My best method is to use speaking engagements to promote my books. I am a strong supporter of women pursuing their goals. I have been asked to: emcee women’s events, participate as a panel member, and invited to speak on a severalradio shows. There is no social media that can beat directly connecting with potential readers. I hope to have more opportunities to do so.

Goodreads is the next best thing. Where else can I find millions of avid readers hungry to find the next bestseller? Goodreads is an invaluable resource and one I continue to use not only to find readers but to discover great book to read.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
If you’re in it for the money, stop now. This is not a get-rich quick endeavor. Write for the love of writing and because their is a calling to do so. Also, many writers struggle with where to start. I tell them to start anywhere, the beginning, middle, or end. Also, for those who can’t find the right words, I tell them to record themselves talking. Many times the words will come easier when less restricted.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Hone your craft. This is so true. Although, I became certified in writing many ears ago, things change. I’m always researching on line, visiting the library, and consulting with my mentors. There are many tell-tell signs that scream amateur. Your friends may not notice, but professional agents, and publishers will. Study to show yourself approved.

Also, always use a processional editor. My Achilles heel is comma usage. (okay don’t go back and check) but I often butcher the use of commas. Thank God for a good editor.

What are you reading now?
I am reading two books written by two authors from my Alma mater, Essence best-selling author Norma Jarrett (Love on a Budget) and actor Terrence J. (The Wealth of My Mother’s Wisdom). Aggie Pride!

What’s next for you as a writer?
I am contemplating writing a sequel to my second novel “Walking in His shadow”. Readers say it’s a Christian 007 novel that takes you into the world of espionage. I also have sitting on my dresser a partially completed manuscript for a young adult novel that I’m considering publishing. What do you think?

What is your favorite book of all time?
As mentioned, I love “Poison Wood Bible”. Tim LaHaye’s “Purpose Driven Life” was.. life changing. Terri McMillan revolutionized African American story telling. Sydney Sheldon, although scandalous, kept me reading as a teenager. Maya Angelou and Alice Walker are my inspiration. All have played a pivotal role in my becoming a writer.

Author Websites and Profiles
Terri Whitimre Website
Terri Whitimre Amazon Profile
Terri Whitimre Author Profile on Smashwords

Terri Whitimre’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 Norma L. Jarrett I am the author of Sunday Brunch, The Sunday Brunch Diaries, Sweet Magnolia (Essence Magazine National Book Club Selection), Brunchspiration (non-fiction/inspirational), Christmas Beau and Love on a Budget. I write fiction/romance with a dash of faith. My work has been featured in USA Today, Essence, Ebony, Southern Living, Publisher’s Weekly, Upscale, Times Picayune and other media. I am married and live in Houston, Texas

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
Love on a Budget. I read an article by a guy about dating in tough economic times. Then I thought about the connection and perception of love and finance. Do you build a dream with your mate or is he supposed to come totally packaged? It’s a fun and very real topic.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I usually get downloads of characters in the morning when I’m driving. I always write them down in a journal ASAP (when the care stops moving).

What authors, or books have influenced you?
I don’t have a particular author but I love historical fiction and girlfriend/chicklit books. Do enjoy Emily Giffen, John Grishim, Terri McMillan

What are you working on now?
I’m wrapping up a book (been working on it for several years) called Vineyard Surrender about a mother and daughter connected to a very powerful family. I’m also working on Thanksgiving Beau, the sequel to Christmas Beau (novella). Many others in my journal 🙂

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
Word of mouth, Facebook. But I’m trying new things.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Write from your heart but work on your craft. Stay sincere, authentic and consistent. Always use a professional editor and remember it is a journey that requires persistence and patience.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Write from your heart, edit from your head (Terri McMillan)

What are you reading now?
Who Asked You? Terri McMillan

What’s next for you as a writer?
More writing, writing a screenplay and a lifestyle venture based on my Sunday Brunch Series

What is your favorite book of all time?
Waiting to Exhale because it inspired me to write my first girlfriend book Sunday Brunch!

Author Websites and Profiles
Norma Jarrett Website

Norma Jarrett’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile
Facebook Profile
Twitter Account

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
My name is Matthew Wolf and I’ve just finished my second book in a nine book series called The Ronin Saga.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
The Knife’s Edge is the first of the series of The Ronin Saga, and the second book is TBA! *Sorry, no sneak peaks yet!

The original idea, like a tadpole, was just randomly conjured one day in Oregon on a walk. I’d say the true inspiration was just too much time alone and an obsession with fantasy. Otherwise, the elements like the nine Ronin are without a doubt influenced by Arthurian lore, and Japanese culture, including even the movie the Seven Samurai, among many other things.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
Lots of weird things that would incriminate me. Well, actually, that’s not really true anymore. But I use to light a candle and write until the wick snuffed out in a puddle of wax, all while listening to LOTR in the background, and drinking port. I needed to FEEL the writer in me. Alas, I’m still weird, but now I just sit and write for hours on end.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
Terry Goodkind’s Sword of Truth, the beloved Robert Jordan’s Wheel of Time, Brent Weeks, (Tolkien of course) and much much more.

What are you working on now?
The second book of The Ronin Saga.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I primarily use my own website www.roninsaga.com but I find myself most active on my fan page with over 2500 awesome followers. You can find that here: www.facebook.com/roninsaga

Otherwise, indie promoting is always hard, but you just have to continue to search out what you can, looking for the best ones, but trying everything. In the end, time is always an issue, but the more you put in, the more you get back.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Probably a lot of what I just said; however, the most important thing that everyone always hears is this: write.

Moreover there’s usually a reason when you hear an overwhelming choir of voices shouting the same thing, and that reason is two fold. Firstly, the more you write, the better you write. What sells books is quality of writing nine times out of ten. Secondly, the more you have out there, the more you can establish yourself. On my first book, selling a thousand books in the first few months was a staggering surprise. But imagine two books…. three books… four? And if they get better with each progressive novel? Imagine now it’s a series with the writing not only progressing, but the story and the characters themselves. Well, then you have something amazing.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Never stop writing! And believe in yourself because that’s the only person that matters. Imagine 80% supporters, 15% naysayers, and a few trolls. But then there’s that 1 or 2 people who believe in you when no one else does, or to a greater extent, they see what YOU see. Simply put, hold on to those people for they will help, but only you can make your dream become a reality.

What are you reading now?
I need to read more! I finished the Wheel of Time series a few months ago and was a happy if interesting ending to a great series that bolstered my youth.

What’s next for you as a writer?
More books! Finishing the Ronin Saga series!

What is your favorite book of all time?
The Wizard’s First Rule. It inspired me to read and write and follow my passion.

Author Websites and Profiles
Matthew Wolf Website
Matthew Wolf Amazon Profile
Matthew Wolf Author Profile on Smashwords

Matthew Wolf’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile
Facebook Profile
Twitter Account

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I have written a lot of books and stories over my life, as I’ve been writing since I was a little girl. I lived in my head and in the books my mother encouraged me to read. I was the kid who saw fairies in the garden and whatnot. My passion for reading and writing hasn’t died out at all as I’ve gotten older, so it was with a lot of joy that I finally published my first novel a little over a month ago. Working a part-time job allows me to continue to keep up with my writing and my husband has been a lot of help in the “bouncing ideas” department. He’s also more technical than I am, so when I need to work out the logistics of how to break into a steam trunk with a tire iron, he’s right there with his advice! But please don’t think that writing is all I do. I work part time at a library, where I get to see what’s coming out and what people are asking about. (It also keeps me on my toes in regards to my research skills.) We also own two dogs who are characters in themselves.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
CLARA has been something of a work in progress for years. I think I’ve rewritten the basic idea of the story a few times, just trying to get to the heart of what I wanted to say. The inspiration came from a longing in my heart. I have always been a curious person, trying to find my way in the world, and I wanted to write a story about a young woman who finds herself forced into the unknown and on a quest for the truth. In a lot of ways, I’ve felt like I’ve had to do that in my life, in one way or another, and I felt the need to convey it in a novel. It took me a while to realize that was what I was trying to do, but when I did, the story almost wrote itself.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
Not really. When I’m being really very “serious” in writing (the my-butt-is-staying-in-this-chair-and-we’re-not-leaving-this-screen-until-x-number-of-words-are-written serious), I’ll make a pot of tea. I love tea. There’s something soothing and methodical in the process of making it, because I have a particular way of doing it. As I go through the motions, I feel like I’m ordering my thoughts and transitioning from one realm to another, if that makes any sense.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
Robin McKinley is a very big influence, as is Anne McCaffrey. Anne McCaffrey’s Dragonriders of Pern trilogy really set me on fire when it came to structuring a strong female character. McKinley has inspired the way I describe magic and people’s interactions with it. Charles de Lint, Dean Koontz, and Madeleine L’Engle are other influences as well.

