Awesome Author Interviews

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
By day, I’m a humble program assistant working in professional licensing. By night, I’m an independent author writing mystery novels. I’ve published 5 titles including Blurry, Quarantine, Anywhere But Here, and Move. Her next book, an apocalyptic science fiction novel titled Splinter, will be published in November 2013.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
My latest book is titled “Move,” and it’s a mystery novel with an urban fantasy bend. Here’s a synopsis:

Be careful what you wish for …

All Ruby Josen wanted was to get ahead in life. After a decade of lost relationships and missed opportunities, she’s ready to move on and desperate to do whatever it takes to get out of her rut. When Ruby meets Bryce, a handsome stranger at the town’s spring festival, his offer to turn fate to her favor seems too good to be true. But everything has a price, and Ruby learns that interfering with fate has bigger consequences than she realized. It leaves her to wonder who’s really controlling her life and who – or what – Bryce really is.

The book was inspired by life changes. I went through a season where I faced changes in my personal and professional life, and I was pondering the “flip side” of the situation – life ruts – when the idea for this novel came. I visited The Smoky Mountains while I was developing the plot, and in talking to people that lived there, the rest of the story came together.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I work full time, so I have a laptop and I write wherever and whenever I can. I don’t really have a “formula” for it. When I can write, I write.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
I like mystery, sci-fi, and fantasy, so it’s quite a list! P.D. James, R.A. Salvatore, Ben Bova, Kim Stanley Robinson, and, believe it or not, C.S. Lewis have all influenced and inspired me. Christopher Pike, the young adult writer that released most of his books in the early to mid 90’s (when I was a teen and in my early 20’s) also influenced me as a writer.

What are you working on now?
I’m taking my first ventures into sci-fi, and I’m excited because it’s my favorite genre! “Splinter,” a sci-fi apocalyptic novel, will be released through Whiskey Creek Press in November. I’m also working on a sci-fi novella tentatively titled “Incursion” which is about manipulation of neural chips to start interstellar war.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
Besides my own website and blog at www.sherrithewriter.com , I like Goodreads and Twitter. That seems to be where I get the most interaction and “traction” with readers.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Don’t pay too much attention to what’s coming out through traditional publishers in the bookstores. Ebooks are on the rise, and it’s giving writers great opportunities to try new things and capture audiences, a niche at a time. Write what’s in you and, if you’re willing to work hard to promote it, you’ll connect with the audience. Take advantage of this turn of the tide in the publishing industry with e-publishing and self publishing.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Write what’s in you; not what’s popular right now. They used to say that people are always looking for “the next big thing,” but with the rise of ebooks, I’d say people are being more true to their tastes and looking for the next thing to captivate them. That could be you!

What are you reading now?
I just finished “2312” by Kim Stanley Robinson, and started “New Earth,” by Ben Bova.

What’s next for you as a writer?
To continue exploring possibilities and opportunities in sci-fi. I know I’ll always go back to mystery, but I’d like to get established in both genres.

What is your favorite book of all time?
The Bible. After that, The Lord of the Rings trilogy and The Mars Trilogy (Red/Green/Blue Mars) by Kim Stanley Robinson.

Author Websites and Profiles
Sherri Moorer Website
Sherri Moorer Amazon Profile
Sherri Moorer Author Profile on Smashwords

Sherri Moorer’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile
Facebook Profile
Twitter Account

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I am a romance author. I have published 16 books, and I have numerous works in progress.

I have always loved “love”, whether it was watching a romantic comedy or reading a book. And I have written stories since I was a kid. So, it was no wonder I wanted to write romance.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
My current release is Upon Your Return. It is a historical romance. I have always loved to read historical romance novels. In the past, I read the greats like Catherine Coulter and Rosemary Rogers. Upon Your Return just kind of popped into my head one day. The characters started talking and wouldn’t stop!

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
Define “unusual”. Does staying up till four or five in the morning to finish a scene count? Then probably. A lot of times my ideas come at night when I really should be sleeping. Sometimes I’ll write during the day if the mood hits me. For a lot of my works, I write by hand at first, though I occasionally compose on the computer.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
As I said before, I read Catherine Coulter. I definitely read a lot of Nora Roberts’ books. Hmm…who else? Barbara Delinsky and Debbie Macomber. In recent years, I got on a paranormal kick and picked up J.R. Ward, Kerrelyn Sparks, P.C. Cast and Chloe Neill. For historical, I have also read Tessa Dare, Emma Wildes and Jane Feather.

