Awesome Author Interviews

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I have written ten books, the Richard Carter series (Mystery/Suspense). Only three of them are “ready for prime time” at the moment. The others are cooling until they can be edited and redacted properly.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
My latest is Cold Tears. It is actually the second book of the series (#3 was published in Aug, 2013). It was published out of order due to contractual problems. Inspiration? The characters themsekves, I suppose. Each book in the series takes up where the last ends. Each story is a stand-alone, however. The reader need not have read the previous novels to fully understand and appreciate the one he is reading.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I don’t know. Is beginning at three or four in the morning unusual? Is using a data base for plotting the key events in the story, for reminding myself of who knew what when unusual? Does it sound odd to say that I let my characters tell me what should happen next? I have a good eidetic memory for the spoken word. I rely on it hear both what real people I have known have said and what my characters are saying as the plot progresses. Another thing I do is avoid reading books in my genre while writing. I usually read non-fiction or classical fiction.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
This is a tough one. I greatly admire many writers. I hesitate to mention any of them because it seems pretentious to compare myself to any of them. I only wish I had the ability to tell a story simply like Twain, to draw a person into the culture like Kipling, or to handle the language like Conrad. I suppose James Lee Burke, Dean Koontz, Jonathan Kellerman, and Tami Hoag inspire me. I certainly enjoy them.

What are you working on now?
I am currently editing book 4 of the series, Secret Song. I am also writing book 11 (tentative title: The Other Law).

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
Wow. You got right to the heart of my problem. Sales. GoodReads, I suppose. Like most writers (I imagine), I would live in my imagination and write rather than pound the bricks, knock on doors, and hawk my wares. What I have learned about the people who would help writers promote their works is that (to use an analogy) there are more lures designed to catch fishermen than to catch fish.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Yes. Write every day. Keep at it until you discover your voice. Remember that readers honor you when they read what you produce. Let your work cool before you serve it to the public. Wield your blue pencil vigorously, but know when to stop. Use rare words rarely.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Never pass up the opportunity to say how much you care about someone. You may never have the chance again.

What are you reading now?
Kim by Rudyard Kipling.

What’s next for you as a writer?
I’m riding with the Carter family for the foreseeable future. I guess I’ll go where they take me.

What is your favorite book of all time?
Why didn’t you ask which of my children I love the most? It changes. Once upon a time it was Stranger in a Strange Land, once Catch-22, once The Far Pavilions, once The Stand, and once Youth by Conrad. Today it might be a play instead of: Antigone.

Author Websites and Profiles
AR Simmons Website

AR Simmons’s Social Media Links
Twitter Account

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
In 1959, I sold my outdoor advertising business in the Upper Midwest and moved with my wife and small children to the Canary Islands off the coast of West Africa. Outwardly, I was a professional writer and photographer. Secretly, I worked underground in an activity that was at that time illegal under the regime of Generalissimo Francisco Franco.

In 1970 Franco yielded to intense pressure from the western world and moderated Spain’s laws, leaving me free to come in from the cold. By that time, however, privacy had become an ingrained habit. In the years that followed I started up a dozen one-person low-profile businesses, built them up and then sold them.

In 1997, I wrote “The Privacy Report” and advertised it for $297 via direct mail. When the orders came in—over 300 the first year—, I printed the report myself, punched the pages, and inserted them into a three-ring binder. Although I included a two-year money-back guarantee, only two percent of the readers asked for a refund—the other 98 percent apparently considered the $297 to be a fair price.

In 1998, I decided to abandon all the mail-order work so my agent sold the privacy report to Saint Martin’s Press. When it was published in 2000 as How to be Invisible, I was profiled in Playboy, quoted in the Wall Street Journal, and featured on the G. Gordon Liddy Show. The book climbed to number 37 on Amazon.com and stayed high on the list, year after year, as the bestselling book on privacy. The third edition was published a year ago—a completely updated international-oriented version that includes information on smartphones, facial recognition, and social networks.

In addition, I sell the following books on my website jjluna.com and also Kindle:

• Invisible Money, Hidden Assets, Secret Accounts
• FLAT BROKE? How to Get back on Your Feet, Fast!
• Dirty Tricks for Savvy Chicks
• OFF THE GRID: How to Live in a Van, Trailer, Truck or Motorhome
• Double Your Money with Abandoned Properties

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
I am currently working on a revision of SKIP COLLEGE, first published many years ago. I dropped out of the University of Minnesota in my senior year. Looking back, I should have dropped out earlier!

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I am so busy with other things that I probably do not write more than eight hours each month.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
Dale Carnegie

What are you working on now?
A revision of SKIP COLLEGE.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I have a list of 7,600 fans of my book How to be Invisible. Many will buy anything I recommend.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
If you want to make money, write non-fiction only.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
From my father, when I left home in 1946″

“To make money, you must to go to where money is circulating. And never take a partner!”

What are you reading now?
Paul’s letters to the Corinthians.

What’s next for you as a writer?
Five new ebooks.

What is your favorite book of all time?
The Bible (New World Translation)

Author Websites and Profiles
J.J. Luna Website
J.J. Luna Amazon Profile

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
Hi! I’m a laid-back, easy going kind of surfer girl, except that I don’t know how to surf! Ha! I do scuba die, ski, paint, write and can cook! I’ve written 3 or 4 screenplays, 1 novel with 2 more to complete the trilogy and 6 series episodes. Aurora Conspiracy is the novel and three of the episodes are part of its companion series. The other three episodes are in The Dark Days series, which could be an ancient prequel to The Hunger Games.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
Aurora Conspiracy: The Story Didn’t End with a Crash … The Epic Journey Began! is the latest book. We were inspired watching Giorgio on Ancient Aliens, learning about all the conspiracy theories that were out there and paid special attention to the legend of the spaceship that supposedly crashed into a windmill in Aurora, Texas in 1897. We asked – What if he lived?

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
All of them! ha ha. Probably the most unusual would be the messy sheets, which are exactly what they sound like. We write a hundred different things across the paper – some horizontal, some verticle, some this way and some that way. By the time it’s over, it’s a treasure hunt!

What authors, or books have influenced you?
Edgar Allen Poe for sure! I’ve been trying to write twisting things since I can remember.

Anne Rice – I love Lestat! Wait, did I say I love Lestat?

Suzanne Collins – Thank you and I really did write the Dark Days out of respect and a longing to knwo the answer of how it all started in the first place.

Charles Dickens – Love A Christmas Carol – probably read it more than any other book – well other than Green Eggs and Ham, which was the first book I learned to read.

What are you working on now?
I am currently working on episode 4 of the companion series for Aurora Conspiracy. After that, we will be working on Book 2 of the AC trilogy and episode 4 of The Dark Days series. Busy rest if the year. Hope to have them all done by then!

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
EReader News Today has given us the biggest boost in ranking on Amazon.

Facebook author groups have made me the most amazing friends.

Goodreads does so many things, I can’t even tell you all of them, but I love it!

MARsocial is going to be something cool soon.

