Awesome Author Interviews

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I love telling stories. Stories that touch the heart. Deep, God-blessed stories. Stories that make me laugh and cry. My debut novel is WINTER’S PAST. When the first paperback copy arrived, I held it and hugged it. I was so happy to finally have it in my hands. Besides being a novelist, I’m a playwright and director for youth theater. I’ve directed 24 shows, and I’ve written 19 full-stage productions. I love working with kids and theater. It’s amazing to see their confidence grow as they share their gift of drama. And the frosting on the cake is that I get to “see” my words come to life onstage. What delight! Also, I’m the mom of four great adults! My husband and I have been married for 38 years!!

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
WINTER’S PAST (2nd Chance Series) is my debut novel, published in January 2013. It’s a contemporary Christian romance about 2nd chances. I like to write about the journey BACK to love, about fighting for your vows, holding on, forgiving. My marriage, with its blessings and struggles, has been a great source of inspiration for my writing.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I don’t know about “unusual”, but I write the first draft–whether a book or play–as a creative work, living in the story, not knowing what’s going to happen. I don’t know the end when I begin. It’s an unfolding journey. If it moves me, it might move you. If I laugh or cry, maybe the audience will too. The more I enjoy a story, the more I imagine someone else will.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
Francine Rivers’ book AND THE SHOFAR BLEW, a story of a married couple going through great marital distress in the midst of ministry, and Karen Kingsbury’s book A TIME TO DANCE, a story of a married couple’s struggles later in life, both really touched me. I’ve read them several times, and I’m always moved. They’re deep and emotional and spiritual. I love reading and writing these types of books.

What are you working on now?
With my experience in youth theater and working in Christian schools, I decided to write a middle-grades youth-theater adventure called STAGE WARS. It’s been such a delight to plunge into fictional theater with a twist of time-travel fun.

STAGE WARS: Shem Michaels wants one thing. To be the lead in Green Bluff Academy’s fall production Island of Shalamar. Only one person stands in his way: TJ Fortine. His nemesis.

When Shem and TJ face off in a theatrical sword fight, a moment of rage plummets them through the trap door, straight into Professor Plunkmeyer’s Time Machine. Adventure and tempers skyrocket as the two charge into the past. Right into medieval lands. Can they survive? Even become friends?

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

Second chances change our story.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Write! Don’t give up. You can do this. Whether you choose traditional or Indie publishing, you CAN hold your book in your hand. This dream you’ve carried for so long can be fulfilled.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Have faith!

What are you reading now?
Sermons by Smith Wigglesworth. It’s so inspiring!!

What’s next for you as a writer?
After I finish my kids’ project, STAGE WARS, I’ll return to my 2nd Chance Series book #2 HARMONY’S CALL. Harmony wants to be a great pastor’s wife, but she’s insecure–and clumsy. Being twelve years younger than her pastor-husband doesn’t help. Especially when she finds out he has a mistress–his church! What has she gotten herself into? There’s only one thing left to do–leave! Although, this is not my story, I’ve used a lot of my feelings and insecurities as a very young pastor’s wife in a small town in Alaska.

What is your favorite book of all time?
The Princess by Lori Wick

Author Websites and Profiles
Mary Hanks Website
Mary Hanks Amazon Profile
Mary Hanks Author Profile on Smashwords

Mary Hanks’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile
Facebook Profile
Twitter Account
Pinterest Account

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
My mom and dad were entrepreneurs and, I believe, that the way they looked at the world and how they solved problems in their personal and professional lives had an impact on how my perspective on navigating the world and helping others to do so. Mom always told me “knowledge unshared is worthless” has become a guiding principle in my life. My parents instilled me with resourcefulness, tenacity, and creative problem solving.

My first book “Women Under Glass: The Secret Nature of Glass Ceilings and The Steps To Overcome Them” helps women in business remove the barriers between them and the upper levels in corporate America to which they aspire. It was an Amazon Top 40 bestseller within it’s first month of release.

My second book “Triumph: Winning Big In Life With Patience, Persistence, and Perseverance” helps people to remove the barriers between the life they have and the life they want.

My current book is “Evil Does Not Have The Last Word” helps people try to make sense of life once tragedy or trauma has touched them. Evil is everywhere but what do you do when evil gets personal? This book provides many answers people seek in times of trauma, terror, or tragedy.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
My latest book is Evil Does Not Have The Last Word. What inspired me originally to write it was seeing all the superhero movies that had been released and how many of them were held up as role models, specifically godly role models. What you have to understand is that I love superheroes, Always have and still do. Following my transformation to a follower of Christ, there was something that didn’t ring true about that. That’s where my journey started. While in the midst of my writing I realized the message, the focus, was much bigger than that.

As time went on and paying attention to what was going on in the world, I realized the focus on the book was truly “what do you do when evil gets personal?” Who do we trust and how to we recover in the aftermath of terror, trauma, or tragedy? Do we trust ourselves to handle matters our way with our sense of justice or do we trust that God is still working even when we have no idea how that could be?

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I don’t know if I have an unusual writing habits. Any writer has a preferred process in which they work best, that helps them to be the most creative or productive. What may by unusual in my approach to my writing is that I try to write in a conversational tone so that when someone reads my books they feel like I’m having a conversation with them, not just reading words off a page. I like to employ storytelling in my work. A common piece of feedback I get from people who read my books is that they felt as though I was talking to them as they read. To me, that’s as good as it gets because that’s exactly the experience I want readers to have as they’re consuming my work.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
Wow, that’s a tough question. My personal bookshelves run the gamut of genres and authors. If we’re going to narrow it down, I’d say Kyle Idleman and David Platt helped shaped how I presented a Christian message without being heavy-handed or “preachy”, Stan Lee helped me to find my storytelling voice, and Richard Marcinko demonstrated what leadership in action looks like.

What are you working on now?
Right now I’m working on a companion Bible study for the book. One of my close friends asked me “Now what?” when she finished reading Evil Does Not Have The Last Word. That led me to really consider that there was another level on which this book could help people. Having never written a study before, I’m venturing into unfamiliar territory but am connecting with people who can give me guidance on how to do so. If there’s one thing I want to accomplish with the book and one day with the study, it is to help people heal from whatever pain they’re carrying from a past trauma and believe they’ll never be able to emotionally recover. Having once been one of those people, I want to help others know that restoration is possible.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
As many writers do, social media is a big tool for me. Facebook fan page has been good. Goodreads has been good. One thing I try to do is to coattail my posts on Facebook and Twitter. If I see something that is related to my book – and there never seems to be a shortage of evil in the world – I will share that post with my comments and hashtag my book title. That has worked fairly well. The main thing I’ve learned is that you form relationships first and then you sell.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
My advice for new authors is GO FOR IT! In my opinion, there’s never been a better time to be an author. We don’t have to rely on traditional publishers any more to get our work out there and there are so many marketing tools and platforms available to promote our work that there’s no excuse not to write. Sure, it’s more work but, to me, the hardest part is getting the work published. Once an author gets his or her work out there, the marketing is easier than it used to be.

The most critical aspect for any author is to speak in their voice. It’s fine to be inspired by other writers or their style but it’s important we find our own voice as authors and then stick to it. Readers will connect with your writing better if your voice is authentically you.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
My mom told me: “Never tell your trouble to your friends. Half of them don’t care and the other half wish it would have happened to you sooner.” It’s a tad cynical but it’s amazing how many times in my life Mom’s words have been proven accurate.

What are you reading now?
I am currently reading Jim Martin’s The Just Church: Becoming a risk-taking, justice-seeking, disciple-making congregation. It’s an excellent, thought-provoking read.

What’s next for you as a writer?
In the immediate future, the Bible study has my writing focus. Eventually, I’d like to help my mom get published. She has a unique voice and perspective I think people need to hear.

What is your favorite book of all time?
That’s like asking me what my favorite kind of pizza is. If I had to choose one book, it would be Frank Miller’s “The Dark Knight Returns”. Miller’s storytelling is very noir – which I love – and compelling. There’s nothing predictable and he draws you into the story as if you’re standing next to the character. Since it first came out, I’ve had to have read it over 100 times. No joke.

Author Websites and Profiles
Eric Shoars Website
Eric Shoars Amazon Profile

Eric Shoars’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile
Facebook Profile
Twitter Account
Pinterest Account

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
Hello! Thank you for taking the time to get to know me. You can’t just an author by their book covers!

My name is C. S. Johnson, and I am an author with a new book out, “The Starlight Chronicles: Slumbering.” I had entered it into the 2012 Munce Writing Contest in March last year, and it won 2nd place out of over 250 applicants. It was published as part of the prize. It is a series, so I am currently working on book 2, as well as some other projects. While I am glad to have won the competition, I am still waiting for that elusive publisher to come knocking down my door with a 2.4 million dollar book deal. In the meantime, I am working on completing my master’s degree in English and Creative Writing at Southern New Hampshire University, and I have just started a family with my husband of 3.5ish years. Our son, Leo, was born in January, just 10 days after the book. I tell him he has a book brother.

