Awesome Author Interviews

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I am an award winning PGA Teaching Professional, Former Mini Tour Golfer, Former Professional Soccer Player, Inductee in the University of Vermont Athletic Hall of Fame, Published Author and Patented Inventor.

I have written two books and am planning on writing at least four more in the EvoSwing Golf Instruction Series before moving on to self help/spiritual books.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
My latest book is Groove Your Move. In my teaching i have found that people have lots of information on WHAT to learn but, very little information on HOW to learn it. I studied Motor Leaning and Movement Patterning and applied what I learned to golf. Groove Your move is the result…

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I write in longhand and always conceive the ideas while hiking on the mountain behind my house.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
Lao Tzu, Gurdjieff, Castenada, Michael Murphy, Eckhart Tolle

What are you working on now?
The Power Primer…book #3 In the EvoSwing Series

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I am still figuring that out!

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Follow your passion and use as few words as possible to convey your message.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Edit, Edit, Edit

What are you reading now?
Nagarjuna’s Tree of Wisdom

What’s next for you as a writer?
After I finish my Golf Series I will be transitioning into Spiritual/Personal Growth books

What is your favorite book of all time?
George Gurdjieff In Search of The Miraculuos

Author Websites and Profiles
Geoff Greig Website
Geoff Greig Amazon Profile

Geoff Greig’s Social Media Links
Facebook Profile
Twitter Account

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
Kiexiza, (pronounced ki-eek-sa or just say Kie, like pie), was born and raised in Springfield, Massachusetts. She is the newly married, eldest sibling of ten children and a mother of four of her own. She currently resides in Virginia with her fiancé and two of her children. Known as a creative soul from a very young age, she embraced and developed her love for music, performing arts, cooking and poetry early on. Taking charge of her multicultural heritage, she has honed her many different talents, excelling her creative ideas to endless possibilities.

After years of friends and associates insisting she should share the trials she had endured, she finally sat down and began to try to express her life story in written words. The final product was not as she intended, but her debut novel Beautifu and series, The Beautiful Mess Series was born none the less. The B.M.S. is a collection of 5 novels that will touch on different aspects of Kiexiza’s life in a fictional, yet realistic way. Taking on the many things in life that may appear the best for us, but in the end can be our worst nightmares.

Kiexiza is the Exec Director of DiamondStar Entertainment & 4JV Publishing, a company who aids new entrepreneurs in Branding their name to the public through various avenues. She is also Co-Founder of Saving Lives Through Lit, an organization that desires to, though donations and the creation of Anthologies, assist the many foundations that give aid to families and persons affected by abuse and violence. Along with a board of 5, she is currently in the process of opening a bookstore/restaurant, SweetReadz, where entrepreneurs of all genres will have an opportunity to shine.

She writes for, contributed to, conducts reviews for many online magazines and blogs, such as: Literary Lounge Magazine, So Fyh Magazine, CEOMama, SorMag, SweetReadz Magazine and more.

Kiexiza’s debut literary novel and series of 5 novels entitled the Beautiful Mess Series was released in 2011 with; Beautiful. The second volume, Beautiful Seduction, released January 2013. She has just completed the 3rd volume Beautiful Innocence and hopes to release it late 2013. She also has stories in two anthologies, Voices Behind the Tears and Untapped: a collection of Erotic Firsts.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
My latest published book is Beautiful Seduction. It is the 2nd in a 5 book series. My inspiration behind the books is to write a book that will inspire and touch people in a great way. I wanted to write a book that did more than just entertained, but also stuck with my readers.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I like to write with a lot of noise. Most people tend to want silence or music maybe, but i write my best sitting in the mall surrounded by people coming and going.

What are you working on now?
I have just completed the manuscript on volume 3 Beautiful Innocence. It is the continuing story of 5 friends and all the drama they encounter as they live the reality of being adults.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I use Facebook mostly, twitter and lots of contests to draw readers in. I also pass out flyers in and around my neighborhood and do vending events.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
research before you publish your book. Take your time. Its natural to want to get your book out. but treat your book like your child. its a representation of you. So put your best foot forward and make it the best it can possibly be.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
a author i know told me to enlist the help of readers that like my books as beta readers to preview my novels before they go to print. It has been invaluable advice for me.

What are you reading now?
I am actually beta reading a book Vengeance Unleashed by an upcoming author TonyWade

What’s next for you as a writer?
After this volume, I have 2 more planned in the series. Somewhere in there a cookbook, poetry book, Sci-Fi book and an erotic romance novel. I also have a Jewelry business and sell Mary Kay cosmetics.

What is your favorite book of all time?
Chante’s Song, by Donniel Jackson

Author Websites and Profiles
Kiexiza Rodriquez Website
Kiexiza Rodriquez Amazon Profile

Kiexiza Rodriquez’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile
Facebook Profile
Twitter Account

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I am a fiction novel writer hailing from Central Ohio. Quiet and reserved would be the best way to describe myself, a not-so-crazy guy with an oh-so-crazy imagination. I absolutely love the outdoors ( hiking and mountain biking ) nearly as much as I love spinning tails of horror, action, and adventure…almost always with a dash of supernatural spice thrown in the mix. It is safe to say that the outdoors has no doubt inspired my writing as all of my books thus far primarily take place in the woods.

I currently have 3 books released – “Kamakazo” A terrifying tale about six men hunting down a flesh-eating whitetail deer in the hills of West Virginia. “Catahoula” A story of a dog named Jasper and his adventure through a haunted swamp in Louisiana. And “Kentucky Moon” A book about two brothers and their hunting dogs tracking down an evil entity that lives in the dark forests of Kentucky.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
My latest book entitled “Kamakazo” takes place in the hills of West Virginia. It is a story about six hunters banning together to take down a carnivorous whitetail deer that one of the said hunters discovers on his property. I think the very root of what inspired the story is simply that I decided to take one of the most seemingly harmless creatures of the forest, the whitetail deer, and turn it into a raging monster. Sort of a “what if” scenario, I feel that turning a thing you picture in your head as innocent or majestic into a monster, makes the thought of it that much more terrifying. I have spent many hours observing whitetail deer in the outdoors, the way they move etc. They are nimble and lightning fast. They quite literally have been recorded jumping over objects 9 feet high and clearing gaps 30 feet across. Couple that with their camouflaged bodies in the forest and you would have a deadly predator if you gave them the teeth and the claws to get the job done.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
Hmm, I am not sure if this would be considered unusual but I have a tendency to write almost everything longhand ( with pencil and paper ) I guess in the digital age we live in that would be considered perhaps slightly bizarre. In fact, every novel I have written so far has been all by pencil and paper in rough draft form. I guess that spawns from my distrust of computers. I once started typing a story when I was much younger and the computer froze when I was ten pages in and lost all my work. From that day forward I started writing in notebooks. The one downfall of writing out your rough draft in pencil is taking the time to type it all back out on the computer.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
This is a slightly difficult one for me to answer. The truth, and I hate to confess it, is I have not read a novel in over 18 years. Yes, 18 years. Why? Ever since I started writing books I have had a bizarre fear that I will subconsciously emulate other authors writing styles and/or ideas if I read their books. It is a silly thing I know, but I have actually talked to several other writers who share a similar fear. But if I had to name one author that influenced me back when I did read it would be the late and great Michael Crichton. A very good story teller indeed. I especially loved Congo, Jurassic Park, and Eaters of the Dead.