What are you working on now?
I’ve been trying to work on the sequel to CLARA but I think the idea needs to stew for a little longer. Right now, I’m working on a novel tentatively called THE WILLOWS OF FATE. I don’t want to say too much about it but it’s inspired by a daydream I had in high school of a girl who could see things other people couldn’t.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I use twitter a lot (my username is @suzannalin) but I also use my own website (suzannalinton.wordpress.com). I’ve also been using Goodreads some.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Turn off the Internet! It can be a huge distraction. Also, you’ll always second guess yourself. Part of being a writer is knowing when to say, “Okay. It’s time to back away from this. It’s finished.”

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Turn off the Internet (ha ha). I think it was Neil Gaiman who said that, I’m not sure. I don’t always do it, but when I need to buckle down and I know I won’t need to research anything really quickly, I’ll turn off the Internet or go write longhand in a notebook.

What are you reading now?
I’m dividing my attention between THE NIGHT CIRCUS by Erin Morgenstern and a nonfiction book on the Eucharist by Brant.

What’s next for you as a writer?
Right now, I’m just focused on working on my novel. I’m thinking about participating in Nanowrimo (National Novel Writing Month) but I’m not sure yet. I’m also working on getting my own independent website started.

What is your favorite book of all time?
I don’t have just one. There’s CHALICE and SUNSHINE by Robin McKinley and DRAGONFLIGHT by Anne McCaffrey. And I’m sure there are others I really love that aren’t coming to mind.

Author Websites and Profiles
Suzanna J Linton Website
Suzanna J Linton Author Profile on Smashwords

Suzanna J Linton’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile
Facebook Profile
Twitter Account

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
Hi’ I started writing when I was 12. Wrote a poem to deal w/ the death of a baby& her family I was close to. I have been writing ever since and I turned 60 on 9/11! I also am an actor/director /Jill of all trades and have been faithful to this path for all my life. I’ve done a bunch of readings over the years’, published a few poems ,did some freelance writing,explored other genres of writing and decided at the beginning of 2012 to compile my writing. I researched for several years which self publishing site to go with and chose Create space. I also had enough money to hire an illustrator and editor.This is my first book.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
My book is entitled Limn the Mask. It is a collection of 3 decades of poems and some prose. It was just time to do it. I had a financial crisis, I had to move and hauling 30 years worth of notebooks was getting to be cumbersome. Plus, during readings shuffling through pages of notebook paper was distracting. I felt I had to fulfill something deep in myself. A spiritual contract of sorts.

The title of the book came to me unexpectedly in a dream in December 2012. I had about 200 titles. I explain more about the title in the front of the book.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
Always wrote from midnight til about 3 a.m. Nice and quiet and still at that time. I also go near a local river sometimes in the afternoons. Neither are really unusual habits.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
The Beat Poets, Adrienne Rich, Denise Levertov, Galway Kinnell, Toni Morrison,Alice Walker,there are so many Gerald Stern,Whitman, Cora Brooks, Barbara Reisner, Etheridge Knight, Mark Dotu, Natalie Goldberg, tons of musicians and bands.

What are you working on now?
Marketing the book, doing readings. Had a book launch/birthday party in the beginning of September. Lots of food,writers, musicians, dancing. It was a blast. I am working on a project w/a visual artist for a show called Duets.. Artist/writer or actor, dancer, musicians team up & work off of a piece by the visual artist. It’s a stretch for me cause I always wrote alone and in very unpeopled environments. I also have a ton of poems to sort through for a second book, a screenplay that was next in line to be worked on again. The start of a children’s story,and I am wanting to do some acting in the very near future.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I have a personal FB page, a FB page for Limn the Mask. I check into Good reads, and Createspaces’s communitypage. Twitter. Word of mouth. And eventually I will start knocking on doors for readings, contacting newspapers. I did an interview on WDIY.org

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Listen to your deepest self. Open yourself to life and all forms of art. Love the writing as a lover. But as the writer Alice Walker once said don’t be a slave to it. Discover, explore,hone.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Write the Self here on paper’s from a dream I had years ago. I would ask my dream self for an answer to what my purpose in life was. I woke up many months later w/that statement in my head!

What are you reading now?
Lots of online articles about politics, economy. Some about music, theater.

What’s next for you as a writer?
I laid that out in the above question.

What is your favorite book of all time?
C’mon! That’s impossible to answer.Dream of a Common Language-Adrienne Rich, In My Mother’s House-Collette, All of Kurt Vonnegut, Herman Hesse’, Carl Jung, I Love Myself When I’m Smiling &When I’m Looking Mean and Impressive-Alice Walker

Author Websites and Profiles
Danielle Notaro Amazon Profile

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
Hi, this is David Tish, and today I am stepping out of my comfort zone – I usually am not much of a social creature. But I was told I had to learn to be one if I wanted to sell very many of my books. Well, I do want to sell very many of my books, so here I am dipping my toe into the social waters.

Maybe I should start by revealing what I consider an odd fact about me: I waited until I was 74 years old before I started writing children’s books.

What took me so long?

Well, I’ve been busy. After I retired in 2007 following a 45-year career as a newspaper reporter and editor, my wife, Mary, and I left Seattle and moved to an acreage near Tieton, a tiny town in south-central Washington state.

Our new place had room for an agility course to exercise our four dogs, room for a few chickens, and room for a large garden.

And, most important, it had plenty of quiet time to devote to writing.

I loved being a newspaper reporter. I loved the people I worked with. Newspaper people are smart, skeptical, full of good humor and exceedingly dedicated to their profession. And most of all, I loved – and still love – to write.

So when retirement came along, I looked for a new outlet for my passion. As a father of four boys and the grandfather of nine, I finally decided that children’s books might fit the bill.

Actually, the paragraph above might be a bit misleading. The fact that I have four sons and nine grandchildren really had little to nothing to do with my decision to write children’s books.

My own childhood had everything to do with it.

I don’t need to tell you that it is impossible for writers to completely separate their own lives from what they write. To a greater or lesser degree, all writing is autobiographical.

Take Madame Charmaine, my latest book, for example. (At this writing, Oct. 19, 2013, Madame Charmaine has been on the market for exactly one day. I know, I know, I hear you all shouting your congratulations. I thank you for that.)

Madame Charmaine is set in small-town Nebraska. I was born and grew up in a small town in Nebraska. The four main characters in the book, three boys and a girl, are composites of kids I grew up with. And, I confess, there is a bit of the young David Tish in all of those characters.

All of the townspeople in the book also are based on people I knew back then, in the 1940s and ’50s.

Moreover, the description of the Nebraska countryside in Madame Charmaine is real, as is the description of day-to-day life in rural Nebraska all those decades ago. The pancake-eating contest, for example, which is told in what I hope you will find to be hilarious detail in the book, actually took place. So did the building of the raft that the three boys took out on the Missouri River.

Madame Charmaine is part one of my two-part Sheldon Beasley Series. The second book in the series is Auntie Maim, Revenge of the Homophones.

Auntie Maim is set in the same town as Madame Charmaine and features the same four main characters a year later. The book will be released before the end of the year.

Madame Charmaine is important to me for a couple of reasons beyond the fact that it is my second children’s book.