Trying to get to know the fans out there that might like the stuff I write is the ultimate best way to promote my books :)!

Do you have any advice for new authors?
You can do it! With all the tools available today, if you hvae the passion and drive, you can make it! Also, learn to make constructive criticism your best friend. It’s hard to hear you need to do better, but if they lie and tell you you’re great – you’ll never make it!

Shoot for the stars, you can only achieve what you aim for.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Don’t go to your grave regretting anything you can do now.

What are you reading now?
Dear Rockstar by Emme Rollins

What’s next for you as a writer?
I will be working on a third major project with another writer Antonio Gould. It is a dark independent concept that will scare the living daylights out of you!

What is your favorite book of all time?
A Christmas Carol

Author Websites and Profiles
Ginger Gelsheimer Website
Ginger Gelsheimer Amazon Profile

Ginger Gelsheimer’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 and I will think long and hard, before making a decision to write another one.

Unlike most Authors here, I discovered that being a natural communicator doesn’t translate to being a natural writer. The amount of time spend procrastinating was beyond belief.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
Diamonds 101 – A Diamond Buyers Guide

I work in Diamond retail and talk to a lot of customers. The questions I get from them are almost always the same. One day I thought to myself “how is it possible, that I have customers that are willing to spend thousands of dollars to purchase a diamond, yet they haven’t done any research at all on the subject”.

So I looked at the books available and found my answer…their boring, long-winded and way to technical for anyone that doesn’t work in the industry. That needed to change.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
Does staring at the screen count?

What authors, or books have influenced you?
All the authors and books mentioned under “What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?”.

What are you working on now?
Promoting my book and that’s a new learning curve I’m going through.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I’m new at this, so for now, I would have to say word of mouth.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
If you are a perfectionist like me, there comes a point when you must publish, even though you think it’s not 100% perfect. It will never be!

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
“If you can’t explain it to a six year old, you don’t know enough about it” Albert Einstein

What are you reading now?
Nothing, at the moment. I’m really busy with other things right now.

What’s next for you as a writer?
It will be awhile, before I have an answer to that question.

What is your favorite book of all time?
“Shogun” by James Clavell

Author Websites and Profiles
Dirk Rendel Amazon Profile

Dirk Rendel’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I spent most of my childhood detesting English class. It was one of my least favorite subjects because I never seemed to fit into the standard mold. I wasn’t good at spelling, or following grammar rules, and outlines made my head spin. For that reason, I never imagined becoming an author.

At the age of thirty, all of that changed. After getting frustrated with the direction a television show was taking two of its characters, I decided to try my hand at writing an alternate ending, and give the characters their happily ever after. By the time the story finished, it was one of the top ten read stories on the site, and my readers were encouraging me to write more.

Six years later, I am the author of six full-length novels, and one short story. Writing has become a creative outlet for me that allows me to explore a wide range of emotions, while having fun taking my characters through all the twists and turns I can create. I am most well-known for my Finding Anna series about a young woman rescued from being a sex slave by a wealthy Dominant. The third book in that series, Truth, released July 25, 2013.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
My newest release, Truth, is the third book in my Finding Anna Series. The heroine was loosely inspired by Jaycee Dugard, whom was rescued after spending many years in captivity. After being in that type of situation, I knew entering into any type of relationship would take an enormous amount of trust and communication. At the time, I was reading a fair amount of BDSM fiction, and decided to see what would happen if I combined the two.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I’m very much an emotional writer. I don’t use an outline of any kind other than what’s in my head, and I don’t typically plan that out beyond the next scene or two. For the most part, I sit back and allow the characters to tell their story however they see fit. I’m just along for the ride.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
Every book I’ve ever read has influenced me in some way. Whenever I read a new book, I’m always looking for both things I love that the author did, and also things that I could have done without. I take both of those elements, and keep them in mind when I’m writing my own stories.

What are you working on now?
Currently I’m working on editing the forth, and final, book in my Finding Anna Series, which is due out Spring of 2014. I’m also in the process of writing the third book in my Daniels Brothers Series. It is a romantic suspense novel that focuses on the eldest brother in the Daniels clan, Paul, and his lady. It will also be out sometime in 2014.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
My most used methods for promoting my books are my Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/pages/Sherri-Hayes/122511444477280 and my blog http://sherri-hayes.blogspot.com/.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
My best advice for new and aspiring writers is to first, keep writing, and write what you love. Second, find a good beta reader. Not all beta readers are created equal. Find one that not only had good editing skills, but will also be honest with you and want to see you succeed. If all they do is tell you how great everything you write is, its not going to help you become a better writer.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Write what you love, and love what you write. Everything else will come in time.

What are you reading now?
Right now I’m reading Once and Always by Grace Brannigan.

What’s next for you as a writer?
Keep writing. My first book was published at the end of 2010 and I’ve been releasing a book roughly every six months since. I plan to attempt to keep up that pace, and as of right now I have story ideas to keep me busy until 2018.

What is your favorite book of all time?
That would probably have to be Voyager in Diana Gabaldon’s Outlander Series.

Author Websites and Profiles
Sherri Hayes Website
Sherri Hayes Amazon Profile

Sherri Hayes’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 shamed into direct-submitting a manuscript (one I had written 20 years earlier!) to a publisher, by a cable television host. That would be my debut novel, “the thing with feathers,” which released by Tate Publishing in September of 2012.

I’ve won awards for editorials, I’ve won multiple honors for short stories, and now I write historical fiction adventure novels. My next book, “BODIE,” will release on September 17, 2013; it is a “paranormal” adventure, it is historical, and it is based on a true story… my own. Yes, I am an unabashed, albeit mediocre, psychic–how do you think I knew you wanted to interview me? (smile) I am presently putting the finishing touches on my WIP, “Grog Wars,” set in 1850 Portland, Oregon–Shanghai capital of the world. The WIP recently took a 1st Place win in WritersType.com’s March 2013 “First Chapter” international competition.

I geek out over my daughter, Bend Oregon model Laura Kulju, Pit Bulls (I have rescued three: Indy, Sadie, and Leah; they stand at attention when the boss, our 15 year old Pomeranian, speaks) and Wounded Warriors.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
Getting “BODIE” published was my dream come true… literally. My sister and I each had a recurring dream which spanned decades–and neither of us knew the other was having such a dream; the same dream. Research told us that sharing such a dream was rare–really rare. I was never actually regressed, as occurs in the story. I didn’t need to, because it turns out life really is stranger than fiction: I happened upon the ghost town, Bodie State Park, in California, accidentally while on vacation. Within minutes of arrival I was able to tell my husband where certain buildings and homes stood, including my own (by the way, the structure on the book cover is The Swazey Hotel–weird, right?)

So, just how much of the story is true history and how much is fiction? I don’t even know that answer, myself. Much of what I thought was creative invention has turned out to be factual. The town was famous for bad whiskey, bad weather, and bad men. It owns the distinction of having been the most violent town in our nation’s history, averaging a murder a day. I have a whole different take on those deaths, but I don’t want to spoil it for you!