A large vision I have for myself is giving back. I’m working on several charity projects at the moment, including working on getting my own set up for helping make the world a better place. It’s going to take awhile with all the work involved, but I’m really happy about it. One of the other projects I am working on in the meantime is for Sandy Hook. A couple friends of mine from SNHU have gotten together to write an anthology of short stories we are going to market and donate the proceeds to Sandy Hook. The project was spear-headed by Patrick Donovan, an author at Fable Press, and he has promised us a release date soon! We are all very excited to give back.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
My latest book is “The Starlight Chronicles: Slumbering,” which is book 1 of the Starlight series.

A lot of things had come together to inspire it, and it really does reach into a lot of life issues, literature, and myths. But the idea first came to me as my 9th grade math teacher, Mr. Shoemaker, began giving out creative nicknames, one of which was “Wingdinger.” That sparked a superhero inside my mind, and he has never left since. The series focuses on a teenager, Hamilton Dinger, who has a seemingly perfect life, as he comes in contact with the supernatural, a concept he has never wanted to explore, let alone believe in. In book 1, he desperately tries to scramble away from the reality of his supernatural self, even as he is forced to acknowledge it. Some other supernatural superhero beings, such as a changeling dragon, Elysian, and Starry Knight, an archer with arrows of light, help and hinder him along the way.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
Yes, I do. I talk out loud to myself while I’m writing; this is hard to do at a coffee shop, but it is secretly awesome to freak people out. I also like to write at night, but I don’t think this is so unusual for writers. Most of the writers I know will ONLY write at night. I can’t blame them, either. The darkness has a seductive side to it, while the starkness of day is sharp and pointed.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
I am a state-certified teacher (and I want an online teaching job, if any schools are out there reading this) in English, so I have had the chance to read and share a number of books. With that kind of background, I have been able to appropriate a number of things into the novel – the unreliable narrator, different figurative language, epic qualities, and especially strong character development.

I am what my mother terms a ‘failed idealist,’ meaning that I want the world to be an idyllic place, but it is not, so I will be disappointed a lot. I think because of that I like to write about worlds which are not perfect, either, but more understandably so. I also think I was meant to write. There is nothing that gives me such joy as writing does.

Some of my favorite books include bunch by C. S. Lewis (one of the reasons for my pen name), “Firebird” by Kathy Tyers, Harry Potter, The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy, Star Wars (yes, I have all of the novels as well as the movies), Amy Tan’s books, and myths.

What are you working on now?
I’m currently working on book 2 in the Starlight series, tentatively named “Calling.” I am also working on making my adult fiction debut, which I think will help get me noticed more. Adult fiction practically comes with a stamp on it that says: WARNING: CONTROVERSIAL TOPICS ONLY, and as sad as it is, I’ve decided to tackle some pretty big controversies. I’ll leave you in suspense there, pun intended.

In addition to that, just some smaller projects and writing papers for my master’s degree. Honestly, I have 2 huge papers due in the next week I haven’t really started.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I’ve been enjoying Goodreads a lot, as well as the groups on Facebook.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Blackmail someone famous if you can.

Just kidding….

My advice to new authors is to just be prepared for a lot of work. I had a bit of a lag in promotion because my book and my baby came out at the same time, so when I was ready to go and I realized how much I had to do, it wasn’t the remaining excessive hormones which made me break down and cry. It still isn’t.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Mark Carver, who is a fellow author from my bachelor’s degree alumni, told me to sign up on Goodreads. That’s probably the best advice I’ve gotten. So many authors and people who work with authors are on it! It really has been a great resource for promotion and meeting new and interesting people.

What are you reading now?
I am working my way through “Love in the Time of Cholera” again. Gabriel Garcia Marquez is another favorite author mine. His writing is very thought-provoking and poignant, not all rosy but still longing for beauty.

What’s next for you as a writer?
More writing – novels, short stories (which I actually hate), comic strips, and twitter feeds. I had this great idea of trying to write a novel with just twitter feeds. I’m sure someone else will do it before I get around to it, but I thought it would be hilarious.

What is your favorite book of all time?
Really? That’s like asking a mother which child is her favorite. I can’t do it.

Author Websites and Profiles
C S Johnson Website
C S Johnson Amazon Profile
C S Johnson Author Profile on Smashwords

C S Johnson ‘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 practically born writing! Seriously, I began writing as a young child and always loved to write poems and short stories. My elementary school teachers praised my work and encouraged me to further develop my skills. In high school, I wrote for the school newspaper. Later, I went on to earn my degree in Communication Arts from Oakland University in Rochester, Michigan. I worked in a variety of writing and editing positions before leaving the workforce to become a mom. My husband and I adopted our beautiful daughter in 2006.

I published my first book, “From Pain to Parenthood: A Journey Through Miscarriage to Adoption,” in May 2013. The book is non-fiction and features my personal story of what I went through to become a parent. I also offer many tips and resources for those who may be facing similar circumstances. It’s a helpful, inspiring book for people who are struggling with miscarriage/infertility, who are considering adoption or who are waiting to adopt. Those who have no experience with either of these topics have also found the book enlightening and inspiring as well. It’s ultimately a book about the power of the human spirit and the ability to follow your dreams and triumph over adversity.

I’ve written a total of three books so far. “From Pain to Parenthood” is the only one available for purchase right now. Readers can find it on amazon.com and barnesandnoble.com, as well as in select Michigan bookstores, including The Books Connection in Shelby Township, The Berkley Book Corner in Berkley, and Horizon Books in Traverse City.

My other two books are scheduled for release in 2014.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
My latest book is a fiction story called “Echoes of Paradise.” It’s a story of loss, love and the mysteries of life after death. The book is in the editing stages right now, and is scheduled for release in Winter 2014, most likely in January.

I’m very excited to bring this story to readers because it has some powerful messages and unusual events. Also, although it is fiction, the book was inspired by a few real experiences – some that I’ve personally had, and some from others. I mention these in my preface, so readers will get a brief background of what led me to write about this particular topic. I’ve taken these bizarre real-life experiences and transformed them into an interesting and intriguing story about the afterlife.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I typically do most of my writing in my head – long before I ever sit down at the computer to put the story together. Some of my best writing and ideas have happened while I’m either in bed trying to sleep or in the shower. Some people sing in the shower; I write!

This may sound a little odd to some, but when you think about it, the times we are most relaxed and alone with our thoughts are when we’re either in bed or in the shower.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
Some of my favorite authors are Mary Higgins Clark, Piers Anthony, Louisa May Alcott and Dr. Wayne W. Dyer. I love to read mystery/suspense novels, fantasy, science fiction and inspirational books that help to enrich my life. I really enjoyed “The Secret” by Rhonda Byrne, “To Heaven and Back” by Mary C. Neal, M.D., and “Love Beyond Life” by Joel Martin and Patricia Romanowski.

What are you working on now?
Right now I am finishing up a children’s book on embracing differences. The story is written, and I am collaborating with an illustrator – and good friend – on the artwork. I hope to release this book sometime during the upcoming school year.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I don’t believe there is just one best method or web site to promote your book. The best results can only be achieved through a variety of methods. I use GoodReads, Amazon Author Central, Facebook, Twitter and Google +. I am also a member of web sites that support infertility and adoption. I’ve written blog articles for one of these sites to help other potential adoptive parents. Promoting a book is hard work, and I’ve found that the more you do, the better results you have.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
I always tell people if you want to write, just sit down and write. Don’t worry about anything but getting your words down on paper. Let your words flow freely without editing or censoring. That is the most important first step. It doesn’t matter if you don’t yet know where your story is going. Just write what you’re thinking and feeling. Too many people start out worrying about grammar, punctuation, style, etc., and want to get everything perfect on the first try. This can really interfere with the writing process and lead to writer’s block. Good writing starts with your thoughts, feelings and imagination. Often when you get something down on paper, it will later evolve into a story.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
The best advice I’ve ever heard is that “if you can dream it, you can do it.” Before we can ever accomplish anything, we must first see it in our minds and imagine what it would be like if we achieved our goal. By envisioning our dreams, we take the important first step toward making them happen.

What are you reading now?
I’m reading “Fingerprints of God: The Search for the Science of Spirituality.” Ironically, this wasn’t a book I had ever wanted to read. I had never even heard of it until the other day when I stumbled upon it in a little store in a rural area of central Michigan. I picked it and was intrigued by the description. Since it was only $5, I thought I’d give it a try. So far, I’m finding it very interesting and well-written.

What’s next for you as a writer?
I plan to finish up my fiction and children’s books and continue blogging for adoption web sites. My biggest goal is to touch lives and inspire others with my writing. So, I will do my best to share my books and stories with as many people as possible.