What are you working on now?
Pretty excited about this one! My fourth and current novel project entitled “Gemini” is a horror/ action story about an old world book called the Gemini. It takes place in the fictional town of Harbinger Valley Pennsylvania. A girl named Samantha Page stumbles upon a strange book traded into the bookstore where she works. Old, untitled, and mysterious looking she knows the tome has to be special. It is not long that an eccentric man dressed in 1800s garb comes looking for the book. Introducing himself as Alistair Neembo, he is looking for an antique book called the Gemini. Samantha lies and denies ever seeing it.

The story soon progresses into an apocalyptic scenario as Samantha inadvertently reactivates the book and Alistair Neembo regains possession of it. The Gemini turns out to be a field guide and summoning device for old world demons known as Necronites.

The town of Harbinger Valley will never be the same as an army of demons is summoned to hunt down 10000 humans for summoning a gateway for the olde gods to come back to earth and rule once again. And the key to the gateway? The sacrifice of a soothsayer. All of those horrid dreams and macabre visions she had her whole life she had chalked up to mental illness, but no, Samantha turns out to be the one last piece that Neembo needs to bring back his gods of darkness. But one thing stands in his way, a mysterious and vengeful man by the name of Newt Dit Doon arises from the shadows ripping demons limb from limb with his bare hands. Haggard and having a past with Neembo going back over 150 years, he is the one last hope for saving Samantha, and the entire world.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
So far Facebook has been a good outlet. Social media is a great weapon for promotion.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Admittedly I am still climbing the shaky ladder to success, but, as stated above, I would say social media is your best ally. Definitely create an author page on Facebook. Friend as many folks as you can, never stop reminding people that your book is out there and you want people to read it. If you are not excited about your book no one else will be.

Also, get yourself a website. They are so inexpensive these days and very easy to make.

Another piece of advice is do free ebook giveaways on Kindle. You’ll have to join KDP select to do this but it is a good tool to get your book into peoples hands.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
LOL! When I hear the best advice ever I will be sure and let you know.

What are you reading now?
Currently, my own excessive blathering. Love to pick a book not written by me up one day, but I just don’t seem to have the time.

What’s next for you as a writer?
That I don’t know. If anything is uncertain it is the future. I imagine I will hunker down and keep fighting the good fight here in the indie author trenches. Hopefully one day I will win the battle and more people will recognize my name in the literary world. I have over 10 books waiting to be written so one thing is for sure, there will be plenty of work for me to do.

What is your favorite book of all time?
Jurassic Park, LOL! Just a good book. The best part of it? Dinosaurs, everyone loves Dinosaurs. I watched that movie 13 times when it came out. Surprisingly the book was not that far of from the movie which seems to be a rare thing. Of course the book was better though.

Author Websites and Profiles
Wes McCloud Website
Wes McCloud Amazon Profile

Wes McCloud’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile
Facebook Profile

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
Hi, My name is Codi Gary, and I write Contemporary Romance for Avon Impulse. So far, I have a great little novella called The Trouble with Sexy, which was part of Kiss Me: An Avon Valentines Day Anthology released Feb. 2013 and my first full length novel, Things Good Girls Don’t Do releasing August 2013. I live in Southern Idaho, have been an avid bookwork for over 20 years, and fell in love with romance when I was in my teens. I love my family, small town life, white chocolate mochas, animals, and thunderstorms. I enjoy watching anything by Joss Whedon, The Big Bang Theory, New Girl, and a very long list of other awesome shows, as you can tell by my Pinterest Boards. I am kind of a social media junkie, although I’m still learning the ropes and love recommendations on “what to read” with others.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
Things Good Girls Don’t Do is a Contemporary Romance Novel about a small town “good” girl who gets dumped hard and loses faith that her Prince Charming is out there. When the town bad boy catches her making a list of things she’s always been told she shouldn’t do, he offers to help her check off each item…especially the naughty ones. It is a funny, sweet, and emotional love story I hope readers will enjoy.

A couple of things inspired this book. I wanted the contrast between a “good” girl and a “bad” boy, and I kept remembering all of the old saying my mother used to advise me with; Do unto others, If you can’t say something nice, Oh what tangled webs…and with awesome country songs like Mama’s Broken Heart and Before He Cheats blaring in my ears, the story was born.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
Besides my obsessive coffee addiction, my country music playlist, or my comfy Sheldon like spot on my loveseat? Oh you mean the WAY I write 🙂 I tend to write sassy with a touch of quirky and a lot of humor. One thing about my books is I love to laugh, and I hope that comes through in my style. I ADORE when my characters banter; quick witted barbs, sharp responses, and clever quips make me tingly all over…with happiness, geez!

What authors, or books have influenced you?
Gosh, there are so many, how do you chose? Rachel Gibson, Lynn Kurland, Susan Elizabeth Phillips, and Christina Dodd are all biggies for me, but even historicals by Eloisa James and Julia Quinn have shaped the way I write and the stories I tell.

What are you working on now?
A Contemporary Romance for one of my Rock Canyon secondary characters. It’s about a single mother who bumps into her first love and complications (and sparks) flame up between them. At the same time, I am finishing a Valentine’s Day novel.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I’m still learning the ropes, but I always get a little thrill on Tumblr when my posts are reblogged. The best thing I’ve found is interacting with other authors and promoting each other.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Don’t give up. Take all the advice you can, and use it to make your book better. Get to know other authors and listen to their success (and sometimes not so successful) stories. Love what you write, because you will reread it fifty times before it’s ready.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Your voice is unique. Use it.

What are you reading now?
I just read He Watches Me by Cynthia Sax.

What’s next for you as a writer?
I’m off to RWA next week to soak in all the information I can, and then back working on my Old Flame and Valentine’s Day WIP.

What is your favorite book of all time?
Of all time? Why do you have to make it so hard? If I’m being nostalgic, I’d say I’ll Love you Forever. I read it as a kid and now I read it to my kids, and I bawl everytime.

Author Websites and Profiles
Codi Gary Website

Codi Gary’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile
Facebook Profile
Twitter Account
Pinterest Account

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I’m a keen amateur golfer, with an imagination that never quits, and a driving urge to write, simply to avoid being driven insane by the characters in my head. I have written more books than I can conveniently count over the years, many of which have not survived the test of time.

At present though I have 3 novels and 5 shorts, along with 2 novels that are in the process of being serialised.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
My most recent release is The Bodyguard, which is part 2 of Deceptions, a dramatic action thriller I am serialising.

I couldn’t say what inspired the story, only that the idea came to me and wouldn’t leave me alone until I started work on it.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I wouldn’t say my writing habits are unusual, but I do tend to be more productive in the evenings and during the night.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
I’ve always been impressed by Tom Clancy, although he writes complex stories he writes them in such a way that they are easy to get into and follow.

What are you working on now?
I have two titles that I am serialising right at the moment (I like a challenge 🙂 )

The first is Deceptions, a dramatic action thriller set in Europe, and The Reckoning, the sequel to my bestselling drama Shattered.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
To date I have discovered Facebook to be the best method for promoting my titles, other than paid advertising, which can be hit and miss.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
The best advice I can give is something I have only recently learned to follow myself, and that is to get a professionally done cover. Though it may cost, the investment is well worth it.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
The best advice I’ve been given is to invest in my writing; pay for editing, professional covers and advertising. Don’t waste money needlessly but be prepared to invest.