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
Nope. I turn on loud music or television, I get my Pit Bulls playing with their tug-o-war toy, I pour my champagne with orange/peach/mango juice at precisely 4:30 p.m., and I type–often until 2 in the morning. Sometimes I cry when I type, if I have to kill someone who I don’t want to die, and I often laugh out loud at the things my characters do… pretty much as any other author does. Nothing weird.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
I love “writing the West.” I have to give a nod to McMurty (Lonesome Dove), and L’Amour. I learned how to “show, don’t tell,” by studying the works of Flannery O’Connor, Twain and Conan-Doyle. I learned how to develop rich characters with depth by reading the works of screenwriter Linda Seger and others.

What are you working on now?
My current WIP is (working title) “Grog Wars.” Before there was a Civil War… They called them Brew Wars, in Milwaukee; they were the feared River Wars, in Chicago. But in Portland, Oregon, Shanghai Capital of the world, they were the notorious Grog Wars. Brewing there can be murder. From embezzlement and daring ocean-running’s of prime winter hops, to Shanghai kidnappings through Portland’s underground tunnels and attempted murder; one victimized businessman has had enough. He will have his revenge. But at what cost?

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
Currently the lion’s share of my promotions are via social media. I am a member of an authors’ writing group who promote for each on Twitter, Facebook, Google+, and each other’s blogs and websites. I am still new to social media marketing. I am currently working on building my presence on GoodReads, since that’s where the readers are. In fact, I am having my first Giveaway (an autographed ARC hardcover), on GoodReads next week. Wish me luck!

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Read works from the greats: Twain, Steinbeck, London, Sweazy-Kulju; then put words on paper. You can work from there.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
When I was a young writer… and I mean young: Don’t leave your crayons in the sun.

What are you reading now?
“Redneck P.I.,” by Trish Jackson, “Last Stand at Bitter Creek,” by Tom Rizzo, and a mountain of research materials.

What’s next for you as a writer?
When “Grog Wars,” is finished, I intend to write the screenplay for “BODIE.” There was once a movie offer received for this book; it fell through, but I think I can attract interest again. When I do, I want to have a finished screenplay to offer.

What is your favorite book of all time?
Valley of the Dolls by J. Suzanne

Author Websites and Profiles
Anne Sweazy-Kulju Website
Anne Sweazy-Kulju Amazon Profile

Anne Sweazy-Kulju’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 D.L. Hodges. I’m twenty-five years married and have four children. I live in Barrie, Canada, where I work in the financial services. I have been in this career for nearly sixteen years after having spent fifteen years as a police officer. When not working, I enjoy long walks on the beach, cloudless nights…sorry, that is for my dating profile. I do enjoy listening to music and hiking, but mostly I love to travel. I started late and am trying to make up for lost time. I have written one novel, to date, titled ‘Fissures’.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
As I mentioned, my title of my current novel is ‘Fissures’. To explain what inspired it, I have to give a bit of history. Unlike many authors’ bios I’ve read, I didn’t grow up loving to read or write. Yes, I started writing at a young age, but that would be school assignments and, later, notes to my children. In fact, I could count on one hand, and three fingers of my second hand, the books I had read over the years. Sports was my passion when I was younger. That all changed in early 2012. My wife, who does read, every night, had picked up a bag of novels to read. As she read, I lay beside her counting the stiples on the ceiling. Finally I grabbed a book, The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo, and started reading it. That was in April. By October, I had read twenty-two books – everything from Lamb, by Christopher Moore, to the Game of Thrones. In late October I had a revelation for my book. Within thirty minutes I had written the synopsis, had all the main characters and completed the prologue (which, in the book, is almost as originally written). The idea for the novel came to me with such clarity that I felt compelled to write, so I did.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
My spot for writing is in my family room. I slouch comfortably in the sofa with my feet on a table in the middle of the room, the laptop sits on my stomach or pelvis, my headphones are on and I listen to music. According to my wife it looks like torture but the bends and contortions seem to get my creative juices flowing.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
I don’t think my reading is wide or in-depth enough to have been influenced by any particular author or book. I will say my sister, who has written for many years and won short story competitions, though never published, has influenced me by becoming my editor.

What are you working on now?
I’m currently working on a novel about two brothers who grow up in the same family environment only to become completely different people. It is a story which studies the question of nature vs nurture and the resilience of the human spirit.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
That is a diffucult question for me to answer. I was late to the promotion part of the writing process. I published my book and presently am in the process of learning the different avenues for promotion. From a sales perspective, I have participated in a book fare and an author’s signing which both proved to work. While my sales were decent, I’m still searching for a longer term approach to promoting my novel. I have been told that getting reviews is very helpful; however, I’m having a difficult time getting reviews (though the ones received, to date, have been very positive).

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Promote early, promote wide, promote often.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Show, don’t tell.

What are you reading now?
Currently, I’m not reading anything; however, I will soon be starting the Bishop’s Man by Linden McIntyre.

What’s next for you as a writer?
Finish the novel I’m currently working on then go on a different tangent for my next project. Of course that won’t be for awhile.

What is your favorite book of all time?
Hopefully I haven’t read it, yet. To this point, though, I would say ‘The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy.

Author Websites and Profiles
D.L. Hodges Website

D.L. Hodges’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile
Facebook Profile
Twitter Account

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I have written two series. One is the award-winning Josiah Reynolds mystery. The other is the new epic fantasy series of the de Magela family – Wall Of Doom, Wall Of Peril and Wall Of Glory. My new book, Death By Chocolate, will be out in October of this year.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
Death By Chocolate will be out in October. I have no idea what inspired it.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I get up in the middle of the night and write when it is quiet. There are no distractions. Then I go back to bed around dawn.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
All of the classics have inspired me. I love the short stories of O Henry and Flannery O’Connor. Can anyone beat Shirley Jackson? Edgar Allen Poe, Harper Lee, James M. Cain. I love them all.

What are you working on now?
After Death By Chocolate is released, I will be taking a break.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
You have to market yourself every day but getting the word out on sites such as Awesomegang help.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Don’t listen to other writers when it comes to your work.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
I haven’t heard it yet.

What are you reading now?
Works By Diogenes

What’s next for you as a writer?
I’d like to take four months and just work on marketing. Then I would like to work on a new series.

What is your favorite book of all time?
To Kill A Mockingbird

Author Websites and Profiles
Abigail Keam Website

Abigail Keam’s Social Media Links
Twitter Account

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I am a former member of the US Army’s Signal Corps, a twenty-five year employee of a large American technology company, and an avid traveler who has visited five continents. “The Blackwell Files” mystery/thriller novels draw from my firsthand knowledge of military service, the tech industry, and the diverse cultures of our world.

I currently live near Atlanta, Georgia with my wife, daughter, and two dogs.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
My debut novel, “Nefarious,” is a fast-paced foray charting the investigation of an ex-Army captain and an intelligent, beautiful FBI agent into a covert project. It includes plenty of twists & turns and is set against a backdrop of the pursuit of impossible love.