What is your favorite book of all time?
My favorite book of all time is “Little Women” by Louisa May Alcott. As a young child, it really spoke to me. I think what was most appealing about this book is that it seemed real. It wasn’t a fairy tale. The characters had to face struggles, illnesses, death and challenges. Through it all, they remained strong and connected as a family. Their love for each other got them through the tough times. To me, this is what life is really all about: our connections to others and the power of love. Both can enrich and transform our lives – no matter what obstacles we encounter. “Little Women” beautifully illustrates this.

Author Websites and Profiles
Deanna Kahler Website
Deanna Kahler Amazon Profile

Deanna Kahler’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile
Facebook Profile
Twitter Account

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I’ve loved reading for as long as I remember, and almost for that long I knew I was going to be a writer. I learned to read at four and began devouring everything from children’s stories to science articles. I am now the author of over forty published books, including the popular Autumn Rain series, This Time Forever, and A Greater Love. My most recent novel is Line of Fire (paranormal romantic suspense) and Before I say Goodbye (winner of the Whitney Award in general fiction).

I have a great husband and seven children, three boys and four girls. I love camping, traveling, reading, and, of course, writing. As a stay-at-home mother of seven, it isn’t easy to find time to write, but I will trade washing dishes or weeding the flowerbed for an hour at the computer any day! My only rule about writing is to never eat chocolate at the computer. Since I love chocolate and writing, my family might never see me again. Family does come first for me, however, and I can’t tell you how many books I’ve written with a child on my lap. We take frequent breaks to raid the fridge, go for a walk, or to swim in the pool.

I also write under several pen names which are listed at the back of most of my books.

Love to “see” you on Facebook or on my website! For more information or to join my e-mailing list, visit http://www.RachelAnnNunes.com.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
Line of Fire is the fourth book in my Autumn Rain paranormal romantic suspense novel. This series was inspired by my love of fantasy and romance!

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I have such a busy schedule as a full time author and mother of seven, that I don’t have time to do anything but write when I sit down to the computer. So I figure out my story or scene in advance, often when I’m supposed to be sleeping. But also when I’m driving, washing dishes, or on a school field trip. That way all the hard work is finished before I sit down to work.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
Anne McCaffery, Robert Asprin, Roger Zelazny, Marion Zimmer Bradley, Alice Hoffman, Anna Quindlen, Patricia Briggs, Ilona Andrews, Piers Anthony, Anita Stansfield. I know it’s a strange mix, of science fiction, fantasy, woman’s fiction, and romance, but I love to read a wide variety. From a very young age, these authors inspired me to write and publish my own books.

What are you working on now?
I am working on the next Autumn Rain novel (romantic suspense).

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
My author newsletter that I keep on my own website.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Read, read, read, and then read some more. Write, write, write, and keep writing. Edit your books before you submit them anywhere, and if you’re self-publishing, have them edited by at least six different people. My books put out by my publisher have a minimum of five editors.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Forget the work and the dishes and play with your babies while they are young. That’s not to say you give up your dream of being an author, but don’t let time with your family be the thing you cut out to have more writing time. No one will care in a hundred years if your house was clean or your dishes are finish or if you made a deadline, but your children CAN make a difference in the world and so can your books.

What are you reading now?
Labyrinth by Kat Richardson

What’s next for you as a writer?
Expand my pen name line of novels. I’m working on the third in one of the series now.

What is your favorite book of all time?
Fiction: Black and Blue by Anna Quindlen

Nonfiction: The Bible

Author Websites and Profiles
Rachel Ann Nunes Website
Rachel Ann Nunes Amazon Profile

Rachel Ann Nunes’s Social Media Links
Facebook Profile

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I import industrial quantities of Class A drugs, kill people and lie (a lot) – AKA being a crime fiction writer based in Northumberland.

I have published 4 thrillers so far, The Liquidator set in East Africa and The Brethren MC trilogy set in the world of outlaw bikers (which has just been optioned for TV).

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
I’ve just finished drafting Operation Bourbon which it turns out will be the fourth book in The Brethren MC trilogy.

Every time I think I’ve killed off the characters they just come back harder and dirtier than before.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
Having my characters demanding new books when I had no intentions of writing them.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
I started writing in direct response to reading Iain Banks’ Complicity and then John Le Carre’s Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy, back to back half way up Kilimanjaro over a very drunken New Year’s Eve / day.

What are you working on now?
Finishing off Operation Bourbon and getting back to something completely different.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
Goodreads – go where the readers are

Do you have any advice for new authors?
1 Just write

2 Don’t give up the day job

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
1 Don’t give up the day job

2 Just write

What are you reading now?
LA Confidential

What’s next for you as a writer?
Hopefully getting involved in the scripts for the TV version of my books if the project is greenlit

What is your favorite book of all time?
The Prince

Author Websites and Profiles
Iain Parke Website
Iain Parke Amazon Profile

Iain Parke’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile
Facebook Profile
Twitter Account

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I hate having to describe myself. I’m an introvert who spends way too much time staring at my computer screen, intending to write my ‘bestseller’ and instead getting distracted by twitter and goodreads. I drink far too much coffee. I love the countryside and being by the ocean and anywhere secluded.

When I’m not writing, or messing about on social media, I enjoy reading, mainly romance though I do occasionally read in other genres.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
My book is titled In Chains and is the first in a two book series. It is of course a romance, I write what I love to read. I have a soft spot for an underdog, I like to write about characters that are facing difficulties and have a hard life, not the usual successful billionaire hero.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I only have a very basic idea of my story when I start writing. I don’t plan, I just write and see where my characters take me. Each scene plays in my mind like a movie.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
Far too many to name. One of my favourite books is Thoughtless by S. C. Stephens.

What are you working on now?
I’m working on Locked Together, which is the sequel to In Chains. It continues the story of my two main characters, Kayden and Savannah.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I do a combination of things and it’s too early to say which have been most successful. I’m active on twitter, facebook, goodreads and google+. I have my own website and I blog weekly.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Write what you love and read a lot in your chosen genre.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Don’t get hung up on the sales of your current book, get on and write the next one. Sales improve with each subsequent book.

What are you reading now?
I’m about to start reading Taking Chances by Molly McAdams.

What’s next for you as a writer?
To finish editing Locked Together. After that, I have several ideas for future books, I don’t know yet which one I’m going to run with. All I know for sure is that it will be a romance, which once again involves an underdog.

What is your favorite book of all time?
A Bear Called Paddington by Michael Bond because it started my love of reading. I still own my original copy.

Author Websites and Profiles
Michelle Abbott Website
Michelle Abbott Amazon Profile

Michelle Abbott’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile
Facebook Profile
Twitter Account
Pinterest Account

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I have written and published six books so far and am working on the seventh. I write a combination of sci-fi, suspense, action and I have one horror series. I’ve been writing since I was a teenager and started with short stories. Some of them have been published on a site called readwave.com.

Aside from writing, I’m also a critical care nurse and work full time. I also spend time hiking in the local area where I live and do a little horse back riding as well. This gives me a lot of inspiration to my stories (mainly the sci-fi).

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
The series I just completed is called Rise of the Zyfoids and it is a futuristic sci-fi involving life-like robots that are integrated into society after a plague wipes out a third of the world. The program installed in them gives them the ability to learn new things and, eventually, they learn to feel emotion and become more and more human-like.

As the story unnfolds, the humans face war and terrorism. The Zyfoids have a choice to make; help the humans fight the war or allow them to battle it until the end, which could ultimately destroy the Earth.

I was inspried to write this story when I saw a new technology being developed in Japan called Humanoids (you can look them up on youtube). I took this technology and imagined how it would be with three hundred years of advancement.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
The only thing I can say about writing habits that stand out would be that I like to write in the middle of the night. I work night-shift as a nurse so I’m used to being up all night. It’s the best time to write because the house is quiet and I can disappear into my own story world.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
I am influenced by so many; anything from the Hunger Games to Pierce Anthony’s Xanth series. But I have to say that my biggest hero in the world as far as writing goes is Rod Serling, writer of the Twilight Zone. I know, he’s not an author of books but he still is a writer and an awesome one at that.

What are you working on now?
Currently, I am writing the last book in the Dark Deception series. It called The Exorcism and is the final piece to the story of a Demon. It follows this Demon from one life to the next and each one is intertwined in some way. Each story has a new set of characters and references the connection they have with the previous books characters.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I spend a lot of time on Goodreads and, of course, Facebook but, I would say that the best method of advertisement is word of mouth. If a writer writes a book that someone loves, that person will recommend it to their friends.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Hire an editor and be sure that what you’re writing something that would be of interest to people. I see a lot of clique type of books coming out with no unique qualities. Make sure that you’re story stands out and is something that no one else thought of. Even if it’s in a genre that has a ton of books that are similar, add something different to your story-line.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Learn to take life as it comes; it is what it is.

