Awesome Author Interviews

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I’ve been around for a long time now, so trying to tell you about me would probably take too long, although it would probably be interesting, as I have had an interesting life. I’ve been a teacher in the Australian Outback, taught male inmates in a medium security prison, travelled the world, been a professional astrologer, owned and operated a New Age Book Store, raised two boys (one who had disabilities and died at 20), survived breast cancer, been a Head Teacher in Further Education, moved 12,000 miles from home to the country of my father’s birth and found my roots (and stayed), worked as a life coach and currently a project worker for a mental health organisation… oh and I write romance novels (14 to date). Some people see me as an over-achiever, I see myself as an adventurer. I think that my favourite adventuring is done in my writing where I create worlds that other people tell me they enjoy getting lost in.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
‘Caught in a Dream’ is interestingly enough my most recent book to be published but is probably one of my earliest pieces of writing. It bears some resemblance to The Matrix in that it deals with a world that seems to be real but isn’t. It has a metaphysical component, but is mostly just an exciting adventure/romance. It was inspired by my own thoughts on ‘reality’ and wondering if what I really see is ‘real’ at all.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
Other than sitting for 12 hours straight with my laptop on my lap (literally) typing as fast as I can to get the story that’s unfolding in my head onto paper? No, not really. 😛

What authors, or books have influenced you?
I’m a Time Travel Buff so Diana Galbaldon has been influential, and of course we shared the common stimulus of Dr Who as kids. I also loved Traci Harding’s early books (she’s an Aussie writer for those who have never heard of her). She combines metaphysical concepts with a rip roaring tale. There are dozens more but I won’t bore you.

What are you working on now?
I’m writing the second in my Werewolf Keep Trilogy. Its a classical werewolf tale where people turn into werewolves 3 mights a month and must be imprisoned in a Castle Keep on the Yorkshire Moors. Its very Gothic and set in the mid Victorian era. For me, it is more than just a story of the paranormal. It is an exploration of what Jung calls our Shadow, which I seem to have worked with in my career in many situations.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I use a wonderful promoter called DesertGirl on Fiverr.com. She gets my books out to the right places when they’re offered free. I’ve also joined Author Marketing Club and the Kindle Club to try to get me more savy with the whole promoting/marketing scene. Oh and I’ve done two Book Tours with Orangeberry but I’m still waiting to see any results from those. But it is still early days.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Make sure what you have to offer is a quality product, but at the same time don’t dismiss yourself because you aren’t published by mainstream. Find your audience and enjoy their feedback, but don’t pay too much attention to the negative stuff. One reviewer on Amazon said they were sooo disappointed by ‘The Way Home’ because they bought it thinking it was by another author and expected it to be a Christian book and finished off telling me I needed to find Jesus. I got a big kick when one of my fans slammed the review. Having people you don’t know go in to bat for you like that is a buzz. But they won’t do that unless you’re writing books they really enjoy.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Fantasy writer Ursula K. Le Guin wrote: “Children know perfectly well that unicorns aren’t real, but they also know that books about unicorns, if they are good books, are true books.” I have always remembered that and so, while I write about ‘unreal’ subjects, there is always truth in my stories… or I try to make sure they’re ‘good books’, so there is truth to be found in them.

What are you reading now?
I non-fiction book called ‘Living Magically’ by Gill Edwards, just to remind me of stuff I tend to forget. and a lovely little time travel romance called ‘Across the Winds of Time’ by Bess Mc Bride, which has the feel-good factor down pat.

What’s next for you as a writer?
Finish my latest book and then get started on another New Atlantis time travel book that has come up out of the blue. I’m trying to see if its possible to create a romantic hero out of a Gestapo agent.
My early research is broadening my knowledge about these historical ‘monsters’. Many were just policemen when the Nazis took over, and weren’t even Nazi Party members themselves. They simply served that government as they did the previous one. So I’m interested in finding the point when a person’s conscience kicks in and they start to rebel against their ‘job description’. I have spoken to a fan whose husband is a cop and she says that it is an issue for many police when government regulations change and they are asked to do things they may not agree with.
I’m not sure whether I can pull it off, to be honest, but its interesting exploring a different aspect of Nazi Germany. I’ve been there twice before in the New Atlantis series, once writing about the Death Trains in Poland and then the last in the series dealt with a German University student who was an anti-Nazi activist. I based that character on a real person.
That makes my books sound a bit heavy, but they aren’t. I try to keep my books light while not trivialising serious matters.

What is your favorite book of all time?
I sat for a long time trying to decide the answer to that question. I have sooo many favourites (which includes my guilty pleasure: JR Ward’s Black Dagger Brotherhood series and Harry Potter, of course,) I can’t even hope to answer it properly. If I had to say what the most influential book was in my life I’d say Jane Roberts’ non-fiction work, ‘Seth Speaks’, because it came at a perfect time in my life and reminded me of what I’d always known. Powerful stuff (but not much fun).

Author Websites and Profiles
Nhys Glover Website
Nhys Glover Amazon Profile

Nhys Glover’s Social Media Links
Facebook Profile
Twitter Account

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I’m Australian and have lived in QLD, SA, NSW and now reside in Perth on the west coast. I grew up reading Enid Blyton, Trixie Belden, Nancy Drew, Hardy Boys, John Marsden, Goosebumps, and many horror/vampire/fantasy books that I hid from my parents and read under the blankets by torchlight. As I got older I became obsessed with both fantasy books and movies. I’d always had an overactive imagination that I assuaged by coming up with my own stories. I discovered Dean Koontz whose books fed my curious mind making me want more. When I was 24 I wrote my first book. Needless to say, it was terrible. I think the story is fine, but my writing was atrocious. Honestly, I wrote the book for fun, and never intended to publish. Bitten by the writing bug, I couldn’t stop writing. I ended up with 3 novels, 2 novellas and several short stories. I found so much joy and meaning in the process that I knew I’d always be a writer.

A few years later the Ebook market grew and publishing platforms for indies became available. After a being thunderstruck with a new book idea last year, I decided to write and publish my first book: Concealed Power (The Healers of Meligna, Book #1). It’s out on Amazon now.

I wrote Concealed Power and realized it would be an epic saga spreading four books. After writing the first instalment, one of my supporting characters, Klawdia, began to speak to me during the day (no not actually speak to me that would be worrying). Her presence became so strong I couldn’t help but write about her, but in smaller instalments as I’d already committed myself to the Healers of Meligna series. The Bear Heart novella is permanently free on Amazon and Book #2 in the Healer Series will be out in August.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
While Bear Heart is my latest book, it’s not my main series and so I’ll speak about Concealed Power. If you want to read more about the inspiration for Bear Heart you can find it on the books Amazon page.

The idea for Concealed Power (The Healers of Meligna Series) came to me while I was at the doctor’s office for my annual check-up. An impression imprinted on my mind, and I realised I wanted to write something controversial, yet still in the genre of Epic Fantasy. I wanted to build a world full of loveable characters, and interesting societies, that when forced together, create conflict and tension based on differences of beliefs, rather than alluding to clichés of good and evil.