What are you reading now?
Right now I am reading Shogun by James Clavell, a fantastic novel about Japan in the 1t600s

What’s next for you as a writer?
At present I am trying to build my brand as an author, specifically I am working on my Donna Harp series, which has started off well.

What is your favorite book of all time?
Choosing an all time favourite book is almost impossible, there are just too many good ones out there.

Author Websites and Profiles
Karl Jones Website
Karl Jones Amazon Profile

Karl Jones’s Social Media Links
Facebook Profile
Twitter Account

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I wrote ‘Psychology for parents: Birth to teens’, my first book, because I really wanted to share with parents psychological research on parenting.

When I became a mother, I felt that many parenting books offered conflicting advice. At one extreme there are attachment parenting books, which suggest that parents should carry their baby around at all times and co-sleep. At the other extreme, there are books telling parents to get their baby into a routine straight away.

As a psychology teacher, I decided to look at the academic research on parenting and to write a book based on evidence rather than opinion.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
My book ‘Psychology for parents: Birth to teens’ aims to bridge the gap between ‘how to’ parenting books and child psychology textbooks. I wanted to address the many different opinions and controversies regarding parenting and educating children and present psychological research n parenting in an accessible way.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I get a lot of ideas from talking to parents and listening to their concerns about their children. I then research the topics using academic journals so only I start writing after lots of reading.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
Superpowers for parents by Stephen Briers, Toxic Childhood by Sue Palmer, How to talk so kids will listen by Adele Faber and Elaine Mazlish and Playful parenting by Lawrence Cohen.

What are you working on now?
I am thinking of writing a book on parenting teenagers and psychology for teacher.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
The world literary café has lots of features that enable authors to promote their book.

1)It allows authors to increase the number of twitter, facebook and blog followers they have by linking up with other authors who follow you back.

2)You can let readers know when your book is free on this site.

3)You can advertise your book when it is newly released (in the last month).

4)It has a forum which allows authors and bloggers to connect for blog tours and other cross-promotional activities. Corey Circello, another self-published author, is showcasing my book on his blog now.

5)It has a forum where you can get reviews from reviewers or do a review exchange with another author. I have just done a review exchange with another author Marquita Herald, who has written a book on self-publishing. A particularly helpful exchange for me.

6)You can also promote your book via their IndieKindle twitter feed.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Self-publishing is particularly good for ebooks and gives you the opportunity to make a greater return on your efforts if you can market your book effectively-70-80% return as opposed to 10-20% return on sales so many authors may go for ebook self-publishing in the future. However, marketing a book can be very time-consuming so I can see the benefits of having a publisher. However, I have read that traditionally published authors still have to do a lot of marketing.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
“Many of life’s failures are people who did not realize how close they were to success when they gave up.”

― Thomas A. Edison

What are you reading now?
I am reading a book by Marquita Herald called ‘Beyond your book’, which is helping me work out the best way to market my book.

I am also reading ‘The BFG’ by Roald Dahl to my son.

I have just finished reading ‘The Fallen Star’ by Jessica Sorensen, a paranormal romance.

What’s next for you as a writer?
I am interested in writing about mindfulness and self-publishing. Two topics I am investigating at the moment.

What is your favorite book of all time?
Persuasion by Jane Austen.

Author Websites and Profiles
Faye Carlisle Website
Faye Carlisle Amazon Profile
Faye Carlisle Smashwordsr Profile

Faye Carlisle’s Social Media Links
Facebook Profile
Twitter Account
Pinterest Account

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I was born in Seattle and went to film school to learn how to become a director. The movie business is tough to break into and I eventually decided to stop pursuing that career. Mostly because I love movies so much and making them takes the magic away. It’s like being backstage at a play. I transitioned into short stories because all it cost me was my time and have grown to love writing the way I used to love film-making. I’ve published 8 stories and I’ve written 4 others that I’m busy editing.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
Vraniga. I originally thought of the idea roughly 15 years ago. I was curious about how dictators came about and how they evolved into monsters.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I don’t think so. Coffee is essential to my creative process.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
Stephen King, Michael Crichton, and Richard Matheson are a few.

What are you working on now?
Many new ideas, summaries, and 4 stories I wrote earlier this year that I’m trying to finish, but enjoying it along the way.

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

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Consistency. Write almost everyday, taking 1 or 2 days off a week to rest and allow yourself to be inspired. Take a recorder or notepad everywhere you go. Have backups. Write down anything that you feel is an idea, good or bad. I don’t know how many times a basic idea blossomed into a full-fledged story.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
There is no writer’s block.

What are you reading now?
NOT TACO BELL MATERIAL as shouted at Mike Lynch by Adam Carolla

What’s next for you as a writer?
I hope I live long enough, I’ll put it that way. I’m so behind. I need more time to write everything I want to.

What is your favorite book of all time?
I have 5. JURASSIC PARK, OF MICE AND MEN, THE MIST, ENDER’S GAME, and I AM LEGEND.

Clint Gleason’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I grew up in central Wisconsin, where, in my youth, I wrote stories about robots conquering the Moon and trolls lumbering around in the woods behind my parents’ house, and the fact that the trolls were hunting for little boys had nothing to do with my pesky brothers, Jai and Jon. Eventually I moved to Minnesota to pursue a Masters of Fine Arts degree in Creative Writing from Minnesota State University, Mankato.

Since graduating, I have written more than 60 books for children, including retellings of The Legend of Sleepy Hollow and the Perseus and Medusa myth. Most recently, I’m working on choose-your-path books: Treasure Island and Campfire Crisis.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
One of my most recent releases is Campfire Crisis, a story about three children who have to survive a forest fire while hike-in camping with their parents. I grew up camping, thanks to my grandparents, so I wanted to write a story that would help young campers learn some of the ins and outs of camping.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
Only that I make writing a habit. It’s something I do almost every day, even if camping in the backwoods.

Over the years, I’ve also learned to take frequent breaks from work. There’s nothing more painful than suffering from writing fatigue, so I’ll get out of my office to weed the garden or take the dog for a walk just to help keep things functioning upstairs.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
JRR Tolkien and Gabriel Garcia Marquez

What are you working on now?
I just wrapped up a dinosaur and a mythology book in National Geographic Kids EVERYTHING series.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
Throughout Minnesota, I present at young author events, teaching kids how to write and tell stories, and use my own books as examples.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
read lots—that’s probably more important than writing at first.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
In grad school, one of my profs was Terry Davis, author of Vision Quest. After reading one of my stories, he asked me if I even enjoyed writing it. From that day on, I made sure that I enjoy what I’m writing. When a writer is having fun with their work, is shows in the quality.

What are you reading now?
Kid Beowulf, a graphic novel series by Alexis Fajardo.

What’s next for you as a writer?
I’m going to write a book about dragons

Author Websites and Profiles
Blake Hoena Website
Blake Hoena Amazon Profile

Blake Hoena’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile
Facebook Profile
Twitter Account

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
Hello all, I am the author of Tartarus and most recently The Girl With Nine Lives.