What are you reading now?
I’m reading an awesome book called Boy’s Life by Robert McCammon. I can’t put it down even though the story is so simple. I think that’s what I like about it so much. It’s just about a boy living through a summer in the South and how he sees the world.

What’s next for you as a writer?
I have a crime story that I’d like to start writing next year along with another sci-fi idea that is currently brewing. Once I get Dark Deception completed, I’ll spend more of my energy on those two stories.

What is your favorite book of all time?
There are so many different books that I loved, it would be impossible to pick just one. I loved the Hunger Games, The Help, Piercing this Present Darkness, Pillars of the Earth, etc. The list is long.

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
After managing restaurants most my life, I resigned to the serene life of working in a gas station. I probably should dedicate most of my works to Ojai Chevron, for they have given much more time to my imagination, than I have given them my labor. I have had short stories published in magazines, and just recently have tried out the Kindle world.

I also have recently tried out the golf world. I have to say that golf is like writing. Some days you are in ecstasy, and other days you are morose at best. I have a dog who laughs at me and two fish who look at me funny. The interesting things about me are the things I tend not to talk about. I follow Everton Football Club, and I desire to be an outspoken conservative in the entertainment world. It is also my fervent desire that you have a bitchin’ day.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
When I cannot sleep, I keep my eyes closed until I see a black dot in the murky darkness. If I concentrate on that dot, it grows until it becomes a dream that I fall into. I began to imagine a little boy using that method while awake, to escape to his own personal dreamland. I created a boy, Will, but unfortunately had to give him a father, Harry.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I don’t know what you mean by “unusual.” I listen to my dog pant until his panting becomes the voice in my mind that tells me what to write and how much to tip waitresses. If by unusual, you mean something like that, then yes, I suppose.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
Woody Allen’s books influenced me beyond belief. Then I read Aristophanes and it became obvious that Allen must have been influenced by this ancient Greek screwball comedy writer.

Dostoevsky was major. I’ve read everything by him. He’s both hilarious and tragic.

Louis L’Amour. He was more influential, not for his westerns, but because his books introduced me to Plutarch.

Steven King. He is a master at putting little things inside his characters that make a reader instantly identify with them.

Richard Russo. He is the writer that makes me jealous. He is the writer that makes me keep writing. Richard Russo is a master at combining high moments of comedy with extreme moments of drama.

Kurt Vonnegut. Breakfast of Champions was probably the most mind-blowing thing I ever read.

Plato. Okay, Breakfast of Champions was probably the second most mind-blowing thing I ever read.

What are you working on now?
The Big Monster Monkey. This is my first novel, and will appear on Amazon by early next year. It is, I suppose, I madcap adventure of escaped mental patients going on a quest to a perceived jungle. The dedication page will deal with those who think I am making fun of mental illness. Reality is, after all, a sliding door. I didn’t say that, Huxley, I think, did.

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

Do you have any advice for new authors?
You can’t tell new authors anything, because they already know it all. You can only wait until they give up, and then tell them to keep going.

I do like what Hemingway said, however, when asked that question, and I think this is almost word-for-word: “I would tell the new author to go and hang himself when he finds out how hard writing is, and that way, he’ll at least have the hanging for a beginning point.”

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Probably what Hemingway said.

What are you reading now?
Stowaways in Paradise by Don Blanding. He was an author/illustrator from the ’20s. It is a great tale of Hawaii. The best story of Hawaii was written by Michener, of course, but if you’d like a great adventure for a young adult that’s 300 instead of 1,200 pages, this is it.

What’s next for you as a writer?
I don’t know. Probably some writing.

What is your favorite book of all time?
That changes moment to moment like a kaleidoscope. However, “Crime and Punishment” would be hard to topple.

Author Websites and Profiles
Kenyon Ledford Website

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I am an award-winning writer whose work has appeared in numerous national publications including SELF, Glamour, Cosmopolitan, Redbook, Seventeen and more. Queen of the Court is my first novel, co-written with Andrea Leidolf. Andrea’s writing has appeared in GQ, The Washington Post and SPY, where she was on staff. This is also her first novel.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
Our book is Queen of the Court. The title was inspired by a drill tennis teams use in practice, and by the fact that many women who play tennis, supposedly for fun and recreation, compete as seriously as Elizabeth I and Bloody Mary for the crown.

We decided to write the book after reflecting that our hobby had all the makings of a great reality show, so we set a fictional reality show at a country club, threw in a couple of strippers, a mysterious disappearance, politics, snake handling, Wiccans, a play about drag queens working in candy factory….well, as you can see, we had to go pretty far out there to be make fiction more outrageous than the truth. We’re still not quite sure we went far enough.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I can’t speak for Andrea, but sometimes when the whole “writer as purist” thing isn’t working for me, I turn on the TV and find some really crappy sci-fi or supernatural move or show and put it on as background. I think maybe it’s because I used to work in a newsroom (crime reporter – sounds awful, but it was the most fun job ever) with the sound of police scanners and other reporters and all this chaos. I’ll also go to a coffee shop or library, and wrote quite a bit of Queen of the Court at Gaulladet University for the deaf because my son was playing baseball at a nearby field. I got locked in once and couldn’t figure out why the “emergency phone” near the fence didn’t work for me. It was a TTY. I tried to flag down a bus, but I think I must have said “I’m nuts, don’t stop” in American Sign Language because it actually sped up. Ended up going out a different gate into a bad neighborhood where hookers were already starting to stroll. I guarantee you this will make it into a book at some future point. This is why I like to get out and work, the world is MATERIAL. I am not a solitude kind of girl.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
Andrea and I agreed we wanted Queen of the Court to have an irreverent Carl Hiaasen feel and our first reader, unsolicited, compared it to Hiassen. We were thrilled. We will of course be more thrilled if we make as much money as Carl Hiassen.

I have always loved to read and majored in comparative literature in college. That means I’ve studied Doestoevsky (and seen his original notebooks), but I’m an omnivore when it comes to books. As a kids I read a lot of Dickens when I could convince the librarian to let me check them out (they didn’t have the red tape on the binding indicating it was “easy reading” and I guess not many 10 year olds read Dickens). I started because I just finished books so quickly I wanted something that would last longer. But I loved the intricate plots, the wonderful characters and the British humor, once I got it. Although I also loved Nancy Drew, Dickens taught me that challenging books were worth the work.

I have also often gravitated toward books that allow me to immerse myself in a different world, whether that’s the Orthodox Judiasm of Isaac Bashevis Singer or the alternate futures of Ray Bradbury.

What are you working on now?
We are working on Merrywood, a “prequel” to Queen of the Court set in 1963 at a girls boarding school. We’ll still have that satirical streak of humor, but this is a shorter, tighter novel of suspense. We hope it will introduce readers who haven’t read Queen of the Court to some of our favorite characters and the history of our locale, while it will give those who’ve read the book a chance to know them better. Most important of all, it’s going to be a good read.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
Our website is www.queenofthecourt.weebly.com and our Amazon page is http://www.amazon.com/Queen-of-the-Court-ebook/dp/B00DNBMZ6A.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Just write it, you’re not getting any younger.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
“Don’t ride the clutch.” My father said that to me when I bought a standard shift VW Beetle in college, but it’s good advice for life as well as cars. Don’t hesitate, don’t let indecision kill your ideas. Just put the damn car (book, life) in gear and go.

What are you reading now?
Beautiful Ruins by Jess Walter. A great book, loving every minute of it.

What’s next for you as a writer?
I have a story out in Cosmopolitan’s September issue, we are working on Merrywood, gathering info and planning for a Queen of the Court sequel and perhaps a Christmas-themed short story to be offered for free online, another intro to our Queen of the Court characters.

More philosophically, I hope to continue to develop my voice. Years of newspaper and magazine writing develop good skills, an eye for detail and a knack for research, but fictional voice is something else altogether.

What is your favorite book of all time?
I absolutely cannot pick one, there are too many amazing books out there. Maybe I haven’t read it yet!

or….

Queen of the Court.

Author Websites and Profiles
Melanie Howard Website
Melanie Howard Amazon Profile

Melanie Howard’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile
Facebook Profile
Twitter Account
Pinterest Account

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I grew up in the burbs of Detroit with five brothers and no sisters. I was the second oldest, but never had the chore of acting as the surrogate mother. Thank God. My brothers had to cook, clean, bake, and babysit just as often as I did. But I was also required to learn how to change my oil, my spark plugs, and my tires. My bro’s were tough on me, often telling me exactly what they thought. I grew a thick skin, which will probably prepare me for tough book reviews.

I’ve written about eight books. Some need more work than others. I’m random about the genre’s I like to write. I read a wide range of genres and like to write a wide range, too.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
CACHE a PREDATOR is my debut novel. It’s a crime mystery novel, but some reviewers called it a thriller.

A few years ago, a writer friend said, “You should write a novel about geocaching.” I had no idea what that was so I researched the sport and was intrigued.