First, the characters in the book are not wizards or zombies, space aliens or superheroes, magicians or maniacs, or mutants living in some bizarre futuristic world. They are “real” believable people living “real” believable lives that you would recognize and be comfortable with.

But in Madame Charmaine, “real” and “believable” do not equate with boring. Even adults will enjoy this book.

Madame Charmaine chronicles the adventure one summer of four close friends, three boys and a girl, all 12 years old, who discover a locked “treasure chest” half buried in the sandy shore of the Missouri River following a spring flood. As they play detective and try to find out who buried the chest and what its mysterious content means, they soon find out that they are playing a dangerous game and are nearly buried alive in a grave of their own digging.

Second, Madame Charmaine proves what I have known all along – that one’s age does not necessarily have much of anything to do with what one can accomplish. All you need is the right attitude and the willingness to let your imagination be your guide.

But if you are looking for boring, I have some of that too. The following is David Tish boilerplate:

After I graduated from the University of Missouri in 1965 with a Bachelor of Journalism degree, I went to work as a reporter for the Lincoln, Neb., Journal. About a year later, the Omaha World-Herald offered me a job. I accepted and worked at the World-Herald until 1971, when I made an abrupt, albeit brief, career change and moved to Washington, D.C., and went to work for a U.S. senator.

I spent two-and-a-half interesting years in the nation’s capital, but in the end I missed writing so much that I left and went back to The World-Herald. Then, two years after that I got a job as a reporter with The News-Review in Roseburg, Oregon. I stayed at The News-Review until 1990, ultimately becoming managing editor.

On Halloween night of 1990, my EFL (Editor For Life), Mary Reynolds and I climbed into a rental truck and drove to Seattle, where we lived for the next 17 years. During that time we both worked for newspapers in the Seattle area. We also were married in 2003. And I spent the final five years of my career as a copy editor at the Seattle Post-Intelligencer.

Let’s see, what else …

Well, I love music of all kinds. From Hoyt Axton to Beethoven. I love Steve Martin and Louis CK. I love Rachel Maddow. I love books, all kinds of books. (I never met a major Russian novel I didn’t like, and I’ve read almost all of them.)

Oh, yes, other books I have written. My first children’s book was Captain Cloud and the Dark Invader. It’s all about clouds, rain, thunder and lightning. The target is kids age 4 to 7 or 8.

I wrote a play called Shakespeare Is Dead! that I like a lot. And I wrote a book called Silence, Please! The Little Book of Tinnitus. All of these books can be found on Amazon.

OK, that’s about it. I know I’m going to learn a lot from you folks. So have at it – I’m all ears!

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
Madame Charmaine. My own childhood inspired it. I talked about it in some length above.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
Define “unusual.” 🙂

Sometimes I imagine I am channeling Chekhov. That would be a dream come true if it should ever happen.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
Chekhov. Above all, Chekhov. Then Tolstoy, Dostoyevsky, Gogol. The list goes on. I love the Russians.

What are you working on now?
A romance novel tentatively titled The Mention of Her Name. It revisits the four main characters in The Sheldon Beasley Series 10 years after their graduation from high school. The book is not technically a part of the series, but I loved those characters so much I couldn’t resist catching up to them as adults.

I’m also researching a book about a foster child. So I’m reading books on that subject and wiping away the tears at the same time.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
Check back with me in six months.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
I am so new to this business I wouldn’t dare offer any advice. Maybe some day.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Know thyself. — Ancient Greek aphorism

What are you reading now?
Growing Up in the Care of Strangers, by Waln Brown and John Seita

Foster Parenting: A Personal Journey Through a Nightmarish System

Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl, by Linda Brent

What’s next for you as a writer?
See above.

What is your favorite book of all time?
OMG, what a question. I’ll have to think about that and get back to you.

I will say that Generation of Vipers by Philip Wylie had a profound effect on me. It’s kind of a second-rate book, but I read it as a teenager, and it stripped away the comfort and safety one has as a child and gave me a pre-introduction to the adult world.

Author Websites and Profiles
David Tish Website

David Tish’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile
Twitter Account

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
Following a fulfilling twenty-five year career as a nurse, a change in profession has finally allowed me time to write in my favourite genre ~ historical romance. I am an Indie author and Old Sins, Long Shadows is my debut novel.

I was born in Cornwall, England and, like most Cornish people, I’m very proud to be from the celtic county. I am married with two children who are wiser than me, better looking than me and taller than me.

My first published work was the short poem called Taken which was shortlisted to represent and show case the talents of the south west of England. It was chosen for publication as one of a collection of poems from various poets for the book Bright Voices published by United Press Ltd in 2003.

There was a ten year hiatus in my writing as my family and nursing career took priority but now I’m back and I look forward to this new adventure.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
Old Sins Long Shadows is a Victorian romance, with grit, set in Cornwall, England.

I can trace my Cornish roots as far back as the 18th century. This background and heritage has given me an understanding, knowledge and love of Cornish rural life which is the inspiration for my writing, as are the many historical buildings, beautiful countryside and dramatic coastline that form the Celtic county.

The story has always been in my head but the beautiful Lanhydrock House, daunting Bodmin Gaol and Bodmin Shire Hall court house, which are all open to the public and in Cornwall, were very inspriational and had to be have major roles in my story.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I always have a plan of the story, and I find writing easier if I walk my dogs first. As I walk I think about the next part of the story and how I will write it. I dont think its unusual, although I try to write a little every day, even if its only a few sentances. I find that if I leave a break of several weeks, it can stop the flow and it makes it harder to start again.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
Winston Graham’s Poldark series is, and will always be, my favourite author and set of books. Partly because they are set in Cornwall, but mostly because they are just great stories. They have adventure, love, hate and history with memorable characters. They have inspired television series, remakes fo television series and appreciation societies. Even a mine in Cornwall has been named after them. That is success.

What are you working on now?
I am writing my second romance about a man who has lost his memory and therefore cannot remember his past. When you don’t know who you are, it is very difficult to build a future. Perhaps you are a criminal and a wanted man or perhaps you are married? We take our memory for granted but imagine if you lost it. Suddenly you would have no anchor or identity, as if suspended in time. In my story a man finds himself in this situation, with a woman who has secrets of her own. I’m only on chapter six but, as always, I’m enjoying the process of writing it.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I have not discovered it yet! I am on a steep learning curve and as Old Sins, Long Shadows is my first novel, I dont have a fan base from previous novels to support me.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
If you have written a good story and believe in it, don’t forget to remind yourself that it is a good story during the low times.

The majority of authors will have received rejection letters from agents or publishers. Listen to constructive criticism.

Edit on paper, edit on paper and then edit on paper again. You will be amazed at how many typo errors you will miss on the laptop.

When you book is in print, you are only mid-way through the journey.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Edit on paper and not on the laptop. This valuable advise was given to me by an agent.

What are you reading now?
I’m reading a Dilly Court novel. She writes in the Victorian era too, although I’m rather slow. I find it difficult to read a book when I’m writing one.

What’s next for you as a writer?
I would like to make it a full time career and have many books to my name. Old Sins, Long Shadows is my first novel and I have been very happy with the reviews and ratings so far.

I am an Indie author. I have great respect for Indie authors, many are creative writers who write great books and have followed their dreams. I am proud to be an Indie author, however I would like to have a major publishing house approach me one day.

What is your favorite book of all time?
I don’t have one however the most influential is Charlotte’s Web by E.B.White. When I was about eight I borrowed it from the school library. It was the first book I read and I had a eureka moment. I still remember the moment clearly, the amazing feeling to discover that a book could take me to other places, times and worlds. From that day on I have been an avid reader. One book changed my life – it wasn’t a classic or a biography or a self-help book. It was a book about a spider and a pig!