My inspiration for writing “Nefarious” lay in the idea of using today’s headlines to tell a story that hadn’t yet been told. The plot elements are ripped from current international events, yet the timeless emotional responses of the characters keep the story grounded.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I enjoy writing while I’m at the beach. There’s a traquility there which facilities the flow of imagination and ideas. I don’t have to be down at the ocean; just being in the beach town is sufficient!

What authors, or books have influenced you?
I love the traditional mystery authors/characters (Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s Sherlock Holmes and Agatha Christie’s Hercole Poirot and Miss Marple) and contemporary thrillers, especially those with a scientic bent (James Patterson, James Rollins, Michael Crichton).

I also love Jane Austen and Charles Dickens, who were masters in creating finely-developed characters, ones to whom the reader feels a great attachment or antipathy.

In my books, I stive to combine the action you’d expect from a thriller with characters a reader can easily learn to love or hate. As a consequence, while my books speed along at a fast pace, they contain a little more relational/romantic aspects than the average mystery thriller.

What are you working on now?
“Nefarious” is the first volume of a series entitled “The Blackwell Files.” I’m currently working on the next two volumes in this series: “Ruthless” and “T Wave.” They are nearly complete, and “Ruthless” should be available within the next four months.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I believe using an honest approach and personally reaching out are the best ways to get the word out on one’s books. The vehicle for this may vary (email, live conversation, etc.), but whatever approach you use, keep it personal as much as possible.

A corollary idea is the concept of engaging readers as much as possible: ask for feedback, request that they tell their family/friends who enjoy your genre about your work. These people may be happy to help but simply may not think of taking these actions.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Engage trusted advisors who will provide good, honest, constructive feedback on your work. This may occur via a writing critique group, family/friends, or professional colleagues. The key is that you need to create an environment in which your advisors feel comfortable giving you their honest opinions. The quality of my writing has been immeasurably improved through actively soliciting this feedback and then being mindful to make the changes with which I agreed.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
The best advice I have heard is to seek out other writers to exchange ideas. Participate in meetings with other writers and exchange feedback on one another’s work. (I heeded this advice.)

What are you reading now?
“The Doomsday Key” by James Rollins.

What’s next for you as a writer?
I love writing about my protagonists in “The Blackwell Files,” and I have story outlines already drawn up for the fourth and fifth books in the series. But first I need to finish volumes two and three!

What is your favorite book of all time?
Absolutely “David Copperfield” by Charles Dickens. It was the “Forrest Gump” of its day: comedy, drama, tragedy, villainy, love gained, and love lost.

Author Websites and Profiles
Steven Freeman Website
Steven Freeman Amazon Profile
Nefarious on Awesomegang

Steven Freeman’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile
Facebook Profile

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
My name’s Niki, and I’m 24-years-old. I’m a gamer and an anime-lover, and I know a little bit of Japanese. I’ve enjoyed writing and creating characters since I was a young girl, though I only have one book published so far. I have many more ideas, and I hope to share them all with the world one day.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
My latest book is titled Nebula Andra: Synchronicity Abyss (NA:SA). It was inspired by Vocaloids–voice synthesizing programs. Producers use these Vocaloids to sing to music they put together, and the songs range from love songs to horror songs to epic tales of adventure. One such tale of adventure really inspired me–the Synchronicity series by Hitoshizuku-P. That combined with my general love for Japanese RPGs brought a new idea to life, and I continue to honor my inspiration by giving what shout-outs to Vocaloids and Vocaloid songs I can.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
Well, for one, I don’t do an outline. I have a bunch of notes written about the characters, the world, the magic, and the general story idea, but I keep everything about where the story will go in my head, and I often replay it several times. However, I’ve found that the scenes I imagine turn out quite different when I actually write them–the characters decide to take it in a slightly different way, or I’ve developed more so it has to play out differently… I suppose you could say that I don’t like doing outlines because writing is an adventure for me–I get to find out where the characters lead my imagination as well, and that in turn keeps stories fresh and new for me.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
I would say for English authors, Tamora Pierce. I’ve always loved the strong women in her books. For others, Hiromu Arakawa and Jun Mochizuki have also been huge influences for me. Hiromu Arakawa has strong characters everywhere as well, and she masterfully blends science with magic. Jun Mochizuki knows how to pull at the heartstrings, as I’ll be mad at character of hers one moment before cheering for them the next. She also delivers a complex story that bends the mind–not to mention all of her Alice in Wonderland references throughout.

What are you working on now?
I’m working on the direct sequel to NA:SA now, titled Nebula Andra: Synchronicity Radiance. It’ll follow up right where NA:SA left off and take the reader for more twists and turns only hinted at in the first book.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I use Facebook a lot for promoting my book. I’ve also hung up flyers around a local college here, which has generated some interest. I’m still looking for the best method, though I’ll have a video for it on youtube soon.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Always keep learning and improving. Criticism is a great thing, since it’ll tell you what you’re doing wrong and (hopefully) how to improve it. I never stop learning about things I can do to make my writing more engaging.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
It’s hard for everyone when they start out. It’s hard to get people to read your work, but you can’t let it get to you and you can’t give up–you just have to get back up and keep trying.

What are you reading now?
I’m reading two mangas–Pandora Hearts and Kagerou Days, both of which are wonderful series that make me think. I’m also looking forward to starting George R.R. Martin’s books soon.

What’s next for you as a writer?
As mentioned before, I’m working on my next book. I have some stylistic things I need to improve on that a few readers have noted–though they still really enjoyed my book. I aim to bring the same quality to the next one, but to always keep improving.

What is your favorite book of all time?
I have to go with a classic here–Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland. It really inspires the mind, and I love Alice’s character. I also love Through the Looking Glass, and it was tough to decide which one. Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland really stood out in my mind, though.

Author Websites and Profiles
Niki Bond Website

Niki Bond’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile
Facebook Profile
Pinterest Account

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I enjoy reading, writing, drawing, blogging,and reviewing stuff Also I’m a LDS boy scout. How I started my writing career was because I ran out of space on my bookshelf back in 2010. So I started to write personal fan fiction. On December 25, 2011, I got a kindle for a Christmas present, and it changed my entire view on the world. Back in March 2013 I found Smashwords, and so created my 1st self published book at age 16.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
The Adventures of Molly (Brindle stories, # 1), I wanted to write a book on Smashwords and this is what I came up with

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
Words come to me better to me at night

What authors, or books have influenced you?
Rick Riordan- Percy Jackson and related series, Christopher Paolini- Eragon series, John Flanagan – Rangers Apprentice series, J.K. Rowling – Harry Potter series, Brandon Mull- Fablehaven and Beyonders series, Kathryn Lasky- Guardians of Ga’hoole and Wolves of the Beyond series, Diana Wynne Jones – Chrestomanci series, Michelle Paver – Chronicles of Ancient Darkness series, David Clement-Davies – The Sight series and Fire Bringer , Jonathan Stroud – Bartimaeus series and Heroes of the Valley, Jack London- Call of the wild and White Fang, Chris Heimerdinger – Tennis Shoes series, Brandon Grant – Black Lords series, and S.J.B. Gilmour – Golden Mane