Wikipedia defines it this way: “Geocaching is an outdoor recreational activity, in which the participants use a Global Positioning System (GPS) receiver or mobile device and other navigational techniques to hide and seek containers, called “geocaches” or “caches”, anywhere in the world.”

My villain plants body parts in these cache boxes.

However, the story is about a dad’s love for his five-year-old daughter. Geocaching just happens to be a subplot. The “Dad’s” story was prompted by someone I know who was struggling to get custody of his daughter. So often judges think mom’s are the perfect custodial parent, but that’s not always the case.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
Sometimes I like to write in my car on a sunny day at the lake. There are no interruptions there.

However, the last time I did this I forgot that my lights were on, and since I never got out of the car, they stayed on the entire time I was writing. When it was time to go home, my car wouldn’t start. My battery had died. I had to call my husband for a jump. He thought it was strange that I was sitting in an empty parking lot in the middle of the day.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
Susie May Warren from My Book Therapy. She’s taught me a lot. Also, Dr. Dennis Hensley from Taylor University taught many of the writing courses I took. Both of these authors and teachers are amazing and taught me more than writing skills. They taught me how to encourage other writers.

What are you working on now?
LOVE IS JUST A WORD, a YA fiction novel about a teen living in Russia who’s abandoned by her Mama before she has a chance to say good-bye or tell her a secret that haunts her.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
It’s too early to say. I haven’t had enough experience yet, but I believe word of mouth is the best. But first, we have to have a product to sell, one that readers want to buy. One that’s been professionally edited by both a developmental and a line-editor.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Keep writing. The writers who stop writing never get published. And check out my blog, RANDOM WRITING RANTS where we teach How to Get Published.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Trust God. It’s not easy though, especially when life takes you by the neck, shakes you, and slams you to the ground.

What are you reading now?
For book group I’m reading LET THE GREAT WORLD SPIN. But I’m also reading STUTTER CREEK, by Ann Swann for review purposes.

What’s next for you as a writer?
Since I became an Indie girl last month, giving up on finding that top traditional publisher, I’ve decided to self-publish all my novels. So, for now, I’m fine-tuning them, getting them ready to launch. I have several YA novels, a children chapter books series, and a MG novel about a boy.

I hope to write my next suspense novel in November, 2013 during NaNoWriMo. I have it loosely outlined.

What is your favorite book of all time?
There are too many to pick just one. My favorite 2013 novel is ME BEFORE YOU, by Jojo Moyes. It’s because Jojo helped readers see two sides to a very controversial story–which is something I try to do when I write. Because, hey, there are always two sides to the story, aren’t there? Even villains are people with junk in their trunk.

Author Websites and Profiles
Michelle Weidenbenner Website
Michelle Weidenbenner Amazon Profile

Michelle Weidenbenner’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile
Facebook Profile
Twitter Account
Pinterest Account

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I am an unequivocal day-dreamer, anime enthusiast, partisan of fantastical things, and unshakable devotee to story-telling.

In addition to writing, I sing, draw, read (of course!), play console games, work on occasional concept art commissions, and volunteer at a local animal welfare centre.

I love fantasy and sci-fi, so it’s no wonder those are the genres of my writing interests. I have written and illustrated two children’s books (one published, one on standby), a short story (currently available in eBook format), and am at present working on a five-part fantasy/ adventure series (the first book now available).

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
My latest book, KIN SEEKER (Book One of the Dragon Calling series), was originally a ‘children’s fable’ in another fantasy story I was working on – kind of like a story within a story. But instead of continuing on with the ‘main’ story, I was intrigued by the main character I assigned for the fable, and wanted to know more about him and what made him to be the ‘hero’ of that fable.

I am not exactly sure what inspired the initial plot, but it grew from the most basic of tales, into something enormously detailed and fully-formed. An entire world exploded from out of that tiny little idea, and with it, some of the greatest adventures I have had the pleasure to follow and unfurl.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
Define ‘unusual’ … I love to do character profiles and world-building! Right down to the most random of details, whether it be the protagonist’s pet peeves, a sub-character’s family tree, celebrated festivals in random towns, the calendar timeline used in a particular culture, the primary economic resources of a particular kingdom, and even the blue-print layout of a town.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
My favourite, and most influential authors would be C. S. Lewis, Emily Rodda, J. R. R. Tolkien and Diana Wynne Jones.

What are you working on now?
I am planning the next round of edits for the second book in the Dragon Calling series, but what I really want to get back into are the major edits and fixing up the ending of the third book (it really needs a lot of love and attention).

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
Not sure which is the ‘best’ method, as each platform presents its own opportunities, but I have a website dedicated to my series (where I do a monthly blog), a Facebook Page, Goodreads Profile, and a board in Pinterest.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Never be too afraid or too stubborn to ask for help and advice from those in the industry who have gone before you. Be ever-ready to sharpen your skills and improve your knowledge, but never doubt yourself, and never ever give-in to the temptation of comparing your creative style with another.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Never stop creating.

What are you reading now?
I am currently reading The Fyrelit Tragedy (by N & A Lochel), Monster (by Frank Peretti), and Mockingjay (Suzanne Collins).

What’s next for you as a writer?
Next is continuing in the promotion of KIN SEEKER, and working on making it available in paperback and audio formats. Aside from that, it needs to be go-go-go in getting the second book into shape, and making the alterations to the third book.

What is your favorite book of all time?
The Bible – even the best in fantasy can’t beat that.

Author Websites and Profiles
Naomi Eccles-Smith Website
Naomi Eccles-Smith Author Profile on Smashwords

Naomi Eccles-Smith’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile
Facebook Profile
Pinterest Account

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I live in Reno, Nevada and have worked with young adults most of my life. I’ve written five books. Three in The Birthright Series for YA: The Cage, The Bar and The Lamb.

I’ve written two in a new series for MG called, The Finding Home Series. There will be three in that series. The second book in that series is with my editor now, but the first book, Bending Willow has been out seven weeks and has spent them all in Amazon’s top 100 books for Middle Grade Action Adventure. It has also been chosen to represent Nevada at the National Book fair in Washington D.C. in September!

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
The book, Bending Willow was inspired by a friend who has two small girls (7 ad 11). She was concerned because her girls wanted to read The Hunger Games” and she felt it was too scary for them. She asked me, “Why doesn’t someone write a strong female lead for girls my kids age?” That sent my brain off and running and The Finding Home Series was born.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
Yes, I only write on Tuesdays! It’s because I work full time and I have Tuesday off. I hear writers saying all the time, “Writer’s write! You must get up at four a.m. and write for three hours each morning.” Well, that doesn’t work for me, but writing on Tuesday does. It’s been five years since I’ve started and I have finished four books. I think that’s pretty good!

What authors, or books have influenced you?
I love children’s authors: Madeleine L’engle, Lucy Montgomery, J.K. Rowling, Gary Paulsen, C.S. Lewis, M.T. Anderson…I could go on forever. I listen to books on C.D. every day in my car. There are so many wonderful authors out there!

What are you working on now?
I’m working on the third and final book in The Finding Home Series. I need to head to Northern Idaho to do some research on it though. It takes place up in Challis and I’ve never been there.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
My top five are Facebook (regular and author page), Twitter, Goodreads, Google+ and my own websites.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Learn, learn, learn. I feel like I’ve been learning as fast as I can and there is still so much to learn. I love to learn so, that’s okay. Be teachable, develop a thick skin, and for heaven’s sake, get into a critique group asap!

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
I walked into my writer’s group the first day and sat down next to this man who asked, “What are you writing?” When I told him I’d just finished my first young adult novel he asked, “Who’s read it besides your family and friends?” I said, “no one.” He said, get into a critique group. It was the best thing I ever did. They were painfully and lovingly honest and I learned so much. Sixteen revisions later, my book was ready to start submitting!

What are you reading now?
Fiction wise I’m reading “Cassidy Jones and the Secret Formula.” It has been number one the whole seven weeks my book has been in the top 100 and the author, Elsie Stokes, has three books in the top 100. The first book was free so I thought I’d try it. It’s a really good book.

Non-Fiction wise I’m reading “Why are all the black kids sitting together in the Cafeteria and other conversations about race.” It’s by Beverley Daniel Tatum, and is rocking my world!

What’s next for you as a writer?
As I mentioned, Bending Willow is going to Washing D.C. so I decided to join her! I think she was chosen because the girls in the book go through Burning Man and that is a very Nevada setting. I’m excited to go to the Book Fair where you can spend all day listening to your favorite authors give talks and do Q&A. They also sign books. I’m very glad to get to go.

What is your favorite book of all time?
Probably Anne of Green Gables. I love Anne so much. Every new girl that we adopt into our family (we have a habit of adopting older girls), has to watch the whole double mini series with me.

Also, Harry Potter, I’m a bit obsessed and have read, listened to, and watched the movies of Harry more than is probably healthy!