An avid day dreamer, I usually prefer fantasy to reality. I am a dedicated worshipper of maltesers and am best approached when I am not hungry. God help you if I’m hungry, cold and tired. I am a huge fan of all things Lord Of The Rings and Harry Potter. Things I hate- ill consideration for other people, poor manners and mint chocolate. Favourite things consist of adventures, surprises (good ones) and finding money in unexpected places. I love random acts of kindness, saving hedgehogs from peril, and beating the odd man at an arm wrestle.

I wrote Tartarus as a way to rid myself of nightmares. A sufferer of Old Hag’s Syndrome (sleep paralysis) it gave me many ideas of what to inject into my first novel. It was published in 2012 and I forbade my mother to ever read it (I didn’t want her to know what went through her youngest daughter’s head).

In 2013 I published The Girl With Nine Lives- something that I wrote for a competition hosted by The Kernal Mag and Harper Collins. It follows the story of Ellena Blackwood and her talking cat Ben, (Benedict if you want to get into his good books) as they drink rum, sniff catnip and get into more trouble.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
My latest book is The Girl With Nine Lives, born out of desperation and inspired by a scruffy ginger cat. I wrote The Girl With Nine Lives due to a competition hosted by The Kernal Mag and Harper Collins. The rules were simple- write a book over two days.

I completely dehumanised myself that day. I didn’t eat, drink, wash or talk. I allowed my subconscious to speak for itself and as it did, memories of a childhood cat came spilling out. Ben’s idea of grooming himself was to roll around in oil and grit, a lone ranger, he always walked me to school, shared his cat biscuits with me and sat with me when I was upset.

We were a poor family and moved to a different town for a new life- a life that Ben found difficult to adapt to. He was 18, went for a walk and never came back.

As I wrote, I thought, what would happen if a cat like Ben came back to his owner years later? What would happen if he could come back and have the ability to talk? And how would I react? I put my reactions, thoughts and feelings into a character called Ellena Blackwell and wrapped around them both a set of circumstances that would test their friendship.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
When I start writing, I literally shut off the internet and switch some music on- the music is very important to what I’m writing. If it’s a horror, then I have to listen to edgy music. Fantasy= classical/chillout. Fiction depends on the theme- if it’s set in the countryside then I’ll have to stick a bit of Seasick Steve on.

I can’t write without tea or some snack to boost me off, and I won’t be happy unless I’ve wrote more than 1000 words.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
Kim Harrison, Danny King and Michel Faber has influenced me massively. Michel Faber gave me the courage to step out of my comfort zone, Danny King dragged me away from the cliché and Kim Harrison gave me the confidence to write in the genres I love best.

What are you working on now?
I’m currently working on the sequel of The Girl Of Nine Lives and I’ve got something else cooking- my new horror/dark fantasy book Edge of Demons. Writing is all I know and love and you’re bound to hear a lot more titles from me this year.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
My best method has been covering the basics.

*Get a good book

*Get a good cover

*Get the social networking/website done

*Giveaways are a must when getting reviews

*Great sites like this to showcase your work

*Get a press release sorted to send to newspapers/magazines

*Never give up!

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Never give up! Don’t take anything personally when it comes to critique- some people will like your book and some wont. One of the biggest mistakes an author can do is having a bad front cover- this is the first thing that readers see- get it done professionally! Never stop promoting your work, whether it’s contacting your local paper or radio station- get the word out. Social media can be a blessing with getting people to see your work, get a fan page set up and set yourself up a website.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Never ever ever ever give up.

What are you reading now?
I’m currently reading Kim Harrison’s latest book Ever After. I love the dialogue and fast paced storyline of these books and I worship the main character Rachel Morgan.

What’s next for you as a writer?
Next, I will be publishing the sequel of The Girl With Nine Lives, and moving onto the next book! I’ve got endless storylines in my head, half crafted and completed and they need doing something with! An agent is the long term goal, but as the market is so competitive, I remain dedicated to making myself a successful writer- with or without an agent.

What is your favorite book of all time?
Oh gosh, this is so hard. I’m going to have to say The Harry Potter books- simply because I have read them countless times, they have made me laugh, cry, stay up all night and dream of another life. J.K Rowling is a huge inspiration- when I think about what she has achieved, my stomach actually flips. I have been following her story since a child- she made me believe that I could achieve anything.

Author Websites and Profiles
Elizabeth Earle Website
Elizabeth Earle Amazon Profile

Elizabeth Earle’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile
Facebook Profile
Twitter Account
Pinterest Account

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I’ve devoted most of my life to being a police officer. I’ve always love writing, however, and I spent my free time writing fiction and poetry. A couple of years ago I got a great idea for a novel and decided to flesh it out. After a lot of work and revision, I was able to complete the manuscript for The Wormhole Effect. I shopped around and finally found a publisher willing to put it into print.

As I come to the close of my police career, I see myself now more as an aspiring author rather than a retiring cop. Oddly enough, the things I love to write have little to do with police work. My chosen genre is science-fiction, mainly because that is what I enjoy reading. There are so many stories to be told, and I enjoy the fact that now I’m in a position to tell a few of them. Now that I’m ready to hang up my badge and gun and sit pensively with my laptop, I’d love to explore new universes–one page at a time.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
My novel is called The Wormhole Effect. I’ve always had a passion for time-travel stories, and I’ve been fascinated by Area 51 and the secrets supposedly held there. In this novel, I combine the two interests and answer a few questions that have plagued me for many years. If you want to know all the secrets too, they’re all in there.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I have four kids at home, so my writing is usually done late at night when they’ve all drifted off. The advantage to that is that in the wee hours when it’s quiet, your mind can wander places it might not find in the light of day. The soft touch of a shadow on your shoulder at 3 a.m. is all the fuel an active imagination needs to get started.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
I’ve always admired good writers in the sci-fi field. I grew up reading Frank Herbert, Arthur C. Clark, Ben Bova, Isaac Asimov, Ray Bradbury, and James P. Hogan. I’ve also drawn on writers from other genres who are exceptionally good at the craft. Among these I cite Stephen King and Tobias Wolff as my favorites.

What are you working on now?
My second novel is called The Phoenix Protocol. The plot centers on a geneticist who perfects a technique for cloning humans from degraded DNA and attempts to recreate the greatest geniuses from history.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I’ve found that social networking, through sites like Facebook and Twitter, are a remarkable resource for marketing a book. Word-of-mouth is always the best advertisement, and social sites provide an electronic means of spreading the word.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
The best advice I can give is to learn the craft, perfect your skills as a writer, read other books in your genre to maintain a feel for what readers like, and most of all, be persistent; not only in refining your skills, but in getting your story down on paper (or on the hard-drive). After that, be persistent in getting your manuscript into the hands of someone who appreciates the work you’ve put into your story.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Remember, a writer writes… always. That’s a line from the movie Throw Mama From the Train.

What are you reading now?
Right now I’m in the middle of a genetics textbook.

What’s next for you as a writer?
I want to finish my manuscript and work on refining it into something a reader cannot put down until the very last page.

What is your favorite book of all time?
Dune by Frank Herbert.

Author Websites and Profiles
Leonard Walker Website
Leonard Walker Author Profile Other Bookseller

Leonard Walker’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile
Facebook Profile

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
My name is Wendy and I am a wife, mother, and soon to be teacher. I grew up in a small town in West Virginia and moved to Texas shortly after graduating high school. After being in an automobile accident, I moved back home and enrolled in college. While studying there I met my husband. We have moved quite a bit due to his job and we are hoping to get back to WV very soon. I am currently working towards my Masters degree so that I can become a teacher.