Author Websites and Profiles
B.D. Hawkey Website
B.D. Hawkey Amazon Profile

B.D. Hawkey’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile
Facebook Profile
Twitter Account

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I am an adult with an inner child that has always had a passion for science fiction. I love to watch the creations people produce and to see how limits are stretched. As child, I was considered not the norm in my household because of my imagination and how I perceived things. I was always different. Even though I’m a nurse and that is fulfilling to a degree, I always felt I needed more. I have written stories in the past but decided now was the time to pursue a career in writing. I recently published my first book, Connor, in October 2013.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
Connor is the name of my recently published book. Growing up there wasn’t that much cultural diversity on shows, in books or in movies. I always wanted to see a superhero that looked like me. Unfortunately, I still don’t see that much diversity and was inspired to write a science fiction story that contained just that.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I don’t know if this is considered an unusual habit but, while writing, I usually have a science fiction show or movie playing on the television but keep the volume on low.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
Authors such as Octavia Butler, James Patterson, Gwen Hunter, and Kelley Armstrong have influenced me to take a chance. They cover several different genres but I consider each to be a superb writer. I feel there is an audience out there for everybody.

What are you working on now?
I am working on the second book under the Connor series.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I am in the beginning stages of promoting my book but so far I feel goodreads has given me great insights and ideas.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
I suggest staying organized when it comes to promoting, don’t expect a lot so soon, quickly grow thick skin and keep writing if that is really what you want to do.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
I have heard everyone will get more of their share of bad reviews so quickly grow thick skin.

What are you reading now?
I am presently reading, ‘Lust, Money, & Murder’ by Mike Wells.

What’s next for you as a writer?
I will continue to promote my first book as I delve into writing my second book. I plan on having the second book finished my by next summer 2014.

What is your favorite book of all time?
My favorite book is ‘Betrayal’ by Gwen Hunter. I can appreciate the struggles the main character has to endure to survive but overcomes them in the end.

Author Websites and Profiles
Dormaine G Website
Dormaine G Amazon Profile

Dormaine G’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile
Facebook Profile
Twitter Account

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I’ve written about ten – in my head anyway! In reality, the number of actual published books available to read is currently just the one, my sci-fi and horror anthology “Memes of Loss and Devotion”. A science fiction novel, “The Fomalhaut Plague” will follow early next year (2014), with my second novel “glorious”, a futuristic Gothic horror story, to be released after that.

I’ve been writing since I was a child. Unfortunately, none of these early ‘novels’ have survived. I wrote short stories throughout my teens, before writing the first draft of “The Fomalhaut Plague” in the summer after I graduated from University. In 1999 my motion picture screenplay “glorious” was long short-listed in the Orange / Pathé screen writing competition.

Since the 1990’s I’ve worked in IT. I’m a Chartered Information Technology Professional, a Chartered Member of the British Computer Society and an Incorporated Engineer. I currently work as a Project Manager on ‘Big Data’ insight initiatives.

As you might have guessed I’m a British writer. I live in Hertfordshire with my wife and daughter, although I was raised in the heart of Robin Hood country (Nottinghamshire), before moving to Sheffield to read Computer Science at university. I then lived in London for about a decade.

I have an interest in popular physics, molecular biology, astro physics, technology and computing, although I know nothing more about any of them then being able to type the correct search terms into Google.

All I have ever wanted to do is entertain and thrill with my writing.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
My latest book is the sci-fi and horror anthology “Memes of Loss and Devotion”. It’s a collection of the best of my short stories written between 1992 and the summer of 2013, although they have all been heavily updated and improved.

As I worked on the third, and hopefully last, major revision of my novel “The Fomalhaut Plague”, I became impatient to release material, and I just had these stories sitting on my laptop hard drive doing nothing. So I picked out the best of them, gave them a major ‘spit and polish’ and packaged them up into this book.

Actually, I picked the ones that best fitted the overall themes of the collection, namely paranoia, loss, solitude and hopelessly misplaced devotion to lost causes. But don’t worry, it’s not all depressing doom and gloom, there are laughs in there too!

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I’m incredibly slow and meticulous. I go back over my writing again and again, agonising over each word. I also constantly think of new things to add, to the point where I can never consider something finished.

I really envy writers who can bash out loads of text really quickly without the need to revise and edit. Writing is a long, slow, almost painful process for me. I’m also a night owl and do my best writing late at night when everyone else is in bed and the house is quiet.

I also tend to keep spread sheets of proposed and actual chapter lengths and use these to manage pace, although that doesn’t mean that my writing is formalized and robotic. Far from it, it just means that I’m acutely aware that I have to build a sense of momentum and urgency.

One last thing, I tend to work on multiple projects at once, flitting between them and writing whatever feels the most urgent at the time. Literally whatever I have to get out of my head the most urgently.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
There are far too many to mention! I suppose the ones that spring to mind are Stephen Baxter, Philip K Dick, Brett Easton Ellis, J. G. Ballard, Kim Stanley Robinson and of course Arthur C. Clarke.

There was a time when I read nothing but Stephen Baxter! I’m heavily influenced by his ultra-realistic mastery of physics and how everyone feels like real science, even the fiction.

I suppose that all of the paranoia and character uncertainty in my writing is the influence of PKD. I would also love to be proved as prophetic as he was.

American Psycho is probably my favourite book of all time, and yet you can never be sure if the events in it have actually happened. You can certainly see Ellis’ influence of painstakingly setting up a reality then systematically dismantling it in my own work.

Ballard is more of an influence for his quotes and interviews then his actual books, although I love ‘Crash’ because in a strange way it foresaw the sexualisation of the internet, and the fetish of technology, at a time before the internet could have possibly been imagined. He predicted human / technology sexual entanglement, he just couldn’t predict the form of that technology, and automobiles where a pretty safe bet. I certainly extrapolate the path of this union in my writing.

Kim Stanley Robinson, especially in his Mars series, taught me the discipline of almost obsessive world building. I cannot tell you how much I hope those books come true. I channel some of that spirit in all of my books.

Clarke taught me that logic can be fun in his ‘Robot’ series. In “2001” and its sequels, he also showed that science fiction can be simultaneously awe inspiring and also grounded in inconvenient reality at the same time.

I’m sure that I’ve not mention a plethora of influences. May be I should keep a list…

What are you working on now?
You mean apart from the endless promotion of my book “Memes of Loss and Devotion”?

I’m working on my first science fiction novel “The Fomalhaut Plague”. This is the third, and last, major revision of it. It’s the story of mankind’s genocide of an alien race that threatened to destroy us, and the nature of how we destroyed them, and the repercussions of that act. I promise that it’s nothing like you imagine from the title.

It’s the first book of a series of at least three, but more than that it’s also the setting for all of my other novels for some time to come. I’m going to further explore the universe it sets up. I’m working on a whole series of parallel novels set in the past and future of this universe.

I wrote the first draft in the summer of 1996, after I graduated from University, in just six short weeks while I looked for a job. I tried to use it to find an agent or a publisher before I gave up and moved onto screenplay writing instead. I got lots of good feedback but no takers. I reworked the book into an action adventure script but failed to sell it. In the mid to late 2000’s I had another crack at it, but this amounted to little more than changing the tense. I couldn’t let it go. I kept thinking that I had a complete eBook in waiting, just sitting dormant on my hard disk, and all I had to do was read it through and check for errors. Or so I thought.

I finally revisited it in October 2012. I thought it just needed a quick polish, but instead I found structural problems, a sci-fi novel with dated or none existent technology, unclear themes and awful characters names. So I started correcting it in my spare time. I massively revised the plot, moving chunks of it around and added new technology and layers. I’ve now been working on it for over a year!

It’s currently all over the place, lying in pieces like a dismantled engine. Some parts are revised and up to date while others date back to the original 1996 draft and I still have tonnes of new scenes to write or old ones to revise. Anyone, I’ll get it released just as soon as I can.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
Apart from awesomegang.com?

You have to use lots and lots of different sites, and methods, including social networking. I don’t think that I’m any great expert as I’m still striving to connect with my audience. The greatest single website and weapon in your armour is still Amazon and the Kindle Direct Publishing free days, even though the influence and impact of free days diminished greatly when Amazon changed how they counted toward the rankings.