Author Websites and Profiles
Jacci Turner Website
Jacci Turner Amazon Profile
Jacci Turner Author Profile on Smashwords

Jacci Turner’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile
Facebook Profile
Twitter Account
Pinterest Account

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I am a reference librarian, former award-winning journalist, and married father of three who currently resides in Montana. My interests include fishing, home brewing, sports, and writing, of course. I’ve loved to write since grade school but didn’t consider writing as a profession until after I graduated from the University of Oregon and landed a job as a newspaper sportswriter. Even after I got out of journalism, I never gave up on the idea of writing more and writing a novel in particular. For years, it was the top item on my bucket list. Inspired partly by the success of a college friend, the romance novelist Maureen Driscoll, I wrote The Mine in 2012 and continued the Northwest Passage series with The Journey and The Show. I will release my fourth book, The Fire, in early September 2013.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
My latest published work is The Show, the sequel to The Mine. In writing it, I drew inspiration from many things: the miniseries Downton Abbey, music from the Ragtime era, several short stories, and the works of Nicholas Sparks.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I don’t know if I’d call them unusual, but I do have habits. I like to write late at night, for one thing. Free time and quiet time are like gold and silver to a writer, and I can usually find both after 10 p.m. I also frequently listen to music from the era I’m writing about. When I wrote The Mine, I became very familiar with Glenn Miller, Tommy Dorsey, and music from the Big Band era. When I wrote The Journey, I rediscovered the music of my youth — the rock and pop from the late 1970s and early 1980s.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
I enjoy the works of Nelson DeMille, Vince Flynn, Ken Follett, Stephen King, and Clive Cussler.

What are you working on now?
I’m applying the finishing touches to The Fire, Northwest Passage No. 4 and the sequel to The Journey. The novel is about Kevin Johnson, a recent college graduate who travels through time to Wallace, Idaho, in 1910, where he experiences Halley’s comet, small town life in the age of hobble skirts and horse-drawn wagons, and the Great Fire, the largest wildfire in U.S. history.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
My blog is at: http://johnheldt.blogspot.com/

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Yes. Always put forth your best work. Even if that means delaying the release of a novel by weeks or months, take the time to do it right. You won’t regret it.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Write the story you want to write, not what you think will sell. Readers will recognize and reward your authenticity and passion.

What are you reading now?
I recently finished The Big Burn by Timothy Egan.

What’s next for you as a writer?
I plan to publish The Fire and then immediately begin work on the fifth novel of the Northwest Passage series. In this book, the twin daughters of Joel and Grace Smith, the protagonists of The Mine and The Show, will travel back in time 56 years to 1964 Seattle. I hope to publish that work in the spring of 2014.

What is your favorite book of all time?
Probably The Pillars of the Earth by Ken Follett.

Author Websites and Profiles
John Heldt Website
John Heldt Amazon Profile

John Heldt’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile
Facebook Profile
Twitter Account

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I am a tour guide in Hollywood and have written the book Hollywood Stories: Short, Entertaining Anecdotes About the Stars and Legends of the Movies! I am also the author and narrator of two audio only books Tales of Hollywood and Fascinating Walt Disney.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
Hollywood Stories was inspired by being a tour guide and trying to keep the material, both contemporary and historical, fresh and interesting. I had always been interested in the movies and history so it was kind of a natural fit for me. When I first started I had a study buddy named Ivan. During our breaks we would research information about old Hollywood and share it with each other. I remember one time we met on Hollywood Boulevard and said to me in a low, conspiratorial tone,” Steve, man, you what I found out today? That Thomas Edison owned the rights to the movie camera and the early moguls like Mayer, Warner, and Zukor they had to pay him tributes. They why they left the East Coast and came west — they were outlaws, baby!” The more information we found out, the more fun it was to give the tour. And I’ve got a good memory for stories so having different material kept it fresh, I think for the customers as well. Anyway, eventually I had the idea that these very short anecdotes could be told anywhere and that’s what led, after a few other projects, to the idea for the book.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I don’t know if it is unusual but the book was largely formed by telling the stories to the tour customers and getting a great response. Once I actually start writing I also try to go to multiple sources to keep the stories fresh. For example:

Marlene’s Wartime Regret

Marlene Dietrich found her true calling entertaining the Allied troops in 1943. The forty-two-year-old actress,who never enjoyed making movies, got a crash course in how to talk to audiences. Nothing could be tougher or more fulfilling than performing in front of young men who might die in battle the next day. The Berlin-born American citizen overcame suspicions that she was actually an Axis spy, and was proud of spurning Hitler’s request to return to Germany. After World War II ended, she enjoyed being a lusty cabaret singer for many years and tried never to take herself too seriously. Marlene, whose long list of romances ranged from John Wayne to General Patton, once mentioned to her husband that she should have married Hitler back in the thirties, and then there would have been no war. She laughed when he agreed
and stated that the Fuhrer would have killed himself much sooner.

The ending of the story came from an old People Magazine article; after getting the punchline it was matter of going to other sources to get the biographical information to hopefully make the story flow and tell it in a unique way. The other thing that might be a little unusual is that with these anecdotes I am trying as best I can to stay away from scandals and the scurrilous.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
With books about Hollywood the three big ones are David Niven, James Bacon, and Bob Thomas, all of them wrote wonderful books about the movie biz. If people Google those names they will find hours of entertaining reading although some of the books they may have to buy used. Fiction-wise I like a lot of different authors but I so admire the late Michael Crichton who was an absolute master at giving fascinating scientific information while keeping his stories flowing.

What are you working on now?
I’m working on the second Hollywood Stories book, I still give tours both privately and for the Company I work for, VIP Tours and Charters, and done some speaking engagements where I tell the stories off the bus which I want to do more of. Book marketing is by itself a full time job, and I find it both fascinating and fun.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
Without a doubt so far it has been KDP Select. Just to share a little story, F. Scott Fitzgerald wrote The Great Gatsby in 1925, apparently he and his wife Zelda were living a Gatsby-like lifestyle, riding on the top of Pierce Arrows, etc. Cut to twelve years later Zelda was sadly committed to a Sanatorium, and Fitzgerald, heavy drinking, temperamental and often hard to deal with arrives in Hollywood and has an affair with gossip columnist Sheila Graham. Besides being lovers their affair was sort of mentor/pupil, Fitzgerald wanted her to read his novels, they went to practically every bookstore in LA, and couldn’t find a copy of Gatsby which was pretty much out of print in 1937. Five years later in 1942 an organization the Council on Books in Wartime, an organization of publishing executives, purchased 155,000 copies and gave them out to our soldiers overseas, word-of-mouth began to spread and shortly thereafter it began selling like hotcakes, unfortunately too late for Fitzgerald who died two years previous, believing himself a failure. The KDP Select free giveaway program gives authors a chance to not necessarily get the same results but at least try a Gatsby-like marketing method at a reasonable cost.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Find a marketing method that you enjoy. Also there is story in my book about animator Chuck Jones that I personally found very inspiring:

Be All You Can Be!

Legendary animator Chuck Jones identified more with his less-than-perfect characters.Bugs Bunny was such an invincible force that he had to be minding his own business before he was provoked. Only then could the rabbit be justified in raining downcomplete destructionon his enemies.Chuck Jones felt more kinship with the perennial loser Daffy Duck. Likewise, the ever-hungry Coyote was made more sympathetic than the invulnerable Roadrunner. The helpless carnivore, that was responsible for his own destruction, represented Jones’ personal ineptness with tools. How could someone with such an inferiority complex be a success in his own career? Chuck often told the story how when he was a kid in art school, he wanted to quit because the other students were so much more talented than he was.He changed his mind when the teacher advised him, “Just be the best Chuck Jones you can be.”

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Again from my book, two quotes from the Walt Disney Chapter:

“Nothing in this world can take the place of persistence. Talent will not;

nothing ismore common than unsuccessful people withtalent.Genius will not;

unrewarded genius is almost a proverb.”

— Calvin Coolidge

“When you’re curious, you’ll find a lot of interesting things to do.”

— Walt Disney

What are you reading now?
Just finished listening to Herman Wouk’s Marjorie Morningstar.

What’s next for you as a writer?
The sequel to Hollywood Stories; don’t know when it will be done, but I’m making progress.

What is your favorite book of all time?
Fiction: The Lords of Discipline by Pat Conroy

Non-fiction: Bring on the Empty Horses by David Niven

Author Websites and Profiles
Stephen Schochet Website
Stephen Schochet Amazon Profile

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
My name is Elias Zapple, children’s author of the Duke & Michel series of books, well-known moustache model and champion cabbage grower and these are not the only interesting facts about me. I am of average height, above average weight, (though I assure you that my many muscles are purely on an extended holiday), and with superior yet underrated looks. I enjoy sipping cabbage soup, growing cabbages and am extremely fond of admiring myself in the reflection of car windows as the wind races through my hair.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
The latest book is the first book as the second book is shy, though it has promised to release itself from its room sometime around lunch, just before Christmas.