What are you working on now?
The name of my latest book is Rufus in Teralupis (Brindle stories, # 2), what I’ve got finished of it can be found on Wattpad

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
Social media sites like Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, and Goodreads. I also promote on my blogs, and my website

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Write with good grammar, people are more likely to give bad reviews and ratings to books that don’t have this.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Find what suits you best as a writer

What are you reading now?
Lost Face by Jack London

What’s next for you as a writer?
Finishing Rufus in Teralupis

What is your favorite book of all time?
Hard to say, as I have a couple of favorite books, but I had to choose it would be Eragon by Christopher Paolini because it was one of the books that made me love reading fantasy books

Author Websites and Profiles
Justyn Simon Website
Justyn Simon Author Profile on Smashwords

Justyn Simon’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 Germany, brought over to America when I was one. Given to the government a year later. Passed around between orphanages and foster homes until five, then adopted by a broken family with a father who sexually abused and beat his children. By eleven I had spend over a year in different treatment facilities. After burglarizing from the neighborhood I was sent to juvenile hall where my adopted parents abandoned me. For the next six years I went from group homes to Youth Prison, when at nineteen I went AWOL and started traveling the country as a half-bearded bum. Around 27 years old I settled down to raise a family and now live near the ocean passing my spare time between writing, playing with my children, and canoeing.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
Money Poems: Piecing 2-gether Wealth, Health, Happiness, and Wisdom.

Struggling and fighting with my wife over money. I have lived most of my life on the edge, knowing that everything will always work out – only, very rarely do things work out prosperously. Reading and listening to others talk about abundance, I finally came to the realization that I was going about things all wrong.

Money Poems became the process of me working through my hang-ups and blocks that prevented me from opening to the abundance of life, in addition to getting over my spiritual too-goodness by actually touching in with the material world as something good and not something evil as I have grown to accept.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
For my Money Poems book T. Harv Eker was instrumental.

What are you working on now?
Currently I am working on four books:

Three other Process Poetry Books:

Herb Poems: Confessions of a Closet Smoker

Christ Poems: Awakening Compassion Within

Yoga Poems: A Gradual Kundalini Awakening

The first in my Traveler’s Diary Series

The Heroine: One Girl’s Journey to Self-discovery

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
Grass Root effort and connecting with a core group of people that appreciate my writing.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Keep writing. In a world where more than a thousand books a day are published, the best thing you can do is keep writing, keep refining your skills, and find your niche.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Write with your audience in mind.

What are you reading now?
Books on poetry craft.

What’s next for you as a writer?
Finding more time to write and share.

What is your favorite book of all time?
Frankenstein

Author Websites and Profiles
Tobias Moore Website
Tobias Moore Amazon Profile

Tobias Moore’s Social Media Links
Facebook Profile
Twitter Account

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
My name is Cody J. Sherer. I am the author of The Wizard’s Council, which is book 1 of the Tales of Canai Fantasy novel series, and Pioneers of the Stars, which is a Science Fiction novel and book 1 of the Chronicles of George Jackson series. Then there are the other books that I have written that have no title or aren’t published at this time, but those aren’t too important at the moment. I was born and raised in Southern California. My life growing up wasn’t too difficult. I was home schooled and had an awesome family. My life up until college was fairly uneventful. It mostly consisted of video games and books. College rolled around and I thought I wanted to be an accountant. The biggest downside to college was the lack of time for reading. It was sometime during my second year of college that I discovered an online roleplaying community. The setting was the Star Wars universe, so I fit right in. That quickly developed into a passion for writing and I began writing my own stories. A few years went by and I realized that I enjoyed writing much more than accounting. I haven’t looked back since. Personal life has made things a bit difficult for being as productive as I would like, but I’ve been able to put out two books, one in 2012, and the other in 2013. My aim is to self-publish two to three more by the end of 2014. I am happy to say that I will be marrying the love of my life in less than fifty days. Exciting times!

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
The name of my latest book is The Wizard’s Council. The initial inspiration behind the book was just to write a book that I would enjoy reading. As I continued to write, the book started to evolve into something more. It become the intro into a world that held many intriguing stories. After a few rewrites, I got to the point where I felt it was solid enough for the first book in a series. It really got me thinking about the intricacies of the book world and how they could be similar or different to the intricacies of our world. Over the process of writing the book it become this task to make something fresh and new, yet familiar in many aspects. So, we’ve got wizards, elves, dwarves, orcs, trolls, etc, but I really felt that I wanted to put a new spin on things. There are many characters whose motivations and intentions are not as black and white as is often the case in Fantasy novels. We also get to see the characters grow in ways that I felt were somewhat different than the norm. In writing the sequel, it has been rather enjoyable to go even deeper into some of the issues that I introduced in the first novel. It really has morphed from me being inspired to write something fun into wanting to write a world that people can really dive into and enjoy. A lot of that inspiration comes from reading other authors in the genre.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
Aren’t all writing habits unusual? Lol. I would say that my most unusual writing habit is that I often find myself acting out certain scenes before I write them. I kind of want to get a feel for the scene before I put it into words. Other than that, I have strange hours. It seems that the spark can ignite at nearly any moment. As to more usual habits, I tend to make myself a nice cup of coffee before sitting down to write. Another quirky thing that I do is go over dialogue and ideas in my head while in bed waiting for sleep to hit me. There have been times where I’ve gone through entire plotlines in my head at night and thrown them out because I didn’t like them.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
The authors that I feel have influences me the most are J.R.R. Tolkien, C.S. Lewis, and Raymond E. Feist. I grew up reading a lot of the Hardy Boys books as well as the Josh Ladd books. Tolkien’s The Hobbit and Lewis’ Chronicles of Narnia were the books that introduced me to the Fantasy genre. I have them to thank for that. Raymond E. Feist has had a greater influence on my writing. I’ve read nearly all his books and found them quite enjoyable. I’ve been told that my latest book is somewhat reminiscent of his books. As I continue to increase my library of books that I’ve read, I continue to gain more and more influences. Ursula K. Le Guin is one of the more recent influences, as are Robert Jordan and George R.R. Martin. Outside of authors and books, my influences also come from tv, movies, etc. One reader compared to my fight sequences as similar to Naruto in some respects. Others have compared them to video games and other such things. I would wager a guess that my influences stretch far beyond what I even am able to acknowledge.

What are you working on now?
I am currently working on multiple books at the moment. My main focus had been on the sequel for The Wizard’s Council. I’ve also been working on another book that takes place in the same universe as The Wizard’s Council. My list of books that are in the works is rather large. I’ve got a zombie novel that has been in the works for nearly five years, though it will probably take another two or three years to finish it. I still plan on writing a sequel for Pioneers of the Stars. Who knows what the future holds?

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I have a website, a facebook page, and I use Goodreads, but I don’t find that I get a lot of reader interaction through any of those. I do welcome reader interaction though!