I knew I would write this story from a first-person perspective. I’m a very heady/analytical type of person, and have a keen interest in psychology, so I like to bring my readers really close to the main character. I want you to feel my protagonist’s highs and lows. In Concealed Power, when Adenine is perplexed, I want you, my readers, to care as much as she does about finding a resolution. I want your eyes to be glued to the pages until you’ve discovered, through her, the answers to all enigmas.

As I was writing the story I found myself playing games with my readers. When a book lacks swordfight and fire breathing dragons (although you might find aspects of this in the future books in the series), the author must create intrigue and mystery like a Sherlock Holmes or Miss Marple novel. The reader should be guessing ahead, thinking about the future and sorting through the clues to answer the book’s questions.

This series has changed me as a writer. It’s helped me discover my strengths and weaknesses as an author, while constantly challenging my tenacity (I spend a great deal of time scratching my head over the plot).

This story has its own life force that on rare occasion has moved me to tears (especially towards the end of the second book that I’m writing right now). This story wanted to be written and I hope that you get something from reading it.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
Hah! What’s a normal writing habit? :–)

I recently bought myself a wonderful laptop that has given me freedom to write anywhere I want, but I still prefer sitting on my bed/couch, windows closed to block out suburban racket, ear plugs playing some form of sombre classical/violin music (or Imogen Heap, Muse, Evanescence, Ludovico Euinadi). I write a lot of heartfelt scenes, and the music helps to dunk me into an emotional frame of mind.

I have a steady writer schedule. I get up, have breakfast, shower (I have to make myself do this because it’s so tempting to just get straight into writing) and edit from 8am – 8pm. I have another job I work my own hours and I fit writing around that. I work in 45 minute sprints and allow myself 15 minutes per hour for breaks and doing chores. I have a very free life and my time is my own. Because of this I can write between 5000 – 7000 words a day, and edit at the same speed. I prefer deadlines and will work phenomenal hours over short stretches.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
I’ll just mention direct influences.

Kristin Cashore
Trudi Canavan
Maria V. Snyder
Robin Hobb
Charlaine Harris
Anne McCaffrey
Brandon Sanderson
J.K. Rowling
J. R. R. Tolkien
George R. R. Martin

What are you working on now?
Right now I’m working on the second Healers of Meligna book called Blood Healing. I’m about to send the novel back to my editor after doing some extensive redrafting and editing and it will be released in August. The cover for the book has been designed and on the front of the book it says:
“War begins with an open wound.”

I intend to have three out of four books of the Healers of Meligna series finished by December, but I’m aiming to have them all finished by Jan… I’ll see if I can get them out by Christmas but it will be a lot of work in a very short amount of time. I also want to release the second novella in the Bear Heart series which I’ve already written, it needs another redraft, edit and a cover, though (about 3 weeks of work).

I’m extremely excited about the release of Blood Healing and I think my readers will thoroughly enjoy the mind-shattering twists.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I’m new to the publishing game, so I don’t have any certain promotional tools except interacting with people either through Goodreads, Twitter or Facebook. Be real, be genuine, talk to people and don’t be afraid to ask them for help but make sure you give back. Acknowledge those who help you, give them signed copies, favours, gifts, whatever it takes to build a supportive group of people who can help you be the best writer you can be.

The publishing game is a game because you take risks, you take gambles, you follow leads and you test the waters. It doesn’t mean you have to be fake, or dishonest, you can be you and still fave faith in your work and your stories.

There is no certainty when it comes to publishing except writing a solid book, attaching a professional cover and ensuring that the formatting is without errors. I don’t like to get caught up in watching my sales, overly promoting, worrying about the ups and downs of the industry. My passion is for writing and that’s where the work counts!

Do you have any advice for new authors?
This is not for the faint-hearted. Dig deep and pull out every ounce of hard work you have within you, and use it to improve your craft, learn the industry, and write, write, write. Don’t think you’ll find relief on the other side of publishing your book, you won’t. When one goes out, there’s the pressure of releasing the next in the series. Don’t procrastinate on your work. Set time schedules and take care of your health, but mostly, don’t ever give up.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Lower your expectations, work hard and persevere.

What are you reading now?
I’m currently researching the contemporary romance genre, so right now I’m reading Damaged 2 by H.M. Ward. She’s a fellow indie writer and on Amazon’s best sellers list right now.

Because I work so much in the fantasy genre, I get tired of fantasy narrations. When you write medieval fantasy 9 hours a day, you don’t want to be reading it in your spare time. A break means a proper break 😉

What’s next for you as a writer?
Finishing this Healer series and the Klawdia series, and then focusing on contemporary fantasy and NA fiction. Having worked in mental health I am working on a fun series about a female psychologist who’s life spirals out of control. After that I intend to write another three books set in the Healers of Meligna world, depending on whether my readers want that or not. I like to listen to what people enjoy and write accordingly.

I’m interested in EVERYTHING and I have an extremely curious mind so I don’t care what I write. I just LOVE writing worlds and characters.

What is your favorite book of all time?
More of a series of books than 1 book in particular. And that’s Kristin Cashore’s Graceling/Fire/Bitterblue. I read Kristin’s blog and her words, thoughts, books inspire me no end. I hope to be half a good a writer as she is.

Author Websites and Profiles
K. J. Colt Website
K. J. Colt Amazon Profile

K. J. Colt’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile
Facebook Profile
Twitter Account

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
Emma Right is a happy wife and homeschool mother of five living in the Pacific West Coast of the USA. Besides running a busy home, and looking after their five pets, which includes two cats, two bunnies and a Long-haired dachshund, she also writes stories for her children. This is Right’s first, of many books to come.

Right worked as a copywriter for two major advertising agencies and won several awards, including the prestigious Clio Award for her ads, before she settled down to have children.

Visit Emma Right at her home site and blog for tips and ideas about books, homeschooling, bible devotions, and author helps of various sorts: www.emmaright.com and follow her on facebook emma.right.author

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
I was inspired to write Keeper of Reign after reading the book, Destined to Reign, by Pastor Joseph. Of course the Chronicles of Narnia and the LOTR series are also some of my favorite books and I have always loved fantasy. I just wanted to write a fantasy book for young readers, so they can see how through Jules Blaze’s trials they too can reign triumphant.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I write the entire story in my head and let it all gush out on paper. Of course, there’s tons of editing work that needs to be done, after it’s all out. I call it downloading the book from my head.

What are you working on now?
Book 2 for Keeper of Reign. And another YA series targeted at a little older, but still the YA crowd–13 and up. it’s a suspense mystery/murder style book.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I submit my website www.emmaright to the search engines, and have the social media platforms. I also belong to a marketing group called John316 marketing. It’s a Christian group and everyone is very supportive.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
If you think writing the book was hard, wait till you have to publish, and then market it.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
In the words of Winston Churchill, “Never, never, never give up!’ And read, read, read!