The first book, Duke & Michel: The Mysterious Corridor, (which is available everywhere… on Amazon), was inspired when one night, as I slept in my four-poster bed, I was rudely awoken by some strange barking. I rushed downstairs to the parlour to see an adorable Basset Hound staring at me with those sad, puppy-dog eyes. He opened his mouth and said nothing because he’s a dog and cannot speak, not like us tulips. However, it got me thinking. What if he could speak, what would he say? I went back to sleep, after having kicked the Basset Hound out of the house, and the entire book of Duke & Michel: The Mysterious Corridor came to me, page by page, word by word.

Book 1: Duke & Michel: The Mysterious Corridor – released

Book 2: Duke & Michel: The King Tingaling Painting – reluctant to be released

Book 3: Duke & Michel: The Return of the Nibbles – stuck in my brain

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
Just before I scribble out a word, I have a compulsion, a ritual if you will, of taking one of my cabbages and hurling them at my neighbour, Dieter just as he goes out into his garden to feed his rabbits.

Aside from that, I do not really have any unusual habits. Maybe I am just a bit of an ordinary, boring, run-of-the-mill, New York Times best-selling author as all I really need to write is a mug of herbal tea, paper and a little needle in which to prick my index finger.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
Roald Dahl and all his works have influenced me greatly as have the fumes I was fortunate enough to inhale when I worked as 19th century Victorian chimney sweep.

What are you working on now?
Currently, I’m working on perfecting a new style for my moustache. When not waxing and styling Mr Snazzy, the name of my moustache, I am attempting to put up a new tent on a hill outside of Maputo, Mozambique.

Away from that busy schedule, and if the hypnotherapy works, I shall be working on Duke & Michel: The Return of the Nibbles.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I always find that moustachesoftheworld.com is a wonderful website in which to promote yourself. As for books, I do enjoy Twitter. Interacting with fans and exchanging cabbage-growing tips is wonderful.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Consider plumbing as a new profession. If you do insist on persisting with this writing lark, avoid entering children’s literature as this is my domain and I shan’t hesitate in hurling cabbages at you.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
“Elias, write that children’s book, ‘Duke & Michel’, it’ll be a huge success and children everywhere will love it. Also, please eat the lettuce in the fridge before it goes bad.” – My pet slug, Steve, after I had just mowed him down in a fatal lawn mowing accident.

What are you reading now?
‘How to Put Up a Tent’ by R.P. Baden.

‘Get the Most Out of Your Pet Slug’ by Slim Y. Roach

‘Cabbages – The Wonderful World of…’ by Mya Sprouts

I am a voracious reader, as you can see, and am often going through books quicker than I go through pet slugs. So much so, that I have had to organise quite a number of book burnings.

What’s next for you as a writer?
I have been selected to co-author the encyclopaedia to combing moustaches. Before that begins however, I shall attempt to continue book 3 of the Duke & Michel saga, ‘The Return of the Nibbles’.

What is your favorite book of all time?
Peter Ustinov’s ‘Monsieur Rene’.

Author Websites and Profiles
Elias Zapple Website
Elias Zapple Amazon Profile

Elias Zapple’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile
Facebook Profile
Twitter Account

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I am an ex-secretary, wife, mother, grandmother – and a farmer for more than 40 years, now living on and enjoying this end of my life on a retirement farm in beautiful Australia.

My book covers say ‘Author – Christine Larsen’, and it’s true… finally. Decades ago my written creations were shelved, in the belief that editors’ rejections equalled no talent. Instead I concentrated on raising a family and meeting the various needs of farming, including successfully raising a myriad of animals, nine of which were kangaroos.

It seems I have been rescuing something or someone ever since – on Lifeline telephones; adopting three ‘special needs’ children; in the community as a Careworker; animals from shelters; and from the Charity shops – abandoned small knitted folk.

Throughout these years I have remained an avid reader and wannabe author, constantly ‘moodling’ about this – until, like a volcano, my creative writing skills had no choice but to erupt, and here I am – working my fingers to the bone on my computer and having the time of my life. Welcome to my world!

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
‘Tall Tales from the Small Folk Clan’ is the 6th and last e-book in my ‘Small Folk Tales’ series. It was inspired by actual events in the lives of our own children and some neighbours’ youngsters. They made it easy to sneak into their minds and capture parts of their fertile imaginations.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I don’t know how unusual it is to write many of my words in the middle of the night. I’m an insomniac so it seems quite ‘normal’ to me. Most of my creations are first recorded with a special propelling lead pencil. I like the immediacy of the connection between pencil, paper and my gray matter. And then my ‘rough diamonds are ready for typing on my computer for the editing and cutting, pasting and rearranging, rewriting and tweaking to take place.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
Every author, every book I have read in 65 years has influenced me… every single one, whether good or bad. All were valuable steps on my journey.

What are you working on now?
I’m alternating as always, between my next children’s book and a change of pace and age focus; and the first book in my farming memoir series, about our ‘apprenticeship’ on a Western Australian wheat and sheep farm in the first years of the 1970’s. It is impossible to explain the pleasure I’m having writing this memoir, reliving those faraway days and the wonderful shared memories of a pair of determined dreamers. Today we are still together, still farmers, now on our retirement farm in my home State of South Australia. I guess that explains why no part of its creation is a chore… even the otherwise onerous task of editing – again and again, is actually OK when you’re reliving such marvellous experiences.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I’ve only become a self-published author this year, so I am still on learner plates when it comes to promoting my work. I do work hard at this and experiment with a number of methods and sites… but at this point it’s too early to tell which will work best. On a totally personal level, it feels like having won ‘Gold’ – this ultimate self-satisfaction of seeing my name on my books.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
30+ years of having packed my precious words away in mothballs due to too many rejections, too many tears and too heavy a loss of self-esteem, taught me the truth of ‘making Lemonade from the lemons Life gives you’… of never forgetting that ‘the strongest steel is forged in the hottest fire’… and most of all, to never, ever, ever give up.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
The best advice comes from the great mind of Thomas A. Edison when he said, “I have not failed 10,000 times. I have successfully found 10,000 ways that do not work.” But I find myself equally drawn to more of his words, “Many of life’s failures are people who did not realize how close they were to success when they gave up.”

What are you reading now?
‘Conviction’ by Richard North Patterson is one of my current ‘reads’. I am nearly finished Bryce Courtenay’s ‘ on my Kindle as well, and in between I peep into a Kahlil Gibran book and just let his words roll over my heart and soul.

What’s next for you as a writer?
Next? The proposed five books in my farming memoir series and a few more children’s books that are presently in various stages of progress – some still being ‘moodled’ about in my daydreams. And more tweaking and adding to my new booksite dedicated to my children’s books – ceedee4kids.

What is your favorite book of all time?
As I presently have some 1,000+ books in my library, and many of those are replacements as my tastes have changed over my lifetime, choosing just one favourite is like choosing which of your children you love the most. Simply put… impossible!

Author Websites and Profiles
Christine Larsen Website
Christine Larsen Amazon Profile

Christine Larsen’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile
Facebook Profile
Twitter Account

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I’ve always been intrigued by what took people to remote places so it is no surprise that my stories are set usually set on isolated islands in the southern seas, especially since I lived on one myself for many years. “My” small island was surrounded by never-ending sea – I can still feel the desolation of watching a rare ship sail of the bay.

That island of mine was first inhabited over 4,000 years ago as Polynesians left “Havaiiki” in search of something better or simply different and found strings of spectacular islands and atolls rising out of the sea. They travelled on fragile trimarans that should have sunk but survived the long voyage. They were courageous people, intelligent and beautiful with a lusty appreciation of sex.

Then Europeans came – traders and missionaries, whalers and sandalwood gatherers. Most of them were men who might well have thought they’d died and gone to heaven because of all the sex and erotic dancing under the moon, but by the end of the 1790’s the missionaries were coming and brought wives with them. They set up schools and reduced the language to writing. Polynesian script became an art form.

The clash of cultures would have been enormous – how to express joy or grief, for example. Beliefs about sensuality and promiscuity were miles apart and so was the attitude towards possessions – Polynesians took it for granted everything was to be shared while “sharing” was tantamount to theft to the Europeans. To put it simply, Polynesians believed this was right and that was wrong and Europeans believed differently. This is the world where my heroines and heroes live.

Luke Wainwright is an artist attracted by Polynesia’s vibrant light, but he hadn’t expected to bring a wife along with him. He is forced into a marriage with Hester because by the strict rules of regency England he played the fool once too often. (“Who is He?”)