What are you working on now?
I am currently working on the sequel to Upon Your Return. It will be titled Upon Your Honor. I also have a romantic suspense I am working on with a writing partner. And I may still do self-publishing. I have lots of works in progress.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
It seems like Facebook and Twitter have been the best for me so far. They are simple to use, even if it takes up a lot of time. They have still been invaluable tools, and I have met a lot of great people on those sites!

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Never give up. The road is long and hard. It is very tempting to just throw your dreams away completely or to just set them aside because other people are telling you to or you don’t have the time. Make time for your dreams. Keep writing. You’ll be glad you did.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
There is something I am terribly guilty of doing. I still do it, even though I shouldn’t. But, it’s good to come back to this old adage every once in awhile. “Don’t put too much on your plate.” Handle one thing at a time, and it will turn out right. In this day and age, it is so tempting to multitask and to stress out over everything. We want to handle it all because we think that’s the only way. But, really, even though we can doesn’t mean we should. Putting too much pressure on yourself just has the opposite effect. You get nothing done because you’re freaking out about it. Just do that one thing, finish it, and move on to the next. You can’t lump everything into one column. It doesn’t all fit.

What are you reading now?
It’s funny, but I’m reading the print version of Upon Your Return. I’ve only ever read it in document format until now. It’s so exciting to see your work in print!

I also just started Old Town Nights by Linda Lee Williams. It is a paranormal romance. I recommended it, as well as her book Elsewhere. This indie author is doing very well!

What’s next for you as a writer?
I hope to release the sequel to Upon Your Return, whenever I get done writing it. And I have ideas for all kinds of series after the Heiresses in Love series is done! I have a series in mind about a coven of six witches. These books will also be historical romance, set during the Salem Witch trials so a lot of it will be about their struggles to remain anonymous.

What is your favorite book of all time?
Do I have to choose? Okay, I have two. Devil’s Embrace by Catherine Coulter. That book really woke me up to the genre.

And I loved J.R. Ward’s Dark Lover. I’d always loved paranormal movies, but that book introduced me to paranormal romance books. And the series is awesome.

Author Websites and Profiles
Marie Lavender Website
Marie Lavender Amazon Profile
Marie Lavender Author Profile on Smashwords

Marie Lavender’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile
Facebook Profile
Twitter Account

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
That’s a tall order with no clear answer; going with the (semi) short form, I was deposited in Nevada at an early age, where I spent the majority of my time sulking inside. Things changed a bit around the time I was six, when I discovered my dad’s typewriter in a closet during “spring cleaning.” Ugly thing, baby blue and “portable” (if you were a weightlifter), but it worked. Pecking away at it, I produced a Super Mario Brothers fanfic. Yes, it was just as awful as it sounds. I moved on to a high-fantasy novel, and from there spent ten years picking at the ideas that would eventually become my first book. A very eclectic series of career choices, 16 years, a failed marriage and a visit to a state not perpetually cloaked in blistering heat later, I finally held a published copy in my hands; since then, I haven’t stopped.

At this moment, I have three novels and a novella published through CreateSpace, I’m featured in a fantasy collaboration distributed through Smashwords, and I have an eBook that forms volume 1 of a longer humor series. There’s roughly 5-7 finished or almost finished pieces sitting on my hard drive, waiting for me to dust them off and send them on their way, as well; my projects folder is a bloody mess, I tell ya.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
My most recent piece would be Blogs from the Basement: The Fall. I spend a lot of time reading various forums, blogs and social media sites, often glimpsing Tweets or posts from individuals claiming to be religious or literary figures. Then I noticed that I hardly ever saw one claiming to be the devil. Just to amuse myself, I started wondering about that, what he might say if given access to social media – particularly blogs, which often seem to start out with a central point or serious message, but can all-too-easily get sidetracked by arguments going on in the comments section. That spread out to having quite a few other biblical characters, as well as the usual cavalcade of fans, spambots and haters, continually butting in and generally driving my devil up the wall.