What are you reading now?
I have several books in my kindle that i am reading simultaneously. I must say sometimes I do get the plots mixed up, but in the end they all sort themselves out!

What’s next for you as a writer?
Read, learn and live. I know I have a lot to learn as a writer and author, from the craft, to the book marketing, to the publishing, to the living. As a Christian, I stay focus by keeping my eyes on Jesus.

What is your favorite book of all time?
It’s hard to beat the classics. I love Jane Austen, Dickens, Tolkein, Tosltoy and CS Lewis. Then there’s geaorge Elliot, who happens to eb a woman…oh, and the Laura Ingle’s Little House series, To Kill a Mocking bird, and the Anne of Green Gables books. I can’t really pick one.

Author Websites and Profiles
emma right Website
emma right Amazon Profile

emma right’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile
Facebook Profile
Twitter Account
Pinterest Account

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I always liked to write and always liked to cook. It seemed only natural that after I closed my Italian Deli/Specialty Shop that putting out a few recipe books was my next career step. My books are not only filled with good quality recipes, but I share many stories that have a direct connection to the food I hope everyone will enjoy.

To date I have written three books all in a series titled “Gracie’s Italian Living Series.’ Named for my mom (as was my shop Gracie’s Ravioli) who was the biggest influence in my life. Her love of family, food and life are what has shaped me as an adult. The first book “7 Days of Italian Cooking – Gracie’s Guide to Everyday Meals” highlights the meals mom prepared almost religiously each week. It also allows the reader a look into what it was like growing up in a household shared by my Sicilian Grandparents.

The second book in the series is “Gracie’s Christmas Eve Recipe Book – Night of the 7 Fishes,” is filled with seafood recipes that work year round. It also tries to make sense out of this Sicilian tradition of nothing but seafood on Christmas Eve.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
The latest book “The Mediterranean Diet Recipe Book – Gracie’s Guide to Healthy Meals,” is a footprint to traditional foods, an Old World approach to eating and the Mediterranean lifestyle. The inspiration for this book actually came out of the first two. As I started sharing my mom’s recipes I realized that our eating habits were healthy and that no one in my family really ever suffered from being overweight or sickly. We all ate together every night. Mom and dad enjoyed a glass of wine with dinner and after the dishes were done they went out for a walk.

Yeah, the inspiration comes from a desire to return to a more traditional way of living.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I like to write first thing in the morning and in the evenings. It just seems like there is less pressure to get things done, as writing at this point is still a hobby.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
Classic writers like Mark Twain, John Steinbeck and Herman Melville. I love good story tellers.

What are you working on now?
My plan is continue with the Gracie’s Italian Living Series and hope to max out with 10 books in the series. The next book, which up to now is untitled, will feature pasta, sauces and pesto. I’m also working with a landscape architect on a book that will focus on the Mediterranean Garden as both an outdoor living space and a food source.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I’m still struggling with that, but I have a few ideas on how to not only sell more books but also make a little difference in the world we all share. I’ll keep you posted on how that works out.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
I consider myself very much a new author and my only advice would be to follow your dream if writing is it and don’t get discouraged. No one every said it would be easy, but if it is your desire that stay with if.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
I once had a t-shirt that read “The race is not always to the swift but to those that keep on running.”

What are you reading now?
I love non-fiction history. I can’t get enough of it. I just finished “Unbroken” by Laura Hillenbrand. You may remember her from the Seabiscuit story. It’s a World War II survival story about world class runner, Louis Zamperini.

What’s next for you as a writer?
I love baseball and my all time favorite player was Roger Maris. After the Gracie’s series, I would like to write about Roger and his struggles during the “61 season. Please don’t get me started on this, as I really believe the committee that votes on players no longer eligible needs to put him in the Hall of Fame. That has always been a pet peeve.

What is your favorite book of all time?
Grapes of Wrath

Author Websites and Profiles
Mike Angarola Website
Mike Angarola Amazon Profile

Mike Angarola’s Social Media Links
Facebook Profile
Twitter Account

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I’ve written three novels and three screenplays. My novel, THE GIRL FROM LONG GUYLAND, is currently for sale on Amazon. It has ranked #1 in Suspense and Women’s Contemporary Fiction during Amazon promotional days. and has over 100,000 downloads.

My screenplays have all been optioned by Hollywood producers and have garnered finalist and semi-finalist wins in the Austin Heart of Film, Southwest Writers, TV Writer, Chesterfield and Writer’s Digest contests. I am currently working on a new novel based on my screenplay, THE M&M BOYS.

Originally from New York, I moved out west to attend college. As an English major, I studied under esteemed authors Rudolfo Anaya and the late Tony Hillerman as well as attended the prestigious Iowa Writers Worksop. I now divide my time between Austin, TX and Taos, NM.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
My latest completed novel is THE GIRL FROM LONG GUYLAND.

MEMOIR MEETS THRILLER: Set against a 1969 psychedelic love-in backdrop, THE GIRL FROM LONG GUYLAND is shared through the eyes of Laila Levin when decades later, an unsolved murder pulls her reluctantly into her past. A dramatic collision of then and now – entwining family, marriage, profession and ethics.

I’m at an age when I’ve begun reflecting on different periods of my life and examining what I’ve learned from them. For me, the late sixties was an aberration from the rest of my relatively conservative lifestyle. I wasn’t near as naïve or crazy as Laila, but I was a quintessential hippie, feminist, and anti-war protestor. Evidently, the novel has struck a cord with other baby boomers thinking about the same things.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I write at weird hours and they vary. Sometimes I work at night and continue through sunrise. Other times, I write in the late morning after I’ve exercised. Bottom line, I try and write every day to stay in the rhythm of the project.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
GONE GIRL – Gillian Flynn

THE SECRET HISTORY Donna Tart

THE PRINCE OF TIDES – Pat Conroy

SHE COMES UNDONE – Wally Lamb

COMPROMISING POSITIONS – Susan Isaacs

What are you working on now?
I’m working on a historical novel based on my screenplay THE M&M BOYS:

In the summer of 1961, Marshall Elliot, a young little league player’s joy of making the All-Star team evaporates when his father, too busy with a girlfriend, misses his triumphant opening game, and his mother spirals into a bed-ridden depression.

Then his life suddenly changes when Yankee superstars Roger Maris and Mickey Mantle move next door as they battle to break Babe Ruth’s home run record. The three unlikely friends find solace in each other’s triumphs, frustrations, celebrations and disappointments.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
AMAZON works the best for me.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Study the craft. Take a creative writing novel class. Read books on the craft of writing. Talent and a good story are only part of writing a successful novel. You need to hone your skills and pay your dues. Some book recommendations include:

John Gardner – The Art of Fiction

The Anatomy of a Story – John Truby

Techniques of the Selling Writer – Dwight Swain

A Writer’s Journey – Chris Vogler

Join a quality critique group. Hire a professional proof reader.