A young man relies on others to choose the perfect wife for him, only to suffer the consequences. His wedding night is a nightmare – and that is just the beginning. (“A Perfect Wife for Peregrine Winthrop”)

Two wounded people have been acquainted forever but only truly meet when tragedy strikes and he sails to her aid. (“Unexpected Hero”)

Amelia is a destitute teacher who witnesses the slaughter of a man she has never met yet agreed to marry, while Guy thanks God for his wife’s betrayal – without it he would never have prepared for the worst. (“Drums”)

“Mistake” is still being written. Joshua, one of the seafaring Churnsides, blithely believes he is destined to live happily ever after with Reverend Browning’s daughter Susannah – until she makes a mistake he is unable to forgive.

Running through many of my stories is the theme of miscarriage – not surprising, I suppose, since about 20% of conceptions fail. Hester Wainwright has to wait years to give birth to a healthy babe. Charity Trescothick’s experience of tragedy causes weight loss and cessation of her periods, only with Sebastian’s love and care does she begin to heal – and gain weight. Susannah Browning is eventually happily married but still lives under the cloud of her mother’s many miscarriages.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
“Drums” is my latest and just uploaded on Amazon. Life in the early 19th century was a bit different to ours!!!! Especially for women, and especially in new settlements like Sydneytown in the colony of New South Wales. I tried to imagine what it would be like to be an aging (i.e. over thirty!!!) spinster and how such a woman would respond to the chance of marrying a newly-widowed missionary – “Drums” is the result, and here is the blurb.

1825, Polynesia. Amelia Yorke is a destitute teacher with a petunia in a flower pot outside her dingy cottage in Sydneytown. Guy Richmond is a botanist seeking orchids in the rainforest and heir to vast lands in New South Wales.

They come from different worlds and should never have met, yet come together on the deck of a sailing ship overlooking a spectacular tropical lagoon. And as drums on the beach threaten, a man desperately paddles for freedom: he is overtaken and soon the aquamarine water of the lagoon is stained by blood.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
Sorry – I just sit in front of my laptop and write, everlastingly thankful for the Scrivener programme.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
John le Carre, Jo Nisbo, Henning Mankell, Lavyrle Spencer (her “Gamble” is the first ‘romance’ I ever read and I love it.)

What are you working on now?
It’s called “Mistake” and is about childhood sweethearts destined to live happily ever. It’s set (as so often in my books) on a remote Polynesian island. The hero is a member of the seafaring family who often appear in my stories. The heroine is the daughter of a missionary. But life isn’t as simple as my hero thought. The heroine is attacked and eventually recovers. But then she makes a mistake that questions his honour. Recovering from that that takes an enormous leap in maturity.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
Well – Bookgoodies of course! And I really like the little books Fiverr produce.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
When I started writing fiction I attended a creative writing course. Afterwards I became good friends with the tutor. She told me the most important asset for a writer is fortitude. She was and is right.

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

What are you reading now?
Phantom by Jo Nesbo – I’ve read all his and Mankell’s books. I’m also reading The Italian’s perfect lover by Diana Fraser. It’s a contemporary romance and not a genre I usually read but Ms Fraser has a lovely silky ‘voice’ and I’m enjoying this book.

What’s next for you as a writer?
More of the same. Adding to my bookshelf of four books. I’ve a couple of manuscripts drafted and want to work on them. And I really ought to learn something about promotion.

What is your favorite book of all time?
Pride and Prejudice followed by The Gamble

Author Websites and Profiles
Gwendoline Ewins Website

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I’m 41 and I have just published my third novel. I first tried to write a novel at 18 and it took me 21 years to finish one to my satisfaction. This was partly because I have a very low boredom threshold, general lack of commitment to things, and I kept distracting myself by writing comedy sketches, sitcoms, non-fiction, making tons of music and doing stand-up comedy. For some reason I now find writing novels very easy and wrote my 100,000 word latest novel in 6 months with almost no planning. At the same time I’ve also written the first 20,000 words of another novel and, in the few days since publishing my 3rd novel, I’ve already written 20 pages of a sequel. I seem to have programmed my subconscious with some novel-writing software and now I just need pen or keyboard and it all comes out. I’ve always wanted to write existential novels and sci-fi – my main ambition is to write the new ‘1984’ or ‘The Idiot’ – but somehow I’ve found that I can write thrillers very quickly and easily so that’s what I’m currently doing, while trying to broaden out the genre as much as possible.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
My 3rd novel is ‘Random Target’, a sequel to my 2nd ‘The Memory Man’. Originally ‘The Memory Man’ was a one off but I couldn’t stop thinking about the characters and wanting to know what happened next so now I am writing the ‘T14’ series. T14 is my name for a counter-terrorism agency based in London, a mixture of MI5, SAS and police. The books are set in 2024, ten years after a terrorist attack kills 80,000 people – this allows me to construct a money-no-object, rule-bending organisation that could never exist outside of fiction. Luckily, they are the good guys. I’ve also set it in the future so that I can speculate about where technology and society may be heading. ‘The Memory Man’ refers to one of the agents who has a brain implant in his head. This is not as far-fetched as it sounds, they have actually been around since the 19th century. This one allows him to process digital information and interact with technology, without in any way making him a bionic man.

The idea for Random Target came to me out of the blue when I was sitting in a pub reading a book. I suddenly thought that a good idea for a novel would be weird things happening to randomly selected ‘normal’ people for no apparent reason. I speculated as to who would want to do this and what the reasons behind it would be. I originally wrote this as a standalone novel but then it just made sense to incorporate it into my next T14 book, so I did. I wondered how I would react if weird things started happening to me – would I put up with it or fight back – and that’s partly what the book is about.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I’ve just started writing a novel with pen and paper because I spend too much time in front of computer screens. It feels more like fun than ‘work’, and of course an A4 pad can’t crash and delete your book. I almost always write while doing something else – listening to music, listening to Cricket on the radio, sometimes even while watching a DVD. But usually I just drink buckets of tea and eat biscuits. Once on a writing course we had an assignment to write a short story in half an hour and for some reason I decided to have a few drinks before starting: I ended up writing 800 words in exactly half an hour and the only things I changed were 3 typos. It was a totally different style of fiction than I’d ever written before.

As an insomniac I often dictate ideas into my phone in bed or write in the notepad. Every few weeks I go through the dozens of recordings on my phone and find ideas I’d completely forgotten about. But I suppose my most unusual writing habit is that I cannot begin a chapter unless I’ve arranged all my stationary in alphabetical order and made a burnt offering of an exercise book to the god of fiction.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
Douglas Adams, George Orwell, Fyodor Dosdoevsky, James Herbert, Shaun Hutson, J.D. Salinger, Colin Wilson, Robert Heinlein, M.R. James, Arthur Conan-Doyle, H.G. Wells.

What are you working on now?
The third book in my T14 series and a novel about a private detective who investigates cases of missing people. I have many other ideas or just started novels but I’m now far more committed to actually finishing the things so all of them will be completed sooner or later.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I can’t answer this, I’m still looking. The only thing I feel I can do is get my name on as many web pages as possible (I also make music so have multiple profiles and pages for that, which helps with search engine rankings). I think having your own domain and site is essential now, and it costs almost nothing to set-up nowadays. I’ve just put my latest novel on KDP select and am currently running a 5 day free promotion. I think that now, for better or worse, people expect some free stuff up front so I have published a collection of poems and a book of short stories for free and posted them on as many sites as I could find. Both titles had over 1000 downloads within a week or 2 but this has yet to translate into significant sales. I think you have to just publish as much as possible and hope to eventually build up to a critical mass where people cannot help but notice you and your work. I have the usual facebook page, my own site, I’m a goodreads author, I have a smashwords profile etc but how much notice readers actually take of all that I’m not really sure.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Write, write and write some more. Don’t stop writing. If you’re really cut out to be a novelist then you won’t be able to stop thinking about your novel and your characters, they will be with you always. The first hurdle to overcome is to actually FINISH a novel length book. Doesn’t matter how great chapter one is, you have to be able to finish the whole thing. That was what took me the longest, but once I got over that barrier it because easier and easier and now I don’t think of novel writing as ‘work’ at all because I enjoy it so much. Early on I worked in journalism for 2 years: having your work edited by other people is very useful experience.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Graham Linehan, writer of ‘Father Ted’ and ‘The IT Crowd’. He was talking about script writing but it equally applies to novels:

When you’ve finished [your novel] put it in a drawer and ignore it for a month, preferably two. Then take it out and read it all the way through. If it still seems good to you then you’ve got something.

What are you reading now?
‘The Pure In Heart’ by Susan Hill. Rereading the 2nd in her series of crime novels which contain some of the best writing and characterisations I’ve ever encountered.

What’s next for you as a writer?
Who knows? That’s why I enjoy it so much.

What is your favorite book of all time?
1984. Read it 8 times, never fails to engage me in a new way.

Author Websites and Profiles
Marcus Freestone Website
Marcus Freestone Author Profile on Smashwords

Marcus Freestone’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile
Facebook Profile