When I showed it to a few people, via Facebook and printouts, the fact that they started laughing said “I think I can do more with this.” It almost ended up being an ACTUAL blog, but I decided that trying to maintain enough accounts to fill in the character roster would just be an exercise in insanity. So instead I typed it up, filled it out and sent it off to live at KDP.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
Everybody thinks what someone else does is unusual, and I sadly don’t have much contact with other writers, so I honestly have no idea. Typically writing for me involves opening up the word processor, cranking up the television (I have to have background noise, or I go insane), ensuring there is a full pot of coffee and a pack of cigarettes at hand, and then inflict grievous wounds on my keyboard until my hands ache too much to continue or the story stops coming. Then I’ll poke at the internet for a bit, take my coydog out for a walk, have a snack, whatever – a refractory period, if you will – before starting the whole process all over again.

Some folks have told me that my method of deciding WHAT to write is unusual, though I don’t know any other way at this point. The character always comes first. Then I talk to them. I ask them “And then? And then?” until they run out of things to say. Yes, it essentially means I’m talking to myself, but at the same time it feels subtly different… and tends to lead my stories into corners I hadn’t considered previously, which I love.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
Before I found that typewriter, I was already a voracious reader. My Catholic school Kindergarten teacher hated me, subjecting me to all kinds of tests to somehow “prove” I wasn’t actually reading. I pretty much skipped the “Dick and Jane” phase, pillaging my dad and sister’s extensive bookshelves, which quickly exposed me to ‘Salem’s Lot. To this day it remains my favorite book, and Stephen King is probably the closest thing I have to a hero, both for who he is and what he writes.

In due course I discovered others – Clive Barker, Dean Koontz, Brian Lumley and eventually Bentley Little – who’ve had their hand in meddling with my mind and style, but other than King the single greatest influence was likely The Amityville Horror. Now, I despise that book – and will gladly discuss with anyone why – but it still left it’s mark, both for being my first “haunted house” story and for giving me an excellent blueprint of “stuff not to do.”

What are you working on now?
I tend to have entirely too many projects running all at once – insomnia and lack of a social life lead down many fascinating roads – but the primary projects I’ve got running at the moment are Blogs from the Basement: Volume 2 (which is going to address the Plagues of Egypt, Job, and Lilith’s fixation with Robert Pattinson), which is about half done, Ioudas (alternate history/modern fantasy with Judas Iscariot and Mary Magdalene as immortal monster hunters) is dragging along and then there’s Rotten Apple, which is getting most of my creative attention lately.

That one started off a weird dream and branched out. Basically a “what if” scenario where things that can loosely be classified as zombies make up a sizable chunk of the population. Unlike most zombie fiction, though, my deaders are really just people. People with odd dietary restrictions and hygiene problems, but still people; they have jobs, they have love and hate, they have their little triumphs and their major setbacks – often in the arena of dealing with the lifeists, folks who propagate a culture of hate against the “metabolically challenged and living impaired.” I probably spend more time tweaking the setting than I do writing stories for it, but I still love it.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
Honestly, I’m bad at this part. I’ve always been something of a social recluse, so when it comes time to go out there and show people why they should buy my books, I fall flat on my face. I keep a Facebook relatively up to date, try to participate on Goodreads and Twitter, and I’ve got my blog spewing forth excerpts, random rants and shouts about the madness of the moment, but I’m really kind of at a loss in this department, otherwise.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
It sounds trite and silly, but one word sums it up: Write. (With the addendum: Read.) Don’t write what you think the audience wants to read, write what YOU want to see. I’ve seen a lot of folks chasing their tails, trying to write for whatever the trend-of-the-moment is, and they seem to accomplish nothing other than drive themselves nuts and run themselves ragged, and their work shows it.

Find people to look over your work; NOT friends and family (unless they’re friends and family who hate you and won’t hesitate to tear you a new one.). Find a writer’s group, a like-minded forum or blog online, or a kind book store employee. Invite them to treat it like a midterm suspected of cheating and go over it with a fine tooth comb. Finding people to say “Oh my God, this is great!” is easy, but it’s not going to help you get better or make a splash; people who’ll tear you apart, break you, make you question why you do it at all will. Those are the ones who’ll find every last typo, who will question why your characters aren’t consistent and point out where the flow of time seems to have taken a few skips. Without them, you won’t find them, so you can’t fix them or explain – if only to yourself – why those issues exist.