I have written one book so far called “Tangled Web” and I am working on its sequel “Spider Web”. I am also working on a book apart from that series called “Derailed” and hope to have them both out within the next year to year and a half.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
The name of my book is “Tangled Web”. The biggest inspiration for the book was to write something that my daughters would be able to read someday. I love a good mystery but I had a hard time finding one that wasn’t filled with curse words or sexually explicit material. I have a daughter that is young but reads well above her grade level and it is getting harder and harder to find books that challenge her that don’t contain situations that she doesn’t need to be exposed to.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I don’t know if it is unusual but I prefer to write in the very early morning. Everyone else is asleep and there aren’t any distractions. I make a cup of tea (or two) and engross myself in my work. I usually try to have an outline of what I think is going to happen, but I am always wrong. I guess my characters know better than I do.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
I enjoy Meg Cabot, James Patterson, Emily Bronte, Warren Murphy, and so many more. I also enjoy YA and Mystery. The Harry Potter series, Beautiful Creatures series, Twilight, The Forever King, and the list could go on and on.

What are you working on now?
I am working on the sequel to my first book and it’s called “Spider Web”. Once again the story follows Cecile and the rest of the characters although this time the tables have been turned and one of them is in trouble.

I am also outlining another book called “Derailed”. Its about four women who were in the same sorority in college and come together for the reunion. When another member of the sorority is killed, they work together to find out who did it- another “sister” or one of them?

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I have a Goodreads page that I keep updated and a Facebook page. I also use Pinterest!

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Do not get discouraged! Be confident in your abilities and let your personality shine through. Never let anyone tell you that your work isn’t good enough to publish. Write, read, rewrite, read, have someone else read, and rewrite.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Do not worry.

What are you reading now?
Beautiful Chaos

What’s next for you as a writer?
The next step for me is to continue writing. I may never make it as a full time writer and that’s ok for me. Writing is my release, my escape, so as long as there is a story in my head I will put it to paper and continue living my dream.

What is your favorite book of all time?
My all time favorite book is Wuthering Heights- I can pick it up anytime and read it.

Author Websites and Profiles
Wendy Stanphill Website

Wendy Stanphill’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile
Facebook Profile
Pinterest Account

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.

I was Born in 1976, in Durban South Africa, to two government-school teachers at all-Indian schools, in a country governed under the law of apartheid, and began a life that held little promise.

A boy who was taught to believe in his dreams and to take the necessary risks in pursuing them, I have lived – and continue to live – a life devoted to freedom and truth, mostly against the currents of convention.

My debut book, ‘My Life My Africa’ is a true life story that took place between 2001 and 2006, when, at the age of 23, I looked at my life and began questioning whether I had any purpose more meaningful than waking up to an alarm every morning and rushing to a job that returned no sense of fulfillment. It’s a journey that led me into the wild of rural Africa, to learn some pretty important lessons about myself and humanity.

I have spent 2006 to 2013 setting up a Children’s Foundation in an Informal Urban Settlement in Johannesburg South Africa, to keep children off the streets and in a mentorship program that helps them to find their own identity and purpose in life.

I am currently still in Johannesburg, marketing my book and preparing for my next adventure, in search of ‘Real China’, which I plan to begin in January 2014. In between this, I have just begun work on my 2nd book, the sequel to My Life My Africa, which follows my Journey into the ‘Squatter Camp’ (Informal Urban Settlement), where I learn some deeper truths. And through this next season, I continue to search for the way in which I am called to assist the Youth of Africa to release their voice and reclaim their identity.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
My debut book is My Life My Africa: a Real African adventure…in search of Love, Freedom and True Community.

I heard a call on my heart, back in April 2000. It was a very clear Voice that came to me after years of searching within myself, for my purpose…my calling. The Voice said, “Go where I tell you, and write your story for the world to read.” So I dropped everything, said goodbye to friends and family, threw my backpack over my shoulders, and went.

So I started off, being inspired to discover my potential and – to a degree – that is still my driving force. But as I have grown, I have discovered a beautiful relationship between me and my Soul, and it is the building of this relationship, by me trusting and following my Soul’s prompting and nudging, that truly inspires me.

Whenever I am writing, I am shedding my masks and getting closer to my True self. And whenever I follow my Inner Voice, I am swept away on fantastic adventures. I haven’t found anything more inspiring than that, so that’s why I write.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
There’s a character that I sometimes go into, when I’m feeling ‘in the zone’. So I get out my cocktail shaker and make myself a vodka martini…stirred, not shaken, otherwise the ice cracks and that influences the taste. I load it with olives and take it back to my chair and set it on my little side table. Then I light up a cigar, kick back, and allow myself to drift into a Sherlock Holmes moment 🙂

What authors, or books have influenced you?
I am not really influenced so much by authors as I am by books. Although I do have some possible issues of hero-worshiping Paulo Coelho 😉

Most influential books: The Celestine Prophecy, Fingerprints of the Gods, The Alchemist, The Awakening of Intelligence, The Gospel of Buddha, The Bible, The Baghavad Gita, Conversations with God, Shantaram

What are you working on now?
Well, that’s a tough one that I’m busy figuring out. I am currently journaling my next adventure in rural China. Now I don’t know if that will actually be the next book I release, or whether I will release the sequel to My Life My Africa, which takes the adventure into the Squatter Camps. This picks up from where My Life My Africa ends.

So, I don’t know really. Am just following my Path and will see what is revealed along the Way

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
Since this is my debut book and I am running my first major promotion, I can’t really tell you much. Check back with me after September 2013 and I’ll have more useful information for you!

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Oh wow, this is such a tough one, because it is the brutal truth that no writer can avoid. And I say this with love and total respect, because I have been – and am still being – drawn through the refining process. So here goes…

The difference between writers and wannabee writers is just this one thing…writers write.

So write. Everyday. Write. One sentence. One word. I don’t care, just write.

Love it, hate it, it doesn’t matter. Just write.

That’s the hard truth. Once you’ve got past that stage, then here’s some other things that have helped me:

1. get a nagger. This person’s only responsibility is to nag you to insanity, ensuring that once a week, there is something…anything, in their inbox, that you have written.

2. set small targets. really small and achievable ones. the brain works like that, it likes to feel a sense of achievement, and somewhere in the mystery of the creative realm, the more we feel a sense of achievement, the more creativity is unlocked.

3. get yourself a copy of Steven Pressfield’s ‘The War of Art’.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
“If you can dream it, you can be it. If you believe it, you will achieve it.” My father planted this into my head and my heart from as early as I can remember, and it has been my guiding voice of encouragement to follow my dreams

What are you reading now?
I am currently reading “The Winter Bushman Has Come” which is the story of Paul Myburgh, who spent 4 years living with the last Free Bushmen of the Kalahari

What’s next for you as a writer?
Rural China is the next adventure that begins in January. There’s a book in that.

Then there is the sequel to My Life My Africa, which I have already mentioned.

And then there is the prequel to My Life My Africa, which is when I go back to my roots, as I trace the village in India that my family came from, to reach South Africa, back in 1896.

So it’s a very exciting Journey that lies ahead 🙂

What is your favorite book of all time?
I won’t commit to one single book. I have already mentioned my most influential, and then there are plenty others that influenced my life’s Journey at different stages.