There are, of course, many other sites that are much more of a one-shot type thing. I must say that this site is quite excellent for allowing me to submit books and this interview.

I’ve been told that having a blog is an excellent way to promote and build a reader base, but I’ve always gotten distracted before I could have a solid blog. I tend to switch to writing my novels instead of writing blog posts, lol.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
My advice for new authors is to be patient. Don’t rush to complete your book, don’t rush to edit, don’t rush to proofread, don’t rush to publish. I’ve made my fair share of mistake as an author (I’m sure I’ve got more to make in the future too!), but the biggest mistakes I’ve made deal with rushing things. If you can’t edit the book yourself (and I mean a comprehensive edit, everyone can check their own book several times for typos, but I meant the real meaty editing) then you need to get a editor. It isn’t something that can be rushed through. On top of all that, though, believe in yourself.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
The best advice that I have ever heard is read and write. When it comes to being an author, there is nothing like writing and reading to help you continue to better yourself. There are a lot of other, more specific, forms of advice that may or may not apply to some authors, but this one is universal. Read often and write often. They say that practice makes perfect and it really does make a big difference when you put in the time.

What are you reading now?
I am currently reading The Forever War by Joe Haldeman, The Once and Future King by T.H. White, and the Wheel of Time series by Robert Jordan. Soon, I will be rereading The Three Musketeers, The Man in the Iron Mask, and A Princess of Mars. There are a bunch of great classics out there on Amazon for Kindle that can be picked up for free. As per the best advice I’ve ever heard, read. If you need stuff to read, look for the classics on Amazon (and other places)!

What’s next for you as a writer?
The sky is the limit! Or so I hope, lol. I’ll continue writing and self-publishing through Amazon for a time. I’m working on getting my books setup in print through their createspace program. I’ve also been looking into expanding my reach with Smashwords. I’m always on the look out for an agent or a publisher that would be willing to pick up any of my books. I want to see the difference between self-publishing and traditional publishing. There are a lot of pros and cons that go along with each and I’d like that experience. The only thing that is really set in stone is that I will continue to write. I enjoy trying my hand at new things, so you may see some new genres of books out there, who knows? My fiancee wants me to write a more fairy-tale type of Fantasy novel, so that is probably the first out of the norm thing you’ll see in the future.

What is your favorite book of all time?
I have to say that The Hobbit is my favorite book of all time. The nostalgia associated with the book trumps any superior books I’ve read since. Though, I must admit, there are not a lot of books that I find superior. I really enjoyed The Three Musketeers and Magician: Apprentice, too. It is hard to pick a single book, but the memories that go along with The Hobbit are enough to push it to the top. There are a lot of great ones out there though.

Author Websites and Profiles
Cody J. Sherer Website
Cody J. Sherer Amazon Profile

Cody J. Sherer’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile
Facebook Profile

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I have written seven books so far. Five are available in digital and print, one is in the editing stage, and the other is in the rough, first draft stage.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
I recently had two books come out at the same time. STUTTER CREEK is my first romantic suspense for 5 Prince Publishing, and it was inspired by an actual even that occurred on the interstate near my hometown.

The other book is the third one in my Phantom Series: Stevie-girl and the Phantom of Crybaby Bridge. This is my series for tweens and up. All three of the books in this series have gotten great reviews. They are set in the late 1960s and early 1970s and have been compared to Nancy Drew and Hardy Boy mysteries.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
Yes, I write best when wearing large red clown shoes and a horsie mask . . .

Nah, I’m just fibbing. I’m not nearly that interesting. The only thing I have to have for my writing is a diet Coke, or a cup of coffee, and my iMac. Oh, and the tiny silver box that lives in the top drawer of my desk, but we won’t go there. Not until the novel comes out, that is!

What authors, or books have influenced you?
Edgar Allan Poe always comes to mind first. Then there’s John Steinbeck, Alfred Hitchcock (yes, there were many Hitchcock tales in print anthologies when I was growing up), Mary Stewart (love, love, love her Merlin books), JRR Tolkien, and last but not least, Stehpen King. I was and will always be a Constant Reader.

What are you working on now?
TAKERS, a horror novel. It’s the one that is currently in the editing phase. I love horror stories. Always have…I think reading Poe, and then Jaws, and The Exorcist when I was a teen just really hooked me on that genre. Of course I also love women’s fiction, romantic suspense, and biographies . . .

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I’m so hit or miss! I try to join blog tours and I am on Goodreads as well as numerous FB author groups and promo pages. Then there’s Twitter, of course . . . I’m afraid I’m not very good at marketing. I just really like to write!

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Yes, read, read, read, then write, write, write. And don’t think you can remember that wonderful detail, quote, or character trait that struck you while you were standing in line at the grocery store. It doesn’t work. If you don’t write it down immediately, by the time you get home, it’s gone. Or is that just me?

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Get a good, no make that GREAT, editor. Oh, and when you finish the first draft of a manuscript, short or otherwise, put it away for several weeks and let it ferment. You will be surprised at the things–both good and bad–that leap out at you when you go back to it.

What are you reading now?
Fiction: Mind Over Matter — a novel draft from a member of my critique group, also House of Leaves by Mark Z. Danielewski

Nonfiction: The Oatman Massacre

What’s next for you as a writer?
As soon as my horror novel is completely edited, I will finish up the romance I’m working on. Then, I have notes for two or three other novels … oh, and my critique group will be putting out an anthology of short stories toward the end of the year. I’m excited!

What is your favorite book of all time?
Oh, my goodness, that’s a toughie. The Crystal Cave? or The Stand? No, The Hobbit, or The Dead Zone . . . hmmm, let me give it some thought. Wait, I know . . . Red Sky at Morning . . . aww, heck. I can’t choose!

Author Websites and Profiles
Ann Swann Website
Ann Swann Amazon Profile
Ann Swann Author Profile on Smashwords

Ann Swann’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile
Facebook Profile
Twitter Account
Pinterest Account

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
As of right now three, two published. Fire and Ice, Mine and Broken will be released next month. I am 38 years old I joined the U.S. Army young and began writing as a way to entertain my mind. I retired medically due to cancer. My stories always have romance in some form or another (Even when it is a lunatic Vampire who thinks sleeping in his victim’s blood is enjoyable.). I like my characters to have a thread of reality to them. Maybe their actions are fantastic and can stretch the imagination, their personalities, their reasons for their anger or other emotions all have to feel real to me.

I was born in Washington D.C. but was raised all through the states of Maryland and Virgnia. I have lived in Germany and Egypt. I have traveled through Europe and I look forward to more for both research and pleasure. I currently live in Germany where I am close to my three children who always with out fail are close to my heart.

I have worked as a soldier, a paramedic, and nurse. I have worked in a warehouse as a everything from stock boy, to floor manager, and I try to bring that feel of harsh reality and life lived into everything I write.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
Fire and Ice Novel and Mine Novella. Fire and Ice was inspired by the idea that you can fall in love, and life can tear it apart, with whatever. It’s a paranormal romance so naturally the thing that tore the main Characters apart was magical in nature, but the point is more things can happen that you feel like the person you were in love with has changed. It scares you so you run, but time passes, life moves on, and you meet the person again after how ever many years, and sometimes the past isn’t always the past.