Don’t write with your “mother” on your shoulder.

Don’t be afraid to use events from your own life but remember that fiction is different from real life.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Quoting from my first creative novel writing professor, the award-winning author, Rudulfo Anaya, “A writer writes.”

What are you reading now?
And the Mountains Echoed by Khalad Hosseini

What’s next for you as a writer?
I plan to continue writing and indie-publishing novels until I can’t.

What is your favorite book of all time?
Gone with the Wind by Margaret Mitchell. I read it at least five times and saw the move many more.

Author Websites and Profiles
Lara Reznik Website
Lara Reznik Amazon Profile

Lara Reznik’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile
Facebook Profile

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I write mystery/thrillers and romantic suspense. All my books include helpings of humor and romance as well as thrills.

DEAR KILLER is the first book in my Marley Clark Mystery Series. It features a 52-year-old retired military intelligence officer, and, as coincidence would have it, my best friend from kindergarten on is a retired military intelligence officer, who provided me great background for my character. Marley lives on Dear Island (fictional) on the SC Coast near Beaufort, SC, and I was privileged to live in this beautiful area for a dozen years. In NO WAKE ZONE, the second book in the series, Marley visits Lake Okoboji/Spirit Lake, Iowa, where my aunt, uncle and cousins lived and where I worked summers as a teen. In the next book in the series, Marley will be back in the South Carolina Lowcountry. Harlequin has purchased the mass market rights to both DEAR KILLER and NO WAKE ZONE.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
My newest title is a romantic suspense novel, FINAL ACCOUNTING. It’s a bit steamier than the books in my Marley Clark Series. FINAL ACCOUNTING is set in Atlanta and Jamaica. My sister and brother-in-law lived in Jamaica for seven years, giving me an insider’s view of the island. The title has a couple of different meanings. My heroine is a forensic accountant, who uses her brains to go after white-collar crooks.

I recently finished a romantic suspense novel, MISDIRECTION, that’s set in Upstate SC (my current home). It currently resides with a publisher/editor who’s asked for a few revisions.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I was a journalism major and have always made my living as a writer. So, I know the value of putting my fanny in the chair and writing. You can edit dreck and finetune until you’re happy. You can’t do much with a blank page.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
I’ve always been a reader–and my tastes are pretty eclectic. Some of my favorite authors include Susan Isaacs, Nelson DeMille, Janet Evanovich, Sue Grafton, and Carl Hiaasen.

What are you working on now?
My next Marley Clark book is titled WITH NEIGHBORS LIKE THESE. It’s a murder mystery, of course, but it also has some fun looking at the dramas and personalities that can make home owner associations (HOAs) a nightmare.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
The most fun has been visiting with book clubs, speaking to groups, and teaching classes. I’m not sure how much of this effort translates into sales, but it’s such a treat to spend time one-on-one with readers and other authors.

Of course, I also have a website (www.lindalovely.com) and I’m on Facebook (lindalovelyauthor) and on Twitter (@lovelyauthor).

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Write what you love to read. Don’t try to chase the market.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Listen to your critique partners, but always remember it’s your story/your voice.

What are you reading now?
The Light Between the Oceans, this month’s pick for the book club I belong to.

What’s next for you as a writer?
I’m working on a romantic suspense novel set in 1938 in Keokuk, Iowa, my hometown. The historical research is great fun.

What is your favorite book of all time?
Too tough to pick one.

Author Websites and Profiles
Linda Lovely Website
Linda Lovely Amazon Profile

Linda Lovely’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile
Facebook Profile
Twitter Account

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

~~The White School

~~The Leader of the Lost People

~~The Drinking Man’s Guide to Women (and Divorce)

~~The Thinking Man’s Guide to Women

I have five short stories featured in The Author’s Gift.

My latest novel is The White School: Racism Sneaks into the 21st Century.

The wave of events that ushered in the 21st century overwhelmed Americans. The attacks of September 11, unrestricted dependence on technology, and a shattered economy drove us into the future at breakneck speed. But what have we ignored along the way? Have we turned a blind eye to our social ills? Has the specter of racism tiptoed in to the 21st century while we were texting our friends and checking our email? This collection of vignettes reveals 21st century racism from many perspectives, and it delves into the most basic tenet of human behavior: Some people change, some people try, and some people do neither. Welcome to The White School.

Former Marine, former teacher and former school administrator and ever a student of humanity, Patrick O’Cahir brings a sharp wit and even sharper tongue to bear on society’s questions. Patrick writes with as much passion and knowledge in The White School as he did in his previously released, The Leader of the Lost People. Patrick excels at fictionalizing the realities that take place in the public schools today. Patrick is embarking on a thirty day ocean voyage in July 2013 to put the finishing touches on The Wind from the Sea, a novel about a dying man that sails into the adventure of a lifetime.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
The White School: Racism sneaks into the 21st Century.

I have been a school administrator and classroom teacher for the last 27 years. The blatant segregation that is practiced by the Charlotte Mecklenburg School system inspired me to write this book. But the story expands on to the role that African Americans also play in the perpetuation of racial stereotypes. I wrote this novel using voice recognition software as I drove to and from The White School. It is a collection of short stories from a variety of voices- a seasoned teacher, a new student, a young teacher, and from the unique perspectives of African American students that chose to be bused in to The White School.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
Yes. I write at 4:00 in the morning until the sun comes up.Then I go back to sleep until the normal people awaken. I like to write where my story is taking place. I leave Hawaii on June 29 for a thirty day excursion studying ocean temperatures. During my free time I will finish The Wind from the Sea. this novel is about a man that refuses to die in a hospital (like his wife did twelve years previous) and has decided to sail out to sea. What he encounters becomes the adventure of his life. Writing this while at sea will give me the realism that is needed.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
Stephen King, John Grisham, Clive Cussler, Dan Brown, Edgar Allen Poe, John Milton, and Mary Shelley to name a few.

What are you working on now?
The Wind from the Sea. A dying man sails into the adventure of a lifetime. The short story actually received an Honorable Mention in the Writer’s Digest Short Story contest.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I don’t know yet. I am hoping word of mouth will still be the best way to sell a great book.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
As a new author I am still in the receiving advice category.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Never give up. Never, ever- I mean never. If I have to be the oldest person ever to write a bestseller than so be it.

What are you reading now?
I just finished “Outliers” and am into read “Frankenstein” for the third time.

What’s next for you as a writer?
A book that influences and changes society. I think The White School is that book.

What is your favorite book of all time?
The Stand by Stephen King.

Author Websites and Profiles
Patrick O’Cahir Website

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I currently work as Microbiology Laboratory Manager and write books. I like travelling and spending quality time with family and friends. I also like good food .

So far I have written three books, I am in the middle of my fourth book and have about four more books in my head waiting to be written.