I see books like that. They come to me at different times of my Journey, and they are all perfect for that particular moment.

There have even been books that have heavily influenced me, that I never completed; there was just a particular message within in it, that I needed to hear, to move me forward along my own Path.

So I would be lying if I ever picked a favorite book, song or movie.

Author Websites and Profiles
Philén Naidu Website
Philén Naidu Amazon Profile

Philén Naidu’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile
Facebook Profile
Twitter Account

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I am a bestselling author who published my first book at seventeen. Now, along with working with Richard Turke on the Visible Scars series, I am also writing the books for the feature film franchise, Jezebeth. My novels, Specimen X, Specimen Y, and Specimen Z, are being made into movies by SGL Entertainment. I am the published author of The Bloodstone Trilogy, Amazon bestsellers Gator and How to Get Dirt, and Tasting Silver. I am currently twenty-two years old.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
My latest book was a movie based novel called Jezebeth. I was hired to write it by the production company that made the movie. I would say that it was inspirational getting to work on movie-based projects.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I bounce between editing and writing in half an hour increments. I have a tendency to get bored if I do otherwise. I also have to take a lot of walks to help keep thoughts flowing.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
Eoin Colfer. He created the perfect anti-hero in Artemis Fowl. That is such a hard thing to do. I also love J.K. Rowling for inspiring a whole generation of kids to read again (including me).

What are you working on now?
I am currently working on another movie based project adaption called Speak to Me. Richard Turke and I are teaming up to make this a success.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
Facebook. I am in enough groups I make my head spin. I share my status EVERYWHERE.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Stick with it and don’t give up. The writing business is a tough world.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
If it was easy, then everybody would do it. I consider that like the life of being an author. People think it’s easy, but you have to put yourself out there a lot. Sometimes it hurts if you get criticized, but it’ll be worth it if you love writing enough.

What are you reading now?
Game of Thrones. Again. I love those books.

What’s next for you as a writer?
Right now, I’m breaking into the movie side of publishing. I’m doing a lot of adaptions from film to book and vice versa. I just got a big contract turning movies to books through New York West Productions. I’m also really looking forward to my own movie next year.

What is your favorite book of all time?
Artemis Fowl, because of the anti-hero. There is something about a loveable bad guy that appeals to me.

Author Websites and Profiles
Stephanie Campbell Website

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I was a teacher before almost losing my sense of humour (and mind) and deciding I needed to devote myself to the thing I loved most – writing. I became a full-time television scriptwriter for children, entered a nationwide scriptwriting competition and was selected to be on the writing team of a popular South African soap. I also worked as an advertising copywriter, wrote radio ads and jingles, educational textbooks and readers…anything to keep the wolf from the door. Basically, I’m constantly writing, books and TV scripts and if not that then plotting, planning and scheming how to take over the world. In 2000 I embarked on a new journey, crossing the galaxy to settle on a new planet or as some like to call it ‘Immigration’, and am now a proud possessor of a maroon Intergalactic Wayfarer Permit and have come to love the aliens I mix with daily.

The sequel to Blue Dust : Forbidden will be released next year – Blue Dust : Destiny.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
My first bookm sci fi for teens and YA and anyone else that can read, is Blue Dust: Forbidden. It was inspired by my own struggles as an ‘alien’. I found immigration very hard and it felt like I’d landed on another planet. I began a blog that morphed into Blue Dust: Forbidden, which is published by Ghostly Publishing, one of the UK’s largest independent children’s publishers.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I must have the TV or radio on while I work. I make up fantasy and sci fi names by turning words backwards or spoonerising them. I always work the names of my family and friends into my books in some way – turn it backwards, spoonerise it, change a few letters about, so every book has a little ‘kiss’ for everyone I love.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
As a child Enid Blyton, Nancy Drew, The Hardy Boys. And then Jane Austen, Charles Dickens, Karen Slaughter, Jo Nesbo, John Creasey, John Grisham, Chine Mieville, Terry pratchett, Christin Lackberg, Dick Francis, Alistair McClean, Desmond Bagley – they really influenced me – I have eclectic taste, what can I say?

What are you working on now?
Blue Dust: Destiny, the sequel to Blue Dust: Forbidden. It’s due for release in october. I’m also working on an as yet unnamed book – Terry Pratchett stole (:)) the name I wanted and we don’t want to confuse anyone. It’s due for release next year along with the final Blue Dust book, Insurrection.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
A shed load of social media – Facebook, Goodreads, Twitter, Tumblr, reddit, G+ and reviews by bloggers. I’m still getting the hand of promotion although of course my publisher does some of this too.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Never give up. Don’t ask your family and friends to tell you what they think about your work – they will say what you want to hear! Find a good editor-professional editor – a do what he/she says. if you self-pubolish, make sure your book is well edited. Read loads in many genres and then try out different genres until you find your ‘voice’. This is very important. Take advice from people who know what they’re talking about. If someone says you can’t write, see what you can do to improve. You have to believe in yourself and your writing, but try to face the truth about your work, even if you don’t like what’s said. Never be afraid to cut, cut, cut and often the passages or sentences you love best need to be trimmed. Take some writing classes if you can…never surrender if you truly believe you have what it takes. but remember, very few writers end up like JK Rowling, it’s a hard business with a lot of competition.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Get a good editor.

What are you reading now?
Karen Slaughter – Fallen

What’s next for you as a writer?
The release of my second and third books and writing my fourth book. Adapting my books for Hollywood.

What is your favorite book of all time?
The Book Thief

Author Websites and Profiles
Katy Krump Website

Katy Krump’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile
Facebook Profile
Twitter Account

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I am a starving artist who loves being a starving artist. I write in many different mediums to bring my stories to life–screenplays, musicals, poems, songs, and novels. I started out with traditional publishing with a small company and realized that I preferred to have creative, financial, and marketing control over my writing, so I decided to go the Indie route. Four books later, I’m very pleased. The possibilities are now endless. I lost my writer’s block and my writing has flourished because I can finally reach my target audience.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
Twisted Tales Trilogy: “With a Kiss,” “At Midnight,” “As the Sun Sets”

I released all three books at the same time. It’s a series following a huge faery crown war while also serving as a set of of fairy tale remakes–and then of course, I had to throw some Celtic and Arthurian legends in for good measure. I wrote the books because my nieces were really into fairy tale remakes and they wanted me to write a novel just for them. The first book in the series was so fun that I made a trilogy of it.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I love gum. So when I’m writing a novel, sometimes I forget to eat and if I stick gum in my mouth and if I swallow it without thinking, that’s a sign that I need to eat.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
All Jane Austen historical type books (the romance and characterization)

James Herriot: “All Creatures Great and Small” (the humor)

DragonLance–Okay, I admit it. I totally was into DragonLance as a kid…and yes, heaven help me, it has influenced my writing.

What are you working on now?
Hawke Prophecies (dystopian romance in the new adult category)

Suck on that (title subject to change, but it’s a vampire spoof for young adults)

Out of the Mouth of Babes (a romantic comedy about a–spoiler–soon-to-be couple who have parenthood thrust on them).

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
Free, free, FREE!!! Offering things for free: novellas, information, chapters, even a free Spanish translation of my books.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Don’t give up. There are so many ways to get your voice heard, so write the book that you’ve always wanted to write and don’t worry about pleasing certain readers who aren’t your target audience.