Develop a thick skin. You’re going to need it. All the cuddle-bunny reviews in the world aren’t going to matter the first time a reviewer eviscerates your baby in public. Sometimes that evisceration is going to be helpful or constructive. Sometimes it’s going to be from someone who just isn’t in tune with your message. Sometimes it’s going to be actively hurtful. But you’re not going to be able to assess that logically and take the lessons learned to your next work (if need be) if you’re feeling wounded, abused and hated. Art’s subjective. Writing is art. Someone, somewhere will hate it. Learning to see their point of view and message without thinking there’s something deeply wrong with you or your work is a necessity.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Going to quote Stephen King, here. “The book is the boss.” If you had this lovely idea for where Little Suzie was going to end up on Page 190, but no matter how you write page 150, Suzie ends up dead, maimed or on a different path entirely, you don’t go back and force it on her so she can get to where you want on that latter page. By the same token, if Little Suzie was going to die a terrible, pathetic death but somehow she seems to want to fight back, by all means LET HER.

Half the things in my books were not at all what I pictured starting out. But as I got rolling, I had less and less editorial control, until I finally stopped trying to impose it and let the story tell itself; let the book be the boss. I have never been sorry for it.

What are you reading now?
I’m a bit obsessive when it comes to my reading, so tend to have anywhere between three and five books going at once. Right now the top of the stack is A Tale of Red Riding: Rise of the Alpha Huntress by Neo Edmund, which is an interesting take on the Little Red Riding Hood story and fairly compelling. Also picking at Dead Until Dark, since I’m trying to work my way through the Sookie Stackhouse books and accidentally started in the middle and American Goddesses by Gary Henry.

I’d really like to be digging into NOS4A2, but there’s no longer any new bookstores within reach, Wally World doesn’t see fit to carry it and I haven’t been able to spring for it on Amazon, yet… but soon, I hope.

What’s next for you as a writer?
Honestly, who knows? I’d like to say “Well, I’m signing a major studio deal for Woken, going to move to the Northwest coast and convince Rebel Wilson to marry me,” but I think that’s just outside the realm of possibility at this point. Essentially it boils down to “I’m going to keep writing. I’m going to keep throwing my work out there as best I can, in the hopes that someone enjoys reading it as much as I enjoy writing it. I’m going to do that until my fingers fall off and my other eye goes blind, and then I’m going to finally invest in Dragon dictates and keep doing it anyway.”

I get shelved as a “horror” writer, but I’m looking at branching out a bit. Blogs from the Basement, of course, is more humor than anything, and I’ve got a couple of high fantasy ideas percolating, as well as a romance or two, so I think that’s probably the next thing. See if anyone else can reconcile evil dream spirits with a sarcastic, likable devil and young couples “in lurrrrrve.” But you never know.

What is your favorite book of all time?
I mentioned it above, and lord knows I’ve taken plenty of flak for it over the years, but it’s ‘Salem’s Lot. Part of it is the indelible mark it made on my fragile little mind when I read it at the age of six or seven, of course, but the characters – including the town itself – all have a certain familiarity-slightly-skewed aspect to them that appeals to me. I see aspects of myself in nearly all of them (yes, Barlow included), and the way the town interacts, amongst themselves and with outsiders, is something that calls to me. Probably because I live in a place that’s not too different in a lot of respects. It’s frightening on levels well beyond the creature out in the dark – Larry Crockett and his manipulations of the town, Charlie Rhodes and his PTSD symptoms, Weasel Craig and the sad and dark place he’s come to courtesy of the bottle; those are just as dangerous and worrisome as Barlow and his burning kiss. Ben, Mark, Matt, Jimmy and Callahan’s fight against the dark, their very human concerns and attitudes – both regarding the supernatural elements and the more mundane, such as Callahan’s crisis of faith or Ben’s relationship with Susan – those flipped all the switches for me.

So let others have their Dickens, their Poe, their Mark Twains. I’ll sit with my ratty paperback full of foul words and vampires and be happy.

Author Websites and Profiles
Kaine Andrews Website
Kaine Andrews Amazon Profile

Kaine Andrews’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile
Facebook Profile
Twitter Account

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

Welcome to my world.