Goodreads is also an important one.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Don’t give up! Keep writing and also keep reading. You have to read in order to have the basic tools to write. Also, be disciplined and single minded. Don’t let anyone diminish your self belief or stand in your way. Remember, your friends and family don’t know you as a writer, and getting them to believe in you is the first suspension of disbelief you have to overcome.

But mainly I think it’s a case of plot, plot, plot, followed by write, write, write followed by revise, revise, revise.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Jeremy Brock, writer of the Judy Dench film “Her Majesty Mrs Brown”, once told me that there’s no substitute for doing your research and that it can’t be short cut. I’d agree with that.

I also once heard that if you have enough good ideas for three or four great novels, then what you probably have is actually enough ideas for one good one. That has stayed with me.

What are you reading now?
Somehow I always manage to be reading multiple things at once. Right now I’m reading The Singularity is Near by Ray Kurzweil, The Last Man on Earth Club by Paul R Hardy and 2312 by Kim Stanley Robinson. There’s also a dusty copy of Flood by Stephen Baxter next to my bed with a bookmark in it.

The Last Man on Earth Club by Paul R Hardy is a great read and is well worth £2.49 of anyone’s money.

What’s next for you as a writer?
The first task is it to finish “The Fomalhaut Plague”. Then the next four or five books are all plotted out and just waiting to be written. In fact, some of them are already partially written.

After “The Fomalhaut Plague” is my highly symbolic, futuristic, Gothic horror story “glorious”. This will be a really big book for me and I have high hopes for it. The script it is based on is my best work to date and I’m hoping that the novelization will be even better.

Then there’s a novel set slightly further in the future in the same universe as “Fomalhaut” called “Ratslips”. I already have quite a lot of this as it was the first novel I attempted in the late 80’s / early 90’s. I was supposed to be writing it with a friend. I wrote my chapters and but he never got around to delivering his. I’m adding a couple of new elements to update it and incorporate it into the “Fomalhaut” universe.

Then I want to work on a “Fomalhaut” prequel called “World War A” about the near fatal war with the aliens. It will be set only slightly into our future on Earth and the cataclysmic war with the “Fomalhaut” aliens will be almost incidental to the plot, after all, we already know who wins! It will also employ a slightly unusual narrative device.

Then it’s “The Fomalhaut Plague” sequel proper. Although, I might write it sooner subject to demand, as “The Fomalhaut Plague” ends on something of a cliff-hanger, although the main questions of the novel are resolved. This book will raise the series to a whole new level.

After that I might write a First World War naval drama that I’ve been dying to write for years. I can’t say too much about it as I don’t want anyone to beat me to this real life story!

You can find excerpts of most of the above on my website. As you can see I’m going to be busy for a long time to come!

What is your favorite book of all time?
Normally I tell people it is American Psycho by Brett Easton Ellis, which I do love, but I am also very, very fond of Titan by Stephen Baxter and World War Z by Max Brooks.

My guilty pleasures are Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte, The Outsider by Albert Camus and 1984 by George Orwell.

Author Websites and Profiles
Darren White Website
Darren White Amazon Profile

Darren White’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile
Facebook Profile
Twitter Account

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I’ve been writing for twenty plus years and self-publishing for little over a year. I’ve written three books, Reprobate, Peccadillo, and Rogue, and three short stories, Locked Room, Microchip Murder, and Fundamental Error, and I’m working on the fourth novel, Ghosting. All novels and stories are part of my Amsterdam Assassin Series.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
Rogue, which will be published in November, is the third novel in the Amsterdam Assassin Series. The books follow female freelance assassin and corporate troubleshooter Katla Sieltjes and her blind jazz musician boyfriend Bram Merleyn. The first novel, Reprobate, is about their meeting and how the changes in Katla’s personal life influence her professional life. In the second novel, Peccadillo, Katla’s legitimate business, a shipping company, faces a hostile takeover by a Chinese gang who have no idea the majority shareholder is a freelance assassin. In the third novel, Rogue, Katla comes under scrutiny of three Intelligence agencies and the Dutch police when she’s involved in a murder at Schiphol Airport. Rogue is a lovable villain, or a person who crossed all boundaries and is ‘off the reservation’, no longer allied with the community they once belonged too. And there are several rogues in this novel.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I don’t know if it’s unusual, but I can write pretty much everywhere. I write my raw material on an iPad with a bluetooth keyboard that I carry around with me. I often write in playgrounds where I watch my kids while I write about murder and mayhem.

I used to work as a security officer, and wrote during nightshifts, so I learned how to fill wasted hours with constructive creative output. I went on a three week motorcycle trip recently, where I brought my trusted iPad and wrote during the hot hours in the afternoon. When I came home I had written 27,500 words…

What authors, or books have influenced you?
I’ve been reading since I was four, and I have read so many books… I started writing because the stories I wanted to read weren’t available, so I wrote them myself. As to authors I like stories by Philip K. Dick, Iain (M.) Banks, Vachss, Wiltse, Jim Thompson, Pirsig, Chuck Palahniuk, and Philip Jose Farmer, among many many others.

What are you working on now?
I’m working on Ghosting, the fourth Katla novel in the Amsterdam Assassin Series. After the problems in Rogue, Katla is going on a sabbatical, if only to assuage her boyfriend that she’s not suffering from a form of occupational psychosis where killing is just one of the options. Meanwhile, her friends get into trouble, needing Katla’s help while she is trying not to kill anyone. Plus she’s still under scrutiny of the DEA, who think she might have killed one of their undercover agents.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I maintain an online presence by answering questions on quora.com and comment on other people’s blogs. Plus I write articles for my own blog, where I write about Amsterdam or anything connected to the Amsterdam Assassin Series.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
I’d suggest that authors don’t try to write a book when they’re writing the first rough draft of their manuscript. I see that many writers are concerned opening chapters and chapter length, etcetera. However, once you finished the rough draft and start editing, you might find that you will change the order of the chapters. Also, when you’ve written the whole book, you can imagine what kind of opening chapter would be best suited. So, create the whole draft first before you try to shape it up to a manuscript that can be read by beta-readers for feedback.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Don’t write and edit at the same time, write first, edit later.

What are you reading now?
I’m reading the unpublished novel of a fellow author to provide him with feedback before he publishes.

What’s next for you as a writer?
I’m constantly trying to improve on the craft and gathering ideas for the current work in progress, Ghosting, and more short stories to fill the gap between the publication of Rogue and Ghosting.

What is your favorite book of all time?
I have several favorite books, it’s hard to make a choice. If I would have to choice in hardboiled noir, I like ‘The Killer Inside Me’ by Jim Thompson. If it’s mixed genres, it would be ‘Falling Angel’ by William Hjortsberg for the mix of detective and paranormal. I like ‘Darker Than You Think’ by Jack Williamson for providing a reason for the duality of man by introducing the Homo Lycanthropus. I like ‘The Wind in the Willows’ by Kenneth Grahame for showing that a book doesn’t need violent action to engage a reader. I like ‘Fight Club’ by Chuck Palahniuk for its unreliable narrator. And so on.