List of books already written below:

Despite al odds: A Dream Fulfilled

Truths, Lies and Untold Secrets

Blood Borne Connections

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
My latest book is called ‘Blood Borne Connections’.

I was inspired to write it after watching a TV interview with the actress Emma Thompson one afternoon where she talked about human sex trafficking and I was horrified that it still went on in this day and age. I did a lot of research into sex trafficking and the people behind it before writing the book.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
Not really. Sometimes when I am feeling a little tired I have the tendency to eat things to stay awake, which isn’t really good for my health. I tend to do a lot of research and have to get the story right in my head before I set about writing it down.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
I grew up reading Mills and Boons and Barbara Cartland because that was what my mother bought and read, our house was literally full of these books. I then went on to read some of the Harold Robbins, Sidney Sheldon and Agatha Christie books which I think influenced my style of mystery and suspense.

What are you working on now?
I am currently working on my fourth book which is about suicide and looking at the people who kill themselves, the family they leave behind and the impact of the act of suicide. It is a fictional mystery story (a little bit scary) as some of the dead people get to see their lives play on as if they were still alive – to the extent that some of the dead don’t know they are dead.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
To be honest I think that ‘Word of Mouth’ is the best. People have read my books and told me how they enjoyed them and sent twits about them, which is good.

Twitter, Facebook, Amazon, Goodreads, Smashwords etc are all good

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Follow your dream never give up on it.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
There are no limits in life – when you see it and believe it then you can achieve it.

What are you reading now?
Lead me Holy Spirit by Stormie Omartian

What’s next for you as a writer?
To continue to write

What is your favorite book of all time?
I don’t have a favourite book of all time. Rain Man is a book that I really enjoyed reading. I recently read The Great Gatsby and Gone Girl.

Author Websites and Profiles
Gladys Lawson Website
Gladys Lawson Amazon Profile

Gladys Lawson’s Social Media Links
Facebook Profile
Twitter Account

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I’m 75 years old and when I gave up TV comedy scriptwriting some fifteen years ago I started writing books. I’ve published fourteen so far, most of which are available in paperback, all of which are available as ebooks on Kindle. My books are: Dear Air 2000 and Dear Coca-Cola, which are humorous correspondence with, respectively, airlines and food & drink companies; Football Crazy, Captain’s Day, James Blond-Stockport is too Much, Inflatable Hugh and I’m in Heaven, which are humorous novels; Stairlift to Heaven and Stairlift to Heaven 2 – Further up the Stairlift, which are autobiographical journals; Zephyr Zodiac, which is a volume of connected short stories; Good Old George and Call me a Taxi, which are novellas; Les Dawsons’s Cissie & Ada, which is a book of television scripts; and The Razzamatazz Fun eBook, which is a compendium of humorous stories and sketches.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
My latest book is Stairlift to Heaven 2 – Further up the Stairlift. I was driven to write it because its predecessor, Stairlift to Heaven, has sold over 80,000 copies thus far in addition to receiving 101 x 5 Star Amazon Customer Reviews in the UK plus 21 in the US.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
Apart from swinging from the ceiling light fittings and writing in Swahili with my toes, no.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
The books of David Lodge, Tom Sharpe, P G Wodehouse and John Steinbeck.

What are you working on now?
It’s Not Cricket, which is a book with a cricket background. However, as the title suggests, it is not so much about the game of cricket but about the characters in the book and how they behave.
I am also writing a blog, www.stairlifttoheaven.com which will eventually become the third volume of my autobiographical journal series Stairlift to Heaven, if I live long enough. Visitors welcome.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I use Twitter and facebook and a number of facebook author/reader websites including Awesome Gang.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Stick at it.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Don’t piss into the wind. However the best advice I can give, especially to new writers, is – don’t waste time trying to find a publisher (which, by the way, is more often than not pissing into the wind) – but save yourself a lot of heartbeak and self publish, especially with Amazon.

What are you reading now?
Re-reading David Lodge’s ‘Nice Work’.

What’s next for you as a writer?
Just to keep on writing.

What is your favorite book of all time?
Tom Sharpe’s ‘Wilt’.

Author Websites and Profiles
Terry Ravenscroft Website
Terry Ravenscroft Amazon Profile

Terry Ravenscroft’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile
Facebook Profile
Twitter Account

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I am a Usui and Karuna Reiki Master and certified holistic therapy practitioner. I am also a licensed clinical social worker, working with a hospice agency in Asheville, NC. I grew up on a farm in rural Indiana and was stricken with polio at the age of three. I learned Reiki in 2001 to relieve fatigue from post-polio syndrome. This complementary technique led me to explore other alternative modalities, including shamanic intuitive healing, and other energy healing methods. I have written one book (so far)….

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
My book, published by John Hunt Publishing company, is titled “Believe and it is True: A Story of Healing and Life Lessons.” The inspiration was telling the story of my healing journey. Healing occurred almost 50 years after having had polio – I did not ever think I could get better physically, but I did! Along the way, I also experienced much emotional and spiritual healing. The mind/body/spirit connection became real to me.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
The best way I know to write is to schedule a few hours in my calendar, usually on Saturday mornings, since I also work fulltime. It is an appointment with my computer. My husband knows not to interrupt me, unless it is very important!

What authors, or books have influenced you?
I have read so many books, by so many wonderful authors. I am definitely attracted to anything metaphysical, or spiritual – whether it be a book by a psychic medium, a shamanic healer, a Reiki practitioner, or an ordinary person like me – anyone who has an intriguing story to tell. It seems I always learn several new things, from each book. I also love a really good novel – with rich characters, usually set in another historical time period.

What are you working on now?
My focus now is sharing the message of how energy healing modalities can truly heal a person – physically, emotionally and spiritually. This includes everything from training others in Reiki, to writing my blog, to connecting and networking with others in the world of social media.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I have found the best method is connecting to the individual person – whether it is on facebook, twitter, or doing a book signing in a bookstore. When I can engage with another person, mutually sharing thoughts and ideas, we both want to know more about each other!

Do you have any advice for new authors?
My most important piece of advice is to believe that you are already a writer – because you have a story to tell. If you feel passionate about a specific topic and want to share your wisdom with others, just do it. If you need to build some confidence and develop your writing skills, find a writing workshop, or class – then sign up and go. I also think it is important to read, read, read – especially books of your same genre. Before you submit your book to a publisher, share it with several friends, especially those who may have some writing experience – and ask for honest feedback.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Believe in yourself – you are the expert in your story!

What are you reading now?
I am reading “Spiritwalker: Messages from the Future” by Hank Wesselman.

What’s next for you as a writer?
A second book is percolating in my mind. Perhaps, it will be case studies, or short stories, from my work experiences – both as a Reiki Master and a hospice social worker. There are many connections between those two worlds…

What is your favorite book of all time?
This is the hardest question ever! There are few books I have read more than once (since there are hundreds of books I want to read). One I have read more than once is “Gone with the Wind.” I love the fully developed characters, and the depiction of how the Civil War affected this country is incredible.