To be honest, I didn’t start out wanting to write murder mysteries. I originally wanted to be a poet. Then I wanted to be a teacher. Then I wanted to be an astronomer. Then I wanted to be a priest. Finally, I thought becoming an ornithologist would be cool. I even collected little bird models that you snapped together and painted. They cost about twenty cents each and some had wings that, instead of laying flat against the tiny plastic body, stuck out like the bird was flying. Realism – what a wonderful thing! Then I started first grade and the next thing I knew, I had graduated from college in Denver, gotten married in California, moved to Minnesota and given birth to five kids. At that point, all I wanted was to get some sleep.

But life, I’ve found, has a funny way of unearthing the embers of old passions and fanning them into new flames. Especially when you’re rested enough to notice. Back in the 1990s, I spent five years writing a weekly newspaper humor column called “Trust Me” about raising my family, a few columns of which turned out to be rather poetic. I went to graduate school and got a master’s degree in theology, which resulted in my first published book, Purpose, Passion and God: Awakening to the Deepest Meaning of Life. After six years of working in a high school career center, I went to graduate school again to get my master’s degree in English and discovered my own passion for teaching composition. One night a few summers ago I lay on a beach on Minnesota’s North Shore with my family and watched a meteor shower (astronomy is still very cool!). And ever since my kids were little, I’ve been pointing out to them the birds that visit our yard or fly overhead.

And then one day it hit me. I should write a murder mystery series about this really nice Minnesota guy who has a passion for birding, but keeps finding bodies along with the birds.

Yes, I confess: the fact that my son and husband had been birding for years influenced me a teeny, weeny bit. But they hadn’t been plotting murders – that was all my idea. (You know how long our Minnesota winters can get…) So I took my concept and started writing. Except that a concept is a long way from finishing a novel, let alone finding a publisher. But if nothing else, I can be stubborn, and so, four years after conception (talk about a long gestation!) – my first Bob White Birder Murder mystery appeared in 2008, titled The Boreal Owl Murder. It introduced readers to the wonderful world of birding (sans sunburns and ticks) and me to the crazy world of being an author of fiction. Now it’s five years and four more books later, and I’m working on the sixth novel in the series, slated for publication in September 2014. I hope you enjoy Bob’s adventures as much as I enjoy writing them!

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
“A Murder of Crows” was published in 2012. We live quite close to the Minnesota Landscape Arboretum, and visit frequently, but I hate their scarecrow display in October each year- it is just too creepy! So I decided to set a dead body among the scarecrows and that was the initial inspiration for the book. I threw in wind power as the conservation issue, a former celebrity wrestler (can you say ‘Jesse Venture’?) turned faculty member, and Halloween for good measure.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
Besides not writing habitually, no. I’m great on meeting deadlines, but lousy on writing every day.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
Janet Evanovich’s Stephanie Plum series was a huge influence for me – I loved her wacky humor. And I liked Nevada Barr’s focus on natural resources, so that became a part of my plots. Dave Barry, too, has been an inspiration for me for decades.

What are you working on now?
I’m writing book #6 in my series, titled “Swift Justice.”

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
Facebook has been huge. I’ve also seen good results from networking on LinkedIn since my books are about conservation and birding, and my contacts are all professionals in those fields.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Write for a specific audience! It will give you a headstart when it comes to marketing, which, like it or not, is a huge part of the job of being an author. Even though you might think everyone would enjoy your book, you have to categorize it to find your audience. Think of your ‘ideal reader’ – age, cultural background, education level, hobbies, income range, music preferences – the more you can see that person, the more your writing will appeal to him or her.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Don’t eat yellow snow.

Oh, you mean with writing?

In that case, the best advice I ever got was from a book. It said to learn how to write a novel, take a novel you love, and copy it, word for word. I didn’t do that, but I did outline chapter by chapter a novel I enjoyed. By doing that, I learned how to structure a novel, how to build suspense, and what keeps a reader reading. It’s very tedious, but it was invaluable as I learned to write fiction.

What are you reading now?
“The Paris Vendetta” by Steve Berry and “Media Magnetism” by Christina Hamlett.

What’s next for you as a writer?
Writing 6 more Birder Murders to have a complete set of 12 – one book for each month of the year, since birders look for different birds depending on the month.

What is your favorite book of all time?
That’s a tough call. “The Poisonwood Bible” by Barbara Kingsolver is phenomenal, but then again, I’ve read “Bored of the Rings” a few times over.