Author Websites and Profiles
Martyn V. Halm Website
Martyn V. Halm Amazon Profile

Martyn V. Halm’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile
Facebook Profile
Twitter Account

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I have a passion to encourage, inspire and empower people to live a winning life, reach their full potential, overcome barriers, heal from their past and develop a lifestyle of true joy and purpose. I am the co-founder of NewDayCounseling.org, www.Christian-Kindle-Books.com, Facebook.com/WordsOfInspiration and the Be Your Best Blog (newdaycounselingcenter.blogspot.com)

I have written 15 books so far and countless articles, newsletters, and songs.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
My latest book is 21 Power Habits for a Winning Life (Volumes 1 and Volume 2). I strongly believe in the power of habits. Our everyday lives are made up of all kinds of habits in our thinking and behavior. If we choose to end some bad habits and develop good habits, our lives can change dramatically. Good habits (or power habits) lead to a life filled with true joy, success, and purpose. This truth has changed my life and I wrote this book to inspire others. The book contains 21 power habits that I believe will empower the reader to have a winning perspective and attitude in all areas of their life. Each chapter discusses a power habit with empowering affirmations and words of wisdom to help them understand and apply the principles to their everyday life.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
Whenever I feel stuck and need to get refocused, I practice this habit that always works: I take a time out and play a song on my guitar. It’s like a reboot, and I can start fresh again.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
I am inspired by authors and people who are motivating and positive such as Og Mandino, Zig Ziglar, John Maxwell, Joel Osteen, and many more. I am influenced by prayer warriors and overcomers such as Stormie Omartian and Sarah Young. Authors who are deep thinkers and experts influence me such as Watchman Nee, Charles Stanley, C.S. Lewis, Tim Clinton. Books on psychology and human behavior have a major influence on me as well. I read a great deal about mental health issues. I spend most of my reading time in the Bible. It is inspiring, motivating, and challenging; it is filled with prayer, stories of overcoming, encouragement, and victory. It contains expert advice and insight into human behavior and life!

What are you working on now?
Presently, I am working on several books. One of them is a book on the 10 biggest lies about God and the truth about who He is according to the Bible. Another book I’m working on is a study guide for my best-selling book, In Christ, I am…

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
My books are all promoted at www.Christian-Kindle-Books.com

Do you have any advice for new authors?
I have a couple of things I would suggest to new authors. First, be yourself. Write what comes from your heart. Don’t worry about pleasing, impressing or offending anyone. That hinders your flow of creativity. Be real. Readers get to know you – how you think, what you feel – by how you express yourself in writing. Let them get to know the real you. Another thing I would advise new authors to do is write something every day. Make writing a daily habit and it will become easier. Your skills will improve, and you will become more creative and flow with new ideas.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
The best advice I have ever heard is Jesus’ advice for happiness and wisdom. He said to listen to His words and put them into practice. I try to heed His advice every day as I practice good habits in thinking, behaving, relating and being.

What are you reading now?
Presently, I am reading the Book of Proverbs and the Gospel of Luke along with various research papers and articles about psychological issues.

What’s next for you as a writer?
I plan to continue writing – books, articles, blog posts and newsletters.

What is your favorite book of all time?
That’s easy! The Living Word of God, The Holy Bible is my favorite book of all time!

Author Websites and Profiles
Krystal Kuehn Website
Krystal Kuehn Amazon Profile

Krystal Kuehn’s Social Media Links
Facebook Profile
Twitter Account

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
At this point I would rather consider myself a pseudonym rather than an actual author since I’m still trying to acquire an agent to represent my books that are currently interweaving with the fiber optics in my Gator flash drive rather than with the grand traditional published authors of Commercial, Women’s, Men’s, YA, New Adult, and the occasional Sci-Fi genres.

Aside from being (professionally) born at the turn of the “digital age”, I currently reside somewhere in Arizona with my fiancé, my two teens, and a yard full of tiny dogs.

HUSH, LAST BITE! and ROMEO are just three from a dozen books (I have penned in the last six years) published thus far.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
First, my inspiration when writing any novel usually stems from either a thought or a sentence I had written down on a piece of paper but in this case, now with my latest novel, ROMEO, this inspiration derives from the actual play, Romeo+Juliet. Now while many readers might consider ROMEO to be a complete “knock-off” (because ROMEO is written in the same fashion as Shakespeare’s play, Romeo+Juliet) I consider it to be “one-of-its kind” because the MS format breaks, as well, challenges the barrier of traditionally formatted novels. Aside from format, ROMEO is a modern-day Romeo+Juliet love story with a paranormal twist which I believe will not only entertain the reader but will leave a yearning to read more books written in the style of ROMEO.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I like to bite on ice cubes when I write.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
Because I write in various genres, anyone from Cormac McCarthy to S.E. Hinton to Jackie Collins influence me.

Now a special note on Jackie Collins. . .I just so happen to own her first print edition novel, The World Is Full Of Married Men which I bought in a thrift store for a mere .65 cents back in the ’90’s. And to this day, her book continues to sit proudly on my shelf as I have aspirations of her personally signing it for me one day!

What are you working on now?
I’m currently revising my first self-published novel, HUSH.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
Since I am relatively new to the age of “digital marketing”, I am sorry to report that I haven’t quite mastered that aspect as of yet. But for the meantime, my site and other subsidiary sites (Amazon, About.ME, CreateSpace, Etsy) is where I’m currently promoting and selling my books.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
YES!

Stay positive. Stay focused. Stay determined. And occasionally walk away from your laptop/pc and do other things that don’t pertain to writing. I find this method best enhances your writing and your skills and will make you that much more of a successful writer.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
It’s actually from a quote by Stephen King:

“If you don’t have the time to read then you don’t have the time to write.”

What are you reading now?
“The Great Gatsby”, “The GodFather”, and “The Lincoln Lawyer”.

What’s next for you as a writer?
To write more!

AND to acquire an agent.

What is your favorite book of all time?
Actually I have two:

No Country For Old Men by Cormac McCarthy

and

Water For Elephants by Sara Gruen

Author Websites and Profiles
Devlin De La Chapa Website
Devlin De La Chapa Amazon Profile

Devlin De La Chapa’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile
Facebook Profile
Twitter Account

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I’m a history geek and a sucker for a good love story, which is why I write historical romance. I’ve written half a dozen books, which have earned accolades in various regional and national contests, including the RWA Golden Heart®. Thus far, I’ve published two: Passion’s Prize, which includes three interlinked novellas written with two other Golden Heart finalists, and my current release, Her Bodyguard, which is part of the same series.

Over the years, I’ve been a disc jockey, a journalist and an advertising executive, before finally getting around to pursuing my dream of writing novels. I live in Kansas and love to write about the fascinating history of this area.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
My latest release is Her Bodyguard, part of the series, Steam! Romance and Rails. I’m an avid fan of the AMC television Western “Hell On Wheels” and I got the idea of doing a railroad-themed series after watching the show. Only, I wanted to put a romantic spin on it. I’d already written one book based on a railroad race, and so had a good start in that direction. I asked two authors who love Western historical romance as much as I do–Jennifer Jakes and Jacqui Nelson–if they were interested in writing a big railroad story with me. We brainstormed some ideas, came up with a cast of characters, and then wrote Passion’s Prize.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I talk to my characters. Is that unusual? Probably not. Crazy, maybe. Characters come to me whole, like real people, but at first I don’t know them all that well. They’re more like acquaintances versus friends. So we chat. Then I write up character studies, even test their personality types. By the time I’m done, I know them well enough to write about them.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
Sam Clemens is my Muse. On a serious note, I’ve been very influenced by the work of Mark Twain. I read his stories as a child and loved them. As an adult, I grew to appreciate how well he captured the American culture and identity. Love his humor. Wish I was that witty.

Other influences: Charles Frazier, Cold Mountain, so beautifully written it reads like poetry. Diana Gabaldon, Outlander broke the mold. She created characters so real we forget they’re fictional. Historian David McCullough, everything he writes is so rich in detail, yet so thoroughly readable. Jeff Shaara and Michael Shaara. Their series on the Civil War showed me how you could take historical characters and bring them to life.

Honestly, there are too many romance authors to list, but some of my longtime favorites (who’ve inspired and influenced me) include: Julie Garwood, Roberta Gellis, Dorothy Garlock, Lisa Kleypas, Laura Kinsale, Jody Thomas, Jill Marie Landis. I could go on and on.

What are you working on now?
I’m writing a sequel to Passion’s Prize for the series Steam! Romance and Rails, out early January. I’m also retooling a few of my earlier books, but it’s too early to say when they will be out.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I have no idea. I regularly post on Facebook, am active on Twitter, have a website, create Pinterest boards for my books. It’s very hard to tell what works. I believe in doing what best reflects who I am and what I’m interested in. I suppose that’s the best advice I could give.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Be yourself. Write what you can be passionate about. This is what, I believes, sets you apart from everyone else.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Write the next book.