Author Websites and Profiles
Deborah Lloyd Website
Deborah Lloyd Amazon Profile
Deborah Lloyd Author Profile Other Bookseller

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

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I’ve written pretty much since I was old enough to hold a pencil. My poem about a potato being made into a chip, written when I was 8 years old, was well received by my school assembly!

At various points in my life I have tried my hand at writing a novel but never found the right inspiration but now I’ve managed to put that right. I started blogging while I lived in France, mainly just as a way to keep friends and family in touch with our new lives. I suddenly realized that the adventures I was writing about would make a great basis for a book.

I still blog but now its about my life back in England. I also blog for the Huffington Post and have written expat articles for the Daily Mail and Daily Telegraph

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
L’Amour Actually was inspired by the many adventures I had living in rural France. It is a fictionalized travel memoir. Some of it happened, some of it happened but not quite as I have written in and some of it didn’t happen at all. I leave it up to the reader to decide but sometimes truth is stranger than fiction.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I don’t have any unusual writing habits but I am what I would call an organic writer. I know where my story starts and where it finishes, but the bit in the middle just grows as I write. I know many writers who storyboard every last sentence because it works for them but for me, seeing where my story takes me if much more fun

What authors, or books have influenced you?
I love the contemporary women’s fiction authors that are around at the moment, particularly those with a sharp wit, like Marian Keyes and Catherine Alliott. Kathy Lette has me laughing out loud.

What are you working on now?
My current project has the working title ‘Suddenly Single’ and it is the story of an older woman whose marriage breaks down unexpectedly. With the aid of a small inheritance, she takes off round the world to meet up with her old school friend and on the way discovers more about herself that she thought possible.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
My first book only came out this month, published by Summersdale in the UK. At the moment all this book promotion business is new to me. I could probably answer this better in a few months time when I have had a chance to assess what works for me. I have high hopes for Our Awesome Gang though.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Keep writing. Get your story down. Don’t go back and constantly edit it.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
The best advice I was given was ‘You can do it.’ And I could!

What are you reading now?
The Guilty One by Lisa Ballantyne. A thriller.

What’s next for you as a writer?
More writing and hopefully more publishing success.

What is your favorite book of all time?
I honestly couldn’t say. There are so many wonderful books that I love for completely different reasons.

Author Websites and Profiles
Melanie Jones Website
Melanie Jones Amazon Profile

Melanie Jones’s Social Media Links
Facebook Profile
Twitter Account

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I write romance and erotica that ranges from sweet to steamy. I started publishing my work earlier this year, although it had been written quite some time ago. When I started, I was publishing short erotic stories which then were compiled into collections. I have also written two novellas – More than a Job and The Quiver of a Kiss. More than a Job is very steamy erotica, whereas The Quiver of a Kiss is an historical erotic romance about Helen of Troy.

The news for me is my recent novel, Bitter Fruits. It is a vampire paranormal/urban fantasy romance grounded very much in reality despite the mythic elements.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
Bitter Fruits. The title comes from a quote by Lord Byron but if I said the name of the work, it might give something away about the story! The story was inspired by a variety of things – my own interest in mythology, a personal attraction to brothers, and a desire to write something a little different.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I tend to be a binge writer, meaning that I will go an entire week without writing a word and then spend five straight hours writing. I feel like I should only write when inspired, although with deadlines, sometimes I force it. Readers can usually tell when your heart isn’t it, though, and I don’t want to write something I don’t feel.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
As far as erotica, I am inspired by Anais Nin and the Marquis de Sade, mostly because they were the ones who made the genre possible. Personally, I am a big fan of the classics. I love the Brontes, Hemingway, Bradbury, Salinger, Stoker – all of these, of course, being nothing like my own writing!

What are you working on now?
I am currently writing Immortal Star, part two in the trilogy started in Bitter Fruits. It is scheduled to be released in September 2013.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I am still trying to figure out marketing, to be honest. I never know what works and what doesn’t. Word of mouth is so important, but it is hard to get the first few people excited enough to share.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Don’t let things get to you. It is really tough, because everyone is a critic. The internet is also full of people who are happy to make you feel bad about yourself. As a writer, it is natural to doubt yourself and it’s scary when you realize just how many other people are thrilled to help you confirm those doubts. You just need to remember that there are people who hate Harry Potter, who hate the classics, who think everything is beneath them. I think the more successful you are, too, the more people will rip you apart.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
To write every day. I don’t do it, but I think it is important to at least consider writing every day. Otherwise, life gets away from you.

What are you reading now?
I am currently reading a few books – some paranormal, some romance, and some teen fiction. However, my writing has been keeping me from getting deep into anything recently which is sad.

What’s next for you as a writer?
The next two books to follow Bitter Fruits and an erotic novella. After that, I am not sure.

What is your favorite book of all time?
The Sun Also Rises by Ernest Hemingway. It is beautiful and heartbreaking.

Author Websites and Profiles
Sarah Daltry Website
Sarah Daltry Amazon Profile
Sarah Daltry Author Profile Other Bookseller

Sarah Daltry’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile
Facebook Profile
Twitter Account
Pinterest Account

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
You write one short story at the age of 10 about a pit on the moon laden with poisonous hamburgers, and suddenly you’re an author. That’s the way I saw it when “Murder on the Moon” became an instant hit with my fourth-grade classmates. I’d always been a voracious reader, but upon sharing my little yarn with my friends, I suddenly realized the freedom (and power!) of becoming the storyteller. Over the next few years, I would go on to write several short stories, mostly involving murder mysteries and my schoolmates.

The thrill of whodunits subsided when I discovered the long and (theoretically) rewarding payoffs of the soap operatic style of telling tales, which was followed quickly by my unearthing of the superhero fiction genre (which is just soap operas in spandex).Fast-forward to my last semester at Florida State University, where I was starting to regret my decision to pursue a business management degree instead of something more literary. I had big stories in my head. Instead of second-guessing my educational path, I used my free time to pursue my passion. A few months later, my first novel had arrived in the world—and it wasn’t pretty. Like all writers, though, I had to start somewhere.

I went back to the drawing board with my ideas for The Survivors—a contemporary fantasy story about what would happen if real people found themselves empowered with superhuman abilities. But The Survivors wasn’t so pretty either. The concept was fun but the execution was rough. It was temporarily shelved while I set out to learn how to be a better and publishable writer. And 10 years later, I think I may have learned a thing or two.

I wrote another novel in the interim years (more on that soon!), but The Survivors will always be my baby. In many ways, the work of an artist is like his or her child. Now my little one’s ready to play with the big kids. After the many years of edits and rewrites, I’m proud of the novel it’s grown into.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
THE SURVIVORS is my latest (and also first) published book. The plot revolves around seven strangers impossibly surviving a horrific airplane crash. Afterwards they find themselves changed in remarkable ways. The survivors are endowed with powers that defy explanation.