Author Websites and Profiles
Jan Dunlap Website
Jan Dunlap Amazon Profile

Jan Dunlap’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile
Facebook Profile
Twitter Account
Pinterest Account

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
At this point I’ve published over 20 books, and have a half dozen on the drawing board.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
The Messiah Matrix, a romantic thriller about the origins of Christianity, was inspired by my years as a student of the Roman classics and observations of the parallels between the Roman Catholic Church and the Roman Empire.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
If writing with a stopwatch running (to make sure I do my hour a day) is unusual, well, then yes I do indeed.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
Virgil and Dante have been a huge influence, and Melville: “to write a mighty book one must have a mighty theme.” I think The Messiah Matrix, at the very least, has a mighty theme.

What are you working on now?
I’m working on a family memoir.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
It’s very hard to know the answer to this, but Facebook is my very favorite because it’s so user-friendly. Check out the Messiah Matrix Facebook page–and LIKE it please.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Work a little every day, or a lot every day, but every single day; remembering the ancient poet Hesiod, who said, “If you put a little upon a little, soon it will become a lot.”

Embrace this career that allows for a lifetime of improvement. What other career can offer that?

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Go for it.

What are you reading now?
I just finished reading a non-stop action sci fi thriller by Russian Sergei Yakimov, and hope to help get it published in the U.S.

What’s next for you as a writer?
I am thinking about another novel about the Vatican, a novel about the Millennial generation, in addition to the memoir and more nonfiction books for writers to go with my WRITE series.

What is your favorite book of all time?
Homer’s Odyssey.

Author Websites and Profiles
Kenneth John Atchity Website
Kenneth John Atchity Amazon Profile

Kenneth John Atchity’s Social Media Links

Facebook Profile
Twitter Account
Pinterest Account

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I’m from Ireland and am writing full time now. However I used to be a Corporate Headhunter in London which is poles apart from the life I live now. I was always writing though in some fashion or another – i was a regular contributor to financial magazines such as Investment Week, Financial Adviser, Money Marketing etc. I always knew that I wanted to write novels full time so eventually circumstances and a leap into the dark made it happen. I returned to Ireland and founded a Literary Festival where I live. Two years on, it is the third largest literary festival and the only free one in Ireland. I have written two and a half books (finishing the third one now and being very unwise by starting a fourth). I have also a screenplay written on life in the financial world (makes Wallstreet look like Sunday picnic!!) and have been asked to write a play.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
My latest book is called “Im Happy Now.Com” and is very different to the other books I have written. This book deals with very sensitive issues such as bullying, suicide, self-harming and alcoholism. It tells the story of three teenagers (one from Ireland, one from the US and one from China). They are all bullied in one form or another and react to it in different ways. One turns to alcohol, another attempts suicide and the third becomes a bully herself and later turns to self-harming. One of the characters realises that he and only he is in charge of his own happiness and sets up a website called www.imhappynow.com which is also a real site. The three characters come together through the site and by talking to each other change their lives. Even though in parts, it is quite dark, there is an awful lot of humour in it. In reality it is not a book solely about bullying; it is the story of everyone’s quest to be happy. I was actually writing another book when the idea came to me for this book. It was a very cleansing book from a personal point of view as I would have gone through a lot of the emotions myself when I was younger that the characters experience in the book.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I have a lot of unusual writing habits that I have to keep under control!!. I am a bit OCD about everything I do. I have to have three particular pens on my desk when I begin to write (If they’re not there, I wont write). Also I have to be completely alone for the duration of the book (there is a complete ban on anyone visiting me and I bulk buy food so I don’t leave the house). My dog Seamus is the only one I allow near me. I give him a special mention in every book!!. This book took nearly 5 months to write so by the end of it I nearly had to be re-socialized!!. Everyone is different in how they write so I think it’s about what ever works for the individual.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
The Great Gatsby by F Scott Fitzgerald is probably the book that really got me interested in writing and is still my favourite book. I was amazed at how he could capture in what is quite a short book really, a whole era in the US. Also a short story by Frank O’Connor called “Guests of The Nation” left a mark on me. It tells the story of two young Irishmen who are guarding two English prisoners in the War of Independence in Ireland around 1922. They become friends with them over time and then are given the order to execute them as a reprisal for executions carried out by the British. I won’t ruin the ending but it really made me think about how a book can have the ability to make the reader question themselves and change their opinions. Also I love John Steinbeck (a true Master of the craft) and E.M Forster is also a favourite. Believe it or not and it is quite difficult for a man to admit but I love all of Jane Austen’s novels!!