Mine is about sometimes the love that you need is right in front of you, and you don’t see it because you have slapped friend tag on the person, or they have slapped it on you. Sometimes it takes an extra ordinary event to show you that they are more than a friend.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
That depends what you call unusual? Myself and my partner Toni, have been friends for a long time, and she likes to yell at me for one. I have dyslexia, so when we write we will be bouncing things off one another, and I am notoriously bad at punctuation and grammar stuff. So I will send her a line of text that looks something like this. Hellomnameisgoerge messing with her and after 15 years she still with out fail will edit it and send it back to me, even when I send something as a joke.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
Nalini Singh and her Psy changling series, Patricia Briggs and the Mercy Thompsom and Alpha and Omega series are the first ones that come to my mind.

What are you working on now?
We are working on a Duett of books, together we are calling the Book of shadows, another Dark Dreams Novella called Loaded, and the next book in the series called Spirit Kissed.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I am actually still trying to figure that out, so if you could tell me that would be great.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
I am still a new author, but for the ones still trying to get a book finished and out there. The best advice I can give is write for you. Don’t worry about what others will think of your book, because there will be those who love it, and those who hate it. But in the end if it doesn’t entertain you to go back and look at what you wrote, then it won’t entertain anyone else either.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Don’t quit, no matter what happens, keep writing, keep learning and enjoy what you do.

What is your favorite book of all time?
The laughing Ghost, I don’t know the author. It is an old paranormal romance from I think the 1950’s. But it has an interesting story, my grandmother passed away from cancer and she was really into the old dime store romance novels. She collected them in these old grocery bags, and when she died, there was this book laughing ghost, she never finished it, she was reading it when she passed away. Well I picked up and I started to read it, and I get to the end, where the last chapter is missing. But it’s because the last chapter was missing that made it my favorite book of all time, because I looked at it as the name said it all, and my Grandmother the laughing ghost got to play one last prank on her prankster grandson.

Author Websites and Profiles
Shawn Hilton Website
Shawn Hilton Amazon Profile

Shawn Hilton’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 northern New Jersey, I am the 7th of 8 siblings. Raised in the inner city section of Plainfield New Jersey, my life was anything but a Norman Rockwell portrait; life was hard, cold and — at times — cruel. The environment I grew up in was crime and drug-ridden, for the most part I managed to avoid the lures of both. I came from a family where mostly everyone was either dealing drugs or using them. At first I somehow managed to have the force of will to step outside his world as the first in his family history to go to college. I attended NJIT (college) to pursue a chemical engineering degree.

That got sidetracked however when in my late teens I felt the pull from the large wake my brother was creating in the world of hip hop music. My older brother Robert, the legendary Dee Jay Cheese – better known as King Kut, by his late teens was already a multi-award winning DJ World Champion, and later and inductee to the DMC Hall of Fame.

I had always been inspired to write, and recorded my first song “ He’s Phenomenal” through CSI Entertainment. The record was a tribute to my older brother’s talents. Two years later I formed Third Street productions and recorded the singles Third Street, Come On Everybody, Kick The Habit, and Leading The pack — released on Big City Records. I then performed live at countless festivals, as well as did shows at The Strand Theater in Plainfield New Jersey [headlined by E.M.P.D], and Newark Symphony Hall [headlined by BDP, and Poor Righteous Teachers].

With a stake in Big City Records, after the initial release of my single Third Street, the company I helped create established distribution through Schwartz Brothers, one of the largest independent national distributors at that time.

I was also the first Hip Hop artist to appear on the cover of Teen Machine Magazine; and I also appeared on the cover of Black Beat, with Black Beat article articles in both written about myself. This provided exposure that became leverage to attract new artists to the label. In turn, I spearheaded the effort to sign new talent, and added Nick D, A/K/A Soul King, and City E to the Big City roster.

My eye for talent was confirmed when Billboard featured Big City Records and our release of the album SOUL KING on the home page. And my partner Bruce leveraged that exposure to get the label invited to represent independent music as one of only 7 indie labels to the Jack The Rapper, the black music convention in Atlanta, Georgia. We were in good company along side indie label powerhouses such as Tommy Boy (Naughty by Nature), and Ruff House Records (Cypress Hill). The convention also had all the big names of the time present: Prince, MC Hammer, and more.

When Schwartz Brothers expanded into video it caused their financial woes that led them into bankruptcy. Without a distribution pipeline, or the ability to collect monies owed, Big City was forced to shut down operations.

Finally, I did succumb to the pressures and all-to-familiar modus operendi of my neighborhood, and began dealing drugs to finance my vision of the record enterprise I wanted to build. I went quickly from small-time dealer to wholesaler. When I was snitched out, the wholesaling carried the heavy jail term of 25 years.

After 15, I am finally out, and the newest chapter of my self-determined begins … I have written four books that are all intertwined with my first book Who Am I? The Chronicles of Cain, and it’s second series The Chronicles of Cain Conspiracy Theories. However, they involve different topics and introduce some of the characters within such as Roscoe ‘Baretta’ James whose story is based on a detective who hates gun violence, and my other book which I plan on releasing next year entitled Explain It To Her Momma which takes a new look on sexual misbehavior and the consequences thereof. In this upcoming novel many of the characters problems stem from living vicariously as a mother tries to protect her daughter from becoming pregnant at a very young age from charismatic men such as DJ and his main man Dick Johnson. I also have many other ideas on the shelf as well.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
The name of my latest book is Who Am I? The Chronicles of Cain, and what inspired it was basically my life’s experience, my environment, and namely my friend Antwon whom I helped to pen a chapter of a book he was writing for serving disciplinary time at FCI Gilmer. I wanted to write a book that would become a deterrent and warning sign for those who would dare to sell, or use dangerous, illicit drugs, and for those who are curious to what really goes on in the minds of individuals who rule the underworld.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
Not really, for I love writing. It’s natural to me. I never have experienced writers block.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
The authors who influenced me the most are Stephen King, Dean Koontz, Laura K Hamilton, James Patterson, Michael Crichton, and Donald Goines.

What are you working on now?
I am currently working on my next book Explain It To Her Momma, and fine tuning it so that it will make a great impression on my reading fans. I wrote the book mainly for women, and it is very unique as most will soon see. I am also planning on building a site called Author Homefront which will hopefully help other aspiring authors such as you have helped me.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
The best method I have found is to keep researching, look for jewels such as your website that truly make a difference. Promote with all you’ve got inside. Believe, hope , and pray. But never allow anyone to discourage you from your dreams. I believe if one can write something as complex as a book. He or she can definitely come up with a strategy to self promote which is usually by word of mouth.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
My word for new authors would be for them to keep pushing forward. Work effortlessly day and night. For example, I have to get up for work at 5 o’clock am and yet it’s one thirty am.I don’t have a major publicist but what must be done will get done. Tell yourself that everyday and you will succeed.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Keep the Heavenly Father’s commandments. Live righteously, and get a night of sound sleep.