What are you reading now?
Lots of research materials. For fun, Outlaw in Wonderland by Lori Austin and a whole stack of books I picked up at conference this summer.

What’s next for you as a writer?
Building a career one book at a time.

What is your favorite book of all time?
How can I say ONE book is my favorite? That’s like saying one child is my favorite.

Author Websites and Profiles
E.E. Burke Website
E.E. Burke Amazon Profile

E.E. Burke’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 raised in the Swiss Alps and moved to Geneva, Switzerland in my teenage years. I love camping, junk food and good movies. I think Red Bull and Powerade are the best drinks on Earth, and I could eat Inferno chips and cup noodles all day long. So far, I’ve written five books. Three Peter Simmons titles, one Victoria Carnahan one and one Antonia Bells one.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
Antonia Bells. I’ve always wanted to write an apocalyptic romance story with a female protagonist. So I did.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
Yes. I find it incredibly hard to write without Red Bull, but can substitute with Powerade, coffee and Burn.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
J.K. Rowling, J.R.R. Tolkien, Christopher Paolini, Dan Brown and Bulgakov’s ‘Master and Margarita’, as well ‘The Gates of Fire’.

What are you working on now?
I’m working on a vampire romance book entitled ‘Immortal Blood’.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I’d say FreeBooksy and Twitter do the job nicely, but I’m well aware that there are other giants like BookBub and Pixel of Ink. However, I’ve never been featured by them yet.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
I’m a new one myself so the only advice I have is this: Don’t pay for advertising, unless it’s BoobBub. I spent too much money on advertising and nothing good has come out of it yet.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Ask book reviewers to read your book.

What are you reading now?
I’m rereading Harry Potter.

What’s next for you as a writer?
More books, most of them YA, fantasy romance.

What is your favorite book of all time?
All the Harry Potter books. I also love the Da Vinci Code. Dead Souls is really good, too.

Author Websites and Profiles
Ramz Artso Website

Ramz Artso’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile
Facebook Profile
Twitter Account

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I write fiction and teach wiriting and literature at The University of Texas at San Antonio, where I live with my husband, three teens, and two dogs. I’ve writtne an adult suspense, called The Mystery box, and a young adult series, called The Gatekeeper’s Saga, which has been sitting among the bestselling kindle book in its category for several months. The fourth book in the series comes out November 1, 2013, and books five and six are scheduled to release next year.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
My new release on November 1, 2013 is called The Gatekeeper’s House. It’s the fourth book in the Gatekeeper’s Saga. The gatekeeper in this series is Hades, and this book is about an attack on the Underworld just as my character, Therese, is getting accustomed to living there and all she goes through to defend it.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I’m not sure how unusual it is that I write in my living room, which is almost always bustling with activity because my three kids are either playing musical instruments, singing, rehearsing for theater arts, or larping. Neither my house nor my writing environment is particularly quiet, but somehow I mangage.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
Oh, gosh. Tons of authors have influenced me, from my favorite writers of women’s fiction–such as Tracy Chevalier and Ann Patchett–to my favorite writers of young adult–such as Stephenie Meyer and Cassandra Clare. Plus, while persuing my Ph.D. in English, I read all the classics, and I’m sure a few of them must have had an impact one me.

What are you working on now?
I’m working on the fifth book of the Gatekeeper’s Saga, The Gatekeeper’s Secret. My characters are involved in a risky and dangerous plot to help Athena get something she wants most in the world, at a great cost.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I think Facebook has been the most helpful in aiding my promotional efforts. I’ve been able to make connections with readers and other authors. My website has become more and more effective as I make connections elsewhere and people subscribe: http://www.evapohler.com

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Write a good series and make the first book free. Don’t get hung up on writing one book. You need to have a good amount of product out before you start making money.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Take out an ad with BookBub.

What are you reading now?
I’m about to start Orange is the New Black, which my book club is reading this month. But I also just finished rereading The Golden Compass, by Philip Pullman.

What’s next for you as a writer?
I plan to finish the Gatekeeper’s Saga next year, and then work on a spin-off story following two characters I will introduce inthe sixth book. I also will release the first book of a new trilogy in 2015, which is unrelated to Gatekeeper’s.

What is your favorite book of all time?
The Poisonwood Bible, by Barbara Kingsolver.

Author Websites and Profiles
Eva Pohler Website
Eva Pohler Amazon Profile
Eva Pohler Author Profile on Smashwords

Eva Pohler’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile
Facebook Profile
Twitter Account
Pinterest Account

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I pestered my mother to learn to read and as soon as I read that first book (about Dick and Jane and their dog Spot), I started writing stories. Hopefully, my books are better than those first musings. I’ve published two books so far. Cry Before Supper is about the power of perseverance and The Dream Catcher is a Christmas story about the importance of dreams.

One thing you definitely must know is that I use a photograph that is about 40 years old. Since I’m on such a shoestring budget, this old photo will have to do until I have funds for someone to draw a caricature. Instead of uploading this old photo for this interview, I’ll upload the image I use for my brand, Vintage Elegance.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
My latest is the 99¢ novella The Dream Catcher, a whimsical tale about how Rupert Rumple discovers the importance of following your dreams. My night dreams inspire my stories. This tale came from imagining a town without Christmas and full of people without dreams.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
Nothing that I consider unusual. Of course, you may get a different answer if you ask my husband, and another even more exotic answer from my sister. So don’t ask them, OK? No, I have no unusual writing habits.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
Current writers who have influenced me are Stephen King (his non-gore books, such as 11/22/63) and Mark Helprin, especially Winter’s Tale.

What are you working on now?
I am currently working on a full-length novel whose working title is They Ran Out of Rhyme. That’s all I can say about it now. I will be having contests on my website www.juliarosegrey.com for character names, town names, and other such things. Winners will receive a free eBook.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I haven’t struck gold anywhere yet, so I can’t answer that question. I’m hoping Awesome Gang will help me out.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Keep writing. Enjoy the process and focus on writing better. Oh, yes, if you can, try to stay objective and keep your sense of humor.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Perseverance is the name of the game. Of course, that advice omits learning to write well. I’m trying to do both.

What are you reading now?
I read constantly, so whatever book I say I’m reading now will be finished by the time people see this interview. I am on Goodreads, so anyone can view what I’m reading there.

What’s next for you as a writer?
In all honesty, I really want simply to keep writing. I write situational comedy plays for a local theater group and a blog on writing for a local independent bookstore. I also am part of a writing workshop group and I coach people who are writing books. I don’t know specifically what’s next, but I will keep writing and learning for as long as possible.

What is your favorite book of all time?
Les Miserables. I’ve read it twice. (Yes, I’ve also seen the musical, the movie, and every PBS anniversary special. But I don’t have a t-shirt and do so want one. Where do I get one?) Other books are also close to the top of my list: Jane Eyre, Pride and Prejudice, and David Copperfield, just to name a few.

Author Websites and Profiles
Julia Rose Grey Website
Julia Rose Grey Amazon Profile
Julia Rose Grey Author Profile on Smashwords

Julia Rose Grey’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile
Facebook Profile
Twitter Account
Pinterest Account

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I’m an author, teacher and interior designer. My writing practice includes fiction and non-fiction. My stories and essays have appeared in many literary journals including The Alaska Quarterly Review, The Iconoclast, The MacGuffin and Passager. I’m the author of the novel, Lily Steps Out (Penumbra Publishing, May 2012), and am at work on a second novel that follows some of the characters in Lily. My short story collection Alterations, was published by Penumbra in May 2013. I have lectured on the decorative arts at libraries throughout Long Island, at Hofstra University and CW Post-Hutton House and I’m the Coordinator of the Interior Design & Decorating Certificate at Queensborough Community College where I teach several courses in the program.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
Some of the stories in Alterations hark back fifty years to when I was a child growing up in Brooklyn, walking with my mother along 86th Street as she did her errands and talked to the shop keepers. These stories lived in me the way stories do, in the turn of a head, the inflection of a voice, a certain expression on someone’s face, till I pulled them out and began to write them down.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
If you can call sitting down at my lap top every day and clicking it on, unusual, then I’m unusual. I go over the writing from the day before, make changes—there are always changes—and from that piece of writing comes the next. I write and rewrite as I go along. I don’t outline and I don’t know where the plot is going when I start out. The plot comes from the writing itself. What I mean by that is, I don’t write in my head, the story doesn’t come to me full blown and then I put it down. Each sentence I write leads to the next and that’s how the story reveals itself.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
Joyce Carol Oates, Margaret Attwood, Alice Monroe, Phillip Roth and T. Coraghessan Boyle are some of my favorite authors. I’m sure their influence is in my writing but I can’t tell you where.