I’ve always been intrigued with the paranormal and the idea that human beings have untapped potential inside. I wanted to play with that idea, but not in the traditional “superhero” way. What would really happen if a person could suddenly read minds? How would a person behave if they had unstoppable power? These are the questions I address in THE SURVIVORS.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
Not particularly. I like to write my daily allotment all in one sitting, but I think that has more to do with my OCD than my writing habits. 🙂

What authors, or books have influenced you?
Ray Bradbury, Sue Grafton, James Patterson, Dean Koontz, John Grisham, Patricia Cornwell, J.K. Rowling, Jan Karon, Tess Gerritsen, so many more.

What are you working on now?
I’m currently prepping a new YA contemporary fantasy. This book REALLY has me excited. It’s a fun concept with kooky characters. I don’t want to go into too many details, but I was inspired after watching (and then immediately reading) the first Harry Potter. I wanted to create a magical world too, but mine isn’t about witches and wizards – honestly, no one will ever top Rowling’s take on a wizarding world.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I’m still feeling that out, but I think www.authormarketingclub.com has some wonderful resources. The forums at KBoards.com are very helpful too.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Be persistent.

Write every day.

Read every day.

See out critiques that aren’t from your mother.

Listen to your critics and learn from them.

Join a writing group or take a writing class at a community college.

Learn the business side to writing – marketing, social media, public relations, etc. are vital.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
You’re not a writer until you’ve written 1000 pages, so keep writing. The early stuff is usually pretty rough, but you have to get through all of it to uncover the gems. Keep plugging away.

What are you reading now?
Having only just published THE SURVIVORS, I haven’t had much time for reading. (I read it about 10 ten times in the last few weeks.) I’m a huge fan of the Game of Thrones TV show, so I’m considering diving into those massive beasts.

What’s next for you as a writer?
I’m currently focused on marketing for my current book, THE SURVIVORS. I have another book that is almost ready for publishing, so that’s in the pipeline. But I’m VERY eager to start on the second book in THE SURVIVORS series. – I have so many ideas that need to be on paper!

What is your favorite book of all time?
This is an impossible question (for me) to answer. I’ve had love affairs with so many books over the years. Bunnicula. Tuck Everlasting. Homecoming. To Kill a Mockingbird. A Tale of Two Cities. Fahrenheit 451. The Martian Chronicles. The Grapes of Wrath. Their Eyes were Watching God. Harry Potter series. Lord of the Rings trilogy. I guess I’ll have to say Fahrenheit 451 – Ray Bradbury was an absolute genius. His books gave me pause, particularly because they combined the fantastical with the very real.

Author Websites and Profiles
Daniel Harvell Website
Daniel Harvell Amazon Profile

Daniel Harvell’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile
Facebook Profile
Twitter Account

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I’ve written the first two novels in a three-book series. The first one in the series, “The Chaos Protocol”, is a techno-thriller about a team of computer programmers trying to disable a worm in the banking system – and it’s set in Columbus, where I live, and it was a finalist for the 2000 Ohioana Book Award for Fiction. The second one, “Blood on Ice”, is about a young Russian hockey star who is trying to find a way to resist the Mafiya without endangering the people he loves.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
My latest novel is “Blood on Ice.” I studied Russian in college and have spent time there and have met and worked with a number of Russian immigrants. I was interested in the problem of facing evil: how do you maintain your integrity in the face of evil if those you love are threatened? That’s the theme, but the book also contains professional hockey, the Russian Mafiya, art students, Russian orphans, the FBI, a brilliant, disgraced programmer, and lots of other goodies.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
When the children were small, I would get up at five a.m. in order to have writing time. Now that they’re grown, I tend to just write whenever I can. I think that most writers are solitary, at least when they write.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
Laurie Colwin: Happy All The Time as well as her others

Michael Chabon: The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Clay and his others

Ruth Ozeki: My Year of Meats

Dorothy L. Sayer: The Peter Wimsey mysteries (Strong Poison, etc.)

Margaret Mitchell: Gone With the Wind

Ken Follett: Eye of the Needle

Wallace Stegner: Angle of Repose

Ann Patchett: Bel Canto

Barbara Kingsolver: The Poisonwood Bible

I have a lot of book reviews at my web site, and at Goodreads, if you’re interested in further recommendations.

What are you working on now?
Presently I’m writing the last book of The Millennium series. Too early for details, but the it’s the continuing story of a character who’s intrigued me since Book One.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I’m still experimenting. Amazon is very helpful, especially with ebooks for Kindle.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Spend most of your time writing, and a proportionately smaller, but consistent amount of time on promotion.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
“There are a hundred ways to write a book, many of them right.” Jeff Dunn, author of “Days of Cain” and “Full Tide of Night.”

This advice helped me realize that I didn’t need to get stuck with writing a scene just one way – there were many ways that might be successful. It freed me to experiment.

What are you reading now?
I just finished Ruth Ozeki’s latest book, A Tale for the Time Being. Magical!

What’s next for you as a writer?
I’ll keep writing novels. And I’ve done a good bit of food writing (see my web site), which I like and will continue. I’m also a lyricist, and I would love to make a recording of the songs I wrote for my children when they were little. Not with me singing, however! And maybe a children’s book? And something humorous – the possibilities go on and on.

What is your favorite book of all time?
Sorry, too hard to choose! Please see the very partial list above. I’m always finding new books to love.

Author Websites and Profiles
Nancy McKibben Website
Nancy McKibben Amazon Profile

Nancy McKibben’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
Nancy Segovia is many things to many people. To her husband she is friend and prize winning cook. To her five daughters she is mom a sometimes inspiration and an all the time pain in the neck. To her grandchildren she is “Totally awesome!” -their words, not hers. And, to her students she is a hard task master who encourages them to excel and browbeats them into mastering the concepts of proper paragraph construction.

Nancy, herself, returned to college at the tender, young age of 49 and graduated Summa Cum Laude with a Bachelor of Art’s Degree in Religion. She then continued on with her education and pursued and achieved two master’s degrees – the first from Northwest Nazarene University is a Masters of Arts in Religion and the second from the University of Denver is a Master of Liberal Studies in Creative Writing. She drew from this advanced education the skills and knowledge she used to write Shine: How To Walk the Talk which is scheduled was released in May, 2013.

Prior to returning to college, Nancy achieved publishing success in many areas with successful publishing credits in poetry, children’s literature, short stories and full length novels. She has worked as a newspaper journalist, a managing magazine editor and currently teaches English Composition for several universities.

Of herself she says, ” When not writing or teaching, I like to take online classes in a variety of areas including history, education, religion and philosophy. I also read and watch TV. Much to my shame, I really enjoy reality TV shows like “The Bachelor” and “Survivor.” When not doing any of those things, I play with my three dogs and five cats as I love animals. In the past, I have raised and cared for horses – quarter horses and Thoroughbreds – geese, chickens, fish, birds, roosters, hamsters and once a pot-bellied pig.”