What are you reading now?
At the moment I am not reading any book in particular but I do plan on reading Laura K Hamilton’s new book Affliction from the Anita Blake series.

What’s next for you as a writer?
What’s next for me as a writer is to establish myself as a name brand and a serious contender within the writing arena. To share my writing talents among the masses. Keep a humble demeanor, give back to my community which at one time I helped to destroy, and to always be grateful to my audience.

What is your favorite book of all time?
My favorite book of all time would have to be Stephan King’s The Stand because it was a story that brought all walks of life together. The story personified evil and righteous, and made one think about what side of the fence are we really on. The story said make a moral choice, which we all have to do every day.

Author Websites and Profiles
Dion Cheese Website
Dion Cheese Amazon Profile

Dion Cheese’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 a quirky Canadian creator who lived a most extraordinary existence in North America, Japan, England and Greece before finally settling in Germany. I am in no way a professional seamstress but as I was gifted an elderly sewing machine, decided to dust off some brain cells, clean out my wardrobe & have a go at re-creating old clothes & upcycling thrifted fabrics into cool new gear!

– Which led to the creation of my craftilicious blog: http://awesomesauceasshattery.com/ and groovy DIY youtube channel: http://www.youtube.com/user/MenschTs

I have written the first 2 tutorial-packed books in my Confessions of a Refashionista series and, as my Refashionista brain is constantly coming up with new creations, I have loads more books planned!

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
My second fabulous tutorial book, Confessions of a Refashionista: Bewitched Bedsheets, was inspired by all of the gorgeous vintage bedding I continually discover while thrifting and the funky, floaty fashions of the 1970’s.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I’m at my writing best plugged into my MP3 player with toes tapping & fingers typing in time to the groovy sounds of 80’s new wave.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
Neither an author or book but my Grandmother, she had 11 children & is definitely my refashioning role model! This clever lady would take a worn out shirt from one of the boys & turn it into a sweet dress for one of the girls… using only an old fashioned pedal sewing machine & hand stitching!

What are you working on now?
I’m currently designing & creating for the next 2 books in my Confessions of a Refashionista series: Marvelous Munchkin Makes & Awesome Accessories

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I’ve found that reaching out to my fellow bloggers is not only a fantastic method to help spread the word about my books & receive fabulous reviews but also a wonderful way to form international friendships & establish great connections.

And a website? Why of course it’s the Awesome Gang!

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Promotion, promotion promotion! Creating an online buzz about your book (& yourself) will lead to sales.
There are so many fantastic sites (like the Awesome Gang) that generously give their services to authors…use them, contact like minded bloggers, take advantage of Amazon’s KDP Select free days & get the word out!

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Don’t believe that negative little voice at the back of your brain that tries to tell you you’re not good enough…it is lying.

What are you reading now?
At present I have 3 different books on the go, all by Christopher Fowler.

What’s next for you as a writer?
Creating, creating, creating (with some promotion thrown in for good measure =O)

What is your favorite book of all time?
My Clive Barker Books of Blood collection has travelled with me to every country I have lived in and are always good for a stormy evening in, curled up on the sofa with a cup of spiced chai.

Author Websites and Profiles
Sheri Pavlovic Website
Sheri Pavlovic Amazon Profile

Sheri Pavlovic’s Social Media Links
Facebook Profile
Pinterest Account

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I am a novelist in Santa Cruz, California. I have waited 25 years to be able to say that, through a half-dozen careers including my own creative copywriting agency in Vancouver (Canada) and Hawaii, operating an advertising business in Honolulu, and 17 years as a human interface designer in Silicon Valley. It was worth it.

My characters often have a quirky edge, because I see human foibles as the launch points of dramatic conflict. That and my musical ear help me shape dialog and narrative into rhythms of dramatic reveal, turning points, and cadences.

Escape fiction generally satisfies the reader’s hunger for vicarious experiences. You know, the cool stuff. Such as glamorous adventure, epic situations, sex and romance, and generaly overcoming an obstacle. I get fiendish pleasure whenever I can spice these situations with wry humor.

I have four published books on Amazon…

“Next History: The Girl Who Hacked Tomorrow” is my latest, a contemporary fantasy. “Angle of Attack: An Adventure in Aviation, Love, and Crime” is a hardboiled mystery about an innocent felon. “The Adventures of Lance Sidesaddle” is a collection of Western noir satire shorts. “Real Writer’s Guide to Kindle Publishing,” under a pen name, is writer’s workbook from my experience publishing on Amazon’s KDP platform.

Some of my work, “Next History” in particular, I wrote so that people would gain hope, in a way, or at least think about some fundamental questions about human origins in a new light.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
Latest novel out this year is “Next History: The Girl Who Hacked Tomorrow.” I was reading the creation myths of various cultures, and started to wonder if we got some of those wrong, because they were handed down verbally for so many centuries. I decided to rewrite the Babylonian creation myth just the teensiest bit, to allow for a pair of Supreme Angels, a couple, with a particular purpose in the universe.

Along the way I learned about the roots of the patriarchy and how it degrades women, and a particular goddess who is the patriarchy’s scapegoat. Those people are so unpleasant!

Then I learned what a chimera is – fraternal twins that fuse into a single embryo, and among these ideas I had the makings of a plot that goes to the foundations of reality and the roots of the paranormal. Although Next History can be seen as science fiction or contemporary fantasy, it wound up with a surprising love story in the mix.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
Early in the morning and late in the year.

I seem to get up early full of ideas, and I get my surge of writing momentum as Fall sets in.

Angle of Attack and Next History both took about 3 months to write, another month to polish, then an eternity of promotion, such as this author self-interview. I totally love writing, creating solid characters people can care about, and I enjoy turning commonly-known facts and ideas inside-out to create plot and story.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
I have always liked Larry Niven’s books, Neutron Star and A Hole in Space totally hooked me on his writing. Ray Bradbury, yeah, Arthur C. Clarke, James Tiptree Jr., R.A. Lafferty. Never heard of them? Look ’em up, you’ll be glad you did.

What are you working on now?
I am working on a sequel to Next History, in which a character actually experiences death and comes back to tell about it.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I use quite a few sites to promote my Kindle free periods. So far, I have no idea which ones provide the best traffic.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Try to become educated about grammar, build your vocabulary so you have a good command of word choices. Try to write with flow and with economical sentences. Have faith in yourself and don’t stop working to perfect your craft. You have somethign to say and you must learn to speak it well.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
From Robert A. Heinlein: “Put your work on the market and leave it there until it sells.”

What are you reading now?
Just finished “Feral Youth,” by Polly Courtney, also “Debt: A Novel,” by Rachel Carey.

Author Websites and Profiles
Lee Baldwin Website
Lee Baldwin Amazon Profile

Lee Baldwin’s Social Media Links
Facebook Profile