Also: take advice and critique, but don’t let it cramp your writing or your book.

And finally: Before you publish your manuscript, you need three kinds of readers: ones who love everything you write (they help your writing self-esteem), ones who seem to have an objective eye (they’re quite useful), and ones who hate everything you write (they give you thick skin).

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Yes, some people are genre readers. We always seem to hear agents and publishers say that they want the next new original thing BUT even if you are writing your story in a creative and unique way, story ideas still get taken. This seems to happen to me all the time. It became the joke that if ‘Stephanie’ was working on a project that we would see a preview about a movie or a series or a book coming out with that same storyline. I used to dump projects because of this, but then someone introduced me to the idea of the ‘genre reader.’ If people like a story similar to yours, they might like your story too. That’s when I realized I was a genre reader too. I’ll always pick up Jane Austen-ish romances to read.Of course, with that said, I’m not sure if I’ll write my zombie romance right now. I mean, warm bodies anyone. Grrr.

What are you reading now?
“World War Z,” “On Little Wings” (again), and “Lorna Doone” (I’m doing research).

What’s next for you as a writer?
I want to see where this Indie thing takes me. I’m also writing a musical called “The Raven” with the composer, Hilary Hornberger. We’ve workshopped it in Canada and are doing some massive rewrites. I would love to write some mini-series for BBC or Netflix and/ or give them to my director siblings to film in Scotland, and Britain.

What is your favorite book of all time?
Too many!!!

“On Little Wings” is my latest favorite.

Stephanie Fowers’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile
Facebook Profile
Twitter Account
Pinterest Account

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
Each of the three books I have thusfar written are from a genuine sense of knowing the communities in which I live. I was born and raised in Davenport, Iowa, and lived in the Mississippi River Valley for over 30 years. Grateful for the privilege of living along the Mississippi river, as a writer I remember the people of the small river communities and shares their faith that small town values and lifestyle will be everlasting. I am currently finishing Book 3 of the Trilogy: The Secrets of Clayton County

My education spans from Southwest Texas State University in San Marcos, Texas to Rutgers University in Brunswick, New Jersey. An accomplished writer, I spent 30 years in the technical training and development arena, as a technical writer, instructional designer, and interactive learning systems designer and producer. My career took me far from my roots… throughout the US and Canada, as well as England, Sweden, Germany and the Netherlands.

Today, I enjoy putting my own voice to print, and using my writing as a vehicle for taking readers back to their own roots. Writing novels inspired by my heritage, I always welcome the opportunity to speak about bartering, the Trilogy, or my journey as an author. I currently reside with my wife, Pat, in sunny Arizona.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
The Homecoming.

The third and final book in the Trilogy, The Homecoming, takes readers into Sarah’s life as a key community member, wife of a local hero, and mother of two children who have developed into personalities as strong and independent as Sarah. Although the fabric of community and culture remains strong in the final book, and the issue of bartering is revisited again and again, it is the sense of relationships within Sarah’s immediate family that keeps readers turning pages.

The inspiration for The Homecoming is bringing the secrets of Clayton County full circle. The richness of tomorrow is always designed by the fullness of the lives we choose to lead; I’ve been told the characters in my stories tap into the hearts of my readers – and those readers want to know “how the story ends.”

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
METHOD: I describe my method of writing a novel as writing in “layers.”

• The first layer is to outline the story in a modified step-sheet that includes all scenes

• The second layer is when I spend a lot of time arranging these scenes into the sequence of the story.

• Then… during the third layer I write the story thinking only of time, place, characters, and action

• The fourth layer is when I go back through the story and fill in the setting, weather, and other things that impact the scene

• The fifth layer is when I focus on each character and add description of their appearance, and behavior during their dialogue.

ROUTINE: Actually, I write every day. Though I’m at my best in the morning when I write two to four hours, I often get out of bed at night to write a scene that’s playing in my head. Of course I don’t want to lose it, so I write it and go back to bed.

Other times during the day I read, review and rewrite material that has been written for the novel. A great place to do this is waiting rooms of your doctor or other services when you are wasting time anyway.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
I have enjoyed reading a large collective of authors – no one in particular stands out because I am always in quest for yet another “style” of writing. I enjoy books about people and relationships and those which speak a larger message to the spiritual side of our being.

What are you working on now?
I am diligently working on The Homecoming; however, when I get a little “nudge” in other directions I write a “short” for my Literary Strategist to use in my marketing. Many times these shorts are just explorations of new characters.

Looking at writing a book on bi=polar disorder, I am also completing research for that… in preparation of course – not procrastinating on The Homecoming!

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
Quite frankly, I have left that to the skills of my Literary Strategist. I write, she communicates what she needs me to do – I complete the task and head back to my writing. There is just too much to learn and know about the whole marketing part that I would rather trust in her gaining the visibility I need so I can be free to do what I do best… write.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Believe in yourself and make sure the message you share is intended for a specific audience. Writing for the sake of writing is not likely to allow you to be highly compensated for leaving your mark on the world.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Produce a good quality book… otherwise, the efforts I have extended may well be for naught. No amount of marketing can cover up a poorly written book.

What are you reading now?
I try not to read while I am writing… I don’t want to confuse another author’s work or style with what I am trying to craft.

What’s next for you as a writer?
A discovery of bi-polar disorder. I have experienced it first hand and know there is a rich life that can still be lived. I fear far too many people allow themselves to travel down that long dark hole – thinking there is no quality of life possible for them. That thinking is a travesty!

What is your favorite book of all time?
My favorite childhood book was Mark Twain; as an adult I tend to lean toward the Bible.

Author Websites and Profiles
Don Wooldridge Website
Don Wooldridge Amazon Profile
Don Wooldridge Author Profile Other Bookseller

Don Wooldridge’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile
Facebook Profile
Twitter Account

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
Hi, I’m Josh. I’m 16 and I live in Essex. I’ve been writing stories since I was a very young child, and have always had a huge passion for reading and writing. I’ve only written one book so far, but I have begun work on a second. My first is called Supercenaries, and here is a short synopsis.

Supercenaries is a novel which follows a group of people from all around the world, of different ages, races, colours, creeds and professions, who all share one common characteristic. They all have superpowers. From Houdini, the Canadian escape artist with the ability to slip any sort of restraint, to Dr Howard Stadter, an American scientist and professor who can expel bursts of high powered energy from his hands, they all use their powers for different things and live their lives differently. They are brought together by the mysterious Supercenary corporation, a company which works outside of the law, comprised entirely of people with abilities, to act as mercenaries, assassins, thieves, bodyguards and any other possible profession, for money. The corporation is headed by the enigmatic Rhian Blaznickov, a tall, seemingly ageless man with a power that even he does not fully understand. Supercenaries follows the main characters as they join up and train, only to become part of a conspiracy and war taking place within the Corporation. Suddenly people start dying on jobs, being assassinated during their missions, clearly by someone with insider knowledge. From that moment the race is on to find out who the spy is or if there are multiple, and to find out their motives for destroying the Supercenary Corporation.