What are you working on now?
I’m working on finding an agent and/or publisher for my second novel Feminine Products, which follows some of the characters in Lily Steps Out, and which like Lily and many of my short stories has to do with family.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
Promoting my book is combination of methods. One is guest-posting and interviewing on blogs and websites such as Awesome Gang, another is arranging author talks at libraries and for organizations. I post all my news and upcoming events on my website and Facebook page. My most recent type of marketing is that Lily Steps Out has been released as an audio book through ACX.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
The best advise I can give is to keep writing. Authors get discouraged because it often takes so long and so many tries before a story or a novel is accepted, but they should keep at it. My first short story was rejected ninety-three times before a literary journal picked it up. It took me seven years to find a publisher for Lily. Sure, I felt bad about it, but I kept on writing. Writing and rewriting made me a better writer. And joining a writers’ group was very helpful. We writers become attached to our words. They’re our darlings and we cant bear to part with them. We need objective ears to tell us what’s working in a story and what isn’t.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
The advise was something James Michener said about criticism. I’m paraphrasing here, but it was to the effect that if different people criticize different things about your writing, don’t listen to any of them. If different folks all say the same thing about your writing, listen.

What are you reading now?
I’m reading Olive Kitteridge and I’m really enjoying it. She’s not always likeable, and maybe that’s what I like about her. She’s interesting, and honest and never boring.

What’s next for you as a writer?
I’m expanding on one of the stories in Alterations, “Love, Mona” which is the one about the little girl whose mother dies and her mother’s friend who can’t have a child of her own wants to adopt Frances. I’d like to follow Frances and Mona, and see what happens to them. I think there may be a novel in there.

What is your favorite book of all time?
I’ve read so many really great books, so that would hard to say. But I love books that go deep into character and their motivations. The work of Oates and Roth come to mind and also Harold Brodkey.

Author Websites and Profiles
Rita Plush Website
Rita Plush Amazon Profile
Rita Plush Author Profile on Smashwords

Rita Plush ‘s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I was once asked to describe myself in 140 characters and I don’t think I can make a better introduction, so here goes: ‘Battered by life, but reasonably cheerful about it. A typical Gemini, running on two courses at the same time. Obsessive about writing.’ If you’re American and notice any funny spellings, that’s because I’m British and we are, indeed, divided by a common language—or at least, by some peculiar spelling.

I’ve written a series of crime novels featuring the characters of former California sheriff Kevin Bryce and his artist girlfriend, Katharine Craig. (I did once live in the US.) There are three novels in the series published by Victor Gollancz in the UK, and Bantam and Avon in the US, and they’re soon to be eBooks on Orion’s The Murder Room imprint. I also wrote two more in the series. One was never intended for publication, it was an experimental comic turn which I enjoyed writing and kept me busy between the publication of A Collector of Photographs and doing the research in Ireland for Fine Distinctions. I also wrote another in the series which was commissioned but never saw print because of oddball circumstances I can’t even remember now. I’m writing a new series of loosely-linked novels, each with its own supernatural theme. The Knightmare is the first. They will be a kind of social network with the same characters dipping in and out of the stories.

This is a long-winded way of saying I’ve written six novels! I’ve also been a freelance writer and the editor of a number of niche-market journals, some of which I really enjoyed and others, it’s fair to say, made me lose the will to live. But they were all great learning experiences. One of my favourite freelance assignments was writing 50 articles for a paranormal magazine. I knew nothing about the subject when I started but found it fascinating—and, in a roundabout fashion, was the beginning of the kind of novels I write now. Our relationship with ghost stories and paranormal experience, whether you believe in them or not, are deeply psychological and fundamentally human.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
My latest is The Knightmare and it was inspired by a collision of influences. The strongest was the medieval love story of Abelard and Heloise, which I read as a teenager and has stuck me all these years. If you’re interested in medieval history, if you want your image of the women of the time completely shaken up, I recommend you read their collected letters, published by Penguin. They’re an eye-opener. Without going into the whole story, let’s just say it was a tragedy with a very bittersweet twist at the end. They had a son and I’d always wondered what happened to him and what his psychology would be, knowing his father had been castrated (yes, you read that right—I said it was a tragedy) for loving his mother. What would his attitude to love be? Not good, was my assumption. Like a lot of us, I thought he would be intent on avoiding what he saw as his parents’ mistakes.

Another strong influence was a friend of mine who wanted to be a Formula 1 racing driver. He was a great guy but I always thought a bit (sorry, darling) light-weight. Until I saw him race. He changed in an instant into a man with incredible focus, a real strategist. Somehow this merged in my mind with the possible psychology of the son, making him a man with just such focus, a medieval workaholic keeping at bay any personal life. And so my Knight Templar was born in a reincarnation adventure story of a Formula 1 racing driver who must relive a past life to find his future.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I don’t know how unusual this is, but I smoke incessantly. A terrible example and not PC but the truth. I also play the same CD over and over again, usually some kind of medieval chant. Bonkers, I know, but it keeps me focused and the cat has got used to it. That’s another thing I need, an animal to hand. When I need a mental refresh I either brush her, or do sit-ups or physio.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
The Brontës. They created whole worlds, places to live in. Another great influence was John Fowles’ The Collector. I didn’t realise at the time I read it, when I was about 15, that it was ‘literary’ fiction. I just thought it was a great a crime story! And, of course, Jane Austen, for her humour, irony and clear-eyed view of the world.

What are you working on now?
The sequel to The Knightmare. It follows the next stage of Conor and Mercedes’ entanglement and introduces the story of Whit. He’s a Welsh musician with the gift of second sight, which he finds more of a curse. It’s not the epic adventure The Knightmare is, but a gentler, more comic tale about love gone wrong (or about to), sinister astrologers, weird fireplace mantles and the dynamics of old friends. It’s a hoot to write when I’m not scratching my head wondering what’s going to happen next.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I’m still in the process of finding that out! But I love writing guest blogs and doing interviews. They’re great fun. I’m just coming to grips with Twitter, which is turning out to be much more enjoyable than I thought it would be.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Read voraciously. Write obsessively. If at all possible, get a job somewhere within publishing for awhile so you’ll know a bit about the business itself and approach it with discipline and intelligence. Learn about editing—and I don’t mean just ‘proofreading’— and never, ever, think you don’t need it. Love what you do or don’t do it at all.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Keep writing.

What are you reading now?
In paperback, I’m just starting The Prague Cemetery by Umberto Eco. On my Kindle, I’m reading The Thirty-Nine Steps by John Buchan. For non-fiction I’m re-reading The Druids by Peter Berresford Ellis as part of research for the book I’m working on now.

What’s next for you as a writer?
Finishing up the first draft of The Knightmare sequel. After that book is (finally) finished, I have two more clear in my mind, a ghost story and a period environmental thriller, all part of the same series. I wouldn’t want to see any further than that! I also have co-written a screenplay that is in pre-production—very exciting!

What is your favorite book of all time?
It’s a close run between Jane Eyre by Charlotte Brontë and I Capture The Castle by Dodie Smith.

Author Websites and Profiles
Deborah Valentine Website
Deborah Valentine Amazon Profile

Deborah Valentine’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile
Facebook Profile
Twitter Account