What are you working on now?
I am currently working on a book about World War I called “The Wishing Tree”. It tells the story of two villages in rural England that hate each other but are forced to come together when young men from each village are sent to fight at the front in France. It is as much about those who are left behind as those who are fighting. Between the villages there is a forest where it is reputed that a magical tree exists which will grant wishes if one’s intent is true but there is a dispute as to which village owns the tree. As news begins to drift back that some of the young men have been killed, the two villages are united in grief and the tree becomes more important as families wish for their sons to come home safe. It is a very real story of the horror of war, the worry and heartache of parents and loved ones who live in dread each day of getting a telegram from the War Office and the humanity of people in times of enormous grief and strain. It is very much an anti-war story and I hope in the times we are in that it resonates with people.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I think you have to treat your book like a business and have to have strategy to network your story. In the final analysis, writers write so that their story can be read by others so there is no point in just leaving it on the shelf. I find Amazon and Goodreads very great websites to get your book out there. Also maybe join writing clubs etc.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
My main advice to any writer is the same one I have for myself which is also a life motto “Keep going no matter what happens”. It’s the “No matter what” part that is the really important part I think.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Same as above – a very good friend of mine told me that when I was quite young and I have heldonto it for dear life.

What are you reading now?
I am reading “Brideshead Revisited” by Evelyn Waugh

What’s next for you as a writer?
To continue writing and explore others areas such as plays and screenplays if possible.

What is your favorite book of all time?
“The Great Gatsby” by F.Scott Fitzgerald is never far from my reach.

Author Websites and Profiles
Diarmuid Hudner Website
Diarmuid Hudner Amazon Profile

Diarmuid Hudner’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile
Facebook Profile
Twitter Account

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I’m the mother of three children. A suburban soccer mom. Similar and yet different than so many other suburban soccer moms, I am an ex-lawyer, a recovering addict, a survivor of childhood sexual abuse, and I walked away from a collision with a metro bus. I’ve run 11 marathons and I dream of doing crazy stuff, like swimming across the English Channel. I also struggle with PTSD and mental illness, but my belief in God and my love for my family help me through all of that.

I’m married to my soulmate, who I met in law school. I’m like the girl next door. Most people who meet me swear they’ve seen me somewhere else.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
My first novel, Ripple, A Tale of Hope and Redemption, started one day when I woke up to barf and a broken down bus. I imagined what my life would have been like if I was still practicing law. About one year later, I’d written a novel about women helping other women overcome great tribulation.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I have bipolarity and AD/HD, so when I write, I work very fast and very hard. I also live with my characters talking to me constantly, and I tend to work out plot problems and learn my characters over the course of long runs and walks around the lake near my house.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
J.D. Salinger’s Catcher in the Rye influenced my upcoming book, I Run, as did (to a certain extent) Ann Leary’s A Good House.

Ripple is influenced by classic authors, such as Faulker, the Brontes, Joseph Conrad, the beautiful Wallace Stevens, George Eliot, Flannery O’Connor, the amazing Tennessee Williams . . .

What are you working on now?
I just handed in I Run, A Novel, to my editor for final copy editing. For more information on I Run, or to pre-order it, please see http://www.indiegogo.com/projects/i-run-a-novel/x/3261119

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
There are a number of excellent ones, including here on Awesomegang!

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Write! Write more!!

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Be yourself, and know that you are loved no matter what.

What are you reading now?
Several different books for my fellow scribes.

What’s next for you as a writer?
The sequel to Ripple, Wave, and Book Three in the I Run series, which for now goes by the working title, Bad Doggy. I’m also about 10,000 words into a work of literary fiction/science fiction called Michael’s Hand. Like many of my books, this will explore themes of forgiveness, finding God, and discovering humanity’s true purpose.

What is your favorite book of all time?
Gah! Not fair! I just adore The Great Gatsby, and Catcher in the Rye, but the nod has gotta go to William Faulkner’s Sound and Fury.

Author Websites and Profiles
E.L. Farris Website
E.L. Farris Amazon Profile

E.L. Farris’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile
Facebook Profile
Twitter Account

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