Nancy believes that creation and all its beauty, grandeur and diversity is a direct reflection of God’s majesty and power. One of her favorite quotes reflects this philosophy. It is:

“There is not one blade of grass, there is no color in this world that is not intended to make us rejoice.”

John Calvin

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
My latest book is Shine: How to Walk the Talk, and it was inspired by my own personal search to become holy and perfected, and the realization that it not only was it impossible, but that giving up was unacceptable. This book describes that search and it is my hope it will inspire others to seek their own perfection and holiness.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I simply cannot listen to music while I am writing. I love, love, love music and I know many writers receive inspiration from listening to music while writing. I simply cannot do that because I get too distracted by it. My mind starts to drift away with each melody and I completely lose the train of thought I was riding/writing.

Also, when I am in the middle of writing a novel, it is like having a baby in the house. The novel calls to me at 3 a.m. demanding attention, demanding to be released from my thoughts and given a place of permanence on the written page (computer file – nowadays).

What authors, or books have influenced you?
Aldous Huxley, Anne McCaffrey and Frank Peretti, and a couple of writers who are fairly new to the publishing scene: Elizabeth Hunter and J.R. Rain.

What are you working on now?
A young adult fantasy novel titled: Dragon Tears

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
You know, I honestly don’t know yet. I’ll tell you that in a few more years when I have it figured out.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Write, write and then write some more, and when you are not writing read about writing, and then write some more. Never give up on yourself or your dreams. If you can conceive it, then you can accomplish it. However, don’t let your ego get in the way. Be willing to learn, to take advice, to get help and critiques, and to start over as many times as necessary to get the job done correctly. Remember, there is always a better word, a better phrase, a better sentence, so don’t fall in love with your “babies” because sometimes they have to be sacrificed for the better good of the finished work.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
To Thine Own Self Be True – Hamlet

What are you reading now?
J.R. Rain – Vampire Games; Elizabeth Hunter – Blood and Sand; A Contrarians Guide to Christianity; Chicken Soup for the Dog Lover’s Soul; More Glimpses of Heaven

What’s next for you as a writer?
More writing and more publishing

What is your favorite book of all time?
That is impossible to answer but…my standard answer to this question is: Exodus by Leon Uris

Author Websites and Profiles
Nancy Segovia Website
Nancy Segovia Amazon Profile
Nancy Segovia Author Profile Other Bookseller

Nancy Segovia’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile
Facebook Profile
Twitter Account
Pinterest Account

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I am from Scotch Plains, NJ where I learned at an early age to enjoy all that the night sky had to offer and often dreamt of its secrets. Having a mother who was an English teacher writing and reading just seemed a normal joy and although I have written all along, eventually the two collided: Science and Fiction.

My first book which is available now is Sanacion: The Black Hole Mission. Sanacion II: We Are The Aliens is due out this Fall. But don’t look for the adventure to stop there. I am working on the third book now and the characters are telling me the want to continue!

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
Sanacion II: We Are The Aliens is fun to read – for anyone! I keep re-reading it and love it! In the first book we followed mankind as they were forced to leave a dying Earth on three ships – the book follows just one. We get to know the characters and what they are made of and the two groups the military and the civilians. The second book picks up where the first left off. Now on the new planet Steve & Lenora spy some footprints, not human. Three sets of prints indicating something with six legs or four legs, two hands. The back four have toes that seem to be claw-like. From their discovery we find the new inhabitants to be separated by fear and in two groups of thought as to how to proceed on a world that bears the name of the ship, Sanacion.

Where all this was inspired might come across as odd, but I now completely understand what “they” mean when they speak of the muses. The characters took on a life of their own and while I investigated the science they took me on a wild adventure. The last three words of the first book fueled

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
The wall surrounding my writing area has large post-its covering every space where I have written the science or the things I want to be sure and cover laid out. Also at the end of the document I include my ideas. Sometimes the mind keeps going and I just can’t keep writing so I include a summary of what comes next. It is very organized as when I write I can’t have any questions or it won’t just flow.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
On the literature side I have always loved and been somewhat influenced by T. S. Elliott however on the Science Fiction side I am influenced by the work of Arthur C. Clarke. The easy way he takes you into a world where everything makes sense with all of its innovation and the characters are complete people with strengths and faults and so is society.

What are you working on now?
Sanacion 3.4. I have a title in mind but now 3/4’s through I think the scenes I am working on now might define it. I can’t go into too much detail for fear of letting too much slide about Sanacion II, but the adventure continues across space, and some bonds formed in the second book are expanded on and some great surprises hinted at become realities.

Also I have been doing my presentation at Star Trek events and SciFi day’s all around and have a convention coming up where I am a guest as are Amanda Tapping and the great William Shattner

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I have a web-site (http://sanaciontheblackholemission.blogspot.com/) where I give my upcoming events, but only I write about Science above the exosphere. Topics vary from “NASA & The 3-D Printer” to “Mars to join the internet” or “Dark Matter, a simple explanation & a simple theory” or talk about upcoming events in the night sky.

I also have a Facebook site: https://www.facebook.com/#!/pages/Sanacion-sanaci%C3%B3n/251502074922394

And if you see me at an event, come over a chat! I have free mission patches for Sanacion: The Black Hole Mission (they’re great on a jacket or a hat!) or SAVE RUFUS bumper stickers for Sanacion II: We Are The Aliens – also free.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
People will say write every day and of course they are write, but make sure that sometimes you give yourself a block of time that is several hours long. It allows your writing to become something else and the muses to fully check in.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
I had this professor at University of Maryland in a creative writing course that forced us to look hard at our writing and to be creative even in our expository writing. I had thought that was a just the facts type of writing and once I learned that the facts don’t have to be boring it all fell into place.

What are you reading now?
I try not to read while I am writing, but two books that I was reading before this book were Arthur C Clarke’s “3001 The Final Odyssey” and a book by Michael Jan Friedman which is the prequel to After Earth. I worked with him at several events and just knew it was good:I can’t wait to finish it!

What’s next for you as a writer?
To be honest I am really enjoying writing this whole series and so I want to just keep following what the characters are doing! I really enjoy getting out and being around people of a like mind whether giving my presentation or just having a signing. …When people ask you where do you want to be in five years, is it okay if you just want to continue doing the same thing?

There is a Biography I would like to write, someday on my father’s life & career as it was really interesting. (My dad was well known in the music industry) I think I will know when the time comes.

What is your favorite book of all time?
Can I name two books? In addition to the real science books and other non-fiction, I love “Sunstorm” by Arthur C. Clarke but there is one book that holds such fond memories for me. When ever I was sick when I was young my mother used to read to me “The Five Little Peppers & How They Grew”. My mother was very dramatic and as good books will this book and its characters came alive around me.

Author Websites and Profiles
Mary Louise Davie Website

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