My second, and the one I am currently working on, is called A Reclamation of Lost Balance, and is about 4 kids who can control the elements.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
My latest book that is out is Supercenaries. The name comes from the two main topics. Super(heroes) and Mercenaries. At first, Supercenaries was simply a working title for a book that I had no ideas for the name of. But once I had finished Supercenaries I had become so attached to the name that letting go of it and changing it was simply not an option. Also, I still had no idea for a better title! The book itself draws inspiration from a lot of media that I am a fan of. Shows like Heroes, Alphas and the like gave me the interest in writing about people with abilities, and the amount of comics and films I have read/watched meant that I’ve always wanted to write about mercenaries. I started Supercenaries with a general idea for the concept, and was immediately taken with it, to the point of getting a whole novel written and edited within 4 months.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
When I write, I use a website called Writeordie.com with settings enabled which make me write to a certain wordcount, and if I stop writing for more than 5 seconds at a time, then it begins to delete what I have already written. This means I can get 2000 or so words smashed out very quickly, because of the motivation of the possible loss of what I have already written. Then when I reach the wordcount, I take the stuff I have just written and refine it to get a better end result.

I am also a huge fan of writing very late at night/early in the morning. I like being completely focused, so I use Ommwriter which hides everything except what I am writing, and stops me from becoming distracted, and the time I write at means that there is nobody awake to distract or confuse me as I write.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
Oh, so many. Darren Shan firstly, my absolute favourite author (who I was lucky enough to meet and present with a copy of Supercenaries recently) has been a big influence in the way I write, because I try to emulate how easy to read his books are. I’ve also been inspired and influenced by JK Rowling, having read the Harry Potter series at a young age, and I love the relatability and all ages appeal she has in her work, which is something I would love to be able to mimic. I am influenced by any book I read however, since I am constantly on the look out for literary devices, small ideas and ways of saying things that I can pinch. For example, I read a book which had a small description of each chapter under the heading, and I completely adored that idea, so I added it into Supercenaries.

What are you working on now?
Currently I am working on a novel called A Reclamation of Lost Balance which focuses around 4 children who can control the elements. They are part of an ancient lineage, but due to issues and flaws within the way the powers are passed down, they are unaware of their powers. Eventually, through the work of the one member who does know about the past, they meet and have to work together to find and rescue the Sensei they were supposed to learn from. I’ve got a chapter done so far, since I got bored and began working on a different novel quite early on in the process. This novel, The Houdini Institute, was about a magical school and two students who went there. I got just over 14,000 words in and then my computer lost the file. I stupidly hadn’t backed it up at all, so I lost every single bit of work that I had done on it. This was a huge crusher for my motivation and confidence, and whilst I would love to continue with The Houdini Institute, the thought of rewriting the first 14,000 words from scratch before even getting to where I was before fills me with dread.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I’m not really very good at self promotion, but I have been emailing review websites for a number of days to try and get some reviews out into the world.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
WRITE!

Seriously, it may seem like obvious advice but I CANNOT stress enough the importance of just writing. Forget editing, forget publishing, forget advertising and sales and marketing and reviews and everything like that and just focus on getting words on paper (or screen). DO NOT EDIT AS YOU GO! If you edit as you go, you will end up spending weeks just writing one chapter for gods sake and you will never ever get a finished novel done. Get the whole book written, then go back and edit. If you have a few friends/teachers (my PE teacher was incredibly helpful with editing) or family who will help, then get them to proofread it, and note down any sort of spelling errors, plot inconsistencies, bits that aren’t obvious and general flaws. Then go back to the start of your novel and read it over. Change any faults, add and remove at your leisure and finally sit back and smile to yourself.

I would also recommend using Createspace to print your books, they’re easy to use and lightning quick. Finally, using the Kindle Direct Publishing service on Amazon is super simple and can really boost your sales and exposure.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
“Just keep writing no matter what. It doesn’t matter if you do well or not well, if you sell 1 copy or 100,000, if people love it or hate it, just KEEP WRITING. Because if you enjoy writing, and you want to do it, then there is nothing stupider than letting something stop you.”

What are you reading now?
I am currently reading The Economics and Politics of Race by Thomas Sowell, and it is both informative and riveting! Next I’ll move on to A Conflict of Visions, also by him. (A Conflict of Visions inspired the naming structure of A Reclamation of Lost Balance)

What’s next for you as a writer?
Next I want to get my second novel done and dusted, then focus on marketing that one. Everything I did with Supercenaries has been a learning experience, and I think that when it comes to my second book I will be much better at every aspect of publishing and writing. Also, I’m going to Sixth Form College to start my A-Levels, so I suppose I’d better do some sort of work in that too!

What is your favorite book of all time?
Easily “The Saga of Darren Shan” series. I can’t pick a specific one, but all 12 are incredible.

Author Websites and Profiles
Josh O’Brien Website
Josh O’Brien Amazon Profile

Josh O’Brien’s Social Media Links

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
After thirty years as a professional musician (piano),I left Key West in 2006 and moved to Las Vegas to become a professional poker player. I turned to writing when his first novel, THE TAKE, was picked up by a publisher in 2009.

In my writing, I’ve created the Key West Nocturnes Series, a set of standalone noir novels. These books will lift the veil on Key West and reveal it as a true noir city, on a par with Los Angeles, New Orleans, or Miami. There are currently three novels in this series.

I’ve also created the Jack Barnett / Las Vegas series, hardboiled tales centering around a reluctant ex-private investigator living in Sin City, USA. The series consists of two novelettes and a full novel.

In addition to all that, I’ve published an experimental rock & roll novel, as well as a short story collection.

In late 2010, I moved back to Key West, where I enjoy year-round island living with my wife Yleana, whom I married on a warm December night in 2012 on the rooftop of an apartment building in Havana, Cuba.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
My newest book is called THE DOWNTOWN DEAL. It’s the third entry in the Jack Barnett / Las Vegas series. Las Vegas is a mecca for hustlers of every kind, and that includes the “legitimate” field of real estate. Incredible amounts of money are essentially wagered on the flimsiest of notions. I wanted to drag Jack Barnett into this world, and I think it turned out to be a compelling story.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?

What authors, or books have influenced you?
Writers like Jim Thompson, James M Cain, David Goodis…these guys defined noir fiction: minor players in society faced with extraordinary circumstances and few choices. Thompson could get inside the first-person criminal mind like no one else. Goodis is the master of writing about characters whose lives have no meaning and who are utterly without hope. Cain can turn the most innocuous settings into festering sores of sex, jealousy, and murder. Gil Brewer, Harry Whittington, Vicki Hendricks, Tom Piccirilli…these are only a few of the top-caliber noir fiction writers who have influenced me.

What are you working on now?
I’m writing the fourth installment in my Key West Nocturnes series, a noir tale called THE GUNS OF MIAMI. I hope to have it finished and out by the end of the year.

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

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Write. And learn the business of writing. The days of legacy publishers doing everything for you are long gone.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Write. And learn the business of writing.

What are you reading now?
COGAN’S TRADE by George V Higgins.

What is your favorite book of all time?
I can’t narrow it down to one. I would list a few that are in my pantheon, and they would include THE GRIFTERS by Jim Thompson, ONE LONELY NIGHT by Mickey Spillane, A SIMPLE PLAN by Scott Smith, STREET 8 by Douglas Fairbairn, THE MALTESE FALCON by Dashiell Hammett, STREET OF NO RETURN by David Goodis, AMERICAN TABLOID by James Ellroy…I better stop now. I could go on and on.

Author Websites and Profiles
Mike Dennis Website
Mike Dennis Amazon Profile

Mike Dennis’s Social Media Links
Facebook Profile